#obitoxreader

Ever since childhood, Obito felt inferior to everyone else around him. It seemed like everyone was effectively sharpening his or her skills, leaving Obito behind in every sense of the word. It was with these feelings of inferiority that he developed his lifelong goal of becoming the Land of Fire’s most powerful shinobi, and Konohagakure’s sworn protector. How else would he prove to everyone that he is worthy of wearing the Uchiha crest? Then one day, he met someone who would change his ambitions for the better. It happened unexpectedly; he was alone at the training grounds one night practicing his fire-style jutsus. He had just completed a particularly impressive Fireball Technique when a girl about his age startled him by cheering him on after the smoke dissipated. After quickly forming a bond, (y/n) began accompanying Obito on his nightly training sessions. Even at his below-average skill level, she seemed wildly impressed by even the most basic ninja techniques he would perform. This girl, as Obito learned her name as (y/n), was different somehow. She offered him the attention Obito had always craved but could never obtain due to Kakashi always stealing the spotlight. The only other girl to give him any form of attention was Rin, but even she pined after the famous Hatake. (y/n) was different. All of her time and focus centered on him. Despite not being trained as a kunoichi, (y/n) never hesitated to help Obito develop his own skills either by sparring or simply offering emotional support. It wasn’t long before Obito found a new light of his life, and as the years went by, their mutual love became more and more prominent. Fast-forwarding to years later, Minato Namikaze announced that he was stepping down as the Forth Hokage, leaving the now extraordinary Obito Uchiha as the central candidate for the village’s next leader. The timing was all but perfect, however, as months before the announcement, (y/n) revealed sensitive information that may have compromised his plans.

 ~~~

“Obito, we’re having a baby.” (y/n) said while avoiding eye contact with the Uchiha, as if she was almost embarrassed to say it due to her high levels of modesty. “You- I- w-what?” Obito tried to speak, only for his words to come out in a jumbled mess of disbelief. A faint blush painted her cheeks to the point where it almost seemed painful, as she mustered the courage to meet his wide eye. “You’re not…disappointed, are you?” The increasingly painful heartbeat in her chest distracting (y/n) from her thoughts. At this question, Obito straightened out his posture with both of his hands raised in front of his chest in a defensive gesture as his eyebrows knitted together in a nervous expression. “No, no. Of course I’m not! This is just…wow. Unexpected, to say the least.” As he says this, Obito lifted one of his arms up to scratch the back of his head, an anxious smile forming on his lips. (y/n) was worried. She knew that settling down with a family would put a wrench through Obito’s plans, but at the same time (y/n) was confident that they would work things out and get through it together. After all, she supported him all throughout his teen years and encouraged him to never give up. She’d be damned if she were the one to get in the way of his plans now. This tense exchange of words quickly died down into an unsettling silence. The new vacancy for the title of Hokage had put Obito in a bit of a dilemma: if he accepted the Hokage position, he would have no time for his developing family. If he didn’t accept the position, then his dream of becoming the first Uchiha Hokage and gaining that coveted recognition may never be achieved. Being his significant other for years certainly had its advantages as (y/n) could sense Obito’s worry just by looking into his eye. Obito, despite only possessing one eye due to an accident in his teens, was still so expressive. That is what fascinated (y/n) about the Uchiha clan; their eyes express everything one would ever need to know. Not only that, but Uchihas are also prone to intense emotion, including anger, passion, and, of course, love. When Uchihas fall in love, they fall in love hard, and Obito is no exception. (y/n) knew that Obito loves her to death. She knew that he had always wanted kids someday as well. Knowing this comforted her, and with a content smile on her face, (y/n) broke the silence. “I know what you’re thinking. You know I’ve always been with you every step of the way, Obito. I have always supported your dream of becoming Hokage and I will continue to do so. Accept the position. We will cheer you on from the sidelines.” Obito perked up at this, staring in mild perplexity and amazement as (y/n) turned to walk away, the Uchiha symbol on her back reminding him that she made the decision to marry him, the dork who was once the laughingstock of the village. But she never gave up on him. It was dangerous for a civilian to love a shinobi, and vice versa. There is always that lingering presence that this meeting could be their last, as missions are always unpredictably dangerous. If something were to go wrong, a woman would raise their family as a widow, and a fallen shinobi would leave their family fatherless. These are only few of the reasons why it is unwise to get involved and romantically attached in a world run by war. Though despite this, (y/n) stuck with Obito, never to look back or regret her decision. It was then that Obito decided that he will recommence with accepting the title of Hokage, not to achieve that recognition and attention he had always craved, but rather, to protect the “king” of the village, which he had come to learn meant the children of Konohagakure.

