Putting on a Show!

The group chatted and laughed all the way, quickly arriving above the Hokage Rock.

It was only then that Uchiha Obito realized, with a delayed sense of awareness, where he had been led.

Uchiha Obito came to a halt, his mind suddenly a complex mess. Looking at the others who were still laughing and talking, he suddenly didn't know what to say.

Seeming to sense that he hadn't followed, Sarutobi Asuma couldn't help but turn back, asking in confusion, "Obito, why did you stop?"

Hearing this, Kakashi Hatake also turned back, his dead-fish eyes fixed on him with a calm gaze.

Uchiha Obito glanced at Yuki Yuichi, then spoke with some hesitation, "I... where are we going?"

Upon hearing this, Sarutobi Asuma walked up with a smile and gave his shoulder a heavy pat, "Hahaha, we're going to train!"

"I forgot to tell you, there's a hidden training ground up here on the Hokage Rock."

"That's where we're headed."

As he spoke, Sarutobi Asuma once again draped his arm around Uchiha Obito's shoulder with a laugh, "You must have been skipping class to go train, too!"

"How clever of you!"

"To just skip class like that—this way, you don't have to go through the trouble of sneaking out of the academy."

"Heh... hehe..." Uchiha Obito's mouth twitched at these words, and he squeezed out a smile, feeling rather guilty.

He was just late; he wasn't skipping class at all!

However, since Sarutobi Asuma was praising him and calling him clever, he couldn't bring himself to lose face, so he forced himself to say, "That's right!"

"The academy is too boring, so I was just about to find a secluded spot to train."

Uchiha Obito said this with a mournful expression.

Kakashi Hatake watched him suspiciously from the front, then recalled that this guy had been late for class yesterday.

His brow twitched, and a strange look appeared in his eyes.

At this moment, Yuki Yuichi patted his shoulder and flashed a smile.

Seeing his expression, Kakashi Hatake glanced back at Uchiha Obito, "You knew all along, didn't you?"

"Yep," Yuki Yuichi said righteously.

Looking at the oblivious and carefree Sarutobi Asuma, Yuki Yuichi continued, "Obito must have been late, and then he just happened to run into us."

"And he assumed we were skipping class, too."

"You... you really have a twisted sense of humor..." Kakashi Hatake muttered, holding back a retort.

"It's truly a misfortune for Uchiha Obito to know you."

"Relax, relax," Yuki Yuichi said dismissively. "Training together is a good thing, isn't it?"

Looking at Kakashi Hatake, then at Sarutobi Asuma, who was chatting happily with Uchiha Obito, Yuki Yuichi thought to himself.

Even if the future didn't change and Uchiha Obito still ended up becoming that convict, the friendships of youth were always beautiful.

This was an insurance policy he was taking out for himself; although he didn't believe Uchiha Obito would become that convict with his own presence here, there was no harm in being prepared.

Even a clever rabbit has three burrows, after all.

Just then, Sarutobi Asuma and Uchiha Obito seemed to have finished their conversation and walked toward them.

Looking at Yuki Yuichi and Kakashi Hatake, Uchiha Obito feigned a complaint, "You guys knew about this place and didn't even say anything."

"That's really mean!"

Sarutobi Asuma chimed in from the side.

"That's right, that's right! If I hadn't asked you two today if you were skipping class, were you planning to keep it all to yourselves?"

"That's really mean!"

As he spoke, Sarutobi Asuma pretended to be angry.

He didn't dislike interacting with Yuki Yuichi, Kakashi Hatake, and the others.

In fact, he could even say he quite enjoyed this feeling.

Whether it was Yuki Yuichi, Kakashi Hatake, Uchiha Obito, or Yuhi Kurenai, none of them treated him differently just because his father was the Hokage.

Everyone else knew his father was the Hokage and would only fawn over him and try to curry favor.

That made him feel disgusted, and he had vowed to break free from his father's influence and live as his own person!

Hearing what the two of them said, Yuki Yuichi shrugged, "Kakashi discovered this place, and I only found out about it yesterday."

"So, you two should ask him," Yuki Yuichi said, pointing at Kakashi Hatake to signal them to go bother him instead.

"As expected, that detestable Kakashi!" Uchiha Obito looked at Kakashi Hatake and immediately declared, "Once we get there, I'm going to challenge you!"

"I'll show you the genius of the Uchiha!"

"That's right, that's right, I'm going to challenge you too!" Sarutobi Asuma nodded from the side.

Yuhi Kurenai stood beside Yuki Yuichi, watching the group with a bright smile.

However, she still felt a bit worried, "Yuichi, is the teacher really going to be okay?"

Yuki Yuichi heard this, turned his head to look at her, and then reached out to ruffle her hair. "Don't worry, it'll be fine."

Yuhi Kurenai resisted slightly and swatted his hand away, complaining, "Stop messing up my hair!"

"If you do that again, I..."

Yuhi Kurenai started to say, but faltered. Under Yuki Yuichi's gaze, she blushed and finished, "I... I won't talk to you for half a day!"

Hearing Yuhi Kurenai's words, Yuki Yuichi laughed, reached out his right hand, and gently tapped her forehead with his index finger.

"Kurenai, you're so cute~"

As Yuki Yuichi spoke, he sensed gazes from the side. He turned his head and saw Uchiha Obito and the others looking at him with resentment.

Yuhi Kurenai also noticed their stares, and her face turned bright red in an instant.

She was thin-skinned, but Yuki Yuichi was not. Without a blush or a racing heart, he looked at the three of them and asked, "What are you looking at? Don't you guys have childhood sweethearts?"

Seeing the three of them remain silent, Yuki Yuichi added, "No way, no way. Don't tell me there's actually someone here without a childhood sweetheart?"

"That detestable guy, I really want to punch him." Sarutobi Asuma looked at his smug face, then glanced at the adorable Kurenai, his fists clenching as he gritted his teeth.

He had felt a spark the first time he saw Yuhi Kurenai, but she had been holding hands with Yuki Yuichi at the time.

He had abandoned that thought then.

But now, these two were actually flaunting their affection right in front of him.

This was intolerable!

Uchiha Obito thought of Nohara Rin, and seeing the two of them show off their love, he couldn't help himself either.

Sarutobi Asuma exchanged a glance with him, and the two charged forward.

Seeing this, Yuki Yuichi grabbed Yuhi Kurenai and ran toward the training ground, shouting, "You guys are twenty thousand years too early to beat me up!"

"You jerk!"

"Let's get him together!"

Sarutobi Asuma yelled, and he and Uchiha Obito gave chase, the four of them quickly disappearing into the forest.

Watching their retreating figures, the corners of Kakashi Hatake's mouth, hidden beneath his mask, couldn't help but curl upward.

He walked into the forest as well, thinking silently to himself.

This feeling, it actually doesn't seem half bad.