Hope Flies on Wind-bent Wings

the longest day

Obito tried once again to writhe free from the robe wrapped around him, but the fabric wouldn't budge. His power was sealed.

"Surprised to discover you're not immune to binding jutsu? Well, I wasn't entirely sure it would work, either. I thought catching you off guard might be the trick to it."

Obito frowned down at where Hinako sat. "You don't have to do that. We talk all the time."

Hinako shook her head. "It's not any of my business, but... I've always seen you as a lonely but very kind child. You used to be an open book to me. For a while now, I've felt I'm losing track of you."

Obito made to speak, but Hinako held up her hand. "Wait. It's true that changing beyond the reach of our elders is part of growing up. But in our clan, things are not always that simple, are they? When you return from battles you were not meant to be in, coming back with a new set of eyes and a cloud above your head, well... you should understand my concern about you being sent out again so soon."

Obito felt a blush creeping up from his neck and into his face. "It's nothing other people haven't dealt with before. You did. I mean, we all have."

"You're right. We could say any number of things about that, but that's not the only problem. I believe the most gifted of our clan are the ones most vulnerable to negative emotions. Some think this is an advantage, because you can transform weakness into power. Maybe. But I've seen that brand of power go wrong."

"Are you talking about Uchiha Madara?" Obito asked, curious despite his embarrassment.

"I don't remember much about his split with the village, but it affected everyone around me for years to come. And I've seen it plenty of times in the wars. More than anything, I don't want you to become closed off. You're too bright, too kind. What are you trying to hide from?"

Obito looked away at the unexpected pang he felt. They'd invented most of the details surrounding his capture at Kumo and mission at Kiri. But her assessment was still eerily close to the mark.

"I'm not hiding. I just want this war to be over," he said quietly. "I want to make it through without losing anyone."

"You can't say you haven't been hiding." Hinako's brow crinkled, like she was trying to see something invisible. "You used to be so excited about getting your Sharingan someday. But when you finally did, you kept it a secret. You obtained an amazing ability, one of the most incredible I've ever seen, yet you—you—had to be called out by Fugaku before you'd even admit it. I've seen you float around on cloud nine for an entire afternoon just because Rin-chan patched up a scratch on your hand. Now, you have no reaction to her at all."

Obito's face flared anew. He tried to step down from the stool, but the fabric held him stubbornly in place. He felt a tiny sliver of panic.

"Who cares? She likes Kakashi, anyway. I was just being an idiot."

"I know you don't mean that. You'll never know unless you try."

"I don't want to try. Things change."

"Oh? Do you like somebody else now?"

"That's—that's not what I meant! I meant I'm focusing on other stuff. We're in a war."

"Alright, fair enough. But how far does that go? What about other aspects of your life? Your team gets along well enough, but you don't seem genuinely close to anyone."

"I. Can't." Obito's voice went hoarse. He turned his head away as much as he could, squeezing his eyes shut.

"You can't... what?"