Yeah, I know it's kind of a giant leap from a story like Naruto: Sex-ed to this. I had originally written this story long before the other ones and I was nearly finished with it. I decided to get it out of the way and publish it here so I can dedicate more time to stories like Naruto: Sex-ed and Naruto's Internet Adventure. The Rock Lee one will come after those. Without further ado...

Oh yeah, I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Between you and me, some guy by the name of Masashi Kishimoto created the manga/anime series AND its characters and therefore owns them. Not me.

Fallen Friend

It was a… black day, to say the least. Literally.

The clouds, heavy and dissonant, peered over the abrasive silhouettes of the hills, to discover quite a tragic scene – a sea of figures clad in black gazed upon a coffin superimposed by a black sheet. Among the mourners, a family huddled together, wearing solemn expressions, trying to uphold their reputation as the All-Feared Prestigious Uchiha Clan. They wouldn't dare be caught bawling over a mere, nearly talent less thirteen-year-old boy. And yet, the pain of loss still burned, like a flaming kunai knife piercing their hearts.

Behind the raven-haired Uchihas, two young ninja lurked in their shadows. One, a chestnut-haired girl with a purple stripe dashed along each cheek, wept hysterically on the pews. Standing next to her, a dignant, if not grave boy, gazed into oblivion. His face appeared void of any emotion except for his very alert eyes; he seemed to be in a state of shock…

"Everything's happening far too quickly," he thought. "I don't want to be Jonin! I just want out!" The boy paced around the cave frantically unsure about how he should act. Obito, his comrade, lay helpless on the floor, approaching death. Rin, who leaned over Obito's body (or what remained of it), burst into tears, and those damned Rock Nins lingering outside the cavern preparing to decimate them at any moment. He swept his fingers through his soft, silver hair. "I would rather be dead! I now realize how you felt, Father!"

But his father was another story, and he didn't have the time to dwell on such matters. Bracing himself for whatever pain he was about to endure, he rummaged through his bag, searching for a kunai knife.

"The pressure… it's overwhelming!"

"Kakashi…" a strangled voice groaned.

Dropping the kunai, he wheeled around and caught a glimpse of his dying teammate, Uchiha Obito.

"What a pitiful state," Kakashi thought.

Talk about a "pitiful state." An enormous boulder crushed the majority of Obito's body and face; what remained of it suffered from severe lacerations, and the area where his left eye should reside was vacant. Painstakingly, he looked Obito straight in the eye (or where it should have been).

"Hmm?" Came Kakashi's reply.

"Kakashi… please, take care of Rin," Obito managed with intense difficulty.

Kakashi mentally kicked himself as he let his mind wander. Why can't I simply erase that scene from my memory? He glanced at Rin, who regained her composure somewhat, though her appearance remained heart-broken. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she wore a miserable, even distant expression as she stood in silence.

Please, take care of Rin.

Obito's dismissing command – request, more like – echoed in his thoughts. Before he had time to contemplate his next move, he felt an abrupt, yet gentle elbow to his right arm.

"It's your turn to pay respects," said his sensei, otherwise known as Konoha's Yellow Flash. He was a tall man with a head full of bright, seemingly golden hair, which resembled a lion's mane.

He nodded wordlessly and slowly trod to where the body lay. When he arrived, he first noticed Rin placing a bouquet on the coffin next to Obito's portrait.

Obito.

His photo was taken following his chuunin registration as he grinned broadly, winking at the camera. However, his discerning Uchiha characteristics shined, with his spiky, raven-colored hair and his sharp, angular features prominent in his chin and cheekbones. Not to mention his trademark goggles, which he wore for purposes known solely by him.

You weren't the strongest, but… you were the spirit of the team. Yet, you managed to be such a disgrace – we hated each other. He rubbed his visible eye with his black sleeve. Then why do I care? I shouldn't be moping over a talent less wimp. Besides, I shouldn't be crying over ANY fallen comrade – shinobi are forbidden to reveal any emotions in their line of duty.

But I didn't come here because of my obligations as a shinobi, did I? I came because I wanted to pay respects to a fellow associate – no, my best friend and teacher. No matter how much we detested each other, we still bonded – well, to some extent, anyway.

