The warm sun shone on Obito's face. Under the sunlight, the gloom from losing to Kakashi quickly faded, replaced by a beaming smile.
"Flying Thunder God! This is Minato-sensei's Flying Thunder God Technique!"
"Lord Raiden actually gave me the scroll for the Flying Thunder God Technique!"
Uchiha Obito rubbed his cheeks, and when he confirmed that the scroll in his hands was indeed the Flying Thunder God Technique, his mind became overwhelmed with joy. Clutching the scroll tightly, he roared excitedly:
"With the Flying Thunder God Technique, I can become as strong as Minato-sensei!"
"No, I will become even stronger than Minato-sensei! Because I am the strongest Uchiha in Konoha!"
"Flying Thunder God combined with the Sharingan… I can definitely become Hokage! And when that happens..."
Obito sneaked a glance at Kakashi before secretly peeking at Rin, fantasizing about a future where he had mastered the Flying Thunder God, defeated his long-time rival, married the girl he loved, and stood at the pinnacle of life as Hokage.
In just a few seconds, Obito seemed to have lived out his entire life in his head. A foolishly happy grin spread across his face.
Kakashi, noticing the mischievous glint in Obito's eyes as he glanced at him, crossed his arms and struck him with a reality check:
"Hey, don't get ahead of yourself."
"The Flying Thunder God Technique isn't something you can just learn because you want to. As far as I know, ever since the Second Hokage developed it, only he—Senju Tobirama himself—was able to master it. The only other person to succeed after him is our teacher, Namikaze Minato."
"Minato-sensei has tried to teach this technique to others before, but none of them succeeded."
"Besides, Lord Raiden gave you this technique, but have you ever seen him use the Flying Thunder God?"
"Do you think it's because he found it useless? Of course not!"
"Lord Raiden is the youngest Hokage in Konoha's history. He has been called a genius since childhood. Even someone like him wasn't able to master this technique. And you? You're the dead last of our class. Even if you have the scroll, there's no way you'll learn it."
Kakashi shot Obito a disdainful look with his usual deadpan expression, his words brutally honest. Though his tone carried a hint of sourness, he was simply stating the facts, and deep down, Obito knew it.
Sure enough, after hearing Kakashi's words, Obito hesitated, a flicker of doubt crossing his face.
"Come on, Kakashi, don't be so harsh!"
"As long as Obito works hard, it's not impossible, right?"
"Lord Raiden must have seen potential in Obito—otherwise, he wouldn't have given him the technique."
"And didn't you just say that Minato-sensei was able to learn it, even though Lord Raiden couldn't? That means mastering this ninjutsu isn't just about talent—it also depends on compatibility between the technique and the person."
"So, Obito, you have to work hard!"
Rin held Obito's arms as she tried to smooth things over, encouraging him.
Obito, who had been shaken by Kakashi's words, instantly regained his confidence. Clenching his fists, he looked at Rin with determination and declared:
"Rin, I will definitely master this ninjutsu! I will use my own strength to protect you! To protect Konoha!"
His voice was firm. Rin, feeling the intensity of his gaze, lowered her head slightly to avoid his eyes and whispered, "Just make sure you can protect yourself first..."
However, Obito didn't hear her soft words. He was too caught up in his excitement, and at that moment, nothing else mattered. Without wasting another second, he bolted toward his room, gripping the scroll tightly in both hands.
At noon, Uzumaki Raiden and Uchiha Itachi returned to the courtyard after buying lunch. Upon entering, they saw Kakashi and Rin still practicing. After a quick greeting, Raiden headed to the dining area with their food.
A short while later, after arranging the lunch on the table, Kakashi and Rin finished their training and joined him inside.
"Kakashi, Rin, why are the two of you alone? Where's Obito?"
As Raiden set out the bowls and chopsticks, he noticed Obito's absence.
"Lord Raiden, we called him, but he said he wasn't hungry and told us to eat without him," Kakashi replied flatly.
Raiden didn't think much of it. It wasn't uncommon for kids Obito's age to skip meals when they were absorbed in something. He simply nodded and called everyone to sit down.
"Then let's not wait for him. Let's eat."
Even after they had finished their meal, Obito still hadn't come out of his room. Now slightly puzzled, Raiden activated his Kagura Eye to sense his location. As expected, Obito hadn't left the house—he was still in his room. A look of curiosity flickered across Raiden's face.
"Kakashi, what's Obito doing in his room? Why isn't he eating?"
Kakashi had just finished eating and was wiping his mouth with a tissue before putting his mask back on.
"He's probably locked himself in there studying the technique you gave him," Kakashi replied in a dry tone.
"I don't think he'll eat until he figures it out."
Though Kakashi spoke nonchalantly, there was an underlying hint of concern for Obito. Despite his sharp tongue, he wasn't heartless.
Raiden raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"Oh?"
"So in your mind, I gave him the Flying Thunder God Technique just to encourage him?"
"Is that what you thought?"
Kakashi blinked. "Isn't that the case? You didn't even master the technique yourself, and yet you're expecting Obito to...?"
Before he could finish, he noticed Raiden's expression shift to something unreadable.
Then, suddenly—
"Hahahaha!"
Raiden burst into laughter.
"Boy, you sure know how to flatter people—I like it. Itachi, you should learn from your brother Kakashi."
"But, Kakashi, you're wrong about something."
"Yes, Obito is a bit foolish. He's innocent, and his talent in ninjutsu is mediocre. But..."
"He has a kind heart."
Kakashi had been waiting for some deep reasoning, only for Raiden to say that. He froze, utterly baffled.
That's it?!
Raiden chuckled at Kakashi's dumbfounded expression, then suddenly turned serious.
"Kakashi, if there's anyone in your generation who can master the Flying Thunder God Technique, it won't be you."
"It won't be Itachi either."
"It will be Uchiha Obito!"
"You don't have to believe me now, but just wait and see."
"But before that, let's go get him to eat. Even if he wants to learn it, it won't kill him to take a break!"
(End of this chapter)