The evening was quiet as you stepped out of your apartment; the sound of the inner mechanisms of the door locking temporarily filled the air before you descended the steps and made your way to your favorite ice cream shop. You stopped by your house from the training grounds to shower and change out of your ninja outfit in favor of something more casual. Only a few hours before, you were a Chunin, a rank that you struggled for years to achieve. It felt incredibly surreal that you were one level above that now. Not only that, but you accomplished such an impressive feat alongside your best friend.
You were on your way to the shop specifically to meet up with him to celebrate your mutual accomplishment of becoming Jonin together. This was something you've been looking forward to all day, but the final test of becoming a Jonin changed everything. You began to feel rather apprehensive the closer your feet took you to Obito. Normally, you would have been ecstatic over your newly acquired prestigious title – but only one thought occupied your mind.
"(y/n),"
"I'm pushing so hard because I love you!"
Your heart raced each time Obito's passionate words played in your mind, over and over, never ending. Obito of all people finally said it. You had plans to reveal the genuine love for your best friend directly sometime after the exam was over – or you would have at least tried. You were shocked that he found the courage to do it himself, but he would always find unique ways to surprise you.
The scorching emotions that engulfed both of you were at their peak during your brawl with him, to the point where Obito couldn't suppress it any longer, and if you were honest, neither could you. Still, your mind combated with your heart, desperate to keep it from even the slightest chance of fracturing.
Your inner turmoil persisted as you strolled by the training grounds, the side dominated by new Genin. You paused for a moment to watch a young squad jump in joy and embrace each other after completing their practice assignment. Their hearty enthusiasm coupled with your intent to celebrate with Obito elicited distant memories originating from the very field they stood in.
~~~
"Great job, Obito! You finally got it!" Rin praised while clasping her hands together in commendation. You, Rin, and Obito were practicing a stealth mission assigned by Minato at the training grounds when you were only 13 years old. The goal was to work together to retrieve a fake artifact, and Obito surprisingly was the one to lead the way – and to succeed. He was overjoyed, likely because his rival Kakashi was exempt from this task due to his advanced level of training – such a task would have been a 'waste of his time,' as he would say. With him out of the way, Obito finally had a chance to shine, and his excitement only intensified once he learned that you would be filling in for this task as the third placeholder for Kakashi.
"I put together some chocolate bites for you! You should have them to celebrate!" Rin said with excitement as she pulled out a handmade bag wrapped in thin string. The bite-sized squares were visible through the clear plastic bag decorated in transparent stickers as she handed it to Obito.
"Aw, thanks, Rin! These look amazing!"
Rin smiled warmly at the compliment, warranting a spiteful glare from you that went unnoticed by her. "Just don't eat them all at once, okay?"
"No way, you should totally eat them all right now, Obito!" you interjected, catching the young Uchiha's attention.
"Only if you help me out with these, (y/n)!"
Your posture lit up, surprised that Obito would offer to share his gift with you, and you were about to respond, until you found something being handed to you as well.
"Rin, what...?" was all you could say upon being offered a bag of sweets of your own.
"I didn't forget about you, (y/n)! I hope you like chocolate," she beamed with a pleasant grin while presenting you with a bag, which you uncomfortably but graciously accepted.
You were completely taken by surprise that Rin made something for you too, instead of leaving you behind. A wedge of guilt about your hostile feelings for Rin began to surface before your best friend's voice distracted you and began filling your head with a fortuitous notion.
"Aw man, now I gotta eat this whole bag by myself?" Obito blushed while pretending to be distressed, his eyes traveling to Rin, acting as though he wanted her to join him – a gesture that you somehow missed due to being stuck in your own thoughts.
"Hold on a second," you announced with a brilliant idea. "We should combine our bags together and eat everything right here and now! I bet that I could eat more squares than you!"
Rin blinked, brows knitting in concern. "Wait, (y/n), Obito, I don't think that's -"
"You're on!" Obito interrupted, not even realizing he'd cut Rin off due to his excitement. Without any more hesitation, the two of you merged your sweets together into one colossal mass of chocolate.
"Ready... and... GO!"
