Asuma was half a step behind, still frozen from Obito's words.
There was no way Obito was going to let that slip.
He lunged forward, closing the short distance between them in an instant. His fist shot straight toward Asuma's chest, fast and direct.
Asuma snapped out of it just in time, his eyes widening as the punch filled his vision. His arms came up on instinct, forearms crossing clumsily as he barely managed to block.
Bam!
The impact landed solidly against his guard, the dull thud echoing across the training field.
Asuma slid back a step, sandals scraping loudly against the dirt.
Obito blinked, surprised despite himself. 'He actually blocked it?'
Asuma flexed his fingers, wincing as a dull ache spread through them. He looked up, eyes sharp now, glaring straight at Obito.
For half a heartbeat, Obito froze. Then the corner of his mouth twitched into a faint, wry smile.
Before Asuma could settle back into his stance, Obito pivoted hard on his heel. His waist twisted, shoulders snapping around as his elbow whipped back toward Asuma's face.
He didn't hold anything back.
But—Asuma ducked. Clean and easy.
Obito's elbow cut through nothing but air.
In the same motion, Asuma surged forward.
He dropped his weight and slammed his shoulder straight into Obito's midsection, a full-body charge. His arms wrapped briefly around Obito as he pushed through the hit.
All the air blasted out of Obito's lungs!
For a split second, the world flipped in his perception.
His feet left the ground, and the next thing he knew, his back slammed into the dirt. Dust burst up around him as he skidded backward, coughing hard.
Pain shot up his spine.
He barely had time to suck in a breath when he felt movement—too close. His body reacted before his mind did.
Obito rolled to the side just as a fist smashed down where his jaw had been, missing him by a hair.
Asuma hesitated for a fraction of a second, clearly not expecting him to dodge from the ground like that.
But his body didn't stop.
He stepped in again and swung from the side.
Bam!
The punch landed cleanly.
Obito's head snapped to the side.
His vision went white for a moment. The sounds of the field faded into a distant, ringing hum.
Where… am I?
Who… am I?
"That's enough."
"Enough," the instructor said sharply, stepping in before Asuma could continue. "Match over. Winner—Asuma Sarutobi."
Asuma lowered his hands and looked down at Obito, lips curling slightly. "Dead last."
"Hah," he scoffed. "Dead last really is dead last."
Without waiting for a response, he turned away. As he walked off the field, he glanced toward a red-eyed girl in the crowd and flashed her a confident smile.
The instructor didn't tell him to perform the Seal of Reconciliation. Maybe he forgot.
Or maybe that was just one of the perks of being the Hokage's son.
Obito stayed where he was, staring up at the sky as clouds drifted lazily overhead.
Honestly, he'd expected to lose the moment the pairings were announced. He'd only started properly practicing taijutsu this morning, after all.
Beating someone like Asuma—someone from a major clan who'd probably been training since he could walk—was never realistic.
He could've sat out if he wanted. The chūnin would've agreed without much argument if he brought up Mitsuki-sensei. Still… this was real combat experience. Even if it came with bruises and embarrassment, it was worth something.
What he hadn't expected was Asuma's attitude.
In the original story, Asuma was calm, reliable—nothing like the smug brat he'd just fought. Seeing him like this drove something home for Obito.
He couldn't rely on the original series to judge people here.
This wasn't an anime. It was real life.
Maybe Asuma would grow into the dependable jōnin he remembered. Or maybe he wouldn't.
Humans were ultimately very complicated creatures. Sometimes all it took was a few moments to push someone down a completely different path.
Lost in thought, Obito suddenly found his view blocked by a shadow.
"Obito!" Rin crouched beside him, worry written all over her face. "Are you okay? Can you hear me?"
Obito blinked, then looked at her with deliberate confusion. "Who's Obito… and where am I?"
Rin let out a breath she'd clearly been holding. "Yeah, you're fine." She slipped an arm under his shoulder and helped him sit up carefully. "Still, we're going to the infirmary. The last time you got hit in the head didn't end well."
