Chapter 43: The Game Begins
Evening, Uchiha Clan.
"Obito, slow down, you'll choke."
Hearing his grandma's reminder, Obito slowed down his eating and explained, "Grandma, a friend invited me out to play."
"Which friend? Is it Rin?" she asked with a knowing smile, glancing at him warmly.
Since Rin often came by to visit, she was quite familiar with her.
"Yeah, but others are coming too," Obito said between mouthfuls.
The Youth Ninjutsu Competition was tomorrow, and after training all day, he was completely exhausted.
Maybe because he and Kakashi would be competing again, Rin suggested they all hang out tonight to unwind a little. Since Kakashi was coming, Obito had invited Might Guy too.
"I'm done!" Obito wiped his mouth, jumped up, and rushed for the door.
His grandma followed him to the entrance, chuckling. "Good luck, Obito. I still want to see great-grandchildren one day."
Obito nearly tripped. Turning back, blushing, he shouted, "Grandma! I'm still in school!"
Even if he did have thoughts about it… wasn't it way too early!?
They had agreed to meet on a street in the southern part of the Main District.
By the time Obito arrived, the other three were already there—he was the last one.
"I ran into an old lady who needed help. That's why I'm late," Obito explained.
"You really do attract grandmas," Kakashi said flatly. "It's always like this with you."
"I don't know why either," Obito said, feeling a little wronged. "But if someone needs help, I can't just walk away, right?"
"All good. Obito's just too kind—always the first to spot someone in need," Rin said, smiling gently as she stepped between the two.
With that short detour out of the way, the four began walking down the bustling street.
"So many people!" Might Guy's eyes lit up. "Kakashi, want to race through the crowd and see who's faster?"
"I refuse," Kakashi said immediately, shutting him down before the idea could gain traction.
"There's an event on this street today, so a lot of people came," Rin explained, leading them toward the activity area.
The whole street was lined with vendors. Lights flickered everywhere, and people in colorful yukata strolled about.
"Look, those goldfish are so cute!" Rin pointed to a goldfish scooping stall, her eyes sparkling as she waved them over.
"Little lady, want to give it a try? Only ten Ryo for one net," the vendor said with a grin.
"Ten Ryo, huh…" Rin looked thoughtful. It wasn't much, but the paper nets broke so easily, one might not be enough.
"I'll try it," Obito volunteered, handing over the money.
He aimed straight for the most beautiful, active fish—but after a few clumsy scoops, the net tore.
"Again!" Obito wasn't ready to give up.
Again. And again. He kept trying, failing each time.
By the ninth attempt, Rin gently stopped him. "Let's just forget it and try something else."
"Eighty Ryo is enough for a bowl of ramen," she added softly.
"But I've gotten better! It feels like I'm really close," Obito hesitated.
"I'll try!" Might Guy stepped forward, rolling up his sleeves with determination.
Snap! The stick holding the paper net broke before he could even scoop.
"Let me," Kakashi said calmly, handing the vendor ten Ryo. With a smooth motion, he scooped up a goldfish and passed the bagged prize to Rin.
"Thanks, Kakashi," Rin said with a bright smile.
Then she turned to the others. "And thank you too, Obito and Guy."
Obito, who had been sulking, instantly broke into a goofy grin.
After that, the group wandered through the festival: throwing shuriken, playing ninja games like finding the real shadow clone...
As the crowd began to thin, they bought some takoyaki to end the night.
"Kakashi, just wait. Tomorrow, I'm taking first place for sure!" Obito said boldly, munching on a piece.
"If you want the first-place prize, I'll give it to you after I win," Kakashi replied coolly.
Their usual bickering made Might Guy's blood boil with excitement. If only there were a Youth Taijutsu Competition—he'd challenge Kakashi right then and there.
---
The next day.
It was Sunday, so there was no school.
The Youth Ninjutsu Competition would start in the afternoon. Obito spent the morning doing some final practice.
The competition was held on a commercial street in the Leaf Village's Main District.
Obito had heard it was started years ago by an old ninja tool shop owner to encourage Academy students. Later, with growing popularity, other shops chipped in to fund it, and it became an annual event.
"Obito, which Jutsu are you using today?" Rin asked as they arrived.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique," Obito replied without hiding it.
"Not the Great Dragon Fire Technique you used during the last exam?" she asked, puzzled.
Back then, Obito used the Fireball Technique and got a score of thirty—nine points lower than Kakashi.
"This time's different. My Fireball Technique is way stronger now!" Obito said confidently. He was sure it would stun everyone.
"Alright then. I'll look forward to your performance," Rin said with a soft smile.
"Obito, do your best. But as my rival, you should know—he's not easy to beat," Guy said with arms crossed, trying to look wise.
"Do you want me to leave?" Kakashi finally spoke.
They were literally discussing how to beat him… while he stood right there.
"Kakashi, what Jutsu are you planning to use?" Rin asked with interest.
"Haven't decided. Maybe Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall." Kakashi shrugged.
It wasn't arrogance. He had mastered a number of Jutsu and could pick any one on the spot for this kind of contest.
Looking around, Obito spotted a lot of familiar faces from the Academy—and even two ninja already wearing headbands.
"There are way more people than last time," he muttered.
"That's because the prize went up," Rin said. "This year, first place gets not only a silver-plated kunai but also 8,000 Ryo."
"Eight thousand Ryo?!" Obito's eyes went wide.
That much money? Whether to treat Rin to a meal or buy her a gift—no problem at all!
"The competition begins! Contestant number one, please come to the stage for your performance!"
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