Chapter 9: Fall In Love With Me.
“And that is how you conclude this equation. See? Work out the problem yourself a few times, and then practice and interleave this equation with different sets of problems for your practice,” Rin said brightly as she taught Obito how to successfully solve several hard math equations.

At first, Obito thought it would be impossible for him to learn something like that, though when Rin taught him these things, she made the explanations so clear and simple and easy to understand. His heart swelled with love for her, and he wanted to live up to her expectations of becoming the next Hokage and making up for the previous incident of before with the Shadow Clone. He scribbled down the numbers and formulas for the problems, with Rin eying them over his shoulder, and he could feel her nod of approval from behind him as he finished off the last answer he’d written.

“Very good, you’re getting the hang of this,” Rin said with a soft smile towards him. “Pretty soon, you might not need my help in studying. Remember, it’s important to study as well as train. A well-balanced body and mind are important, and besides that, studying is something that you should commit to for the rest of your life. Okay?”

“All right, sensei!” Obito said before he grinned ear to ear. “I feel confident that I’m learning new things and it’s being committed to memory. It’s all thanks to my Master, Rin!”

Rin giggled. “Please, it was all you. It was your hard work and effort that made you solve those problems. You’re getting better and you’re able to solve situations and tricks that I haven’t taught you yet. I’m super proud of you, Obito!”

Obito’s cheeks warmed. He wanted to hug Rin and hold her close to him, to celebrate him making way for his studies. Though he simply went with shaking Rin’s hands, before she clapped her hands for him.

“Congratulations,” Rin said. “You are now officially a scholar. The best thing you can do is read more books on your own for self-study and also get as much experience as you can do many different things to stimulate your mind. I think you’ll do just fine, though. You’ve learned so much in a month, and I’m sure that you’ll only learn even more things as you grow older and experience the world.”

“Experience the world, huh?” Obito said, thinking about the fact he hasn’t actually explored one aspect of the world yet—which was relationships. He figured he wanted a relationship with Rin and to be together with her for an eternity. Did books have a column on relationships or what to do to win the heart of a girl? There were so many topics under the sun when it came to books, and when Obito got his hands on a science experiment book Rin gave him and he actually practiced its teachings, conducting hypotheses and experiments and seeing them through, Obito became addicted to books.

He found he wanted to read more and more of them, indulging in the thoughts of authors, past and present, that have lived before him and shared their wisdom with him in their tomes. Obito knew that he officially graduated as a scholar underneath his Master Rin, and he didn’t want to disappoint her. Maybe Obito would go to the library and read all the books from wall to wall that have been harbored there.

Once Rin kissed him on the cheek and he walked her home, Obito immediately went to the library. However, while he was on his way there, he saw none other than Kakashi.

“Yo,” Kakashi said, to which Obito greeted him in turn. “What’re you up to today, Obito?”

“I’m going to the library!” Obito said happily.

Kakashi raised his eyebrows, though he seemed pleased with Obito’s sentiment.

“Oh? What kinds of books are you going to look for in there?”

“Anything!” Obito said. “Actually, I was hoping that there was a book on relationships or something. I figure that there are so many authors and topics that people write about, there’s bound to be a book on relationships, right?”

Kakashi gestured for Obito to lean in closer. Obito did. Kakashi then whispered. “I hear there’s a legendary book that talks about relationships and interesting things inside of it that the older boys whisper about. I don’t know if I should tell you the title of the book, but..it’s juicy.”

“What is this book?” Obito whispered back, though excitement gleamed in his eyes.

Kakashi leaned out before looking contemplative. “I don’t know if I should tell you, Obito…”

“Awh, come on!” Obito said while throwing an arm around Kakashi’s shoulder. “Tell me, tell me!”

Kakashi pretended to consider.

“Well, I don’t know. You’re my friend, Obito, but this is a super top secret mission that I can only rely on someone trustworthy. Are you someone I can trust with this holy bible and shrine of books?”

