Chapter Text
It had been eleven years. Eleven years of abuse, acting, pain and frustration. But he was free, and the cost had been worth it. Due to his built up acting skills and secretly obtained sharingan methods, he was able to defeat the growing Rock village all by himself. Honestly, it had been almost too easy and made him regret not trying to escape sooner. But alas the dangerous, unknown threat to the Hidden Leaf village had been eradicated and, as a bonus, Obito was able to leave with his right side completely intact. And now?
Now he was finally going home.
Obito wondered what the village was like nowadays. Who was the Hokage? What had become of his team? Was his grandmother still alive? What kind of new, promising kiddos did they have in the Uchiha clan? Would anyone be happy to see that he was alive?
Back during the Third Great Ninja War, Obito had believed that he was a permanent goner, but right after Rin and Kakashi fled, Rock ninja' had protected him from the collapse of rubble and kidnapped him for interrogation. They promised that they would fix the right side of his body if he worked hard to become their primary trump card, and he did... To an extent, that is. Eleven years spent healing, training and learning became his own trump card, and benefited him in winning his long lusted escape.
"Hhrn... Tobi?" Came a tired, distressed croak from the body Obito was currently carrying against his back.
"Yes, Deidara, what is it?" Obito asked while leaning his head back slightly, deciding to keep the exaggeration of his false persona died down to a minimal.
"Nn... Hurts," Deidara groaned into the back of his shoulder.
"Oh deary me, you do complain a lot, don't you?" Obito teased, his acting beyond the standards of any typical professional, but yet his eye still watered with emotional chaos, and his chest pounded with worry. He fought it all back in order of staying strong for his small, wounded friend.
"Jerk..." Deidara mumbled, unable to say anything more. Obito wanted to lay him down and see if he was truly okay, but he knew that it would only waste time. They were almost to the Hidden Stone. From there they would be able to hopefully get help in all ways necessary to their cause.
Obito debated whether or not he should leave Deidara behind at the Stone village. After all, the only personality he knew was Tobis', and not Obitos. Deidara had been seven years old whenever his family sold him to the Rock ninja who then proceeded to shape him into an obedient slave of war. Obito had been so emotional about it that he sought catering to the poor boy, constantly annoying him and keeping him close to his side. Despite the little punk not acting like it, he knew that he was grateful to be friends.
But now that Obito no longer needed to act like a falsely and planned on reestablishing his lost life at the Hidden Leaf, he wasn't sure what he should do with his young partner. He was an orphan like him, a slave to war like him, and a loner like him. Together they were only made stronger. Should he really give that up? It made him want to sob just thinking about having to say goodbye.
...
Ok, there were no tears shed due to having to say goodbye because Obito decided that he didn't want to say goodbye. Yep. That's right. After a couple weeks at the Hidden Stone, both him and Deidara were all fixed up and on their way to Konoha. They had talked it out and decided that they wanted to stay together. Having fought and survived practically the same fate, they felt it most comforting to remain side by side.
Although Obito hadn't yet revealed to Deidara his true identity, he did plan to in the future. Being so nervous and uncertain of himself, he came to the decision that he wanted to hide himself just a little bit longer- at least until he knew more about where the Hidden Leaf stood. It wasn't like he could just walk in there with all the grace and cheer of Tobi and shout aloud, 'Hey everyone, it's me Obito Uchiha. I'm back! Missed me, didn't you?'. Hokage only knew how disastrous that would end up.
Plus, who's to say the village even cared about him anymore? He had always been forgettable. Losing him to the war had probably been a breath of fresh air. Obito doubted the Uchiha clan remembered him; they had never recognized his efforts or feelings. And his friends? Who knew what they were up to, but Obito had no doubts that they were now powerful shinobi. To think about how far behind he was broke his heart more than he wanted to admit. Did Kakashi even remember him?
"You're being quiet," Deidara huffed, "And it's freaking me out."
Obito smiled behind his new, swirly orange mask, his heart beaming with light joy. At least he had one person who cared about him. "Haha, wow really? That's funny, I never took you as the type to get freaked out, Deidara," He cackled, enjoying picking on the twelve year old, "It's positively adorable."
