Disclaimer: I do not own any Naruto characters, nor the story line, with exception of the characters you've never heard of.
A/N: Okay, I would like to thank you all for all the reviews and I am so glad that you're enjoying the story. I really appreciate it.
Before you read this chapter, I would like to clear something up so you won't be confused on what's going on. Now and then, a few of the chapters that I will be putting up will be like flash backs to Rin and Kakashi, so it'll be going back into the past to fill in a few details. There is somewhat a spoiler alert right now and some of the past sequences will add up to what will happen in Kakashi Gaiden, or somewhat close to it. So you have been warned.
This chapter focuses more on how Rin first met Kakashi in the first place, as well as Obito Uchiha, or at least my version of it anyway.
Anywho, read on and after you're done, review please. And most important, enjoy!
Chapter 5.
Eighteen years ago
Before the Great Shinobi War, times were somewhat peaceful, though the Hidden villages of each country did not still get along with one another. Foreigners were not easily welcomed in Konoha Village, though few were allowed into the village; at least traders were. But even so, the locals of the village did not like having foreigners residing in their village. So that made it every hard for anyone who was born in Konoha, though they had foreign parents.
And that was how it was for Rin Hayashi.
Though the day started out just fine, it would end in with pain. Nine year old Rin had been on her way outside to find something to do to keep herself occupied while her parents were running their local store. Though she was born in Konoha, her parents were actually traders from the Water Country. They had decided to reside in Konoha for the population was great there, therefor, so would be their business. They weren't too popular, but they did get along with locals who came to their store looking very very interesting items, for it wasn't just a General Store, it was a Trading Post.
Rin didn't really have any friends and hadn't been very lucky in making any while she was living in Konoha. She was ususally the butt of a few jokes or the target of bullies. And that was what happening to her now. She had been playing out in the field, pretending that she had became a Shinobi when a gang of bullies found her. This gang usually did pick on her and she was somewhat used to it. But today, they were chasing her around the field while throwing rocks at her.
"Ow!" Rin cried out as she covered her head with her arms. She was running as fast as she could towards some trees to find protection there while the bullies gave chase. She had gotten hit in the head by a nice sized stone and she knew it was leaving a nice big lump on her head. "Ow! Stop it! Please just leave me alone!" She cried as she tried to duck under more rocks flying at her.
"Oh! You gonna cry, baby girl!" One of the bullies called after her as they began to push and shove her. Some of the boys even pulled at her hair, making her cry out even more. "Cry, foreigner! Just cry like a baby!"
And Rin did as she continued to cover her head. She hadn't been watching where she was going, so she ran head long into a tree, bouncing off of it. She gasped as she fell onto her back, tears running down her cheeks. Then she quickly covered her head as the bullies began throwing rocks down on her or picked up dirt and tossed it at her. She just cried into her arms, unable to defend herself.
"Hahaha! Weak little foreigner! We don't want you here! Why don't you go back to where you belong, you dumb...!" Another boy was saying.
But as he started to kick at her, a fist came flying out of nowhere and slammed hard across his face. Then a foot kicked another boy, along with another. All of the bullies staggered back as someone had just ran at them, coming to Rin's defense.
"Knock it off!" Someone yelled at them as they stumbled back away from their attacker.
Rin blinked several times before looking up to see who came to her rescue and to her surprise, it was a young boy with shaggy black hair, spiking up a little and his eyes were dark under oranged lenned goggles. He was wearing a dark blue outfit; though it was slightly dirty as if he had been doing some training. He was wearing a dark scowl on his face, glaring at the bullies with distaste. "You bunch of bullies! What right do you have to throw dirt and rocks at her?!" He snapped.
The bullies climbed to their feet and glared at Rin's rescuer. It was clear they knew who this was, though who didn't. He was from one of the Noble families.
"Obito Uchiha! Why don't you mind your own business, you gaki!" The leader of the bullies snapped. That stupid girl doesn't belong in Konoha! She's a foreigner! And she was insulting the Shinobi ways by pretending to be one!"
Obito Uchiha glared even harder at the bully, folding his arms over his chest as he made sure to stand over Rin in a protective way. "She is not a foreigner! Her parents might not be originally from Konoha, but she is! She was born here just like us!" He shouted right back at the bully leader. "She does belong here, just like you do!"
