Summary: How would you live your life if you were an Orphan for the sole reason that you were girl? Meet Shinobu. The younger sister of Itachi and Sasuke. Abandoned, guarded and quiet after years of carrying the burden of knowing she was unwanted. How will she react upon entering the Ninja Academy and learning that she's not the only one who's alone. "What prideful Uchiha would allow their children to be weak.. a girl.. you.. are weak.."

A/N. I've decided to start on this fan-fiction now because I needed something with sadness instead of the happy high school fics. My mood is not exactly in the ups for the time being and now would be a great time to start this. I'll still be updating my other stories and I hope you'll enjoy this story. Also, all of the chapter names are song titles. I suggest listening to them. They're good songs!

Disclaimer: I'm only saying this once, I don't own Naruto or any of the characters other than Shinobu and any other character I'll specify later in the A/N's. I also don't own the songs that I'm using as the chapter titles.

"Fugaku.. I'm pregnant." The expectant mother looked up at her husband with nothing but love in her eyes.

"Hm, looks like Itachi will have a younger brother to compete with now." He smirked before kissing his wife gently on the forehead and walking away. 'he shouldn't have to be competition... he should be your son...' Mikoto thought as she sighed, gently rubbing her stomache. Itachi had turned out wonderfully, but he was nothing but a tool to his father. Mikoto didn't want a repeat of this.. she wanted a son or daughter who'm she could love without recieving a lecture from her husband. Wasn't a family supposed to be close knit?

22 weeks later

Mikoto was honestly afraid. She watched in silence as her husband stormed through the house, throwing things and slamming doors as he went. They had just come back from her first ultrasound. At first, he was extremely excited to learn that she was to conceive twins, but it was short lived. One of her children was to be a girl. She had fallen in love with the idea in seconds. A girl to teach, someone to help around the house. She wouldn't be completely alone, but Fugaku obviously disagreed.

"A girl! How DARE you bring me a girl after all I've done for you." He had yelled, he was a smart man yet he had spoken as if it were her fault. As if she could control the gender of their baby. Of course, she would not argue. She never argued. That resulted in pain. Itachi didn't deserve to hear her pain, to be scarred by an unhappy home.

"I'm sorry, Fugaku. I.." She had only paused a moment, not knowing how to continue. What was she supposed to say? It won't happen again? She didn't mean it? It's hard to apologize for something that isn't your fault. That moment was all it took for him to resume his rant.

"I what? You're not sorry, I saw you smile! Do you want to dishonor our family? If we have a girl our family will be labeled as weak! I will not have weak children and this tiny -girl-" He spit the word at her. "Will never amount to anything near our boys!" He roared before slamming his hand through the wall. She flinch but tried to hide it with a bow in apology. He used to be nice, loving.. romantic; but it ended when he had his pride torn from him. When the other clan members labeled him as a weak link in the chain. He never did act the same. Why? Because she was labeled weak too. She became his excuse.. his weakness.

"Please, Fugaku. You could train her to be strong.." She started, trying to save her young daughter from his rampage. "You could prove to the others that you are strong enough to make a girl.. the weaker human.. stronger than their sons." She supplied. Hopeing he would listen to her.. if he would not listen to reason.. she needed him to listen to her. She knew girls were not weak.. but he would never agree with that.

"Make her stronger than their sons..?" He paused, contemplating the idea which was absurd in his eyes.. absurd, but not impossible. "And what if she failed us? Then we'd be the failures.. we'd become the weakest family. I will not be labeled as weak, nor will I tarnish Itachi with weak siblings." He finalised. Had she worded it differently, had he been calmer, the idea may have worked. But the man was too stubborn to have his mind change after that.

As the couple bickered and Fugaku yelled, they both remained oblivious to the young boy standing in the hall way. With eyes wide. He had known that he was going to have a sibling.. a brother as his father promised. He couldn't wait to have a baby brother.. to train with, to take care of, to show off to. He would sometimes imagine a sister and smile but knew it wasn't going to happen because his father said so. Why was his father so against having both the twins? A girl and a boy.. it would be perfect. He didn't understand. Then again, who could understand the antics and thoughts of a person who could not understand themselves. The young boy went back to his room. Mind reeling with the information.

18 weeks later

"Please! Fugaku! Reconsider this! She's your child!" A crying Mikoto guarded her baby girl in her arms, knowing full well that if Fugaku didn't change his mind that she'd have no choice in the matter.

"I said no! This household will not sport a weakness, even if it's living." He growled before giving the baby an icy glare. To him, she was unwanted, a nuisance, a weakness.. she was no child. She was a mistake.

"She's your child.. s-she could still be strong!" Mikoto screamed, trying desperately to choke back tears. To her, she was adorable, she was strong, she was a luxary, she was a strength.. she was her child. Soon the sound of hand hitting flesh echoed through the room as Fugaku slapped his wife.

"You're talking back to me? You have no right. You have two choices. Dispose of her.. or leave with her!" He yelled, furious with the actions she had shown against him, the actions he labeled as disprespect and disloyalty.

"Dispose of her..? We can't just dispose of her! At least let me bring her to an orphanage!" She pleaded with the stubborn man she used to love.

