Naruto x Digimon
Alive - Team Minato's Digidestined
Chapter 024
Song: Porter Robinson - Something Comforting
Originally Written: Sunday, January 29, 2023 725PM to 837PM
. . . . .
Obito was pretty sure Kakashi's tea was spiked with something, but he kept his mouth shut. The way his teammate was staring at him had his breath caught in his throat.
"I wasn't there." He lowered his eyes. "I don't know what happened. So you can stop looking at me like that."
Kakashi directed his eyes towards Sunmon sleeping in Obito's lap. Wanyamon sat on the table next to Kakashi's tea. Occasionally, its nose would twitch as though it were trying not to sneeze. The only reason he wasn't shouting was because Kushina had taken over Kakashi's house, and insisted on making them a comforting meal alongside Grandma Masumi. Kushina took the silence as another opportunity to grab Obito in another bone crushing hug.
"Not you too, Aunty!" Obito whined, turning red as she pressed his face against her bosom. Sunmon fell to the floor as Kushina lifted him up with the unsurprising strength of a Tokubetsu Jounin. She deposited him back in his wheelchair when Grandma Masumi called her over.
"I'm glad young Kabuto was found." Guy smiled, unsure what to make of the current tension between Kakashi and Obito. Hanku's scarf was still wrapped loosely around his neck. "He's such a youthful boy."
Kakashi still glared at Obito. "He's terrified half to death."
"That's not my fault!" Obito shouted in growing frustration. "I did what I could to help!"
The trio froze. Kushina slowly stopped what she was doing. "Excuse me? Did I hear correctly?"
"Her hair really does move on its own…" Guy whispered awed.
"I may be old, and you may be an ally, but if you harm my grandson in the Uzumaki version of 'tough love', we will have a problem, dear." Masumi warned as she stirred a pot of curry.
Kushina slowly turned around, forced to quickly rethink her actions. Her hair didn't flail nearly as much as it usually did when she was upset. "What did you do, Obito?"
He nonchalantly shrugged. "Sorry, Aunty. It's a classified ongoing civilian investigation."
She stared at him, as if to silently ask if he was serious. She huffed and folded her arms. Her red hair drooped, falling around her shoulders. She leaned over, mostly in a crouch and whispered in his ear. "...'ttebane…"
Obito stiffened up. She picked up Sunmon off the ground, deposited him on his lap, stood and ruffled up his hair. "Be careful, boys. Is Rin stopping by today?"
"I am afraid not." Guy answered.
"Kabuto won't leave Nonou-san's side. Since Nonou-san is training Rin, she's on babysitting duty. He hasn't been cleared to leave the hospital yet, so she's kinda stuck." Obito further explained. Meanwhile, he picked up Sunmon, and pointed to the Digimon's closed eyes. "Digivolved" he mouthed without speaking. Then he set the digimon down on his lap, and continued in what basic shinobi sign language he remembered. 'Sleeping. Toys can't close eyes.'
'You upset her.' Kakashi signed before dropping his head in his free hand.
Guy looked at Sunmon with wide eyes. Wanyamon didn't move, even though it clearly wanted to. 'How much known? Think?' Guy signed back.
Obito shook his head. 'Don't know. Maybe not obvious.' He picked up his tea and used it to warm his hands. Sunmon was so drained Obito could barely feel any heat from him. He gently rested the cup on Sunmon's back.
Kushina, a pro in the metaphorical sport, ignored the trio that kept periodically looking at her behind her back.
Their small engagement was interrupted when Kakashi noticed that a stranger was outside the clan grounds. He stepped outside to greet the individual, Guy not too far behind. Both teenagers looked at the older Uchiha. Respecting clan property, the Uchiha didn't cross into the Hatake lands. It wasn't usual, but occasionally an Uchiha did personally step over outside their own clan grounds for purposes other than business or work. Kakashi didn't think this was such an occasion though.
"Good afternoon, Hatake-san. On behalf of Lord Fugaku, I am looking for Obito Uchiha. I have heard that he frequently rests at this residence."