The bullies all just snorted. "She's an outsider, Obito! We don't want her here!" Another said, coolly.
Again, Obito glared harder. "Well, I do! So go away and leave her alone, you jerks! And if she wants to be a Shinobi, she can! I said so!" He snapped. The leader of the bullies all snorted as they turned and hurried away. "Come on, guys! Let's leave Obito to his new girlfriend!" And they were off, with Obito making a very nasty and rude gesture after them. Then he bent down to one knee, looking at her, though she refused to look into his eyes. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked offering a hand to her.
Rin sniffed back tears, though it was very hard to do so. Her hand rubbing her skinned knee and trying to wipe dirt off of her clothes. "N-no. My knee hurts." She said tearfully.
Obito tilted his head before poking the knee that she was rubbing. "Does that hurt." he then smiled when she yelped. "Oh. I guess so." He then gently rubbed it, trying to help. "Don't listen to those jerks. They're just a bunch of pigs." He said spitefully. Rin tried to smile but couldn't. She was somewhat glad that he came to her defense, but embarrassed. She knew all about the Uchiha clan. They were a bunch of nobles, while her clan, which wasn't much of a clan, were only traders.
"My name is Obito Uchiha." Obito said smiling again and offered his hand to her. "What's your name?"
Rin shrugged as she took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. "Rin Hayashi." She then tried to smile again. "Thanks for helping me." She told him. Obito just grinned at her as he kept an arm around her when she swayed on her injured knee. "It's no problem. I don't like bullies. They make me so mad when I see them picking on people. Especially girls." He then pulled at her to go with him. "Come on. I'll take you home." He told her. Rin smiled at him and nodded. She couldn't walk on her own and almost stumbled but Obito caught her and let her lean on him as he lead her back towards the village streets.
As they walked with one another, Rin thought about what Obito had just said about her being a Shinobi. She had always wanted to be one, of course. She wanted to become a nin to prove that she wasn't just an foreigner and that she loved Konoha as much as everyone else did. "Hey, do you really think I can be a Shinobi?" She asked, timidly. Obito looked at her with surprise then grinned at her as he nodded at the same time. "Sure! Anyone can be a Shinobi! I've joined the Ninja Academy so I can be one like my clan! My whole family has become Shinobi! It's a tradition for my clan!"
Now Rin frowned, looking down at the ground with sadness. "Oh. But my parents are traders." She sighed. "I don't know if I would cut being a Shinobi though." She told him.
Obito crinkled his nose as he looked at her, looking a little moody already. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me you're going to give up already. You can be a Shinobi if you want." He then smiled again. "Shinobi has to start somewhere, you know? Even as traders. Come on. Give it a try. That way, we both can be ninjas together!" He said brightly.
Rin couldn't help but laugh at the enthusiasm he had. His cheery mood even cheered her up. She felt so much better by just talking to someone who was being kind to her. "Okay. I'll give it a try." She then paused. "Hey, Obito. Do you...do you want to be my friend?" She asked, now a little nervous.
"Yeah!" Obito exclaimed with cheer. "I'd love to be your friend! Heaven knows that you really need one." He said nodding. Rin just smiled at him and then linked her arm with his. She was now feeling like a piece of treasure, being wanted in the society. All thanks to her new best friend.
However, the idea of Rin becoming a Shinobi did not please her parents very well. They had not liked their daughter's new interest into becoming one. When Rin had come home that day and went to ask if she could join the Ninja Academy, her father flat out said no. No matter how much she begged with them. Rin was heart broken but she was determined to change their minds. So every day, she would beg and plead with her parent so to let her become a ninja.
"I said no, Rin!" Her father said angrily when she tried to confront him while he was trying to help a customer. "It's too dangerous to be a ninja. Why don't you just help us here at the store? That way, you can stay out of trouble." He told her. Rin just frowned at him. "But I really want to be a Shinobi, Papa. I really want to go to the Ninja Academy! Please! Please just let me go!" She begged. Her father just gave her a warning look. "Rin, do not make me say it again. You are not going to go to the Ninja Academy and that's that! Now run along and play outside."
With a broken heart, Rin went out to find Obito and told him about her troubles. He did what he could to cheer her up, but he knew the only way of helping her was to actually talk to one of the Ninja Instructors. And that's what he did. And when that happened, the Ninja Instructor had become a little curious on who had caught a Uchiha's interest that he decided to pay a visit to Rin's family's store, himself.