You began scarfing down anything that remotely resembled a chocolate square, the hands of you and Obito constantly bumped against each other as you scrambled to reach for more sweets than him.
"I got a huge handful that time," he managed to murmur out while his cheeks extended with chocolate. "Don't cry when you end up losing, (y/n)!"
"Shush it!" Your words came out as a barely distinguishable mumble between the chewy sweets stuffed in your mouth. "How many did you even eat so far, anyway?"
Obito paused his chewing, a panicked look spreading across his face. "I forgot to keep a count," he muttered as sweat beaded down his bulging cheeks.
"It's okay," you gulped down a large chunk before lifting up another handful to your mouth and whispered, "I lost count a long time ago."
At that, Obito chuckled while shutting his eyes, his shoulders rapidly rising and falling as he laughed in genuine adoration of your antics before stuffing his face at the same time you did, both of you had your eyes closed and sported matching smiles for one another when doing so.
Rin was speculating your little competition, her eyebrows expressing deep concern, but her subtle grin gave away how she truly felt about watching you two.
You and Obito simultaneously reached your hands into the bag and soon found that it was now empty. Instead, the two of you ended up grabbing each other's hand and your bodies stiffened up in surprise from the suggestive contact. You exchanged shocked looks, with yours slowly morphing into a warm, softer expression, and Obito's mimicked yours shortly after. Electricity was in the air, and you couldn't help but admire the Uchiha next to you, your hands still connected; that was, until it hit the two of you.
Uh oh.
Both of your stomachs began to rumble violently - too much, they protested. Your once gentle expressions soon shifted again into one of pure panic, your faces drenched in sweat and slightly green in color. You both tried holding it together, with Obito trying the hardest, before instincts prevailed and you simultaneously bent over to void your overstuffed stomachs. Rin began walking over to your hunched over forms to offer her solace, the nervous smile and look in her eyes screamed at you - I told you so.
~~~
A sweet smile graced your lips at the memory, and your head turned back to the road in front of you to continue your trek to meet with him.
Atthe same time, Obito trudged through the hectic crowd, the shopping district'sstreets overflowing with villagers from the evening's dinner rush. Stranger's shoulders would brush and collide with his in the mounting horde, but Obito couldn't register it. He'd normally have no issues giving these inconsiderate villagers a piece of his mind, but only one person was deserving of his concentration that evening. After what he admitted to you in the battle, he couldn't avoid it anymore. All his mind could focus on was you, and what he was planning to ask you.
Should I even go through with this?
Obito's head hung low, clearly doubting himself. The pressure was beginning to be too much for the young Uchiha to bear. Despite blocking out the noise and activity transpiring everywhere around him, Obito couldn't ignore the sound of his name being called by a familiar, feminine voice that attracted his attention in its entirety.
"Obito!" Rin pleaded out for her childhood friend to pause while she caught up to him, still in her hospital uniform.
"Rin!" he exclaimed, his demeanor instantly perking up. "How've you been feeling? Are your chakra levels okay?"
She gleefully nodded. "I've been finished with my rehabilitation for a while now."
Obito shut his eyes, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. He should've known that. Between solo missions and centering his focus on you, he ended up lacking any free time to spend with his first friend. His first crush. It was then he became aware of just how long it had been since he and Rin enjoyed each other's company in leisure.
"There's something I want to talk to you about, Obito. I know you've been busy, but I was hoping that I could find you and ask if you'd like to go to the dango shop with me."
Obito twitched slightly in surprise. Rin was asking him to go somewhere with her? There were no fliers in her hands this time. She wasn't inviting anyone else. This wasn't to celebrate yet another achievement made by his rival, Kakashi. Rin was asking him out, personally, this time. Obito observed the setting sun momentarily, calculating in his head how much spare time he had before returning his concentration to Rin and, like the giddy dork he is, nodded profusely.
~~~
Passing by the Hidden Leaf Hospital, a phantom pain began emanating from the scar on your chest while thinking of your recent stay within its stale and mentally asphyxiating confines. Before your long-term admittance, the entrance to the facility always evoked one incident in particular, one that you would conversely rather forget about.
~~~
"Obito, please, put me down!"