Obito nodded. “You can tell me anything, Kakashi! We’ve been rivals all this time, haven’t we? So…if you won’t spill what the book is, I’m getting impatient! I want to spend more time with Rin.”

Kakashi lowered his voice to a whisper, before saying, “This book…may help your relationship with Rin. You always wondered what it would be like to ‘go to the next level’ with her, haven’t you?”

Obito gulped.

“Kakashi…it sounds like…you’re talking about those pornographic books, aren’t you?”

Kakashi gave Obito a look of disdain. “This isn’t a mere ‘pornographic’ book. It is a religious totem that will change your life forever.”

“So…does it have any sports or training in it?”

Kakashi widened his eyes and gestured with his hands as he told about what was inside the book. "Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders...Pain. Death. Brave Men. Cowardly men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles.”*

Obito considered for a moment before his grin spread even wider on his face.

“Count me in! I want to see this book!”

Kakashi looked left, then right, peeking around the corner. He swept Obito into a corner, in the privacy of an alley, so it was just the two of them. Making sure no one was watching or hovering nearby, Kakashi then took out a book from his jacket. He hid the cover title, and Obito, in anticipation of what it is, balanced on his heels.

“So, so! What is it, what is it? I’m dying of suspense here?”

Kakashi looked very solemn for a moment, before saying, “I’m entrusting this copy of this book to you, Obito. Remember, within these sacred pages are revelatory insights and beautiful passions and sentiments of an educated and enlightened mind. Once you hold the keys to this book, you hold the keys to the world…and relationships. I present to you…”

Kakashi finally revealed the book. Obito saw the title, which was Makeout Paradise.

“I knew it! So it is a porno book!” Obito said as he blushed profusely.

“No, dummy,” Kakashi said, though he seemed to slip a wink towards an unknown audience that Obito couldn’t see. “Read it and you will find out. You can’t debase this book by calling it a mere ‘pornographic’ book. It will literally change your life. And your relationship with Rin.”

Obito eyed the cover of a handsome man chasing after a rather buxom woman doubtfully. “What if Rin catches me reading something like this?”

Kakashi slowly put the book away in his jacket, while Obito gulped. This book could probably give him the keys he needed to get a better relationship with Rin, though would he rather ruin something special he had now to be caught with something like this? Yet…what Kakashi was saying might have some validity towards it. But Obito, in all his life, never read a pornographic book before. He heard about them through kids and whispers, though Obito spent too much time imagining Rin rather than settling on fantasy woman in the pages of centerfolds and cutouts.

“Wait! I’ll take your book,” Obito grudgingly admitted.

Kakashi considered again before he placed the book into Obito’s hands. “I entrust you with Holy Writ that is called Makeout Paradise. May all your dreams come true.”

Obito blushed again, embarrassed before he tucked the book into his shirt to hide it, though there was an obvious bulge where the book was hidden. Perhaps it would be suspicious, but he didn’t want anyone seeing what the title of the book was! If word got out that he read such books, then would people label him as a pervert? Though…Obito felt that he shared a conspiratorial secret with Kakashi, and he was up for some boyish mischief like this. He did feel a little bad that Kakashi was considered the third wheel of their relationship lately, so having something that bonded two brothers in arms together was something that made Obito really happy!

“Have fun,” Kakashi said before he lowered his voice into a whisper once more. “Read it at night…when you’re alone…make sure that no one is watching you.”

Obito blushed again before he scampered off with Kakashi’s book. He probably ended up with confiscated material that boys like him shouldn’t read, but the way that Kakashi worded the story itself sounded intriguing, and well…these kinds of books were researched too, right? A book shouldn’t be shunned because of such contents, should it?

But even so…

Obito made his way into his room. Making sure that he was completely alone (no grandmother, and most of all no Kakashi lingering outside his window), settled on his bed, and cracked open a page, still blushing the entire time. While reading the book, he suddenly found himself immersed in the world and narrative that the author created, and even though there was some rather…erotic content in the book that he probably shouldn’t be reading, Obito found himself drawn into the story and imagined himself as the hero while the heroine was Rin. While he read to the dark hours of the night and into the wee hours in the morning, black circles smudged his eyes as he finished the last page of the rather thick tome and set the book aside underneath his bed.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have read that,” Obito said as he noticed what happened to his sheets. How embarrassing! It was all because he immersed himself in the book and thought of Rin during his fantasies!