 ~~~

“This is it! It’s finally that day! Are you nervous?” Asked (y/n), her swollen belly protruding innocently in her thin sweater dress. Obito’s attention was on (y/n)’s excited face for a moment before his eye travelled down to her stomach. “I don’t know which I’m more nervous about.” Obito replied with a slight shakiness apparent in his voice. “I mean, what if something were to happen and I’m not there because of my duties as Hokage? I don’t know if I can risk that. I can’t lose you, (y/n). And, I c-can’t lose them either…” His hand went to brush protectively over (y/n)’s stomach, the death of his friend Rin still heavy in his heart. He can’t go through another loss, not again. Touched by his concern, a serene smile appeared on (y/n)’s lips, her hands brushing over the scarred tissue on Obito’s distraught face. “Just remember, it’s not just us you have to protect anymore. You have a whole village to think about now. Speaking of which, it’s about time you headed over to the office. The ceremony is going to start soon!” A slight chuckle escaped (y/n)’s lips. “It’d be a bit embarrassing to have trained all your life only to miss the induction ceremony! I’ll be on my way over soon. Look for me in the crowd, alright? I’ll be the one waving the hardest!” Followed by a quick thumbs up from his wife. Pleased with her answer, Obito smiled lovingly at his wife and gave her a kiss on the forehead before heading off – a sweet gesture that had formed into a habit whenever he would leave, even if it were simply down the street to the local store. Another habit he recently formed had been that he would gently pat (y/n)’s stomach right where their baby was resting. Sometimes he’d get lucky and place his hand on her just in time to feel an enthusiastic kick. A fighter just like their father, They both thought. As her stomach grew throughout the past few months, his petting had unconsciously grown fonder and stayed on her stomach for longer, as if he knew in the back of his mind that this was really happening, and their child will be on their way very shortly.

 ~~~

A few hours had passed since Obito’s departure, and (y/n) was running late. She knew better than to stall this long, especially since getting to the ceremony would take significantly longer with the baby in tow. Silently cursing at herself, (y/n) went to grab an extra coat on top of her already cozy sweater dress just in case the March weather proved to be unfavorable. Her fingertips gently brushed against the silky fabric when she felt a sudden dull pressure in her abdomen. Oh. (y/n) thought, her fingers stuck on the coat still hanging up on the wall, frozen in place. Could that be…? Nah. It’s probably just nerves. This is a big day after all. The first Uchiha Hokage is an especially historic event for the village. Disregarding these thoughts, (y/n) lifted the coat off its hook and went on out the door. (y/n) was right to bring a coat, March weather proved to be unpredictable, as a heavy yet gentle snow began to lightly blanket the village. (y/n)’s steps were short – her breaths becoming labored as she went on, the shifting in her lower stomach returning time and again. She trudged for what seemed like forever until the unmistakable sound of numerous voices in one small area indicated that she was almost to the ceremony. Just in time! ..I’m actually kind of nervous.  She thought. It was rather unlike her to surround herself in such a large crowd, but for her ‘Bito, she’d do it a thousand times over. I-I’m actually really nervous, my stomach feels like it’s about to flip. Not to mention, my lower back is aching, too. That lower abdominal pain returned as (y/n) finished her thoughts, her eyes widening with the sheer realization of the implications of what these symptoms mean. Oh no. (y/n) muttered in disbelief. Not now. You can’t come now! Stay in there for just a day longer. I promised your dad I’d see him on the most important day of his shinobi career. A sudden shift in what appeared to be a contraction told (y/n) that her request is going unnoticed. If you stay in there, I promise to give you all the candy you can eat when you’re older. How’s that sound? I’m good with my promises, just ask your father! Her tightening muscles ceased to relent, and then, it happened. Suddenly, before she could process what was happening, a liquid began trailing down her legs, confirming what she was afraid of. (y/n) was going into labor. This baby is coming out now. Don’t panic (y/n), don’t panic. You’ve rehearsed this. Except Obito was there with you every time. Oh god, he’s not here! How am I supposed to get to the hospital by myself in this condition? (y/n) thoughts were racing, her breath visibly becoming heavier as she was frozen in place. Kakashi Hatake happened to pass by while on his way to the inauguration when he stumbled upon the pregnant woman seemingly in distress. He peered up from his book for a moment to study her. “What’s the matter, (y/n)? You look like you’re about to face off against an entire nation. I’m on my way to see Obito if you w-“ Kakashi abruptly stopped talking. It was at that point the Kakashi looked down at the liquid mess on the ground beneath (y/n), her heart beating wildly out of her chest in panic. “Oh.” Is all Kakashi could muster as he lifted his mask up in an attempt to cover his reddening cheeks. “I think… I th-think I need..h-help..”  (y/n) pleaded to Kakashi. He sighed with a ‘why me’ look in his eye before closing his book to lift her up bridal style to carry her to the hospital, all while the contractions in her abdomen began getting more and more severe.

