Obito Uchiha was feeling irritated.
If Kakashi Hatake didn't participate, then winning first place would have no meaning at all.
What Obito truly wanted was to defeat Kakashi in front of Nohara Rin, wash away his past humiliation, and then take first place.
Without Kakashi there, even if he won, Obito wouldn't feel happy.
His obsession with the Youth Ninjutsu Tournament had always been because of Kakashi.
Back then, in front of Rin, Kakashi had crushed him with overwhelming scores and confidently taken first place—turning Obito's declaration about winning into empty boasting.
Obito had never forgotten that moment.
He simply hadn't had the strength to win before.
Now that he finally had the ability to defeat everyone—
He discovered that his opponent had already moved on.
That made Obito extremely frustrated.
"No way. I have to make Kakashi enter the competition!"
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that the tournament meant nothing without Kakashi.
"You could ask Kakashi after school if he's interested in participating," Rin suggested.
"I can go with you. It's been a while since we've seen him anyway."
Although the three of them were good friends, ever since Kakashi graduated they rarely met.
Obito and Rin were still students who had to attend the Ninja Academy every day.
Meanwhile, Kakashi had become a ninja and spent most of his time completing missions.
"Alright," Obito nodded.
Rin's idea sounded good.
Before school ended, Obito asked Teacher Makoto for a day off from training. He wouldn't be going to Makoto's place after school today—he had to deal with the Kakashi situation first.
After school, Rin and Obito went straight to Kakashi's house.
Kakashi didn't live in the Main District of Konohagakure, but in the suburban area nearby. It wasn't as lively, but it was less crowded.
Obito and Rin had visited before—Kakashi had even invited them inside for dinner.
As soon as they saw the large single-story house with a slanted roof come into view, they knew they had arrived.
Fortunately, Kakashi wasn't on a mission that day.
When they reached his house, he was training in the yard.
Kakashi held a silver chakra blade in his hand. With just two or three swift movements, he sliced off the head and limbs of a training dummy made of straw.
Seeing his friends arrive, Kakashi exhaled softly and sheathed the chakra blade behind his back.
"What are you two doing here?" he asked.
"We haven't played together in a while. We missed you, so we came to see you," Rin said with a gentle smile.
Obito, however, wasn't nearly as polite.
"Kakashi, the Youth Ninjutsu Tournament is about to start. Are you signing up?"
"Youth Ninjutsu Tournament?"
Kakashi thought for a moment. It was the civilian competition he had occasionally entered back when he was still a student.
"I'm not participating. No interest," he replied calmly.
In his opinion, that competition was basically a game for children.
Even the first-place prize was just a slightly fancy kunai.
He had only participated out of boredom when he was still at the Academy.
Now?
Even less reason.
Obito's face immediately fell.
Kakashi had refused far too decisively.
"Why not? You joined before!" Obito insisted.
He really wanted Kakashi to enter the tournament.
"At that time, I was still a Ninja Academy student," Kakashi said, pointing at the shinobi forehead protector on his head.
"Now I'm a chūnin."
Obito felt like Kakashi was hinting at something.
Back then Kakashi was a student.
Now Kakashi was a chūnin…
…and Obito was still a student.
"Being a chūnin isn't a big deal. The competition doesn't have an age limit anyway!" Obito argued.
"Do you really want me to say it directly?" Kakashi replied coldly.
"I'm not interested in a children's game."
Obito's face flushed red.
A children's game?
This was the Youth Ninjutsu Tournament!
"I'll be entering too! Kakashi, are you afraid of losing to me?" Obito snapped.
"Lose to you?"
Kakashi looked at him expressionlessly.
"Have you ever beaten me before?"
"I… I…"
Obito desperately searched his memory.
And then discovered the painful truth.
He had never beaten Kakashi once.
Realizing this humiliating fact made his face turn even redder.
"Don't get cocky! I'm not the same as before!" Obito declared, placing his hands on his hips confidently.
Kakashi examined him for a moment.
Goggles. Tracksuit. A goofy grin. Hands on hips.
The foolish energy was overwhelming.
"I can't tell," Kakashi said honestly.
"Damn it!" Obito exploded.
"You two are exactly the same as always," Rin laughed softly, covering her mouth.
She had seen this scene play out countless times.
Obito loved challenging Kakashi.
And every time—
Obito ended up suffering.
Obito took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
Suddenly he thought of his teacher.
If it were Teacher Makoto… what would he do?
In order to make Obito train more seriously, Makoto had once created a rule: every time Obito got hit during training, he had to solve an extra problem.
Training was hard—
But solving problems was worse.
So Obito trained harder to avoid getting hit.
Choose the lesser of two evils…
Suddenly, inspiration struck.
"Hey Kakashi," Obito said with a provocative grin.
"You said I can't beat you. Then how about we make a bet?"
Kakashi remained expressionless.
"Bet on who gets first place in the tournament?" he said calmly.
"You think I'd fall for such an obvious provocation?"
Participating in that meaningless competition was a waste of time.
He'd rather read a book.
"Not that," Obito replied.
"You think you're so great, right? Then how about testing whether your eyesight is faster—or my hands are faster?"
"If you win, I'll drop the competition topic completely and treat you to five bowls of ramen."
"But if you lose, all you have to do is participate in the tournament."
If Kakashi refused—
Obito planned to keep pestering him about the competition until Kakashi accepted the simpler challenge.
Kakashi didn't answer immediately.
"How exactly do we compete?" he asked.
Obito plucked a leaf from a nearby tree and placed it on his palm.
"It's simple."
"I'll rapidly switch the leaf between my left and right hands."
"After I stop, you guess which hand the leaf is in."
"Simple, right?"
Kakashi thought about it briefly.
There was no way Obito's hand speed could exceed his eyesight.
So he agreed.
Besides, Kakashi knew Obito's personality well.
If he refused, Obito might pester him until midnight.
Better to use this quick contest to show him the gap between them.
Obito began moving his hands at maximum speed.
His left and right hands flickered back and forth rapidly.
The motion continued for about five minutes before he finally stopped.
"Right hand."
Kakashi immediately pointed at Obito's right hand.
"I really don't know where you got the confidence to challenge me in this," Kakashi said, slightly disappointed.
He had expected something faster.
But the leaf had never left his sight.
Hearing this, however—
Obito suddenly laughed.
"Kakashi, are you sure it's that hand?"
"Once you decide, you can't change it."
"Trying to bluff me?" Kakashi said calmly.
"It's the right hand. Open it."
Obito slowly began opening his right hand.
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