AN: A shorter one for sure but I'm planning to get a longer chapter out within a week and mostly using this one to transition into more major plot stuff. Please review to let me know to keep going!
Chapter 8: A Single Still Moment
He stands firmly in place and does his best not to show any shock or distraction at feeling the full force of his chakra return. Jiraiya's own chakra bubbling to the surface next to him, ready for an all out brawl. Which has Tobi more nervous than reassured. This makes so little sense it has him on a razors edge.
"For now just stay focused...you haven't been in a serious fight in months. You're not in peak fighting condition here."
Tobi clenches his fists and whispers to the man next to him. "You need to get back up from your village...the only way we win this is by risking a scene so he'll flee…"
"I'm no slouch in a fight Tobi-san," Jiraiya says.
Before he can shout the creature speaks up. "You will come with us Uchiha...Or we will drag your body back. Those are your choices."
An ice cold chill runs up his spine and Tobi doesn't want to think about what conclusion Jiriaya might have reached after that reveal. He glares at the creature. If he's already going to give away most of his secrets...he may as well go all out.
Spikes of wood emerge from behind Zetsu almost quick enough to impale them. They manage to meld into the ground probably burrowing underneath somewhere. Tobi turns to Jiraiya and shouts.
"Keep your eye on the ground they'll come at us from below!"
"Gotcha!" Jiraiya calls back seeming to momentarily hold off on any shock.
A barrage of wooden spikes emerge from the ground a few from right under them. The sensory techniques are the only thing that save Tobi and Jiraiya manages to just avoid them with a few well timed leaps. They keep coming though, leaving the two constantly dodging and unable to counter. Tobi reaches out with his chakra.
Someone less familiar with either Zetsu's signature would find them impossible to find. Tobi is able to locate it almost instantly about 10 meters south still partially embedded in the ground. He has an idea, but…
"You haven't used that technique since you went blind...you don't know if you have enough of a connection to the sharingan to even make it work." Kakashi's voice echoes. It sounds reasonable as always.
Another cluster of spikes barely dodged.
"I can't beat Zetsu with mokuton. That's like throwing kindling into a fire to douse it."
He forms the symbols as quickly as he can, his stomach expanding and mouth going open in mid air.
It was now or never, he runs the technique through his mind as he feels the flames pouring from his gut out of his mouth.
Katon: Bakufū Ranbu
The swirling vortex of flames burns over the branches heading for him. He needs just that extra bit of power...he keeps the eye that held his kamui open underneath the bandages, and with all his willpower tries to force chakra into it. The familiar surge of chakra in a space bending vortex emerges in the flames increasing their spiral and momentum enough to crash over Zetsu before either halves has much time to react. There isn't even time to scream. Just burning pseudo plant matter and human hybrid flesh.
The flames burn controlled and powerful the pure forces of them breaking into the earth beneath them with a loud crash. Tobi smells the dust in the air and feels the grains of dirt floating against his skin. He also feel something wet and warm leaking through his bandage over his face and dripping down his cheek.
"Shit…this is-"
A powerful blast of chakra at first a controlled sphere exploding into a shock wave right in front of him. Jiraiya? He hadn't felt the man come close and had only sensed the Rasengan last moment. He hears the agonized wail of black Zetsu though. Somehow still intact enough to try and enclose himself over Tobi. Or at least that's what he could assume. He couldn't feel either Zetsu clearly, just scattered hints of chakra scattering and slithering away. He hears Jiraiya's footsteps going toward them. He rushes forward putting a hand on the other man's shoulder.
The world around him feels unsteady, and his chakra isn't picking up the details of his surroundings as in depth as before. His hand clasps over Jiraiya's shoulder. His grip is too weak to truly hold him, but Jiraiya stops anyways.
"Obito you need to run!" Kakashi echoes in his mind. He sounds so worried and afraid, and it makes Obito's heart clench. "Try and use kamui if you have to...GO!"
"I've been running for years...ever since the bridge," Tobi pants unable to care he's saying it out loud. "I'm sorry...but I can't do it anymore, I'm so tired of running." He tries his best to squeeze the shoulder of the still Jiraiya and speaks to him now. "Jiraiya. We need to get back to the village before he-"
The strength that was holding him up before seems to suddenly collapse. He feels himself falling, both mentally and physically, and gives in. He's so tired. He lets himself fall into a sudden sleep.
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There's a giant moth on his stomach. That's the first thing that pops into Kakashi's head when he opens his eyes. He's in some sort of tent he knows that much, with the fresh smells and subtle sounds of the forest just beyond its borders in his senses. He scrunches his nose at the white moth with it's black wings folded down making soft chitters that he assumes are signs of it sleeping. It doesn't seem to have eyelids so it's hard to tell. It's twin from the other night seems to be perched next to the form of a sleeping Uchiha laying on his side nearby.
