Hanare was on a long term spy mission for Jomae, once again. She was working for a small restaurant where her target was known to frequent.
She was working in the kitchen garden in front of said establishment when she observed a man in an orange swirled mask acting silly, like a child. He was with a group of scary looking Ninja all wearing black and red capes. She had heard about such a group known as the Akatsuki. The strange combination made her giggle at the man-child while the group walked down the main path through the small village.
He turned to look at her. She felt his gaze and blushed. She quietly greeted him. He asked who she was. His childish voice gave her courage to speak more boldly.
"The far more fascinating question is who are you? A mask like that could only be useful for concealing one's identity. You probably act so silly to distract your comrades from it and possibly detract from you entirely."
The comment shocked Obito. He couldn't allow her to further voice these thoughts. He grabbed the woman and teleported her to another dimension, not caring to follow his Akatsuki around for the errand he tasked them with. Surely they were cursing his idiocy and not caring.
Hanare is shocked to find herself in a completely different place. She immediately regretted saying anything to him. Where was she? How could she escape? Which direction was Jomae?
She was tied up and anchored to a beam of the ceiling in the small room. The man slammed the door shut and locked it. Hanare wasted no time in freeing herself from the knot. She pulled her lock picking set out of the seal on her arm, making it easy to pick the lock. She swiftly replaced the item in her arm's seal, intending to keep its existence hidden. She assumed the masked man was watching her escape from his perch on a countertop across from the door.
"So Miss is able to quickly escape. What else can Miss do?"
"I can't tell you that."
"Hmm, *snap * Miss can show Tobi what she can do!" He then jumped to his feet and launched his first at her. She fought back of course. He started easy and worked up to more difficult taijutsu techniques until he finally overtook her. He pinned her against the hallway wall and spoke in her ear from behind her, dropping his tone of voice. "Definitely a kunoichi. A spy judging from your attire. From the land of keys, judging from how second nature your escape was."
She remained silent, her heart was racing. She was at his mercy. Obito thought back on the information he had learned from Madara about Lock ninja. "You can no longer return, you've failed as a spy and will be executed. I'll allow you to live and work for me, or I'll take you back to them to die.
He released her and removed his mask, furthering her belief in his threat. She gasped at the terrible scarring on half of his face. They appeared to be long healed, but such prominent scarring from so long ago… the initial wounds must have been immense. The scars coupled with his serious expression made him all the more intimidating.
As a spy, she understood revealing his hidden face meant he wouldn't allow her to live and escape to speak of the face behind the mask. Caring more for her life than her village, she nodded in consent.
"Have a seat," he commanded, pointing to the cushions in the next room. He opened a cabinet and brought out two cups. He filled them with water from a pitcher sitting on the countertop. He provided his captive with the necessary drink.
"My name is Obito Uchiha. I am known to be dead. I have a series of delicately laid plans, and I cannot have them upended simply because a spy like you noticed me." She sat quietly, patiently listening. "I go by the name of Tobi. Just as you noticed, I use the innocence of a childish personality to subvert my unknown face." He waited to see if she would respond.
"What do you wish to know?" She asked.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Hanare."
"Family name?"
"Taketori, though it's not significant. I have no memory of them."
"Who do you have contact with?"
"I report directly to my village leader in a little hut on a hill outside of the village. I am prohibited from entry."
"Ahh, a counter to mental infiltration," he voiced his thoughts out loud. She nodded.
"There must be someone in your life," he reasoned.
She looked away from his eyes to the corner of the room in thought and shook her head. "There is no one."
"I don't believe you," a hint of frustration entered his voice.
"You're welcome to enter my mind to see. I hear the Uchiha's Sharingan had such abilities."
Obito's back straightened, not expecting such a request. He has assumed much resistance, especially from a spy. He sat on the low table in front of her so their eyes were level and initiated his eye of insight, targeting her memories. His noticed her rapid eye movement weaving signs. He suspected she was targeting his memories as well. He paid no mind, considering she would never be free of him.
Hours passed as they sat in the living room, sharing information well into the evening. Hanare had to ask about where the restroom was. Obito led her out of the small house in the woods. He showed her the outhouse and pointed out the well in the opposite direction while he was at it.
He was surprised to see his childhood teammate in her memories, but it meant nothing. It seemed she was a lonely soul, and she would most likely be loyal to him if he was kind to her. Her abilities could also prove to be useful sometime.
When she finished, she went back in to find Obito was cooking something at the hearth. Hanare peeked inside the pan finding pieces of small game. She looked into the pot seeing broth and vegetables. Obito wondered what she was thinking with that look on her face. She left through the back door, entering the kitchen garden to find a few familiar herbs.
Obito's eyes were trained on her as she ripped up the herbs and added them to the broth. He was stunned at her quick acceptance and support. She just looked up at him with a blush and a cute smile. He felt the ice of his heart crack from her warmth. He turned and walked out at an alarming rate.
He didn't come back that night. Hanare found a bed roll and blankets, setting up her bed near the fire to sleep.
Life continued with Hanare hidden in Obito's cottage. She hunted rabbits and birds, and foraged for eggs, herbs, fruits and vegetables. She had a pot of water and vinegar going to simmer down the bones into broth.
Obito came back every few days, for further observation and memory investigations. He would never admit that he actually craved the woman's company. But it was nice to have someone who was always waiting for him and seemingly enjoying him.
Hanare, however, had no problems with this admission. She always greeted him with her quiet gentleness, asking after his well-being. Then she graciously hosted him in the woodland cottage. She would feed him and try to initiate some sort of comforting touch. He was the loneliest man she'd ever met.
She figured out early on that she had to ask him to get whatever provisions she needed early in his visitations. He often left suddenly, without warning.
Obito entered the cottage as he usually did, materializing on his favorite seat by the fire.
"Obito, can you get–"
"I need to test you," he interrupted.
