On My Mind

Working in the Yamanaka flower shop felt like a chose to Izumi sometimes. She adored making flower arranging, her hands working delicately to ensure a perfect result, though sometimes, she found it exhausting. Ever since she could walk she had indulged in the art, working on perfecting it. Sometimes, she needed a break from helping her mother out. Her uncle Inoichi had offered her the break, asking her to join him during training.

"Mom," Izumi called out to her mother, peeking her head into the storage room where her mother searched for something. I'll be making my way to Inoichi-oji now."

Miho turned to look at her daughter. "Give him my best regards, sweets."

"I will!"

The brunette quickly made her way out of the shop, wearing a huge smile.

━━━━

On her way to the clan compound, Izumi came across a familiar mop of spiky black hair walking down the dirt path. The goggles on top of the boy's head confirmed her suspicion.

"Obito!" The brunette called out to him.

The boy whipped his head around dramatically, face lighting up in a grin at the sight of his friend. The bag he carried almost fell over at the rapid motion.

"Izumi." Obito greeted her.

Quickly Izumi caught up to him. "Mind if I accompany you a little, I'm headed in about the same direction."

Obito was surprised at that. "Where are you going?"

"I have training with my uncle today. He said he would teach me a unique technique today."

Obito's dark eyes grew wide in excitement. "That's so cool, what is it?"

"I have no idea, he said it's a 'surprise'," She let out a groan that. "That's like the worst, why can't he just tell me?"

"To ensure that you show up?"

She swatted his arm playfully, making sure not to hurt him. "Hey! That's mean, Obito." Despite her words, she laughed.

"I wish he'd stop messing around. I mean who would ever want to work with that guy?" Two men passed the two children, obviously talking badly about someone and as children are, Obito and Izumi couldn't help but listen to the conversation of the older Shinobi.

Obito and Izumi side-eyed each other, curiosity in the matter growing with each word spoken. The man whom they had just listened to not only sounded frustrated but also angry.

"Just calm down. Kakashi is already leaving the team sooner or later." The sentence made them stop in their tracks, heads turning to look back at the two Shinobi.

"Oh, is that right?"

"Uhm, excuse me?" spoke Obito up, voice timid.

The two Shinobi turned around in order to face the children, peering down at them.

"By Kakashi, do you mean Hatake Kakashi?"

"What?" said the one with spiky hair.

"Who are you two kids?" added the one with the longer hair.

"Kakashi and I are-" Izumi began, though was quickly interrupted by the raven-haired boy beside her,

Obito elbowed her into her side. "Us three were students together at the academy."

The longer-haired Shinobi was surprised at that. "Huh, so you guys were friends, huh?"

Obito felt a little sheepish. "I wouldn't call us friends exactly."

"He's my friend." spoke Izumi proudly at the same time as Obito, causing their words to mingle together.

"He's obnoxious." It seemed as though the spiky-haired man had not Izumi. "No one wants to go on a mission with a guy who acts like that."

"A mission?" Obito began to feel dejected at that, lowering his head as he grimaced. Izumi lay a comforting hand on his shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. Inwardly, she felt just as dejected as he did. A mission? Already? She was proud of her friend, yet at the same time upset that she could not keep up with his achievement, and it seemed as though Obito felt the same way.

Izumi mulled over the words in her thoughts and began to feel concerned for her friend. "Did something happen?"

"Something bad?" added Obito.

"It's just that he begins to prioritize the mission over everything else," Izumi was only briefly with that new ethic of his, one she could not find it within herself to entirely agree with. The Shinobi who spoke also did not agree with it. "even if a teammate gets hurt or if someone is left behind on enemy's territory."

Does this have to do with Sakumo-oji and his mission, did that affect Kakashi? Does he not want to make the same things, what people deem to be mistakes? For a moment, Izumi swore she could feel her heart stop. Is Kakashi slowly changing? Ever since Sakumo had passed after receiving backlash from the village, she witnessed a change of attitude with the silver-haired boy, but had brushed it off as grief and decided to give him some space to live it out. Maybe she shouldn't have.

"It's difficult to work with someone like him. He's been a Genin for like, what, a few weeks?"

His friend nodded in confirmation.

"If you ever have to team up with him, sure you watch your back." Both Shinobi turned away from the children, walking away.

Izumi frowned. Their words were filled with venom, with hatred. A hatred Kakashi did not deserve.

"If you have him a chance, you would know that he is not that bad!" She made sure to speak loud enough for the men to hear her clearly. Both turned to face them again.

The long-haired one sighed. "Listen, kid. We tried, okay? Just because we are on a team now, that doesn't mean that we have to like him."

She furrowed her brows. "But isn't that how a team works? That you support each other?"

The spiky-haired Shinobi involved himself into the conversation. "We try. As long as we are stuck together, we try. It doesn't work. End of the story, kid." With that the man turned away again and took his friend with him.

Obito and Izumi stood planted to the ground, unmoving for a while, merely staring after the two Shinobi until they disappeared from their line of sight.

"I don't like how they spoke about him now, that's so mean." said Izumi, breaking the silence between the two. She was frowning at how the men have spoken about her friend.

"I didn't like that either."

" I just don't get it," Obito turned to face Izumi. 'Saving my friends no matter what, that's my ninja way', that is what he always said. How come they said he prioritizes his mission?"

Izumi shrugged in response, face dejected. "I don't know, Obito. I just- I don't know." She had her suspicion, yet it was not her place to share them with Obito.

"Doesn't he live with you?"

She shook her head. "He stays over quite often, but lives by himself. But Obito, just because I'm his friend, doesn't mean I know his every thought."

"I didn't say that you did, I just thought that if anyone knew, you would know."

"But I don't, not really I mean." She gave him a tense smile. "We'll also be genin soon, in what? A few months maybe? Maybe our attitudes will also change. We don't know that."

"Once I have awakened my Sharingan, I will be the greatest Shinobi around. That's for sure." To underline his message, Obito pumped his fist into the air, excitement written all over his face. At his action the bag he was holding almost tumbled out of his grip and onto the floor.

She giggled. "I can't wait to see that."

He gave her a determined grin. "You will see!"

"I sure hope so."

Izumi really did believe that Obito was destined for great, for success. He was a determined person, who was driven by his big heart and supportive manners. The success he so desperately craved was one he also deserved.

"This is my stop," said Obito suddenly, coming to a halt near the Uchiha compound entrance. "I have got to get this to my grandma." He lifted the bag he carried higher.

Izumi tilted her head to the side in interest. "What's in there?"

Obito craned his head to look into the bag, a curious expression overtaking his grin. Then he shrugged. "Stuff."

The brunette smiled at him. "I'll see you in the academy then."

"See you." In return Obito gave another grin before he stumbled into the compound, almost dropping the bag in the process.

Obito had a big heart indeed.