This world does NOT contain Japan or China. The explanations are just something I added for the sake of cultural understanding.

BTW, this chapter contains the prologue for Rin.

Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Especially the reviews. It means a lot.

Enjoy!


Chapter 2 The Regrets


Obito, 7 years old


Uchiha Obito- now Obito Branwen, sat at his small table in his personal tent. He has turned seven this year and learned enough about this world to get by.

He was planning his schedule on how to transform his tribe into a band of elite mercenaries, rather than bandits. Yes, bandits.

For heaven's sake, it was the last thing he suspected his tribe to be. He knew they sometimes set off in a blast of horns, but who would've thought that their family was a bunch of bandits!?

He knew from his experience in war, that desperate times called for desperate measures. He knew that even the best people could do something worse than they could've possibly imagined.

That was war. War against this harsh world, contaminated by monsters who feed on the negative emotions of humans.

Humanity was fighting a losing battle, since it was always the humans themselves that brought out the darkest side in humanity. That was what brought out the worst in people.

However, that could by no means, excuse the heinous crimes his tribe had committed.

He still remembered the first time his mother had let him participate in their 'expeditions', and how he had vehemently protested against their way of living.

It was one of the very few times he had argued with his mother, save for the time they fought over a pudding. …Addictive sweets should be a crime.

Anyways, since he had more than enough of his tribe's bullshit, he made it a point to ensure that his tribe refrained from the bandit business as much as possible.

He still remembered his rage when he found one of his men slit the throat of a civilian. He had crushed the man's windpipe with one hand and punctured one of his lungs.

None of them dared to object him after that.

His mother didn't like his attitude one little bit, but caved in once she found out how ridiculously stubborn her son could turn out to be.

She blamed it all on her ex-husband, but Obito couldn't care less. After all, he didn't know anything about his father.

Obito rubbed his eyes as he cracked his sore neck. 'I better take a short nap.', he thought in his sleepy mind. A child's body needed a lot of rest.

With a sigh, he flopped onto his bed, his arms behind his head. Sleep came naturally.

Obito Branwen drifted off into the void of dreams, a peaceful expression on his face. However, the peaceful expression soon contorted to one of horror.

Echoes of the darkest of memories, locked deep within his chest. A life tarnished with hate and loneliness. His past life of living hell.

Blood, pain, agony, there was. Every living second of every passing day.

Many died. Many were tortured. Children killed other children, while men killed other men, and women killed other women.

He had seen entire landscapes crumble into dust, and burnt to ashes. Charred, mangled bodies, wretched beyond the wildest nightmares; their face twisted in an abomination of fear, torture, and hatred.

He remembered his most horrible memory, the one that broke him thoroughly.

NO!

He remembered his heart pounding his chest as his stomach fluttered. He remembered his own labored breathing and his steadily increasing nausea.

NO!

He saw the familiar shade of pale-blue light in the dark, and its ferocious crackle. He saw a figure leap into the spear of thunder, and the blossom of crimson smoke.

NO!

Two figures stood there, one with the look of absolute shock etched onto his face, the other with a painful smile.

NO!

"Ka, ka, shi…."

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Obito shot upright, a hand over his aching chest. Sweat dribbled down the tip of his nose. The smell of awful iron was still in his nose; a stench that refused to fade away.

He bit his lip,-hard. Could Rin be out there, just like him?

If so, would he be there for her this time? Would she even remember him?

Obito knew it was wishful thinking. He knew that he did not deserve forgiveness. However, deep within, he still desperately craved for the person he truly loved.

His lips quivered as a shaky breath left his throat.

"Rin…", he whispered.


Rin


She knew not how or when she delved into one Obito Uchiha's memory.

She vaguely remembered dying, her soul leaving her body, her flesh devoid of warmth, her blood suffocating her throat, and her last fleeting breath.

She was forced into being the vessel for three tails, the monstrous turtle. The Mist had sought to release the seal once she was in Leaf territory, allowing the tailed beast to ravage their enemy village.