 ~~~

Inauguration day. This is it, Obito chanted in his head as he lifted away the curtains to greet the Konohagakure citizens below. As the ceremony commenced, Obito couldn’t help but skim through the crowd below for his beloved and her aforementioned incessant waving, but visibly frowned when he could not spot her. Immediately his thoughts lead to the worst case scenario – that something terrible has happened before she could make in to the ceremony. What if she was on her way here when she tripped and fell into a rabid badger’s nest? Or even worse, what if (y/n) was kidnapped by Iwagakure shinobi? After all, a Hokage’s family would be a prime target now. Obito’s mind was racing a thousand miles per second, sweat beginning to form on his forehead which was thankfully hidden from view by his traditional Hokage headwear. Mentally shaking his head, Obito straightened up, a serious look returning to his face. I need to remember what (y/n) said. She will be fine. She can handle herself. Right? Well, yes, of course she can! Why else would she say it? Keep it together, Obito. For the village, for her, and for our child. They are just fine. Obito stated in his head. This is a thought that he found himself repeating as the ceremony went on, the frequency increasing as he continued to covertly scout for her with no success. After completing the ceremony, Obito was in a mad rush to go home to check where (y/n) has gone but was stopped by the village elders. “You can’t go home yet,” Homura stated dryly. “There’s still paperwork and protocol you must complete before the Hokage’s day is over. Then the real work begins.” Obito inwardly sighed. He is not in the mood for this right now. All he could think about all day was the whereabouts of his wife and child. If only he had known she was in the hospital, in the midst of a painful and complicated delivery.

 ~~~

By the time Obito was released from his duties for the day the sun had long gone down, and he was in a full sprint back to their shared house. When their house was in view, Obito’s worries morphed into dismay when he saw all of the lights off despite it only being 9pm. Practically kicking the door open, Obito surveyed the entrance room before calling for (y/n)’s name only to be met with silence, the only noise coming from the erratic pounding in his chest and ears. Running through each and every room, his calls became increasingly more and more desperate. Eventually his alarm evolved into a full blown panic, as he feared that he had lost his wife and child for good. No. He chanted. Not again. I can’t go through this again. I can’t lose her. I can’t lose them. B-but I’m Hokage now, I need to be s-strong. I need…to be…strong… Droplets of tears hit the wooden floor below his feet, Obito’s breathing coming in uneven gasps. Where are they? Who could have taken them? What could they want? Obito pondered in anguish; his worst nightmare realized. Just as he was about to scream in crushing despair, a casual knock came from the front door. Quick to dry his tears and put on his best stoic face, Obito marched to the door which he found was open from when he hastily entered previously, Kakashi leaning on the doorframe with his knuckles still resting on it from when he knocked just a moment before. “Hey. Just thought I’d check up on the family,” said Kakashi with his usual relaxed and friendly tone. “I didn’t really know what babies like or what gender it is, so I went and picked this up.” He continued, holding a lone stuffed duck resting on his palm. Obito, still trying to keep it together, contemplated his next words carefully. He tried to verbalize his thoughts without breaking down into sobs again. Not in front of that Hatake. If anyone saw him in a vulnerable state, they may question his authority and ability to lead a village and instead opt to make Kakashi the Fifth Hokage. Kakashi could almost read Obito’s thoughts just by looking into his eye. Obito did always have the most passionate and expressive eyes. Obito may be able to put on a stoic face, but his eye gives everything away. Both (y/n) and Kakashi know this and frequently use this to their advantage, usually to catch him in a lie which he admittedly does not try often. Before Obito could open his mouth, Kakashi spoke, “Wait. You do know that (y/n) is in the hospital, right? She went into labor while on the way to see you and I had to carry her there. That’s the reason why I didn’t show up, either. If you even noticed I wasn’t there, that is.” Kakashi remarked, his arm going to rub the back of his neck with his eyes closed. Obito couldn’t help but let an audible gasp escape his lips, both relief and terror washing over him in waves. They’re alive. He said to himself in reassurance. But s-she’s alone and been in labor this whole time! I need to see her! And without a word, Obito dashed to the hospital and didn’t look back. Kakashi, watching the trail of dust that formed behind Obito, casually muttered while gesturing toward the stuff duck he brought, 

“I’ll just leave this on the doorstep, then.”

