Uncertain Alliance
__~KUSHINA~__
“Things have finally started looking up huh?” Kushina thought amused as she watched for the first time in almost a year since she had seen either Rain or Kakashi together, acting like children. Minato has invited the two over for dinner alongside Sakumo. She had been delighted when she had been told the news and went all out cooking every single type of ramen she could think of. The expression of bewilderment at her dishes from her guest felt worth all the work. Especially when she saw Rin teasing Kakashi to try some of them so she could peek under his mask only for the younger boy to pretend to be upset yet somehow managed to eat it without revealing his face. It caused Rin to become more and more determined so she tried to feed him another spoonful of Ramen only for Kakashi to evade them.
It was such a childish thing to see, and yet it made Kushina revived that the two could still act their ages. Kushina crossed her arms and her eyes wandered to her fiance and sakumo sitting in the living room having a conversation. Or more specifically her eyes studied the white fang himself. The man still had that haunted look in his eyes but for the first time in months the bags under his eyes looked lighter and his cheeks had some color to them. The redhead glanced once more at the teens before going to join the two adults. She plopped herself down next to Minato and leaned close to him.
“Hey, What’s up with you two?” She grinned when she saw her love ears turn red at their proximity. It was such an addictive sensation seeing how much she could make her fiance blush just by being near him (Also very ego-boosting).
“Not much Kushina-san,” Sakumo replied with a small smile. Kushina pouted “Just call me Kushina or else I’ll be calling you Sakumo-chan!” She mentally smirked when she saw the silverhead attempt to hide a grimace. Minato had finally recovered and spoke up.
“We were talking about giving Kakashi a break from his mission to help sakumo at the academy. Just for a little while” Kushina hummed and leaned back
“...and how did kakashi react?” Minato chuckled nervously.
“We haven’t told him yet” Kushina laughed
“Well you do know how he is going to react don’t you?”
“Yes…but I feel that it would be best if he didn’t go on any missions for a while since…well,” The three went silent at the silent implication. Kushina momentarily closed her eyes and calmed her emotions. Then in the next moment, she stood up with a huge grin.
“I leave you two to that, I’ll go and clean up the kitchen” The moment she reached the kitchen her smile dropped and she stared at the sink with watery eyes. She blinked a few times to clear them before she began to wash the dishes. She may not have been hit as hard or grieved as hard compared to the others but that was because she COULDN’T.
She always had to have control over her emotions because if she didn’t and allowed herself to truly grieve then IT would break out and she couldn’t allow it. Kyuubi was a manipulative monster who took even the slightest bit of weakness in her emotions as a chance to break out. It had been her responsibility just as it had been her teacher’s. Therefore control over her emotions was a must. Most didn’t even realize it due to her personality, but she had a feeling Minato knew or had a feeling it was the case.
“After all I have been showing him some of the Uzumaki’s clan sealing arts and he should know that by now,” Kushina thought vaguely amused. She missed obito, he had been so much like her when she was his age. However, unlike her, he had been more selfless and impacted so many that it was just cruel of him to leave them all. She sighed and pushed her thoughts back before focusing on her task.
Before the redhead knew it their reunion was over and everyone was leaving. Kushina was finishing cleaning up when she sensed someone approaching her.
“Oh Rin, what brings you here? Is it about the seal?” Kushina was a little upset that she couldn’t beat up whoever had the bright idea to put such a crappy seal on Rim to seal a tailed beast.
“Though I suppose it wasn’t meant to be strong after all” Kushina thought remembering how panicked her fiance had been when he teleported in front of her with Rin and Kakashi in his arms begging to save Rin. Thankfully the seal was fixable and she made it stronger.
There had been a small debate about what to do with Rin since she was a child and there was a chance the 3 tailed beast would escape. However Lord Third declared that Kushina would care for Rin being a Jinchiriki herself. The Hokage refused to give into the council's demands and eventually very reluctantly they gave in, so every once in a while Kushina would check in on Rin’s mental strength and the seal on her stomach.
“Oh hello Rin-chan, what's going on?” Rin looked around nervously before taking a breath and looking Kushina right in her eyes.
