You Won!

"Asuma, what is that?"

"A paper bag over my head!" Asuma wore a square hood cut from thick kraft paper, with only holes for his eyes and nostrils. Wrapped up tight, he scratched his nose and said helplessly, "After the Forest of Death ended, I guessed this would happen, so I prepared for it specially." He sighed, raised his head at a forty-five-degree angle, and gazed wistfully at the ceiling. "Sure enough... there was no escaping it."

As soon as he finished speaking.

"..."

The friends around him all fell silent.

Shiranui Genma did not even keep his senbon in his mouth. He held it in his hand instead, worried that if he provoked everyone's anger later, he might accidentally jab his own tongue.

He looked at Kakashi beside him, who had been wrapped up tightly from the very beginning, and paused slightly, frowning. Had Kakashi prepared for this long ago too?

No, I had always dressed like this. Kakashi gave him an indifferent glance. The missions lately had just been too dangerous, so I switched to thicker fabric.

That way, if he accidentally got unknown substances on himself, they would not stick to his face.

Ever since he had started going on missions with Obito, who knew just how dangerous they had been?

Sigh.

Better not talk about it. In any case, the higher-ups would not reassign his team.

Seeing Kakashi's melancholy expression, Shiranui Genma suddenly recalled the scene of things flying everywhere that day. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he immediately nodded in understanding, as if he had figured something out.

But... he was still somewhat puzzled. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Why did Obito become like this?"

He remembered.

Back when they had still been classmates.

Other than being a little careless, absentminded, and fond of showing off, Obito had not had any other problems.

And he had been a good person who loved helping others. He had always patiently helped the lonely elderly people in the village, never once complaining!

How long had it even been since graduation?!

How... how had he fallen this far?

Shiranui Genma sighed softly. Looking at Obito, who was already fighting the Cloud Shinobi on the stage, he hesitated before asking, "What exactly did you encounter after graduation?"

What could possibly turn a smiling boy into this?

However.

"..." Kakashi fell silent.

You were asking me? Who was I supposed to ask?!

Even Obito's father probably did not know!

"This is youth!" Might Guy, on the other hand, stared seriously at the stage. "Obito had truly become stronger. I really wanted to..."

"Challenge him again?" Asuma leaned over in his paper hood, picked at his nose, and pointed at the ninja onstage who were sticking their butts out, looking humiliated as they watched the match in fury. "Did they look familiar to you right now?"

Indeed.

Obito had become stronger.

His kunai were more accurate, he could use the Great Fireball, and even his powers of observation had improved.

But he.

Had changed.

He was no longer the simple Obito he used to be.

Asuma sighed quietly, his tone full of world-weary insight. "Perhaps this was what adults meant when they said that gaining something required paying a price! This was the growth we needed to go through!"

"..."

The others stared speechlessly at Asuma, who had suddenly started philosophizing.

Sure enough.

There was a reason Asuma had failed the cultural studies class!

And the honest Might Guy... also fell silent for a moment. Then his entire body jolted, as though he had understood something. In a serious tone, he said, "Youth does not contain only light. It also hides darkness."

"So, you..." Asuma stared at Might Guy in shock, his eyes filled with admiration that said, You are damn brave.

Before he could finish.

"Darkness is not scary!" Might Guy was overflowing with passion. He clenched his fists, squeezed his buttocks tight, and seemed to burst into flames. "As long as you face the darkness instead of turning your back on it!"

"..."

That made sense.

Asuma and the others looked at Guy with complicated expressions.

Guy had changed too!

He had gotten smarter!

And at that moment.

Just as everyone was wondering what Obito had gone through, a massive explosion suddenly erupted from the stage.

Everyone instinctively raised their heads. Even the surrounding spectators looked on in shock. When they saw that deep, almost tangible chakra, they were immediately startled.

The knowledgeable ninja instantly guessed what it was.

No wonder the Cloud Shinobi girl had shown no fear when facing Uchiha Obito, the Konoha genius whom all enemies feared, and had chosen to confront him head-on. So it was because...

"Tailed Beast Chakra?!" Kushina, beside them, froze and frowned. Lowering her voice, she said, "That is the Two-Tails' chakra. The Nine-Tails said so. Obito is in danger."

As soon as she finished speaking.

Uchiha Fugaku looked at her in shock, but after a moment, he ignored it as though nothing had happened and calmly continued watching the match.

