how did this even happen...

[mooneye]

It wasn't a bad sort of place. Lots of things to do and people to see. Plenty of freedom to dart over the rooftops and down the alleys--or out of the village and into the woods and rocky wild places beyond. Obito liked Michi no Sato.

He had stopped for lunch and was eating at a table outside the restaurant, watching people walk past. The food was good. The cold breeze was nice. Ah, yes. Years and years trapped in a cave with a crazy old man and a bunch of plant monsters--it had left him really able to appreciate the little things.

[ooc: here is an AU Obito in his twenties. Got through the time with Madara, and Rin's death, but didn't go completely evil after all of it...]

Comments

[youngesthokage]

"Now they do. She has this habit of staring an Uchiha in the eyes even when we have a sharingan going. Well, me and Sasuke at least." He quirked his lips. "It's not as though she's unaware of the significance of such a gesture. I get the sense that not many people are willing to do that for Sasuke where he's from anymore."

[mooneye]

"Brave girl. That's a lot of trust to give an Uchiha." He shook his head. "You get used to it, I guess. People not wanting to make eye contact with you for very long."

[youngesthokage]

"I know. Sasuke is captivated by it though." He paused a beat. "And the weapons, of course. I've never seen Sasuke make such a disappointed face as he does when he finds Tenten unarmed." He flashed him an amused look. "I've long gotten used to people dodging my gaze in the last several months, sadly."

[mooneye]

"It sounds like a good match. The three of you, I mean." He hummed, agreeing with the last part. "I usually don't notice," he said. "They do the same with me. Well, I guess it might be my whole face they're trying not to look at, not just the eye. But I don't pay much attention."

[youngesthokage]

He studied his face contemplatively. "The long hair softens the effect of the scars."

[mooneye]

He smiled, taking a raggedy length of it and winding his fingers around it, then running them down the the end of the dark lock. "It's irritating. This much hair. But I wear it this way because the man who took me in after the accident had his like this. Long, long."

[youngesthokage]

He pointedly hair free of the tail and shook it forward. "Father always told me that I could only grow mine out if I was good enough keep him from being able to touch it. I started really growing it out just after I got into ANBU at ten. But... I can't say I considered letting it get as long as yours. If it bothers you, why not braid it back?"

He peered at him a moment before setting about pulling the strands back again.

[mooneye]

He watched the dark, straight hair come loose. It was lovely, really. The way Mikoto's was. That kind of shiny black that was like crow feathers. "That kind of a bargain is very like Fugaku."

And then, frowning. "Braid it. How hard is that?"

[youngesthokage]

He stared at him for a long moment, then with a soft laugh pushed to his feet and padded around behind the man. "Just hold still."

[mooneye]

He turned, watching him, then sat straight once he was behind him. Smiling, sort of amused. "It's probably sort of tangled..." he warned.

[youngesthokage]

"It's fine." It was a murmur, and he started at the bottom, deft fingers slowly picking through the tangles starting at the ends before carefully working his way up the dark strands. "Tenten never seems to keep her hair down for more than a few minutes at a time, and Sasuke has his chopped off. It sticks out like duck feathers." He gave a faint laugh. "But that's fine. You know how Uchiha hair can be."

[mooneye]

"I certainly do know. I think about shaving all of this off but... I don't know. Someday I might. I like it well enough, for now. It hides the scars a bit, when I need it to." He sat with his back against the chair, looking off at nothing in particular. Enjoying the little tugs and touches.

[youngesthokage]

This... this was nice. It would probably make Sasuke look at him like he'd gone completely insane, but it was nice all the same, and he slowly worked up the length of the hair until he could run his fingers through it without snagging starting at the scalp.

It took longer than it would have without a brush. "There are advantages of having hair to hide behind." He quieted for a moment. "Would you like to meet them, sometime?"

[mooneye]

If he had been a cat, he would have been purring. Loose and easy, enjoying this. The sensation of the fingers sliding and pulling through his hair was lulling him. Obito liked to be touched. He liked little casual intimacies like this, just simple affection.

"...Sure," he answered, giving just one slow nod.

I crash first this time. Good night!

[youngesthokage]

He couldn't help the shy smile the agreement prompted and he finally started to separate his hair, leaning forward to give him a sweep of hair to the side wit the scars He had enough shorter sections to work with that. "I'll keep that in mind. We're easy enough to find if you want to visit sooner."

sweet dreams!

[mooneye]

He hummed, thinking it over. "Maybe I'll come find you, then." He had got pretty good at slinking through town, and in and out of Michi no Sato. And he was fairly confident that he could find anyone he needed to.

[youngesthokage]

"I really didn't think I'd get to see you again, in spite of what I've heard about dead people being revived here. So... I'm happy about this." It was a murmur, and he petted his cheek a little, making sure that the sweep of bangs he'd given him on that side actually looked fine as he pulled the rest back, leaning over his shoulder to look at him while he did it.

[mooneye]

"I never was dead, actually. So my presence here is less unlikely than some others." He shuddered at the touch, surprised and pleased. Not many people did put their hands against his face, if they could help it. And if Itachi caught sight of his expression, it was very content. "I thought of you a lot while I was gone. I mean, a lot. You, and my two friends."

[youngesthokage]

He paused, considering this a moment before he kissed the top of his head and started to carefully and securely brain his hair. "I'm quite honored then, to have been something worth thinking over." He quirked his lips. "There are indisputably people here who remember dying though."

[mooneye]

Oh, now that really was good. He had starved for affection for so long as a boy, in the cave. Now such small gestures, given freely, were precious. They hit him hard, right in the heart. He moved like he might try to twist around or get up, then relaxed into the chair again and was still as the braiding went on. "Yes," he commented, about the dead people. "I've heard about that. Though I haven't met anyone I... nobody I knew, yet. Have you?"

[youngesthokage]

His fingers paused for a moment and he gave a self depreciating laugh. "No, but I caught a glimpse of father a few weeks ago and dared not approach to ask if he recalled dying."

He resumed the actions after a beat, fingers quick. "I've seen glimpses of a man I'm almost certain is the Yondaime as well." It was a murmur, and he smiled slightly, considering a moment as he hit as far down as he felt he could braid before the strands were too uneven. A beat later he'd pulled his hair tie out and was using that to secure the braid. "Finished."

[mooneye]

"Your father. Ah." Obito was sympathetic. "It was difficult enough to talk to Fugaku before..." he doesn't quite finish. "And Minato? Huh. So not just the recent dead, then. Potentially there could be... anyone, I guess."

He moved his head from side to side, testing. Then pulled the braid over his shoulder and stroked it once, feeling the soft plaits of it. It really was more out of the way now. "This is better. Much better. Thank you, little cousin."

[youngesthokage]

He hesitated for a beat, then stepped to loop his arms around his shoulders, resting his cheek on top of his head, voice a murmur. "You're welcome Obito-nii-sama."

[mooneye]

Obito reached up and and took hold of Itachi where he could reach him, gently holding onto him and shutting his eye, breathing in. Peaceful, for a moment.

[youngesthokage]

"And to think I thought I was simply failing at manners when I caught myself staring at you." His lips quirked, amusement heavy in his tone.