To Those Who Knew Me [Naruto Fanfic] [Beta]

[Beta] Chapter 20

     "He hasn't stopped staring, " Rin whispered loudly to Obito.

     "He's fine, " he whispered back, "Just let him comprehend... We still need to escort her home first."

     "Oh, don't worry dearies," the elderly woman laughed and pointed to the house nearest to them, "I live right there."

     They then took her for a few more feet and let her off on her own. The woman turned back and crooned, "Well, thank you for bringing me here safely. I would offer some candy but it seems that you're busy."

     "Ha-ha, " Rin laughed nervously with a sweatdrop, "Don't worry about it! Have a nice day!"

     Once she entered the home, the two let out a sigh that they held in. They turned back to the last member of their team anxiously.

     "D-did we break him?" 

     "I don't know... Maybe?"

     Finally, the Hatake began to register a breath of life. "O...O-obito?"

     The Uchiha weakly held up his hand and waved half-heartedly. "Y-yeah?"

     "You're alive? You... You didn't get reincarnated?"

     At the last question, the brown haired girl flinched and couldn't help but look down and hug her arm. Even now she couldn't fit in with the people she loved, especially with the age gap.

     "Nope... I just got lost in the path of life?" he muttered aloud, saying it like a question at the end. At that moment, the long-running joke of being late seemed to be a bit... Distasteful for their special situation.

     Rin cringed and wanted to bash her head in for not realizing how poorly timed the joke would be for the sudden explanation on how the hell they were there in the first place... There was no turning back now though. "Ha... Yeah, we did, but we're back now. Hopefully for good..."

     It was awkward, very awkward for all of their tastes. The silver haired jounin was less than appalled at the scene unfolding in front of him and he might have had the sudden urge to punch Obito Uchiha on his scarred face. 

     He recovered from his momentary shock that shook him to the core and tried to calmly ask, "Obito... Why haven't you returned to Konohagakure sooner?"

     Rin stilled and had a look of aghast on her face at the sudden change in tone. She had been expecting tears, a bit of anger, sadness, regret, and even happiness, but this was stone-cold murderous tension.

     "I-"

     "Minato-sensei died. Kushina-san died. Rin died... Where were you?"

     She was already cracking under the pressure and fretted on what to do. He had done some very bad things... How could he come to terms with the people that loved and cared about him? The people that he also backstabbed?

      Maybe she wasn't supposed to say anything. There hadn't been any verbal or unwritten rule in which she couldn't spill his secrets... It could have been implied though. She might have been dense enough not to see the sign.

     She had come to terms long ago that she wasn't good at reading situations, but everything was cut in clear there because everything was out in the open. "Calm down... There's a reasonable explanation to this..."

     The one visible eye pierced through her, threatening her. She gulped down hard. Of course he would be mad, she ran away from the village after all.

     "He hated you..."

     His eye lost its fire and instead widened.

    

      "... Because you killed me."