Chapter 15
“Obito-san, why are you always holding that plant? Every time I come by.”
“Hm?” Obito’s gaze slides down to the little pot in question— though, it probably needed to be moved to a bigger one by now. The leaves were drooping over the sides, cascading onto his lap. He’s silent, a part of him not wanting to answer Itachi’s curious little question.
The boy had been coming to visit him every few days. At first, it was always with Minato, but with the man having a baby he had to take care of, he couldn’t come by as much as Itachi wanted to. Minato decided to trust the boy to go by himself. He doubted Obito was going to try anything– Itachi seemed to be growing on him; at least, as far as Minato could tell– and he wanted to show Obito that he trusted him.
Obito thought it was stupid to trust him.
“Because I’m dangerous.”
Itachi doesn’t understand, his head tilting to the side a bit, and Obito only shook his head. No use trying to explain it. Besides, the less Itachi knew, the better.
He will admit, though, he hadn’t noticed he had held it every time Itachi came to visit. Once or twice he had made a conscious effort to grab it, because he didn’t want to risk losing control of Hashirama’s chakra while Itachi was around. There was no point in putting someone so young at risk. Though—-- did it really matter? Obito had already tried to destroy the village itself. The countless children inside, including Minato’s own newborn. So, why was Itachi any different? Why when he looked at him, did he feel something tight in his chest? Why—----
“Ah, Obito-san,” It seems he was trying to change the subject after his earlier question. “I do not believe you ever told me why you were here.”
“In the hospital?” Itachi nods. “Ah—” Obito leans back a bit, settling into the pillow behind him. He gazes out the window, feeling oddly tired. “I did something—--” Stupid. He wanted to say stupid. It had been. A stupid plan. He wasn’t sure why he had tried. He remembers Zetsu telling him why, but he can’t recall what he had said. It didn’t matter now, though, because it hadn’t worked. And now, Obito was stuck here. He couldn’t leave without Zetsu– he needed him, as much as he hated to admit it– but he didn’t know where he was, and that wasn’t information he could get lightly. He finally gives a quiet sigh, wondering why he felt so tired.
“I used too much chakra. Almost took myself out.” He looks back to Itachi again, forcing a small chuckle, eyebrows drawn together. “Kind of dumb, right?”
“Ah, you have to be careful about that, Obito-san.” He looks—-- actually worried. He feels that squeezing feeling in his chest again. Like something inside of him is being wrung out. He hated it. It hurt. It hurt. “You could get really hurt doing that.”
“And?” He hadn’t meant the harshness in his voice, and he sees Itachi’s little shoulders tense up a bit—--- why wouldn’t he look at him? He just wanted him to look at him, please, Father—----
“Ah—-” Obito blinks, pulled from his thoughts, at the noise Itachi made. He’s staring at the now flowering plant, and Obito has to look away from him.
Dangerous. He was dangerous. But wasn’t that what he wanted? To become a monster? To kill anyone who got in his way. He wouldn’t let anyone get in his way. No matter who it was.
So why did it hurt? Why did he feel like he was suffocating? He couldn’t breathe. He feels like he’s going to throw up. He—--
“Obito-san—” Itachi reaches out towards him, and without thinking, Obito swats his hand away. Itachi lets out a sound of surprise, but he doesn’t try again. He’s still looking at him like that. Stop looking at him like that!!
“I think you should leave.” The words are strangled— stupid. He’s still so emotional, isn’t he? A crybaby. So stupid.
Itachi doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t leave quite yet either. He sits there, keeping a watchful eye on Obito. Obito refuses to look at Itachi, wondering why he was still sitting there. Wondering why Minato had even brought him along that first time. He shouldn’t be around him. Obito was a monster. Inhuman and a killer. Blood coated his hands, dirt under his nails, a copper smell in his nose. In his mouth.
“Ah— Obito-san, you are bleeding—-!!”
“Hunh….?” Ah—-
He had bit his tongue. Really hard, apparently. He could now feel it throbbing in pain, blood slipping from the corner of his mouth. He feels something pressed against his face, and he freezes, before realizing it’s Itachi, wiping the blood from his face. He doesn’t feel he can move, even as Itachi pulls away again, feeling he did a good enough job. He sits back, staring at Obito. His eyes don’t show much– they never do– and yet, there’s something in them that Obito can’t quite place. But it looks so familiar. It feels so familiar.
Just like how they used to look at him.
It didn’t matter. Both of them were dead. And surely, if Itachi stayed around him, he would, too.
“I think you should leave.” His voice is quiet, and this time, Itachi obliges.
How stupid.