Sealing the Deal

The Secret

"I want to take a day off from my duties today, father," Obito says.

Fugaku doesn't even look up from his scroll. "A day off?" he asks.

"Yes," Obito says. He clears his throat and shifts his weight from one side to another. "I think I've gotten through to my wife and I want to spend the day with her. We, uh, we made good progress yesterday."

Fugaku puts down his scroll and stares at his eldest son. "Good progress," he echoes.

"Yes, well," Obito says, "she was eager after my duel and we—"

"Am I to be expecting some grandchildren, finally?" Fugaku asks.

"Well, not quite," Obito says, "but we're getting to that point, I think. She's still a bit spooked from this whole thing. I don't think her family has really contacted her since the wedding and I'm sure she misses them."

"What are you saying?"

"I was thinking if I can help her write a letter to her family," Obito says. "It would really help, I think. We made a breakthrough yesterday and I just want her to be more comfortable around me—"

"Women don't need to start writing letters," Fugaku says.

"Well, I would be the one writing. She can just tell me what she wants to write in the letter."

"She has started talking to you?"

"No," says Obito, "but I'm hoping maybe she would if I mention this to her. I'm sure she'll be glad."

"She's talked to the servants and Sakura," Fugaku says.

"Perhaps she's a little more comfortable talking to girls and not a strange man she is forced to marry."

Fugaku scoffs. "What kind of man can't get his wife to talk to him?"

Obito sits up straighter. "I didn't have the privilege to meet her organically," he says, "so I'm trying to make up for it. I hope I don't need to remind you that she's still a person like the rest of us."

Fugaku frowns. "Don't talk back to me, son," he says, stern.

"I wouldn't if you would just treat my wife with a little respect."

Fugaku waves his hand.

"So, can I have a day off today or not?"

"Fine," his father says, "do what you want for today, but you're doubling your workload tomorrow."

"Alright," Obito says and he leaves the room.

He slides the door shut behind him with a huff and stomps down the hall. The servants that pass him give him worried glances.

One of the maids – Matsuri, if he remembers correctly – rounds the corner and stops when she spots him. She quickly tries to turn around, but he puts a hand on her shoulder and asks, "What's wrong?"

"Oh!" Matsuri says, voice high. "Nothing, nothing. I thought I heard D—I mean, I thought you heard your wife call me just now, but I guess I misheard."

Matsuri quickly weasels her way out of Obito's grip and hurries off, footsteps a little louder than usual.

"How strange," Tobi murmurs to himself. He turns the corner and walks up to the doors of his room. He reaches out to slot his fingers into the handle, but he stops when he hears a man's voice coming from inside.

"Listen," the voice says, "I know you asked before and I wanted to tell you earlier, but I didn't think it was such a good idea at the time—"

Obito feels his blood boil in his veins. His first thought goes to his wife and he worries about her safety, then he thinks about who exactly this man is talking to.

He lets go of the door and takes a step back, making sure to keep from stepping on a creaky panel. Is his wife seeing another man? He shakes his head and presses the heels of his hands on his forehead. The muffled conversation continues at the other side of the door and Obito bites his tongue.

Trying to calm his breathing, he steps closer to the door.

"When you said I knew more than I let on," the man says, "you're right, yeah. I... I helped Ino escape that night, hm. She didn't want to get married to someone she doesn't love, especially not when she already has a boyfriend. So, when Sai said that they could run away, I helped them, yeah."

Obito leans back in shock.

It only takes a moment for him to realize what this means. Disgust fills his body and he feels bile in his throat. He barely stops himself from crashing through the door and tackling the man.

"Where did you tell her to go?" Sakura asks.

"I told them to go to Suna," the man says. "I thought it would help because it's further away, and I know someone there who would help them."

"That's why your family can't find her."

"Yeah," he says, "and if they can't find her, they're not going to take me back home, hm."

Obito takes a moment to process this and understands, finally, why his wife never spoke, and why Ino's brother didn't show up to the wedding.

"Do you want to go back home?" Sakura asks, though it is hard for Obito to hear.

"I do," Deidara murmurs, "but I also don't want Ino to suffer, hm. She's happy with Sai and I shouldn't take that away from her."

There is a moment of silence.

"But you don't want to suffer like this too, right?" Sakura's voice is barely audible. Obito leans closer to the door.

Another gap of silence. Obito strains his ears and hears a series of soft patting.

"It's very hard to find a suitable solution to this," Sakura says eventually. "Maybe you can run away too, I can say you were eaten by a bear."

Deidara scoffs. "And then where would I go, yeah?"

"To Suna," Sakura suggests. "Your sister is there already."

Deidara is quiet and then, he hears, "Yeah, I guess you're right, but who would believe that I was eaten by a bear?"

Sakura laughs. "I guess we can work on a better excuse."

Tobi steps away from the door, suddenly on high alert. It's a strange feeling in the back of his mind and his stomach. The thought of his wife – Deidara – leaving sickens him. He doesn't understand it, but Obito knows that he shouldn't wait before acting on his instincts. Not anymore.

He taps on his chin, stares at the top of the door, and then nods to himself.