Chapter Text
Obito saw the excitement on his fellow genin's face as they arrived just outside of the café it wasn't overly busy at this time of day. She was busy taking in the design of the place and watching the cats that passed by.
So far she hadn't tried to grab any of the wandering cats but still the Uchiha thought it was best to warn her before they went inside, "Um just so you know ninja cats aren't all that different than regular cats… so don't try to pick them up cause a lot of them don't like it and they'll probably scratch you for trying, it's best to let them come to you."
Naruto's gaze left the orange cat she'd been focused on and found him with a knowing look, "Oh, believe me, I have a healthy respect for their space I won't do anything to make them go on the attack."
"That's good… ninja cats can be vicious when angered." He shuddered remembering a time he called on of them a fleabag… he never did that again.
How was he supposed to know it could understand him?
Unaware of his thoughts the blonde girl tugged him inside where he came face to face with of course one of his clan members.
Now he didn't know every person in his family by name as there were just too many Uchihas for him to do that but he recognized all of their faces and the older woman in front of him was no exception.
"Well, what do we have here?" She eyed the embarrassed boy and excitable girl, "Um hi… my friend wanted to see the cats."
It was rare to see someone who wasn't a part of their clan inside of the café Obito knew that. Just like he knew what the older Uchiha was thinking, "It's not a date though!" The woman just smiled clearly humoring the blushing boy.
All the while Naruto was not paying attention as she was bent down beside him watching a cat play with what appeared to be a plush mouse.
"Alright, I know just the spot for you then." She motioned for them to follow so he poked the girl's arm to get her attention away from the cat that was now battering the fake mouse in between its paws.
Obito had gotten pretty good at spotting the difference even without the headband he could tell which cats were ninjas and which were not. That particular one wasn't but that didn't mean that it wasn't just as smart.
All the cats around the district interacted with the intelligent ninja cats and it only served to make them smarter as well.
Naruto reluctantly left the cat and followed them into another room, the woman led them to a room that was themed after a playpen. There wasn't and tables in this area as few ate in this room but there were plenty of comfortable chairs to lounge in and just watch the cats.
"Here we are and did you two want to buy some cat treats?" She asked and the girl nodded happily as the woman offered her a pamphlet with the different types she could buy.
Obito looked at her and asked, "Do you even have any money?"
Naruto who was amazed at the variety just shook her head in a way to indicate that 'no' she did not.
"Then how are you going to buy them anything?"
She looked over at him expectantly then and it took him a bit longer than it should have for him to figure out what that meant, "Wait a minute I didn't say I'd pay for…" He trailed off as she pouted in a rather adorable fashion.
"Come on, please? It's not for me it's for them!" She motioned towards the cats around them and as if they could understand, which was most likely the case a gray one rubbed itself against his leg.
Only he was distracted by his fellow ninja's expression, she should not be able to pull off being so cute… it wasn't fair! He turned his head trying to hide his blush.
"Fine! I'll buy some cat snacks or whatever…"
"Yay! Thanks, you're the best!" Then she promptly hugged him, he floundered around with his face alight she didn't seem to notice even as the blonde pulled away to go back to browsing the cat treats selection.
The older Uchiha woman did though and she merely chuckled at his expense. Clearly, she was just as evil as the small blonde girl beside him!
"Pull yourself together Obito this isn't a date and you don't even like her! It's Rin that you like!" He fiercely mumbled to himself as he found a seat away from the two obviously wicked people talking over the different benefits of certain cat treats.
The gray cat from before didn't seem to realize or rather didn't care that all he wanted to do was sit there and wallow about the unfairness of his predicament because it jumped up into his lap and looked expectantly at him.
He was tempted to shove the cat away but well that would be mean and it would probably hold a grudge.
"What do you want?" He asked it only half expecting a reply.
Some could speak others couldn't and even the ones that could don't do so very often as cats just weren't a very talkative bunch.
It didn't answer but nudged his hand in a way that clearly meant 'pet me' so with some reluctance he did as his dark gaze wondered back over to his future temporary teammate.
She was much more open with the Uchiha woman than with him, maybe she just really liked cats but somehow Obito doubted that was what had her relaxing so much.
Naruto almost seemed carefree at the moment and if he didn't know any better, he wouldn't have thought she'd recently been in the hospital for some intense injuries.
Obito still didn't like mysteries but he wanted to figure hers out, once he did, he could go back to simpler things like beating Kakashi and getting Rin to fall in love with him. He'd much rather have taken his female teammate here on a date than be here with a girl that he wasn't interested in that was for su-
"Ow!" He yanked his hand back to see a glaring cat, "Why'd you bite me?"
The cat glared and jumped off of his lap as if it had the right to be angry at him when it'd bitten him for no apparent reason.
