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1. Watch you weave, then breathe your storylines

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There are certain advantages to being an Uchiha: girls, money, prestige - the status of Elite Motherfucking Shinobi, and knowing that if anyone even thinks about messing with you, you can whip out your badass Sharingan and show them who's boss.

Sometimes Obito wonders if he was born into the wrong clan.

Sometimes, you just gotta adjust your goggles and go.

xXx

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"Our eyes are our most powerful weapons," his father says. He sits Obito on his knee, showing him a picture book of all the famous Uchiha of times long past. "Uchiha Madara. Uchiha Izuna. They all conquered the world with the power of their eyes."

His father looks at him imploringly. "Now do you understand why you cannot wear those goggles?"

"No," Obito says. His father sighs, then stands.

"Take them off," his father says.

Obito watches as his father turns, grave and grim-faced and disappearing behind the rice-paper sliding door.

xXx

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The fact of the matter is, Obito doesn't like fighting. He'd rather stay at home, playing with his sisters or going out to walk the dogs.

"You are not a goddamn Inuzaka!" his father says, when Obito proudly rides home on a larger-than-life Inuzaka wolf hound. "Dammit, Obito! Do you wish to shame our clan?"

"I don't see what's the big deal," Obito says. He adjusts his goggles; the dog obligingly licks his nose. His father frowns.

"Look at Kakashi," his father says. "He is not even an Uchiha, and yet he throws shuriken better than you."

"Kakashi's a genius," Obito says.

"Only the lazy say 'genius.' That boy trains every day," his father says.

"He looks weird," Obito says. His father lets out a long-suffering sigh.

xXx

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The rest of the clan is equally as unhelpful.

At the clan meetings, Obito cranes his neck to look past the throng of Uchiha elders standing solemnly in front of him. Everyone else is dressed in ceremonial black; Obito is too, but somehow his clothes just don't fit right; they sag in the places they're supposed to gently drape, wrinkle inelegantly where there is supposed to be none. "Obito. Take these off," his father says, and Obito grudgingly pushes up his goggles.

"Your son needs discipline," Fugaku says. Obito crouches behind the door to his room, listening to his father's friends talk. "Akio. I do not wish to insult your parenting abilities, but without a mother, you must play both those roles."

Obito lies back in bed and glares at the wall.

xXx

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His little sisters don't play as much anymore. Every morning, Obito watches as they file out of their house, dresses pressed and hands folded demurely in front of them.

When their mom was alive, they used to play outside in the grass, jumping in the river and chasing butterflies in the yard. After she died, his sisters stayed in the house, so Obito took it upon himself to catch a butterfly and trap it in a jar; his sisters were happy at first, but after a while the butterfly died, too. Obito had the misfortune of making them feel worse.

The next day, Obito snuck out during recess and hid by the old swing; no one went there anymore, and he could sit and hide without worrying about anyone calling him a crybaby. So Obito sat, and sat, and listlessly swung around a little when a shadow fell on his form.

"Obito. Are you okay?"

And Obito looked up and saw the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

It was the first time Rin had ever talked to him. If he thinks back to it now, he's pretty sure that's when he fell in love with her, too.

xXx

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On the day Obito graduates the Academy, Obito's father ties on the head protector himself, studying his son with intense dark eyes.

"This is the day when children become men," his father says. "Now is the time to abandon your childish pursuits. You are a shinobi now. Uchiha Obito, of the Uchiha clan!"

Obito scratches his head, then swats at a mosquito on his sleeve.

"Perhaps you will grow into it," his father says.

xXx

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They assign Obito to Minato's team. "The yellow flash!" his father says. "Surely you'll learn something."

But Obito doesn't care about Minato. All he cares about is that he's with Rin. The universe for once seems to be cooperating.

Obito walks up to Rin, grinning like an idiot. Then he realizes she's talking to Kakashi.

Obito decides the universe doesn't particularly like him.

xXx

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Kakashi is standing by the water fountain, looking stupid-cool as he gives everyone his I'm-too-good-to-pull-down-my-mask-to-drink look.

Obito frowns. Maybe Kakashi isn't that bad. He's never talked to him before, so who knows? Maybe he'll be nice like Rin.

"Oi!" Obito says. "Teammate!"

Kakashi ignores him. Behind him, Minato-sensei frowns.

xXx

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Because the team isn't as cohesive as Minato would like, Obito finds himself sitting in a circle next to Kakashi and Rin, with Minato smiling a hopeful smile.

