Chapter 227: Mugetsu's Gift
"How rare, it's so lively today," Obito's grandmother said with a cheerful chuckle as she looked around at all the guests gathered to celebrate Obito's birthday.
"Hello, my name is Hayate Mugetsu. I'm Obito's teacher," Mugetsu greeted her with a polite smile.
"Grandma, Mugetsu-sensei has been amazing to me! My grades have only improved because of his excellent teaching," Obito said proudly from the side.
"Then I've really troubled you, Mugetsu-sensei. Please, let me pour you some tea." Obito's grandmother thanked him warmly and started to stand up.
"Grandma, it's fine, I'll do it." Obito quickly stood, pouring tea for everyone—including Kakashi.
"Obito must have caused you quite a bit of trouble, Mugetsu-sensei," Grandma said kindly, squinting her eyes with a gentle smile. "I've watched him grow up. He can be clumsy sometimes, but he's a good boy—kindhearted and earnest."
"Actually, Obito's a very hardworking student," Mugetsu replied with a light smile. "He's kind and diligent. I'm proud to have him as my disciple."
Before everything went wrong in the future, Obito truly was a boy who fit that description.
"Grandma!" Obito exclaimed, his face turning red. "What do you mean 'messes up sometimes'? I'm perfectly reliable!"
"I remember when Obito was three years old, he was still—"
"Grandma! Didn't you forget to take in the laundry outside? If it rains, everything will get wet!" Obito interrupted in a panic, cold sweat forming on his forehead. If she continued, he'd learn Earth Release on the spot just to dig himself a hole to hide in.
"Oh my, I think you're right." Grandma paused thoughtfully, realizing she probably had forgotten.
"I'll get it myself, Obito. You stay here and entertain your teacher and friends," she said with a chuckle.
Obito tried to insist, but she waved him off. The clothes were only in the yard anyway, so he stayed seated and continued chatting.
"What exactly happened when you were three?" Guy asked, rubbing his chin curiously.
"Nothing. I just hadn't learned to write yet," Obito replied casually, trying to play it off.
"I always thought you and your grandmother had such a good relationship," Rin said softly. "Your home must be very warm and peaceful."
"Hehe, well, Grandma raised me after all," Obito said, scratching his head with an awkward smile.
Kakashi wanted to press the question about what had really happened when Obito was three, but considering it was Obito's birthday, he decided to let it go—for now.
Shisui quietly observed the warm atmosphere, a faint shadow flickering in his eyes. Unlike the others, he had grown up without family. By the time he could remember things, his grandparents and parents were already gone.
"Obito, do you want to guess what gifts everyone prepared for you?" Mugetsu asked with a gentle smile, sensing the change in mood.
He had noticed how few of his students still had families. Among them, four were orphans. Guy had only his father, and Rin was the only one with both parents still alive.
"Guy's gift must be a bodysuit," Obito guessed immediately. It was the easiest one.
"As expected of you, Obito! You guessed it right!" Guy said enthusiastically.
"That's because you always give bodysuits," Kakashi commented dryly. He'd known Guy since their Academy days—and throughout all those years, Guy's wardrobe never changed.
"Is that so?" Guy said, rubbing his head thoughtfully.
Since Kakashi had already stolen the moment, Obito moved on to guessing the next person.
"Rin, yours must be flowers you grew yourself?" he guessed.
"Nope," Rin said, smiling as she shook her head.
"Then maybe something handmade?"
"That's still too broad," she replied with a small laugh.
"Alright, I give up. I'll just wait and see," Obito said, scratching his head before turning to Shisui. "Shisui, is your gift training-related?"
"No," Shisui said calmly.
"Hmm… maybe a notebook with your training notes?" Obito tried again.
"No. If it were something like that, it'd be better to just ask Mugetsu-sensei directly," Shisui replied, still smiling faintly.
"Eh? Wrong again?" Obito groaned, then turned to Kakashi. "Okay, Kakashi—yours definitely has to do with training, right?"