Deidara growled and shoved his friend's arm, "Shut up, you-"
"I guess it must be all the excitement. My nerves feel as if they've been hit with a shuriken. I think I might faint," Obito swerved around drunkenly.
"If you fall, I'm not catching you," Deidara hollered, taking a few big steps away.
"Such loyalty you have. It really touches my heart," Obito mimicked crying.
Deidara scuffed and rolled his eyes, "Weirdo..." However, he was noticing some pretty off aspects here. For one, why was Tobi wearing that mask? He could understand the dark blue and orange robe. He himself had settled for some light purple pants along with a matching shirt and mesh-wear. It wasn't any surprise that the sharingan ninja had his own taste in fashion, but there was something about the way he chose to dress that almost made it seem as if he were hiding himself.
And another thing, and this was something that Deidara had yet to speak up about, but back at the Rock Ninja's hideout whenever Tobi began his great escape plan, it was almost like he became a completely different person. The way he moved, spoke and fought became significantly more serious and determined, almost frightening. He did things Deidara had never witnessed before, and never once made any kind of exaggerated comments. By himself he wiped out dozens of Rock Ninja, and the prisoners he set free happily helped out with the rest.
During their captivity, Tobi had sacrificed his body countless times for Deidara when he couldn't keep his mouth shut and got himself in trouble. Never once did he speak ill or act negatively, always smiling at Deidara and ripping off dumb jokes and silly reassurances. He would never admit it out loud... But he was grateful for the elder ninja, and he never wanted to leave his side.
"So... You really think this village of yours will let me qualify as a shinobi?" Deidara asked and kicked at the ground.
Tobi waved his head and said easily, "Of course they will. You're amazing, so why wouldn't they?"
Deidara blinked at his friend and gazed away, his heart rumbling stupidly at his praise. "What about you? You've never really told me what your plan is going back to Konoha."
"Oh, I haven't? Well-um, let's see-uh-I..." Tobi stammered, his body twitching goofily. "I mean, do I really have to have a plan? Can't a man just dream about getting to see his old home?" He chuckled.
Deidara grumbled, unsatisfied, "Whatever..."
"Don't be so stiff," Tobi said, slowing down so that he could poke him playfully, "Here soon you're going to make all kinds of friends, and then... And then... And then you won't need me anymore!" He began to literally cry.
Deidara glared at him, unbearably annoyed. "Shut up..." His brow twitched. Dang this guy was a sensitive crybaby. Why did he ever have suspicions? He stopped and used his freshly made clay to style a large bird, "Hop on. We'll fly the rest of the way."
"O-o-ok," Stuttered a sniffling Tobi who slowly climbed on top of the large clay bird. With a thud he laid belly flat and continued to sob into his arms.
Deidara gave him a pitiful, irritated grimace before turning his attention back forward and taking off. They would be arriving at the Leaf village soon, and when they did he would finally start investigating the truth.
...
Whenever they arrived at Konoha, Obito noticed that not much had truly changed. In fact everything seemed a little bit brighter; most likely because of the long ended war. The atmosphere beamed with family, freedom, passion and strength. Nostalgia overwhelmed him instantly, igniting forgotten flames within his lonely, abandoned heart. He was reminded of how simple life used to be, how innocent, young and carefree he had been. Helping older people, feeding stray animals, playing with toddlers, eating at delicious restaurants, and going on missions with his beloved team. It was as if the wind was blowing magical waves through him as each memory flooded in.
It took Obito stopping to cry who knew how many times before Deidara finally hauled the reckless mess of an adult baby to the Hokage's tower. While they were waiting for their turn, Obito had sat in near silence the entire time. Deidara had asked him what was wrong a handful of times, but he had merely answered with unconvincing replies. He was nervous, anxious and on edge. His sensei was the Hokage. Minato Sensei was very much the Hokage of Konoha. It was amazing but also petrifying. Minato was a sharp ninja. Would he notice who he was?
