Oh, I forgot to tell you, this is set in the time before the Gaiden period. So Kakashi's still somewhat of a jerk and Obito's not "dead"/disappeared/ unknown... Wow. That was a well-put statement. How do I manage? Sarcasm: you gotta love it! Also, I know that Kakashi is OC, so can you guys help me out by giving me some of his earlier quotes from brief images that took place before Kakasi Gaiden, since I've only read four of the mangas. Now onward with the story, yes?

"Sensei, why are you black and blue?" Obito asked his beloved sensei.

Minato visibly winced. "Kushina," he mumbled softly.

Obito chuckled at his sensei's loving look that was on his face when he uttered his wife's name.

Well, I guess when he said his vows, he did know what he was getting himself into. Kushina's famous for her unpredictable temper. And her being pregnant can't be helping anything.

Obito noticed something was off and concluded that something was wrong.

Only Minato noticed his young pupil's fears in his eyes.

"What's wrong, Obito?" he asked, afraid that he was sick or worse.

Obito put two and tow together and arrived at his sensei's reason for worrying. "No, Minato-sensei, it's not that. I'm fine. Really. But where's Rin? Shouldn't she be here?"

At one glance from his master, Obito concluded the worst. Rin was dead.

Thick, fat tears rolled down the young Uchiha's face. Despite being a Genin, he couldn't stop the distress that was clutching him painfully. To one person in the room, (please discard the fact that they do training outside), found the scene moderately hilarious.

There was an agitated sound off to his left. The last student of the group, (and the first student in everything else, including the ninja arts) just rolled his eyes at the younger boy's tears.

"She's fine, Obito, seriously," he mocked harshly, "stop getting so worked up over a girl. She probably broke a nail and bailed."

Minato watched in sympathy as the a newly-peeved Obito flung himself into another fight with Kakashi- again. He sighed at the memory of the other seven "squabbles" they'd had that day. Rin was the usual peace-maker of the group. She was the one who usually told them to stop fighting to get to work if an argument broke out. But now that she was gone, the boys' meaningless fight felt more empty than it would if she were here.

He could only sigh again as he watched Kakashi pin Obito to the ground in less than a second. Guess, since Rin's not here, it's my turn to step in, he decided, still in his usual good spirits.

In a little house in the same place, good spirits was the last thing that there was.

"Hey," Rin cried, frantically running over to the baby, who had managed to crawl away while she had been on the phone. "Sit still for a moment."

Normally, Rin would have realized that statement sounded crazy, but it had been two hours, and she had just found the baby. And only God knows where it could have been.

The baby suddenly began bawling again. The sound was hauntingly, in a freaky way, kind of enchanting, but nonetheless, Rin just wanted it to stop.

"Hey, what's wrong, now?" she asked, sending her stress level into high spikes of distress. "Are you bored, perhaps?"

The baby gave no answer like she would have really hoped, but it did keep on crying.

Rin shook her head roughly, doing her best to clear what little thoughts the painful orchestra allowed her. "Okay, not that. Are you wet?"

She checked the diaper; bdry.

The crying only seemed to get louder. The baby's desperation for its special need was becoming its one and only thought. And made sure to project that pain onto her, too. All Rin wanted to do was curl up into a ball and cry herself. And she probably would have if not for what happened next.

"Hey, Rin are you here?!" called Obito's voice.

She heard hushed voices on the other side of the walls.

"No, Obito, you can't just go in," rebuked on of the voices.

She silently wished that he would mistake her silence for absence and leave. No luck. She quickly hide the baby as he stepped in.

"O-Obito, what are- what re you doing here?" she tried to keep her voice calm. It didn't come out as calmly as she would have wanted.

"I came to check up on you. It's not like you to miss training. Is something wrong?"

"Obito, you can't just walk into- oh, hi, Rin," snapped/said Kakashi. "You do know that that was trespassing, right?"

Minato walked in after him. "Well, in that case, I guess we'll all get charged, then. So, Rin how are you doing?" he said cheerfully.

"Fine. And NO-no, there won't be- no one's pressing charges."

Her sensei chuckled at his tongue-tied student. "It's alright, Rin. I was just joking. So, Obito had a valid point. Why did you miss class today? I heard some distress in your voice when you called me this morning."

He could almost hear Kushina "Tsk"-ing in disappoint in the distance. "You just couldn't keep it to yourself, could you?" she seemed to be saying.

He sighed. Guess not. And then, Oh well.

Rin surprisingly seemed uncomfortable.

"Rin, are you okay?" he asked, worriedly.

She nodded. "Yeah, it's nothing."

Suddenly, the baby began screaming again. They caught notice to where Rin had hidden the baby. Rin winced.

"Oh, how did that get there? I don't know," she tried lamely against their questioning looks.

"WHAT... IS THAT?" asked Minato, knowing full-well what it was. "Rin, why's there a baby there? Explain."

Rin shuffled uncomfortably. "Um, it's kind of a long story, you see- And I don't think you guys really have time for it. Okay, bye!"

She tried to get them out the door, but none of them budged.

"Rin," Minato tried again, "were you pregnant?"

