"…need some help?" A near silent unemotional voice murmured. Obito turned, having been lost for what seemed like hours, to meet eyes with his fellow teammate.
"Hmph. Like I need your help…" He scoffed, balling his fists beside him as he trudged on. Kakashi's apathetic expression went unchanging.
"There's only one bell left, you know." The Hatake whispered as though his words were worth nothing. Obito's eyes widened as he stopped, turning once more on his heel.
"Eh!? Who got one?! You or Rin?" He asked, astonishment rising with each syllable. The silver haired boy blinked at the other lazily, icy silver eyes boring into the other.
"Does it look like I have a bell?" The inquiry was so monochromatic that even Obito wondered if he were being sarcastic.
"Well, no…so, Rin got it? That's a surprise," The black-haired boy blushed, a slight smile perking his lips. "I always knew there was something special about her, though." Kakashi twitched slightly. Affection wasn't in his nature. Especially not towards a girl. He said nothing, allowing silence to fill the space between them. Obito's blush brightened as he looked away. "So, um…you gonna go get that bell?"
"…aren't you?"
The two looked at each other, a slight hint of competition sending sparks between them.
"Well, obviously. The one who doesn't get a bell doesn't pass." The Uchiha laughed cockily, feeling the rise of annoyance at the other in him. Kakashi's eyes narrowed.
"That's only if you can beat me."
Obito perked, eyes widening as the other spread into a taijutsu stance. "You've gotta be kiddin' me. We're gonna fight here in a field of flowers in the middle of no where?" The boy stiffened, recalling the last time they had sparred. If Minato hadn't have stopped them… "W-we can't, I mean, there's no one around. What if one of us gets hurt? Or, or, umm…" The Uchiha began to babble, nervousness rising in him. Kakashi spread his stance wider, putting the other's words in a standstill of shock.
"Human life comes second to completing the mission."
The iciness of the boy's words made Obito's eyes widen, each articulate syllable spawning a prickling electric sensation down the Uchiha's spine.
Kakashi squeezed both small fists in front of him. "If you don't fight back, you're gonna end up dead." Before the other could even comprehend the last of his words, Kakashi was on top of him, sending a rattling punch into the heart of the other's stomach, causing him to soar backwards and land in a heap in the flowers; a path of flattened weeds in his wake.
The Hatake didn't hesitate, making certain the moment he felt the other leave his knuckles to lunge forward after him. Obito opened both eyes, coughing violently, only to glimpse a flash of silver and black before being grabbed by the collar and thrown into the air. Kakashi jumped slightly with him in a semi-spin, allowing a kick to fall flat on the other's stomach mid-air, sending Obito to the ground once more face-down.
The boy choked, spurts of blood staining the dirt floor as Kakashi landed on him, the boniness of the Hatake's knee digging into the arch of his back. Obito barely had time to take a breath before the cold, metallic blade of a kunai was at his throat, forcing him to hold his head up in a rather painful position as he gasped for fresh air.
Kakashi hesitated, lazily looking down on the other below him as he allowed himself to slide off the boy and into a sitting position on him, straddling the boy's waist with both legs on either side.
"If you don't do something, I'll kill you." The monochromatic tone of the silver-haired genin sent a shiver through Obito's spine before a smile perked the Uchiha's lips, sending a choked laugh passed them. Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
"You really don't have a single friend, do you?"
The Hatake stiffened noticeably, eyes narrowing. "Friends are irrelevant." The boy gritted his teeth. "Friends breed emotion. Emotion breeds suffering. Why the hell would I want that?"
Obito let out a long sigh, looking up as much as he could muster at the other. "How can you say that when you've never even tried i-"
"Shut up!" The kunai drew closer, nicking the boys neck slightly. Obito let out a pained grunt, squeezing his eyes shut. "If I cared for someone else, no mission would ever get done properly. The mission always comes first." A hand squeezed at the back of the Uchiha's neck.
"You're kidding, right…?" The black-haired nin choked, allowing one eye to peek open as a weak smile drew his lips back once more. "Loving, caring…happiness…" There was a slight pause as the other closed his eye once more. "Isn't that what life's about?"