"Not yet! We're almost there, (y/n)! See? The hospital's just up ahead, they'll know what to do!" Obito affirmed frantically as he carried you bridal-style down the dirt road, a bulky shroud of dust trailed behind his feet while rushing to its front doors in a frenzied desperation.
After an intense afternoon sparring session, you and Obito had decided to take a quick power nap under the shade of a tree located just outside the training fields; its leaves offered solace from the blistering summer heat. He had his arms crossed behind his head, gogglesover his shut eyes, and a thin-stemmed shoot with a tiny leaf at the tip tuckedlazily between his lips while you had turned on your side – one arm drapedungracefully over your face, completely wiped out.
Obito's hand had unknowingly grazed your upper leg as he slept, only for him to awaken shortly after to the feeling of an odd, clammy moisture sticking to his palm in doing so. He groggily withdrew his touch and brought it to his view before his eyes snapped wide open in pure panic once he saw blood coating his hand – the distinctive mark of a potentially dangerous injury. Obito's feverish call for you startled you awake, his hysterical form over yours in an instant.
"Obito... what –"
"I thought you said my shuriken missed you when I threw it earlier, (y/n)! Where'd it hit you? Where are you bleeding?!"
"Bleeding? I'm not –" That's when your mind, still recovering from drowsiness, began registering the thick, chilly wetness of blood around your thighs, followed by a twinging pain in your lower abdomen.
What? I'm sure that I dodged his shuriken! How the heck did it hit me-?
Wait a second...
You warily felt around your lower stomach.
...This isn't an injury.
Obito's eyes eagerly followed your hand before trailing lower where he took notice and gasped at the blood trickling over your upper legs.
"Oh no," you heard yourself whisper in sheer humiliation over the misunderstanding.
Obito interpreted your tone as 'oh no, I am going to die,' and his face grew full of unrestrained terror as he roughly hoisted you up and began sprinting to the hospital, all while ignoring your protests along the way. His mind only focused on that one goal of keeping you alive.
~~~
A stinging blush coated your cheeks at recalling the event that ended right there in the hospital lobby. Your painful flush spread further from also remembering the talk you and the medics had with Obito that explained why you were losing blood without injury, and why it was a completely normal occurrence. Obito was mortified – his face turned white as a ghost. He couldn't look you in the eye for a week after that. Shaking your head to jostle the thoughts away, you resumed your walk to the main area of the village.
~~~
"Thank you finding time to come out here with me," Rin stated politely while sitting across from Obito at the dango shop. "I wanted to meet with you for a while now."
"Sure, Rin!" Obito smiled brightly as she kindly passed him a dango. "So what's on your mind?"
"Obito, I think it's time that we talked." Rin leaned back in her seat while she took a sip from her cup of tea. "You see, I've been thinking a lot about you lately."
Obito almost choked on the dumpling he had in his mouth at remembering that Rin brought him here to 'talk,' the nervous sweat beading at his temples indicated his nerves.
"I keep thinking about what happened when I got captured, and what you went through to rescue me. You never gave up on looking for me, and you even helped me during my recovery afterwards. These past few months made me realize some things..."
Rin hadn't taken even one bite of her dango, and instead opted to twirl the stick between her fingers as she spoke. Obito watched in puzzlement as her cheeks reddened, her large, dark eyes glazing directly over his.
"First, it helped me understand how lucky I am to have a friend like you. Also... it made me realize... how I truly feel about you."
Obito paused mid-chew in complete stupefaction, the dango stick protruding from his pursed lips. He then felt a soft hand blanket over his, prompting him to stagger over his words.
"R-Rin... are... you're s-saying...?"
She nodded quietly with flushed cheeks. Her straight brown hair had since grown out slightly beyond her shoulders, and it fluidly moved and swayed along her face with the gesture.
Obito watched in astonishment as Rin raised herself from her seat and began leaning across the table toward him. It felt as if everything was moving in slow motion, even without his Sharingan. He could only freeze in place as he watched Rin close her eyes, her lips inching closer to his.