 ~~~

Darkness. All you could see is the color black with subtle swirls of purple throughout. Am I even conscious? The last thing you remember is taking a stroll through the local park after finishing the Naruto series. Obito was heavy on your mind, not just his fate, but also the entirety of his life in general. You thought profoundly about what could have been; his childhood, how he was always left behind, how his future as a shinobi was stolen from him, how he was the cause of a majority of negative events throughout the series, including an all-inclusive war. Each of these thoughts cut you deeply. You would be lying if you said you weren’t genuinely fond of him. It would be an even bigger lie to say if you had the opportunity to go into his universe to prevent these events from happening, you wouldn’t go in a heartbeat.

 Sighing heavily, you placed herself on the cool ground overlooking the lake located in the center of the park, the grass still wet and slippery from when it rained a couple hours before. You’ve always enjoyed coming here late at night when nobody was around. It was a decent way of coping with stress. However, the tension felt over Obito proved to be too great for this habit to ease your racing and admittedly depressed mind. Peering over the edge of the lake, you sought any form of distraction and hoped that your reflection could provide just that. It was too dark to make out anything other than your dark silhouette, but something else in the water caught your eye. In front of you, a distinct spark appeared in the otherwise unlit dullness of the water. Curiosity got the best of you as you took off your coat to retrieve the object with your hand. Perhaps a sensible person would ponder what exactly that item could be before hastily shoving their hand to it – for all you knew it could have been a spark of electricity and your short life could have ended right there, but fate had other plans for you, (y/n).

 It amazed you to watch your arm travel deeper the water despite being close to the edge. Before you could ask just how much farther until you reach that coveted shiny object, your shoes scraped against the slippery grass, causing you to fall into the water headfirst. Frozen in surprise, you could only ponder why the water was so deep. That is when you noticed that light significantly growing in size. As you got closer, the light enveloped your entire being and everything ironically faded to black…

 Darkness. That’s all you see. Wait, you can make out something...

 “I…I hear.. are those birds chirping? I remember being outside but I don’t recall falling asleep at the park.” (y/n) said groggily, lifting yourself up using a position similar to a push up, eyes still closed.

You felt weaker than you probably should, evidenced by the amount of effort it took to get yourself up and finally open your eyes.  In front of you is a familiar body of water, but the areas surrounding it is completely foreign to you. You eerily shift your eyes around in confusion before settling your line of sight to the water in front of you. Your face appears to be that of a seven or eight year old, with a small-scale body to confirm it. Immediately your eyes go wide before letting out a petite, child-like scream.

 “That Kakashi…what the heck does he even know?” Obito said, trudging slowly with his hands in his pockets in defeat.

Having just left from bickering with his talented rival, and losing yet again, Obito needed to go out and get some air. We’ll be starting at the ninja academy soon, so you won’t be able to push me around anymore. Obito thought to himself with a competitive yet pained look on his face.

Suddenly a scream caught his attention as he whipped his head toward the general direction of the noise. What he saw was a girl about his age, with (h/c) hair at (h/l) length. She looked to be breathing heavily and …was she shaking? Obito quizzically scouted the area around her to determine the source of her terror, but found nothing of interest. Curiosity overtaking him, Obito found himself running to the girl who was sitting with her arms holding her up behind her with her legs bending at the knees. If this girl wasn’t shaking anyone would think she was simply relaxing by the water’s edge.

“Hey, are you okay?” Obito said cautiously as he began to reach his arm out to the mystery girl. At the same time, she looked over to him and screamed again, this time startling Obito as well.

“AH! What is wrong with you?” Obito shrieked in a mix of fear and annoyance. You peered up at the boy standing in front of you while still breathing heavily, the familiar sound of his voice finally registering in your mind that it was – No. Is that..Obito…Uchiha? His navy blue and orange-trimmed outfit along with his signature goggles confirmed your improbable claim. This boy standing in front of you was Obito, the boy whose life you had just attentively watched and became depressed over. The one to cause so much pain to his word, Obito Uchiha. Something was different about him, though. He seemed…shorter. His eyes were larger and his goggles didn’t quite fit his head right, as if they were too large. It became apparent that he was about the same age as you, seven or eight at the most. You stare in amazement and disbelief, your mouth opening to speak but unable to form sound. Obito stared down at you, this time with more annoyance in his eyes before finally breaking the silence.

“You know, you’re really weird. Who screams at people when they try to talk to you?” Hearing his harsh words snapped you out of your daze as you raise to your feet to meet his accusing gaze, his height only barely greater than yours.

“I-I’m sorry,” is all you could muster as you broke eye contact with the boy. “I’m really lost. Could you tell me where I am?” Deep down you already knew where you were – somehow you got transported to the Naruto Universe – but you needed confirmation from another individual to truly believe it.

Raising an eyebrow but with his defenses lowered, Obito replied, “You’re near the ninja academy, the place where guys like me are going to get trained to be Hidden Leaf Ninja! I’ve never seen you around. Are you going to attend the academy, too?”

