Chapter 4
Obito stumbles, quickly catching himself, hand pressed against the trunk of a tree. He felt like he was going to be sick. He felt like he was going to pass out. His vision swam, and he squeezed his eye shut, taking a few deep breaths to try to calm the rolling in his stomach. He feels something shift, and he peeks over just a bit to see Zetsu, sticking out of the ground like the oversized plant he was, and he mumbles something to him that the other doesn’t understand.
“So, you escaped.”
“About time.”
“Shut up. Hashirama’s chakra broke through the seal they had on me.”
“But you got out.”
“It was the best chance I had.”
He takes a few more deep breaths, before straightening and starting to walk again. He needed to place as much distance between him and Konoha now, while he could.
‘’Why not just use Kamui?”
“I can barely stay awake right now, there’s no way I have the chakra for Kamui. Or anything with my Mangekyo.” He shook his head. “For now, the plan is to get back to base,” That stupid, stupid, cave. “Rest, eat. After I’ve gotten my energy back, we go to Amegakure. We meet up with Nagato.”
“Did you get Kyuubi?”
“No.” Obito sighed. “My control of it was broken, and I wasn’t able to get it back before it was sealed away again.”
“That’s fine. Right?”
“Yes. It will still be there when we are ready for it again.”
“For now, we focus on building the Akatsuki. Our power. We make sure we don’t lose the Rinnegan. And we search for and collect the other bijuu. We know where Kyuubi is, at least.”
He hears Zetsu give a sound of agreement, and Obito suddenly has to stop again, his breath coming out in pants. Normally, when he lost control of Hashirama’s chakra, it wasn’t as big– as explosive– as it had been this time. But that was because normally he was able to mitigate it a bit. If he let it out in small amounts every now and then, it made it less painful when he lost control of it. He had slowly been learning to fully control it, but it hadn’t been an easy feat to accomplish, and he still struggled. Mokuton was made from both Earth and Water, both of which were complete opposites to Obito’s Fire. And the Sharingan wasn’t any help, since it was a kekkei genkai. One that hadn’t appeared naturally in anyone since Hashirama, but one nonetheless.
Obito presses his back against a nearby tree, sinking to the ground. He tried to figure how far from the village he was, and hoped it would be enough for now.
“Zetsu,” His words slur together from exhaustion as he speaks. “Keep watch for me.”
Zetsu doesn’t say anything, simply staring at him, but Obito doesn’t care, unable to fight off the heaviness of his eyelids any longer.
Minato blinked at the destruction. Branches and roots bursting from the walls and ceiling, twisting and knotted together. He could see where Obito had escaped from, a path having been made in the wake of– of—--- whatever this was. Minato stepped over thick roots, grasping leafy branches and searching around. Obito was nowhere to be found, of course, but so was also the kunai he had left for the boy.
He hoped that meant he had taken it with him.
This only solidified in his mind that someone had done something to the boy. There was no natural way Obito should have access to Mokuton—-- hell, he had been struggling with Suiton last Minato had seen him. Not to mention, the only person who had ever been able to use Mokuton was Hashirama, and Obito was an Uchiha, not a Seju.
He should not have been able to do something like this.
No one should’ve been able to do something like this.
He turns back to the ANBU nearby, giving a shake of his head to tell them there wasn’t any sign of the boy. He took another look around, eyebrows drawn tightly together. He could see why Obito had told him to to visit today. There was no control in the destruction, only chaos. If he truly did have this power, it was unchecked, wild. He was probably saying something so Minato wouldn’t get caught up in it.
A care that Minato was only a little surprised to see. Surely, that meant Obito was still truly there— the caring, empathetic boy Minato knew. He wasn’t completely gone, buried away under the pain and anger. So, Minato had stayed away as he had been told, only coming once he had gotten word of what had happened from someone sent from the Hokage.
He was glad Kakashi had already been over, able to take care of the baby for a few moments.
Minato gave a sigh, stepping out of the tangle of wood. Now, all he could do was wait. Either for Obito to return in some capacity, or for his Hiraishin seal on the kunai Obito had taken to be tripped.
He hated the waiting.