Your Love Is Beneath Mine

Hearing Uchiha Chi's question, Obito stiffened at once.

He had nearly forgotten that he had come here in the middle of the night not to race around with a stranger, but to find Uchiha Chi.

As for why he had come to find Uchiha Chi—

It was because ever since Uchiha Chi had promised to apologize to Rin, Rin really had stopped being upset these past two days.

But Rin had become very strange.

She would often sit alone in a daze, lost in thought. A smile would occasionally curl at the corners of her lips, or she would simply purse them and secretly giggle.

She looked especially beautiful.

However, when Obito asked whether something good had happened, Nohara Rin's eyes instantly turned cold.

"It has nothing to do with you, Obito."

That was the first time he had felt Nohara Rin's annoyance toward him.

Then Nohara Rin became unhappy again.

At the time, Obito had been like a dog that had done something wrong and displeased its owner, trembling all over.

He kept apologizing to Nohara Rin, trying to earn her forgiveness like before.

Later, Nohara Rin did forgive him, but there was always a trace of distance in her tone.

"I need to prepare for team training. I don't have time to waste on you."

"I haven't been in a good mood lately. Please stop bothering me."

Uchiha Obito was terrified by this.

He felt that, somewhere beyond his knowledge, Nohara Rin had undergone some unknown change.

Perhaps it would cause him to lose her.

If... my future has no Rin, where am I supposed to go?

And why had everything turned out like this...?

With a heart full of confusion, Uchiha Obito wandered aimlessly around the clan grounds.

By the time he came back to his senses, he had arrived at Uchiha Chi's doorstep.

Why had he come looking for him?

Uchiha Obito himself did not know.

Perhaps it was because the other person liked Rin too.

If there was anyone in this world who could understand his lost and helpless feelings, then Uchiha Chi, who had confessed to Rin, would surely be one of them.

But now that he was truly facing him, Obito could not bring himself to speak.

Just a few days ago, he had secretly looked down on him as a loser. Yet now, he himself looked even more like a stray dog.

How laughable...

But Uchiha Chi seemed to see his embarrassment. He put away his puzzled expression and took the initiative to ask with mild concern, "Did something happen, Obito?"

That concern was like rain after a long drought, making the dejected Obito suddenly feel a little better.

"So Uchiha Chi isn't such a bad guy after all."

"...I feel like Rin has been acting a little strange lately." He opened his mouth, froze for half a minute, then finally said it.

Uchiha Chi patiently asked, "How has she been strange?"

"She's always spacing out lately, and she likes to purse her lips and secretly smile..." Obito gave a simple description.

Uchiha Chi blinked. "Doesn't that mean she's in a pretty good mood? What's strange about it?"

"The way she treats me, and the way she looks at me, are strange." Obito's face looked somewhat pale.

Uchiha Chi immediately understood why.

After all, Nohara Rin had already learned from him what Obito had done. The fact that she could hold back from cursing him out was already remarkably civilized.

But he still pretended not to understand and asked, "Strange? Specifically how?"

"The way she speaks to me is very distant, and the way she looks at me is cold. It scares me. She clearly wasn't like this before..." As though recalling that scene, Uchiha Obito's body began to tremble again.

[Detected pain from Uchiha Obito!]

[Received 10 points, and Damage Increase rose by 2%!]

Uchiha Chi slowly closed his eyes, clearly beginning to think.

Seeing Uchiha Chi like this, Obito did not dare speak. He barely even dared breathe, merely watching him anxiously.

A few seconds later, Uchiha Chi smiled and opened his eyes to look at him. "Uchiha Obito."

"What is it?" Obito asked, tightly clutching his hands.

For some reason, although Uchiha Chi was smiling, he felt that the other person was not in a good mood.

Uchiha Chi calmly said, "Didn't you tell me that you would make her happy?"

His voice was even, but Obito could sense the emotion contained within it.

It was hysterical rage.

Only then did Obito suddenly awaken.

That was right. He had clearly promised Uchiha Chi that he would let Rin live happily.

Yet now, he had completely forgotten that promise and run to ask him what he should do.

Anyone would probably be angry to hear that.

[Detected guilt from Uchiha Obito!]

[Received 10 points, and Damage Increase rose by 2%!]

Uchiha Chi stood up and walked toward Obito.

For every step he took forward, Obito took one back, until they reached the corner.

Looking at those ice-cold eyes, Uchiha Obito could not help shuddering. Filled with shame, he averted his gaze.

"I'm truly sorry..."

"I don't need your apology. If I remember correctly, this is already the second time, isn't it?

"Every time, you make me do this and that, swearing that you'll make Rin happy. Yet every time, I never see Rin become happy."

"I think you simply enjoy the pleasure that comes from making promises, while lacking the ability to fulfill them at all!"

"I..."

Obito opened his mouth, but could not say anything. He only felt bitterness at the corners of his lips.

None of the promises he had made could be fulfilled.

I really am useless...

He slowly lowered his head, his throat tightening. He felt that he had let down both Nohara Rin and Uchiha Chi.

And Uchiha Chi continued speaking to himself.

"Why? Why did you make Rin angry... Uchiha Obito, tell me," Uchiha Chi's voice remained calm, but his eyes quickly turned blood-red. "Do you really have the ability to protect Rin!?"

Under Uchiha Obito's shocked gaze, Uchiha Chi's eyes spun rapidly, and a single tomoe appeared in each pupil.

"Sh-Sharingan!?" Uchiha Obito was completely dumbfounded.

What was going on? Uchiha Chi had awakened the Single-Tomoe Sharingan in a burst of emotion because he had failed to make Rin happy!?

[Detected shock from Uchiha Obito!]

[Received 15 points, and Damage Increase rose by 3%!]

Looking at the system notification that had appeared for who knew how many times, Uchiha Chi immediately felt delighted.

However, he had no intention of stopping there.

Though Uchiha Chi was secretly thrilled, his face remained gloomy, his Single-Tomoe Sharingan fixed firmly on Obito.

"You keep saying how much you like Rin, so why is it that when you make Rin unhappy, you can't even awaken your eyes..."

"Still won't admit it?" Uchiha Chi shouted, "Your so-called love is beneath mine!"

PS: It's time to ask for continued reading again. Please, just turn two more pages. Please, please.