Your thoughts blurred. This is really happening. For some reason I’ve been transported to the ninja world during Kakashi and Obito’s time. But why? What could be my purpose here?

An increasingly tense noise shook you from your thoughts as Obito aggressively waved his small hand in front of your face. When he saw that he’d caught your attention once again, Obito spoke up in an annoyed yet intrigued tone.

“You really are weird. What’s your name?”

“Oh! My name’s (y/n),” you say with a bashful smile. “It’s so nice to meet you Obit-“

You quickly tried to cut yourself off from finishing his name, realizing that he has no idea that you know everything about him. Though your efforts were unfortunately in vain.

“How the heck do you know my name?” Obito said apprehensively. You began to panic, sweat rolling off of you in a comical manner as you tried desperately to come up with an excuse.

“I… have just heard things about you is all! Like how you have a unique style and are from the famous Uchiha clan! That is you, right, Obito?” You question him to try to get his accusations off of you.

Obito blinked before straightening out his back with his thumb pointed to his chest. “That’s right! I’m the Obito Uchiha! So you’ve heard about me? So you are from the village then!”

Obito’s deduction skills surprised you. He’s pretty sharp for an eight year old. You say to yourself as you sweatdrop.

“Well, I’m not really a member of the village, b-but I’d like to be!” You blurt out without even thinking. “W-what I mean is, I would like to become a citizen of the Hidden Leaf and become a ninja like you but I don’t exactly know how to do that.”

What am I saying? Shouldn’t I be concerned about getting back to my world? Obito stared at you confused for a moment before it looked as if a light bulb flashed above his head. He then took your wrist to pull you somewhere.

“Come with me! I know just the person who can help us out!”

“-so that’s basically what happened.” You lie as you explain to Obito and the young Rin as they observe you and your predicament quietly.

You decided against telling them the truth – about how you essentially have a form of seeing the future after watching their life through a television series.

“You woke up in the village one day without any memories of where you came from?” Rin confirmed, her large brown eyes travel upwards in thought for a moment before settling back down to you. If it were anyone else asking, the way they’d ask that question would likely have came off as accusing or doubtful, but Rin had an uncanny ability to sound genuinely concerned over someone she had just met. You weren’t quite sure how to really feel about that.

“Isn’t it the Hokage who decides who gets to stay in the village?” Obito’s eyes lit up as he clapped his hands in front of him in realization.

“The Hokage, of course! You’re so smart, Rin! Come on, (y/n) let’s go talk to the Third about this,” he voiced in excitement as he began dragging you by the wrist again, his pace hard to keep up with due to his excitement. “Bye, Rin, see you at the academy!” Obito gleefully waved behind him as Rin flashed him a delightful grin, one that sent a sore pang through your heart. What was that feeling just now..? You ponder as you continue to get dragged off to the Hokage’s office.

“What do you mean you can’t let her stay in the village?!” Obito shouted in bewilderment.

“We have no idea who this girl is or where she came from,” Hiruzen started. “She could be a spy from an enemy village. Times of war will prompt villages to employ desperate tactics, even if they must resort to using their own youth as spies and weapons. Because of this, I cannot allow her to stay.”

Obito stared at Hiruzen fiercely; his face looked serious despite his age. “Look, I may not know much about her but you can’t just kick her out – that just isn’t right!”

“You should be grateful that I allowed you two to meet with me at all!” Spat the Third as he returned Obito’s aggression as you thought about your situation quietly before speaking up.

“You may think I’m a spy but I truly don’t have any bad intent. I don’t even have any knowledge on ninjas,” This is partially true, since you know all about them and how they work but have no ninja skills yourself. “You said we are at war, right? Well I want to help and be trained as a ninja of the Hidden Leaf.” You say with a determined face as Obito looks at you with inspiration.

Hiruzen pondered for a moment, reflecting on how the village was indeed at a disadvantage in numbers. There is an overwhelming demand for ninjas at this time. It might be wise to accept any help this village can get. This wouldn’t be the last time exceptions would be made either, as Hiruzen would eventually accept the orphaned Kabuto Yakushi into the village in the future. “Alright, if that is how it must be, then I will make urgent arrangements to enroll you in this year’s training program at the ninja academy.” Thrilled with his change of heart, Obito and (y/n) looked at each other with excitement – mission accomplished, they praised.

“You really didn’t need to walk me to my house, you know.” Obito stated, the annoyance in his voice succeeded in hiding the unfamiliar emotions related to being on the receiving end of attention.

“Well I wouldn’t doubt that you could make it on your own, being the famous Obito Uchiha after all, but I wanted to help out just in case.” (y/n) lied, the real reason behind following him home was because you considered him as your only friend and felt comfort in his presence. Plus, you had nowhere else to go.

