Kakashi merely stood with his hands in his pockets and said coolly, “Just a reminder: we’re in a classroom. If you don’t mind being punished by the teacher, feel free to attack me. I promise I’ll only dodge.”
Obito immediately deflated like a punctured balloon.
Completely helpless, all he could do was grit his teeth and force out three syllables.
“Ka! Ka! Shi!”
Kakashi, however, turned around, sat in the empty seat in front of Rin, and reminded her:
“The teacher will be here soon. Get ready for class.”
Obito was startled and glanced toward the classroom door.
There was no sign of the teacher.
However, at the next moment, their chūnin instructor, Inaka Tsuki, entered the classroom.
He had a bowl cut and wore a Konoha forehead protector.
Obito clenched his fists.
Damn it.
Were Kakashi’s sensory abilities already that sharp?
He hadn’t sensed anything.
The road to catching up with Kakashi was still long and difficult.
Feeling deeply frustrated, Obito reluctantly returned to his seat.
Rin quietly watched the scene, finding it strangely enjoyable to see Obito and Kakashi bickering.
However, she immediately remembered the information recorded in her notebook: the streets of the Uchiha residential district had been littered with bodies.
She hoped Obito would never become one of those corpses and could continue living such a peaceful life…
At that moment, the chūnin instructor stepped onto the podium.
Once all the students had taken their seats, he began to speak.
“Yesterday, I explained the basics of ninjutsu and the importance of chakra. Today, I’ll talk about the code of conduct that all shinobi must follow and, most importantly… the Will of Fire.”
“You must remember that a shinobi’s first duty is to complete the mission. A shinobi who cannot complete a mission is useless.”
“However, while carrying out our missions, we must also do everything possible to protect our comrades.”
“Repeat after me: Where the tree leaves dance, one shall find flames. The fire’s shadow will illuminate the village, and once again, tree leaves shall bud anew…”
As the teacher continued his lengthy explanation, Rin couldn’t help but look at Obito.
She noticed that he was listening far more attentively than he had during yesterday’s class.
Yesterday, while the teacher explained the basics of chakra, Obito had slept more soundly than anyone else.
Now, however, his eyes shone with dreams and hope…
The class soon ended.
Afterward, another teacher took over and led everyone outside for practical training.
The outdoor lesson covered all the fundamental skills a shinobi needed.
Obito performed very poorly, while Kakashi stood out from everyone else as usual…
As the sun began to set, the day’s classes at the Ninja Academy came to an end.
Rin had not forgotten her main purpose: she wanted to follow Obito to the Uchiha clan compound, observe the surrounding area, and see whether there was any way to escape the deadly situation in the game.
Before she could look for Obito, he excitedly came to find her first.
“Rin, is our earlier agreement still on?”
Rin smiled and nodded.
“Of course. I was the one who asked you in the first place.”
Obito jumped with excitement and took Rin’s hand.
“Then let’s go, Rin. How about we start going to and from school together every day?”
Rin was quite used to holding hands with Obito, as they had done so countless times before.
She merely said with some difficulty, “But our homes aren’t in the same direction. I can only visit you occasionally.”
Obito, however, said, “That’s fine. At worst, I’ll walk you home after school and then wait for you outside your house every morning.”
Rin didn’t believe him at all.
“Obito, before that, try not to oversleep in the mornings. When have we ever gone out to play without you arriving late?”
Obito’s face flushed, and he raised a hand to scratch his head.
“Is that so? Haha, I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Rin didn’t want to waste any more time.
She took Obito’s hand and walked ahead.
“Come with me. I want to reach the Uchiha clan compound before sunset.”
With Rin’s small hand in his, Obito felt incredibly happy.
The two walked hand in hand, chatting about various things, and soon arrived at the main entrance of the Uchiha clan compound.
The road leading to the compound’s main gate wasn’t particularly wide.
Rin had walked along it many times before whenever she came to visit Obito.
This time, however, she stopped and looked at the unusually quiet surroundings before asking, “Obito, is there no other way into the Uchiha clan compound?”
Obito looked at her strangely.
“This has always been the only road. There’s only one main gate, after all.”
However, Rin remembered that this was where a group of shinobi, possibly members of Root, had killed her in the game.
She asked with some concern, “But what if something unexpected happens? For example, if this road is blocked by enemies, wouldn’t everyone in the Uchiha clan be trapped inside?”
Obito dismissed the idea.
“Who would dare block the Uchiha clan’s gate? If anyone tried, they’d be reduced to ashes by the next day.”
Rin trembled slightly.
Under normal circumstances, that would indeed be true.
So why had such a situation occurred in the game?
She murmured, “I hope you’re right.”
After a brief pause, she suddenly remembered the figure who seemed to have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Since he possessed the Sharingan, that person must also have been a member of the Uchiha clan.
Rin couldn’t help but ask, “Then what if the people blocking the road are members of your own clan?”
Obito froze.
He had never considered such a possibility and didn’t know how to answer her.
Rin’s thoughts, however, became increasingly clear.
Indeed, with the strength of the Uchiha clan, it would be difficult for outsiders to carry out such a massacre.
But what if the attackers weren’t outsiders?
Rin thought for a moment and asked, “Obito, do you remember where the utility pole is inside the clan compound? I want to see it.”
Obito was surprised.
“A utility pole? There is one outside the residential district. Rin, do you really want to visit a utility pole? That’s a strange idea.”
However, Obito didn’t care where they went as long as Rin was with him.
Therefore, he took Rin’s hand and said, “Come with me, Rin.”
The two soon reached their destination.
Rin couldn’t help but look up at the solitary utility pole standing near the entrance to the residential district.
She sighed.
“The view from up there must be excellent. You could see the entire Uchiha clan compound.”
No wonder that figure had stood atop the utility pole.
Had he been watching for any survivors who might have escaped?
Rin suddenly felt an impulse.
“Obito, I want to stand on top of it and take a look.”
Obito hadn’t expected Rin to make such a request.
He looked at the height of the utility pole.
Although he really wanted to agree, he still said, “Rin, it’s too high. It would be very dangerous.”
Seeing how high it was, Rin also realized that climbing to the top would be extremely difficult.
A single misstep could easily cause her to fall.
She had no choice but to abandon the dangerous idea for now.
Instead, she asked, “Then can we go see the Military Police Force headquarters?”
Obito didn’t understand why Rin was so interested in visiting different parts of the Uchiha compound today.
Could it be because she wanted to learn more about him?
He said excitedly, “No problem. Let’s go right now.”
Thus, the two walked together until they reached the entrance of the Military Police Force headquarters.
Rin looked at the imposing building and the people coming and going through its entrance.
She saw many people enter while grumbling, only to come back out looking completely subdued.
Suddenly, she raised her hand and pointed toward a window on the second floor.
“Obito, do you think one person could stand there and fight everyone inside the Military Police Force headquarters?”
It really helps the fic grow!