Kakashi is about to say something when he feels slimy wet licks on his temple. He turns his head to see Pakkun. The pup nudges him with a cold nose and Kakashi finds himself smiling. His hand reaches over to scratch behind the pug's ears.
"You're okay," he says relieved.
"I should be the one saying that don't ya think boss?" Pakkun says deadpan.
The puppy walks a bit closer nuzzling against his face. The moment is interrupted by a gasp. Kakashi looks to the moth on top of him to see her leap off of him her wings fluttering in rapid motions as she bobs up and down in the air.
"Nee-chan!" The moth seems to shout towards the other one. The black one with white wings. "O-chan! He's awake!"
"Onee-san you can not just shout at people who are resting," the other scolds.
Obito stirs, and makes small irritated noises as he wakes up. Kakashi does his best to sit himself up, moving Pakkun to his lap so they can face the boy. Both moths fly around Obito's head as he sits up, fluttering around him. The white one nuzzles his face and he chuckles.
"Shiromi, cut it out," he mutters sounding half asleep still before his eye focuses on Kakashi. He goes still, staring at the other boy.
Kakashi's body goes stiff. Obito's stare is strangely intimidating. He fidgets in his spot on the sleeping may he's on. Before he can speak though he feels a weight crash over him as Obito practically leaps forwards onto him. The Uchiha wraps his arms around him in a gesture that's becoming far too common lately. The older boy squeezes him tightly to him.
"You're awake!" Obito says. "I-I'm glad...you had us worried Bakashi." He pulls back gasping and suddenly turns to the two moths. "Oi Kuroko Shiromi! Go get Rin-chan and let her know he's awake!"
"But I wanna talk to him~" the white one cooes. The black one bumps her with her own body.
"Onee-san, listen to Onjin!" she scolds and the two fly off out of the tent together.
"Those two are weird…" Kakashi hears Pakkun murmur from his spot in his lap. He smiles from under his mask and scratches his dog behind the ears before turning to Obito.
"How long was I out?"
Obito rubs the back of his head and casts his eyes down. "Three days. That spike did something to you. Rin-chan can probably explain it better than I can, you had us real worried though."
Kakashi hums and processes this. He glances over at the little pallet Obito had been sleeping on. The blankets look far from fresh and a few water bottle and ration bar wrappers are thrown around it. He wonders just how much of his recovery Obito was at his side for? He turns his head from the sight to try and calm the warming of his cheeks he starts to feel.
"Thank you," he finally says. Obito perks up looking shocked. "For saving me. You did well, and your genjutsu seems to have improved a lot."
Obito laughs. "Yeah no kidding huh? It's actually passable instead of you know, pathetic, now. This kunoichi I ran into a lot at the camp in Kusa while I was recovering showed me a few tricks and gave me some tips, I think she felt bad when I told her about my limbs affecting my taijutsu."
A quiet moment passes before the tent flap opens up again Rin crawling in with the two moths close behind her. She rushes over to Kakashi with her little supply pack in her hand. She plants herself in front of him smiling.
"Glad to see you're awake, how do you feel?"
"Alright," Kakashi says. "My side is a little sore where it hit." He realizes it right before he says it and reaches to touch the area.
Rin slaps his hand away giving him a stern look. "Don't you dare touch that area! We have a patch there to help you skin soak in the anti infection measures."
"Infection?" He asks.
"You didn't tell him?" Rin raises a brow at Obito who sputters.
"Eh?! You're the medic! Shouldn't you be the one to tell him...medical stuff?!"
She sighs shaking her head. "The wood that pierced your side fell out, or ripped out, but it left splinters behind inside your flesh that started spreading and continued to grow." Rin explains. She keeps as professional tone despite the steely look in her eyes. "It was bad. I had to induce necrosis and rotting in the flesh it was growing in, and then remove the flesh and regrow it once the splinters rotted inside of it."
Kakashi's eye went wide. That sounded incredibly risky and hard to pull off. Yet again he is amazed by just how much Rin's skills as a medic have grown even further as of late. He looks for a brief second at the spot that apparently had rotted and regrown recently.
"How do you think it will heal?"
"Probably with a lot of scar tissue," Rin says point blank. "But you'll live, and with the help of those salves and the stuff from Obito's moths you should be fine."
Kakshi pauses tilting his head. "His summons what about them?"
"Umm maybe don't ask that boss…" Pakkun suggests.
