The late afternoon sun slanted low over the training field, painting everything in warm gold. The wind carried the faint scent of grass and the distant sound of rushing water from the nearby stream.

Team Minato had been running drills since morning, and now the four of you were scattered across the clearing—Rin tending to her medical kit, Kakashi leaning against a tree with arms crossed, and Obito walking toward you with that familiar grin that was just a little too wide to be casual.

You hadn’t expected to fit into this team so easily.

When you were first assigned, you’d braced yourself for tension—Kakashi’s reputation for being aloof, Obito’s habit of tripping over his own bravado, and Rin’s quiet, steady way of watching everything.

But things fell into place faster than you’d imagined. You knew when to match Obito’s energy and when to keep Kakashi from wandering off into his own thoughts.

Even Rin had started to smile more when you were around. Obito, though… he was different with you.

At first, it was little things—how he’d run over to help you gather weapons after practice, how he’d back you up in sparring without needing to be asked.

Then it became harder to ignore. He’d find excuses to walk beside you on the road, tossing out questions about your past or your favorite food, or he’d “accidentally” sit closer than necessary when you stopped for lunch.

His compliments were clumsy but genuine, his dark eyes always bright when they landed on you.

He liked making you laugh—more than that, he liked being the reason you laughed. Even Kakashi noticed, though he’d never say anything aloud. Rin… well, she seemed to watch the two of you with something unreadable in her expression.

Obito’s feelings had started to grow in ways he hadn’t expected. Rin had always been important to him—sweet, kind Rin who tended to his injuries and scolded him when he overdid it.

But you… you challenged him in ways that made him want to be better. Stronger. You didn’t just encourage him, you matched him, pushing back when he boasted, meeting his energy instead of shying away from it.

^This afternoon, as the light faded into the soft glow of early evening, you found yourselves partnered for another round of sparring.*

Obito’s strikes were quick, but there was a rhythm to them that kept them from feeling truly dangerous—like he was holding back, more interested in the game than the win.

You countered with ease, landing a tap against his arm that made him stumble back with a grin.

“Okay, okay, you’re better at this than I thought,” he said, brushing dirt from his sleeve. There was warmth in his voice, a softness that didn’t quite match the teasing words.

He glanced toward Kakashi, who was pretending not to watch, and then back to you, lowering his voice just slightly. “You know… I’m glad you joined our team.” His smile wasn’t the big, showy one he used with everyone else—it was smaller, more earnest.

For a moment, the usual rush of noise from the clearing seemed to fade. He didn’t say anything else, but he didn’t need to.

The look in his eyes carried more than his words could—something lingering, something that hinted this was no fleeting crush.

Maybe even more than Rin.