“I want you to teach me how to communicate with my tailed beast” Kushina blinked once, then twice.
“Why?...”
“I want to see whether the three-tailed beast is cruel or not for myself.” Kushina wanted to reject her immediately because in her experience it always ended badly. However, before she could she noticed the hope and determination in her eyes, something she hadn’t seen before Obito’s death. Before she knew it she was nodding her head.
“Fine, come here tomorrow afternoon, alright?” Rin’s face brightened up and she nodded.
“Thank you Kushina, thank you very much” The Redhead gave the smaller girl a weak smile and only had a single thought.
“Well, those other-tailed beasts can’t be as bad as the Kyuubi considering it is literally a ball of hateful chakra.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
__~OBITO~__
Working with the Akatsuki felt strange to Obito because he had become a part of the original members of the Akatsuki but as a helper, not its secret mastermind. He had changed up his looks wearing an Akatsuki robe and having a new mask that was painted a dull orange. He had to get his own mask since Obito had sent Swirly on a spying mission.
It was perfect since the white creature could completely hide its presence making it a perfect spy (not only that but swirly could see the world and do anything so long as he didn’t interfere). However, what made his stay strange was how Nagito seemed to dislike him more and more as time passed. Obito could feel Nagato stare in the back of his neck as he kept talking with Yahiko over a plan.
“...Tobi? Tobi? Are you even listening?” Yahiko questioned more curious than annoyed and Obito shook his head feeling the glare intensify.
“Sorry, it’s just that your…uh friend is glaring really hard at me. Did I do something wrong?” The orange-haired male paused before shaking his head.
“Ah- Don’t worry about it. Nagato is just very overprotective and doesn’t trust strangers easily, however…” Yahiko frowned “It is strange that he is still so on guard dispute him telling me you haven’t lied to me”
“I see…” Obito did not see anything but at the very least Yahiko trusted him enough.
>Yahiko (LV - 62) Akatsuki’s Leader__OP=25_
>Nagato Uzumaki (LV - 45 {85})__OP=-50_
Obito winced at the reminder of how much Nagito hated him and he decided he needed to talk about Nagito otherwise the red-haired male’s hatred could become a problem if left unchecked.
“Even if I can’t reduce his hatred we can at least come to an understanding, '' Obito wrote in his mental list and finally focused on his talk with Yahiko to finish it. Then finally 3 days later he corners Nagito all alone and the burst of KIller intent directed towards him is understandable. Obito raised his hands in peace.
“I’m not here to cause trouble, just want to talk” Nagato looked tempted to use an almighty push on obito so he added “Yahiko wanted us to come to talk” Then just like that Nagito crossed his arms still glaring at him but ready to listen.
“Okay, I’ll be blunt, why do you dislike me so much?” The Uzumaki was silent for a moment before answering “I know who you are, and who your…people are” Obito immediately tensed as his mind flashed to hundreds of scenarios. Is Nagito a reincarnation? Does he know he is an uchiha?
“Explain, please” Obito practically demanded tense and silently panicked. Nagito’s glare worsen
“I know you are a shinobi of the hidden leaf, I know that the strange shinobi are part of Konoha and you are here to help them” Just like that Obito nearly collapsed in relief and he couldn’t resist a small chuckle to escape him. Nagito took it the wrong way and prepared to fight.
“Ah- Sorry. I’m not laughing at you, but rather at how wrong yet right you are”
“What do you mean?”
“I am indeed from Konoha and the shinobi are from Konoha, but we aren’t working together. These shinobi are being led by a man who had decided to betray his Hokage so Konoha isn’t at fault here.” Nagito stared at him for a moment before slumping his shoulders and retreating from his attack with great reluctance.
“You aren’t lying” Obito shook his head smiling softly.
“No, I’m not. If I had to guess you lost someone to Konoha right?” Obito watches the Uzumaki flinch. The Uchiha had finally recalled that Nagito’s parents had been killed by shinobi of the hidden leaf which meant that his distrust of him stemmed from it. “Nagato-san, something you must understand is that I could care less about Konoha, but the reason I wish to protect it is because my precious people live there. Do you get it?” the redhead nodded.
