Rating: K+

Summary: Depressed over being stuck in Kakashi's shadow once again, Obito finds support from someone he truly admires.

Spoilers: "Kakashi Gaiden" – Chapters 239 to 244.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi, and his many, many well-paid lawyers. I am NOT making any money off this, nor am I trying to infringe on anyone's copyright. Believe that.

Authors' Notes: When I read the "Kakashi Gaiden", I was struck by Obito. He had Naruto-like qualities, but wasn't a copy of him. A less "harsh" version of Naruto, if you will. I spent time thinking about him, what it must've been like before that mission and where he suddenly found the courage to stand up to Kakashi the way he did. I hope the manga mentions him again – either in passing or in flashback – because I'd love to know more.

Questions, Comments, Suggestions: Send to All flames are read, laughed at then deleted with extreme prejudice.

"Stop Your Crying" - By Net Girl

Uchiha Obito stared at the pair of goggles grasped in his hands. He'd been doing it for the last five minutes. In the yard, just outside of the Academy building, the young boy sat cross-legged, alone, and oblivious to the world around him. As though anyone was around for him to notice.

The rest of his class, along with some of the current Academy students, were busy congratulating his teammate, Hatake Kakashi, on making Jounin. If that weren't miserable enough, what made matters worse was that Obito himself had barely achieved the rank of Chuunin. Embarrassing for not only him, but for his entire Clan, since so much was expected of an Uchiha in Konoha.

He heaved a heavy sigh as he tossed his goggles to the side then leaned back against the tree. He shifted his gaze to the clear blue sky above him. It was such a beautiful day in the Village. Too bad he wasn't able to enjoy it like everyone else. His head rested against the trunk as his eyelids fell shut.

He could see Kakashi, smirking – even behind that mask, Obito knew when his teammate smirked – at him. It was all in Kakashi's eyes – they gave away everything. The jerk had been smirking when he passed the exam to advance to the level of Jounin.

"Of course he'd be a Jounin at his age," he'd heard several people say. "The son of a genius. No one would've expected anything less."

Yes. That's how it'd always been, ever since the Academy days - Hatake Kakashi was the center of the world. Or, at least, that's how it seemed to Obito. Usually, those from the Uchiha Clan were placed high on a pedestal for the rest of the Village to see and aspire to become. Not this one, though. Obito was often told he was lucky to make Chuunin, and even luckier to be on a team with Kakashi. If anyone could help him become a better shinobi ...

"Obito?"

His eyes flicked open when he heard the voice of his other teammate – Rin, their medical nin. She stood beside him, his goggles in her hand and a concerned expression on her face. Rin. Even she had skills that far surpassed his own. The amount of chakra control required for healing, it was amazing. She was amazing.

"What?" he muttered. He quickly looked away, before she noticed the way he gazed up at her.

He'd liked Rin from the first day he saw her. Not even his name could make her notice him, however; or talk to him beyond a courteous 'hello' or 'good morning'. She'd always paid attention to Kakashi, moreso after they were all placed on the same team. Talk about shoving in the kunai and twisting it ...

"I think you might've dropped these," she said, smiling a little as she extended the goggles to him.

He glanced from them to her, then snatched them back. "Yeah, maybe," he grumbled. He pulled them on so they were positioned just above his eyes on his forehead. "What are you doing out here, Rin?"

She knelt down beside him and placed her hands on her thighs as she did so. "I could ask you the same question." Her head tilted to one side as she studied his profile. "I don't really need to, though."

He turned his head, so he wouldn't have to see her from the corner of his eye. "Why don't you just go back to the others, then, and leave me alone?"

It hurt to think about the fun everyone else would have today. It wasn't often someone of Kakashi's age made Jounin. And the accomplishment only created more of an idol for Rin to worship. No, he would stay right where he was. He didn't want them to see Uchiha Obito cry.

"It feels strange, to not have you with us," Rin gently told him. She pressed her lips together. Obito and Kakashi rarely got along, if ever. Still, Obito had to put aside his personal feelings and show support for his teammate. Kakashi was now their leader, the one they would entrust their lives to on future missions. If she worded it like that, however, she'd only create a bigger problem among the two boys.

He scoffed. "I didn't think anybody would notice I wasn't there."

"I noticed."

His eyes briefly widened upon hearing Rin's reply. She'd noticed? He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs, his expression hardening again. "So what? One person. Big deal. What does it matter? It's better for my Clan if I stay away." He rested his chin atop his knees, careful not to look at the girl. "I've embarrassed them enough, anyway."

