From the soft murmurs echoing within the depths of the hideout, Obito could tell that it was raining outside. The clouds were dark and the trees swayed dangerously low, warning of the strong thunderstorm that was about to hit the area. Not that Obito particularly worried about this though.

As per usual, Obito had woken up early due to his fitful night of sleep. He arose in a weary manner, wincing as he felt his broken body ache from old pains. Although his body had technically been stitched up years ago thanks to the help of Madara, the scars and pain left from his old injuries had never really healed. The evidence of course was etched right into Obito's face.

Perhaps the pain felt worse today due to the recent adjustments he had made on his own body the other day. After the troublesome fight with Konan, he had transplanted the rinnegan into his left eye and he had to replace his right arm again with some of Zetsu's cells. Groaning, Obito stretched his right arm a bit, managing to ease some of his soreness. He rubbed his face and then got up from his bed, scratching his head wearily as he prepared for the day.

These days, Obito didn't bother with looks beyond the point of cutting his hair now and then. Busy with his preparations for the Moons Eye Plan, he simply had no time anymore. Besides, what was the point, when he was always wearing a mask? At this point he had gotten so used to being behind a mask that he had begun to forgot about the scars that ran along the right side of his face. When Obito would remember them, he would his fingers along them, silently musing over the idea of other people's reactions to his face. Would they think him a monster?

No matter – they already saw him as one now.

In the hideout, things were still quiet. Kabuto was most likely still asleep and White Zetsu had taken guard towards the entrance. Glancing back one more time to assure that everything was in safe condition, Obito placed his newly equipped mask on over his face and made his way outwards.

"So you're leaving again." White Zetsu's words were not a question.

"Yeah, but not for long," Obito said, looking up at the dark stormy sky. "Keep an eye on Kabuto. If he seems to be acting suspicious, call for me immediately."

"Understood," White Zetsu said simply.

Obito let his mangekyou activate, sucking his body away into the next dimension. His moments in this dimension were usually brief, but Obito felt strangely happy whenever he transitioned from here to the real world. Unlike reality, the dimension created by his mangekyou sharingan was so quiet, so utterly peaceful. Here, no one could disturb him. The only thing it lacked, of course, was her.

Obito materialized his body in the forest of Konoha, just outside of the village. Making sure no one was around to see him, Obito pulled his hooded jacked over his head and began to walk at a brisk pace towards the village. He had no intention of attacking or killing anyone today. That could wait for later. Today, Obito wanted to check on something else. Just in case, Obito kept his mangekyou activated.

Thanks to his ocular abilities, slipping through the barriers set by Konoha was a simple task. Remembering where the old mark for the barrier was, Obito let his body slip through.

To Obito's happiness, the graveyards of Konoha had been preserved, even after Pein's attack. Of course, there was still left over gravel scattered across the field, but the strong stones from which the grave markers were built had managed to survive the onslaught that had overtaken the village so many months ago.

Obito approached the end of the woods but before he stepped out in the open, he hesitated. Drawing back into the trees, he knelt down, scanning for others from a point where no one could see him. Obviously, he could kill them right away if he needed to, but if he was careless his coming to this place could potentially reveal his identity to the enemy. So close to achieving his goal, there was no way Obito could let such an event happen.

To his relief, no one seemed to be around. Obito was slightly surprised to not see Kakashi anywhere but then again the threatening winds and dark clouds could imply that Kakashi was staying in for the day. In the times before, Obito had always had to wait for what felt like an eternity before Kakashi left and he could take his turn to pay his respects to her. He did not hate Kakashi for that nor did he really hate him for what he did to her. All Obito really felt was…emptiness. Sickening, maddening emptiness. Obito strode forward and found her grave from memory.

The grave had accumulated some dust thanks to the Konoha attacks and Obito observed a small crack crawling up the left side. Sighing he knelt down and gently brushed the dust away from the grave with his hand, leaving her name visible on the marker again. "Nohara Rin…" Obito whispered, letting his hand rest on the grave as he closed his eyes.

Sixteen some odd years after her death and Obito still felt the shock of her passing weighing on his heart. For whatever horrifying reason, Obito's mind had perfectly preserved that memory of her being run through, the blood streaming down her face as she choked on her last breath. It shocked him and then numbed him and Obito felt a hollowness growing inside him once more. He lowered his head and whispered her name again, this time feeling his voice waver. Perhaps the pain was worse today because he knew how close he was to seeing her again, how close he was to creating a world not just for her but for the greater good of humanity. The paradise he had been dreaming of was just within reaching distance – he just had to endure a little bit more.

"Just you wait and see, Rin," Obito murmured, recovering himself from the recent wave of emotion with a steadying breath. "It will be beautiful." With that, Obito activated his mangekyou, summoning a set of flowers that he left hidden in the other dimension. Obito knew it seemed pointless to leave flowers when they were probably just going to be blown away with the coming storm, but nevertheless he placed them at the foot of the marker.

Obito rose slowly, looking up at the clouds as rain began to pelt down upon him. Strangely, it felt nice to stand there in the graveyard, feeling the rain wash over upon him. Obito let his gaze drift down to the grave again and as he did so he tried to picture Rin's perfect smile in his mind. In the years upon her death, he was sad to say that his memory had begun to betray him, showing him a picture of Rin that he knew was nowhere near the perfection that she was in reality.

"Just a bit sooner, I'll see you smile again," Obito said with a tired smile behind his masked face. Then he teleported away.