Whispers of Obsession

Beneath the Mask

I sat on the couch in the Akatsuki's dimly lit living room, my leg bouncing uncontrollably as I picked at the edge of my thumbnail.

The quietness of the base only made the tension in my chest worse.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the movement of Tobi or rather Obito. He entered the room, his steps slow and deliberate, his dark eyes locked on me.

"Y/N," he said finally, his voice cutting through the silence.

"What?" I muttered, not looking up.

"You're acting strange."

"I'm fine," I shot back quickly, too quickly, and I regretted it the moment the words left my mouth.

"Fine?" he repeated, his tone laced with disbelief. "You've been bouncing your leg for the past ten minutes, and you're picking at your nails like you're trying to rip them off."

I stopped immediately, folding my hands in my lap. "Maybe I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"About why you care so much." I finally looked up at him, narrowing my eyes. "Do I need permission to think now?"

His eyes narrowed, frustration flickering across his face. "What are you thinking about, Y/N?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing? You're the one standing there staring at me like I've done something wrong."

He took a step closer, his gaze sharp. "Because you're hiding something."

"What makes you so sure?"

"You're not exactly subtle," he snapped.

I raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the couch. "If I were hiding something, you'd have proof by now, wouldn't you? Or are you slipping, Obito?"

He warned me not to say his real name out in the open. I figured it was since all the Akatsuki members kept their personal information away from one another.

His jaw tightened at the sound of his name, and a sarcastic smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "You're awfully bold for someone in your position."

"And you're awfully paranoid for someone who claims to have everything under control," I shot back with attitude. 

His smirk vanished, and his expression darkened as he stepped forward, grabbing my hand and yanking me to my feet with such force that I stumbled.

"What the hell—"

"I'm done playing with you," he said sharply.

"What are you doing-?"

"You'll see."

Before I could argue, he practically dragged me toward the hallway, his grip on my wrist unrelenting. I tugged back, trying to slow him down. "You're overreacting."

He glanced back at me, his dark eyes narrowing. "Am I?"

"Yes!"

He stopped abruptly, turning to face me. "Then prove it."

I glared up at him, refusing to answer. His patience had clearly run out, and his smirk returned, this time darker and colder.

"Exactly what I thought," he muttered before pulling me along again.

As we turned a corner, Konan appeared at the end of the hallway. She raised an eyebrow at the scene, her gaze flicking between the two of us. "What's going on here?"

Obito didn't even pause, his attention locked on me. "We're having a private conversation."

Konan crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed. "You seem tense for a conversation."