“Actually, I wanted to thank you for all your help today.” Obito looked to the girl walking beside him in surprise. “If it weren’t for you, I probably would be fending for myself at the land’s borders right about now.”

“O-oh, I guess that was because of me!” Obito stated as a lone finger went to scratch at his cheek nervously, a faint blush forming on his cheeks. Obito didn’t really know what to do with the attention. But before they knew it, they were standing at the entrance to his home.

“Well here it is, I’ll see you at the academy?” Obito turned around to say goodbye to his new friend.

“Um, about that, Obito… you would say we’re friends, right? (y/n) said, her voice indicating her nerves.

He blinked at her before laughing in her face. “Well of course we are! After all that happened today it’d be weird if we weren’t!” (y/n) smiled and continued.

“Since this arrangement was such short notice, there are no apartments available for me, yet. Do you, um, happen to have a spare room for the night..?” (y/n) muttered while avoiding all eye contact. There was an awkward silence to follow and tears began pricking at your eyes as you prepared for the rejection before Obito surprisingly agreed.

You were walking home after a mission late one evening where the route you followed took you through the ninja academy. Looking around its vicinity brought nostalgic memories of the playing, fighting, training, and learning that took place there when you were only 8 years old. You glanced the lone swing on a nearby tree and winced.

Hopefully the future I create will make it so you don’t ever have to be alone on that swing, Naruto.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the doors to the academy swinging open, and you stopped in your tracks when you saw Obito walking out. Your first reaction was to wave and call out to him, however, your intent was soon diminished when another form emerged immediately after him, this individual being none other than Rin Nohara. Your once bright face is immediately replaced with distraught as you study each of their smiling faces.

– is…is Obito.. blushing..?

I can’t. I can’t watch this. You say to yourself as you turn 180 degrees to walk away.

You can’t explain why, but something compelled you to stop and look back one more time; just in time to catch Obito sporting his signature smile – the one you believe to be falling in love with.

No. Stop those thoughts right now, (y/n). You’ve been through this. If I do change the future then Rin will most likely survive and Obito will continue to fixate after her. Even if she never reciprocates, he wouldn’t give up on her that easily. He did start a war for her after all. You’ll only be hurting yourself if you keep this up, (y/n).

You let your mind wander, your gaze never leaving your best friend’s form. You were shaken out of your thoughts once you noticed the two of them parting ways, with Obito heading through the main part of town. You were frozen in place deciding what to do. Before your mind can process your decision, your feet began to move toward his disappearing form. Your walk became a jog, which then formed into a sprint. Eventually you were in close enough proximity to call out to the Uchiha.

“Obito!” you shouted out in a mix of exhaustion and glee.

Recognizing your voice immediately Obito turned to greet you with that charming smile you were fawning over just moments before.

“(y/n)! It’s been a while! What’chu been up to these days?”

Obito’s reminiscing tone made you realize just how long it’s been since you two properly hung out. Realizing this made you go a little melancholy and your eyes naturally went downcast to the building on your right. That’s when you noticed the Ichiraku Ramen shop that prompted a great idea.

“How about I tell you over ramen,” you say pointing to the shop on your right with your thumb. “my treat.”

Looking at the shop then back to you, Obito’s smile returned to his face.

“How do you always know what I’m thinking?” He exclaimed with a cocky yet friendly grin on his lips. “You big weirdo.”

 “So what’s the story, why are you all scratched up?” Obito asked inquisitively, noting the various cuts, grass stains and scratches riddling your face and clothes.

“Oh it’s nothing, just Kyoko and I got into a bit of a disagreement again.”

“Are you serious? That cat escaped again? That’s gotta be what, the third time this month?”

“Yeah and somehow my team’s the one who always gets assigned to capturing this nuisance of a cat. It makes me wonder why she doesn’t just stay home. I can only imagine how her family treats her. But still, I find it kind of hilarious that her name is Kyoko because from what I’ve heard that name literally translates to “respectful child” and let me tell you, she is anything but respectful to me!”

(y/n) and Obito both chuckle at the irony before Obito spoke up again, still eyeing your injuries. 

“Do your scratches hurt? I can get Rin to come by and patch you u-“

“NO!” You screamed, perhaps a tad too loudly, as an awkward silence followed shortly after your interruption.

Even the shop’s owner, the man about to pass you two your ramen, paused cautiously as he waited for a sign of amity among the two of you.

“I-I’m sorry, Obito. I didn’t mean to raise my voice,” you say meekly to the startled Uchiha.

“Raise your voice is an understatement, (y/n)! What was that for? All I did was offer to get your wounds treated!” Obito defended, the hurt clearly in his voice.