"WHAT?!" she screamed/shrieked. "I'm fourteen! WHY WOULD THAT POP INTO YOUR HEAD?!"

"I'm not implying anything," he tried again, doing his best to make sure that he wasn't treading on dangerous grounds. "There could have been unfortunate circumstances around it."

She quickly calmed herself down, then explained, "I found it."

"You found it?"

"Yes... on my doorstep... with the basket... and note addressed to me," she whispered the last part, as though she was afraid that they'd laugh at her for her mercy.

"Rin," Obito said, stepping forward, putting a hand on her shoulder, "I can't even begin to tell you how... TOTALLY AWESOME it was of you to take the baby in!" he shouted happily.

She winced at her sound.

"Yeah, or just plain stupid," came Kakashi's opinion. "How are you- a medical kunoichi with NO time- going to take care of him?"

"Her. And I think I can work something out. And, I don't care what you say, someone left it to ME. That has to count for something. I won't just leave it alone again."

The tall, white haired boy sighed. "Does it even have a name?"

She nodded. "Suki. That's what the note said."

"Do you still have the note? I may be able to track down a family member. If I saw some of the writing, I may be able to use a Kensaku jutsu. If not, guess what, you're a parent. And before me, I might add."

Rin winced, for yet again, the third time. "One problem. I- I read the note out in the rain, so the writing is kind of... wrecked. Can you still get anything from it?"

He shook his head. "No. I'm sorry, Rin. But I has to be perfect."

Kakashi sighed. "What'd you read it in the rain for, anyway?"

She blushed. "I got caught up in the moment?" she offered.

He grunted.

Finally, Obito couldn't stand it any longer. "I can't stand it anymore! Is anyone else curious about what the note said?! What did the note say?!"

"Don't be so stupid, you dobe. She can't tell you if the note's ruined."

Rin smirked, suddenly giving Kakashi the feeling that he was about to regret his words. "When you said that the note was ruined, you were right; it is. But that doesn't mean that I don't remember it," she pointed out smartly, in spite of herself.

Obito smirked in pride. "Cool! So what did it say?!"

Rin cleared her throat, then recited,

"My dearest thought of expression,

there is so much I need to explain to you, and I know that

you're curious about the little baby in front of you. But I

know that I haven't much to tell you about either. Her

name is Suki. She's my little one. And I know it's a lot

to ask of you, but I would be ever indebted to you if

a brave kunoichi like you would take care of her. Raise

her. Teach her. Train her. Love her. I know that you two

will take care of each other, so I needn't worry. I also ask

that you raise her as your own. And as for my explanation,

she means the world to me, but the loss of my wife is too

hard for me to bare with a child on my guilty conscience.

I fear that this is all my fault, really. I tried to get us a

better life, and bet everything I had left to a man whose

not known to show mercy. I was so stupid. So desperate

that my wife and child would feel amazing for once. I

realized that, the first and only time I met you, you were

truly the most amazing, kind person I had ever met. You

were so sweet to give my pregnant wife your lunch. In

her dying breath, she declared that YOU saved her life. I

took that to mean that YOU were th best option for our

daughter. I hope you don't mind my assumption. As for

the day I return, I fear that I may never return. That is

why I want you- the girl who saved my wife's life, the

sweetest kunoichi- to raise my child. Love her the way

her mother would have. I know that you love everything,

and this shall be no different, but I grieve the loss of my

wife, and the abandonment I fear I have to leave in my

child's wake. But PLEASE, I beg you, do your best to fill up

that hole, and it'll be as if it were never even there. Just

along with me.

(back page)

I realize that everything I have asked of you so far will not

be easy, but I know that you can do it. I beg that you do

not tell my daughter about me. I don't want her grieving

a worthless father that she never got to really know. It's

not fair for her to think that she's the reason I left. but,

as I said before. The loss that I made to that dangerous

man was more than I had bargained for. But I hadn't quite

realized it at the time. You see, while I was in the middle

of the game, my wife went into labor. I wasn't there, and

I had no idea, but it was my fault. I lost the game... and

all my money. I can't tell you his name, else I'll put you

in dangerous, so I'll call him Lacko. Lacko put my in debt,

beat me bloody, then went to my home. He killed my wife.

Murdered her right in front of Suki. He tried to kill Suki in

front of me, but I grabbed her and ran, still silently

grieving my wife. She was the best thing- aside for Suki-

that had EVER happened to me- and Lacko took her away

with the flick of the wrist. That also bring me to the reason

why I need to train her. I know Lacko. He's not the type to

give up. He'll find her one day, then he'll find me, and keep

me alive long enough to kill her in front of me. I can't bear

going through that again. I know that you are the most

capable person up for the challenge, and I know that you're

only a Chūnin, but you'll one day be an amazing ninja. Think

of it as another training period. I thank you for all that you

are doing for me.

You really are amazing.

-X."

When the finally word had stopped, she fell silent.

"Jeez, Rin, how'd you even memorize all that?!" Minato asked/shrieked.

She shrugged. "Read it a lot."

"So, it's final, huh?" Kakashi sighed. "That's great."