"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE, OKAY?!?!?!"
"NO! I WON'T LEAVE YOU ALONE, NOT UNTIL YOU TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG!!!"
"GET LOST EM-CHAN!!"
"DON'T USE THAT DISGUSTING NICKNAME ON ME!!!"
"EM-CHAN, EM-CHAN, EM-CHAN…NOW GET LOST!!!!"
"YOU'RE SUCH A PRICK OBITO!!!! WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS SUCH A JERK TO ME!!!???"
"IT'S MY JOB AS A BIG BROTHER!!"
"DON'T BE STUPID OBITO!!!"
"HOW MANY TIMES DO I NEED TO TELL YOU TO GET LOST?!?!?!?! I HAVE TO MEET MINATO-SENSEI AND THE OTHERS IN A FEW MINUTES, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME LATE!!!"
"YOU'RE ALWAYS LATE, THEY MUST EXPECT IT BY NOW!!!"
"YOU'RE BEING A BRAT, MAKE LIKE A TREE AND LEAVE!!!!"
"WE NEVER USED TO FIGHT LIKE THIS, YOU CHANGED!!! WHY DID YOU CHANGE SO MUCH, I MISS MY OLD BROTHER!!" She screamed out, tears starting to cloud her vision.
"I DIDN'T CHANGE, I BECAME A CHUNIN!! NOW I HAVE AN IMPORTANT MISSION, SO GOODBYE, AND GOOD RIDANCE!!!!" He screamed, running outside, and slamming the door behind him. The girl ran towards the door and pulled it open, yelling after her brother.
"YOU JERK, YOU ABSOLUTE BUTT-FACE!!! I HOPE KAKASHI KICKS YOUR ASS!!!!!" Obito came to an immediate stop and turned back to his sister, a sinister scowl on his face.
"Ember, go die in a hole." He said coldly. Before running away, already being late for his mission.
"I HATE YOU, OBITO!!!! I HOPE YOU DON'T COME BACK FROM THIS MISSION ALIVE!!!!" She screamed at his back, tears finally overflowing.
Obito ran until he was out of site before slowing down. He lifted his goggles and rubbed away the few tears that had managed to fall. He hated fighting with his sister…Yet they did it so much nowadays. What she said had hurt…But he deserved it. He considered going back to hug her, and apologise before leaving on this life threatening mission…But then he remembered who he was supposed to be meeting.
'Damn it, he's going to kill me!!'
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~That day…is the day I regret most. I never forgave myself…for that day. I tried to forget…but the memory remains burned in my head, and will…until the day I die. If I could have one wish, just one…I'd wish to take back those words I said. They couldn't help but make me feel…like I was partly responsible for his death. I've hated myself, since that day. And since that day, I've strived to become the best I can be, living to be strong in Obito's memory. My brother…the one person I looked up to. After that day…Itachi, Luxe, and Kakashi tried to comfort me. I rejected them all. Especially Kakashi. I couldn't help but think he was responsible for my brother's death. I despised him…for no reason…~
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She waited expectantly, and eagerly at the gate, awaiting the long anticipated return of her brother. She had money at the ready, wanting to take him out for ramen to celebrate a successful mission, as well as apologize and take back the things she had said before he left.
Her grin widened as she saw Minato's vibrant blonde hair rise above the midst. It was followed by straight purplish hair…spikey red hair…gravity-defying silver hair…
…
Where was the messy brown hair?
…
The faces belonging to the owners of the hair were revealed shortly, none of them smiling.
None of them was her brother.
She froze to the spot, waiting for the team to arrive at the gates. When they did, a minute later, Minato's eyes widened in shock.
"Oh…Umm…Ember…" He muttered, lowering his face into a look of sympathy…wait…sympathy?
"Where's Obito?" She asked warily, already fearing the answer. Kakashi looked at the ground to his side while Rin rushed to Ember's side, squeezing her friend's right shoulder gently. Luxe looked up at Minato sadly.
"…There was…an accident." Minato hesitated, while Ember started to shake. 'please no, please no…please…oh god, no!'
"I'm afraid…Your brother…was killed in the line of duty." Minato finished, kneeling down in front of Ember, so that he was at her eye level. Her eyes widened. She started to shake violently. Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes.
"No…Please no! Minato-sensei, please tell me this is a joke!!!" She screamed, Pushing Rin's hand away and moving backwards.
He stood up, "…I'm sorry, Ember…I wish it was a joke…I really do…" Ember felt as though her heart had been wrenched from her chest, and smeared across the ground. Kakashi took one look at her heartbroken face and instantly felt the biggest pang of guilt he would ever feel in his life.
Tears silently streamed down Ember's face as she looked at Minato's face. His down-crest expression told her it was really true…Obito was gone. With a cry of grief, she fell to her knees, burying her face in her hands, crying her heart out.
All of them ran to her side, tears already falling from Luxe and Rin's eyes. As much as the four of them grieved to lose Obito, it was nothing to how Ember could be feeling.
A shocked Kakashi stumbled over to Ember, and threw an arm around her shoulders, trying to comfort her. She immediately shook it off, though he probably should expected that. They loathed each other. Still…times like these, he couldn't possibly hate her…not when it was his fault she was crying like this.
"Ember, please, get a hold of yourself" Luxe cried out desperately.
"NONONO!!! HE SHOULDN'T HAVE DIED, HE COULDN'T HAVE DIED!!" She screamed through her unstoppable bawling. As Minato attempted to put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, she stood up and ran away at the speed of light, crying into her hands through the whole process.