"It doesn't," Kakashi said flatly.
Obito felt like his brain was about to short-circuit. Why are they all acting out of character today? Aren't Kakashi and Shisui supposed to be the practical types?!
"Aren't you going to guess my gift?" Mugetsu asked with a teasing smile.
"No way. That one's impossible to guess," Obito said quickly. "I'll just wait for the surprise!"
He was genuinely excited now. If even Mugetsu was smiling like that, the gift had to be special.
As evening fell, it was time to prepare dinner.
Although Obito's grandmother insisted that Mugetsu, as a guest, didn't need to help in the kitchen, he gently persuaded her otherwise. Soon, he took charge of the cooking, and everyone else joined in. Kakashi, who could cook, helped prepare ingredients, while the others washed vegetables and dishes.
"I didn't expect Sensei to be such a good cook!" Grandma said in amazement after tasting his food. "If Obito could learn even a third of your skill, I'd never worry about him finding a wife."
She didn't know much about Mugetsu's strength as a ninja, but his cooking was undeniably extraordinary—easily the best she'd ever tasted.
"Grandma, eat more of this one," Obito said hastily, trying to divert her attention. He served her some of Mugetsu's dishes, praying the conversation wouldn't circle back to his childhood again.
"It must be wonderful to have a partner like Mugetsu-sensei," Rin said with a bright smile. "Every meal would be pure happiness."
"Mugetsu-sensei, please add cooking to my training plan," Obito thought desperately, his heart burning.
"Eating Mugetsu-sensei's cooking fills my youth with even more passion!" Guy declared, giving a dramatic thumbs-up.
Kakashi nodded subtly. He already had some skill in cooking, but Mugetsu's level made him suspect there was some kind of culinary Ninjutsu involved.
"Mugetsu-sensei's cooking really brings out the essence of the ingredients," Shisui commented thoughtfully. Every meal cooked by Mugetsu was an experience in itself.
"As long as everyone enjoys it," Mugetsu said softly, smiling.
His cooking skill had proven more valuable than many advanced techniques—it was a divine ability for earning trust and affection.
After dinner, the table was cleared, and a cake was brought out. It was finally time for gifts.
"A custom-made bodysuit!" Guy announced proudly, holding up a neatly folded green outfit slightly different from his own. "Specially tailored for you, Obito! Wearing this during training will double your results!"
"Thank you, Guy. I can feel your sincerity. I'll cherish it," Obito said with a smile as he accepted the gift.
He could tell that Guy truly wanted him to wear the bodysuit during training, but the vivid green color made Obito hesitate.
"Here, happy birthday," Rin said warmly, handing him a folded piece of paper.
"It's a hand-drawn picture?" Obito asked curiously, bringing it closer to examine. The drawing showed moments from their outing a few days ago—him and Kakashi competing to catch fish, their Shuriken throwing contest, and other scenes from that day.
"Rin, why didn't you draw yourself in?" Obito asked, puzzled. He looked closely but only saw himself and Kakashi. A picture without Rin felt incomplete.
"Because that day, you and Kakashi were so focused on each other that you forgot about me," Rin said, puffing her cheeks slightly, pretending to be upset.
"Huh? Rin, don't be angry. It's because—" Obito stammered, waving his hands frantically, unable to find the right words.
Then he noticed Rin was smiling.
Covering her mouth lightly with one hand, she reached into her pouch with the other and pulled out a small sculpture. "I'm not angry, I was just teasing you. This is your real birthday gift," she said with a gentle smile. "Obito, since you've always said you want to become Hokage, I believe you will. So I made a stone statue of you in advance."
In Rin's palm sat a small but detailed sculpture, perfectly capturing Obito's cheerful grin.
Obito's confusion melted away, replaced by pure joy. For a moment, it felt like the small earthy-yellow statue in Rin's hand glowed faintly pink.
"Rin, thank you! I'll treasure it forever," Obito said, nodding earnestly as he took the sculpture.
