AU RP--

[mooneye]

...

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[youngesthokage]

He pondered this for a moment. "It's not -just- paperwork. It's paperwork and meetings and handling a fussy Daimyo."

[mooneye]

"Ah. Don't think there's anything I can help with, then." He shrugged. "Let me know if you need someone... killed with trees, or something."

[youngesthokage]

There was a long beat of pause. "....What?"

[mooneye]

...Shit. Obito was quiet for a long time after that. Not quite sure whether he really wanted to explain or if it would be better not to.

[youngesthokage]

"...A tree?" He raised his eyebrows.

[mooneye]

"...Well, like a bunch of trees. The mokuton."

[youngesthokage]

He stared for a moment. "....You... Show me."

[mooneye]

Obito pulled back just enough to look down at his face, "...It's very destructive."

[youngesthokage]

He blinked at him, then wiggled free enough to get to ihs feet, padding for the door on bare feet.

[mooneye]

Obito stayed where he was for a few moments after Itachi had risen, not turning around. When he finally did rise it was slowly, following without a word.

[youngesthokage]

He made his way to one of the open areas and tilted his head, watching Obito.

[mooneye]

"Stay really far back," he cautioned, walking past Itachi. The ground was cold under the bare soles of his feet. He went to the edge of the open area and stood, looking around them at how much space there was to do this in.

[youngesthokage]

He stayed where he was, letting Obito put as much space as he thought he needed to between them, curious.

[mooneye]

He hesitated. Every time he used the mokuton reminded him of the first time. And every time he had used it seriously since then had been a lot like the first time. Berserk. A blinded, thoughtless rush of rage and thrilled murder. And waking up after it, coming back to himself calm, bloody and detached.

But he had tried it outside of battle as well. Of course he had. Just to practice, just to see it. This would only be a demonstration.

He made the seals and felt the pulse. It was always strange. Bringing something into the world from nothing, the living wood pulled from the earth, from his own energy and intent. There was a crackle as the branches broke the ground first in one lurch, and then in a violent upward lunge. Dark, thorned, winding trunks which quickly filled up the open space between them, tangled and cracked as they struck and wove into one another, displacing the air around them so that Obito could feel the draft against his own skin.

[youngesthokage]

He peered into the trees, slowly tilting his head, and all he could think was that these were not happy trees.

[mooneye]

Indeed, they were not. Obito felt the ache in his joints and under his skin that the mokuton always caused. It wasn't entirely unpleasant. He slid between the trunks, crossing to his cousin.

"So let me know," he repeated. "If you need someone killed with trees."

[youngesthokage]

"Your trees aren't happy trees." His gaze slowly slid to Obito. "Does it hurt?"

[mooneye]

"Yes." He answered matter-of-fact, and without hesitation. "But it feels good, too." And he turned and squinted at the trees. "I've never... tried to make one happy before." Not like he was trying to make them unhappy trees, but he got what Itachi meant.

[youngesthokage]

"Maybe it would feel different if they were happy trees?"

[mooneye]

That made the corner of his mouth twitch, just a bit. Though his eyebrows drew together. "...I don't think it would work. When I make them it's sort of driven by..." He glanced down at his own hands a moment. "...that feeling you get when you lose someone you love." He doesn't know how else to describe it. Rage, sorrow. Such pain. "I don't think I could feel happiness as strongly as I can feel that."

[youngesthokage]

He considered this a moment, then stepped forward and threw his arms around him. "I'm sorry."

[mooneye]

He was stiff for a moment before relaxing and hugging him back, turning his face to breath in once, long and slow against his hair, and then sigh. "It's all right. It's good for what it's good for."

[youngesthokage]

"Something like that... it seems wrong for it to only come from your pain."

[mooneye]

"I might be able to make a rosebush or something if I was using something other than pain." It was meant to be a joke, but even as he said it he winced. He turned his head and kissed Itachi's temple. "Don't worry about it."

[youngesthokage]

"I don't want you to hurt Obito-nii." It was a murmur and he rubbed his cheek on him.