“Miyuki, Shin, hurry!
There’s a new dango shop up ahead.
I heard it’s really good,” Abero said excitedly, pointing down the street.
Shin and Miyuki exchanged a glance before following him over.
The moment they saw the long line spilling out from the shop entrance, both shook their heads with a helpless smile.
At this rate, they would be waiting for ages.
Then Shin heard several familiar voices.
“Kakashi, hurry up!
We’re celebrating Rin’s belated birthday.
We can’t miss it again.” “Obito, there’s no need to go through all this trouble.” “What do you mean, no need?
Her birthday only comes once a year, and Rin definitely wants to celebrate with us.
How about I buy you some dango later?
Happy now?” “Kakashi…
Obito…
Rin.” The three names made Shin turn toward the voices.
Three figures were walking together at the other end of the street, one in front and two behind.
The person in front had his back to Shin and wore the distinctive clothing of the Uchiha Clan.
If Shin wasn’t mistaken, that was Uchiha Obito, the man who would later shake the entire Ninja World.
Right now, however, Obito was simply talking excitedly with the other two, completely oblivious to the curious glances from the people around him.
The man and woman behind him were facing this way, allowing Shin to see them clearly.
Well, one of them wasn’t exactly easy to see.
He was around eleven or twelve years old, with silver hair and a short blade at his side.
A black mask covered the lower half of his face, while his visible eye carried a cold, sharp look.
Kakashi.
At this age, he had yet to completely escape the shadow left by his father’s death.
As Shin watched him, Kakashi suddenly seemed to sense something.
His gaze shifted.
Their eyes met across the street.
For an instant, neither moved.
The air between them seemed to tighten, like two blades meeting without a sound.
“Shin, what’s wrong?” Ito Miyuki noticed the change in him and asked quietly.
“Nothing.
I just saw a rather interesting kid.” If Kakashi had heard that, he probably would have cursed under his breath.
Kid?
I’m older than you.
Who exactly are you calling a kid?
On the other side of the street, Obito also noticed Kakashi’s strange expression.
“What’s wrong?
Why are you staring like that?” He turned around and followed Kakashi’s gaze.
Then he saw Shin.
Obito recognized him immediately.
It was impossible to miss the Uchiha Clan attire.
“He’s from my Uchiha Clan.
I don’t think I’ve seen him before.
What’s so special about him?” Judging from Shin’s age, Obito guessed he had probably graduated from the Academy this year.
He couldn’t understand why a newly graduated Genin would catch Kakashi’s attention.
Kakashi’s answer was short.
“Killing intent.
His killing intent is very strong.” “No way.
He’s just a newly graduated brat.
Where would he get killing intent?” Obito was puzzled.
Killing intent wasn’t something a person simply possessed.
It was an aura forged on the battlefield after taking countless lives.
In a real fight, releasing enough killing intent could make an opponent freeze or even flee without a fight.
Obito himself had killed plenty of enemy Ninja on the battlefield, yet he still hadn’t developed killing intent to the point where others could sense it.
Now Kakashi was telling him that he had sensed killing intent from a newly graduated Genin.
Obito didn’t buy it.
Not long after, the two groups met at the entrance of the dango shop.
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin stood in front, while Shin, Miyuki, and Abero stood behind them.
“Hey, I’m Uchiha Obito.
Which division are you from?
I don’t think I’ve seen you before.” At this age, Obito was still as straightforward and naive as Abero.
His dream was still to become Hokage.
It wasn’t until Rin’s death that everything changed.
When he learned that Kakashi, his closest friend, had killed Rin, Obito was dragged into darkness by the conspiracy surrounding him.
He eventually became Uchiha Madara’s pawn and stirred up the entire Ninja World.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?
Are you mute?” “Uchiha Shin.” Obito froze.
He had seen Shin’s parents before.
He had watched them die right in front of him.
Looking at the young Uchiha now, Obito’s expression softened with sadness.
“I’m sorry.
I couldn’t save your mom and dad.
I’m paying today, so eat as much as you want.
And if anyone bullies you in Konoha, come find me.” “No need.” Shin’s answer was flat.
“Why?
I was your parents’ comrade.” “Because you’re too weak.” Obito’s face stiffened.
At this point, he hadn’t even awakened his Sharingan.
His combat ability was only average, and without Kakashi covering for him, surviving on the battlefield would have been difficult.
Hearing Shin call him weak, Obito immediately bristled.
He might act careless most of the time, but he actually cared a lot about how others saw him, especially Rin.
“Kid, you dare call me weak?
Let’s fight and see who’s really weak!” “Obito.” Rin gently shook her head.
Obito’s shoulders immediately dropped.
“Fine, I’ll let you off this time.
But don’t you dare call me weak again, got it?” Shin glanced at Rin.
She really was cute.
No wonder Obito had fallen for her so hard.
What a pity.
She was destined to become someone else’s sacrifice, the kind of person who gave everything and ended up with nothing.
After that little exchange, the six of them joined the line.
Obito and Abero hit it off almost immediately, talking as if they had known each other for years.
Miyuki and Rin chatted quietly beside them.
Only Shin and Kakashi remained silent.
Neither seemed interested in breaking the silence.
About half an hour later, Kakashi and his two companions finally bought their dango.
After exchanging a few words with them, the three turned and left together.
Abero bought his own dango, while Ito Miyuki stood there lost in thought.
Shin watched the three figures disappear into the distance.
He had a guess.
They had probably returned to Konoha to participate in the Chunin Exams.
Konoha Village held the Chunin Exams twice a year.
With the year already nearing its end, the next Chunin Exams were probably close.
Considering Kakashi, Obito, and Rin’s ages, along with the fact that they had just returned from the battlefield, their reason for coming back at this time wasn’t difficult to guess.
“Chunin Exams…” Shin fell into thought again.
He had a feeling that once the Chunin Exams ended, their own batch of students would be sent to the battlefield as well.
That meant he didn’t have much time left to train.
The moment he realized this, his interest in shopping vanished.
But then he glanced at his two enthusiastic teammates.
He couldn’t just abandon them and leave.
“Shin, what flavor do you want?” Abero’s voice pulled him back from his thoughts.
“Something a little spicy.” Abero soon returned with three bowls of meatballs.
He even thoughtfully handed Miyuki a tissue.
Shin noticed the gesture but said nothing.
He lowered his head and continued eating.
The three spent the entire morning wandering around the village.
After lunch, they finally went their separate ways.
Abero had originally wanted to suggest checking out the western side of the Village, but Shin clearly wasn’t in the mood anymore.
Once Shin refused, Miyuki’s interest faded as well.
Abero had wanted to spend more time with Miyuki, but without Shin around, he couldn’t think of a good excuse to keep the outing going.
In the end, he could only head home with a disappointed look.
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