"No, I've already informed the hokage of her death. She died when she was born. Since you had an at home birth no one will know. Itachi will be told the same thing when he wakes up." He growled. "Just dump her in an ally way. It doesn't matter." He said with disinterest before turning to walk towards his bedroom.

'It's not supposed to work like this.. we were supposed to be a happy close knit family.. do family things and love each other and support each other.. not have Itachi fighting exhaustion to impress his father and earn a ghost like figure of love. Not have Sasuke be born to always compete and treat our daughter like trash because she's won't be strong..This isn't supposed to be happening!' She thought angrily to her self as she fought back more tears. Her daughter helplessly snuggled into her blanket, fast asleep despite their previous yelling.

Walking down the abandoned roads with a small baby in her cloak gave her the privacy to openly cry. To stop fighting to be a good wife and just care for her child. A young girl who would grow up without her fathers love or her siblings protection. Without the hokage even knowing who she was. Mikoto cried until there were no tears left. She had already wrapped her daughter in bundles of blankets. She had fed her previous to coming and hoped she could be strong and wait for her. Despite her husband, she had decided to come back.. to care for her child on the streets. If just enough for her to survive. She'd be alone.. but she'd survive.. she is strong. That had been her reasoning. The young mother smiled through red, puffy eyes at her beautiful daughter.

"What are we going to call you.." She thought out loud, gently petting her child's head. "Shinobu..." She whispered after the long silence. "Endurance.. you'll survive this." She kissed her child's head before gently placing her in the shelter of a box laying on it's side, wrapped in blankets. She could only hope it wouldn't get too cold or rain. "I'll be back Shinobu.. I promise." She took one last look before running back towards her home. She had already taken too long.

3 years later.

Although she had been beaten once or twice for leaving or being caught sneaking food out of the house, but Fugaku never really stopped her. Maybe he still had a soft spot for his daughter? If you'd call that soft. No one knows, not even the man himself. But as Shinobu and Sasuke grew up Mikoto couldn't help but feel awful. While one child was spoiled but expected to work hard another was barely living in the same ally way having trouble just learning to talk. She knew life wasn't fair.. but she hoped her daughter would forgive her one day.

She thought to herself as she walked down the familiar streets to the much bigger box that replaced the old one. A young girl wrapped in dirty, ripped blankets sitting there with a blank expression on her face. She looked emotionless. A small light was ignited though when she saw her mother. "Ma!" She cried, shakily standing to give her a hug. Shinobu hadn't learned to walk as soon as most children. She didn't express herself with words, but with actions, facial expressions and through her eyes. It broke Mikoto's heart, but at the same time she was proud. Her baby was strong. She was surviving.

"Hi Shinobu. How are you, sweety?" Mikoto asked, gently caressing her daughter's back as they hugged.

"Good, mama." She replied with a smile. Shivering as she gave up her blankets so she could get clean ones for her box and to keep warm. She stripped out of the clothing she wore without a word. Following their usual routine. It wasn't really clothing, just a pillow case with holes for her arms and head, but it helped keep her warm so she was happy. Whenever Mikoto came to see her she'd bring clean blankets and a flanel pillowcase along with food and some water and soap. She'd strip down and Mikoto would scrub off the dirt as best she could without hurting her daughter, then she would put on her clothes and snuggle into her box with her blankets. She had 4 blankts. A comforter to keep the bottom soft, a fuzzy blanket to keep the heat in, a blanket to snuggle under so it was like a nest and a tarp like blanket to pull over the box to protect her from the rain. Sure it wasn't much.. but to her.. it was home.

The girl, now snuggled up in her 'home', now looked expectantly at her mother. She hadn't visited in just about a week so all Shinobu had to drink was rain water and she managed to get some bread from the garbage. Her mother pulled out a sandwich with lettuce and meat and gave it to her daughter. The young girl ate it quickly before taking the pills her mother handed to her. Mikoto always brought her vitamins and calcium pills to try and make up for the healthy food she lacked. Once Shinobu took them she happily drank from her water bottle which her mother refilled.

"Have you been doing good out here?" Mikoto asked quietly.

"Yes, ma. Cold..blankets keep me warm." She explained.

"That's good." Mikoto said, she knew it wasn't good. It was awful and she felt terrible, but she did what she could. She knew she was a horrible mother.

"Mama.. you ok?" Shinobu asked quietly, sensing her mother's sadness.

"Oh, nothing honey. I just.. missed you.. that's all." She smiled, hugging her.

"Mama.. can you read a story?" Shinobu looked up at her mother hopefully.

"I'm sorry honey.. I don't have enough time.. I need to go back home.." She replied quietly, not looking directly at her daughter knowing she'd feel guilty.

"Oh...ok.." Shinobu whispered quietly. "I love you, mama.." She said, giving her mom a hug and taking the sandwiches Mikoto gave her and sticking them in the corner of her box for later. Mikoto wiped away her tears and kissed her daughters forehead.. she knew she was disappointed.. but she couldn't help it. If she didn't get to the market to pick up the groceries then Fugaku would get suspicious and it would be longer before she could come back. If she wasn't caught, she could return within three days. She sighed, standing and walking away, her heart cracking at each small sob that echoed through the alley. No child deserved to cry because they were living like this.. no child deserved to live like this..

A/N: I hope you liked the chapter. I'll update again soon. Also, this song is the reason by hoobastank