When he returned to the pews after a few minutes of reflective silence, he noticed a vacant chair to his side.

Where did Rin go? He thought for a moment until the realization dawned on him.

Of course – the monument.

Rin lifted her gaze from the navy blue monument when she heard a rustle in the bushes. Damn, why didn't I bring any kunai or shuriken? She abruptly rose from her kneeling position and shifted into her fighting stance.

I'm no expert at taijutsu, but I can hold my own. As she focused on all her surroundings, a gentle tap brushed her bony shoulder blade. Though she stifled her scream, she let out an involuntary gasp.

"My, my. Jumpy, aren't we?" a soft voice echoed in the woods.

Preparing for the worst, Rin spun on her heels and executed a clumsy roundhouse kick, but to no avail since the opponent effortlessly caught her ankle. Drawing back her foot, she studied the tall shadow before her.

"K-Kakashi?" she squeaked. "Shouldn't you be at the funeral?" The moonlight showered him with its silver rays, illuminating his perplexed expression, and emphasizing his facial features (or at least the parts of his face not obscured by his mask). She doesn't know why I'm here? Am I that bad of a friend?

"I came… because you left, and I wanted to see if you were okay," he answered simply.

Rin was quite taken aback by his uncharacteristic display of concern. "Thanks for the thought, Kakashi, but I'm… just fine. No need to worry about me." An awkward silence commenced. Since when has he ever been so caring? In fact, I don't even remember him expressing ANY type of emotion for that matter.

"Would you like me to leave?" he asked, but not really to anyone in particular.

"No – of course not!" Rin replied. He seems awful sensitive right now… "I could use the company anyway." You probably need it more than I do, though.

For the remainder of the afternoon they sat near the navy blue monument merely enjoying the other's presence. The majority of the time was spent discussing whatever troubled them about Obito's death, but later on they reminisced about all the enjoyable times they shared.

"Oh – remember when we escorted that woman to the Sand Country a while back? You know, the one with the bird's beak nose?"

Kakashi couldn't help but laugh. "I'll never forget what she did to him after calling him out for staring."

"Yeah, and did you ever notice we were never paid for that mission?"

"I think she left some very nasty comments about us to the Hokage. Hell, we could have failed that mission for all I know!"

Rin giggled. "Most likely. I can definitely see her failing us, the witch." Rin gazed at the clouds, which were finally allowing the sun to peek through. It couldn't have been a more gorgeous sight, with the sky being the boldest baby blue and the sunlight illuminating the clouds so they looked nearly three-dimensional. It had to be the work of a god.

"Obito would be glad… to know that we're doing okay now." She suddenly laughed. "He would want us to put the 'fun' in 'funeral,' as peculiar as that sounds…"

"Yeah, I agree. He wouldn't want us moping over him or anything." They gave each other a knowing grin (and you can assume Kakashi did even though his mask covered his face). They basked in the silent beauty of the nature surrounding them for a few minutes, then…

"I finally found you two!" a new voice rang, completely disrupting their peaceful daydream of just moments earlier.

"Hi, sensei!" the two greeted in unison.

"Are you feeling better now?" the blonde asked with a touch of concern in his voice. They nodded in response. "Great! Because I was going to suggest a lunch at Ichiraku Ramen! My treat!"

"Awesome!" Rin exclaimed. "Let's go!"

As Team Yellow Flash strolled to the ramen house, Rin threw a final glance at the monument she was far too familiar with.

I'm always going to miss you, Uchiha Obito.

What did ya think? Once again, I take criticism, so just give your honest opinion. Oh, and yeah, the Uchihas are sort of OOC, because I gave them all the whole "Sasuke persona," but let's just pretend they're all like that.

Alright, like I said in the summary, I'm not sure if I'm gonna keep this a one-shot or multi-chap, so YOU CAN DECIDE! But keep this in mind if I DO continue. Progress for other stories will be slowed down. BTW I'm almost done with Naruto: Sex-ed Chapter 2, so watch out for it! Also, check my profile for (unedited) spoilers for future chapters/stories and info about them. Yeah I actually update it!