To Be Lost On The Road To Life

Little Weasel

Obito walked at a steady pace alongside the elderly Hana, heading through the civilian district of Konoha. She smiled up at him as the two made their way to her home, the raven carrying four of the five grocery bags she had procured that day—he hadn't minded, even though she had proven well enough previously that she could handle the weight despite her age. He had taken to carrying her bags once again, simply out of common courtesy, force of habit, and the fact that he actually didn't mind the woman's company.

"I've been hearing that your team has been completing quite a few missions as of late." Hana commented with a happy lilt. "You've been working hard, Obito-kun?"

He nodded with a grin. "Heh, yeah. They're only D-Ranks, but some of them can take up a lot of time... In fact, today we completed three!"

And indeed they had. After completing a few miscellaneous D-Ranks, Team Seven had been excused for the day. He had left, fully intending on heading to the training grounds to work on katas and physical strengthening, but had instead encountered Hana along the way.

And that led to the current.

Obito hummed quietly, eyes drifting upwards to the near-cloudless sky. It was almost frightening, really, how easily he had fallen back into what he had before—it seemed that, no matter how much time had passed for him, no matter how many of the people here he had seen die, he was able to reacclimatize himself without an over-bearing sense of guilt. Perhaps it was because he had once had no qualms about a fake world, and having the real thing, being back in a time before everything turned bleak and lifeless to him... Well, it was calming.

Between training with his team and the day-to-day habits he had developed (or in some cases, reverted back to), it almost made him feel normal... Outside of the plotting in the shadows and the planned deaths he had constructed, that is.

He continued humming, refusing to let the small bit of discontent at the thought outwardly show. Yes, it was a constant reminder—guilt wasn't such a large factor for him, unlike Kakashi, because for him it was his knowledge that served as that unforgiving part of his conscience. Knowledge of the future, knowing about enemies who were, at the moment, still disguised as allies, enemies who could turn around and kill any one of the people Obito cared for at a moment's notice.

After careful consideration, Obito had decided on a wiser and careful approach regarding Orochimaru: he would send a Kage Bunshin. It was much safer to send a bunshin as opposed to going himself—the snake wasn't the type to charge in recklessly, and the clone would likely have enough time to at least locate the cells before being attacked and subdued. Obito's only method of escape would be the Kamui if he went himself, and he wanted to keep the use of his Mangekyō to a minimum until he gained the Senju cells. After all, they worked well with the Sharingan and prevented deterioration, but they didn't heal whatever damage was already done. He had the plan thought out and prepared, it was only a matter of deciding when he would send the bunshin to infiltrate.

And, of course, the other threat in Konoha. Danzō.

While he wanted to believe that Minato was up to par in regards to the warhawk, that Minato would be able to take the man down should the need arise... Obito didn't want to take the chance. Previously, the two had never had an open confrontation—Obito was almost certain they had come to verbal blows more often than once before, but they had never actually battled. It was more of a trade of passive-aggressive barbs and jeers, some veiled under carefully crafted words... Some not. At least, that's what he figured; it would make sense.

But regardless, the point was that Obito didn't know who would win if the situation ended up as such; Minato was strong, very much so, but he had far too may precious people and a bleeding heart to match. Danzō was a cold-hearted, pragmatic, and calculating individual, who cared less for Konoha's citizens so much as for the village's military strength. A man such as that wouldn't have any reservations on using one of Minato's loved ones as an ultimatum, and that was a choice Obito didn't want the man to have to make. Not a second time, no.