"Alright, feel free to come on in, you two," Spoke a familiar voice that was filled with authority but also great kindness.
Obito and Deidara turned to see a blonde headed adult standing in front of the opened door. He sported the basic jonin attire along with a specialized, red and white Hokage jacket. Besides the slight difference in age, there was hardly a single thing different about him. It was safe to say that Obito was a messy diaper beneath his own robes, his body breaking out in nervous sweats, eyes and throat burning as he roughly bit his lips. It had been so long since he had gotten to see anyone he loved. All he wanted to do was rip off his mask and tackle his Sensei with the biggest hug imaginable.
But Obito resisted for the sheer importance of his secret mission. Before he revealed himself he first needed to see what all had become of the Hidden Leaf and if there was a possibility that his name had been shunned like the White Fangs. He didn't want to believe that he was seen as an abomination to the village, but who knew in this place. If he showed his face and ended up getting nothing but hate, rejection and aggression, then he would have no other choice but to permanently leave, and he would have to leave with the worst heartache ever.
"My names Namikaze Minato," Minato introduced politely while holding open the door for his guests, "I've been informed that you're new here to Konoha. May I ask what brings you?"
"Oh, ehha, i-its very nice to meet you Sen-Lord Hokage!" Obito mentally slapped himself. Focus! He needed to focus. Act like Tobi, not Obito. "My names Tobi, and this lovely kibi dango here is none other than my precious little brother, Deidara. Say hi, Deidara!"
"How many times do I have to say it: we're not brothers," Deidara snapped.
"Gah, so feisty, but that's how little brothers are," Obito chuckled and patted the blonde kid's head fondly, surprised to see that he didn't swerve away, "I know we don't look alike but that's only because we're orphans. You see, Lord Hokage, we've been through quite a bit these past few years, and now that we're free, we'd like to have a fresh start."
"I see," Minato went and sat down in his chair, his hands coming together for his chin to lean on. He studied the two people before him and noted that they both possessed a strong amount of chakra, especially that tall, goofy sounding one. "When you mention being free, what do you mean? Were you being held against your will somewhere?"
"Correct!" Obito piped, his finger sticking up, "For years me and my little brother have been used as slaves, forced to do the dirty and sometimes gross work of others. Ugh. Really gross work..."
"Who were you being held captive by?" Minato asked, his eyes tracing along the darker man's blue and orange robe. He was odd, confusing and weird, but his chakra was strong. The kid beside him was astute but also seemed irritated with every little thing his 'brother' said.
"Monsters, of course!" Obito covered the front of his mask in mock horror, "You should have seen the terrible things they forced me and my little brother to do. Oh, it was horrible!"
"Horrible doesn't amount to anything," Deidara crossed his arms and closed his eyes, his head bowing, "The ninja we faced were looking to start a war with you Leaf shinobi, and they kidnapped strong people like us to take part in it."
Minato watched as Deidara's eyes opened, fierceness and anger raging deep within them. "You should be on your knees thanking him!" He shouted.
Obito gasped, "D-Deidara!"
"If it hadn't been for Tobi, those jerks would have destroyed your village," Deidara glared, his small body beginning to shake with remnants of trauma, anger and fear. "Do you have any idea what we went through? Do you have any idea how hard it's been? We were slaves... We were being tortured, and you... You've been sitting here on your ass not doing a single thing to help."
"Deidara, that's enough," Obito ushered, placing his hands on the suddenly emotional kid. Of all times for him to lose his cool.
"No, Tobi," Deidara roughly shrugged his hands off, and he pointed his watery eyes in his 'older brother's' direction, "You don't give yourself enough credit. You suffered because of me, y-you protected me, an-and what have I ever done for you? It's not fair. You're crazy, but deep down I know you're suffering too... I just can't..."
As Deidara covered his eyes and turned away, Obito stepped forward to shield him, one arm wrapping around the wounded child and pulling him close. "Oh dear," He whispered, his body tense. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. Not at all. "F-forgive me, Lord Hokage, we'll leave right away."
"No," Minato said calmly and stood up, approaching the two newcomers, "It's alright."
