A Little Mealtime Group

Some things, once started, could never be stopped. Gradually, mealtimes became the time when Kurenai and Genma were inseparable.

Just as their relationship was gradually warming up, a brown-haired girl in a black shirt and pink skirt began watching the two of them thoughtfully.

After staring at Genma and Kurenai for quite a while, the two students at the front desk suddenly started talking loudly, drawing her attention.

"Hey, do you know Obito? The guy sitting behind us."

"Yeah, what about him? I know he's from the Uchiha Clan. Is there anything strange about that?"

"Mm... he is from the Uchiha Clan, that's true, but he looks really weak. He also seems pretty poor!"

The boy deliberately dragged out the word "poor," greatly surprising the boy he was talking to.

"No way. The Uchiha Clan is one of Konohagakure's top clans. How could they have poor people?"

"Heh, you don't know this, do you? The Uchiha Clan may be a prestigious clan, but unlike other great clans, it doesn't have a Main Family and Branch Family. Status is determined by strength. If you ask me, he's probably just too weak, practically abandoned by his clan~"

"But... that still doesn't prove he's poor..."

"Oh? Then watch everyone at lunch. Who doesn't eat in the classroom? He's the only one who runs outside. I heard he even cries while eating out there~"

The Uchiha Clan was far beyond the reach of the two boys, yet they had now heard something like this. Strange pleasure appeared on both their faces.

After all, there were few girls in the class. Though children did not understand much, they still paid special attention to cute girls.

Thus, their clumsy attempt to put others down and elevate themselves had begun, and Obito was one of the stepping stones they had chosen.

Though their voices rose and fell, the girl behind them was sitting close by and heard every word clearly.

Yet she did not gloat. Instead, she looked worriedly at the empty seat beside her.

That seat belonged to Obito. He was her deskmate, but he really was not in the classroom right now.

The girl took a deep breath, clenched her little fists, and closed the lunchbox on her desk, which she had only eaten halfway through.

Carrying her lunchbox, she left her seat and walked out of the classroom.

It was lunchtime, so the area outside the school building was especially deserted.

Looking around, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that the shadow beneath a distant tree looked somewhat unusual.

Delight immediately appeared on her face. As she approached the tree and listened carefully, she could clearly hear chewing sounds.

Crack!

Lost in concentration, the girl failed to notice the branch beneath her feet, alerting the person behind the tree.

"W-Who is it?"

"It's me, Obito. You can come out."

"Rin, how... how is it you...?"

Obito wiped his face and only turned around after making sure his tears were gone.

"I came to see whether you'd eaten enough. There was a little too much food today, so I wanted to ask if you'd help me finish it. If you won't eat it, I'll have to throw it away."

Rin wholeheartedly wanted to help Obito, but the difference between boys and girls still made her shy.

Seeing Rin's gentle, bashful appearance, it felt as though countless warm currents flowed through Obito's heart. As he looked at her, tears unconsciously streamed down his face.

"Rin, I thought, I thought... sob... Rin, you're too good to me!"

It was Rin's first time seeing a boy cry, and she became somewhat flustered.

"Um... Obito... we're classmates, so of course we should help each other. I see other people doing that too..."

Genma and Kurenai eating together involuntarily appeared in Rin's mind.

"I-Is that so..." Obito's expression changed constantly, gratitude, conflict, and gloom appearing on his face in turn.

Obito's parents had both died in battle when he was very young, leaving only his elderly grandmother to care for him.

With the family's source of income gone, although Obito was half an orphan, Konohagakure provided no subsidies. As for the Uchiha Clan, while they did provide assistance to lonely elderly people and half-orphans like Obito, they did not give them any special care.

Thus, Obito and his grandmother depended on each other. Once the money left by his parents had run out, his grandmother naturally had to go out and seek ways to earn money.

But his aged grandmother could not withstand the ravages of time forever. Recently, she had collapsed from exhaustion, and only then did Obito begin learning to cook and care for her himself.

"Obito, what's wrong? Is something troubling you?"

Rin looked at Obito with a smile in her round eyes. It was like a spring breeze had passed by, warming his entire body.

"N-Nothing. I'm going to become Hokage someday. I'll never be beaten by hardships!"

"By the way... Obito, can I try the lunch you made? I'm really curious."

Obito shuddered. His cooking was actually terrible. Most of the rice had been burnt, so he could only use the decent parts to make sushi for his grandmother...

Obito hurriedly shook his head and firmly said, "N-No, you can't. Because... because I already ate it all."

