The corruption currently leading mainland Konoha had not always been there, something many weren't aware of as history books had been scrubbed and burned. But few kept copies, and passed those copies down to their children as discreetly as possible.

Kakashi was one of those few people with a copy, and it was something he read on his own while thinking about his father. With the combined leadership of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, Konoha had been a thriving village. The land had been richer, allowing for different types of crops to grow. This allowed farmers to have a healthy and booming business, and famine to never be an issue. Education in science, math, medicine, and fighting had also emerged as the leaders knew that the newer generations not only had to be physically strong, but mentally as well. Diversity was the third key with Konoha's success, as different clans got along and lived peacefully as neighbors.

But all of that changed when Hashirama's younger brother, Tobirama, persuaded the village that only one person could rule Konoha, and not two. It was unclear what made the man decide this rule, but it was something the council members agreed on. The expectation was that the villagers would vote their leader, titled Hokage, in. But at the very last minute, changes to the voting laws were made. And to many's surprise, Hashirama was elected.

The news didn't sit well with some of the villagers, in particular the Uchihas. Especially as ANBU soldiers prohibited them from voting by implementing ambiguous rules. Madara himself was suspicious of the fraud, and tried to work things out with his friend, Hashirama. But Tobirama, influenced by the Shimura clan, intervened to the point that it drove to fights.

The once prosperous village slowly began to crumble, rumors spreading lies while the truths were hidden. With the help of the Shimura Clan, the Uchihas were slowly casted aside. Young Uchihas weren't allowed to go to school with everyone else, fear that they would deceive their way through school with their Sharingans. Those needing medical attention were turned away, especially expecting mothers.

The heated tension finally brought Madara to kill Tobirama, something that shocked everyone in the village. The act caused other clans to fear the Uchihas more and turn against them. And eventually, the Uchihas left.

Old scrolls mentioned that they escaped far east, towards the mountain where the river flows the heaviest, causing floods during the rainy season.

For the next couple of years, Konoha celebrated the fact that the Uchiha clan left. To them, it meant that Konoha would go back to being its peaceful prosperous self.

And it was that way, until Hashirama Senju passed away from an unknown illness and the Shimaru Clan took over…

Kakashi closed the book and placed it underneath the floor of his bed. He wasn't sure when, but he knew that at some point someone would be brave enough to share the truth with the village. Not only would this help remove those in power, but it would allow Clans to come back, especially the Uchihas.

Sudden frantic knocks startled him, and he grabbed his sword while swiftly walking towards the front door. The knocks were heard again, and he narrowed his eyes until a familiar voice was heard.

"Kakashi, open please! It's me, Tenten!"

He opened the door quickly, finding a wide-eyed Tenten.

"Tenten, what are you-?"

"Kakashi, you have to come quick! They arrested Rin!"

The silver-haired man froze, cursing underneath his breath. He was afraid of this day coming, despite warning his friend over and over to stop her illegal business. It would have been a matter of time before someone figured out what she was doing.

"Please help her!" Tenten pleaded, and Kakashi grabbed the girl's arm.

"Tenten, listen... I don't know if I'll be able to help this time… Not like how I used to before,"

"Why?"

"Because what she was doing is punishable by death! Nothing I say will change Lord Danzo's mind!"

"Then help her get to the other side," Tenten pleaded, "I know you've helped others cross the border. Please, help my sister!"

It would be a very dangerous mission, one that could get him in a lot of trouble if he was caught. But Rin and her father had been there for him when his father died. The two would invite him over for dinner and ensure that he was eating. Had it not been for them, Kakashi would have done something stupid to himself.

"Fine," he said, "but you need to stay here… And if I don't come back in four hours, run! Run towards the west,"

"The west? Why?"

"I have a friend there, his name is Yamato. I trust him and he will make sure to keep you hidden and even help you escape as well,"

"You're back early," Fugaku said casually as the younger man appeared in the middle of their complex.

The Uchiha leader watched as the man turned his head, "We didn't find anything north of here,"

"Some are getting caught by the border," he said, "But I would like you to help patrol the west region from here,"

"Why?" Obito asked, "Won't Itachi be there?"

"Yes, but having you there would be ideal,"

Obito didn't ask more on that, "Very well,"

With her hands tied behind her back, Rin was dragged through the village. Neighbors stared at her with wide eyes from behind their windows. While some gave her worried looks, a few others shook their heads.

"It's always the younger generation breaking the rules and not expecting to be punished,"

The soldiers threw her onto the center as some of the villagers circled around them.