Obito tilted his head, trying to spot the Hokage through the narrow hole of his mask. Things were not supposed to spiral out of control like this. He had thought that if anyone were to lose their cool, it would have been him. But he understood why Deidara would snap as he did. They had been through a lot. That's all that needed to be known.
"Deidara," Minato's voice was calm and filled with understanding as he knelt down in front of the discombobulated child, "I can't say that I know what you're going through, but it sounds like a lot. From what I've heard, your brother sacrificed a lot to keep you safe, and that makes both of you respectable ninja."
"He saved your village," Deidara wiped his messy eyes, "Why aren't you thanking him?"
"If what you say is true and there were people trying to start a war with us, then I thank you both for stopping them," Minato nodded his head and looked up at the taller ninja, "But I will need the both of you to sit down for a while so I can try to get a better understanding."
"Yes, of course, sir," Obito gently shook the young ninja's shoulder, "Come on, Deidara, you can do it. Lighten up. Show me a smile, huh? Come on! Let me see a smile!"
"Shut up," Deidara groaned. Tobi could be so annoying some times, and he constantly had to fight the gnawing urge to reach up and poke him in that dumb eye, but even more so he was annoyed with himself for liking it when Tobi was annoying. Because then he made it seem like everything was alright, like everything could be alright when Deidara didn't want to have hope that it could be. They just escaped years of brutal captivity. How could anything be okay?
"That's my little brother," Obito patted his back, desperately wishing that he could wipe the hot sweat from his face. "Be a good boy and let's sit down, ok."
"I'm going to kill you," Deidara swore. Obito laughed it off.
For the duration of their visit with the Hokage, Obito had formed an emotional crisis within himself but thankfully managed to pull off an efficient, believable story for his old Sensei. Minato sure was a nosy fart. He asked every question in the book. For the most part Obito had answered everything accordingly. He had only lied about two things: how many years he had been held captive and who his captives were. Deidara had given him weird glances but fortunately decided not to question him.
Minato had asked them where they were from, and they had told him the truth. With his lie about the number of years he had been held captive, Obito was able to get away with the false admittance of not knowing who he was related to. Other, more personal details had been shared about their harsh, gruesome experiences, but Minato was generous enough not to prod too deep. He was filled in about the anonymous ninjas' plans and what they were capable of.
The end result was the overly befitting approval of Konoha's Hokage. Minato had put out a request for a few volunteers to help find their new guest a decent house and furniture. Deidara was given permission to attend Ninja training school, and Obito/Tobi was going to be paying frequent visits to the Hokage himself once he got settled down in the village.
And now here they were, settling down in their new two bedroom house and accommodating to the chainless environment. It was mighty generous of the Hokage to support them with minimum furniture and money. Both Obito and Deidara had been pleasantly shocked and thanked him greatly. This village wasn't completely in shambles. In fact it was a million times more appreciative with Minato being the Hokage.
Deidara's bare feet patted quietly against the cold tile floor as he walked to his friend's bedroom and peeked inside. Tobi had shed most of his clothes save for the arm-wrap and his pants. Sitting upon his face was an empty expression full of mindless thought, his hand holding up his chin as he stared out the window. This wasn't the first time Deidara had witnessed him being silent and isolated, but he questioned why he would look so disheveled here. He got what he wanted. He was home and now Deidara had a real chance at becoming a shinobi. Wasn't that enough to be happy?
"Tobi?" Deidara spoke quietly, his hands stuffing themselves inside his boring blue pajama pockets as he wandered into the room.
"Hm? Oh hey, Deidara," Tobi seemed to snap out of whatever pitiful trance he was lost in, his blackish-brown eye squinting in cheery welcome, "What's wrong? I thought you would be asleep by now?"
Deidara growled and looked away, his cheeks burning with humiliation as he admitted reluctantly, "Its weird sleeping alone." Weird and uncomfortable and lonely and cold and unsafe.
"Aww, I get it. You wanna sleep with your big brother! Isn't that right? Huh? Huh? Is it? Yeah?" Tobi chuckled.
