You finally awoke to the sounds of yelling coming from the Uchiha chained to the wall across from you. Groggily, you took in your surroundings, noting how you, Obito and Kakashi were each chained to a separate wall in the same incredibly tiny square bunker. The area was so miniscule that your legs were able to make contact with theirs, effectively forcing the three of you to stare at nothing else but each other. Your brain then began to register an unimaginable pain...
"LET US GO, YOU BASTARD!" Obito screamed at the top of his lungs as he clawed desperately at the chains restraining him.
"QUIET DOWN, OBITO!" Kakashi uncharacteristically screamed back. "There's nothing you can do now."
"What," Obito stated firmly, trying hard to keep his remaining composure, "Are you seriously going to give up, just like that? You aren't even going to try to get the hell out of here?"
"Look around you, Obito! It's pointless. Our best course of action is to keep quiet and listen to his demands," Kakashi instructed.
"No. No way. I'm not going to give in to some low-life rogue ninja who can't even come down and FIGHT ME FACE TO FACE –"
" – OBITO!"
Akito chuckled from afar as the two continued to argue. "At this rate, I won't even need to use my jutsu. They're already pouncing at each other –"
A moment later, the yelling suddenly stopped. Curious, Akito peered down, an eyebrow raised.
There was still noise emanating from inside, but it was a complete switch from yelling – it was crying.
"(y/n)? (y/n), what's wrong?" Obito cooed softly, your whimpers immediately extinguishing his rage.
"M-my..hand..it..it – hurts!" you managed to whine out, both of the boy's gazes then landed on the hand chained at your side. The fingers were mangled, bending at angles where they shouldn't be, earning a wince from Kakashi and a gasp from Obito.
"Oh, that?" Akito finally made his presence known. "I'm aware that her Earth Style techniques specialize in protection, meaning she is able to skillfully shift the area around her better than most Earth style users could."
His attention then turned to Kakashi, eyes squinting slightly. "I would've done the same for you, the one with the mask, but you are actually a bit of a threat – too much so to get close. I'm lucky my jutsu was able to capture you in time. You are a fast one, but you should have considered deploying some teamwork instead of trying to tackle me alone," he scoffed before turning his attention back to you.
"She was weak, so I seized the opportunity when I saw it –"
Staring at your injury, Obito seethed.
"You..." he initially whispered. "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO HER? I'M GONNA TAKE YOU DOWN MYSELF, YOU SON OF A –"
"-You should be thankful that I only bothered with breaking one of her hands!" he interrupted. "Not that it really matters. You three are going to die here, anyway. But not before I dig into some juicy gossip!"
"B-but... why?" you managed to exhale between gasping cries.
"I like to capture ninjas from different villages and scan their minds for village secrets, then sell the intel to other nations. It's why things didn't work out between me and the Yamanaka Clan, but that can get boring, so I like to switch it up by making my guests turn on each other! You'd understand if you lived alone out here for as long as I have."
The three of you stared in disbelief. Minato did mention that he has the uncanny ability to destroy one's will in a unique fashion.
No! I need to form a barrier and shield Obito and Kakashi! But... my hand... forming signs is impossible now.
"Let's see. Eeny, meeny, miny, you."
He finished maliciously and pointed to Kakashi. Despite what transpired between you and Kakashi, you didn't want to see him in pain. Before you could react, Akito formed the familiar Yamanaka hand pose and directed it at him.Then, there was silence.
"Hmm.. not much for intel..."
Kakashi doesn't know as much about village secrets because I came along. Since I stopped Obito's and Rin's death, Kakashi never joined the ANBU division and learned secret village intel.
You mentally sighed in relief.
Then again, if everything played out like in the show, Obito and Kakashi wouldn't be in this situation in the first place.
You sighed again.
"...but what's this?" Akito asked enthusiastically.
"Looks like you three have gotten into a scuff or two recently, huh? It would appear that the masked one really hates the two of you, especially the female..."
Your eyelids slowly lowered in sadness.
"– that's what I'd like to say, except it's actually quite the opposite. Boring. Moving on now."
What? Kakashi doesn't hate me?
Your head shot up, eyes wide in disbelief. However, you didn't have much time to let it sink in, as Akito then aimed his hands at you.
Oh no. You pleaded in your head.
"Oh yes," replied Akito out loud, reading your thoughts.
...Silence.
Excruciating silence.
You felt nothing but the wild and painful pounding in your chest and hand. The secrets you had been trying so hard to keep from your best friend for years was now threatened to be spilled by this disgustingly malicious rogue ninja. Suddenly you felt it; your mind drew a blank as he scanned your memories. It felt... mesmerizing.