"Gather around here, folks, as once again one of our own has decided that she is better than all of you! Not only has she been operating an illegal clinic, but she has also performed abortions! She has been killing babies…. Babies who would have been great Shinobis and who would have protected us from evils like the Uchihas!"

The crowd gasped, and Rin lowered her gaze as she heard several curses thrown at her.

"Who does that bitch think she is? Killing her own people!?"

"She must be working for the Uchihas! Only they would want us dead!"

"We should kill her the same way she killed those babies!"

"Let's hang her by the neck, I say, and throw her into the water!"

Rin gulped as her body felt numb, tears forming on her eyes. She kept her head down until one of the soldiers grabbed her hair and forced her to stand up.

"Everyone, take a look at the murderer! Take a good look! And then, we want you to go home and tell your daughters not to be this type of disgrace!"

"Yeah!"

Someone threw a rock at her, hitting her on the side of the head. She yelped in pain and fell onto her knees, but the soldier pulled her back up by her hair again. Rin could feel blood by her head as the pain began to increase.

The sound of ripping fabric was heard, and she felt a cold breeze hit her bare back. The soldier threw her back on the ground, face first. Scared, Rin prayed that the ANBU wouldn't perform lewd acts on her, regardless of whether it was private or public. But her punishment had not been that, and she screamed loudly as she felt part of her skin break as one of the soldiers brought the whip back down. The soldier brought the whip down several more times, the crowd cheering as Rin cried. Her tears landed on the ground as the pain had her wiggling around.

The soldier was about to whip her again until a loud explosion was heard, followed by several more. Villagers began to run home in panic, and the ANBU soldiers scattered around in order to find the source. The smoke engulfed the area, and Rin began to cough immediately.

"See where that's coming from!"

"Yes sir!"

Although she couldn't see much, Rin heard as the soldiers ran around. There were light footsteps near her, and Rin tried to shift away as a pair of hands grabbed her forearms and lifted her up. She tried to pull away despite not being able to see anything.

"Rin, it's me...Kakashi,"

"Kakashi? What are you-?"

"Tenten told me what happened. Listen, I need to get you out of here. You need to escape east!"

"B-But my father and Tenten-"

"I'll watch over them, but you need to go!"

He quickly cut the ropes that were holding her wrists together. Aware of her back injuries, he wrapped an arm around her knees and hoisted her over his shoulder.

Rin held on as Kakashi whisked through the trees. The smoke of his explosions helped grab the attention of the ANBU as they rushed into the village, making the coast clear for him as he took Rin towards the border line. He made a sudden right, and into an area Rin had never seen before.

"Wait, isn't the border the other way?"

"It's almost dark, so it's easier to travel by boat!"

"Boat?"

"Yes. Some have escaped by boat in the middle of the night. There should be one rowboat left!"

Minutes later, Rin heard the sound of water as Kakashi descended towards the ground. He put her down and rushed towards the river, pulling out a small rowboat.

"Hurry!"

Nodding, she rushed towards the boat and got on as Kakashi held it still. He cut the rope holding the boat and gave her a peddle. He then gave her a black piece of fabric, and Rin opened it to find that it was a cape with a hoodie.

"Kakashi, wait!"

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Please take care of Tenten and my father. I promise, I'll come back for them,"

He nodded, "You have my word, Rin. I'll watch over them. Now go!"

The Uchihas sat over branches, keeping silent as the sun began to set. Itachi was leading the small group, consisting of three others plus Obito.

With a leg raised and his arm resting lazily over its knee, Obito watched the sun lazily. He no longer understood the need of patrolling the areas surrounding their small village. As a matter of fact, everything seemed pointless to him.

After the brutal death of his parents, he no longer cared about which village came ahead. His dreams of becoming Hokage withered the moment their blood reached his small feet when he was just eight years old. Nonetheless, Fugaku didn't want him to let go of that dream, stating that one day a man like him would be needed in order to bring peace back together.

Obito called bullshit on that. Petty politics, mostly coming from the other side, divided the nation. And that petty politics was what pushed the Uchihas away. Why would mainland Konoha want them back? Even those who were supposedly escaping were going southeast, not necessarily intermingling with his clan. They were afraid of the Uchihas as much as they were afraid of their own corrupt leaders.

Rin sighed as she stared up at the bright stars, the only thing providing any type of light. As instructed by Kakashi, she lay down quietly on the small boat. Her head and back ached terribly, and her throat felt dry. She knew that she had been on this boat for at least half an hour, but was not sure how much longer until she was way past Konoha's borders.