"I'm going back if you don't-" Deidara paused himself whenever he saw Tobi smile gently while lifting the other side of the blankets to reveal a spare pillow. Looks like he had already been anticipating his pettiness. Dang, that was embarrassing, but also... It made Deidara happy. "M'fine, whatever, doesn't matter," He grumbled lowly while slouching forward to crawl into the bed.
"You really are predictable, Deidara. It's adorable!" Tobi laughed as the blonde haired kid plopped down onto his belly beside him and began groaning incomprehensible curses into the pillow. It was funny.
Obito's face softened as he considered his young friend. For the past five years him and Deidara had been side by side sharing food, warmth and company. There were many times when Obito himself would accept the severe punishment for him, and he would do it again a million times over. For the past five years, Deidara had been the only family he had. The rotten rock dungeon they kept him in was lonesome and far from the other prisoners, but he guessed they thought the blonde haired kid was dangerous enough to lock them up together. Deidara didn't suffer as much as he did, and Obito was grateful for that, but it still didn't mean that the experience hadn't taken it's toll on them.
"Tobi..." Deidara murmured as he turned his head, "Why did you lie to the Hokage like that?"
Obito's eye widened and his body jostled a little. He had hoped that the lies would have flown right over the blonde's head, but he guessed he was way too intelligent to be underestimated. "Oh, well uh-you see, I uh... I was nervous!" Obito squeaked and nodded, "That Hokage was so intimidating, I-I couldn't focus. How silly of me to let such nonsense slip, ha... What did I lie about again?"
Deidara sighed and rolled his eyes, "I thought you told me that it had been eleven years. Why'd you say fifteen?"
"Ohhhhhhhh, right- ha, sorry about that," Obito innocently scratched the back of his head, "I guess I didn't notice. I'll tell him the truth tomorrow. How's that sound?"
"Fine, I guess," Deidara grumbled and buried his face back in the pillow.
Obito watched over him for a few minutes, heavy debate pounding inside his body. Perhaps he should show him his old ninja headband and tell him who he really was. Deidara didn't deserve to be left in the dark anymore. But as much as Obito hated lying, he would hate it even more to be abandoned. Tobi was a facade he created to captivate the enemy and put them under false security. Some times he felt like he had actively become Tobi, and it was exhausting. He was tired of pretending, he was tired of hiding away. He wanted 'everyone' to know who he was, not just Deidara.
But... The thought of not being accepted held him back. His years in captivity had changed him. Honestly, he was afraid of himself. If he quit his facade and owned his true name, who's to say all that hidden pain and corruption wouldn't take him over? Deidara, Minato and everyone else he cared about would be in danger. Did the Uchiha clan even know about the mangekyou sharingan? Did they comprehend the dangerous power of it? There was no telling what kind of backslash was bound to happen if he revealed himself. Putting himself at stake was one thing. But Deidara? Deidara didn't deserve to be hurt any longer.
He would just have to wait a little while longer.
...
"So you're going to have them fight each other?" Kakashi asked while leaning against the organized desk in the Hokage's personal tower.
Minato nodded at him while neatly folding his cape, "Yes, for observation purposes. I'd rather take advantage of the trust they have in each other rather than risk getting one of our own injured by underestimating power we don't yet understand."
Kakashi hummed in thought, "These mysterious ninja must have made quite the impression if they succeeded in bringing out your cautious side."
"I'm always cautious, Kakashi," Minato stated dryly, knowing deep down that his student was right.
"You said you're gonna watch them fight, otōsan?" Gasped an excited, youthful voice from one of the chairs nearby, and a brisk, orange and blue dressed boy popped up immediately, "Can I come too? Please, I wanna watch. I love fighting!"
"Sorry, Naruto," Minato stated firmly, "Not today. You have school in an hour."
"Aww, but that's totally not fair," Naruto pouted, his arms crossed stubbornly, "I wanna see..."
"Think about it this way," Kakashi smiled optimistically behind his mask, "If all goes well, then you'll have a new partner to spar with in class."
