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

[facevalue]

His face goes still at that as he contemplates the paper. A moment, then he uses one of his gloved fingers to smudge the second character of each word, leaving only the 自 character clear from both. "They both have 'self' in them, don't they?" he says, more to himself than the other. A beat, then his smile finds his lips again. "Ah... but I do not think even a rock could find my Self."

[mooneye]

He observes that, the single characters left from the other words. "Hm. They do... And I don't know, rocks can be surprising. What about your Self would make it so hard to find?"

[facevalue]

The answer is simple, and his smile doesn't waver. "I don't have one."

[mooneye]

"Oh?" He paused, curious. "I think everyone does, though."

[facevalue]

"Ah..." He shakes his head, and returns his gaze to the other man. "Maybe I did once, but I think it was removed from me."

[mooneye]

He looked thoughtful at that. Could such a thing be done? "You might see if you can find a new Self, if your old one really did get taken away," he mused.

[facevalue]

"Ah..." His brows furrow in puzzlement. "How would I do that?"

[mooneye]

"You're on the right track, I think." He glanced down at his own right hand, thinking of Madara for just a moment. "With bonds, I mean. With other people. I think it's all the heart-to-heart stuff that does it, whether you're trying to find your old Self or a new one."

[facevalue]

"Oh?" Sai tilts his head and looks to the other's right side, the side with all those curious ridges from being kersplatted with a rock. "I have been told that my attempts to form bonds only make them worse, though."

[mooneye]

"In the place you came from, hm? Things might be different here." He shrugged. "There are all kinds of interesting people. You never know."

[facevalue]

"Like you?"