The team looked down in silence, worried and saddened for Ember. It was then when Luxe spoke up,
"…Obito…was all that she had left." She whispered hoarsely. The others looked at her in shock.
"…Obito asked me not to tell you. She asked me not to tell you, but…They don't have parents. They had inheritance, and that's how they managed…Being of a rich clan helped too."
Kakashi looked at Luxe in distress. It was his fault that Ember, the new genin was alone in the world…
"Obito took care of her, and has been for 2 years. Their parents were killed in a freak accident, kept quiet by the Uchiha and the Hokage, otherwise you might've known…" Luxe finished, rubbing tears away from her eyes.
"So…Ember…Her family is gone?" Rin asked, in shock. Luxe nodded sadly.
"She'll probably go live with her cousin…Itachi or something. Or…she'll just live alone. She's independent and doesn't like to rely on people so…that would be my guess…"
They all looked down. Any one of them would gladly take Ember into their home after what had happened.
"I…have to go." Kakashi muttered, immediately taking off. Luxe sighed sadly and turned to her father.
"…Kakashi must blame himself…I'm afraid that if he tells Ember it was his fault, then…she'll go ballistic on him."
"Kakashi knows it's not his fault, Obito willingly risked his life for his comrade, end of story." Minato said sharply. Rin and Luxe nodded while Minato stood up.
"We'll go give the report, Kakashi must still be taking Obito's death pretty hard. I don't want him to have to tell the hokage about it."
A hunched over figure sobbed at the foot of the KIA stone. Kakashi recognized her petite frame, and her long black hair immediately. He cautiously walked over, not knowing what to say. Instead, he just kneeled down and hugged her from the side.
"..I'm sorry" He whispered. This time surprisingly, she didn't push him off. She just continued to cry into her hands. Overwhelmed with guilt, he hugged her tightly and closed his eyes, clenching his teeth to prevent himself from crying. Eventually, she grasped onto the arm that was going around her front, and held it desperately, still sobbing uncontrollably, turning her face into his shoulder. She needed comfort, no matter who was offering that comfort.
It took several minutes for her to calm down, while Kakashi soothingly "shhhh'ed" into her ear. Face still wet with tears, occasionally hiccoughing with sobs, she buried her face into his shirt, glad that someone was there who cared for her. Kakashi, caught up into the moment, put his chin on her head, subconsciously stroking her hair while she tightly grasped fists of his shirt.
"Kakashi…Thank you" she managed to croak out before starting to sob again. They stayed like that for, god knows how long, him offering comfort, while she desperately cried over her brother. Neither of them kept track of the time, neither of them cared.
In the trees nearby, two figures were approaching the KIA stone, trying to find Ember after giving their report, only to find that someone else was already with her. Luxe grabbed Rin's arm and pulled her back into the trees to remain hidden. The cautiously moved closer to see what was going on. When they saw Kakashi, Luxe's wide, trademark mischievous grin spread across her face while Rin wasn't sure if she should look happy or heartbroken.
"Kakashi…"
"Has always liked her." Luxe said quickly for Rin. She was giving her a meaningful look.
"He…told me. I squeezed it out of him." She said with a wink. Rin smiled sadly and looked down.
"I should've guessed…only problem is they're polar opposites" Luxe gave Rin a meaningful look and put a hand on her back.
"Sorry…I forgot you liked him" She said quietly. Rin sighed and smiled lightly.
"No. I did, but…I guess it was just a crush. Obito…" she drifted off looking down. Luxe nodded understandingly.
"I can see where you're going. Let's just leave them be, it's very rare when they get along, I don't want to interrupt them" Rin nodded and they both looked at the enemies/friends for a minute before jumping up and disappearing.
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`That was the day…the day I realized…I loved her. Coincidently, it was the same day she decided to loathe me with all her being. It was also the day I vowed I would protect her no matter what. It was the last thing I promised Obito…`
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"NO OBITO!!" Kakashi yelled, desperately trying to push the rock off his dying friend.
"It's fine Kakashi, there's no use." Obito said calmly, struggling to keep his eyes open.
"Obito…this is all my fault…I'm so sorry…" kakashi muttered, pounding the ground.
"Rin, GO!" Obito called out as loud as he could. The rocks were about to fall on top of him, making his own grave. Luxe desperately reached down to grasp Rin's hand, while the latter reluctantly grabbed it. Kakashi gave Obito one last look while the rocks around him started to crumble, "Obito…"
"Kakashi, just GO…And please…Take care of my little sister for me." Kakashi's eyes widened as he remembered Ember.
"I'll protect her with my life..." Kakashi started to solemnly promise.
"KAKASHI GET OUT OF HERE!" Obito yelled as the rocks started to fall. Unable to do anything else, he jumped up to join Luxe and Rin, and the rocks buried Obito forever.
"Obito…" Luxe muttered in shock. Rin started to cry, while Kakashi tried to hold back the dry sob that escaped him a minute later.
'Ember…I'm so sorry, it's my fault you don't have a brother"
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Ember jumped down in front of the 3 other anbu at the front gates. "I have the mission details." She said seriously. Luxe smiled.
"You're finally here! Did your height get in the way of your speed?" Ember smacked her. Itachi rolled his eyes while Kakashi chuckled. Ember threw him a dirty look.
"Go to hell, Hatake. Everyone except him, you ready to go?" Luxe gave the now angry, young officer a sad look before nodding.
"Yeah. Let's go. You lead Kakashi" She said glumly. Kakashi took note of her tone before nodding and jumping up into the trees, the others jumping up behind him.