Rin knew she could not have let it happen. She knew it was already too late. Thus, she impaled herself with Kakashi's 雷切(Thunder splitter).

The pain she felt could not compare to Kakashi's, that she was certain of. Rin knew how Kakashi blamed himself for Obito's death and how much he had changed.

Ending his last teammates' life for the mission was NOT on his list.

Nonetheless, she knew it had to be done. For she must protect the village Obito had loved so much.

She died painfully, crying in her heart when she saw the torment in Kakashi's eyes.

As she fell into nothingness, she felt a strong pull. She tried to tug free, until she realized the emotions the 'thread' carried.

'Longing', 'Craving', 'Loneliness', 'Anger', 'Hatred', 'Solitude', 'Emptiness' and then…'Love'.

Love so strong it burnt. Love so strong she complied with it, succumbing to its beckoning, its relentless calls.

Then, abruptly, she was within Obito.

However, she was nothing but a pale echo, a façade of the past, a fragment of her own soul, bound to his.

Rin lingered within Obito for years, yearning to call out to him, to stop him from committing the atrocities and save him from his own despair.

Alas, she was too weak, too frail. Obito was so consumed in his darkness, that he was blind to the light that still lingered in the world.

Every day and every night, she felt the pain eating away Obito's humanity, creating an ever-larger void in Obito's heart.

Rin felt the irritation, the fury when Obito confronted Naruto. She felt Obito's hatred bubble as he looked into the mirror of his past self, and his jealousy in Naruto's naïve belief for the world.

Then, finally, she felt a crevasse in his hardened emotions, a single crack of light in his abyss.

Rin leaped into it.

Obito felt remorse. Rin knew he always had.

Obito felt hope. Rin knew he always had.

Obito felt righteous ire, the drive for redemption. Rin knew he always had, deep down.

The war raged on. Countless died.

Their enemy was powerful, strong beyond belief, but she stood strong beside Obito's soul.

"You can do it. I know you can.", she whispered, even though he never heard her. "Obito, the will of fire always burned the brightest within you."

She wept when she felt Obito's tired soul crumble after his last battle, his last struggle for the future.

His last hope for the world he had once believed in and hated was fulfilled. His will of fire was passed onwards, burning strongly in the hearts of his successors.

At long last, she and Obito met.

"Rin…I'm so sorry…", Obito had whispered.

She shook her head and smiled warmly.

"You've done enough, Obito."

"But, I…"

"I have been watching you, all this time."

Obito smiled.

"I have kept you waiting for a long time, haven't I?"

Rin giggled.

"Yes. Yes, you had."

Rin stretched out her hands and took his shivering fist in hers, caressing against her cheek.

"Let's go, Obito.", she whispered softly.

A tear slid down Obito's cheek. Rin waited, a hand extended towards him.

He took it. They laughed.


Rin woke up, blinking tears from her silvery eyes.

She looked to her side, to find her younger sister curled up in her arms like a lonely cat.

Rin stroked through her sister's black hair. It reminded her of Obito.

She felt more tears well up in her eyes, but she hastily wiped them away with her sleeve.

Her sisters needed her, especially after their mother had, had…

She bit her lips, hard. Could Obito be out there, just like her?

If so, would he be there for her this time? Would she even remember him?

Rin knew it was wishful thinking. She knew that she did not deserve forgiveness. However, deep within, she still desperately craved for the person that had truly loved her.

Her lips quivered as a shaky breath left her throat.

"Obito…", she whispered. "Where are you…?"


A few feet away from Rin, a certain blonde opened her crimson eyes. She clenched her fists tightly.

In her young heart, she now knew what she must do.

The family was what they all needed, after all.


Aaaaaaaaaaand, rap!

I hope you are all safe out there in this global crisis! Pls, don't be a bitchy racist that discriminates Asian people! Trump fanatics, urgh...

Anyway, feel free to share your thoughts and ideas in the reviews, or just PM me if you would like to. That way, maybe I could keep this going. Emphasis on maybe, lol.

PS. Rin is adopted. Capiche?

X-kalibuuuur, over and out!