“No, yeah. You’re absolutely right. I just, um, panicked when you started talking about treating wounds. I got frightened thinking about what would happen if I didn’t get these treated and those thoughts scared me. I really am sorry, Obito. Can you forgive me? At least while we eat our ramen?” (y/n) suggested with a gentle smile appearing on her face.

Obito’s eyes softened at (y/n)’s apology and with your smile being a contagious one, Obito cracked one back with his eyes closed. “Well I can’t say no to that! You did say it was your treat, after all,” Obito joked.

Seeing their tone reverting to a friendly one, the owner felt comfortable again and handed (y/n) and Obito their order.

You felt guilty for essentially lying to your best friend. Lying is disrespectful; an insult to one’s intelligence, you thought. But in this case you had to, because you knew that the real reason why you snapped at Obito was because of him suggesting that he went to get Rin which meant that he would see her outside of his usual team meetups. You felt terrible for feeling this way; Obito can go see her if he wants to. This is another reason why you’ve been trying so hard to put your walls up before he could do anything more to your heart, any more than he already has. Midway through eating, a question you were meaning to ask popped into your mind.

“So what exactly were you and Rin doing at the ninja academy earlier, especially when it’s so late?” you commented, noting how the setting sun casted a vibrant orange in the village square just outside the shop’s banners.

“Me and Rin also finished a mission earlier when she asked me to go with her to drop off some medical documents at the academy.” You quietly but resentfully noticed the subtle blush dusted on his cheeks while mentioning her name.

“Wait, how did you even know about that? Have you been following us?” A question that was, to your relief, one that was easy to answer truthfully. Though that didn’t stop a sweatdrop from appearing on your head from the thought of Obito thinking you were a stalker.

“Honest to goodness I was on my way home from today’s mission when you two happened to cross my path. I was just curious, is all.”

(y/n ) looked up at Obito after a moment of silence to search for a reaction. Obito’s face was still full of suspicion.

“Maybe Lord Third was right when he accused you of being an outside spy all those years ago,” he said with an exuberant look on his face. You began laughing at the absurdity.

“I can’t believe you remember that! It seems like so long ago.”

“Well of course I do, (y/n)! It was the first day we ever met. That’s a pretty important day to remember in my book.” Obito said nonchalantly while gulping down another mouthful of ramen. You sat there quietly, processing that Obito really does care for you and your friendship with him.

Our friendship. Nothing more.

 “So what are your plans tonight?”

“I was on my way over to the training grounds to get some shuriken target practice in when you stopped me.”

“Do you mind if I tag along? It’s been so long since I got to see you. I don’t know when we’ll get to hang out again so I want to be with you as much as possible – unless of course you’d rather practice alone,” (y/n) muttered, embarrassed at being unable to suppress her excitement to invite herself into Obito’s business.

“Funny, I was just about to ask you if you’d like to come. There you go reading my mind again,” Obito teased.

“- so I told him that I don’t care if he’s younger than me, I will beat him up anytime! And then Bakashi said –

“Wait, Bakashi?” (y/n) interrupted. “D-did you seriously – just call him.. Bakashi?” (y/n) couldn’t help but spring into laughter at the little ‘pet name’ Obito labeled Kakashi. (y/n) managed to muster between laughs. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard!”

Hearing this, Obito grinned and rubbed the back of his head.

“Really? I think it suits him. Rin doesn’t like it when I call him that, though. Says that we should all get along if we are going to be classmates together. Like I would waste my time being all chummy with someone like him.” Obito explained as the two of you sat on the rooftop to his house, gazing up at the stars.

This activity became the norm for you two. It was a great way to escape other people and responsibilities. It was an activity to simply enjoy each other’s company.

“So class starts tomorrow, huh?” (y/n) started. “Are you nervous?” (y/n) says, peeking into Obito’s eyes.

Shaking his head roughly, Obito responds, “No way, not in the slightest! I’ll finally be able to become a formidable shinobi and get some respect around here,” the last few words he said trailed off into a barely audible mumble, as if he were embarrassed or ashamed by something.

Not catching his discomfort, (y/n) smiled and hummed in response before her face shifted into a similar uneasiness. Being more keen to catching subtle cues, Obito quickly turned his attention toward (y/n),

“What’s up? You got quiet all of a sudden.” (y/n) looked over to his friend with his arms crossed behind his head as they laid down.

“You told me that Uchihas excel in fire-style jutsus, right?” Obito nodded proudly. “Well, since I don’t know where I’m from, I’m just nervous that I will never figure out the techniques that fit me.” (y/n) began unconsciously squeezing her hand into a fist. “I’ve decided a long time ago that I wanted to be a ninja with you, but what if this training at the academy is a waste of time for me?”

