Obito's Resolve

"Whoa, did I really hear that right? The Third Hokage actually wants to find Yue a teacher!"

In the restaurant, Uchiha Yue looked at Uchiha Obito in front of him with some exasperation, then glanced at the astonished onlookers around them. He gave a wry smile and shook his head.

Ever since they had said goodbye to the Third Hokage, Uchiha Obito had been worked up the whole way back, clearly still stunned by what the Third Hokage had said to Uchiha Yue earlier. Still, Uchiha Yue could understand how Obito felt. After all, they were only students at the Ninja Academy. The chance to speak with a powerful figure like the Third Hokage, who held authority over Konoha, before they had even become ninja was more than enough to get them excited.

Actually, it wasn't just Uchiha Obito and Rin. Even Uchiha Yue had been a little excited the first time he met the Third Hokage. They shouldn't forget that the Third Hokage at this point wasn't the elderly Third Hokage from the original story. He was in his prime, possessed strength that stood at the pinnacle of the ninja world, and was the highest authority in Konoha. Surely anyone who got to speak with the Third Hokage would be excited for a while.

After the excitement had passed, however, Uchiha Yue began quietly considering what the Third Hokage had meant by speaking with him.

In Uchiha Yue's view, the Third Hokage wasn't the sort of person who would get bored and go looking for amusement at the Ninja Academy. He was the highest authority in Konoha. If he wanted to watch elite jonin fight, all he had to do was give an order. Why would he go to the Ninja Academy for fun?

Besides, although Uchiha Yue felt that he had shown some talent, he wasn't so exceptional that he would catch the Third Hokage's eye, was he?

So Uchiha Yue couldn't shake the feeling that there was some deeper reason behind the Third Hokage's visit.

Unfortunately, even though Uchiha Yue had lived two lives, he still couldn't quite figure out what the Third Hokage was really thinking. He could only work through the possibilities one by one, trying to find an answer.

Even while Uchiha Yue silently pondered the Third Hokage's reasons, the presence of Uchiha Obito meant there was never any danger of an awkward silence.

At the table, Uchiha Yue remained quiet, but Uchiha Obito kept searching for things to talk about, and Rin occasionally chimed in as well. Eventually, when Obito finally started to tire, the food Uchiha Yue and the others had ordered arrived and was set down in front of them.

Seeing the food, Uchiha Yue stopped thinking about the Third Hokage's reasons and urged Uchiha Obito and Rin to eat.

After their meal, they still had to return to the Ninja Academy for their afternoon lessons.

Even as they ate, however, Uchiha Obito showed no sign of letting him and Rin off the hook. He ate as he spoke. "Yue, we met the Third Hokage today! Aren't you even a little excited? If I were you, I'd be itching to get home and tell my family!"

"Family?"

As soon as Uchiha Obito said the word, Uchiha Yue suddenly thought of something, and his brows drew together slightly.

There was no doubt that Obito's words had made something click for Uchiha Yue. He suddenly understood why the Third Hokage had sought him out, and why he wanted to find him a teacher.

Uchiha Yue wasn't just any ninja. He was a ninja from Konoha's prestigious Uchiha Clan!

At this time, although the Uchiha Clan was keeping a low profile, Konoha's leadership was always watching their every move. Especially after Uchiha Madara had defected from Konoha, the Uchiha Clan's position in the village had become even more awkward. Uchiha Yue suspected that the Third Hokage had taken notice of him because he had displayed a certain amount of talent.

If Uchiha Yue had come from an ordinary clan, the Third Hokage might have simply smiled and thought nothing more of it, considering him another genius like Hatake Kakashi.

But since Uchiha Yue was a member of the Uchiha Clan, the Third Hokage was paying special attention to him. Perhaps, in the Third Hokage's eyes, if Uchiha Yue received the full support of the Uchiha Clan, his talent could make him one of the ninja world's strongest. His rise to the top might even cause the entire Uchiha Clan to become restless. That was probably the real reason the Third Hokage wanted to introduce a teacher to Uchiha Yue.

If Uchiha Yue defeated Hatake Kakashi, it would prove that he was truly exceptional. After all, Hatake Kakashi was already one of Konoha's greatest young talents. A ninja who could surpass him in talent would be a rare gem. The Third Hokage wanted to see whether Uchiha Yue was such a gem. If he was, then the Third Hokage would need to win him over at once, introduce him to a teacher, and bind him to his own faction.

In an instant, Uchiha Yue understood the key reason the Third Hokage had come to speak with him. He couldn't help feeling amused and exasperated as he thought:

"Third Hokage, you really think highly of me!"

"I'm still just a student who hasn't graduated from the Ninja Academy, and you think I can influence the direction of the Uchiha Clan?"

Sigh, I wonder if having the Third Hokage's attention is a blessing or a curse.

Thinking this, Uchiha Yue shook his head helplessly once more. Then he put aside these troublesome thoughts and chatted with Uchiha Obito and Rin instead.

In Uchiha Yue's view, as long as he had enough strength, he could escape the fate of being a pawn.

So after he figured out why the Third Hokage had come, Uchiha Yue actually felt more relaxed. He simply wanted to become stronger than before.

They ate lunch quickly. Soon, Uchiha Yue and the others had finished and were ready to head back to the Ninja Academy.

However, Rin ran into a close friend on the way, so in the end, only Uchiha Yue and Uchiha Obito returned to the Ninja Academy together.

But just as Uchiha Yue and Uchiha Obito reached the entrance to the Ninja Academy, Obito suddenly stopped and looked at Uchiha Yue solemnly. "Yue, can I train with you from now on? I want to become stronger!"

"Stronger?"

Uchiha Yue turned to look at Uchiha Obito in surprise, then smiled faintly. "You want to become stronger? Why?"

"I..."

At Uchiha Yue's question, Uchiha Obito's face reddened a little. Then he said loudly, "I want to become stronger because I want to become the Fourth Hokage of Konoha!"

"Really?"

Looking at Uchiha Obito teasingly, Uchiha Yue moved closer and lowered his voice. "Is there really no other reason? Like Rin?"

"Of course not!"

Uchiha Obito denied it at once. But after thinking for a moment, his face grew even redder, and he lowered his head slightly. "B-but maybe Rin is part of the reason. I feel like if I can just become stronger, Rin will definitely... definitely..."

By then, Uchiha Obito's voice was as quiet as a mosquito's. Even Uchiha Yue couldn't make out what he was saying.

Still, as Uchiha Obito's friend, Uchiha Yue felt it was his responsibility to help him grow stronger.

So Uchiha Yue gave Uchiha Obito a firm pat on the shoulder and said, "All right! If you want to become stronger, Obito, then we'll train together from now on!"

"Obito, training is tough. Don't give up, understand?"

"Got it!"

Seeing that Uchiha Yue hadn't refused, Uchiha Obito scratched his head and burst out laughing.

What even Uchiha Yue hadn't expected, however, was how extraordinarily strong Uchiha Obito's resolve to become stronger was!

"Yue, just you wait!"

"One day, I'll surpass you and become the top genius at the Ninja Academy!"