"So we'll start with me," Minato says. "My name is Minato. I am a jounin. I like inventing jutsus and reading in my spare time."

Minato smiles. He turns to Rin. "Rin-chan? How about you?"

Obito watches as Rin smiles shyly. "My name is Rin," Rin says. "I like running and arranging flowers."

"Good! And how about you, Obito?"

Obito is too busy looking at Rin to answer. "Obito?" Minato says.

"Oh!" Obito sits up. "I'm Obito. And I like my goggles," Obito says.

"That's stupid," Kakashi says.

"Oi! What's wrong with my goggles?" Obito says.

Minato sighs. It reminds him of his father.

xXx

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Kakashi is an asshole: too talented and too smug, whipping around his katana like a goddamn extension of his arm.

"You know why you don't have the Sharingan, don't you?" Kakashi says. Obito glares and Rin sits with her hands on her knees, listening attentively. "It is because you lack the talent."

"Teme!" Obito says. Kakashi shrugs.

"It's true," Kakashi says. "The other Uchiha our age have already awakened it. Maybe you're just learning impaired."

"Kakashi! That's enough," Minato says.

Obito's lack of Sharingan continues to plague him through the rest of the year: at the chuunin exams, no one believes him when he tells them he's an Uchiha, staring suspiciously and squinting their eyes. "Where's your Sharingan?" the other genin ask.

Obito mumbles and rubs his neck, "I haven't got it yet." The other genin squint.

"How come?" they ask. "I thought all Uchiha get it by now."

"Well I didn't, okay?" Obito says.

He doesn't need the Sharingan to see the Uchiha genin roll their eyes.

xXx

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Minato-sensei is the only one who is kind to him. "You have a special gift, Obito-kun," Minato says. "Just because you're a late bloomer doesn't mean it's any less special."

"Late bloomer?" Obito perches his hands on his knees, peering at him through his goggles. "So you think I'll get my Sharingan?"

"Eventually, yes," Minato says. He rubs his head, staring up at the sky. "But you don't need Sharingan to be special," Minato says. "Everyone contributes in their own way. Rin-chan has her medical jutsu and Kakashi has his one-track mind. You, Obito-kun, keep everyone in balance."

"I do?" Obito stares.

"Of course you do. You keep Kakashi-kun from getting a big head."

"He does have a big head!" Obito says. He grins. "Minato-sensei! So you think I might even be able to beat Kakashi someday?"

Minato looks out into the horizon. A breeze stirs, and Obito shivers, slightly. "You shouldn't be so fixated on besting your teammates," Minato says, finally. "You should only focus on bettering yourself."

Later, Obito watches as Minato waves at him from down the street, turning and heading back home.

Obito knows what Minato doesn't tell him: he won't ever beat Kakashi. Not by a longshot.

It makes Obito feel kind of bad.

xXx

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"You shouldn't get so down on yourself," Rin says. She and Obito are sitting on the swings, Obito watching silently as Rin chews on a dango, watching the sky. "You're a good ninja, even if you are a little goofy."

"Goofy?" Obito makes a face. "Who says I'm goofy?"

"Everyone does," Rin says. It hurts Obito's feelings but Rin touches his hand.

"I like that you're goofy," Rin says. She's leaning close, and Obito can feel his heart thudding in his chest.

"Rin," Obito says. A drop of sweat forms at his brow. "Rin, I-"

"Kakashi!" Rin says. She jumps up from the swing, smiling. "Kakashi, what are you doing here?"

Obito sags. Of course.

xXx

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Obito is in the yard, moping a little and watching his sisters weave wreathes in the grass, when Minato knocks on the door.

"Uchiha Akio," Minato says, and he offers his father a stiff bow. "May I have a word?"

xXx

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Dinner is a tense one, his sisters demurely holding their chopsticks while their father sits with his jaw tight, the soggy rice sinking in their bowls. Obito slinks back, watching furtively as Minato smiles and eats, seemingly oblivious to the tight-lipped stares around him.

"This is very good!" Minato says. He smiles at Obito, fondly. "Perhaps someday I should invite you all to my place for dinner - Kushina would love to have the company."

"Thank you, but no," his father says. He sets down his chopsticks. "Ever since Natsumi died, the children have had to suffer through my own cooking. They have learned to like it. I do not wish to impose."

"No, no, it would not be imposing at all!" Minato says. Obito slinks back a little further down the chair.

Obito does the dishes while his sisters disappear into their rooms, and though the water in the faucet is running, he can overhear snippets of his father and Minato's conversation.

