(Book the First) Crimson Light in the Uchiha

Weakness

"I don't mind," says Rin evenly as she makes her way to the colonnade, "it's just a burn and nothing else. Fire isn't even scary anyways."

"Sasuke," I suddenly say to get his attention, "we'll continue with out sparring. Begin!"

"Y-yes!"

Rin's POV

I walked down the hall and the cool wood brushes against my bare feet. I'm about to turn to my room when I meet up with father.

"Hurt during training?" says father coldly.

"Haha, it was just a little burn from Nii-san's grand fire ball technique," I say lightly, but inside my stomach is churning because I'm seeing those eyes again. Those eyes that never changed from the day I was born. Those eyes that thought I was weak and helpless, unable to do anything.

I hate those eyes.

---a few hours later

I check up on Onii-san and Itachi and they're still sparring. Isn't this too long? But none of them look fazed at all. I wonder how many spars they have had. One hundred? Two hundred? I watch for a while and then I walk out to intercept their spar.

"That's enough, aren't you tired?" I say with a frown.

"No!" Sasuke glares at Itachi and I can see his usual determined power-hungry eyes. Sasuke really wants to be recognized, I have a feeling he would be willing to do anything to beat Itachi. "I'm not done yet!"

"Actually," says Itachi, "I have a mission to do with Shisui and Kakashi." My eyes widen at Kakashi'a name but I quickly look down. Itachi starts to walk away, "I guess I'll take my leave. Your sparring was good, Sasuke." Itachi makes a hand seal and he disappears in a cloud of smoke.

Sasuke kicks the ground up, "Training me and then leaving as if I was no big deal! I'm always in his shadow!" he shouts out, "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

And I'm stuck behind two shadows, I groan to myself, and to make it worse, father doubts me.

Sasuke seems to get an idea ns he says excitedly, "I know! Let's go to the forest Rin!"

"Get some rest," I snap and shake my head, "you're dead on your feet. You'll get sick if this keeps up. Sparring is really tiring you know?"

Sasuke grabs my arm and looks at me with wide eyes and whispers, "We don't have to train, I just want to get out of here for a little bit, okay?"

I think about it for a moment, and then I cross my arms, which was a mistake because my shoulder still hurt from the burn. "Fine, but now training. Neither of us are in shape to do so anyways."

Sasuke hugs me and starts to playfully drag me away to the front door, "You're the best, Rin-chan."

Third Person's POV

--- In a cave carved into a mountain

One by one, shadows appeared under the stone ceiling. There weren't many, but they were a menancing group.

The figure standing in the center turned around to surveyed the room. "So everyone is here."

A particularly large and bulky shadow stepped forward, "What did you gather us all here for?"

"I need you to give me an update on each of the hidden villages," says the middle shadow evenly, "scout around and pass in some intel without revealing us. Kill all who find out." The middle shadow started assigning the different people gathered different assignments. Finally he came across the bulky shadow and a slim one who stood beside it. "The only one left is Konohagakure. And you," the leader shadow pointed to the slim one, "make sure none of your ties with Konoha interfere."

The slim shadow chuckled callously, "My ties with that shabby collection of wood and stone has long been cut off. I seek nothing but it's destruction."

"It's destruction will come later," says the leader shadow coolly, "go to the village, collect intel and return immediately. Do nothing else, and absolutely do not cause trouble. You are all dismissed."

The shadows fizzed as they all melted into the thin air. The candles that were lighting the cave dimmed and went out completely.

Rin's POV

---The forest

"I can never beat Itachi," sighed Sasuke as he paced around on the branch he stood on, "and everyone is always praising him! I just want to be recognized..."

"You just have to wait a bit longer," I say as I pull him down beside me to sit, "Itachi is four years ahead of you anyways."

"At my age he already surpassed so many people and I'm still nothing..." mutters Sasuke.

"Do you really love Nii-san or is he just a pillar to pass?" I ask wearily.

Sasuke looks caught off guard and he says in shock, "Of course I love him!" he says, "I just want to be better too!"

"I just wanted to make sure that you also appreciated his company and efforts to keep us happy," I said curtly, "it's not like he wanted to become a pillar for us. I have two," I sigh, "so you're lucky, Onii-san."

"You aren't weak at all!" protested Sasuke.

"Yes, I am," I said steadily, "my chakra is horrible and I'm a really scrawny girl."

"You have Ama!"

"But that is just her strength," I grump, "I don't have my own strength, I'm always dependent on others." I raise an eyebrow, "You know it's true, Onii-san."

Sasuke falters, "Just train," he whispers, "I don't want you to be weak and think you are. You should be having hope remember? You can't be keeping the same attitude that you had thee years ago when you were still in that room!"

I wince, Onii-san really struck something personal there. I don't want to remember that room, and frankly, every time I think of screaming, crying, and yelling at the shadows, I cringe. What was my attitude then? I could hardly remember...

Onii-san grabbed my shoulders, "You were hopeless, Rin!"

Ahh, that was what is was.

Sasuke shook me really hard, "You can't depend on others to give you hope, Rin!"

Why wasn't Sasuke calling me 'Rin-chan?' Not that is mattered, but when he said 'Rin' so suddenly, it sounded like he was angry at me. What did I do...

Sasuke's POV

There is definitely one thing that I am tired of, it's Rin's sad and hopeless attitude. Why can't she ever look brightly at the future? Sure she smiles a lot, but it's mostly a sad little smile more to herself when she sees us. I know that she is physically weak and can hardly do anything, but she should really understand that she is special to us, no matter how strong or weak she was.

Okay, so maybe I did yell at her. I'm sorry, but I was really getting tired, and my multiple losses with Itachi in the sparring had put me in a bad mood. I see hurt cloud in Rin's eyes and her cheeks flush red. My words must have been sharper than intended. "Oh," I mutter, and I take a step towards Rin, "sorry, I'll-"

Rin skids away from me and shakes her head, "It's fine," Rin smiles that sad smile again, "I'm okay, I guess the burn hurts, that's all."

You liar, Rin.

I pull my sister into a hug and whisper, "I'm sorry, I know it's hard on you to be doubted and overshadowed. Nevertheless, I'll protect you."

Rin's voice comes out in a whisper, "Me too." 

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