On the day of the visit, Rin was dusting shelves and was in a very terrible mood. Her parents were making her work in the store today, though she really wanted to go out and play with Obito. She sighed almost every ten minutes to let her parents know that she didnt' want to do this but they were doing very well into ignoring her. So she just grumpily did what she was told to do.
However, when the door opened, all eyes went to who entered and everyone froze when they saw who it was.
"Oh! Oh my!" Mr. Hayashi said breathlessly before he went around the counter to greet the visitor. "Master Minato Namikaze! What a grand surprise!"
Rin stared wide up at the golden haired Shinobi who had just stepped through the store's door. She had seen him a few times and had known about him through Obito, who would not shut up about him. The Shinobi was awfully young and handsome. He had golden blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen. They were almost the color of the sky. He was wearing an outfit, clearing a Shinobi uniform, though he added a long white sleeveless coat with flame embroidary on the ends.
The Shinobi, Minato looked around, his blue eyes pausing on Rin and a gentle smile curled on his handsome face before he looked at Mr. Hayashi. "Hello. You are the owner of this shop, yes?"
Mr. Hayashi nodded, still stunned that a high leveled Shinobi like Minato would have stepped into a small shop like his. "Ye-yes, sir! How may we help you, sir?" He asked, brightly.
Minato turned his eyes back onto Rin, who was stalk still where she stood. He gave her another gentle smile as she stared up at him. "Actually, I would like to help your daughter, Mr. Hayashi." That surprised Rin and her parents. "I've heard that she's interested into joining the Ninja Academy. And that she may have some potentional. So I thought I'd come see her for myself."
"No." Mr. Hayashi said, immediately and seriously. All eyes went back to the shop keeper, though the golden haired Shinobi didn't look surprised that he would say that. Rin, however, was. "I've told Rin that she can not join the academy and I'm not going to say it again. The ninja career is too dangerous for her. She doesn't have what it takes."
Minato just tilted his head, thoughtfully, still looking as dreamy as he did when he first walked into the store. "How can you be so sure, my friend? Why not give her a chance?"
Mr. Hayashi shook his head, his arms folding over his chest. "My daughter is going to be a trader, Master Namikaze. She has no future in the Shinobi ways. She is not gifted in that chira or whatever you call it. She has never fought in her life and she will never fight in her life. I won't allow it." He said strictly.
Rin decided to give her plea a try again. Maybe she could manage to talk her father into letting her join the Ninja Academy if the legendary "Konoha's Yellow Flash" was there. "Papa! Please, let me just go! I really want to be a ninja!" She said moving forward. All eyes were on her now.
"I said no, Rin! Stop asking me to let you!" Mr. Hayashi said angrily.
Rin frowned right back before throwing the rag in her hand down and stomped a foot. "No, papa! I won't stop! I want to join the Ninja Academy and I will! I will become a Shinobi! I will work so hard to get it!" She folded her arms and glared up at her father fiercely. "I won't stop asking you until you let me! I mean it! You know I can be as stubborn as you can be! But I will join the academy! Just let me, Papa!"
Both father and daughter glared at one another, while the golden haired Shinobi watched with interest. He was going to let the young girl take over. He was very interested into seeing exactly how dedicated she was into becoming a Shinobi.
"Rin, you do not have what it takes!" Mr. Hayashi said sternly. "We are traders. You were born to be a trader. That's all you know. You won't make it if you go."
Rin continued to frown but then she shook her head. "Papa, let me be disappointed in the end then. Let me find out the hard way. I want to learn the ways of the Shinobi. I want to learn how to help people and I want to do good for the village." She then felt tears sting her eyes. "I HAVE to prove to them that I belong here. I'm tired of being an outsider and getting picked on. I get my hair pulled, rocks thrown at me just because I am an outsider. But I will prove that I am a true Shinobi!"
There was a long silence before Mr. Hayashi threw his hands up into the air in defeat. He was shaking his head violently as he turned away. "Fine! I don't care! Go, you stubborn child! Go be disappointed. And when you fail to become a Shinobi, do not come crying to me because I will only tell you I told you so!" He said angrily. Rin felt her heart nearly explode with happiness. She let out a happy laugh as she threw herself at her father, hugging him around the waist. "Thank you, Papa! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She said very quickly before pulling away. "I won't let you down, papa! I promise! I will be the best Shinobi ever! I'll make you so proud!"