Obito'sfists tightened at the sight as his heart ached in his chest. Rin, the woman who had captured his heart, was now returning those deep, once sundered feelings for him. This was what he'd always wanted. All those mornings lying in bed inspecting the team photo he had of her, gazing into her angelic face with that alluring smile, wishing that she would one day reciprocate and look at him with identical fondness.
But... something else was currently occupying the space inside his thoughts as well.
Petrified, he watched as Rin continued to advance toward him, prepared to deliver the sweet kiss he'd always fantasized about during his youth. Obito's eyes widened as a soothing image flashed swiftly through his mind – the other picture he kept at his bedside table. The one of him and you.
"(y/n)..."
Upon hearing your name, Rin paused before she could reach his lips, and her eyes peeked open in innocent confusion. "Obito?"
Obito's heart pounded against his head, overwhelmed with the sudden intensity of the moment. He was still in pure disbelief over finally winning over his childhood crush, but he was strangely not happy about it. The image of Rin leaning close to him with romantic intent painfully contradicted with the girl he was cherishing in his mind. He hadn't even realized that your name slipped passed his lips, but Rin's troubled voice snapped Obito back to reality.
"Rin... please listen, I can't... I-I don't, I..." He didn't know what to say.
Obito loves you.
Rin immediately caught on to his reluctance. "Obito... but I thought..." she withdrew her hand from his and reclined back to her side of the table.
The silence between them became heavy, overwrought with unspoken emotions.
"It's (y/n)... right?"
Obito's line of sight, which was down casted on the table in shame and discomfort, returned to Rin's at the mention of your name. His silence told Rin the answer. He could never abandon you.
After another quiet moment, a small, contented smile gently formed on her lips.
"Make sure that (y/n) knows she's the luckiest girl in the world, Obito."
Obito studied Rin in earnest surprise. He was stunned that she would readily accept his humble rejection with such a calm complacency.
"I-I will, Rin. I was just on my way to-"
He then paused abruptly in sheer panic. He had gone out to grab some things in preparation for meeting with you, until he'd become preoccupied with Rin. That was a while ago. Obito had pinky swore that you two were okay and that he'd meet with you at six.
If I'm late, (y/n) will think the worst!
"What time is it?!" he begged for an answer.
"Are you late to something, Obito?"
"Th-that's putting it lightly, Rin! We'll get together again soon, but I need to go right now!"
Meanwhile, Kakashi perched on a nearby tree branch, its monstrous trunk towered over the park it resided in. This was his favorite spot to relax, as it allowed Kakashi to read his books in peace while also having the option to observe the adjacent shopping district whenever he pleased. Scanning countless people as they went about their day also helped him to remember that he was never alone – he always has allies nearby.
From the corner of his eye, he spotted a distinct figure that was salient from all the rest, convincing Kakashi to remove his gaze from his book and blink in mild intrigue. He watched Obito stumble and almost trip over as he sprinted frantically out of the shop, clearly unpunctual, as Rin's arm raised vertically above her head to wave him goodbye with a strained, overenthusiastic look on her face.
Kakashi then inspected Rin's body language once Obito was out of sight. He watched her arm slowly lower at the same rate her facial expression did, until her arm dropped at her side, with a forlorn frown to enhance her now melancholy demeanor. This was the first time he had ever seen Rin pose such a defeated, desolate expression. It did not look good on her. Without removing his gaze off Rin, Kakashi pinched his book shut with one hand, and used the other to lever himself down the branch.
"Hey." Kakashi's sudden appearance drew a gentle gasp from Rin in surprise.
"Kakashi?" At recognizing who was once her crush, Rin's forced smile returned. "What are you doing around here?"
"Funny, I was about to ask you the same question." Kakashi pretended to be ignorant to Rin's true feelings.
Rin's eyelids lowered, her head turning to the direction where Obito had bolted in.
Kakashi followed her line of sight and immediately understood.
"You know, I don't think dango is really something you should be having for dinner. Why not come with me so we can get something more filling," his casual but endearing suggestion amazed Rin, coaxing a blush and genuine grin to break out on her face. His request and sudden interest in her suffused Rin with a strange warmth she once fostered for Kakashi but had eventually extinguished, but she found that the weakened smolder was beginning to ignite again.