She thought about Tenten and her father, and imagined a world where Tenten would become a strong Kunoichi just like how women were decades ago. And while Tenten was off on missions, she and her father would run a small clinic.

Smiling at her own imagination, Rin closed her eyes and fell asleep.

XxXxX

She was woken up by a loud bang, and her brown eyes widened to find four strangers smirking down at her.

"Well well well… Looks like it's our lucky day, boys!"

Before Rin could think of an escape plan, one of the men grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the boat.

"Cuties like you shouldn't be out all alone," he said, stroking her face.

"Especially in this area," another one said, his teeth a hideous yellow, "Uchihas tend to patrol around here. And they do not to show mercy,"

"We should leave," the leader of the pack said, "Tie her up. She will be good meat for us later,"

Rin gulped as she was dragged across the river and towards the forest area. The pain on her back and head made it hard for her to concentrate, but she tried her best to pay attention to her surroundings. That way if she had to escape, she could run back to the boat and row herself away.

The leader of the pack eyed her sexually, occasionally licking his lips.

"Are ya' a virgin, girlie?"

Rin said nothing. These men and the ANBU from her village were nothing but the same, and it angered her.

She nearly tripped as the man slapped her bottom hard, the impact making the pain on her back worsen.

"Ever had two men inside of ya' at the same time, huh?"

She said nothing, clenching her teeth while trying not to puke.

"Maybe we should show her what she's missing?" the other said while laughing.

The others laughed until one of them stopped suddenly, "I sense...chakra,"

"Do you think it's the Uchihas!?"

"Shh, before they hear us!"

"No point in shushing me now! Those Sharingans of theirs heightens their senses! They probably know we're here!"

"Then let's walk faster!"

The rope holding her wrist was tugged, and she nearly tripped as she was pulled forward harshly. Rin looked around towards the trees, not seeing anything there. Nonetheless, she did get the sense that they were being watched.

One of the men screamed, nearly falling back.

"What is it!?"

"You don't see that!?"

"See what?"

"We're by a cliff!"

"What cliff are you talking about, ya' idiot? There's no cliff! We're in the middle of a forest!"

"No we're not! Don't you see it? It's a cliff. Don't get closer or you'll fall!"

"There's no damn cliff there-"

Something exploded near them, and Rin took the opportunity to escape. She turned around and ran away as the men began to fend themselves from whatever invisible foe was there. She didn't bother turning around, her eyes desperately looking for the river.

She eventually emerged out of the forest and sprinted towards the boat, her bare feet nearly slipping on the rocks. Rin threw her body inside the boat, using her right foot to push it away from the rocks. She laid down, breathing loudly. She needed food and water fast, or else she would pass out. The rope around her wrists made it hard for her to navigate the boat. But as long as she was far away from whatever was about to attack those men, that's all that mattered.

The boat jerked a bit, and Rin sat up.

"Oh, no…" she whispered, watching as the river was now wider and nearly two yards away from a waterfall. Kakashi didn't warn her about a waterfall…

Struggling against her constraints, Rin tried to get off the boat in order to get on top of the nearest rock. But the small wooden boat suddenly capsized, causing her to be underwater. The rope got latched towards its edge, stopping her from trying to get away as the boat dragged her towards the waterfall. The speed increased as it went closer, and Rin could no longer hold her breath. Water went into her nose and mouth, and she wiggled frantically before her body slowly began to still and her vision began to darken.

Yet right before she went into a long slumber, one where she wouldn't expect herself to wake up from, she was pulled out of the water. Her mind felt fuzzy, as if knowing what was happening without actually knowing. It wasn't until she felt a pair of lips over hers and oxygen flowing in that she regained consciousness, coughing out the water immediately. A pair of strong arms held her still, not tightly but more of a comforting way, as she continued to cough and gasp for air. A hand came to her face, and Rin slowly opened her eyes to find dark eyes looking back down at her.

"You're injured," he said, his voice low but raspy.

She nodded slowly, finally finding her voice, "Th-Thank you…"

He said nothing more, standing up with her in his arms. He jumped from the ground and onto the trees, taking them deep into the forest. For the first time, she felt safe. She wasn't sure why though, as this stranger could have insidious things planned for her. But her intuition told her that this stranger with black spiky hair and dark eyes was not going to hurt her. She wanted to ask his name, but her head injury made it hard to concentrate. Her headache was coming back…

The man eventually landed on the ground, and Rin felt the presence of others around them. She began to lose consciousness, but not before picking up the stranger's name from another male.

"Obito, why did you bring her…"

Obito….

Author's note: and here's ch2! What do you think so far?