"This...this is..." Akito spoke, unsure of how to react to your thoughts, feelings, and memory. He saw everything that was, and everything that could have been. Rin's and Obito's death. The Nine-Tails Attack. The Uchiha Massacre. The death of the Third and Fourth Hokage. The Fourth Great Ninja War. All of these events you vowed to keep from happening, and he knew it all. It clashed with the events taking place in this timeline.
"What - what is this? What are these... thoughts?" Akito questioned out loud, his voice displaying vulnerability for the first time.
"...Woman. You are something special, aren't you?" he interrogated you, unsure of what else to say. "...I wonder how much I could get for you with the amount of... intel you have up there. I don't understand your thoughts, but I'm sure a village somewhere wou-"
"YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER!" Obito demanded as he wrestled with his binds again.
Akito released his hold on you and turned his attention to Obito.
"You. You've been a thorn in my side since I met you. For that, I'm going to wound you. Or rather, it's not me who's going to do it, it's her," he announced, pointing at your slumping form.
"I don't know what's going on in that mangled, unorganized web she calls a mind, but in my search I did find something that I think even you could understand," Akito crackled as Obito looked on, eyes red and full of contempt.
That was, until he mentioned her name.
"Rin," Akito neutrally stated, immediately shutting up Obito, his eyes changing to confusion. At her name, he retracted his Sharingan.
"NO!" you shrieked, knowing precisely where this was going.
"She's some girl who you're in love with, correct? At least, that's what (y/n) seems to think."
Obito's eyes widened for a moment.
How did she know about that?
"But you wanna know what else (y/n) thinks?"
"STOP! Shut your mouth NOW!" you screamed the loudest Obito had ever heard you. Akito only smiled mischievously.
"She hates her, Obito. (y/n) absolutely, positively loathes this girl Rin. Now here's the juicy part. I read in her mind that (y/n) wished there was a way for Rin to 'go away.' To, 'vanish,' if you catch my drift."
"She... what?" was all Obito could muster at the revelation.
"Does that hurt you?" he teased.
Obito's sight was glued to the cement in front of him, powerless to respond.
"Is it painful?"
His head only dipped lower.
"It should be. According to (y/n), you love Rin to death. How does it feel to know that your 'best friend' feels such a deep revulsion toward your crush, so much that she wouldn't mind if she were dead?"
The Uchiha's teeth clenched tighter after each passing word.
"Did you know?"
He gripped the chains harder, his fingers growing numb.
"Did she tell you, Obito?"
His breathing grew hoarse. There was no way that such a sweet girl like you would harbor such resentment toward their friend, Rin. No. There's just no way! All those times the three of you would hang out, laugh, and enjoy each other's company... was it all a lie? You wanted Rin dead?
Obito's mind was racing, his eyes frozen in shock; the emotions coursing through him were indescribable and overwhelming as he lowered his head down in defeat.
Tears clouded the corners of your eyes, your voice in a breaking whisper, "Obito, I –"
"Is it true, (y/n)?" Obito interrupted, his voice shaking. "Is that how you really feel about Rin? Even after everything the three of us have been through...?"
Kakashi had no choice but to watch everything. He had no idea you felt this strongly about someone as innocent as Rin. Kakashi was in the opposite situation. He acted as if he hated you when he is actually fond of you, while you pretended to like Rin, come to find out that you couldn't stand her. Kakashi was then shaken out of his thoughts by Obito's sudden uproar.
"Even after going out of your way to save her; she healed you and saved your life. All that time we spent together and that is how you FEEL ABOUT HER?!"
You were horrified, not only by Obito screaming at you for the very first time, but also by finally coming to terms with your true feelings for Rin.
I... I would never kill Rin... but I wouldn't be sad if she were gone.
Your heart ached; chest heavy from the suffocating weight of finally admitting it. The reason you wouldn't mind Rin's departure was because you wanted Obito all to yourself. Obito loved Rin, you thought. If she were gone, maybe then you would have even the slightest chance with him.
"Answer me!" Obito demanded, with a familiar sound accompanying his words.
That sound... did he just...?
"Obito," you started weakly, finally mustering the courage to meet the Uchiha's scornful gaze: Anger. Betrayal. Confusion. Heartbreak.
"Did you just... activate your Sharingan... on me?"
Obito paused, his eyes slightly widening for a moment in realization that he did in fact activate his Sharingan on his best friend.
"I... guess I did." Obito then went silent, shamefully lowering his head down to where you couldn't see his face.
"(y/n)..." Obito's voice was hoarse, his body trembling.
"Just, how – how could you?"
You could explain your reasoning. It's because I'm a selfish, envious person who wants her friend all to herself, but you had a feeling that he wouldn't like that answer. Instead, you decided that it was your turn to ask questions.
"What is it about her that makes her so special, anyway?!" you began, shocking Obito into a milder expression.