The Shinobi chuckled at her reaction while Mr. Hayashi sighed, shaking his head, but it was clear that his face softened. He then just waved Rin off of him as he moved back around the counter. "Go play, you troublesome child. Go tell your friend, Kaibito, or whatever his name was."
"Obito, papa!" Rin laughed before bowing to the golden haired Shinobi, looking very grateful. "Thank you, sir! I owe you big time!" And then she was running out the door to go find Obito Uchiha.
Minato just smiled shaking his head as he watched her, then turned to the shop owner. "Mr. Hayashi, you have a very determined child there. With that kind of devotion, she will become a Shinobi. I have never, ever seen a more determined child than that one." He told her. Mr. Hayashi raised his eyebrow at him, but he looked amused. "With you encouraging her, Master Minato, she will only get worst." And the Shinobi laughed.
A week later, both Rin and Obito were walking together to the Ninja Academy, smiling and laughing as they went. They were both happy that she was finally allowed to enter the academy. For her first day, she had chosen to wear a lavender colored top with white shorts and her shoulder length hair was still hanging down around her face. She even tied a lavender headband around her forehead, to take on a more serious ninja look.
As they walked together, laughing and talking in an animated way, they didn't notice that the boys who usually bullied Rin were behind them, plotting against the new student at the academy. They had been following her all morning, since she had first stepped onto the academy grounds. Though Rin had not noticed the bullies behind her, she did notice a slightly older boy waiting near the classroom where Obito told her she would begin her classes. And the very minute she saw him, she was intrigued.
He was at least a year or two older than she was, almost the same age as Obito. And he was definitely taller than she was, well at least three inches taller. He had untamed silver white hair, which stuck up like straw on a scarecrow. She couldn't really tell what color his eyes were because they were closed and the bottom half of his face was hidden by a mask, from above his nose to his neck line. He was wearing a dark blue and black outfit, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his pants.
What surprised Rin the most was that he was already wearing a forehead protector with the leaf symbol. So it was clear that he was already officially a Shinobi.
As if he sensed her eyes on him, his eyes slowly opened and turned into her direction, though very lazily. Dark eyes met her chocolate brown colored ones and she felt as if she was holding her breath. Then she realized that she was. She immediately took a breath as she just stared at him and he looked back. But then his brow furrowed as his eyes looked past her, as if looking at something behind her. Rin frowned and started to turn to see what he was looking at before she knew what it was.
Because the bullies decided to strike.
Rin suddenly was shoved from behind, being sent sliding across the waxed, wooden floor, earning a nasty scrap on her knees. She gasped in pain and alarm before turning to see the bullies. Obito whirled around and glared at who had just shoved his best friend and growled when he saw who it was. "What's the big idea?! Can't you just leave Rin alone for once?!" He exclaimed as he went over to help Rin up.
"What do you think you're doing bringing that outsider here, Uchiha?! She doesn't belong here!" The bully leader snapped back.
Obito and Rin both glared at him, though one had tears of pain in her eyes. She let her friend help her stand before she took a step towards the bully, deciding that enough was enough. She was going to stand up for herself now that she was going to be a Shinobi nin. She put her hands on her waist and just glared up into his eyes. "I do too belong here! And I am not an outsider! I've come here to become a ninja and I won't let a jerk like you stop me!" She said as boldly as she could.
The bully glared at her before he reached up and slapped her across the face, sending her staggering back. "Do not talk to me like that, tramp! I am a stronger and better ninja student than you, when you are nothing but dirt!" He snapped.
"Why you...!" Obito snapped as he lunged at the bully.
However, the bully seemed to be telling the truth about him being stronger. He quickly snapped out his foot and did a spinning kick, hitting Obito across the face and sending him rolling and thudding across the ground until he hit the wall.
Rin gasped as she turned to see where her friend landed before she turned back to the bully. "You jerk!" She snapped before lunging at him next.
The bully didn't back away but shoved her again and very hard. She shrieked as she stumbled over her feet and then started to fall. She closed her eyes tightly as she braced herself to hit the hard ground, possibly landing on her head by the way she was falling.
But instead of hitting the ground, she landed right into someone's arms.