~~~
"Aw come on, why can't I have it?"
An exasperated and incredibly familiar voice caught your attention once you reached the central shopping area, driving your feet to a halt once again.
"Easy, because you forgot to say please," Kushina stated as a matter of fact, the upper half of her body bent downward to address four-year-old Naruto directly.
Seeing the once child of prophecy himself drew a short gasp from you. Naruto. The main character of your favorite show. The boy whose journey you followed attentively for years, recalling all of the hardships and horrible events in his life that will never come to fruition – because of you.
You observed Naruto's features, noticing his hair had grown out slightly, especially the bangs around his sides as it strikingly resembled Minato's. His disproportionally large, blue eyes peered up at his mother with an irritated but determined look in his eyes. You had visited Naruto countless times, and even babysat him and took him on fun outings when his parents were busy, and yet, those blue eyes still hadn't changed. Those distinctive eyes served as a profound reminder of another event permanently embedded into your memory.
~~~
"Outta my way, Obito! I'm the one who's going to hold him first!" you declared as you and Obito raced down the hallway, trying to enter the room simultaneously, your bodies wedging between the frame and each other in doing so.
"Nu uh. No way am I letting you beat me at anything!" Obito asserted while straining hard against you to enter the room before you.
"I sure as heck can beat you at being on time," you replied with a competitive snark in your voice as your hand reached and pressed against Obito's face, trying to push him out of the way while still writhing against him.
"That was a low blow, I can't help being an old lady magnet - whoa!" Obito's defense was interrupted once your bodies suddenly unwedged from the frame and collapsed onto the floor at the same time. You both laid there in a daze while Rin and Kakashi composedly walked in right after you, with Kakashi's eyes traveling down your forms in annoyance.
"Not everything has to be a competition," he spat while walking past you and Obito; Kakashi's coolheaded composure succeeded in unnerving you.
"No, but everything has to be by your rules, right, Kakash?" Obito replied spitefully, his nose red from pressing on the floor.
Kakashi scoffed before his eyes shifted to the object of interest at the center of the room, his mildly irritated expression immediately changing to amiable surprise, followed by a soft, "Oh."
Surprising the hardened Kakashi was an uncommon occurrence. It prompted you and Obito to finally lift your heads off the floor and gaze up at where he stood. Not long after, the sound of Rin gasping wholeheartedly followed by the sound of gentle hands clapping together filled the room and she excitedly positioned herself next to Kakashi, both of their bodies blocking your view of the reason why you were in such a rush to get there in the first place.
Looking at their excited demeanor then back at each other, you both scrambled to your feet and hastily joined Rin and Kakashi in the center of the room. What you found was Minato's lover - Kushina, as she reclined in a cushioned chair. In her arms, a tangle of tiny blankets spilled over her; you could see weak movements emanating from inside the soft fabric. Your eyes widened as Kushina pulled back the cloth to reveal none other than her son, Naruto Uzumaki.
Seeing the one-week-old infant filled your heart with a strange maternal protectiveness. You were embarrassed to be experiencing that with someone who wasn't even your own blood, but judging from the faces of your comrades, including Obito's, you discerned that they must feel the exact same way.
"Now who's going to hold him first?" Kushina's mild tone surprised you. It was your initial meeting with her, but you knew that she had a hot-blooded temperament from watching the show. Perhaps the glow of becoming a new mother had temporarily drenched that fiery personality of hers. "From what I heard, Obito was just fighting over getting to hold him," she added before turning her attention to you. "Oh, don't tell me. You must be..."
You opened your mouth to answer.
"WAIT. I got it. You must be... Kurenai Yuhi! I've heard a lot of great things about you -"
Shutting your eyes, you passed her a nervous smile, brows twisting sheepishly. "A-actually, I'm (y/n)... (y/n) (l/n), heh."
You hesitated to correct Kushina in fear of unleashing her wrath, but thankfully, she only blinked at you.
"Ah, well, I was close. Sort of. Not really. But enough about you, he's what you guys came for, am I right?" Kushina tilted Naruto in your direction, the awe overthrowing your emotions once again.