"Whoa, really?" Naruto instantly brightened, his cheeks glowing with eagerness as he hollered, "If that's the case then I hope they win!"
"Come on, foxsicle, let's get you some breakfast," Said Kushina fondly as she reached out and lightly pinched Naruto's cheek.
"Okaasan..." Whined Naruto.
Once his wife and son had exited the room, Minato turned to his student and went to lean on the desk beside him. "It troubles me to believe that we nearly had a surprise war on our hands," He gazed up at the ceiling while thinking about the village, "Who knows the casualties we could have faced."
"I'm not sure I can say that I'm with you on that," Kakashi responded in a somewhat suspicious tone, "A lone ninja defeats an entire army all by himself? What is the likelihood of that? And why would they seek coming here? To me, this all seems out of alignment."
"I thought the same thing, but..." Minato remembered that Deidara kid and how passionate he had been about his older savior. It was obvious that he was traumatized, but also grateful for the powerful man he had at his side. "We'll learn more as we push forward. That's why I would like for you to come with us this morning."
"You want me to observe as well?" Kakashi asked, sounding shocked.
"You and a few others. Just in case things get out of hand," Minato requested. "They should be here shortly. For now I'd like you to rally up these Shinobi."
...
"You... You want us to fight each other?" One didn't need to see his face to know that Tobi was most likely gaping like a dead fish. At his side stood a younger fish with blonde hair and a very tightly suppressed look of horror on his face.
Minato grinned fondly at their rather entertaining reactions, "More like a friendly sparring match. I'd like to see your skills first hand, if that's alright?"
"Well..." Tobi rubbed the back of his head while gazing down quizzically at his friend.
Deidara seemed a bit on edge- obviously because woo-hoo hello, yeah, this is Tobi we're talking about; the guy who took out nearly an entire army of powerful ninja single handedly- but he shook himself out of his horrified trance and tried putting on a tough persona. "If it's just sparring then I'll do it," He agreed even though the thought of fighting Tobi made his body tremor with sweaty goosebumps. "Besides, I'll get to show off some of my amazing art."
"That's the spirit, Deidara," Cheered Tobi as he patted the blonde's upper back with a bit too much enthusiasm, "I'm honored I get to be your sparring partner, but I gotta admit I'm a little afraid of your jutsu. Eeh! You're going to blow me to pieces, aren't you?"
"That's right," Deidara smirked, feeling better about himself.
"H-help..." Tobi gulped nervously.
If Tobi wasn't the purest definition of 'big brother' then Minato didn't know what was. He chuckled softly and turned towards the balcony, pointing in the direction of the shinobi training grounds just outside the village walls. "Over there's where you'll need to go. Since it's quite the walk, I'll give you a head start," He instructed.
"Ha, a head start huh?" Deidara smirked while reaching into his pouch to grab some clay, "Prepare yourself, Hokage-sama. You're about to see the art of your life."
They really didn't seem like spies, Minato thought while watching the blonde headed ninja. Sure the darker fella put off some sketchy vibes, but that was mostly because of his long, baggy attire and mask. Besides his ears, which were mostly covered by hair, one couldn't spot a speck of skin. It was odd that he didn't expose himself that much, but over the years Minato had seen a lot. Well, technically he hadn't seen a lot- Kakashi's face for example. No one had seen that mysterious beauty and lived to tell the tale. Some folks just liked covering up for some reason. It wasn't anything new.
The way these two acted resembled genuine brotherhood. Minato could sense that Tobi had a lot of power and yet kept it at bay in order of benefiting Deidara. He'd have to observe this sparring battle carefully. If they were close friends, then there was a significant possibility that Tobi would hold back.
"Oh, what's it gonna be this time, huh? What is it? Ooh, I know! A butterfly- no, a flying fish, that's it! Right?" Tobi wobbled around in excitement while watching his friend chew up the clay in his hands.
"Keep your pants on, Tobi," Deidara spoke smoothly, "It's almost done."
