The three of them walked slowly down the quiet road, one after the other. Kakashi took the lead, while Rin and Obito followed behind him, side by side. The morning air carried a crisp breeze, stirring the leaves and lifting stray strands of Rin's hair.
At the next intersection, Kakashi slowed down. His single visible eye fell on a sign left by Naruto, just as they had agreed upon the previous night. A large stone had been placed at the corner, a kunai stabbed firmly into it. It was the signal: preparations were complete.
"Good," Kakashi muttered under his breath. "No problem."
Turning back slightly, Kakashi gave Obito a subtle OK gesture with his hand.
Obito immediately understood, his pulse quickening. Rin, however, caught the gesture and frowned faintly. She tilted her head, staring at Obito with curious suspicion. Why would Kakashi give him a secret signal like that?
Obito chuckled nervously, trying to cover his excitement. He pulled something from his pouch — a folded strip of cloth. Extending it toward Rin, he said:
"Rin, put this over your eyes."
Rin blinked in surprise, taken aback. "Eh? What are you doing, Obito?"
Obito scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. "Just trust me. Cover them up, alright? No peeking."
Rin sighed, noting the anxious look on his face. "Fine, fine. You're acting strange, Obito…"
Still, she tied the cloth across her eyes, shutting out the world.
Obito grinned widely, unable to contain himself. He took Rin's hand gently. "Good! Now, don't peek. I'll lead you from here."
Rin allowed herself to be pulled along, though she smiled faintly at his childish excitement. "Obito… are you hiding something from Kakashi? What exactly are you planning?"
Obito chuckled again, his grip tightening on her hand. "You'll understand when we get there."
They turned another corner. Up ahead, Kakashi stood at the next intersection, giving Obito a slight nod before stepping aside.
Obito leaned closer to Rin and whispered: "Alright, I'm going to stop here in a moment. I'll let go of your hand. Don't worry, just stay still until I call out. Then, when I tell you, you can remove the blindfold. Got it?"
Rin puffed out her cheeks, annoyed but amused. "Why are you being so mysterious?"
Obito smirked. "You'll see soon."
They walked forward until they reached the designated spot. Obito carefully let go of Rin's hand.
"Stay right there, Rin. Wait for my signal."
Rin gave a small nod, her voice soft. "…Alright."
Moments later, she heard footsteps rushing away, growing distant until silence returned.
Meanwhile, everything was ready. With Kakashi's guidance, and Naruto and Yamato's boundless energy, the area ahead had been decorated beautifully. Cherry blossom branches lined the path, petals scattered across the ground. When the breeze stirred, the air filled with a flurry of soft pink petals, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.
At the far end, Obito stopped and inhaled deeply. His chest rose and fell as he exhaled, trying to calm his racing heart.
"Alright… this is it," he whispered.
He formed a hand seal. Transformation Jutsu — Henge!
A puff of smoke enveloped him. When it cleared, standing there was not the older Obito hardened by war, but the younger version of himself — bright-eyed, clumsy, and full of dreams. The Obito of his childhood.
Kakashi, watching from the side, stiffened. His visible eye softened. "Obito… You're finally doing it."
Obito lifted his head and shouted across the path.
"Rin! You can take off the blindfold!"
Rin froze at the sound of that voice. It was so familiar… a voice from long ago. Her breath caught in her throat. She hurriedly untied the cloth and lifted her gaze.
Her eyes widened in wonder. The path before her was lined with cherry blossoms in full bloom, petals drifting gently through the air with each passing breeze.
"Wow…" Rin gasped softly. She stretched out her hand, catching a petal as it floated down. A smile bloomed on her face.
Then she heard it again.
"Rin!"
Her eyes snapped upward — and there he was.
Rin's breath hitched. Her heart pounded. "Obito… It's you… the younger Obito!"
Obito walked toward her slowly, step by step, smiling. Rin covered her mouth with her hand. She realized this entire scene had been prepared by him. The cherry blossoms, the surprise, everything.
Obito stopped in front of her, still smiling, though his expression carried a trace of nervousness.