“Yes…I don’t care for this nation but if keeping it safe keeps my frie- my family safe…I am willing to do whatever it takes” The Uchiha knew his firsthand hand having seen the depths the Uzumaki was willing to go from the anime.
>Nagato Uzumaki (LV - 45 {85})__OP=-5→0_
Obito decides that since they were already talking he might as well proceed with a plan of his.
“Now that we understand each other, there is something I have been wanting to speak to you about…” Obito hesitates before deciding to simply rip off the bandage “I know about your eyes. Your rinnegan and how to use its abilities”
As expected Nagito tensed up in shock, jaw clenched tight.
“H-how? Do y-you-?” Obito thought about responding before reaching up and moving his mask just enough to reveal his strangely colored purple eye. Then when he saw Nagito staring at him he activated the Rinnegan for a few moments and then put his mask back on.
“Tobi, Y-you have a rinnegan? No- wait, how can you turn it on and off?” Obito winced.
“Yes, I can”
“If you can then why can’t...” Why can’t I? Was a silent question the uchiha heard yet wasn’t that easy to answer.
“Do you want the long or short answer?” Nagito started.
“...short answer?”
“You weren’t born with it, your eyes belonged to someone else and were given to you as a baby” The Uchiha could sense the turmoil burning in the Uzumaki yet all the redhead did was continue to stare.
“...and the long answer?”
“...a Crazy member of a clan that will not be named wanted to keep his eyes preserved for plans that will not be named but the only way to do so was to give his eyes to another person however due to the IMMENSE chakra needed to use much less simply exist with the rinnegan an Uzumaki was the best choice.”
“Huh…” Obito watched with strange interest as Nagato seemed to go through the 5 stages of grief 10 times in a minute. Suddenly the redhead's legs trembled and gave out. The Uchiha was there in an instant catching the Uzumaki but froze as soon as the redhead was in his arms. Obito had always been a naturally affectionate person (Rin, Shisui, and Itachi could attest to this) but it had been over a WHOLE year since he had touched anybody or been touched without the intent to maim. The spots where Ngaito leaned against him tingled uncomfortably like he had ants crawling on his skin. He was trying his best to push down the urge to shove the body away. The Uchiha took a breath and picked up the unconscious male and carried him to a nearby couch. All the while Obito was taking deep breaths trying to ignore the shivers that ran down his spine with Gamer's mind’s help. Obito sat down sighing as he waited for the Uzumaki to wake up.
Thankfully he didn’t have to wait long, only ten minutes before the redhead sprung up and looked sound where he was. Obito raised an eyebrow and in a tone dryer than the desert asked “Are you going to pass out or can I make a proposal with you?” The redhead coughed and sat down embarrassed at his display.
“My apologies…I wasn’t expecting such news and well…” Obito softens a bit.
“Fair enough, but you understand I can’t explain everything right? After all a shinobi’s got to have his own secrets and all” Nagito did not pout but it was a close thing.
“I understand, but what proposal are you talking about?”
“It’s simple. I help train you with your rinnegan and you help me stop those traitor shinobi from Konoha.” Nagato looked thoughtful before growing up.
“Are you asking me to lie to Yahiko and Konan?”
“No, you can say whatever you wish but I wish to have you on my side rather than against it” A look of understanding filled the Uzumaki’s face.
“That’s why you want to train me, so I can help you” Obito's smile went unseen beneath his mask but he got the feeling Nagito knew.
“Yes, the rinnegan is a powerful tool, but in the end it is a tool and If the wielder of said tool can’t use it then it is worthless in their grasp”
“How? Sure I can see more than normal and use all elemental jutsus but that is all” Obito burst out laughing.
“Oh my- that is not even CLOSE to what the rinnegan can do but I can show you if you agree” Nagito was silent for a moment before raising his hand. The Uchiha’s grin edged on sadistically as he grabbed the hand in his clove one.
“Nagato, I am going to work you down to the bone so be prepared”