Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Itachi gnaws on the pocky stick as storm clouds gather over the Uchiha compound. He sits on a stoop, waiting for his mother to come back from the hospital (She's going for a routine check-up, but has hinted that Itachi may be expecting a baby brother some time in the future; Itachi isn't sure if he should be thrilled or terrified).

Thunder rolls overhead, and Itachi wonders if he should go inside.

An unexpected visitor quickly derails that plan.

"Hey, you're Itachi, aren't you?"

A young boy, maybe twelve or thirteen, wearing orange goggles is smiling at him. He has a pale face and his smile is too bright; Itachi can see some strange sadness—no, not exactly sadness, maybe, but closer to weariness and a weight that doesn't sit well on the boy's slight shoulders—beneath the surface of his smile.

"Yes, I am," Itachi nods politely.

The boy laughs ruefully, running a hand through his hair. "The prodigy, huh? My little brother's friend. Well, I'm the clan failure. The name's Obito." Obito sits down beside Itachi on the stoop, hands on his knees.

Itachi has already heard of Obito. He does indeed have quite a reputation—a bad one—around the Uchiha compound, but Itachi is willing to be open-minded about his paternal cousin. Obito is reported to be quite friendly, he—to Itachi's four-year-old eyes—seems much less arrogant than most of his kinsman, and he doesn't talk down to Itachi the way most of his relatives do. The fact that he's Shisui's older brother can only help his case in Itachi's eyes.

"Shisui talks about you a lot, you know," Itachi supplies, smiling slightly.

Obito doesn't look surprised. "He does? So what does my otouto say about me?"

Itachi smiles sweetly. "He says that you haven't activated the Sharingan yet, and that you're not always the best person to have around in a fight, but that you're a good brother." Itachi hasn't quite grasped that sometimes telling the brutal truth isn't always the best policy.

Obito's face goes bright red. "Hey, being a good fighter isn't everything, you know! I'll catch up."

Itachi blinks and lowers his head in slight embarrassment. "I know…But everyone seems to think fighting is so important…"

Obito grimaces and leans back on the stoop on the palms of his hands. "Yeah, I know…God knows how well I know," he mutters. Obito lifts his goggles and smiles again, this time genuinely. "Look, Itachi, I could go on for a day and a night about how important fighting is to a shinobi, but there are other things I'd much rather tell you, because I don't think anyone else in our clan will."

"What do you mean?" Itachi asks, pulling his knees up to his chest.

"Well, yeah, being able to fight well is important, and you should always train hard, but there are more important things." Obito looks down earnestly at Itachi, who stares right back up at him.

"First, never leave your comrades behind, 'cause there's no telling what the enemy will do to them if they catch them, and you would expect your comrades to not leave you behind, right?"

Itachi nods.

"Okay. Second, value your friends. Every life is precious, especially the life of someone you care about. Your friends are your friends, and some of them always will be. They're the best people you can have beside you in battle, because they'll do anything to make sure not only that the battle is won, but that you don't get killed during the fight.

"Finally, and this is the most important thing, always protect your family. Mikoto-obasan is gonna have another baby, isn't she?"

Itachi wrinkles his nose. The gesture provides both his answer and his opinion on the matter.

Obito laughs. "I wasn't exactly thrilled when Kaasan had Shisui, but he's still my baby brother and I do love him. I'd do anything to keep Shisui safe, and when Mikoto-obasan has your baby brother or sister you'll feel the exact same way about them. The older sibling's always got to protect their younger siblings; it's your responsibility."

Thunder alerts them to the coming rain. Obito stands up. "I've gotta get home before the rain hits. I'll see you later, Itachi." He runs off down the narrow high street.

Itachi sits back, intrigued. Obito's opinions on life, he decides, are definitely worth thinking about. Especially the last one…