AU RP--

[mooneye]

...

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[mooneye]

He was silent. That was a lot of work to do. A lot to learn about those people. But he couldn't guess what it meant, really. "I don't know," he admitted, after a time. "What?"

[youngesthokage]

"It means that every nin in Konoha, from my best jounin to my worst genin, is a person to me. I know them, even if they don't like me, I know who they are, I know what they're good at. There is no one to blame if I send them to a mission they can't handle but myself for expecting more than they were ready for."

[mooneye]

He thought about that, still trailing little touches along his collar, his shoulder. And he thought about the mission that had gone so very badly for him, Kakashi and Rin. He hadn't come back from that mission. What had Minato felt about that? Had it hurt him? He hoped that it had.

"...I can't imagine," he admitted quietly.

[youngesthokage]

"That's good. Being Hokage is... is being a sacrifice. If I do things right, the glow reflects on my shinobi. If I I do things wrong, then the blame is mine. I can't trip and fall while carrying my village in my hands. They put their trust in me, and I need to be worthy of that trust."

[mooneye]

"It's a lot," he remarked. "A lot to carry." And he paused, thinking over what his cousin had said. "You are worthy of it, though. As worthy as anyone could be."

[youngesthokage]

He let out a soft breath, a hint of humor creeping into his voice. "It's not all bad though. Hiruzen-sama is perpetually in awe of the fact I manage to keep the paperwork down."

[mooneye]

Obito perked up. "And you get to wear that awesome hat. Don't you? If that hat's around somewhere, you have to let me try it on."

[youngesthokage]

He gave a soft laugh. "Now now, I have to do no such thing. Unless you're going to do my paperwork you don't get to wear my hat."

[mooneye]

He laughed, and feigned mild outrage. "I can barely pay attention to what I'm doing with a pen long enough to sign my own name on stuff... Come on, I'm your cousin. I'm going to make sure you don't starve while your mercenary housekeeper is off wherever you sent him to."

[youngesthokage]

"Still not hat level activities." He shook his head, chiding.

[mooneye]

"What besides paperwork would count as a hat level activity?"

[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.