Five times Obito made friends with Kakashi - Mission #03
Mission #03:
Maybe the Hokage had started to see a pattern, because for their third mission, team Minato was confined to Konoha.
Minato had pleaded the Third to send them out of the village again - claiming that they were young and needed to see new things to expand their horizons. He'd also argued that it was bad for Kakashi, who was already a chuunin, to be stuck doing menial tasks. In the end, though, he'd had to agree that every time there were complications during a mission, it sent out a message to the world about the competence of Konoha's ninjas, so it was best to stay close to home until Obito and Rin got used to the ins and outs of active duty.
After leaving the administrative building and setting up a time and place to regroup later, each of them had gone their separate ways. Minato had had some sort of plans for lunch, and Kakashi had just poofed away, mentioning something about blunt kunai. Rin had... not gone anywhere. She was standing very still next to Obito, looking at him.
"Do you..." she began, unsure. "Do you want to have lunch together? We could talk about our next mission or something..."
They were supposed to help out one of the clans with something, Obito thought. What was there to talk abou... he quickly halted that train of thought and backtracked a little. Rin - the most sweet and wonderful girl in the world, whom he'd had a crush on since age six - was asking him to go out with her!
"Sure!! Where do you want to go?"
They ended up going to a little ramen stand nearby. Neither of them were crazy about the food, but it was cheap and not too crowded.
"So..." the Uchiha started after they'd ordered their meals. What to say... Come on, Obito! Think of something clever, fast - I can't let slip this opportunity! "So, umm... aren't you kind of glad that we're getting to stay home this time? All that traveling was really tiring." And the least time spent around Kakashi the better! he added in his head.
"Obito, about that," Rin said, her gentle voice putting an instant smile on the Uchiha's face. "Our last missions didn't go over very well, so I wanted to ask you to maybe take it a little easier this time..."
The nine-year-old almost wished he hadn't taken off his goggles when they'd sat down, because maybe then Rin wouldn't have been able to see his embarrassed flush. He lowered his head, trying to hide from her. Damn, even she thinks I'm a screw-up now...
"I mean," she continued, "last time you did really well! But then there was that thing during the night and... I think maybe we should just follow Minato-sensei's and Kakashi's lead for now. We're still learning, after all."
"Yeah, I guess..." He didn't have a problem doing what he was told. He just wanted to show them how good a ninja he was on his own too.
"Great! Then let's both do our best this afternoon!" Rin chirped, and despite everything, Obito couldn't help smiling along.
Someday, I'll make you notice me. Count on it!
* * *
When the time came, Obito and Rin walked together to the rendez-vous point since she wasn't sure how to get to where the Aburame - the clan who had requested their assistance - lived. A bespectacled and heavily clad ninja was there to receive them and once the entire team was assembled, the five of them proceeded to a secluded field with multiple small sheds. They stepped inside the closest one.
Rin froze at the door when she saw what was inside: bugs, everywhere.
"This is where the Aburame breed their destruction insects," the ninja explained, helpfully pulling back the sleeve of his large overcoat and releasing a small cloud of said insects from inside it. "You're here to help perform some maintenance work on this compound."
"You mean, cleaning?" Obito asked.
"Among other things."
"Excuse me," their teacher interrupted. "My team is still inexperienced and I know what these bugs are capable of, so I have to ask. Are you sure there won't be any problems?"
"The ones flying loose are harmless. It's the young ones that should not be touched. They are kept in these containers," he pointed to one of the many open crates with seals written on them that were filling up the shed, "but have no way of escaping unless they come in direct contact with a source of chakra. Yes, it is perfectly safe."
"Very well, then," the blond said, satisfied. He then turned to his students, ready to split them into workgroups, and finally noticed that Rin had stayed all the way back at the entrance. "Is everything all right, Rin?"
"Um... yes, nothing's wrong..." she answered. "It's just that... bugs kind of creep me out..."
"That's all right, Rin! I'll cover up for you," Obito immediately offered. Minato smiled, pleased by the young Uchiha's willingness to help out a teammate. However...
"Sorry, Rin, but I can't just excuse you from this. That fear is something you'll have to work on sooner or later."
"Of course, sensei," the girl with the purple-striped face replied, meek voice almost going unheard over the distance.
"That said, I'll put you and Obito on cleaning duty, while Kakashi and I take care of the rest. You should have the least contact with the insects that way, am I right, Aburame?"
"Definitely," the taciturn man confirmed. "You will find all the supplies you need in the cabinets on each of the sheds. As for the rest of you, I would like your assistance to perform an inspection on the insect population."
Minato nodded his assent and promptly followed the Aburame outside with Kakashi alongside him. He looked at Obito and Rin one last time before disappearing out the door with a final "be careful, you two."
"Don't worry, Minato-sensei!" Obito called out after them.
Arming themselves with rags and biological detergent that would not harm the small companions of the Aburame, the pair tackled the floors.
Rin's movements were very restrained at first and she kept her head down and her shoulders hunched most of the time, fearful that the bugs might get too close and creep inside her clothes. After four sheds, though, she'd at least relaxed enough to let go of the ends of the long sleeves of her shirt that she'd been keeping bunched up in her grip.
"Hey, Rin," Obito spoke up. He could tell that the girl was still unsure about the insects and so came up with an idea to lighten the mood. "Watch this."
"No, don't!!" Rin shouted in alarm when she saw her teammate plunge one of his arms into a container full of destruction bugs. "Get your arm out of there! Those are the dangerous ones, they'll eat your chakra!"
The nine-year-old Uchiha belatedly remembered that very same fact and pulled out his limb. It came back black from all the tiny bugs that had attached themselves to it. Oh no, oh no! he panicked. They're gonna drain the life out of me! This can't be happening, I'm too young to die!! I haven't even...
Rin was on him before he could complete that thought. She carefully pried the bugs loose and threw them back to the container with plastic-gloved hands. Obito just looked on at her with fascination, elated that he had such a smart and brave friend.
"Obito, you need to think before doing things!" she scolded him, too glad that the insects weren't putting up a fight to be truly upset.
The black-haired genin was getting woozy by the time all the bugs had been taken off of him - he was sure he would fall unconscious any minute now - but he still had enough presence of mind to say: "Hey... at least you got over your fear..."
"Oh, silly..." She chuckled and gave him a relieved hug. Obito's heart skipped a beat and he could swear he'd just gotten lighter somehow.
Too bad I'm about to pass out, because this... feels... really...
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