School Festival

"Wow, it's Soseki-senpai!" Rin exclaimed from the side, her eyes sparkling like little stars.

"Danger!" Seeing Rin's reaction was even more intense than when she saw Kakashi, Obito instantly sensed a crisis.

Might Guy asked excitedly, "Is he a senior from the upper years?"

Rin shook her head, "No, Soseki-senpai is a second-year student."

Obito pouted, "What? So he's only one year older than us."

"You're not a Medical Ninja, so you wouldn't understand how amazing Soseki-senpai is," Rin said, clasping her hands in front of her chest with adoration. "Senpai is Lady Tsunade's disciple. He's already able to lead minor surgeries at the hospital after just one year."

Obito scratched his head. Amazing? I feel like I could do that too.

Might Guy looked at Shūnen with confusion, "Senpai, the person you want to challenge is a Medical Ninja?"

Even though Shūnen had come to terms with things, his body trembled when asked this question out of the blue. A trace of grief and indignation flickered in his eyes. "Medical Ninjas are the worst!"

The surrounding people looked at him strangely. Did Shūnen-senpai's voice sound like he was about to cry? That must be my imagination!

Might Guy exclaimed with belated surprise, "In just one year, that student has already reached the same level of strength as you, Shūnen-senpai?"

Shūnen calmed his agitated heart, returning to his serene state. "To be precise, it was two months. He surpassed my three years of effort in just two months!"

Obito shouted in disbelief, "How is that possible? Shūnen-niisan, you're a genius who could activate the Sharingan at eight years old!"

"My Sharingan awakened during a battle with him," Shūnen said with a sigh, reminiscence in his eyes. "In fact, if I hadn't awakened the Sharingan, I wouldn't have even been able to resist."

Hearing him say that, Obito and the others couldn't help but widen their eyes. Shūnen-senpai is so strong, and he still couldn't defeat that Soseki-senpai?

Obito, in particular, often heard the adults in the clan talk about how amazing Shūnen-niisan was. He never expected his fantasy to be shattered on the very first day.

Even Kakashi, who was pretending to be indifferent but was actually eavesdropping on the gossip, was surprised. He had heard from his father that the Uchiha were an extremely proud clan.

"To make a proud Uchiha say something like that... Shimizu Soseki, huh? I'm starting to get a little interested in this boring school life."

Might Guy, who yearned for youthful passion,'s eyes lit up. He looked at Shūnen with an overly affectionate gaze. "Senpai, can we go and watch too?"

"Of course, no problem." Shūnen shivered at the intense gaze and quickly shifted his eyes. "Also, you can take the opportunity to participate in the School Festival."

Rin asked curiously, "School Festival? What's that?"

Shūnen organized his thoughts. "It's where people from each grade form clubs based on their interests and invite classmates or even people from the village to participate. In short, it's a place for you to make friends and express yourselves."

"Wow, that sounds really interesting!" Rin clapped her hands joyfully, but soon a new question arose. "But why haven't I heard of it before?"

"Because Soseki proposed it just before the semester break last term," Shūnen said, patting Obito's shoulder forcefully. "You guys are lucky to be able to attend the first School Festival."

Might Guy's eyes lit up as he listened. "That's great! I'm going to form the Youthful Passion Energetic Club. Anyone want to join?"

However, wherever his gaze landed, everyone around quickly turned their heads away as if avoiding a plague.

Seeing Might Guy look at him with unwillingness, Obito quickly changed the subject. "Will anyone really participate in this School Festival? After all, that Soseki-senpai was just a newcomer last year."

Shūnen, who had transformed into Soseki's biggest fan, said with the most resolute tone, "If it's him, there definitely won't be a problem!"

Before they could ask, Shūnen explained proactively, "It's because everyone in every grade respects him. Speaking of which, my contribution is also part of the reason Soseki has such a reputation!"

"I get it! It must be because Shūnen-niisan, you used to be the strongest person in school!" Obito started to imagine, his face filled with indignation. "After that Shimizu Soseki defeated you, he stole your position, niisan!"

"It might be true that I was strong," Shūnen said with a strange look in his eyes. "But as for status, does being the most hated person in school count?"

"Ah?" Obito tilted his head, feigning innocence. "What do you mean?"

"Of course, it's because I used to be the worst of the worst bullies!" Shūnen said frankly with a laugh, without any hesitation. "Those jerks who were giving you trouble just now were actually my underlings."

The surrounding people collectively gasped, "Eh!!!"

Obito stammered, "Wh-what exactly is going on?"

"It seems the clan never told them how much of a scoundrel I used to be. That's understandable, they only care about the awakening of the Sharingan," Shūnen chuckled self-deprecatingly. Then, he placed his hands on Obito's shoulders and said seriously, "I was too extreme before. I never truly understood the meaning of love. I thought that by using violence to make everyone 'fear' the Uchiha, it was showing love for my father. I thought I could gain the love of my classmates without giving anything in return. Soseki woke me up and pulled me out of my delusion!"

"That's so cheesy! Aren't you embarrassed at all, Shūnen-niisan?" Obito felt goosebumps all over his body. Just as he was thinking about how to escape his grasp, his peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of Rin.

Wait... if I could be as thick-skinned as Shūnen-niisan, could I tell Rin I love her... Heh heh.

With that thought, Obito's gaze became incredibly determined. "Shūnen-niisan, I understand!"

Shūnen nodded with relief, but also a hint of sadness. "Sometimes, mistakes have already been made. No matter how much you try to fix them, things can't be undone. So, you must never be a scoundrel like me in the future!"

As Obito nodded, still not fully understanding, Might Guy slapped his shoulder. "Shūnen-senpai, it's okay. Obito is so weak, he definitely can't become a bad guy!"

Obito stumbled, almost falling to the ground. After managing to steady himself, he looked at Might Guy with a resentful gaze. Although this guy was speaking up for him, he couldn't feel happy at all.

"With such reliable companions, Obito won't end up like me," Shūnen thought to himself. Then, he waved his hand and said, "Let's go. The School Festival will be held in the small grove behind the school."