Minato watched, amazed but also thrown off perspective, as the blonde kid spit out a mini clay bird from the mouth on his hand. People could have mouths on different parts of their body now? It's official. He's seen everything. Fascination did buzz through him whenever Deidara stepped back, tossed the clay bird on the ground and lifted his fingers up to preform a basic jutsu. In less than a second the tiny bird became big, it's four meter long wings flapping as it's beak opened to release a silent shriek.
"Intriguing," Minato praised, truly entranced by the living, considerably useful art. There was definitely potential in this young boy. "I assume you can operate it to fly?"
Deidara chuckled, his grin just as dorkishly sweet as Narutos as he looked back and nodded, "You bet. Hop on, Tobi."
"Ugh, I really do hate going airborne," Spoke Tobi shakily as he slowly crawled onto the clay bird's back.
Deidara climbed on with no hesitation, his smirk proud and arrogant as he got into place. "See ya at the field, Hokage-sama."
Minato smiled while watching them go, Tobi's squeals of fear detectable for miles he bet. A goofy weirdo with mysterious power, and an attention-starved, arrogant punk with unique jutsu. The Hidden Leaf sure was in for one heck of a generation.
Kakashi knew he would be late, but oh well. What was he supposed to do whenever he witnessed a poor boy drop his hard earned ice-cream right in front of him? Wait in a long line to buy him another scoop of course! The others probably weren't going to believe him. They never did, and that only made him smile with mischievous fondness every single time for it never failed to remind him of the good ol' days.
Speaking of good ol' days...
As soon as Kakashi was within range of the training field, he smelt something strange all of the sudden. It stunned him, forced his body to seep into hiatus mode. What was that? It was unlike anything he had ever smelt before- obviously, he knew it was new people- but there was something about the unique scent that was familiar. Familiar how? He wasn't quite sure. Lots of places he ventured had lingering scents from previous shinobi or enemies who had been in contact with their village. Some times even the random places their enemies had previously camped he would accidentally pick up their scent and become briefly alarmed. It was something he had to greatly adapt to.
Whatever this smell was, he didn't sense hostility, and he couldn't recognize it enough to pinpoint to any enemies. He eventually relaxed and decided to move on. Maybe soon he would discover why their smell was as familiar as it was, but right now he probably shouldn't risk being later than what he already was.
In the field, Obito did silly, useless stretches and made goofy comments as usual. Beside him Deidara leaned against his clay bird, his arms crossed and face scowling. They had been waiting here for almost thirty minutes now. Where was that guy? On any other day he would complain until the sun turned around about the unfairness and stupidity of the situation, but since today was the day he was supposed to fight Tobi, he couldn't find the words to say hardly anything.
Witnessing what he did at the Hidden Rock. It was safe to say that it was a massive, bloody massacre, and all done by a single man. Deidara was high headed, but he was smart enough to know that he stood no possible chance at defeating Tobi, much less laying a finger on him. He blinked, gazing over at the obnoxious, loud mouthed ninja as he played with a stick on the ground. Gosh, he was such a weirdo.
"Hey... Tobi," Deidara felt his arms tighten and back stiffen the faintest bit, and he promptly kept his gaze averted while asking, "This... This is just sparring, right? We're not actually trying to... You know... Hurt each other, right?" Gosh, he really hoped he didn't sound as pathetic as he felt.
Obito lifted his hands in a shrug and said cooly, "Relax, this will be the easiest sparring match you've ever had in your whole life- theoretically speaking, that is, I think. I mean I hope you never have to fight anyone worse than me!"
"Why did I even ask?" Deidara slumped and blinked numb eyes at his adult crybaby partner.
"Alright you two, are you ready to begin?" Asked Minato who seemed to appear out of thin air, startling Deidara but not Tobi.
"Sure am," Deidara nodded.
"I'm a bit shaken, but I'm ready any time," Tobi saluted.
Minato smiled, "I'll be right over there. If there's an emergency or you need to take a time out just holler. Remember, this is a friendly spar. Nothing too serious, got it?"
Once he had their affirmative, Minato transported himself to the exact same place near the wall where Genma, Kakashi and Kurenai were standing. "Alright, let's see where this goes," He leaned forward, his attention immediately falling upon the field.