Kakashi stared at the man's chest, slightly swaying on his feet, as he tried to come up with a response. Kushina, Masumi, Shiro and even Minato-sensei tried to drill these lessons into his mind. However, once Shiro's explanations made it clear that formal communications between clans was sometimes nothing but the equivalent of people putting on makeup to look prettier than they actually were, he stopped paying attention.
The man shook his head, "I expect you can deliver this missive to him before four PM tonight." He held out his hand.
Kakashi looked at the sealed envelope the man handed to him. "Yes. I can." He took the envelope from him.
"Then that will be all. Good day, Hatake-san, Might-san." The Uchiha left as silently as he arrived at the property. Both ninja noticed another Uchiha traveling with him, hidden well in the surrounding foliage. They disappeared together. Guy dragged Kakashi back into his house.
Masumi checked the letter for inconsistencies or anything off, then handed it to Obito. "Oh? A formal invitation. We'll need to pull out your best wear for this. Go on, open your letter approving your future marriage-"
"-Grandma!" Obito sputtered, red in the face as he snatched the letter from her hands.
Masumi laughed good-heartedly.
He opened and read the letter. He stared at it in confusion for a long while. "Wha-? What? Why?"
Masumi leaned over his shoulder. "It seems Itachi has requested you have dinner with him and his family tonight. I was wondering when he would ask something like that."
"But I'm already having dinner with Kakashi, and Guy and you, grandma." Obito almost whined. "It's gonna be weird. I like him, but he's always staring at me like I'm a weirdo at the police station."
Kushina gently bopped him on the head, "You do your damndest to not turn down dinner with your clan head's family. Especially when it's the heir requesting. You might as well declare yourself removed from the family tree."
"Go." Kakashi murmured.
Obito looked at him.
Kakashi cleared his throat. "Your clan is recognizing you, idiot. Isn't that what you've always wanted?"
"Yes!" Guy cheered with clenched fists. "Embrace your youth and forge on ahead!"
Kushina packed up dinner for Masumi to take with her, and stayed with Kakashi and Guy. She poured out Kakashi's spiked tea when he wasn't looking and bopped him on the head the first chance she got.
Meanwhile Obito, Sunmon and Grandma Masumi returned home. Masumi made sure Obito dressed in his best clothes. She even placed one of their best blankets over the blanket on his lap keeping his legs warm. She smoothed it out with care and a gentle touch only a loving grandmother could have.
Two Uchiha escorts greeted them around 630PM that night. One was to formally look after Masumi, as she hadn't been invited to the dinner. The other was to escort Obito to Fugaku's home. Obito took great offense to this. Even after Masumi explained this frequently happened with sensitive events like this, Obito's anger and insults barely calmed. How dare anyone invite him and not his grandmother to dinner? Obito only calmed because he was too embarrassed to be angry.
"Would you get upset with Rin if she invited you to dinner and didn't invite me?" Grandma Masumi had teased him. "You're so kind to want your grandmother as a third wheel on your date."
The trek to the Clan Head's residence was a quiet affair. He was greeted both formally on Fugaku and Mikoto's end, and a little more informally on Itachi's side. Itachi still looked at him like he was a specimen to be studied, but he openly smiled now, as if excited that Obito had accepted his unscheduled invitation.
When dinner was mostly finished, they fell into quiet discussion over the events. Eventually that led to Fugaku handing Obito a thick packet of papers. Itachi bounced ever so slightly in his seat. Obito read the papers over, taking his time. He gasped, and his words caught in his throat. He managed to force them out anyway. "A-are you sure?"
"Are you questioning my judgment?" Fugaku responded.
"No sir." Obito shook his head, stunned. "Just…whoever heard of a crippled policeman?" He murmured.
"Who indeed?" Fugaku looked at him, a mischievous yet dangerous smile on his face, and a glint in his eye.
Obito stared at the papers. The next chance he got Itachi was getting covered with glitter.