"Yeah I agree with the dog-" Obito is cut off by Rin.
"Turns out Obito's moths can produce silk saturated in a highly antiseptic fluid...we've been soaking your gauze patches in it." There's a mischievous look in her eyes. "We've been keeping them well fed to produce as much as possible."
"It was our pleasure Rin-sama," the black one says.
"Happy to help!" the other chimes in.
Kakashi sits there blankly for a moment. His eye twitches as he takes a moment to process the information and the pleased look on Rin's face. Opposite to Obito's own sheepish one. He scrunches his face and lets out a disgusted noise.
"Ite! Are you saying you were soaking my wounds with silk fresh from their behinds without cleaning it first?!" This is why bugs gross him out. They produce everything useful from their rears like it's not the most disgusting evolutionary trait to ever be conceived!
Rin bursts out laughing, and Obito puts a hand over his mouth and a least looks like he's trying to hold it in. He fails horribly snickering into his palm. Even Pakkun lets a few chuckles loose while the white moth loses it just as bad as Rin. The black one calmly flutters the same as she was before.
"It is not uncommon for contractors to use the silk our species produces for medicinal purposes, or producing other chemical reactions depending on the moth," Kurko the black one huffs. "It is a perfectly natural process, one onjin's grandmother utilized frequently with her contract!"
Kakashi feels no less ill at the thought from that, but wants to change the subject so he pushes through. "Your grandmother?" He asks turning to a still faintly giggling Obito.
"Yeah," he says, leaning back. "I inherited the moth contract from Obaa-chan...she has one with the twins' mother actually I think."
"So wait," Rin says narrowing her eyes. "These summons seem oddly convenient for medic techniques...is your grandma a med ninja?"
Realization hit the Uchiha in the exact moment and Kakashi can see it. "Uhhh...well technically...you could call her a uh highly trained jonin level medic specializing in poisons and toxins?"
"Seriously?!" Rin shouts.
"Curing them or making them?" Kakashi questions.
"...Yes?" Obito answers vaguely.
Rin punches him in the arm. He yelps and rubs the spot. "Jerk how come you never let me talk to her then?! She could have given me loads of useful advice! You know what I'd do to be able to sit down with a retired jonin medic for instruction instead of all this self teaching and field learning?!"
"And have her embarrass me by showing you baby pictures and talking about how much of a great couple she'd think we'd be everytime you came over?!" He screeches holding his hands up. "No thanks!"
Rin goies quiet. As did the two moths who sort of slowly fluttered down to Obito's sides looking up at him. Kakashi watches Obito. They haven't really discussed Obito's crush or Rin's rejection of it altogether like this...then again should they have? It's their business and Kakashi feels like a bit of voyeur watching the emotions play out on his two friends faces at that moment.
Finally Obito takes in a breath and smiles. It doesn't seem fully real though.
"Then again...if I let her know it's never going to happen she may be less embarrassing, besides not like I have any reason to worry even if she doesn't right?" He gives a forced laugh.
"Obito...I," Rin looks down. She looks guilty.
"Please don't apologize, " Obito says. "We really shouldn't be doing this in front of Kakashi anyways, and you don't owe me anything Rin-chan. I'll always care about you, and I know you care about me, and as your friend that's good enough for me. I can't force you or expect you to feel a certain way just because I do." He takes in a deep breath. "And I'm sorry I rushed off and didn't say all of this when we talked earlier."
She goes quiet again, and Obito seems to be out of things to say. The tent grows tense waiting for a response. Kakashi, isn't sure about this, but he steels himself and breaks the silence.
"No matter how, we'll always care for each other in some way...as friends, or something else; it doesn't matter. Those are just details, as long as we stick together that's what's important."
Both look at him with shocked expressions and even Pakkun stares up at him a bit dumbfounded. Obito is the first to recover sporting a bright grin that makes Kakashi's chest feel tight.
"Exactly!" Obito says.
Rin nods in response and smiles soft at Kakashi. "Yeah you're both right...and you've really grown up huh Kakashi?"
"What's that supposed to mean," he glares at her.
"Aw I know. He's learning how to make friends like a real boy!" Obito adds in and reaches over to pinch his cheek.
Kakashi screeches trying to push him away and Pakkun he feels Pakkun shaking with laughter in his lap. Rin unfortunately joins in yanking on his other cheek and he can hear one of Obito's damn moths laughing in the background. He struggles and protests despite the warm and dare he say happy feeling welling up inside of him.
For a brief point in time it can just be them in this tent. That monster that attacked him and Obito, their worries about what happens when they go back to the village...all of that can wait. Right now Kakashi for once is actually happy.