“Rin…”
Obito automatically ignored Kakashi and Minato Namikaze up above, his entire mind focused solely on Rin Nohara.
“This feels a bit off.”
Just as Obito was thinking about sneaking a kiss, he remembered getting caught by Kakashi last time.
He looked left and right, and only after confirming nobody was around did he take out the tape and tissues again.
He used the tape to cover Kakashi’s face, so he wouldn’t get the illusion of secretly kissing Kakashi.
After doing all that, Obito grabbed the tissue, planning to sneak a kiss with Rin Nohara’s photo.
Now it was fantasy time!
“Rin…”
Lost in his emotions, Obito unconsciously called out Rin Nohara’s name.
“Uh…
Obito, I’m here.”
To Obito’s surprise, someone responded to him.
That voice was the very voice he yearned for day and night.
Oh no!
Obito’s hand tightened around the tissue, and his gaze slowly drifted upward.
There stood two figures by the window.
One was Rin Nohara, the other was Kiyohara.
“Ahem, it’s Rin and Kiyohara.”
Obito naturally shifted direction, wiping his nose with the paper, pretending nothing was wrong.
“What were you just doing, Obito?”
Kiyohara looked at Obito holding the photo frame.
Even without seeing the photo on the front, he could guess what it contained.
“Nothing, just reminiscing about the past.”
Since Rin Nohara was right in front of him, Obito shot Kiyohara a look, signaling him to stop asking.
“Take care of your health, know your limits, Obito.”
Kiyohara said with deep meaning.
Sneaking kisses on someone’s photo—even 2D fans wouldn’t go this hard.
“Take care of my health?”
Rin Nohara was taken aback, not catching the hidden meaning in Kiyohara’s words.
Obito’s eyes went wide as he said:
“How can you slander my innocence out of thin air?”
“Oh really?
Weren’t you secretly kissing Rin’s photo?”
Kiyohara said with a half-smile.
Honestly, Obito should have apprenticed under Jiraiya—one liked peeping at bathhouses, the other liked secretly going at it with photos.
Obito’s face flushed red, veins bulging across his forehead as he stammered in defense:
“There was dust on the photo, so I leaned down to blow it off.
How can maintaining the bond between comrades be called a sneak kiss?”
Then Obito started spouting words about the Will of Fire, bonds, and such.
The air was suddenly filled with a lively atmosphere.
Rin Nohara just assumed Kiyohara and Obito were joking around, so she didn’t overthink it.
“Obito, if we don’t leave soon we’ll be late for the mission.
Kakashi and Minato-sensei and the others are all waiting.”
Rin Nohara’s lips parted slightly as she spoke.
Seeing no sign of Rin Nohara being upset, Obito finally relaxed.
His brilliant and mighty image absolutely could not be tarnished in Rin’s heart, no matter what.
“Got it.”
Obito turned around and put on his marching pack and ninja tool pouch, then finally his yellow goggles.
He had been ready long ago.
It was just that Rin’s beauty had made him forget the world around him, which was why he had delayed.
“Let’s go.”
Seeing Obito ready in no time, Rin Nohara planned to stand by the window and wait for him to come out.
As Obito put the photo back in its place and was about to bring one more kunai, Rin Nohara spotted Kakashi up above, his face wrapped in tape.
“Why are you covering Kakashi’s face?”
“This way, no dust gets in.”
Obito said, thinking on his feet.
“I see.”
Rin Nohara found it a little odd, but still nodded.
“This should be the last time Obito gets to jerk off to Rin’s photo.”
Kiyohara thought to himself.
Once Obito gets half his body crushed by the boulder and split right down the middle, he’s a hundred percent going to lose one of his balls.
As for whether the sausage gets crushed along with it, or ends up with one half on each side—that depends on which direction Obito usually leans.
Kiyohara figured there was a good chance Obito wouldn’t be able to jerk off anymore, period.
After all, even the White Zetsu limbs grafted onto him didn’t come with that accessory.
“Let’s go.”
Obito said goodbye to his grandma and came out.
Then he noticed Kiyohara looking at him with something like pity in his eyes, and couldn’t figure out why.
…
At the gates of Konoha.
“You’re too late, Obito.
You’re late again.”
Kakashi looked at Obito, who came running over in a rush.
“So what if I’m a little late?”
Obito grumbled.
A few minutes—was it really that big a deal?
“A true shinobi follows the rules.
Anyone who can’t is trash.”
Kakashi said without mercy.
In his creed, the rules of the shinobi outweighed everything.
His father had brought about that tragedy precisely because he disobeyed the rules of the shinobi, choosing to save his comrades instead, which led to the mission’s failure.
“Alright, Kakashi, don’t say that.”
Minato Namikaze stepped in to smooth things over.
Ever since White Fang of the Leaf died, Kakashi had become like this.
Minato Namikaze, who knew a bit of the inside story, couldn’t say much either.
He was a shinobi.
His duty was to obey his superiors.
“During a mission, everything else has to wait until it’s over.”
Minato Namikaze said.
A team’s unity was vital.
He didn’t want to watch them keep bickering.
“Also, this mission is classified.
I can only reveal the details once we get near the border…”
Kiyohara listened to Minato Namikaze’s briefing from behind.
He didn’t know why they always had to pause at the main gate before every mission departure.
Kiyohara could only chalk it up to shinobi ritual.
“By the way, did that future me ever find a girlfriend?”
Kiyohara casually asked Rogue Ninja Kiyohara in his mind.
After the urn rattled, Rogue Ninja Kiyohara’s spirit drifted through his mind.
“No, he didn’t.
Just staying alive takes everything he’s got.
What room is there for anything else?”
Rogue Ninja Kiyohara shook his head.
He’d actually wanted to look, but the only person a rogue ninja could find would just be another female rogue ninja.
Not everyone could be like Sakura—knowing Sasuke was an S-class rogue ninja and still being so lovestruck she wanted to follow him.
Well, actually, you’d at least need looks on the level of Sasuke for that to happen.
His own looks weren’t bad, but he was too weathered and old-looking.
“Is that so.”
Kiyohara looked at Rogue Ninja Kiyohara’s tragic future and silently resolved that his own future wouldn’t turn out like that.
Soon, after Minato Namikaze finished speaking, he said:
“Move out.”
All the shinobi began traveling together.
The sun rose and the moon set, and soon several days had passed.
The group traveled through the forest during the day, and at night they set up camp to rest briefly.
Since everyone was traveling light, they quickly reached the area near the border.
“We’re finally almost there.”
Kurenai Yuhi leaped between tree branches, using the momentum to move quickly.
This was a popular way of traveling among shinobi, helping to speed up their pace.
“I wonder if we’ll be able to complete the mission.”
Kurenai Yuhi turned her head and said to Kiyohara.
“Let’s just do our best.”
Kiyohara said.
Failing a mission at most meant some punishment, but dying meant actually dying.
He was getting Genin wages—basically at the very bottom of the shinobi ladder.
Honestly, for three thousand a month, who’d risk their life for that?
Making three thousand a month and still expected to do thirty thousand worth of work?
Kiyohara figured it was already good enough that he wasn’t slacking off.
It was just that a lot of shinobi had the so-called Will of Fire hanging over their heads, and chose to endure hardship for their beliefs.
“This is far enough.”
Seeing that things were about right, Minato Namikaze had everyone stop.
This was a large stretch of grassland.
When the wind blew through, all the small blades of grass bowed their heads low.