A/N: I have been floating all day today. Dragonfable just released a new installment of the main questline. The next update will be THE final climactic showdown of Book 3. I'm kinda sorta in love with the main antagonist, so seeing her again... Getting a chance to see her combat abilities as my character fights her directly for the first time... Seeing that the entire plot seems to be leading inevitably, inexorably, unescapably towards her death...
*sigh* Wow. I swear I could burst from this level of emotion. I itch to talk about it with someone, but I can't. Nobody else would understand.
Anyway, yeah. Some more references to that game might be appearing soon in this fic.
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Clone Yahiko
There was a reason why Clone Yahiko had disappeared while Tobi played with the dolls. That reason was this: he wanted to make amends with Original Hidan.
He had some difficulty finding Original Hidan, though. After searching everywhere he could think of, he finally realized that there was one place he hadn't thought of. He caught Original Hidan coming out of the basement. Original Hidan seemed calmer than usual. "What's up?"
"I want to say that you were kind of right. Earlier, when we were coming up with things to say to Tobi, it really did sound like a lot of baseless fearmongering. That's because we skipped over all of the most likely scenarios and went straight to planning for the worst scenario. Plan for the worst, be relieved when it doesn't happen. That's how we usually do things around here."
"Tsch. That sounds like a big waste of time and energy to me."
"Yeah, but… With ten people on our side of the group, we have lots of time and energy to spare."
"Why not use all that spare energy to accomplish shit? Why waste it on fretting?"
"You're right," Yahiko replied. "I think that's one of the reasons why you're here: to teach us how to stop fretting."
"I don't teach shit."
"Teach by example, I mean."
They went outside. Nothing more was said until they got there. Then, on the back porch, Original Hidan abruptly stopped and asked, "Do you think flirting with Sunbeam would be a good idea?"
Yahiko reflexively looked anywhere else and tried to avoid blushing. "What do you mean by 'good idea'?"
"It might be fun. Might get a reaction. I like getting reactions, but sometimes a fun reaction is followed by some other reaction that's really shitty. You know what I'm saying?"
"Um… I think if you flirted with him, he might start to avoid you. Might get awkward around you, not want to confide in you as much. But I could be wrong; he's obviously braver than me, after all. I've never had the courage to date another guy."
Original Hidan laughed. "You've secretly always wanted to date guys?"
Yahiko blushed bright red. "I don't know what the difference is between romantic gestures and just being nice to people. I like to be physically affectionate with everyone, and give gifts, and other stuff like that. But when it's another guy, it feels like I'm not allowed to, like they wouldn't like it, so… But I always want to do things like that, with everyone. I don't really want to date guys, I just want to be myself, and it feels like dating people is the only way I can do that. But I don't really want to be in a relationship with most people, so… That's why Nagato's always been my only close friend. Because I've never had anybody else I could trust. Before I joined this group, I never knew anybody else who would accept my kind gestures and not start secretly expecting a lot more, not start thinking I meant things I never meant."
"Looks like I found a nerve," Original Hidan muttered. He studied Yahiko. "I can use this. Nerves like this are things you share with your originals, right?"
"Don't betray him. Don't develop secret hidden expectations. Just be honest and assume that he's being honest, too."
Original Hidan's tail started to wave. He hissed. "If there's one thing that jerk isn't, it's honest."
"And don't ever do anything to hurt Nagato. We don't accept hurting people we care for."
"Even though he's exactly the sort of asshole you just said you hate the most?"
Yahiko swallowed. "I've known him since childhood. That changes things."
"You sound to me like a big, fat hypocrite. Why do I keep noticing total jerks?"
Yahiko shrugged.
"What-fucking-ever." Original Hidan stalked off into the woods. Yahiko went back inside to look for the dolls. He found that Deidara had returned from his shift and was busy demonstrating the game the dolls played on spiderback, where they jumped from spider to spider. Jiraiya was still around. He looked put off by the spiders. Tobi seemed tired; he would likely go to sleep soon. Konan kept an eye on him. Yahiko was grateful.
Tobi announced that he was sleepy within just a few minutes. Yahiko offered to take him to his room. Tobi was surprised that he had a room reserved for him. "Well, you know, we don't have that many people staying here," Yahiko said as they walked. "There's no reason not to keep it empty for you."
"It's not that. It's just that so many many things in the outer world don't change. It's scary how they don't change."
Yahiko opened the door. "A lot of things do change, and that's scary too. Everything's scary, which I guess means that nothing is."
"Mm." Tobi leaped onto the bed belly-first, like the first time. Yahiko chuckled and closed the door. Even if it was scary, I'm glad that Tobi brought them back here. I look forward to spending more time with Obito. A flash of inspiration came to him. Hidan's right. Fretting is a waste of time. Why not just plunge ahead? I should show Obito my female form. I want to. Yeah, let's do it!
Obito
Obito remembered sitting in his room at the inn feeling very sorry for himself and afraid. He had been trying to work up the courage to leave the room and venture out into the world without Zetsu by his side. He'd drifted off. Now he awoke in a different bed in a different room with his mask pressing against his nose. The room seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. Where am I? What happened? Did Zetsu come back?
Sitting on the edge of the bed felt familiar. He realized where he was: in the building where Yahiko and his group lived. How did I get here?
He left the room and crept cautiously along the hall, towards the front of the building. He heard conversation in the kitchen. It sounded like multiple people talking: too many for his tastes. He wanted to speak with someone one-on-one. He turned around and headed for the back porch. At least it would be quiet out there.
He found the backyard to be tranquil and relaxing, home to a lot of fireflies and precisely one human being. "Hi… Itachi, right?"