Kakashi remained silent, unmoving, till the other shifted slightly below him; a subtle, easy movement that sent no indications of struggle. The Hatake tensed regardless.
Obito twisted himself till Kakashi was sitting on his belly and the two locked eyes, a hand coming up to push the kunai away slightly. "You've gotta have cared for someone in your life, haven't you?"
Kakashi froze, eyes widening. Flashes of Sakumo entered his mind. The second he felt the burning of hot tears at the corners of his eyes, the silver-haired nin leapt off the other, trudging back aimlessly the way he had come, swaying slightly with each step. Obito sat up, running a hand along his sore throat.
"Oi!" He hollered. "You goin' for the bell or what?" Getting to his feet, the Uchiha ran after the other, slowing as he reached his teammates side.
There was a slight pause before he heard a light whisper on the breeze that made him stop in his tracks. "You can have it."
"Eh!? But, hey, wait a second! You were just about to kill me over that bell and now you're giving up? What gives?! Hey, Kakashi, I'm talking to yo-" A clearly unexpected punch gave Obito just barely enough time to block with both arms before opening both eyes wide at the other's furious expression. The Hatake said nothing, a trail of tears staining his onyx mask a raven hue. "Huh…Kaka…shi…?" Stunned into shock, Obito watched as his teammate turned and began to walk away, fists balled to the point of bleeding at his sides.
"So, where do you think they are, sensei?" Rin asked, tracing a circle in the dirt floor with a twig. Minato sighed, both cerulean orbs panning towards the bloody hue of evening.
"I don't know, but if either one wants to pass, they'd better hurry up," With a glance to the clock, the jounin calculated how much time remained. "They've only got just barely two hours left…"
"…so you really don't have any friends, do you?"
Kakashi didn't look back. The other was following at a far enough pace behind him to where he couldn't whip around and punch him again. He was lucky. Damn lucky. Kakashi would've knocked his lights out otherwise.
"Ne, Kakashi? Where do you think we are?"
Silence spread the length between them as the annoyance boiled in the silver-haired nin. It was true he hadn't an idea where he was going or where they were in general, but he had given up on the mission anyways so he didn't care not even in the least.
"…you're really boring, you know that? Maybe that's why you don't have any-"
"And you're really fucking annoying."
Obito stopped, blinking in surprise as he watched the other turn slowly to face him. "Well you obviously don't know how to hold a proper conversation, so I was just trying to-"
"Shut up."
The Uchiha propped his hands on his hips, huffing aggravatedly as the other began to walk again. "You know what, fine, if you seriously want to be that way, I'm gonna go find sensei and Rin." He paused for a moment, watching as the other took no notice of what he said. Slight tears welled in his eyes as Kakashi began to disappear from sight and he was left alone once more. "FINE!" He screamed. "SEE IF I CARE!" Running off in the opposite direction, Obito stifled cries in an attempt to act apathetic.
Kakashi sighed, shaking his head. "Idiot…" Walking slowly further on, it didn't take the genin long to find his way from the seemingly endless flower field. Looking back to the tall weeds, he couldn't help but furrow a brow at them. A pause allowed a beat to pass before the curse escaped his lips. "Goddamnit…"
"Don't need 'im…" Obito growled in an undertone, kicking a rock at his feet. Though he knew he was lost, he didn't seem to care. "Don't need him, don't need him." He repeated, balling both fists and punching the air with each reiterated fragment before suddenly feeling his fist collide with something solid. Looking up, he noticed Kakashi perched atop a boulder, holding his fist in a block in his palm. The Uchiha's eyes widened. "Kakashi…?" He asked slowly. "What're you…"
"Come on." The Hatake growled, jumping off the boulder and pulling the boy in the opposite direction.
Surprisingly enough, silence fell between the two; Obito obeying submissively as he was dragged along through the tall field till they reached a clearing. Thankful to be out of the towering weeds, the boy looked to Kakashi in slight gratitude.
