Chapter 21 — Ninja Tournament Arena
Obuya didn't fully understand what Minato Namikaze meant.
But to him, the outcome had already been decided.
After all, he wasn't originally from Konoha. His connection to the village came less from loyalty and more from the bonds he had formed with a handful of people.
So asking him to sacrifice everything for Konoha—even his friends, even his own life—was the kind of thing one could say out loud, but not something he could truly accept in his heart.
"Sensei!!"
Obito's voice rang out, slightly distracted, pulling Minato back from his thoughts.
Minato blinked, then smiled as he refocused.
"As I said earlier, Obuya, since you didn't obtain a bell, you naturally aren't qualified to participate in the team competition. However…"
He paused briefly.
"It only means you cannot join the team matches. I will personally recommend you, as an elite Konoha jōnin, to directly enter the individual finals."
"What!!"
Obito and Rin reacted instantly, both lighting up with excitement.
"That's amazing!"
Rin nearly jumped in place, unable to contain her joy.
Obito nodded vigorously, as if this outcome had been obvious all along.
Only Kakashi remained composed, though a subtle sense of relief surfaced in his eyes.
In his mind, the success of his earlier strike—the clean cut through the tree—had only been possible because Obuya had drawn Minato's attention away. Now that Obuya would still be able to participate, the lingering weight in his chest eased.
"Minato-sensei… did you already plan this?" Rin asked, her cheeks slightly flushed with excitement. "That whoever didn't get the bell would be recommended directly into the Chūnin Exam?"
Minato simply smiled, silently acknowledging her guess.
"Alright. Congratulations to all of you—you've learned what it means to cooperate. In the previous match, your performance was excellent. No one acted recklessly, and no one dragged the team down. There are still a few days before the Chūnin Exam. Maintain this level of coordination."
"Sensei, I understand!" Obito declared immediately, pushing up his forehead protector with renewed confidence. "I'll make sure Kakashi doesn't become the weak link. Just watch me during the Chūnin Exam!"
Kakashi shot him a flat, unimpressed look.
"If we're all allowed to take the exam, then the one Sensei should have recommended is Obito," Kakashi said coolly. "He's a burden. Not only useless, but he'll slow us down. Against the opposing team, he's not even half as capable as Rin or me."
"What did you say?" Obito's face twisted with anger. "Do you think I'm still the same as before? I've awakened the Sharingan now! I can take all three of you on by myself. Want to try?"
"As long as you're not afraid of getting injured, I'll accept," Kakashi replied without hesitation, his tone as indifferent as ever. "If you end up unable to participate in the exam, don't blame me."
"So annoying… here we go again…"
Rin sighed, already stepping forward to separate them before things escalated any further.
In the days that followed, Obito, Rin, and Kakashi focused on refining their teamwork for the upcoming team matches in the Chūnin Exam.
Obuya, having been personally recommended by Minato for the individual competition, didn't need to train with them. But that didn't mean he could relax. Almost every morning, Rin would show up without fail, checking in on him and dragging him along for meals.
As Obuya had once mentioned, Rin had always insisted on treating him whenever he was short on money. Now, with tens of thousands of ryō in her possession, she had even less reason to hold back.
Gradually, the routine of her treating him and the two of them eating together became something natural—almost like a quiet, unspoken habit.
As a result, aside from the hours they spent sleeping, the two were almost always together.
Even compared to Obito and Kakashi, who remained close comrades, there was now something subtly different between Rin and Obuya.
And all of these changes had taken place in just a few short days.
Under Minato's occasional guidance, along with Rin's constant supervision, Obuya's progress was striking.
His chakra control improved rapidly. What once required effort had now become instinctive—he could easily run up and stand atop a ten-meter-high tree using nothing but chakra.
Time passed quickly.
Five days later, the long-awaited Chūnin Exam finally arrived.
The ninja tournament arena was already packed with people.
Obuya stood among the crowd, his gaze steady, his mind filled with resolve.
This time, he intended to win the individual competition flawlessly.
Only a perfect victory would allow him to fully complete the demon side quest, granting him forty Demon Points.
Added to his current sixty, that would bring his total to one hundred—enough to ascend to a one-star demon.
"I have to succeed," he muttered quietly, standing along the second level of the arena as he looked down at the steadily growing crowd below. "Once I obtain the [Human Modification] Devil Fruit ability, I'll be able to perfectly transplant bloodline limits."
"Hey, Obuya!!"
A familiar voice suddenly pulled him from his thoughts.
Turning toward it, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
Rin and Kakashi had arrived.
As expected, Obito was nowhere to be seen—most likely running late again.
Following Minato's guidance, the two entered the arena. Rin's bright eyes scanned the surroundings, and it didn't take long for her to spot Obuya standing above.
Since he wasn't participating in the team matches, he had arrived early and was waiting alone.
He raised a hand and waved.
The arena was divided into two levels.
The first level served as the battlefield, while the second level was reserved for participants to wait and observe.
There were no seats—everyone stood by the railings, watching from above.
Under Minato's lead, Kakashi and Rin stepped onto the second level. The moment she arrived, Rin ran straight toward Obuya.
"Obuya, you have to do your best!" she said, clenching her fist with determination. "You even captured a jōnin alive before. I'm sure you'll have no problem in this Chūnin Exam!"
Her voice carried clearly across the platform, drawing the attention of the surrounding participants.
"Captured a jōnin alive?"
Some scoffed. Others looked confused. A few glanced at Obuya as if he were delusional.
To them, it sounded like nothing more than exaggeration.
Hearing the murmurs and feeling the various gazes directed at him, Obuya let out a quiet sigh.
Rin's confidence in him sometimes exceeded even his own.
As for capturing a jōnin alive… that had been a matter of circumstance—something unlikely to ever happen again.
Kakashi followed shortly after, stopping beside them.
He didn't say anything, but he raised a fist toward Obuya.
Obuya met it with his own, their fists lightly bumping together.
At this moment, Kakashi—despite gradually becoming more distant due to his personal circumstances—was not cold-hearted.
The time they had spent together had built a quiet understanding between them.
Though not as close as he was with Obito and Rin, there was now a mutual recognition of each other's strength and role as comrades.