Bounty Hunter | Uchiha Obito

Chapter 1

And So They Meet

Uchiha Obito was alive.

His singular, dark eye slowly peered open. The mixture of dry blood and fallen tears making it that much harder. Light was the first thing he perceived, there was so much light. But as he began to adjust, the light seemed to simmer down, becoming bearable.

Now he could make out blurred figures, objects, people perhaps? He didn't know. After a few more squints, he could finally focus, and found himself in a room. A bedroom. Taking notice to the soft fabrics beneath him, wrapping him up in a tight bundle of warmth.

It was a pure moment of peace, followed by one of panic. Where was he? Why wasn't he dead? How did he end up here?

Obito breathed deep, calming himself.

'Think!' His mind seethed.

Eye closed, he went to tap into his vast sea of chakra, concentrating it on the single point in his left eye. He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks as he had to muster quite a bit of strength. Just as his sharingan began to swirl to life, it quickly faded away.

"Shit!" He gasped. A sharp, knife-like pain stabbing into his eye. 'My sharingan!'

*THUMP*

Obito's eyes widened a fraction, panic settling in as he soon realised his vulnerability. He couldn't move, as each movement caused a wave of pain. He couldn't use his sharingan either, as for some reason activating it also proved too painful.

And now he had alerted the person in the other room of his awakening.

Obito attempted to sit up but the pain left him heaving, wincing every few seconds as the foot steps drew closer. With a sharp breath, he watched as the door opened, light poured in.

"Ah, you're awake."

The first thought he had was that she was unusual.

Yes, it was a woman. He stunningly acknowledge, eye gliding over her statue to just simply comprehend how strange she looked.

She had blue hair—was that even possible? Green eyes, very green eyes. Her clothes were even more bizarre; a tight-fitted neon green vest to match her eyes, what looked like a shinobi village's anbu pants? Arm bands and boots to complete the look.

She didn't look like a shinobi, but her silent footsteps argued otherwise.

"You look far better than before." Obito tensed slightly, eyes following the woman coolly as she practically glided her away over towards him. A peaceful smile the whole way.

Before he could protest she had placed her hand to his forehead. "Good, your temperature has dropped."

Obito opened his mouth to speak but she was already waltzing off, clattering away in the corner of the room.

"You gave me quite a scare." She mused, her back to him. "Just laying half-dead in the cold, what were you thinking?"

'I wasn't.' He frowned.

She turned back, steaming teacup in hand, as she knelt down beside his bed. "Here." Obito remained still, simply eyeing the cup before looking up to meet her gaze.

She smiled. "Don't worry, it's not poisoned. Herbs, my own making." But then her smile dropped, eyes widening in realisation.

"Oh, can you not move? I'll feed you it, if you like."

That seemed to get him moving, ignoring the pain he shot up, snatching the cup from her and drowning it in one gulp.

"There." She smiled, taking the cup from him. "Easy."

Obito's eyes sharpened, watching her carefully as she scurried back off. He knew he should be offended by her pitiful attempt to manipulate him, but he could only think about how utterly strange this entire situation was.

"What's your name?"

She ceased her clattering, looking back over her shoulder. "Oh? You're speaking now."

Obito grit his teeth in annoyance.

"Haruki."

'Lie.'

He almost missed it, she was good at hiding it. The small twitch in her figures, the dilation of pupils suggesting increased heart rate.

Yeah, she was good.

"And you?"

He opened his mouth, lie in mind, but quickly stopped himself. If he spoke his real name she would know who he was immediately, she would either kill him or alert the shinobi alliance. Uzumaki Naruto would come personally and finish him off.

If he gives her his real name, it would be the end of him.

"Obito, Uchiha Obito."

But he couldn't do it. What was the point? He lost everything. If he were to die today, that would be fine by him.

"Obito huh? Cute name, many meanings."

Obito remained silent. 'Does she not recognise my name? Or is she simply playing oblivious?'

She began fussing away in the corner, musing softly. "In some lands it means destroyer of peace, others it means mighty warrior."

She turned back, steaming hot bowl of soup in hand as she smiled. "And for one it means lonely child."

Obito stared silently as she placed the soup beside him, smiling as she took her leave. "Get some rest, Obito-san."

"And Haruki?"

She stopped.

"What does Haruki mean?"

"Haruki means nothing, it has no meaning... but it can be loosely translated to another name."

"Which means?"

She looked back, smiling. "To forgive."

::

Obito is different in this story. But that doesn't mean he won't ever return to the man he once was — that just takes time and a lot of forgiveness, not from others but himself.

Also the names do not translate to that — they just do in this story and language.