"Why would you say that? Because you didn't get the highest scores in the Academy? Or because you don't share the same skills in battle as Kakashi?"

Obito narrowed his eyes a bit. "You're not helping, Rin," he flatly said.

The medical ninja placed a hand on his shoulder. That's when he lifted his head and looked her directly in the eyes for the first time since she'd arrived. "You have talents of your own," she quietly replied.

"I don't have anything ... " He shifted his gaze to the ground beside her. "... not until it happens." A hand absently brushed over his face, near his eyes, then he heavily sighed. "That's all I have, Rin. Until then ... I'm exactly what Kakashi says I am – a loser."

"You really believe that? Your only skill is in something you haven't even developed yet?" Angered he wouldn't look at her, Rin grabbed him by the jacket and shook him until he did. "If that were true, then why did you make Chuunin? If that were true, then how did you manage to make it this far?"

"Do you honestly think they'd fail someone from my family?" he bitterly answered.

She yanked him closer, so they were nose to nose. "Yes!" she declared. "This is a serious business, Obito. They aren't going to give our duties to just anyone, no matter what family they come from!"

He managed a weak smile. It was nice of her to tell a lie to make him feel better. It was nice of her to notice his absence. That's what Rin was – a nice person. So why would such a nice person waste that kindness on a jerk like Kakashi? He couldn't understand it, and he probably never would.

"What do I bring to our team that you and the great Hatake Kakashi already don't?" he finally asked after a full minute of silence.

"Determination." Her grip on his jacket loosened and she sat back on her heels. "And ... inspiration." Her voice became softer as she spoke now. "Even though you weren't the best in anything, you never gave up. You ... don't know how that affects the people around you, Obito. Some laugh, some shake their heads, but some ... admire it."

He stared at her, almost in shock. Was he daydreaming? Had he fallen asleep and not realized it? Was Rin actually telling him he was an ... inspiration?

"That determination will accomplish more than any skill Kakashi could ever have. You never lose when you do nothing but try your best." She offered him a supportive smile. "Besides ... everybody needs a little help sometime. Even him."

Obito, still wide-eyed, watched Rin rise to her feet. Was she serious? Kakashi need help? He was able to do anything the instructors put in front of him. Things came insanely easy for a genius. Why would he ever need a loser's help? For what purpose?

"You should stop sulking," she finished, her hands on her hips. "We start our mission in a few days. It's Kakashi's first as our leader, and we can't have you in a mood." She smiled once more, then walked across the yard and vanished into the Academy building.

Obito blinked several times as he gazed at her retreating figure.

Just inside, Rin came to a stop. "I don't know if I helped him any, sensei," she murmured.

The girl looked to her left, where her fair-haired teacher leaned against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. He'd requested that she speak with Obito, so she'd obediently complied. It was the only reason she'd entered that yard. At first.

Not until she saw him sitting miserably underneath that tree did the right words come to her. Half of it, she couldn't believe she'd said. How could Obito ever be anything but a nuisance to someone like Kakashi? What did he have to offer a boy who was so powerful and self-sufficient?

The one who would become the Yondaime of the Leaf peered into the yard. Obito was on his feet now, staring in the direction of the building, but there was no way he could see his sensei and Rin inside. The older shinobi saw the expression on the boy's face. Rin's words, whatever they had been, had began to permeate in Obito's head. Maybe he would discover how powerful he was without the famed Sharingan of his Clan. That was only one aspect of any Uchiha shinobi's skill. If Obito would simply realize it, he had the potential to surpass even Kakashi.

"You did very well, Rin." He shifted his attention to the girl, who only bowed her head in response. "Is something wrong?"

She bit her lower lip. "No, sensei. May I go?"

"Of course."

With that, she slowly walked away from him, her head still bowed. She felt awful for lying to Obito the way she had; she felt even worse when she remembered the look on his face as he listened to her. As much as she hated to think it, she didn't expect him to amount to much as a shinobi, either. He seemed so sure he could be great ... if only ...

Once she rounded the corner, she placed a hand to the wall to support herself. Her heart sank lower and lower as the chatter from the students on the other end of the school carried through the hallways. That was what he wanted more than anything, to get out of Kakashi's shadow, to have people talk about him, just once.

She hoped her speech wouldn't end up hurting him in the future.

Fini.