Shocked by the sudden uncertainty, Obito shot up from his spot on the roof to get into (y/n)’s face.

“What do you think we’ve been training and preparing for this whole time? I don’t know about you, but I think you have what it takes! Don’t lose hope, okay?” Obito flashed his signature grin. “We haven’t even gotten started yet for crying out loud! Don’t worry, I’ll keep helping you along the way. So cheer up, ya big baby!” Obito said playfully as he held out his fist in front of you, the full moon mirroring off his face and giving him a remarkable gleam in his eyes.

Taken aback by Obito’s reassurance, you smile wide with your ambition restored as you lift your fist up to meet his in a cordial fist bump.

Obito really is something else.

 That following morning, Obito excitedly barged into your room and woke you up by diving into the center of your bed, effectively knocking the wind out of you. Realizing his error too late, Obito made a mad dash out of your room to escape your wrath.

“Get back here, you doofus! I will destroy you,” is what Obito heard as he exited the room, laughing the whole way through.

~~~

Days at the academy flew by. You and your Uchiha friend made a habit of walking to and from the academy and sitting next to each other in class. If you didn’t spend the night at his place then one of you would wait outside the other’s house so you could walk together. It all depended on who was ready first, which, as you already know, was not Obito’s strong point. This routine persisted for weeks, then months, then surprisingly a year, until it was almost graduation. Normally the time it took to graduate was a minimum of four years, but the village was desperate to generate ninja for the front lines, so you and Obito passed through school overwhelmingly quickly. The passage to become full-fledged ninja was near, and you couldn’t be more nervous. Obito stuck by his word and helped you train, as you mutually helped with his. Your mind constantly gnawed at remembering that Rin would be paired up with Obito and Kakashi because those two were strong attackers while she focused completely on support.

Perhaps if I did the same, then I could have a chance at getting on Obito’s team instead of her!

Once this was decided, the next step was to figure out what techniques to specialize in. You chose to essentially copy Rin with her medical prowess, but quickly learned that the delicate art of chakra control was much, much harder than it looked. Even though you learned how to utilize basic ninja techniques in the academy, learning to center your chakra into your hands and then proceed to change its form into a healing aura proved too difficult for someone like you. It was similar to how some people are gifted at art and can always draw a perfect circle while others simply can’t. This was incredibly disheartening.

Girls are supposed to excel in chakra control. That’s why there are so many female medical nin! Come on (y/n), what’s wrong with you? Why can’t you be like her? If Rin can do it, why can’t you?

These thoughts plagued you as you watched Obito spar with someone at the training grounds while waiting your turn. It was when Obito unleashed a particularly impressive Fireball Jutsu only for his opponent to conjure up Earth Style: Mud Wall to block the flames did it finally hit you.

There are more ways to protect and support a comrade other than medical attention, you realized.

After the sheet of paper used to test chakra nature turned into dirt and crumbled under your grasp, you came to realize that you have an affinity for Earth Style. You decided to base your abilities around defense and protection rather than offense or medicine. With your hope restored, it was your turn to train.

 ~~~

The exam was over. Even though you struggled, you managed to produce a passable clone and happily joined the others for the team selection. This is it. You chanted to yourself, over and over. This past year of training and practically growing up with Obito, it all comes down to this. You made sure to base your moves with a heavy emphasis on support. Hopefully it will be enough to change the team outcomes –

“Now for Team Minato –“

The future Fourth Hokage’s name perked you up. This is it! Come on, Obito, (y/n), and whoever the third person must be. It can be anyone. Give us Ebisu for all I care! Just say our names together –

“Team Minato will consist of Obito Uchiha, Kakashi Hatake, and –

 - Rin Nohara.”

Time seemed to stand still. All of that training. The specializing. All those nights you were kept awake trying to dig all of the dirt from under your fingernails. Heck, you were willing to go through puberty again for this boy! Was it all wasted? Thankfully, Obito didn’t show up to the team assigning. You knew for a fact that he was helping an old lady somewhere; so you couldn’t see his reaction to being paired with his crush, but still, deep down you knew exactly how he would look. It was disheartening, to say the very least. The team you ended up being on was nothing special. They were both ninjas who you didn’t recognize from the show – not even background characters, so you didn’t focus on them. This probably caused you to be perceived as cold and uncaring, which of course was not your intent, but you decided to stay in this world for a purpose. The first step for your goal failed. Despite your efforts, you and Obito are on separate teams and therefore will be spending significantly less time together. You didn’t want to admit it, but part of you was hoping to get on his team, not only to support him and change his future, but also so you could drive a wedge between him and Rin. You would never admit that aloud, though.

Obito would be so apprehensive of your jealousy, (y/n).