"From the first day we met, I knew you were something special. When you told me it was your dream to be Hokage, I made it mine to grow up with you and see your goal through. I have been nothing but loyal and devoted to you, Obito. Rin always had her attention on Kakashi. She never gave you the attention you deserve, Obito! I saw how she never returned your feelings, and I couldn't stand it. I kept trying to process how someone like her couldn't see someone as incredible and passionate as you. Seeing how hard I'm trying for you, only for her to win all of your love instead..."
You fumbled over your words; tears ran down your face and pooled onto the exposed skin of your lap.
"Obito. Loving someone who doesn't love you back,"
You lifted your head to look Obito straight in the eye.
"It's hell."
Obitocouldn't find the words to fight back. He knew all too well the feeling of unreciprocated affection.
"But please tell me Obito, even if you never talk to me again, please tell me..." you begged as you continued to sob, with tears still streaming down your face.
"What does Rin have that I don't?"
In one of the very few times of his young life, Obito had nothing to say.
What was it about Rin that attracted him to her? Obito never truly thought about it.
Growing up, Rin was the only one to give him any sort of attention, even if it still wasn't that much. Then you came along out of nowhere and showered him in affection that he wasn't used to, so much so that Obito didn't know how to handle it. He then thought back to the times spent with you throughout the years: eating ramen and ice cream, sparring together at the training grounds, going on missions together, star gazing. You truly were there for him whenever he needed you.
"When I told you about my Ninja Way, that I would do anything to protect my comrades, I made that vow because of you. I'd do anything to protect you, Obito," you sighed and sniffled. "I know I'm not a skilled ninja, but all these years I always thought that I've done a decent job keeping you from harm. Except it looks like I was the one who hurt you the deepest. I'm so sorry, Obito..."
You met his eyes again and gave the lightest of smiles; the sharp pain in your heart distracted you from the pain of your broken hand.
"I made it my goal to never give up on you and to help you become Hokage, and yet, no matter how you feel about me from this point on, I'll never stop believing in you."
"(y-y/n)..." Obito managed to choke out through his tears. All of these sensations, these conflicting emotions of warmth and anger – it was unbearable.
"I know that Rin is innocent in all this. It's not fair to her that I've been holding my feelings back. When we get out of this, I'm going to tell Rin everything about how I feel. I can't keep this up anymore. She deserves to know the truth. I..."
You averted your gaze to the ground before shifting it back to Obito again.
"I want to ask for her forgiveness. Maybe only then I can ask for yours."
"(y/n)..." Obito said softly, commendation and appreciation was apparent in his eyes and voice.
"Hold it there," Akito finally interjected, "That was a touching speech and all, but I think you missed the part where I said you were going to die here."
You and Obito looked up at the man with exasperation.
"It's you! This is all your fault! All you've done is try to make us turn on each other! Come down here so we can have a real fight!" yelled Obito, to your relief his fiery personality returned.
All the while, Kakashi had been formulating a way of getting out of there. During your screaming episode, Kakashi secretly managed to form hand signs to activate his Lightning style to singe off the old, rusted cuffs. Now the next step is distraction. But how?
"Alright, alright, enough already. You're all beginning to be real downers. I'll just do quick skim through your thoughts and be done with you," Akito said dryly to Obito as he prepared his hand seals.
Telling by his strained breathing, Obito was livid. He invaded his best friend's mind, spilled your secrets; he broke your hand and your spirit. Obito was still upset with you, but he'd be damned if he allowed anything else happen to you.
"No. That's enough. I won't let you torture me or my friends anymore!" Obito exclaimed, him still referring to you as his friend struck a chord of relief through you.
Akito raised an eyebrow, wondering what gave Obito his confidence back. Just then, Obito leered straight up at the man, his eyes as red as blood. Suddenly Akito stopped. Frozen in place, he stared, entranced by Obito's eyes.
What's going on? What's he doing?
Akito was mesmerized, put under a paralysis genjutsu conjured by Obito's Sharingan.
Now, Kakashi ordered himself as he sprang into action.
Suddenly a blinding, crackling light appeared next to you before Kakashi leaped up to Akito's level; the electricity in his hand was accompanied by what sounded like a bird of sorts. As fast as lightning, Kakashi thrusted his arm into Akito's chest.
The Chidori.
Immediately after, Kakashi swiftly stole the kunai Akito had on hand before slashing him with it, right down the middle. Akito's body trembled before slumping on his side. You were still tied up and shocked, unable to process what just happened. Obito blinked a couple times, releasing the genjutsu and his Sharingan and quietly returned his gaze to you.
It's over.
There was silence for what felt like hours. The only audible sound came from Kakashi's labored breathing as he stood over Akito's lifeless form. Finally, you decided to speak up.
"Are... are you alright, Obito?"
He stared at you for a moment before a small smirk appeared on his lips.
"Heh, I was about to ask you the same thing... there you go always reading my mind - you big weirdo," he said with a playful cockiness that reassured you.
We're gonna be okay.