Ain't no party like a ninja party

[usedswift]

Who: open to literally anyone in Blackthorn City who wanders into the ninja party + friends
Where: Blackthorn City (mainly hotsprings but also anywhere)
When: July 23rd
Summary: Sasuke gets a birthday party whether he wants one or not. Lucky for him, he has friends (in spite of his best efforts) who'll plan one.
Rating: G? PG for violence

[ooc; general mingle log for Blackthorn City/Sasuke's birthday. Most of it will probably take place at the hotsprings itself, though like the 'who' says, it's completely open to anyone just walking by and wondering what the big deal is, or someone who's already there and then has their pleasant soak interrupted by a bunch of dumb ninjas.]

Comments

[uncagedforjustamoment]

[A question like that...it wasn't a question to ask.]

Obito Uchiha deliberately brought about the death of fifty-thousand shinobi and one of the hokage. He organized the tracking down and slaughter of all but two of the Jinchuuriki, has attempted on more than one occasion to kill the one which is my personal friend, encouraged violent, traitorous actions by Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha, used a forbidden jutsu to re-animate the corpses of fallen shinobi and force them fight their old comrades, and caused the complete destruction of Konoha.

If one of the victims of those were you, which answer would you ask of me to say?

[itsjustdust]

[He was quiet a beat, then took a deep breath.]

I would have to decide if the name is what makes the difference in what kind of person I thought I knew.

[uncagedforjustamoment]

[...As an Uchiha, surely he knew the irony of that question. Whether a name makes a difference. Of course as a Hyuuga, names meant everything. Even branches of the same name meant everything and yet--

Perhaps...his beliefs had changed. With Naruto, his father, and then finally his own freedom, names were not the definition of a person, but their actions that decided who they were.

And yet.

As he told Tenten, 'destiny' was not the same thing as choices people already made. Obito Uchiha did all of the things he said. He couldn't determine or change his destiny any longer. It was already decided.

Meditite, who had been silent and perhaps overwhelmed by the emotions of the two of them to this point, tugged at his hand and whimpered in concern.

His gaze settled on the younger man once again after a few moments. Perhaps it was a minute, in fact.]

...The day that you become the name and not the person is the day that I'll kill you.

[itsjustdust]

[He blinked, then studied his face very carefully... before slipping forward to give the Hyuuga a quick hug.]

I understand what you're trying to say Neji. C'mon, let's go back to the party, okay? [With no other warning, and apparently much much lighter in mood, he snagged his hand and started back the way they'd come from.]

[uncagedforjustamoment]

[...Was the hugging necessary? He'd just delivered a death threat. And--excessive hand holding? He hadn't agreed to more manhandling simply because he wasn't going to kill him yet Didn't he already have Meditite dragging him places by the hand?]

...Don't pull me.

[itsjustdust]

Then keep up. [He flashed him a smile.]

Look, I get we just emotionally bludgeoned each other, but this is supposed to be a party, right? So. Party.

[uncagedforjustamoment]

[Emotionally bludgeoned...? Why call it anything other than a confrontation? Now he was simply being overly dramatic. And he had no interest in whatever Obito defined as a 'party'.

Just because he wasn't going to kill the youth didn't mean he wanted to be social.]

I don't party. If you want to, there's no need to include me.

[itsjustdust]

There are hot springs and I'm sure you'd appreciate one right about now. [He finally released him in one of the changing rooms.]

So...

Just don't think about it right now, okay?

[uncagedforjustamoment]

[...Sigh. Soaking in the hot springs will, at least, be a 'celebration' he doesn't object to. It was after all the primary reason Tenten had succeeded in wooing him to the party in the first place.

Provided he'd given up on the idea of forcing him to greet Sasuke.]

...Attempt to keep your dragon in its own spring.

[itsjustdust]

With any luck he already found one. [Satisfied with the declaration, he went to change.]

Try to have a little fun, and if you think it won't kill you, with Sasuke a good birthday okay?

[He gave him a look, more expectant than anything, and finished changing.]

To the springs!

[uncagedforjustamoment]

[With any luck, actually, he won't see Sasuke at all. Obito was quite enough Uchiha to deal with in a day.

A quiet afternoon ignoring the party around him sounded far preferable.]