Startled, her eyes opened and she saw how shocked the bully looked and his eyes were on whoever had caught her. She paused for a second before lifting her head back, knocking it against her defender's chest and then saw the silver haired boy looking down at her from an upside down point of view. He was eyeing her lazily as she stared up at her. And stranger as it was, to Rin, he smelled like vanilla ice cream.
And she would have slapped herself for even saying it.
"Hey. You smell like vanilla ice cream." She muttered absent-mindedly.
The silver white haired boy rose his eyebrow down at her before he shook his head. "Yeah? Well, you smell funny." He muttered right back, surprising her. Then he set her up on her own feet before he turned his lazy eyes onto the bully, who backed away. "Do you," the silver haired boy spoke, his voice a little deep for his age. ", like to pick on girls?"
The bully gritted his teeth before taking a brave step forward. There was a sweatdrop rolling down the side of his nervous face. "Mind your own business, buddy! This is between me and that gaki!"
Rin looked at the bully with a hurt look while the silver haired youth narrowed his eyes at the bully. "I don't like bullies, not to mention it is breaking the rules. So do yourself a favor, Yakitate, and do not touch her again." He warned.
Yakitate growled as he moved forward, nearly having a face off with the silver haired shinobi. "Oh yeah? What will you do if I do, huh? Stare at me to death?!" He asked darkly before he reached up and grabbed a hold of Rin's hair before she could blink. She cried out when he tugged her hair hard before she was suddenly released as the silver haired boy suddenly grabbed Yakitate's wrist, forcing him to let her go.
And by the pained look on the bully's face, he had a very tight grip on him. Yakitate's hand was turning slightly red and there was a sound of bones popping, which made the bully yelp in pain.
"I said don't touch her again. If you think you can push her around, you've got one thing coming." The silver haired boy said before he jerked the bully's hand upward and hard. The motion made the bully make several spins in the air before he went crashing to the ground, several feet away. "Leave her alone, Yakitate, or you'll answer to me, you gaki."
Rin stared wide eyed at the silver haired boy, who just stuffed his hands into his pockets, watching the bully quickly get to his feet, gasping for air. Then with his friends, Yakitate ran off, still gasping and coughing. The silver haired boy glanced at the stunned Rin before he turned and moved back to where he had been standing and retained the same position he had been standing in when she first saw him.
"Rin," Obito asked as he hurried over to her. "Are you okay?"
Rin didn't tear her eyes away from the silver haired boy for a long minute before shaking her head when her friend waved a hand in front of her face. She blinked several times before nodded. "Uh...ye-yeah. I'm okay." She then glanced back towards the silver haired boy, who had closed his eyes again, as if thinking deeply. "Obito, who is that?" She asked almost breathlessly.
Obito frowned at her before looking over at the boy. "Huh? Who, him?" He asked crinkling his nose. He looked almost annoyed to even look at him but then he shook his head. "Oh, that's Kakashi Hatake. He lives down the street from my house, with his mom, I think."
Rin slowly nodded as she continued to stare at Kakashi. "With his mom, hmm? Why not with his dad too? Where is he?" She asked softly, trying not to let anyone overhear her. Obito pulled a face as if he didn't even want to think about it. "His dad? Well, you really don't want to know that, Rin. And if I were you, I wouldn't ask Kakashi about it. He gets really sensitive about that subject. And if I were you, I'd leave him alone too. He's kind of quiet and he keeps to himself. But he really doesn't like rulebreakers." He shrugged. "He's one of those guys who takes the rules really seriously. A lot of other students calls him Kakashi the Strict Shinobi."
"So," Rin said thoughtfully. "He is a Shinobi already. That's why he has one of the forehead protectors."
Obito nodded in agreement as he ran his hand through his messy black hair. "Yup. Kakashi's been a Shinobi since was six years old." He got a very alarmed look from Rin. "He's a Chuunin right now but he's rising pretty quickly."
Rin tilted her head to the side as she looked back at Kakashi, who then slowly opened his eyes as he did before and looked in her direction. It was like he could sense her eyes on him again. "Six years old? Wow." She said breathlessly before giving him a light smile. He, however, did not.
A/N: Anyway, that's it for the first blast into the past chapter. What did you think of the first reactions? Anyway, I will have the next chapter up really soon but until then, review please. Thanx.