His cry had gotten the attention of Naruto and the café worker, "Oh dear I should've warned you about him, he gets quite testy when people petting him aren't paying him enough attention."
Obito blinked and held his hurt hand confused, "But I was petting him that makes no sense!"
"Yes, well he could tell that something else was on your mind." The woman smiled with an annoying knowing look, just what did she know! He wasn't thinking of Naruto, okay he was but not like she thought he was.
Naruto then handed the paper back to the woman and said something before bouncing over to him and dropping down into the seat right beside him completely ignoring his personal space.
This was why the other Uchiha was jumping to all the wrong conclusions and he was about to tell her so when she started talking, "Can you believe they don't have ramen flavored treats?"
Obito didn't respond for a few seconds but after it was clear she was looking for one he spoke, "Um… yes."
"And why not? I mean they have fish and chicken and beef flavor treats already!"
He nodded and asked, "Yeah they do so how would they make ramen a flavor?"
"What do you mean?" She tilted her head and he had to tell himself it wasn't cute before he responded.
"I mean they already have those flavors and so does ramen so how do you make a cat treat taste like ramen when ramen just taste like those things already?"
He was talking about ramen flavored cat treats in a cat café with a girl he'd only known for a few days, his life wasn't always this odd, was it?
Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times before she pouted, "Ramen tastes like ramen so they should definitely make a flavor for it!"
Obito thought about arguing but there really was no point so instead he halfheartedly agreed and it wasn't like he didn't like ramen.
But apparently not as much as she did though because then she started to talk about it some more while she waved around a feather wand to the delight of more than one cat.
They kept at it until the treats she decided on arrived then more cats came over and they both started to give out the treats.
"I'm gonna be covered in cat hair." He said as he tossed the last treat in his hand wondering how much of his money the girl used on it.
"Maybe you shouldn't wear sure dark and depressing colors then." Naruto responded as a familiar gray cat ate out of her hand, she looked pleased by it.
"They're not dark and depressing!" His outfit was awesome.
"Well the orange isn't but there's not nearly enough of it to make up for the rest." She gestured to the dark blue, "Your clan isn't more on color, are they?" She said this with a grimace as she pulled on her own borrowed dark blue top.
"We wear colors." Obito protested by pointing to the beige pants she was wearing but the girl just rolled her eyes, "Yeah dark, darker, with a side gloomy." She joked and he puffed up his cheeks, "Okay what color would you wear if you got to pick?"
He hoped she wouldn't say pink.
"What color hmm? Well let's see." She looked outside the window and nodded, "Green is nice it reminds me of the leaves but I don't think I'd wanna wear it, yellow though is even better but if I had to pick one color theeen… probably orange. Nope, most certainly orange." It was said so cheekily that part of him thought she might be messing with him.
"A ninja in all orange… yeah right." He crossed his arms and looked away as his stupid blush started to make a reappearance.
Naruto's attention was directed back at the cats and hardly seemed to hear him; it was fine by him though as he didn't know what he was getting so embarrassed over. The Uchiha was beginning to think that there was something wrong with the way his blood kept rushing to his face.
Maybe it meant he'd awaken his Sharingan soon? Yeah that had to be it.
A stomach growling pierced the quiet then and it wasn't his, he looked over at the sheepish girl.
"Hey Obito, this is a café where people can eat too right?"
He nodded.
She smiled, "Great all the ramen talk from before must've made me hungry so… let's eat!"
"Let me guess you want me to pay for that too?" Obito already knew the answer as the blonde bobbed her head unashamed at her own lack of funds.
"I know! I can make it up to you when I get paid, then I'll talk you out for some ramen!" She grinned at her idea.
"Somehow it still feels like that would be more for you, not me." He said with slight exasperation before a voice cuts in, "Did I hear that the two of you wanted something to eat?"
It was the Uchiha woman from before maybe he should find out her name.
Naruto nodded happily, "Alright follow me."
She jumped up and started to wave bye to the cats in the playpen themed room, he eyed the gray cat that got up and followed them to the door. The dark-haired boy was grateful it didn't follow them out of the room.
She led them back to the reception area and then to a room on the right, it had fewer cats wandering around and more tables and chairs. They followed her to one of the empty tables, the two of them had been the only people in the playpen room but here two other tables had people and from the looks of it couples.
Don't you dare blush he scolded himself inwardly.
The young ninja was doing a remarkable job as he and Naruto took their seats but then their hostess had to go and speak, "So since you two are going out for ramen next time I suppose the soup menu isn't something that will interest you today."
There it was the return of the dreaded blush, why did she make it sound that way? He looked around at the other tables hoping they didn't think he was going to go on another date with the blonde.
Not that this way a date!
He tried to hide his face with the laminated snack list in front of him. The genin had known she was eavesdropping before, now he had proof!
