Quiet and fulfilling days often pass quickly. The early morning fog shrouds the small courtyard, and at some point, the pear tree beside the courtyard wall has blossomed with clusters of white flowers—simple and elegant.
"Ha!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Suddenly, a ball of fire rose in the courtyard, shooting into the sky and dispersing the morning fog. In the yard, two teenagers stood in the middle of the field—one gripping a dagger with both hands, the other holding a kunai in one hand, both watching each other cautiously.
"Obito, if this is all you've got, there's no need to continue this match!"
Kakashi, wielding the dagger, looked at Obito, who was panting heavily, and spoke calmly. Today, his sparring partner was Obito—not by Uzumaki Raiden's arrangement, but because Obito had volunteered. He likely just wanted to defeat Kakashi and prove his strength in front of Rin.
Unfortunately for him, Kakashi's physical abilities had improved significantly over the past few months. The gap between them hadn't closed; instead, it had widened.
"Damn it!"
"I was only using a tenth of my strength! Just wait—I'll defeat you soon!"
Seventeen-year-old Obito still sounded childish. Hearing Kakashi's words, he immediately retorted, but despite his bold declaration, he remained still, watching Kakashi warily, seemingly unsure of how to launch his attack.
Obito hesitated, but Kakashi didn't. Seeing no reaction from Obito, Kakashi slid his dagger onto his back and swiftly formed hand seals.
"Stay back!"
Without waiting for Obito's move, Kakashi slammed his hands onto the ground. In an instant, two visible streaks of lightning surged along the surface toward Obito, scorching the ground in their wake. This technique packed a serious punch—Kakashi wasn't holding back.
"Damn it!" Obito's Sharingan had been active since the start of the fight, allowing him to clearly see the lightning surging toward him. Without time to think, he bent his legs and leaped into the air, narrowly dodging the incoming attack.
Watching Obito leap into the air, Kakashi's eyes glimmered with amusement.
"Shhhhhh!"
Kunai shot from Kakashi's hand in a spread, aiming at the airborne Obito.
Obito, with no foothold mid-air, saw the kunai approaching and instinctively swung his own kunai to deflect them. Realizing his vulnerable position, he quickly retrieved a smoke bomb from his pouch and hurled it in front of him.
Poof!
A thick black mist engulfed Obito's figure. Kakashi, unable to pinpoint Obito's exact location, stepped back lightly, exiting the smoke's coverage area.
Using the smokescreen as cover, Obito landed safely on the ground, exhaling in relief at the solid footing beneath him.
"That was a pretty foolish move in the face of an attack, but at least he made up for it quickly."
"It's just that… if his opponent is Kakashi, that won't be enough."
Uzumaki Raiden had been watching the fight. Seeing Obito jump into the air, he pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. No one else would make such a mistake—jumping into the air like that only made him an easier target.
Still, while Obito's initial reaction had been clumsy, he had at least been quick-witted enough to conceal himself with a smoke bomb, avoiding an easy takedown.
Just as Obito was about to form a hand seal, he suddenly heard a faint sound beside him. The next second, a pair of pale hands burst out from the ground, gripping his ankles and yanking him down.
"Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu!"
As Obito's body was pulled into the earth, Kakashi emerged from the ground. The Kakashi who had been fighting moments ago vanished in a puff of white smoke—it had been a shadow clone.
"Wha—?! When did you?!"
Now buried up to his neck with only his head sticking out, Obito stared in shock at the real Kakashi, who was calmly approaching him.
"The moment you threw the smoke bomb."
"Even though I couldn't see you, I could still predict your movements."
Hands in his pockets, Kakashi stood over Obito, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone. He wasn't mocking him—just stating the obvious. But to Obito, those words stung.
"Argh! Damn you, Kakashi! Let me out!" Obito struggled futilely, his face flushing red. He glanced at Rin, trying to avoid her gaze. He had wanted to impress her, but instead, he had embarrassed himself completely.
"Alright, Kakashi, help him up." Uzumaki Raiden stifled a laugh, keeping a straight face.
Kakashi didn't make things difficult for Obito. He quickly formed a seal, then pulled Obito out of the ground.
Though unharmed, Obito was now covered in mud. With the morning fog still thick, the damp soil clung to his clothes, which would now need another wash.
"Kakashi, was that really necessary?" Rin huffed, jogging over to Obito. As she complained to Kakashi, she pulled out a clean handkerchief and started wiping the dirt from Obito's face. But the mud wasn't coming off easily, and soon, the handkerchief was completely soiled.
"Rin, it's okay, I can do it myself." Obito, his face reddening, grabbed Rin's wrist to stop her, embarrassed that she was fussing over him.
"Uh…"
Rin froze, feeling the warmth of Obito's hand on her wrist.
She hesitated, raising her gaze to meet his.
"Spring has truly arrived."
Watching the scene, Uzumaki Raiden felt a wave of nostalgia. After a moment, he pulled a scroll from his robe and walked toward Obito and Rin, breaking the awkward silence.
"Obito, I've thought about this for a long time, and I've decided to entrust this technique to you."
"I believe you have the talent to master it."
"One day, you will become a better ninja than Kakashi. Work hard, and don't let me down."
With that, Uzumaki Raiden placed the scroll into Obito's hands, then turned to leave, motioning for Itachi to follow him.
"This is…?"
Obito stared at the scroll, puzzled. Rin and Kakashi also leaned in curiously.
Without hesitation, Obito unrolled the scroll. But when the title came into view, all three of them fell silent.
"Flying Thunder God Technique."
(End of this chapter)