After cleaning out his sheets (without his grandmother noticing the reason behind why) Obito attempted to catch some shut eye so that he could study properly later (Rin said that rest was an important part of training and studying, as well!) he woke up the sound of Rin entering his bedroom.

“Obito,” Rin said gently. “It’s time to wake up. Didn’t I tell you that you should sleep to have your memories consolidate and wash out the toxins in your brain that causes the swelling during the day as you’re learning? Did you spend all night studying?”

“Er,” Obito said, suddenly remembering the book and blushing entirely. “You could…say that.”

Rin started to clean up the room and pick up things before Obito suddenly had a sinking feeling in his chest. What if she was cleaning up his room and she discovered the book underneath his bed? Though if he made any sudden movements or mentioned anything about it, wouldn’t she get suspicious?

“Ah, Rin! I can clean up later!” Obito protested before Rin gently chided him.

“A clean environment is important for an optimal study space,” Rin said as she began organizing the books that he gathered on his bookshelf (with Makeout Paradise safely tucked underneath his bed, though he wasn’t sure when that space will be examined for dust bunnies or something). “The room is getting a little dusty, I think, so I will help you clean up so that your grandmother doesn’t have to.”

“Er, hem,” Obito said nervously as he shadowed Rin and tried to make sure that she didn’t find anything discriminating or suspicious, though she was being rather thorough in her tidying and cleaning. She was going to inevitably make her way there, though what can he do? “Aha…I know, Rin. I’ll clean up this half, and you clean the other half. It’s not fair that you do all the work, no?”

Rin eyed Obito suspiciously, and Obito knew that he was in trouble. He winced, though instead of receiving an oncoming slap like he expected, Rin simply pulled out the book from underneath his bed and looked at the cover, which was…rather racy.

“Where did you get this?” Rin asked curiously, and Obito blushed and hemmed and hawed as he began scratching underneath his chin awkwardly.

“From…a very reliable source…” Obito said before he blushed and fidgeted on the end of the bed while Rin decided to take a look at the first few pages, being the natural bookworm that she was.

As soon as she read the first few pages, however, she immediately reddened, before she slowly closed the book and hugged it against her chest as though it might flip out and bite her.
"I'm confiscating this item because I'm pretty sure we can get in trouble if we're caught reading material like this,” Rin said.

Obito swallows his courage and then prostates himself before Rin.

“I’m so sorry, Rin! I wanted a book on relationships and Kakashi said that this book would help me, but I shouldn’t have read something like this behind your back! It was wrong! Please forgive me, Rin! It seems like I do nothing but screw up!”

Obito started to sniffle a little bit before Rin gently took a tissue and wiped some of his tears away.

“There, there,” Rin said. “It’s only natural that boys would get…curious about these kinds of books.”

She fidgeted with the ends of her skirt. “Um, I could teach you more about relationships if you want, but to tell you the truth, I don’t have much experience in this regard except what I’ve read about in relationship advice columns and books…”

Obito looked her in the eye, blushing before he whispered. “Rin.”

Rin smiled, still blushing, before saying, “If you would like to conduct an experiment…solve this math equation for me, Obito…”

Obito swallowed.

She leaned forward and whispered in his ear. “Subtract clothes, add skin, divide legs, and multiply.”

She then leaned out of the way and covered her face with her hands.

Obito stuttered and stammered.

“Oh my God, Rin, did you just…”

“Please don’t make me repeat it,” Rin said as she peeked through her fingers and watched him through them. But if you could give me personal experience rather than resorting to books for that…I’m your pupil in that regard.”

Obito blushed again before he hugged Rin close.

“We don’t have to rush things,” Obito murmured, and Rin smiled at him. “Fall in love with me, Rin.”

*Quote From the Princess Bride