Obito sat at the edge of the bed, his gaze lingering on her flushed, exhausted form. For a while, Mei simply lay there, her chest rising and falling, until at last her lashes fluttered and she blinked her eyes open.
The moment her gaze met his, her face turned crimson. With a sharp little motion, she turned her head away and buried her face into the sheets, her auburn hair spilling around her, red ears peeking out.
Obito sighed, half helpless, half amused. "So now you know how to be shy?" he asked dryly.
"I never expected you to be such a Mei. You actually like having an audience while doing this kind of thing?"
He shook his head slowly, his voice carrying the faintest edge of mock disappointment, as though he were scolding her for inviting Pakura into their moment.
Mei instantly bolted upright, her big breasts bouncing freely with the sudden movement as she waved her hands in frantic denial.
"No, no, no—it's not like that! Listen to me, I...I umm… actually it's because…"
Her words tangled, her face even redder, the confidence she always wore completely shattered. She swallowed hard, lowered her head, and whispered softly,
"It's because I thought of… helping you."
The admission was faint, nervous, her hands clutching the sheets tightly. She didn't dare look him in the eye, her heart twisting with unease.
She didn't want him to hate her, didn't want him to think she was indecent. She only wanted to do something he might like.
Obito's eyes softened. Watching her fidget, trembling with nerves, something in him eased. He reached out and ruffled her hair, his fingers sliding gently through the silky strands.
Mei froze at the touch, then tilted her head up, her wide green eyes peeking at him through the veil of her hair. Nervous, uncertain, yet full of anticipation.
'Cute,' Obito thought, his heart skipping a beat, unexpectedly as their eyes met.
"I don't really mind," he said softly, his tone calm, almost reassuring. Then, with quiet curiosity, he added, "But can you tell me what you mean by that?"
Mei drew in a long breath, trying to steady the wild beating of her heart. When she finally spoke, her voice trembled, but she forced the words out.
"I knew that… Yugao and Pakura would be with you one day," she admitted quietly.
"So I thought… if I helped you with it, maybe it would make you actually like me more. Although ugh...it sounds like nonsense or something…"
She groaned softly, scratching at her hair in frustration before finally letting out a long sigh.
Her eyes slid shut, her shoulders dropping as if she'd unburdened herself at last.
Whatever came next, she was ready to accept it.
Obito stayed silent, watching her, his expression unreadable. The quiet stretched on before he finally asked, voice low and uncertain,
"Mei… do you… actually—I mean, love me?"
The moment the words left his lips, he cursed himself in his head.
Fuck!
Why the hell did I say that out loud? Of course she does, why else would she be doing all this shit?
Frustration gnawed at him, his straightforwardness once again betraying him.
He had been prepared to live a life without ever holding love in his hands. Yet here it was... Konan, now Mei… maybe even Yugao.
It was confusing, uncomfortable, almost unbearable. What do they even see in me? he thought bitterly. Aren't I the number one scumbag?
When Mei first agreed to be with him, Obito had assumed it was either because she didn't want to go against him, or perhaps because she held some small feelings she hadn't voiced.
Then, when she half-joked about being willing to bring Pakura into it too, Obito dismissed it at first as teasing.
Though, deep down, he had hoped she wasn't joking...after all, he'd be the one enjoying every part of it.
But tonight, she had actually gone through with it.
"Yes, I love you, my lord."
Mei's reply came steady this time, filled with confidence. Her emerald eyes gleamed as she tilted her head and winked, the picture of composure.
To anyone else, she looked like the same alluring, self-assured woman she always was.
But only she knew how furiously her heart pounded beneath that mask.
Her personality in the anime had always hinted at it...she could joke lightly about marriage, but in truth, her heart was never truly given to anyone. She remained single, her walls too high for anyone to climb.
But now that her heart had finally opened, she wasn't the shy, retreating type.
She was a Tyrannosaurus...attacking wildly, boldly, without hesitation.
Obito, hearing the word love fall from her lips, felt something stir in his chest.
And then, without warning, his mind cut back
[ Flashback – Konan ]
Love, huh? Obito thought back then, deep inside.
It was strange… alien, even. Never once had it occurred to him that someone would truly come to love him.
Yet there he was, holding someone precious, her warmth pressed against him, her words still echoing in his chest louder than anything else.
Seems I wasn't as hard-hearted after all…
For the first time in forever, the mask on his face had felt lighter.
Obito slowly raised his hand towards his mask, fingertips brushing the familiar surface before lifting it up. For a moment, he simply held it there, then, with deliberate calm, set it aside.
His heart was pounding harder than any battle had ever made it.
Nervous. Uneasy. Vulnerable in a way that was foreign to him.
He turned his face slowly, quietly, toward Konan. She was lying beside him, sleeping peacefully, her breath steady, her expression soft in a way the world rarely saw.
Without the mask, he felt naked. Exposed.
He didn't know how long he had been staring at her like that, drinking in every detail of her resting face, until he noticed the faintest flutter of her eyelashes.
