The morning mist had yet to fully disperse, and a pale light spread across the sky over the Land of Grass's border.
The rendezvous point was a secluded clearing in the woods.
Kakashi leaned against a tree trunk, arms crossed over his chest, his right eye—the one exposed above his mask—slightly narrowed.
Rin Nohara crouched nearby, her fingers idly fiddling with a roll of bandages in her ninja tool pouch.
Her brown eyes kept darting toward the forest path.
"He's ten minutes late."
Kakashi sounded annoyed.
He had only just warned Obito yesterday, yet here he was, late again.
"Let's give him a little longer, Kakashi."
Rin Nohara spoke softly, rising and brushing grass clippings from her knees.
"I'm sure Obito's already on his way."
Hyuga Ginka's pure white eyes saw through the dense forest.
"I see him."
The corner of Hyuga Ginka's mouth twitched.
"He's... running this way, very fast, but—"
Before she finished, hurried footsteps sounded in the woods, accompanied by the crack of snapping branches.
A black figure shot out of the bushes, then abruptly fell.
A branch had snagged Obito, throwing him off balance and sending him sprawling face-first before the others in a thoroughly embarrassing heap.
"Ow, ow, ow..."
Obito pushed himself up from the ground and rubbed his reddened nose. Then he raised his head, meeting the others' varied expressions.
"Are you okay, Obito?"
Rin Nohara hurried over and crouched to check his injuries.
Her fingers gently brushed aside the stray hair on his forehead as she checked for scrapes.
Obito's face instantly turned bright red.
Rin Nohara's concern seemed to miraculously erase all the pain from his fall.
"I'm fine."
Obito scrambled to his feet and brushed the dead leaves off his clothes.
"I just tripped, that's all. It didn't hurt at all!"