AU RP--

[mooneye]

...

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[youngesthokage]

He didn't press him to speak, instead comfortably moving through the foliage. He was so much quieter than a child, really. The constant chatter he'd done when he wasn't just closely observing was gone. The child clumsiness was gone. He'd grown and changed, in several respects.

[mooneye]

And Obito looked up and thought back to years and years ago. Walking through these same woods when they were boys. He had been charmed by the sweet nature and energy of the little child. Now he found himself charmed by his grace. It was interesting, what time did.

[youngesthokage]

He looked over his shoulder at him when he realized he was being watched, tilting his head as he easily avoided a tree without facing it, though he didn't ask anything, merely observing him in return for a long moment before returning his gaze to the path.

[mooneye]

He was the kind of person who stared without shame, when he wanted to. He had been away from society for so long. In the cave he'd had Madara and the clones to talk to--and none of them had acted like human beings at all. And so Obito had stopped acting like a human being around them, and only bothered picking up enough propriety to slip by with once he was out in the real world again.

When he had looked his fill, he started meandering. Lagging back to examine things, wandering off the path, catching up to walk beside Itachi and sometimes speeding up ahead before loping back again.

[youngesthokage]

He observed Obito with all the quiet intensity he ever had as a child, merely paying attention to his doings, following him wordlessly with his eyes as he continued at his same even pace until finally, they came within sight of the house.

[mooneye]

"This place is well hidden," Obito remarked, darting back to the road from where he had been wandering through the trees. And it was. Just a little house away from everything, very much a part of the dense, dark woods around it.

[youngesthokage]

"I was here just a few months ago, before this." He waved at himself. "It's stocked to current with lasting goods."

Must head off early--night!

[mooneye]

"Perfect." Obito felt the muscles in his shoulders loosen a bit, he was so genuinely glad to hear it. He had a lot of energy, but still. Weeks on the road made the prospect of somewhere there might be a bath and a bed to sleep in very appealing. "Feels like home already. Shall we?"

Sleep well!

[youngesthokage]

He gave a soft laugh and did a quick summon, pressing a message on the bird before releasing her. "Now, yes."

[mooneye]

He watched the bird flap away, a scrap of darkness above them that was quickly gone over the tops of the trees. Good. Tsunade had called him in--presumably--to give the ANBU less to worry about, not more. He started down the weathered stone pathway that wound down to the forested nook the house was tucked back in.

[youngesthokage]

He looked back to Obito once the bird was out of sight, then trailed after him, more relaxed now that he knew he didn't need to worry for a little longer.

[mooneye]

This was nice. Quiet, a little cold, enclosed. Obito rummaged and searched with quick fingers around the path and the front of the place until he found the key, slid it into the lock and pushed the door open.

[youngesthokage]

He shook his head at him, then just slipped inside, taking a deep breath and looking around. "It smells like mint."

[mooneye]

Obito took a deep, quiet breath. Tasting the air. Indeed, there was a scent of mint and sage. A cool, herby mix. A whiff of other earthy things, too. The place was not too big. Kitchen and cupboards, table, shelves, bed. "Are those your books?"

[youngesthokage]

He looked over, then inclined his head. "Most of them. I've taken a few off my teammates."

[mooneye]

He circles the room, exploring. Looking into drawers to find stored food, cups and bowls. By the bed there is a large trunk filled with fluffy blankets and cushions. He pauses closer to the shelf with the books on it and reads some of the titles.

[youngesthokage]

He flushes as he realizes that one of the books on the shelf was once Obito's, but he didn't comment on it. He'd gotten it from Shisui, who had ended up with, and not appreciated it, after Obito 'died'. It was that first book of Jiraiya's that so few people knew about.

"It's a nice place to go, when I need a little breathing room."

[mooneye]

He paused at that title, reaching up and pulling it halfway down. At first just because it was sort of familiar. When he realized where it was familiar from--ah. That was right. It had been on his desk, in his old room. A favorite. He pushed it snugly back up onto the shelf, not wanting to get it down and leaf through it just yet. Later, he thought.

He turned around when Itachi spoke. "I like it. It feels good here."

[youngesthokage]

"It's my favorite of my retreats." It was a murmur. "I don't always use the same one because that would be predictable."

[mooneye]

"Smart." Obito nodded his approval. "It's a long way away from anything."

[youngesthokage]

He nodded and moved to get tea started, not having actually eaten anything for a few hours. "But not too far."

[mooneye]

"Still Konoha's territory," he agreed. And he stood and watched Itachi with the tea for a bit before beginning to strip his traveling clothes off.

[youngesthokage]

He nodded, setting the brew to steep finally and moving to get down a cup for it.

[mooneye]

He found the door to the bathroom and pushed it open, and left it mostly open, undressing completely there and turning the water on in the bathtub. He wasn't planning to soak, really. Just wash some of the worst dirt from the road off quickly.

[youngesthokage]

Leaving the door open like that was bound to catch Itachi's curiosity, and after he set the cup down he moved to peek. Not in stealthy manner, simply looking around the door frame.