"Rin," he began, his voice trembling, "there's something that's been in my heart for so long, but I never managed to say it. Looking back now, I regret it deeply."
He gave a bitter smile. "Back then, whenever I saw you, I felt so nervous. I was shy. Honestly, I was scared… scared of making you angry, scared of disappointing you. So I never dared to tell you."
He took a deep breath. "When I wore the mask… when I went after the Three-Tails, I lay there on its body, looking at the sky, and thought — what a shame. I like you so much, but I never told you myself."
Rin's eyes softened, shimmering with emotion. "…Obito…"
Tears welled up in Obito's eyes. His voice trembled but carried sincerity that shook the air.
"Rin, now that you're right here in front of me, I won't waste this chance again. Rin, I like you. No — I've loved you since the first time I saw you!"
At last, Obito spoke the words he had carried in his heart since boyhood.
Rin gasped, tears sliding down her cheeks. She covered her face, whispering, "I… I can't believe I'm finally hearing this!"
Obito opened his arms wide, then cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted to the sky:
"I said, Rin — I love you!!!"
The cry echoed among the cherry blossoms. The man no longer a boy finally shouted what his younger self never could.
Rin's chest tightened. She had always known Obito cared for her. But he had never said it directly. Now that he had, her heart overflowed.
In truth, Rin had always liked Obito too. She had once confessed in her own way, telling him when he was injured that he should never lie to her, that she would always watch over him, no matter what happened. That was her silent confession.
Obito hadn't realized then — but now, standing before him, Rin knew the truth.
People often believed Rin liked Kakashi. But that wasn't true love — only admiration. Kakashi's genius, his calm strength, had impressed her as a teenager. But admiration and love were not the same.
Her heart… had always leaned toward Obito — the bright, reckless boy who dreamed of becoming Hokage.
Obito's tears spilled freely as he knelt on one knee before her. From his pocket, he pulled out a small box. Inside gleamed a ring Naruto had helped him acquire — a diamond, shining brightly under the sun.
"Rin," Obito said, voice breaking, "I am here before you now… so I ask, please give me a chance to love you. Rin… marry me!"
Rin's hands flew to her mouth in shock. Her heart soared at the sight, but her mind froze. "Obito… this is so sudden!"
Obito's voice grew louder, desperate. "Rin, marry me! Will you? Please!"
Rin's tears streamed down her face. She trembled, whispering, "But Obito… I was brought back by Impure World Reincarnation. I'm not truly alive. How could we possibly marry?"
Obito shot to his feet, gripping her hands tightly. His gaze burned with determination.
"I don't care! Rin, I love you! I missed the chance to protect you once, and I won't miss it again. Give me this chance! I swear I'll protect you this time!"
He leaned closer, his voice raw. "So what if you're bound by Edo Tensei? If we must, we'll go somewhere far away, where no one will bother us. We'll live together, just the two of us!"
Rin blinked at him — and then laughed softly through her tears. His foolish, stubborn face was the same as ever.
"…Alright," Rin said, smiling gently. "Alright, Obito. I promise you. I'll marry you."
Obito's eyes widened. "Really?!"
Rin extended her hand, pointing at her finger with a teasing smile. "Well, if you don't put the ring on me now, I might change my mind."
Obito nearly fumbled in excitement. "O-okay! Okay, I'll do it right now!"
With trembling hands, he slid the ring onto Rin's finger. She, in turn, picked it up again and slipped it onto his.
"Obito," Rin whispered softly, "you better not regret this."
Obito laughed, tears of joy streaming down his cheeks. "Regret? Never! I'll never regret it, Rin!"
At that exact moment, Naruto came bursting out from behind a tree, grinning ear to ear. He popped a pair of party poppers above their heads.
"Bang! Bang!"
Colorful confetti rained down as Naruto shouted, "Ohhhh! Kiss her, kiss her already!"
Yamato followed, clapping and cheering. "Don't hold back, Obito!"
Kakashi emerged last, his expression calm but his visible eye softened with relief.
Rin looked at Obito shyly. Obito, however, was bold this time. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
Their lips met under the falling cherry blossoms.
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