Seeing this, Obito hurriedly took off his sports jacket as well and jumped straight into the water with a loud splash.
"Idiot. I told you to stand on the water, not dive into it."
Kakashi said coldly.
"Hey! You're the idiot, Kakashi! It's too hot. Can't I cool down first?"
Obito's head popped out of the water, droplets clinging to the orange goggles he wore.
"I see."
Kakashi's tone remained unchanged.
"Don't look down on me."
Watching Kakashi and Obito argue, Rin Nohara suddenly burst into laughter.
"Alright, alright, stop arguing you two."
Whenever moments like this happened, Rin was always the one who stepped in to smooth things over.
Seiji had no interest in joining their quarrel.
He remained focused on his training.
After all, the only people who could truly enter Obito's heart had always been Kakashi and Rin.
Seeing the girl he secretly loved killed by his own best friend...
At that moment, Obito's hatred toward the world reached its extreme.
He hated Minato Namikaze for not being there despite being the fastest ninja in the world.
He hated Kakashi, the genius, for failing to protect Rin.
He hated Kirigakure for abducting her.
This was the fundamental reason Obito decided to carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan and bring an end to the ninja system.
Even Minato and Kushina, who had treated him so well—he still killed them without hesitation.
"Rin Nohara… might be worth getting closer to."
Seiji pondered for a moment.
Rin's talent was actually quite good.
Given enough time, she might even become a trump card that could restrain Obito in the future.
After all, Kamui was arguably the Mangekyō Sharingan ability with the most impressive combat record.
Compared to Amaterasu—which rarely managed to kill anyone—it was far more terrifying.
Getting close to Obito carried far greater risks than contacting Kumogakure.
At least Kumogakure had a history of infiltration. For example, they once nearly succeeded in kidnapping Kushina and only got discovered when they had already reached the border.
Seiji had taken that into account when planning possible contact.
But Obito was different.
Who knew whether Madara had already sent White Zetsu—masters of infiltration—into Konoha to secretly monitor him?
Obito falling into darkness was almost inevitable.
If Seiji could gain even the slightest advantage to protect himself in the future, it would always be worth it.
Gradually, the golden veil of sunset faded away.
In its place came a vast night sky filled with countless stars.
Night had fallen.
In the distance, streetlights illuminated the surroundings, their glow reflecting across the river's surface like shimmering scales.
Training Ground Three was not far from the center of the village.
Obito's grandmother came to pick him up.
Rin was also taken home by her parents.
Both of them had already informed their families where they were.
At that moment, a man wearing a green ninja vest approached Kakashi.
He had the same white hair.
"Kakashi, it's time to go home."
"Yes, Father."
Kakashi nodded and followed the man.
Soon, Seiji was the only one left by the river, still continuing his training.
Sakumo Hatake gently rubbed Kakashi's head as they walked home.
After a while, he glanced back toward the river.
"That boy… is he Uchiha Seiji from the Land of Lightning?"
Sakumo asked.
Recently, the Uchiha clan had found a new clansman outside the village.
The news had spread everywhere.
After all, this was the first recorded case where the bloodline of a Konoha ninja clan had appeared outside the village.
Even the Hyuga clan—another famous dōjutsu clan like the Uchiha—had never allowed a single Byakugan to leak out.
The same was true for other clans such as the Yamanaka, Inuzuka, Akimichi, and Nara clans.
Because of this, Uchiha Seiji had become the center of attention.
Most people wondered whether someone who grew up in the Land of Lightning, without receiving Konoha's education since childhood, could truly inherit the Will of Fire.
"That's Uchiha Seiji."
Kakashi replied.
By now they were already far away, and only Seiji's silhouette could still be seen training by the river.
"He looks like a determined child."
Sakumo Hatake's sharp perception allowed him to see deeper.
At that moment, Seiji had already managed to stand on the water.
Although half of his feet were still submerged, the water only reached the top of his feet.
But how long had it been since Seiji enrolled in the academy?
"Uchiha Seiji will likely become a worthy rival for you in the future," Sakumo said seriously.
"Perhaps even stronger than Might Dai's son."
Besides possessing the Uchiha's Sharingan, it was said that Seiji also carried the talent of the Yotsuki clan.
When two ninja bloodlines mixed, there were only two possible outcomes.
One—
The child inherited both bloodlines and became even stronger than pureblood descendants.
Two—
The bloodlines interfered with each other, leaving the child with neither.
The second outcome was far more common.
That was why marriages between different ninja clans were rare.
Uchiha Seiji seemed to be...
The first case.
Such rapid learning ability and physical endurance were not typical of the Uchiha clan.
Sakumo glanced at Kakashi's forehead.
It was covered in sweat.
Even his son—recognized as a genius—was exhausted after such long training.
"Father is right."
Kakashi nodded.
When his father mentioned Might Guy as a future rival, Kakashi felt nothing.
But when he looked at Seiji's steady progress and determined training...
He suddenly understood.
If Seiji had entered the academy at the same time as them instead of transferring midway—
How strong would he be now?
Kakashi didn't know the answer.
But he had a feeling that one day...
Uchiha Seiji might also be praised as a genius.
The father and son gradually walked farther and farther away.
Only after they had completely left did Seiji look toward the direction they had gone.
"The White Fang of Konoha… Sakumo Hatake."
Before long, the legendary ninja would fail a mission.
Unable to withstand the constant condemnation of the villagers, he would eventually choose to take his own life.
"The time left… isn't much."
Seiji murmured.
The number of missions Sakumo had completed during his lifetime had been recorded in official data.
27 S-rank missions.
123 A-rank missions.
This proved he was an extremely experienced ninja who had witnessed countless life-and-death situations.
And ninjas inevitably dealt with shadows—espionage, assassination, and bloodshed.
Yet despite all of that…
His end was suicide.
Worse still, Kakashi himself discovered the body.
Seeing the father he admired most die like a coward left an indelible psychological scar on him.
The real reason behind Sakumo's suicide…
Perhaps only the White Fang himself ever knew.
But it likely had something to do with politics.
When Minato once introduced Kakashi's father to Obito, he said:
"Even the legendary Sannin were said to fear him."
As for the truth—
Everyone had their own interpretation.
What Seiji could do now was simple.
Grow stronger.
Even someone like Sakumo Hatake had met such an ending.
Let alone someone like him—
"The man from the Land of Lightning."
"A member of the Yotsuki clan."
"An Uchiha."
These labels alone made his position extremely delicate.
Shimura Danzo—or others—had probably already set their eyes on him.
The only solution…
Was to grow stronger as quickly as possible.
Turning around, Seiji continued his training.
The night life in Konoha's bustling streets had only just begun.
He still had time to train.
Trait: Water Stepper (White)
Requirement:
Walk on the surface of water using both feet as if walking on solid ground.
Progress: 25%
Effect:
In special terrain, your chakra control becomes more refined.
Your chakra endurance increases by 5% beyond the original baseline.
Note:
Upgradeable.
(End of Chapter)