"Why not? Ramen isn't a soup, ramen is ramen… wait do you sell ramen here?" She asked much too excitedly.
How many times can one person say ramen? At least it helped to kill his blush well until he noticed her voice had carried and gotten the other couples' attention.
Kill me now he thought mortified.
Naruto had no such problems it seemed or maybe it was because unlike her these people were his clan so they probably knew him.
Obito didn't look too closely to see if he personally knew them though, he'd rather not know.
"Aw, that's too bad…" He hadn't been paying attention to what the older woman had said but if Naruto's reaction was anything to go by, they didn't have her beloved ramen.
Something he knew, of course, they were a just café mostly just sandwiches, pastries, and well a few simple soups like tomato soup if he was remembering correctly. He was too busy trying to melt into the ground and away from all the eyes he felt were watching him to tell the girl that though.
A hand pushed down his only line of defense the snack sheet, an irritated face met his.
"I asked if you wanted to split the chicken salad sandwich?"
"Huh oh… I guess." He responded not really thinking about it, "Okay that's what we'll have."
"Good choice it'll be out momentarily." She grabbed the snack list from his hands and took it with her while she walked away.
He was pretty sure those were supposed to stay on the table.
That's when his earlier words penetrated his brain.
"Wait… split… share food with you?" He squeaked.
"Don't worry she said the sandwiches here were pretty big."
Naruto appeared to be missing the point and seemed to notice by his face, "They cut them in half too… geez, I don't have cooties."
He didn't respond to that; she still didn't get it.
They were sharing! That was something couples did and this was a popular dating site. It was a nightmare, what if someone told Rin and she thought he went on a date with a girl that wasn't her?
The blue-eyed girl poked his arm making him jump and look at her not having realized his eyes were shooting around the room as if looking for Rin herself to appear.
"Really what's wrong with you?" Naruto leaned back and folded her arms across her chest.
"N-nothing." He stammered.
"Not buying it, you've been funny since we got here."
"No… I haven't." Obito denied.
"Yes, you have. And if you don't start talking, I'm gonna start making guesses as to why and you don't want me to make assumptions do you?" Naruto wiggled her eyebrows but he wasn't amused.
Obito didn't really care what assumptions she would make because it wasn't like she'd guess correctly and he told her so.
"So, you aren't still worrying that this is too date like?" She hit the nail on the head and the girl knew it.
His eyes widen, "I thought so, stop freaking out I already told you I wouldn't date a little kid."
Obito had already pointed out that she herself was still a kid before but she either was ignoring that fact or had forgotten it.
With her either was plausible.
"Keep this up and you might hurt my feelings." She pouted; it was obviously fake but he still questioned her meaning.
"What?"
"I'm not so bad that you should freak out at the idea of going on a date with me." This time her words seemed less sure of herself but she quickly covered that back up, "I'm sure many guys would want a chance to go on a date with me!"
It struck him that her bravo wasn't real or at least partly faked something made her unsure of herself but it wasn't like he could ask her about it. Well, he could but the genin was sure she wouldn't answer.
Instead, he decided to explain even if it was a bit embarrassing for him, "It's not… that… it's just I well I kind of already like this girl."
Naruto grinned, "Yeah?"
He nodded with a slight smile.
"Okay then tell me about her." She seemed to genuinely want to know and that was a first for him so his comeback was less than stellar, "Huh?"
"Tell me about this girl you're crushing on," Naruto repeated.
It was strange, no one ever wanted to hear him talk about how amazing Rin was. Usually, he'd be ignored or told to shut up about it.
That's why when he was asked it took him a minute to figure out what to say but once he got started, he couldn't stop.
Not surprising really as Rin was just that great.
Though Naruto was pretty cool too after all she was the one who was listening to him singing Rin's praises.
-
That night Obito was deep asleep when something startled him awake, he sat up fast. Too fast for his still slightly sore stomach but that was only a passing thought.
Something was wrong.
Getting out of bed he tried to figure out what it was, slowly he turned the bedside table lamp on as his eyes glanced around his now lit bedroom.
Nothing appeared to be out of place.
Obito was getting really tired of all these strange feelings lately.
Eyes widened as he realized they usually always had to do with Naruto or rather the person that was after her.
Did that mean he was nearby?
Was he in his district? His house?
The genin's heart pounded hard against his chest as he searched his house thoroughly. The feeling faded and he found no one.
What was going on?
Could he have imagined it?
Walking back to his room he felt a breeze, it stopped him cold.
The window in his living room was open, it hadn't been when he went to sleep. It hadn't even been when he had checked the room a few moments earlier.
Someone had been in his house while he was sleeping.
Obito had a feeling he knew who it was, the Uchiha pretender.
Because he refused to believe the man with the single Sharingan was a real Uchiha.
But why would that man have been in his house?
He was only after Naruto wasn't he?