Itachi opened his eyes. He had been sitting crosslegged in the grass. "Obito. Hello."
Obito sat near him. "It's nice out here." They watched fireflies dance in the fading evening light. Eventually Obito mustered the courage to go on. "It would be a little nicer if I knew how I got here, though."
"Tobi came here."
"Oh. I should've known." Now that he thought sensibly, that was the only possible explanation. He hadn't brought himself here, so some other personality must have done it, and Madara hated these people. Conclusion: Tobi did it. He really should have been able to figure that out himself.
"Tobi stated that they felt something summoning them to the outer world," Itachi said. "Were you doing anything that could possibly have summoned them?"
"No. Just sitting in a room."
"Did you want to be sitting in a room? If you were feeling trapped in a situation or a place that you did not want to be in, perhaps that feeling is what summoned Tobi. Tobi is very skilled at maneuvering around obstacles, especially ones that seem totally impenetrable."
"That might be it." But most of the time when Tobi comes out, I don't feel any such thing. Not more than usual, anyway.
Itachi smiled. "I like Tobi. They inspire me. I, too, often feel trapped by an obstacle that I cannot find a way around. Most people know that feeling. Tobi is an inspiration."
"Really? Most people understand?"
"Well, not very strongly. I think most people only experience a trapped feeling occasionally. You'd have to prompt them into remembering a specific moment. Tobi is much more of an inspiration to people like you and I, and the rest of the Akatsuki, who feel like this more or less constantly. Life itself, your plain and simple physical existence, is the ultimate unavoidable obstacle."
Tobi comes out…to help me escape from my life?
"Which is why I'm out here." Itachi looked around. The darkness had deepened so that it was not possible to see his facial expression. "To try to escape from the cloud of fog in my mind. That is my obstacle."
My obstacle is fear. That I can't face the world, can't do anything on my own, will always be weak and helpless. Obito had only an average level of introspection, but even he understood this much about himself. He still mentally bashed himself for not being able to deduce that Tobi had brought him to this building. Did he outsource basic reasoning skills to Zetsu, too? What else? Basic addition and subtraction? How could being alone reduce him to such a pitiable state?
"Aren't the fireflies pretty?"
Obito glanced at the fireflies, but they couldn't hold his attention. "Where's Yahiko?"
"Inside, cooking."
Am I just using him as a substitute for Zetsu? Is Yahiko nothing more than the latest person to cling to? Am I really a friend to him, or do I only want him around so he can reassure me? That's not fair. Zetsu chose to take me under their wing when they could've walked away. But Yahiko, he's such a kind person that he can't say no. I really shouldn't take advantage of him. I'm a rotten friend.
"Stay here," Itachi said. "You need tranquility more than I do right now." He got up and went inside. Obito tried to protest, but wasn't able to get a word out until after the door closed. He's going to get Yahiko. He doesn't know what a lousy friend I am. I should apologize to Yahiko for being so demanding.
"Obito!" The apology that Obito had been composing flew out of his mind. Multiple things were not as he expected. For one, Yahiko was a girl. For another, he - she? - was beaming. It was audible in her voice. She flopped down across from him. "How are you?"
Obito tried to remember. Hadn't he been feeling sad and guilty and low just a minute before? Now, he didn't feel any of those things. He couldn't feel any of those things with such a joyful aura directed his way. "I'm glad to see you."
"I'm glad to see you too!" Yahiko adjusted her position. "I'm in this form because I wanted to be. This form matters to me, and showing it to other people is a big deal, and… And I want to share important things like that with you. Because I trust you, and I haven't had many people I could trust. You're really important to me, and I don't think I'll ever be able to tell you how grateful I am."
Obito's face burned red-hot behind his mask. This compliment flooded his whole body with warmth. "Oh… You're welcome?"
Yahiko laughed nervously. "Sorry if that was too in your face. I just had a talk with Original Hidan earlier, and it brought up some stuff. I wanted to tell you how I felt, before I lost my courage."
He's not really a woman. This isn't like that. He doesn't mean it that way. "I understand."
"So… Want to… Sit here for a while?"
Obito was sure that Yahiko could feel the heat radiating from his face, even through the mask. "Okay."
They sat together in the grass for a while. Yahiko might have found it relaxing, but Obito felt it as anything but. He couldn't stop thinking of Rin. I wish she was here. What would she think if she looked down a few minutes ago and heard Yahiko saying those things to me? She wouldn't know that Yahiko's not really a woman. Would she be angry? I hope she doesn't think I'm forgetting her. I would never, ever do that.
The hairs all over Obito's arms stood on end. Yahiko had shuffled around and was now sitting directly next to him, very nearly touching his right arm. Obito didn't know what to do. He couldn't stop wondering what Rin would think if she happened to look down at that very moment. What if she was looking down? But he didn't want to hurt Yahiko's feelings! In short, he was a trembling ball of nerves.
"I'm really glad that I can sit with you like this and it's alright," Yahiko said.
What? That's the total opposite of the truth! Obito realized that by panicking, he was betraying Yahiko's trust. He felt horrible. Yahiko's been nothing but wonderful to me. He deserves better. Obito took a deep breath and pushed aside all of his fears with a strength that he didn't normally possess, which surprised him. He put his right arm around Yahiko's shoulders. She laughed in delight and snuggled closer. Obito let himself relax, let his head fall onto her shoulder. Yahiko's happy, and for truthful reasons this time, so this has to be the right thing to do. Rin would understand, wouldn't she?
Obito surprised himself again by honestly believing that she would.
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A/N: Heck yes, I am all onboard this ship. These two dorks are perfect for each other. Same applies to every other ship in this story. I'm just really into shipping right now.
*heart* *heart* *heart*