"As you say," Obito muttered, letting her guide him out of the ring step by slow step.
Behind them, the instructor was already calling out the next pair.
…
Probably because of his history with head injuries, the medical ninja didn't take any chances. They ran him through a full, meticulous checkup.
Only after confirming there was nothing wrong did they finally let him go.
By the time Obito stepped outside, the academy day was already over. Students from different grades were streaming toward the gates in small groups.
Rin had left earlier for her after-school medical theory lessons.
"Great, I forgot to ask her about medical books," Obito sighed, pressing the ice pack against his left temple as he headed back to the classroom for his bag.
Today's loss had taught him a lot.
He wasn't just behind in taijutsu—his body, his reactions speed, his combat awareness were all lackingI
He was already working on his physique and basics. Once he had the academy foundations down, he planned to exchange contributions for proper Uchiha-style taijutsu from the clan archives.
But combat awareness was different.
He couldn't learn that from books alone or from solo drills. He needed real combat.
And that was the problem.
Academy spars were the only chance he had to fight, and even then, they wouldn't be enough. Kids like Asuma had clan members, seniors—people to train with every day after class.
'Should I exchange contributions for a sparring partner? Or maybe someone to guide me?'
The thought followed all the way to the classroom.
Most of the desks were already empty. Obito gathered his notebooks, stuffed them into his bag, and slung it over his shoulder. He was about to leave when someone spoke from the doorway.
"Hey."
Obito looked up.
Kakashi stood there, half in shadow, silver hair catching the light from the window.
"What do you want?" Obito asked flatly.
Kakashi hesitated, then stepped inside. "About… last month."
Obito raised an eyebrow. So he actually came to apologize?
A faint glint flickered in his eyes as an idea clicked into place. One that might be able to solve his current predicament.
"You mean when you kicked me so hard during sparring that I almost became stupid?"
Kakashi flinched. "You blocked the wrong way," he said, avoiding eye contact.
Obito stared at him. "I wasn't supposed to block a spinning heel kick with my ribs."
Silence stretched between them.
"I didn't mean to hurt you," Kakashi said at last. "You stepped in too close. It wasn't on purpose."
"That's it?" Obito crossed his arms. "You just came to say it 'wasn't on purpose'?"
"No," Kakashi said quietly. "I… came to apologize."
Obito shook his head. "Forget it. An apology alone isn't enough."
Kakashi blinked. "Then what is?"
"You think being a genius means you can mess someone up and walk away like nothing happened?" Obito said evenly. "Because of you, I fell behind in every subject by over two months. You don't think you owe me something?"
Kakashi's gaze flicked to Obito's temple. The swelling was faint, but still visible. "You did perform horribly today," he said bluntly."
Obito's eyebrow twitched. "What incredible insights. Should I say as expected of a genius."
"…So?" Kakashi asked. "What do you want?"
"Make up for it," Obito replied. "Then I'll forgive you."
"How?"
"Train with me for one No two months. Every morning before class. If you really mean that apology, help me catch up."
Kakashi frowned. "That's a lot of time. I have my own training."
"Then call it extra," Obito said. "Or…" his lips curved slightly, "…are you worried someone might actually catch up to you?"
Kakashi stared at him, then let out a short snort. "You're bold for someone who can't hit a stationary target."
Obito just stared at him, unamused.
"…Fine," Kakashi sighed at last. "Mornings before class. Be on time. You're always late at everything."
"I won't!" Obito protested. "I was on time tod—."
Suddenly, a loud voice suddenly burst out from behind the desks.
"You're training taijutsu together?! Count me in!"
They both turned, only yo see Gai standing on top of his desk, hands on his hips, grinning like he'd just found treasure. Dust clung to his green jumpsuit, and his eyes practically burned with excitement.
"Nothing shines brighter than the flames of youthful taijutsu!" he declared, striking a dramatic pose. "Let us begin a glorious morning training regimen!"
"…Why is he here?" Kakashi muttered.
Obito didn't answer.