That calm rhythm of his heart shattered, racing wildly once more.
He didn't move, didn't cover himself. Maybe he didn't know why he was so nervous or maybe he knew all too well.
Either way, he didn't hide. He let her see him. And he waited, silently.
Konan slowly opened her eye, and what came into view was a blurry face.
She blinked slightly, trying to focus. When her vision cleared, she saw a young face.
His black hair was smooth yet slightly messy, falling in loose strands that never seemed to stay in place.
It wasn't carefully styled, just naturally casual, a mix of order and untamed that matched him perfectly.
His features were sharp and well-defined, high cheekbones, a straight nose, long lashes framing eyes that burned with the crimson glow of the Sharingan.
That subtle, dangerous light stood out against his otherwise composed face.
All in all, it was a very handsome face.
Konan was stunned for a while not because of his looks, but because the presence in front of her felt so familiar.
If it hadn't, no matter how handsome someone was, she would have attacked them instantly for being so close.
Obito, seeing her stunned, finally felt at ease. The nervousness in his chest faded, and a quiet pride welled up instead.
After absorbing Madara and many other red items, his very genetics had shifted.
Compared to the Obito of the anime, this Obito's appearance was transformed...even more handsome than Sasuke or Kakashi.
Konan looked at him quietly for a while, then suddenly, a blooming smile spread across her face. She reached out her hand, stroking his cheek lightly with her fingers.
Obito didn't move, just stared at her in silence.
Konan, seeing his stiffness, couldn't help but chuckle softly. She had been with him long enough to understand many of his habits.
She knew how nervous he was, and that alone made her heart flutter, he had gone through all of this, just for her.
She also knew all too well his obsession with wearing that mask.
Suddenly, she pinched his cheek, her lips curving into a teasing smile.
"If this was a gift for me, then I have to say… you prepared one of a kind."
Obito caught the playful look in her eyes and his expression darkened instantly. He had a feeling her attitude toward him had shifted.
It was as if she now saw him differently, like someone younger, easier to tease, no longer carrying that same distant majesty.
He patted her hand away and muttered in a slightly annoyed tone.
"Change the look in your eyes. I don't like it."
"Oh? Why?" Konan tilted her head, her eyes narrowing as her smile grew warmer. "I feel like I love you even more now."
Obito's eye twitched slightly. In that moment, he almost regretted ever showing her his face. He felt his "majestic" image was in danger of collapsing.
Just as he was about to retort, Konan leaned in closer. Her hands cupped both sides of his face gently, her gaze soft and filled with emotion.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Then her lips pressed against his. The kiss lingered in silence, unhurried and tender, until finally she pulled back with a smile.
Sitting upright, she looked at him again, her eyes quietly signaling what she wanted next.
She wanted his story.
Obito sighed, knowing this moment was inevitable. Words had never been his strong point, so instead, he let his Sharingan glow.
Through its power, he shared with her his life modified in some parts, of course.
He concealed the truth of reincarnation, but everything else from this life, he showed her.
Konan saw everything from start to finish, the boy with a happy, open personality who loved helping others.
She saw how he treated his friends as everything… and how he lost it all when that girl died. How the bright boy fell apart, how he changed, what he went through after that.
Slowly, the vision faded and the Sharingan illusion ended.
Obito looked at Konan curiously, searching her expression. He wouldn't admit it aloud, but it would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous about her reaction.
What she said next, though, made his face darken instantly.
"So… you're at least five years younger than me. I see." Konan stroked her chin with a straight face, serious as ever.
"Oh, for god's sake, stop with that. Is that really all you have to say after seeing everything? I thought you..."
Before he could finish, she suddenly hugged him tightly, cutting him off.
"You've worked hard… Obito," she whispered softly, her eyes clouded with pain as she clutched him closer.
It was the first time she had called him by his name.
"..."
Obito was speechless, caught off guard. For a moment, he felt like he was being treated as some tragic character in a story.
It seems I should stop coming here for a while… I have a bad feeling about this, he thought silently as he hugged her back.
And soon, his suspicion became true. Konan's attitude toward him shifted completely, she became more clingy. What surprised him most was that she never mentioned Rin at all.
What Obito didn't know was that Konan had deliberately used the "five years younger" joke to divert the topic. She didn't want to touch the raw wound of his past, afraid of hurting him further.
But there was another reason. A hidden one.
Konan felt jealous of Rin. She didn't want that girl's shadow clinging to Obito any longer.
Rin had never come forward with her feelings, never said she didn't love him, but Obito had carried her anyway. To Konan, that silence was unforgivable.
Deep in her heart, Konan thought darkly: Rin deserved her death.
Eventually, Obito couldn't stand Konan's sudden clinginess any longer. Without a word, he slipped away and left for the Land of Snow.
[ End of Flashback ]
--
PS: Did I cook? Joke aside, you guys are seriously in debt… the R-18 chapters keep pouring in, and your stamina just can't keep up to satisfy them~~ (ꈍoꈍ)