"You know…" He started. "You really aren't that bad."
Kakashi simply stared at him, raising an eyebrow in question. Obito shrugged, looking to the sky. "I mean, you're straightforward and pushy and kinda annoying and way too silent and way too mature…but…" Taking a deep breath, the boy turned on his heel to look at the other, smiling broadly as he held out a hand. "Wanna be friends?"
Kakashi blinked, not having expected that in even the least bit. "…what?" He asked after a moment had passed. Obito rolled his eyes.
"You know. Friends? We're already acquaintances. And we're on the same team and all so we might as well get along…not to mention, you always look so lonely…" The last part had came out in a hushed undertone, but Kakashi had heard it nonetheless, causing him to blush slightly and look away, shifting uncomfortably in the awkward air.
"…I don't need friends…" He worded in a monotone. Only moments later did the Uchiha let out a groan of aggravation.
"Ugh, not that again. Come on, everyone needs a friend! You know, someone to talk to? Hang out with? Someone to be there for you when something goes wrong? Something to love and live for…you gotta have someone like that in your life or else life just isn't worth it."
Kakashi looked up slightly, brows furrowing above both pained eyes. Obito grinned down at him, puffing out his chest proudly.
"If we can't be friends, let's at least be rivals, okay?"
The Hatake let out a sigh. This kid wouldn't leave him alone if he didn't agree to something. Though, the idea of having a friend… "I've already got a rival. Gai won't put up with me having another rival, I don't think." Slowly, his words faded as Obito let out a small laugh.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," He started. "So…friends, then?"
The Hatake took note of the boy holding out a hand to him. Shyly, he lifted a hand to hold the other's, hesitating several times in the process. Whence they made contact, Obito's already broad smile widened.
"Hehe. Knew it!" Without a moments hesitation, the Uchiha threw himself on Kakashi, jumping into a hug around him. The silver-haired nin stepped back slightly, stiffening in the other's embrace.
"Wh-what the hell do you think you're doing!?"
"Friendship initiation, duh!" Obito drew back, placing his hands on his hips. "Geez, you seriously haven't had a friend in your life, have you? You've got so much to learn, Kashi-nyan."
"…Kashi-nyan?"
"Nicknames, Kashi-nyan! Nicknames! It's essential to friendship! Until we can find you a better one from an inside joke or something, I'm gonna call you Kashi-nyan! This works both ways, though, You gotta keep an eye out for me, too! Hmm, what'll you call me? Oh! You can call me Obi-nyo! How's that sound, eh? Eh?"
The enthusiasm in the Uchiha's voice caused Kakashi to retreat slightly, taking several steps backwards as Obito spouted off his random ideas. Though the Hatake didn't understand what it all meant, it felt almost warming to him, almost causing the smallest of smiles to crease his lips upwards beneath his onyx mask. He hadn't smiled in so long it almost hurt to do so, as though his muscles were broken.
"The bell!" Obito's shrill voice cut into the other's thoughts, catching his attention once more.
"Bell?"
"Yeah, we gotta get the bell, remember? Come on, I bet if we tag-teamed sensei we could get it!"
"But…it's only one bell, only one of us will pass…" Kakashi began slowly.
"Oh, pssh. Wasn't it you who said the mission always comes first, Kashi-nyan? Wouldn't that apply to sacrificing something too?" Giving the silver-haired nin a smile, the genin began jogging. "Come on! Even if only one of us passes, it's better than none and we'll complete the mission. Besides…you're much better suited to be a ninja than me." The awkward laughter from the boy almost seemed unfitting to him as Kakashi caught up, cocking a brow at him.
Not knowing what to say, the boy turned his focus on sensing their sensei. Whence he had caught the familiar chakra wavelength, the Hatake took a sharp turn to the right. "This way." He commanded, speeding up. Obito nodded, following in his wake.
"Alright, Kashi-nyan." The Uchiha smiled. "What's the plan?"
A/N: Like always, review if you want an update. Wow, it's been a while since I worked on this…lol.