Chapter 59: Somewhat Redundant Rin
"I'm not Uchiha's dead last! I ranked third in the last Yearly Practical Exam!"
Obito, seeing that Kakashi still viewed him as the same slacker from before he trained with Mugetsu, immediately blurted out his most recent exam result.
"If third place counts as dead last, then doesn't that mean only two people in the whole grade aren't dead last? Besides, I was just careless last time. Next time, I'll definitely take first!" Obito added, unconvinced.
Kakashi blinked. Third place wasn't exactly "dead last," and considering Obito's performance in the Youth Ninjutsu Competition, it did make sense. But he still couldn't stand Obito's smug face, so he replied flatly:
"I really wouldn't know if third counts as dead last… because I've always been first. So I can't say what third place feels like."
Obito opened his mouth, but no words came out. He couldn't refute that. Kakashi had always dominated the Ninja Academy since the beginning, constantly taking first place.
"Oh, and your theory exam—was that third too? I got first in that as well." Kakashi added, twisting the knife.
Obito felt like he had taken an arrow straight to the chest. Theory was his eternal weakness. Forget third place—he barely scraped a pass, even with Mugetsu tutoring him.
Still, he wasn't about to admit that in front of Kakashi. Puffing up his chest, he snapped,
"I didn't sleep well the night before the theory test, so I didn't do as well. But this time will be totally different!"
"How much worse is 'didn't do well'? You didn't even pass, did you?" Kakashi said knowingly.
And just as expected, Obito took the bait.
"No, I did! I barely passed!" Obito shouted. It was, after all, his first time passing.
"'Barely passed' is quite a bit worse than third. That's a pretty big 'little' gap." Kakashi said, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Obito went quiet. If he ever became Hokage, he'd definitely issue a decree to abolish the Ninja School's theory exams. They were pure torture.
"Obito's really been working hard lately," Rin suddenly chimed in. "I see him studying every day. His final scores might improve by leaps and bounds."
Obito, who had just been wallowing in frustration, instantly perked up. The world suddenly felt bright and full of hope again.
Even Might Guy and Shisui's retreating figures seemed a little… cute.
"Wait a second… Guy and Shisui are training, and I'm here arguing with Kakashi? I'm wasting time!" Obito suddenly froze.
If they kept growing while he stood still, Might Guy would definitely surpass him. That meant even more problems to solve. And more problems to solve… meant less time to spend with Rin.
"Spending time with Rin creates more problems… and more problems mean less time to spend with Rin. So spending time with Rin… means less time to spend with Rin?"
Obito blinked. His mind had just pulled off a strange, philosophical jutsu.
Why were Guy and Shisui even training together at night? One was his clansman, the other his classmate. Why did he feel like the outsider?
Thinking back, he remembered they did invite him—but he turned them down. He wanted to hang out with Rin instead.
Obito now found himself in a serious dilemma. Then his gaze landed on Kakashi, and an idea took root.
No matter how much he grumbled or refused to admit it, Obito couldn't deny it—Kakashi was amazing.
Graduated at five. Became a Chunin at six. When the rest of them were still stuck in their second year, Kakashi had already reached the same level as the academy instructors.
If he could learn from Kakashi, he might just stand a chance against Guy.
"Kakashi, if your opponent is faster and stronger than you, how would you deal with it?" Obito asked seriously.
"Create distance and use Ninjutsu," Kakashi answered without hesitation.
"What if you're not allowed to use Ninjutsu?" Obito pressed.
"Why wouldn't I use it if I could?" Kakashi countered, clearly uninterested in playing along.
Obito scratched his head, internally screaming, Damn you, Kakashi!
"Because you're almost out of chakra, and you can't use Ninjutsu," Obito added, trying to guide the scenario.
"Then I'd fight him head-on," Kakashi said.
"Why? If you're weaker and slower, how would you win by charging in?" Obito was baffled.
"So I can die a more glorious death. You think Taijutsu doesn't use chakra?" Kakashi replied bluntly.
Obito was nearly in tears. This guy was impossible!
Seeing that he'd teased Obito enough, Kakashi finally explained:
"If your strength and speed are inferior, then rely on movement and technique."
"Combat is all about hitting the enemy and not getting hit. Good movement lets you dodge, and refined technique makes up for lack of power."
Obito felt like that made sense… but also like he'd heard it before. It sounded a lot like what Mugetsu had told him.
"You're not secretly entering some Taijutsu-only tournament, are you?" Kakashi asked, narrowing his eyes.
"It's not a tournament. It's a practical exam," Obito lied, not wanting to admit the real reason—being punished by having to solve problems.
If Kakashi knew that, he'd probably just laugh and enjoy the show instead of helping.
"If you really want to improve your Taijutsu, I don't mind helping," Kakashi said. "But I doubt you can handle the training."
"The one thing I fear the least… is hardship!" Obito said with a grin.
Compared to solving a hundred problems just to get in one fight? No amount of sweat could scare him now.
Kakashi nodded and led them to a nearby training ground.
"From now on, I'll spar with you using only Taijutsu. I won't hold back. You sure you want this?" he asked.
"Go all out," Obito replied coolly.
He just wanted to gauge the gap between them in a no-Ninjutsu fight. Kakashi was mainly known for Ninjutsu, so surely the gap in pure Taijutsu wouldn't be too wide.
"Alright then. Let's begin."
In the next instant, Kakashi used Body Flicker and appeared in front of Obito, sending him flying with a swift kick.
Obito, who had been mid-conversation with Rin, barely processed what happened. He stood up, dusted himself off, and said,
"I was careless. Again."
One minute later, Obito was covered in dirt, his clothes stamped with multiple shoe prints.
Still, with Rin watching, he forced himself to stand tall and shout, "Again!"
Rin watched the two go at it, her expression a little awkward. She suddenly felt... kind of unnecessary.
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