Sora Uchiha, We Are Mortal Enemies

After Sora Uchiha and Kakashi emerged from the small grove, Obito looked at them with an expression of passionate suspicion. He pouted and said, "In broad daylight, under the clear sky, what secrets can't you tell us? There's something going on between you two, I'm sure of it!"

Neither of them wanted to humor him. Kakashi glanced at Rin, then back at Sora, thinking, Something going on between them? I think there's more passion between those two.

"Obito, come on, I need to talk to you," Kakashi gave Obito a meaningful look.

He figured Sora had something he wanted to discuss with Rin, and he didn't want to be a third wheel, ruin the mood, or be awkward.

"Huh? Can't you just say it here?" Obito eyed Sora Uchiha warily. He thought if he and Kakashi left, it would be just the two of them, and who knew what might spark between them?

"Stop talking nonsense," Kakashi rolled his eyes and directly exercised his authority as captain, dragging Obito away.

"Hey, hey, Sora, it's just the two of us, don't get any funny ideas with Rin!"

Rin noticed Kakashi and Obito had left, leaving only her and Sora. Her heart began to pound, and she became flustered, lowering her head, clasping her hands behind her back, and tapping her toes.

It's all Obito's fault, she thought. What was he saying about just the two of them? He just likes to spout nonsense, making me overthink things.

Sora found it amusing. When Rin was with Kakashi and Obito, she was such a lively girl, but now she was acting so shy.

He smiled and said, "Aren't you going to ask me what Kakashi and I were talking about?"

"Can I?"

"Of course... not."

"Sora, you're teasing me again."

"Haha, I just saw how nervous you were."

Soon, the awkward atmosphere dissipated under Sora Uchiha's words. Though Rin's face remained flushed, which was quite lovely.

Suddenly, Rin seemed to remember something. She turned and ran to a tree, pulling a bag of snacks from her pouch and handing it to Sora Uchiha.

It was a bag of pistachios.

Sora Uchiha tore open the package. "I can't believe you're carrying snacks around during special training," he suddenly leaned in towards Rin, smiling slyly, "What? Were you secretly hoping I'd come?"

Seeing his face less than a foot away, Rin's heart raced. He's too close! She turned her face away and stammered, "I, I, I was just... keeping my promise."

Seeing that Rin was about to short-circuit if he continued, Sora Uchiha abandoned his teasing. He moved back, cracking open a pistachio.

"When you're on a mission, don't act alone. Stay close to Kakashi and far away from that unreliable guy Obito," he said casually, finding the pistachios really crisp and delicious. "Speaking of which, you have a mission tomorrow, what is it?"

"An A-rank mission," Rin replied obediently.

"A-rank? That high?"

"Mhm, Teacher Minato will be there too."

"Oh, I see. Then be careful. If you encounter someone you can't defeat, remember to run. Let Minato cover your retreat; he's pretty strong, don't worry about him."

Rin mentally grumbled, If Teacher Minato heard that, he'd probably put on a show of 'filial piety'... Teacher Minato would definitely make you pay for saying that... mmmph...

It turned out Sora Uchiha had suddenly given her a handful of pistachios.

Watching Rin puff out her cheeks like a cute little squirrel, Sora Uchiha's eyes lit up. The pistachios in his mouth suddenly didn't taste as good, so he stopped eating them and focused on feeding Rin.

He mused inwardly, No wonder there are so many feeding scenes in novels; they're just that delicious.

Soon, the bag of pistachios was gone, devoured by Rin. Sora Uchiha clapped his hands.

"Alright, I should get going. Remember what I said: if there's danger, let Minato and Kakashi handle it! Don't be like Obito and try to be a hero yourself.

If I see you get hurt after this mission..." Sora Uchiha thought for a moment, "... I won't talk to you for a month."

"No way," Rin blurted out, then her face flushed, and she lowered her head, falling silent.

Sora Uchiha's eyes twinkled with amusement. As expected, this little Rin was easy to handle. He ruffled her hair and turned to leave.

A short while later, Obito and Kakashi returned. Obito immediately noticed Rin's disheveled hair and flushed face. Images flashed through his mind, images that were not suitable for children.

Like a bolt from the blue, he knelt on the ground and cried out to the heavens in despair, "Sora Uchiha! I will never forgive you!!"

Kakashi's mouth twitched. He silently moved away, figuring it was easy to catch the idiot's disease if you got too close to a fool.

As for Sora Uchiha, had he really left?

The answer was no, because he had been caught by Minato.

"Heh heh, 'if there's danger, Minato and Kakashi handle it,' tsk tsk tsk, you really are my good disciple~" Minato said with a smile, looking at Sora Uchiha, who instinctively hunched his neck, fearing a Rasengan might land on his head.

He shrunk his neck and retorted, "What's wrong with that? If there's danger, aren't you, as the Seventh Squad's teacher, supposed to be the one in front?"

"That's true, but the way you said it sounds like you're willing to sacrifice your comrades but not yourself. It makes me a little angry. Come on, let's spar."

He then released Sora Uchiha and walked towards the nearby grove.

Just as Sora Uchiha was about to slip away, he heard Minato's voice drift back, "The Flying Thunder God's mark never disappears~"

Sora Uchiha's expression froze. He remembered the mark Minato had left on his arm last time and trudged into the grove with a bitter expression.

Ten minutes later, a bruised and battered Sora Uchiha emerged, followed by a refreshed Minato.

"Alright, you can go now," Minato waved dismissively, completely ignoring Sora Uchiha's resentful face.

The day ended, and tomorrow, the Chunin would begin to engage on the battlefield.

Kurenai Yuhi walked on the road home, idly kicking a stone by the roadside.

"Kurenai, is training over for today?"

Aunties by the roadside greeted her kindly. She responded with a perfunctory "Mm," lacking her usual vibrancy.

Just as Sora Uchiha had said, she felt a sense of dread regarding the approaching cruelty, and thus was indifferent to the kindness radiating around her now.

Soon, she stopped. Under a distant streetlight stood a familiar figure.

"Father?!" she exclaimed, rushing towards him with a smile.

Kurenai Yuhi's Father, one of Konoha's Jonin, specialized in genjutsu and was Kurenai Yuhi's father.

"What are you doing here?" Kurenai Yuhi asked, looking up.

"Heh heh, today is the end of your special training. I came specifically to pick you up. How was it? Surprise?" Kurenai Yuhi's Father lifted her up, saying with a smile.

"Surprise!"

Many of Konoha's Jonin were active on the front lines, and this genjutsu master was one of them; he rarely had the chance to return.

"You have a mission tomorrow, right?"

"Mm, a B-rank mission. Our sensei wants the Third Squad to complete it on their own."

"A B-rank mission... That's okay. Be careful."

"Mm-hmm, don't underestimate me. I'm very strong now."

"Haha, of course, I believe my good daughter."

The two walked on the road home, chatting about everyday matters. Kurenai Yuhi's earlier confusion had largely dissipated after seeing her Father. Under the streetlight, their shadows grew longer...

Until...

"Kurenai, I heard you've been getting close to a boy named Sora Uchiha recently?" Kurenai Yuhi's Father suddenly said. Although he still had a smile on his face, Kurenai Yuhi knew clearly that Father was unhappy.

The smile on her face abruptly stopped.