He carefully stored both the statue and the drawing together. Even though Rin wasn't in the picture, the fact that she had drawn it made it priceless to him.
"Obito, happy birthday. This is my gift," Shisui said, handing him a silver Kunai.
"Wait, isn't this the one I gave you before? You don't need to return it," Obito said quickly, waving his hand. "It was special to me, sure, but after I gave it to you, it became a symbol of our friendship."
That Kunai had been Obito's first prize for taking first place in an Academy competition—one that Kakashi had also entered, and Rin had watched. It carried a lot of memories, but once given away, it was no longer his.
"It's not the same one," Shisui explained. "I won this at the Youth Ninjutsu Competition."
"Wait, isn't that competition only held once a year?" Obito asked, confused.
"It used to be. But maybe it got more popular, because they're holding it twice a year now," Shisui said with a light smile. "You seemed to really like this Kunai, so when I saw it offered again, I joined and took first place."
Listening to Shisui, Obito had the distinct feeling that Shisui hadn't entered to win—he'd entered just to get the prize.
"That's… really thoughtful. Thank you," Obito said sincerely.
With Shisui's strength, it wasn't hard to imagine him winning easily. Against today's Academy students, a single Fire Release would be enough to claim victory.
"Now we both have first-place Kunai—symbols of the bond between two Uchiha geniuses!" Obito said proudly, clenching his fist with a grin.
Kakashi, resisting the urge to comment, silently handed over his own gift.
"Happy birthday," he said flatly, passing Obito a small box.
Obito opened it and blinked in surprise. "A camera?" His eyes lit up.
"I didn't know what to give," Kakashi explained casually. "I saw this on sale at a shop and figured you'd like it."
Obito wasn't sure if Kakashi was being honest or pretending to be nonchalant. During their last mission, he'd mentioned wanting a camera, and now one appeared in his hands.
If it had been Rin, he would've assumed it was out of shyness. But Kakashi? He wasn't sure what to think.
"My gift is also a Kunai—but one I forged myself," Mugetsu said, smiling as he revealed his present. "With the experience from last time, the craftsmanship turned out much better."
Obito carefully took the Kunai. Even before examining it closely, he could feel Mugetsu's dedication.
The shape was the same as a standard Kunai, but the design was far more intricate. The blade gleamed faintly, both sides engraved with elegant dragon patterns so detailed that even the scales and expressions were lifelike. On closer inspection, Obito noticed his own name carved along the sides and the Uchiha clan crest etched into the handle.
"Mugetsu-sensei, you really went to so much trouble," Obito said seriously. "You already train us every day, and yet you made such a thoughtful gift. This must've taken a long time."
When Shisui had received his own gift before, Obito had secretly wished for something similar—but hadn't dared to say it. Mugetsu had already done so much for them that asking for more felt selfish.
"It's fine," Mugetsu said with an easy smile. "I used a Shadow Clone to forge it. There's always plenty to do, so it saved some time."
But Obito knew what that meant. Using a Shadow Clone didn't lessen the exhaustion—the fatigue would return to the main body afterward. And if the original was busy elsewhere, it only made things harder.
He was touched beyond words.
Then Mugetsu took out four photographs and handed them over. "You said you regretted not bringing a camera during our last mission. I managed to get these from the Land of Rivers. They're just landscapes, but now you can capture your own memories from here on."
The photos had been taken by Mugetsu's Shadow Clone after he'd returned to Konoha and bought a camera. The images were empty of people, showing only the tranquil scenery of the desert they'd passed through.
"Mugetsu-sensei, thank you so much! I love it!" Obito said, hugging him tightly as his voice trembled with emotion.
He had only mentioned it once, offhandedly—and yet Mugetsu remembered.
A finely forged Kunai and four carefully captured photos. Obito could feel the sincerity and care behind every part of his teacher's gift.
That night, he went to sleep with the happiest smile in the world.
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