Rin, Kuro, Obito

Sixteen years ago, in Konoha, at the Ninja Academy

From the grove of trees next to the Training Ground, the faint sound of Shuriken being thrown could be heard.

Ten Shuriken flew through the air in curved arcs, avoiding the tree trunks that had been deliberately set up as obstacles, and landed on the rather well-hidden bullseye.

On the very center of the bullseye, eight out of ten shots hit the target.

For a child still studying at the Ninja Academy, this level of accuracy is quite remarkable, even surpassing most adult ninjas.

However, for an Uchiha, especially one who has awakened the Uchiha Sharingan, this result can only be considered barely passing at best.

A black-haired child with a small braid stood in the center of the shooting range, slightly out of breath.

He looked up at the two Shuriken that had missed the bullseye and landed on the edge of the target, and a hint of disappointment flashed in his scarlet One-Tomoe Sharingan.

Just as he was lost in thought, a series of crisp clapping sounds suddenly came from not far away.

"Clap clap clap!!"

Following the direction of the sound, he subconsciously looked at the girl of similar age who was standing at the edge of the woods clapping her hands at him.

The girl had short, chestnut-colored hair that reached her ears, and two light purple oil paint lines on her slightly chubby cheeks.

Those bright eyes were filled with amazement and admiration for him:

"Wow, amazing! He hit all the marks?! No wonder he's a prodigy..."

"Don't flatter me, Lin."

Looking at the girl clapping enthusiastically for him, he said in a deliberately exaggerated manner:

"Kakashi could have done this level of Shurikenjutsu a year ago, and he would have hit the target every time."

After practicing for so long, I still missed two shots, even with my Sharingan activated and cheating. I'm completely doomed.

"After all, that's Kakashi. Koko, you've already done a really impressive job to reach that level!"

Lin smiled and comforted her, then seemed to realize that what she had just said might have been inappropriate, her face flushed red, and she waved her hands in a fluster:

"Um, sorry, knock! I didn't mean to compare you to Kakashi..."

"Alright, alright."

Looking at the clearly flustered girl in front of him, Kou waved his hand dismissively:

"I'm not Obito, who breathes on Kakashi's name every time he mentions him."

I'm quite self-aware. Compared to Kakashi, that monster who graduated a whole year early, wouldn't that just be making things harder for myself?

Hearing Kou's remarkably open-minded words, Lin subconsciously nodded:

"Although I've gotten used to it, I still feel that what you say sometimes is so profound. You don't seem like someone our age at all; you're like an adult..."

"Uh, cough cough, that's your imagination, your imagination."

He coughed a few times, then looked around and asked in confusion:

"Speaking of which, where 'Obito? Didn't he insist on dragging me here to teach him Shuriken? How come he's vanished in the blink of an eye?"

Lin tilted her head in confusion:

"Oh, Obito is right there..."

Just as Rin was turning around looking for Obito, a cheerful yet slightly silly shout came from the other end of the woods.

"Knock, Lin!! I'm here!!"

Obito waved his hand forcefully and staggered out of a clump of bushes.

At this moment, he was covered in spots of mud, looking like a little mongrel that had just been pulled out of a mud puddle.

But he seemed completely oblivious to this, simply flashing them a bright smile.

"Ugh, that brat."

Seeing Obito's disheveled appearance, he sighed helplessly.

Seeing Obito's disheveled appearance, Rin frowned slightly.

She quickly stepped forward, raised her small hand, and carefully brushed the dirt and grass clippings off his body, saying in a slightly reproachful tone:

"Honestly, where have you been? You've gotten yourself into this state. You should have at least told us before you left."

Obito looked at Rin, who was so close to him, his dirty little face turning bright red:

"Wait, let's not talk about that now! Come with me, I have something good to show you!!"

As he spoke, ignoring the boy's disgusted little face, he grabbed his hand, still covered in mud, and ran into the depths of the woods...

When they reached the old tree, Obito finally stopped.

Without hesitation, Koko shook off Obito's hand, patting the dirt off it as he said irritably:

"So, what exactly do you want us to see?"

Let me make this clear beforehand: if it's anything particularly boring, don't expect me to help you deal with your grandma.

"What are you saying? It's not like I only do stupid things!"

Obito retorted indignantly.

"Hehe."

"Hey! What kind of attitude is that? Trust me a little bit!"

"I really want to believe you, but unfortunately you have too many past offenses, which makes it hard not to be suspicious."

"Please, trust me a little more!!"

"Okay, okay, stop fooling around, you two."

Rin stood between the two, first giving Kou a helpless smile, then turning her head and gently whispering to Obito:

"I believe Obito, you must have something important to tell me, which is why you dragged us here."

"Lin!!"

Obito Rin's eyes, which were fixed intently on him, Obito was so moved that he almost cried.

Seeing Obito's exaggerated expression, Kotobuki's lips twitched slightly.

He turned his head and complained to Lin:

"I'm telling you, aren't you spoiling him a little too much?"

Lin stuck out her tongue, a little embarrassed.

"Hmph, this is the only time you can be so stubborn! Let me show you what I've recently discovered!!"

Obito turned the tear-streaked face back towards Kotobuki, and proudly raised his chin.

He raised his hand and pointed forcefully towards the top of the old pine tree's dense, sun-shading canopy:

"Look what that is?"

Kou followed the direction of Obito's finger and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Among the dense and verdant branches and leaves was a bird's nest carefully woven from withered branches and dry grass, and at the edge of the nest stood a bird with gray-blue feathers that he knew all too well.

"That's... the bird we rescued before?"

"That's right! I only found out yesterday too!!"

Obito nodded excitedly, his eyes sparkling as he gazed at the bird preening its feathers by the nest, and said excitedly:

"We never saw it again after we released it with Kakashi. We never expected to run into it here!"

It must have followed us to the Ninja Academy and settled here!

This guy is really... so touching!!

"That's wonderful, Obito!"

Lin clasped her hands together in front of her chest, looked up at the bird that was chirping sweetly, and her gentle eyes were filled with heartfelt joy.

Kou slowly withdrew his gaze from the bird, his expressionless face fixed on the dirt still falling from Obito's body.

"So... if I'm not mistaken, you went to play with it, fell off the tree, and ended up like this, right?"

"Um!!"

Obito nodded proudly.

"Then why don't you just call it down? Wouldn't that be more convenient?"

Obito's face stiffened, and he looked away somewhat guiltily, muttering softly:

"This... this wasn't just a moment of excitement; I forgot."

"You're absolutely unbeatable."

Kou complained irritably, then shifted his gaze from Obito's face to the iron box that Obito had placed among the gnarled tree roots under the old tree.

"So, the food you prepared for it is in this metal box that you specifically took with you before you left?"

"You're making it all so mysterious, I thought it was something important."

"Hmph, you're wrong about that!"

Obito's face, which had been embarrassed just moments before, now regained its smug expression.

He sniffed hard, then jogged to the tree and, in front of Kou and Lin, yanked open the metal box.

Examining the contents of the box, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes:

"These are... paper and pen? What are you going to do with them? Are you going to draw? You actually have that skill?"

No, no!

Obito shook his head vigorously and said seriously:

I want to write down some words here, for our future selves!