"What do you think, Naruto? Who do you want to see first?" Kushina poked at Naruto's stubby little nose, rousing him into opening his eyes for the first time that evening. Big, icy blue eyes landed on Obito's dark, surprised ones, prompting him to step back slightly in sudden apprehension.
"You look as if you've never held a baby before," Kushina started bluntly. "It's about time that you learned, kiddo."
Obito was so determined to beat you by being the first of the four of you to hold little Naruto, but he hadn't actually thought about what it would feel like to be entrusted with such a tiny, defenseless life. Obito was scared - terrified of dropping Naruto, or having him throw up everywhere, maybe he'll start wailing once Naruto actually got a good look at the face of an Uchiha. All of these insecurities overwhelmed Obito as the baby was handed to him; his arms quivered from the weight of the mental pressure.
You watched Obito's unusual mannerisms - his mouth parted downward, teeth clenched. His eyes were full to the brim with unfortified timidness, his hysterically furrowed eyebrows emphasizing the fact. One large bead of sweat slid from Obito's temple down to his obviously pink and flushed cheek. The hands bearing Naruto, especially the one minding his head, noticeably trembled.
You were amazed to see Obito this way. Who knew he had such a weak spot for babies? You recalled how he was also one of the first to hold Naruto in the original show, even though his intentions then were not so innocent. His demeanor then completely contradicted his behavior now, and you were thankful for that. Still, it hurt you to see Obito genuinely struggling like this.
"Here, what if you wrapped your arm around him like... this?" You guided Obito to position infant Naruto into the crook of his arm, Naruto's fragile head resting against the inside of Obito's elbow.
"Hey, no older than 15 years old, and an expert on babies already," Kushina teased as she slipped you a wink.
You responded with a faint blush at the suggestion and rubbed around your neck bashfully. "It's just what I think I would do, is all."
Obito was only half listening. With Naruto tucked safely within his arms, Obito's appearance finally eased as he allowed the powerful feeling of paternal benevolence wash over him.
You, Rin and Kakashi watched the squirming child from the sidelines: Rin's hands still clasped together around her mouth in joy. One of your hands gripped and fidgeted with the other as your attention shifted from the baby to Obito, the blush in your face deepening in intensity.
Even Kakashi and his seemingly chronic stoic face degraded at the innocent sight. His eyebrows were raised up high, signifying that Kakashi's guard was completely down and taking great interest in the infant beside him. His arms still crossed around his chest as he kept a professional posture but the rest of Kakashi's body leaned toward Obito's to get a better look at the blond child who was eagerly scouting the area to soak in his new surroundings.
"So, what do you think, Obito?" Kushina asked with a gentle smugness in her voice. "Not so bad, right?"
"I – yeah. It's... he," was all Obito could muster, his tone immersed in wonder and amazement, his eyes unable to detach themselves from the impossibly tiny person he was granted the privilege to look after – his grip instinctively tightening, drawing Naruto closer to his chest protectively.
Through some force that only babies could understand, Naruto's face scrunched up before unleashing a deafening wail - one that startled everyone but Kushina. Naruto began squirming insistently against Obito, prompting the Uchiha's nerves to overtake him once more. The moisture returned to his face as he tried desperately to hand Naruto off to someone else - earning a hearty laugh from everyone as his flustered actions only continued to rise in franticity.
~~~
"No way! Real boys don't say please!" young Naruto asserted to his mother.
"Now who in the world told you that?" Kushina spouted, her red-hot hair flaring in anger as her fist descended at a pure vertical angle onto her toddler's head in discipline.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"You need to learn some manners, ya know! Now let's go." Kushina whirled in the opposite direction and began to walk away. Her son stayed in place as his attention turned back to a fox mask displayed on the wall.
"Please, Mom?" Two words froze Kushina where she stood, her face softening considerably at her son's improved attitude.
"Well... you did say please," she said with mild defeat evident in her smile as she pulled out money and handed it to Naruto to purchase the coveted fox mask.
"Yes! I love you, Mom," Naruto announced so sweetly andtackled his mother into a hug, his words piercing deep into your heart – knowing that Naruto has a family he's always deserved... because of you.
"I love you too, Naruto."