Morning sunlight spilled across the training grounds, warm and steady. It should have felt ordinary. Comforting. Safe.
But to him, it didn't.
Training Routine
"Late again, Obito!" Kakashi snapped, arms crossed, his usual scowl sharper than the kunai at his side.
Obito skidded into view, hair wild, goggles crooked. "I—I overslept! But I'm here now, see? Not that late!"
Kakashi scoffed. "Pathetic. You'll be dead before a mission even starts if you keep this up."
Obito bristled, fists clenched. "Says the guy who probably doesn't even sleep!"
Rin sighed softly, moving to stand between them. "You're both impossible." Her hands carried a neat bundle of supplies—bandages, salves, the little touches that always followed their training.
The MC watched from a step away, kunai balanced in his hand. His movements were steady, precise. Too precise. Every strike at the wooden post landed clean, calculated, mechanical.
Obito noticed. "Whoa, you're going hard today."
He forced a small smile. "Just staying sharp."
But the truth lingered at the edge of his mind: the feeling of steel meeting flesh. The traitor's pleading eyes. The silence after the kill.
The System Intrudes
He paused mid-throw.
The system flickered in his vision.
[Observation: Kunai trajectory – 97% accuracy.]
[Note: Inefficient correction detected. Adjust angle by 0.4 degrees.]
He inhaled slowly.
Even here… you won't leave me alone.
The kunai struck dead-center this time. Kakashi glanced at it, unimpressed. "You've been practicing more than usual."
The MC shrugged. "It pays off."
Kakashi's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer than usual, as if weighing something, then turned away.
Minato's Eye
Training wound down by noon. Minato arrived then, bright as always, carrying a bag of scrolls. "Good work, everyone. That's enough for today."
Obito immediately collapsed onto the grass, groaning. "Finally!"
Rin knelt by him, laughing as she started wrapping his arm where he'd grazed it. "Honestly, Obito, you trip more than you train."
"I don't trip! I just… test gravity!"
Minato chuckled softly, but his eyes drifted toward the MC. A fraction too long.
"You alright?"
The MC met his sensei's gaze, keeping his expression steady. "Fine."
Minato studied him, as though reading past the mask. "You've been… sharper lately."
"Isn't that good?"
"Sharp is good," Minato said quietly. "But too sharp can cut the wielder."
The MC said nothing. Minato let it go with a smile, moving to check on Obito's whining about his "battle wounds."
But the words stayed. Too sharp can cut the wielder.
A Quiet Moment
Later, as the others drifted off, Rin stayed behind to pack supplies. She noticed him sitting on the edge of the training ground, gaze distant.
"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked softly.
He looked at her. Her eyes held no judgment, only concern.
"I'm fine," he said again, but gentler this time.
Rin tilted her head, unconvinced. "You've been… quieter. Even for you."
He almost said it. Almost told her about the shadows, the kill, the way the system never stopped whispering. But instead he forced a small chuckle.
"Maybe I'm just tired of listening to Obito yell all the time."
That made her laugh, soft and genuine. "That I can understand."
For a moment, the weight eased. Her smile was a reminder—there was still light worth protecting.
Shadows Unseen
By evening, the training ground was empty. He lingered a moment longer, watching the sun dip low.
The system pulsed faintly.
[Root Observation Status: Active.]
[Note: No current directives.]
He stared into the treeline. No masks. No shadows moving. Nothing visible.
But silence could be heavier than words. Root didn't need to appear. He knew they were there. Waiting.
He clenched his fists. You won't have me so easily.
Turning away, he walked back toward the village lights, wearing the same calm mask as always.
Author's Note
Chapter 21 slowed the pace, letting us breathe with Team Minato. Obito's clumsiness, Rin's warmth, and Minato's quiet insight gave contrast to the coldness of Root.
But beneath the normalcy, cracks are forming—the MC hiding the memory of his first Root kill while the system and silence press in constantly.