Chapter 16
He can see her glare from the corner of his eye, quickly turning his head to look away. Why the hell was she even giving him that look? No one else had seemed to have any problem with what he just said.
A hand is placed on his head, and he can’t help the tense of his shoulders. She doesn’t pull away though, only giving a light ruffle of his hair. He lets out a yelp, pulling away and covering his head. He tries fixing his hair, but he knows it won’t do anything. His hair is always a mess. She lets out a laugh, and he shoots a look at her.
He can’t stay mad, though.
“Kushina, please stop bullying my students….” She gives an over dramatic gasp.
“I am not bullying him!”
“She’s totally bullying me.”
She grabs him in a headlock, dragging her knuckles on the top of his head. He tries to squirm out of her grasp, but it’s no use. It’s while he’s trying to pull away that she lets go, causing him to fall flat on his ass with a sound. He jabs a finger at her.
“See! She’s being so mean!” His arms are crossed over his chest, pouting. “I don’t even do anything to her.”
Kakashi makes a noise and he glares at the other boy, feeling as he if were about ready to pounce on him. Like a cat with its prey. Asshole. Had been since they were young.
“No one asked you, Bakashi.” He stands, dusting the dirt off his pants.
She gives Minato a kiss, about to head back home. As she walks by, she gives him another ruffle of his hair, before throwing her arm around his shoulders and pulling him close.
“Listen, kiddo—- you ever need someone taken care of, you just tell me, ‘kay?” He stares at her for a moment, not understanding, but he knows she won’t leave him alone until he agrees. Finally, he gives a shrug.
“Okay.”
Obito’s eyes blink open, and he sits up, a hand raising, though it stops right before pressing against his cheek. When had he started crying? Why was he crying? He was dreaming about….something, but he couldn’t remember. It felt….warm, though. It caused his chest to ache, as if he was missing something deeply.
He wipes away the tears, though he could still feel a lump in his throat that didn’t seem to want to go away. He lets out a long quiet sigh, turning his gaze to stare outside the window. The stars were shining above the village, twinkling in the inky black sky. The moon was so bright, with almost a twinge of yellow.
He feels itchy. In a different way than usual. Normally, it was because Hashirama’s chakra was trying to get out, but it was something else this time.
He was getting really tired of being stuck in one place.
He had never liked being still, and sometimes he would pace around the hospital room, but it wasn’t enough. His leg had started to bounce. Itchy, itchy, itchy. He looks towards the door, staring at it for a moment. Tsunade wasn’t gonna be back until the morning. And he couldn’t get visitors at this time. And if something went south, he always had Kamui.
He slips out of bed, cracking the door open, glancing around. No one was around. Of course they weren’t. The door is closed once more, and he doesn’t understand why he was so nervous about this— second guessing himself. He grumbles quiet before rubbing a hand across his face.
He couldn’t take it anymore.
Obito made sure to be very careful as he slipped out the window, slowly and meticulously making his way to the streets. He breathes in deeply, taking in the fresh air. He can already feel the itchiness fading away, standing there amongst the crowd. People walk around him, no one giving him a second glance. Something about it felt….nice. Almost refreshing. He can hear a constant low murmur of people talking around him— laughter here and there, jokes and teasing and drunken singing.
It feels familiar. It feels like—---
“O—- Obito…..?”
His whole body tenses before he wheels around to face Kakashi, who was blinking at him, eye wide. Ah—- he had his left eye covered– the one with Obito’s Sharingan. Obito glares at him.
“Obi—-”
“Shut up.” It comes out as a hiss, and he grabs Kakashi’s arm and drags him into a side street, where– hopefully– people won’t hear them. “Jeez, Bakashi—-- use your brain for something other than insulting people for once!”
Kakashi looks—--- wounded? That was the best way Obito could think of it. He could tell a frown on Kakashi’s masked face from a mile away– he had seen it enough– but the knit of his eyebrow was new. He ignores it. The twisting in his gut—- anger? Desperation?
“Listen, Obito—-”
“I don’t wanna hear it.”
“Wh—--”
“Why the hell would I listen to anything you have to say?” You never listened to me. “Why would I want anything to do with you?” Did you even care? When you walked away from me? When you told me we had never been friends?
Why did you hate me?
“I’m sorry, Obito….”
“Sorry?!” He feels his hands clench into fists. “You’re sorry?!” Kakashi takes a step back, but he doesn’t try saying anything. “I don’t wanna hear it!” Obito scoffs, turning away. This was a mistake. He should’ve just stayed put.
He should’ve left. He shouldn’t have ever come back.
“Obito, listen—-”
“No.” He turns on his heel and walks away.
Kakashi didn’t try to stop him.