At Heaven's Hot Spring Inn, Lin Yu, clad in a loose bathrobe after his soak, entered his room intending to check if Obito and Kakashi had returned. To his surprise, both were already there, seated in his room, looking like a bickering "couple."
"I say, don't you two have your own rooms? Why are you both in mine?"
Lin Yu picked up a towel and began drying his damp hair, looking at them with a hint of amusement.
"Hmph! It's this room assignment! Lin Yu-sensei, why did you put me and Obito in the same room?!"
Kakashi appeared furious, but inwardly, he was terrified. What if Obito discovered the things he'd bought? He absolutely couldn't share a room with Obito!
"Oh, that has nothing to do with me. There were no other rooms available. You'll just have to make do with Obito for the night!"
"I don't believe you! I'm going to ask at the front desk!"
Kakashi slung his small backpack over his shoulder, pulled open the door, and dashed out.
However, in just a short while, Kakashi returned looking dejected, muttering, "How could this be? It's actually fully booked."
Lin Yu chuckled. He had booked the entire hot spring inn, after all. The money would still end up in his own pocket, so it was as good as not spending anything. Besides, Lin Yu didn't care much about money; he could earn it all back by selling more bounties to Hanzo!
Still, he wondered, after having milked him so many times, would the Exchange Office take Hanzo's bounty off the list? It shouldn't, should it? He'd been so careful each time, leaving no witnesses. Lin Yu felt he should check again if the opportunity arose. If Hanzo's head wasn't worth much anymore, he'd have to consider a different target. What about the Third Raikage? His bounty shouldn't be too low...
"Lin Yu-sensei, we won't disturb you then. Kakashi and I will head back now!"
Obito grinned and stepped forward, supporting the "heartbroken" Kakashi, and headed towards the adjacent room. Tonight was his, Uchiha Obito's, "hunting time"!
"Alright, remember to cover yourselves with blankets, and don't sneak into each other's beds at night!"
Lin Yu's "well-intentioned" reminder sent a shiver down Kakashi's spine, jolting him awake. He quickly pulled away from Obito's grasp. Rather than his precious books being discovered, Obito himself was far more terrifying, given his "track record"!
"Kakashi, don't be nervous. I won't do anything too excessive to you tonight! Believe me!"
Obito looked at Kakashi very seriously. He, Uchiha Obito, was perfectly normal! The previous times were all accidents. Without Lin Yu-sensei this time, he didn't believe he'd end up kissing Kakashi again!
"I wouldn't believe you even if you said so!"
Kakashi would never believe Obito. Uchiha Obito had been completely messed up by Lin Yu-sensei. He had to stay far away from them! He was normal! He was definitely normal! Kakashi pulled his mask down to just below his eyes, revealing only his listless gaze. Now Obito couldn't possibly kiss him, right?
*Slap!*
Kiss what kiss! Those painful memories couldn't be recalled! He, Kakashi, swore he would never let Obito kiss him again!
"Kakashi, why are you hitting yourself?"
Obito leaned his face closer to Kakashi, looking confused. His friend had been acting strange lately, no longer bickering with him like before. In the past, whenever they argued, Kakashi would get physical with him. Now, he'd shy away from him from a distance. He really couldn't understand what Kakashi was thinking!
"Don't! Don't come near me! Don't get so close!" Kakashi yelled at Obito and then quickly darted into the room.
*Slam!* The door was shut.
See! Just like this! Obito sighed inwardly. If it were in the past, Kakashi would surely have said: "Obito, you dead last! Are you trying to get a beating by getting so close?!" And then he would have pretentiously replied: "Beat me? Do you think I, Uchiha Obito, am afraid of you, you white-haired tsundere?!"
Sigh. Obito let out a soft sigh. The past was gone forever. But… hehehe, he, Uchiha Obito, actually preferred the current Kakashi! He seemed so easy to bully, much better than the constantly scowling face he used to wear. He even seemed much more handsome now! Speaking of which, he'd never seen what Kakashi looked like with his mask off. Was this another one of Kakashi's secrets? No! The more he thought about it, the more curious he became. He absolutely had to see tonight! Hehehe, little Kakashi, wait for me, Lord Uchiha Obito, to uncover your little secrets!
...
Night fell, and the world was quiet. A shadowy figure fumbled around in the corner of the room, making rustling sounds.
"Why isn't it here! I clearly saw Kakashi put the scroll into his backpack with my own eyes!"
Obito, with a pillowcase covering his face, was in denial.
"It's in the hidden pocket on the second layer of the backpack. Keep looking."
A faint voice whispered into Obito's ear. Obito opened the hidden pocket on the second layer, reached inside, and rummaged around. Soon, he pulled out a black scroll.
"Yes! This is it, the one with Kakashi's little secret!"
"Oh? I have a secret? I didn't know that?"
Obito turned around and was startled. In the dim moonlight, Kakashi's signature dead fish eyes looked unusually terrifying.
"Ah! Kakashi, you scared me to death! Weren't you asleep?"
"Tch, I can tell what kind of silly thoughts you're having, you dead last, just by looking at you!"
Kakashi pulled out an identical black scroll from his person and waved it in front of Obito, his face full of smugness.
"Damn it! Kakashi, did you buy a whole bag of those manga?!"
Obito threw the black scroll in his hand to Kakashi, his face filled with indignation.
"Pfft! As expected, such a stupid dead last!"
Kakashi took the scroll Obito tossed at him, performed a hand seal, and with a "poof," a black sack appeared in Kakashi's hand. It was the stash of manga he had bought that afternoon.
"You couldn't even see through such an obvious trick. Obito, you truly are a stupid dead last!"
"Damn it, Kakashi! You're even playing tricks on your own comrade!"
Obito's eyes flickered, feigning great "anger."
"As ninjas, we can never let our guard down. Obito, you still have a lot to learn! Alright, your plan failed. Let's go to sleep!"
Kakashi yawned. He had been staking out Obito all night and was getting sleepy.
"Kakashi, don't go! This sack contains your little secret, and I'm going to open it!"
Obito lunged forward, pouncing on Kakashi. Kakashi hadn't expected Obito to resort to snatching after his plan failed, which truly angered him. Did Obito really think he could get away with this just because he hadn't beaten him up in a while?!
Kakashi shifted his shoulder slightly, a small sidestep dodging Obito's lunge. He grabbed Obito's right arm with one hand and said with slight displeasure, "Alright Obito, enough messing around, it's time to stop!"
"Never!"
Seeing himself restrained, Obito became even more aggressive. He twisted around and reached for the black sack with his left hand. Kakashi, seeing this, could only move the sack in his left hand backward, preventing Obito from reaching it.
"Obito, you won't get it. Give up."
"Heh heh, Kakashi, my target isn't the sack you know!"
"What!? Obito, you—"
"Too late! Reveal your true face! Kakashi!"
*Riiip~*
A torn mask slowly drifted down from the air...