"He's worn those goggles ever since his mother died." His father's voice carries from the other room. "I told him it was foolish, but he was just a child. I did not see the harm in indulging him a little."

"I see." Minato's voice floats lighter past the bamboo walls; Obito has to strain to hear. "There is something I've been meaning to discuss," Minato says. "I do not wish to worry you, Akio-san. But your son is having a difficult time."

"What?" his father says. Obito can almost see the expression on his father's face. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, the shinobi life doesn't really suit him," Minato says. "I know the Uchiha is a proud clan, and I know your lifeblood rests on shinobi way. However, I think for Obito's sake, we must think what's best for him."

Obito feels his chest tighten. He stares at the plate in his hands.

"What is the meaning of this?" his father says. Obito can hear the anger in his voice. "How dare you presume to know my child?"

"You said so yourself, your child is grieving," Minato says. "Grief is a powerful thing, Akio-san. It may even be impeding his Sharingan--"

"Enough!" his father says. Obito startles, fumbling with the bowl. "How dare you come into my house, coming with all these false assumptions! You know nothing about my family. Nothing," his father says. There is a measured silence; Obito can almost picture his sensei peering into his father's eyes.

"Your wife was blinded, was she not?" Minato's voice is quiet. Obito can hear footsteps across the room.

"Get out," his father says.

Obito waits; there is a sound, and he hears Minato leave, the rice-paper door sliding against the wall.

xXx

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The compound is quiet that night. Obito walks into the bedroom, quietly pushing open the door.

"Is it true?" his father asks. He is sitting in the dark, his back hunched over his knees. "Obito?"

Obito waits an uncomfortable minute, then pulls off his goggles. "Yeah," Obito says. He plays with the rubber straps, absently.

His father doesn't say anything. Heavily his father shifts on the bed, motioning for Obito to step forward.

"Things have been hard since your mother died," his father says, finally. "I was foolish to think it did not affect you, as well. Foolish," his father says again. "If only you would get your Sharingan. Then I would not have to worry about you."

Obito watches as his father stares at his hands. They are calloused and tanned, and he can see the thick heavy scars across the knuckles. He remembers how his mother's hands used to look, no less scarred and no less calloused, but so much softer than his father's. Outside, the leaves rustle, and in the dark Obito can just make out the shape of the Uchiha crest hanging against the wall.

"I can't," Obito says, finally. "Dad. I can't do it. It's just too hard. Maybe I'm just not an Uchiha," Obito says.

His father stares at him for a long moment. Then he rears up and smacks Obito across the face.

Obito staggers back, his hand flying up to his cheek. His father glares.

"Do not say that again," his father says.

Obito feels ashamed.

xXx

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Obito sits in his room and remembers the other day on the swings, how Kakashi stood with that smug superior look, and how Obito wanted nothing more than to smash his fist into his face.

"Go ahead and train," Obito said. "No one wants you here."

Rin shot him a look. "Obito be nice," Rin said. She walked over to Kakashi, chatting happily.

"Teme!" Obito said. He took a stance and pointed, shaking with anger. "You think you're so great! Well I'll show you!" And Obito burst toward him.

Kakashi dodged effortlessly, shifting his body just enough to send Obito sprawling forward.

"It is as to be expected," Kakashi said. "A poor attempt from a crybaby ninja coasting on the Uchiha name."

Obito curls up on his side, his eyes starting to water behind his goggles.

xXx

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In the rock quarry just outside the Kannabi bridge, just moments after Rin finished transplanting the Sharingan into Kakashi's eye, Obito could feel Rin grip his hand.

"Stupid," Rin says. She grips his hand harder, crying. "Stupid, stupid."

"Oi," Obito says. His voice is weak from the strain. "Don't...don't cry."

Above them, he could hear Kakashi fighting. Weakly, Obito reaches out to touch Rin's face.

"I was never cut out for this," Obito says. "I just...I just wanted to protect you."

He feels her tears slip between his fingers; her cheek feels cool and soft under his palm.

xXx

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It is raining when they bury him, the members of the Uchiha clan solemnly flanking his grave. His father says nothing when Kakashi shows up at the funeral, good eye uncovered with his son's Sharingan spinning beneath his forehead protector. The Sharingan reads chakra, after all, but his father could sense Obito's chakra even if he were blind.

Quietly, his sisters toss the wreath of flowers into the ground, the petals glistening in the cold spring air.

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A/N: Inspired by the song, "I Wear my Sunglasses at Night" by Corey Hart. lol :)