Obito stayed locked up in his office for the rest of the day. Everyone tried to get Kyo to spill more secrets about him, but she refused.

She ran up the stairs, and once she reached the top, she exhaled loudly as she tried to catch her breath. Sitting down, she placed a hand on her chest until she could finally breath smoothly again. She reminded herself not to run up steep stairs as fast as you can without considering the consequences. 

Striding through the halls, she looked around at the decoration of the place. Which was none. Sighing softly, she walked up to Obito's office, and came in without knocking.

"Knock first," came the soothing voice that she had missed all day. 

"I know," she answered, "but there's something I need you to do." Obito sat up straighter from his more relaxed position. 

"I can't Kyo, I have work."

Kyo shook her head slightly, and walked up calmly to his desk. She pulled up a chair, and sat down, resting her chin on her hand, in which her elbow was planted on his desk. "No you're not. You can't think straight when she's on your mind."

She took him by the hand, and led him out of the door. Down the hallway, down the stairs, and out the front door. She took him to the place where she saw the stars together up on the hill. Finally sitting down, they looked at each other.

"It's not bad that you still mourn over Taki's death." she whispered.

Taking his hands into hers, she squeezed them tight, looking worriedly into Obito's eyes. "Now, don't cry, I know that she's going to return to you someday soon again." Reaching up to wipe away his tears that silently made its way down his face, she tipped her head slightly to the side, and gave him a small smile.

"How," Obito sniffed, then brought his voice to a whisper, "how do you know all of these things?"

Smiling still, she looked down onto their joined hands, answering with a soft voice, "I suppose I'm not what you call "normal"."

She looked into his eyes seriously, and continued. "Obito, to me, it feels like you've become someone else. It's like your personality changed a little. You as a whole have changed."

Obito looked down, tightening their grip on each other's hands. He was so occupied with the thoughts of Taki that he let it show.

Looking the other way, Kyo turned her body slightly. "Most say that you can see more from the eyes than words, but to me, I can read your mind better, observing you from a distance like this."

Obito's mouth opened, unintentionally whispering, "Y-you're amazing." Kyo's cheeks flushed pink, and she threw down a shy smile.

"You stay locked up in your office all day, and you often take naps. Also.. you should eat more. You've started eating less, and your mood has gone down."

Memories entering as she spoke, she continued on. "I asked the other members, too. "Don't you think that Obito's been acting a little different than usual?" They said no."

Obito stared at Kyo, as she went on. "It seems that I was the only one who noticed it. It all started on the day you had the dream about Taki and Rin. You were so caught up in the moment, that you decided to listen to whatever they had to say. That was their test, and I just happened to be there as the victim. I bet they also noticed you change.."

Obito unconsciously furrowed his eyebrows at her, but not in a bad way. She saw his expression, and turned away, saying fully with confidence, "I've always measured people in this way. I can see the problem, but I can't seem to fix it. I'm really bad at solutions."

Obito's mouth opened, and he gasped in surprise when Kyo continued. "Then, you showed up right in front of me.."

Tears began to form at the edges of her eyes, and slid down her cheeks. "To me, this was the one time where my need for a solution really mattered. But," she sniffed, and with a wavering voice, carried on, "all I could do was watch you suffer." 

She wiped away her tears, and breathed out. "I didn't know what to do. I was the only one that could see what was happening to you, but there wasn't anything I could do about it."

Obito could feel his own eyes cloud up with tears, and he picked her up, and hugged her close to his chest. All he could do at that point was cry it out with Kyo. 

She balled her fists into his shirt, and she looked up at him. "Are you really going to put this world to sleep, in a dream?"

His eyes widened, and suddenly, he could not look her in the eye anymore.

She sniffed a few times. "What would you change about me in your dream? I suppose that I wouldn't be crying like this, ne..?" She forced a little chuckle, making him hug her tighter. 

"I want you to stay exactly as you are." Came his answer. She slowly nodded. "I do, too. I want to know that.. that it's the real me talking to you."

He began to understand a little, crying. "But I want them back so badly. At this point, I will do just about anything."

Kyo looked up at him. "Do you love me, too?"

Without hesitation, he answered, "Yes."

"Then," she began to cry again, "what if your plan causes me to die? What would you do then?"

"Then it would give me even more reason to want to continue the plan."

"Are you willing to kill other people for this?" 

"Yes."

She choked on her tears. "I see. You've already killed hundreds. Then.. would you kill me for your plan? Is a Kyo that is made up in your dream, Infinite Tsukuyomi, good enough for you? Are you fine with a Rin or Taki that you know isn't really real? Would you imagine Taki falling in love with you?"

"N-no.. but it's the best possible way to have you all with me," he protested, already knowing deep in his heart that he was wrong.

"I think," Kyo stopped crying, and chuckled, muttering "why am I even crying?" to herself, before going on. "I think that we are a lot alike. My mama is up there too, you know." She pointed up at the sky.

"But my mama would be sad if she saw me doing bad things, just for her sake. I bet that Rin and Taki are watching you right now," her voice got wavery again, and between every word, a tear made its way down her cheek.

"I bet.. that they would say.." She cried out loud, her tears stinging her eyes. She took him by the shoulders, crying as she said, "They would take you by the shoulders.. like this, and look you in the eyes... and they would tell you.. that they love you...... and that they want you... to live.. the best life that you could live... while you are still on this planet... They would tell you... not to worry about them.. because they love you so much... They would want you... to laugh.. to smile.. to feel love again... and to love others... They would watch you... Every happy moment you have.. they watch with a smile... every sad moment you have.. they watch with tears in their eyes... They're there for you always, even.. when you can't see them... and when you die of old age.. they will welcome you back with open arms, like I would... if I were to die..."

Kyo hugged him, as he stared on ahead, his eyes rimmed with red. He picked her up, and carried her home. "But what happens now to the Akatsuki.. if I do as you say? We gave up our lives for this."

"Then.." Kyo said, and with a grin, answered, "You can all continue living in this house together, making new memories every day with each other. We will laugh together, like a family. Doesn't that sound like a lot of fun?"

"I.. suppose.."

"Then will you do that? Give up on the plan and live a normal life?"

"Well.. I'll think about it."

-

For several days, Obito didn't send anyone on missions. He didn't have an answer to Kyo's question, but he could already feel himself saying the answer.

Yes.