Fuyu merely shrugged and continued looking below. Before long, as if remembering something, he raised his head again to look at Minato. After hesitating, he quietly said, "Listen to me. You should change your hairstyle next time."

If Obito used that move on Naruto too.

Oh my god, this was a woman!

"..."

What did that mean?

Minato looked at Fuyu in confusion, but since Fuyu did not explain, Minato had no mind to ask further. He turned back and watched below with concern.

Originally, he had been worried that the Cloud Shinobi girl would get hurt. He had not expected her to be a Jinchuriki like Kushina, nor that she seemed capable of controlling Tailed Beast Chakra. Now... he had begun worrying whether Obito would get hurt instead.

He watched seriously, his expression stern. If danger arose, he would act immediately. No matter how much Obito had changed, Obito was... still his student.

However.

When he saw Obito calmly take out a kunai and quietly tie an Explosive Tag to it, Minato's eyelid twitched and the corner of his mouth spasmed. "He would not..."

Before he could finish.

His expression changed, and he rushed down at once. The other Konoha ninja beside him also seemed to realize something when they saw the scene below. Their expressions changed as well, and they rushed down.

This guy really was... fuck!

A few minutes earlier.

On the stage.

Obito looked at the terrifying chakra and felt somewhat panicked inside, but before his Sharingan, no enemy could defeat him.

Therefore.

He took a deep breath and dodged the Cloud Shinobi's attack, which had clearly become much faster.

"Shameless, perverted, disgusting!" Yugito Nii, seemingly clad in a coat formed from chakra and radiating an eerie blue glow, glared at Uchiha Obito. "I! Yugito Nii will never lose to someone like you!"

As soon as she finished speaking.

She charged forward!

Facing that terrifying chakra, Uchiha Obito showed no weakness. He opened his scarlet one-tomoe Sharingan and declared arrogantly, "The moment you face these eyes, you have already lost!"

But.

How was he supposed to deal with that tangible chakra?

Even his incomplete ninjutsu probably could not break through that defense, and the chakra seemed to be growing stronger and stronger!

Finally.

His hand touched the kunai at his waist.

Obito recalled the move he often used against powerful enemies. Seeming to understand something, he directly pulled out a kunai and an Explosive Tag.

Seeing his movements, Yugito Nii sneered disdainfully. "Explosive Tags cannot break through my current defense!"

After saying that, she charged forward again and extended her right hand, which seemed to turn into a beast's claw. "Meow Meow Claw!"

"Is that so?" Uchiha Obito stepped back and dodged the attack. The corner of his mouth curled slightly, and he was utterly confident as he formed a hand seal. "I told you! Once I use these eyes, you have already lost!"

As soon as he finished speaking.

Shadow Clone Jutsu!

Three Uchiha Obitos charged forward.

"Do not joke around, you shameless bastard!" Yugito Nii roared and smashed one Shadow Clone apart with a single strike. "How could I possibly lose to a pervert like you?!"

Bang!

One Shadow Clone shattered.

But Obito did not care in the slightest. He coordinated with another Obito and, taking advantage of the opening, grabbed one Obito and threw him into the air!

At that moment.

In the blink of an eye, Yugito Nii appeared before another Obito again, while the Obito in the air used the Shadow Clone Jutsu once more, rapidly descending behind her!

Obito stood with his legs braced like a bow, both hands tightly gripping the kunai. He said calmly, "You! Have already lost!"

As soon as he finished speaking.

Yugito Nii's face filled with horror. It was already too late for her to turn around.

Obito took a deep breath. Just as he was about to launch himself forward.

Whoosh!

As everyone held their breath and watched the fierce battle.

Three figures suddenly appeared on the stage.

One grabbed Obito from behind, one snatched away his kunai, and the last one... Minato, wearing a mask, twitched at the corner of his eye as he stood between them. Helplessly looking at the still-shocked Yugito Nii, he said, "You won, Cloud Shinobi! Withdraw your chakra!"

As soon as he finished speaking.

"Huh?" x2

Two utterly baffled faces, along with even more baffled faces on the stage!

What was going on?!

The data was really bad. On the last recommendation slot, it ranked near the bottom. If it could not advance from this recommendation slot, it might... have to go without any promotion. Sigh, even a salted fish was panicking! Every time I saw these numbers, I started doubting myself and hesitating! If you think it is good, please show some support!

Could it be that no one read this kind of story anymore? Did everyone just prefer war stories and face-slapping power fantasies?