They had only known each other for a few days, so Rin naturally could not tell that Obito was lying and did not pursue the matter. "All right, then. But you still don't seem full, so have these~"

Ever since Obito had first seen Rin, she had kept her lunchbox behind her back. With both hands hidden behind her, she looked especially bashful and adorable.

He had never expected that Rin had done that just to give him a surprise. The lunchbox was even exquisitely made, like a gift, moving Obito beyond words.

"Rin, this... is this really for me?" Though he was still a child, most ninja matured early, especially someone like Obito, who had no family keeping watch over him.

Thinking that it might be what Rin had left over, Obito's cheeks could not help turning red.

Obito kept one hand behind his back while hesitantly reaching for Rin's exquisite lunchbox with the other.

"Here, take it. No need to be polite!" Seeing Obito hesitate, Rin readily stuffed the lunchbox into his hands.

During this, Rin's little hand touched Obito's, immediately setting his heart aflutter. The hand clenched tightly behind his back suddenly relaxed as well.

Clatter~

A dull sound came from behind Obito. Rin curiously looked over, only to find several pitch-black rice balls spilling from a simple wooden box.

"Obito, why are you eating something like this? Is there no one at home who can cook, or are you trying to learn to cook for yourself?"

Rin did not think Obito was poor and ate such food because of the malicious gossip from the boys in front. The charred black color of the rice balls clearly showed that the cook's skills were lacking.

Obito's slightly foolish smile instantly froze. He had wanted to turn around and quickly pick up the rice balls, but he knew it was already too late. "Um... I wanted to cook for myself. I didn't want to waste food, so that's why..."

Rin took several steps behind Obito, crouched down to pick up the blackened rice balls, and took one of them. After brushing off some dust, she took a small bite under Obito's shocked gaze.

"Cough, cough. Obito, you used too little water, cooked it for too long, and added too much seasoning for the sushi. Is there no one at home to teach you how to cook?"

Rin stood up with a mildly reproachful look, making Obito even more uncomfortable.

"Rin, let's go back to the classroom..." Obito was at a loss, unsure what to do.

But Rin remained unmoved, her face full of determination. "Obito, we're classmates. Helping each other is only natural. It's fine if you don't want to tell me, but you have to let me visit your home tonight!"

Seeing Rin's clear eyes, Obito's heart fell into chaos. He knew he probably could not keep it hidden any longer, yet a faint warmth also rose within him.

"Actually, my parents died a long time ago. I only live with my grandmother. Grandma got sick recently, so I started learning to cook for myself..."

Rin was slightly stunned for a moment, but soon revealed a faint, sweet smile. "Then let's eat lunch together first. But tonight, I'm definitely going to eat at your place before I leave~"

"Mm, ah, huh??"

Obito was greatly startled, his whole body seeming to freeze, but a soft hand soon pulled him along.

The two slowly walked back toward the classroom and encountered two familiar figures at a corner.

"Oh? Rin and Obito, are you two~"

"The brown-haired one, and the Red Eye one, you..." Obito was utterly flustered. He knew it was probably too early to be holding hands with a girl, but he did not want to let go and even enjoyed it a little. Still, being seen made him feel terribly awkward...

"That's so rude, Obito! This is Kurenai, and that's Genma. They're both our classmates."

Seeing Obito's bewildered face, Rin quietly gave him a few reminders.

In Genma's impression, Obito was someone who loved showing off. He had not expected him to look somewhat like a shy young bride now.

"Uh, Rin, are you eating outside? Why don't you come in and eat together?"

Kurenai sharply noticed that both of them were holding lunchboxes. What was strange was that Obito's lunchbox had pink cherry blossom patterns, while Rin's was blue and somewhat old.

"W-We're... eating together..." Obito let go of Rin's hand and scratched his head.

"Mm, we're eating together outside. It's nothing, so we'll be going now, Genma, Kurenai." Rin smiled apologetically at the two, then turned back and winked at Obito.

Though Obito was slow-witted, he still understood. "Oh, sorry, Genma, Kurenai. We have to head back first."

Although the two looked a little strange, Genma and Kurenai did not find it appropriate to press them for answers.

After the two hurried away, Kurenai casually took Genma's hand.

"Uh, Kurenai, what are you doing?"

"They looked so happy, so I unconsciously wanted to hold your hand. You don't mind, do you?"

Genma's heart pounded wildly, and Kurenai's cheeks were also flushed red.

"Of course... of course I don't mind..."

Genma's old face turned red as well, but he felt an inexplicable happiness.

It felt like he owed Rin and Obito a favor now.