Rin Nohara

"Equip!"

Following Obito's command, a katana about 1.2 meters long with a minimalist design appeared in Lu Ming's hand. It featured a purple hilt and a wooden scabbard; holding it, one could clearly sense the formidable energy contained within!

Obito resisted the urge to draw the blade; causing a scene in Konoha was hardly a wise choice.

With one gold card still un-scratched, this sword was already a massive profit. Anything else would just be a bonus!

He clicked on the second gold card. Was that a red pill on the card?

Item Name: Three-Turn Golden Pill (Replica) Category: Item Card Quality: Gold Attribute: Pill-type Function: Significantly improves physical fitness upon use; all attributes permanently increased by 200%.

"Use it?"

Shock! If drawing Ryujin Jakka had left Obito ecstatic, then drawing this golden pill left him truly stunned! Such things existed? If he drew a Nine-Turn Golden Pill, wouldn't he ascend to immortality on the spot? Wouldn't a 200% boost directly restore the stats of this Obito character card? Using it would grant him the power of peak Obito immediately!

Obito wiped away his drool and decisively chose to use it. While this item might have had greater effects later on, his priority now was gaining enough strength for self-preservation! If he didn't survive the present, what future was there to talk about?

Hm? Why didn't he feel anything? No black sludge covering his body, no stomach ache, no urge to use the restroom. He just felt a bit stronger, his vision was clearer, and his sense of smell seemed sharper.

He activated his Mangekyo Sharingan. The previous throbbing pain was gone; his body now used the Sharingan with ease and fluidity! If his body had been a small lake before consuming the pill, it was now a vast ocean! The ocean was calm and still, but when the wind rose, it would stir up towering waves!

With this, who needed Hashirama's cells? He still had an image to maintain; whether it was Danzo or the original Obito, that pale, sickly skin after implanting Hashirama's cells was truly unappealing. It would severely hinder his grand plans for romance.

He was rich! Now he could do whatever he wanted without restraint. Kamui, with no limitations, was arguably the number one cheat in the Naruto world!

He still had 7 million ryo—no more drawing! Time to buy houses, land, and maids! Starting tomorrow, he would be a landlord, haha~

"Knock, knock, knock... knock, knock, knock..." The sound of knocking interrupted Obito's wicked daydreams.

"Who is it?" he muttered, walking to the door to open it. A young girl of similar height stood there, with brown hair, two purple paint marks on her cheeks, and large, innocent eyes. It was Rin. In the original story, it was this girl's death that caused Obito to fall into darkness and board Madara's ship.

"Obito, why didn't you go to school?" Rin asked with concern.

Obito looked at Rin before him, his heart racing uncontrollably! An uncontrollable affection welled up—was this the result of merging with Obito's soul?

"Ah, it's Rin. Come in and sit," Obito said, pinching his thigh to force himself to stay calm.

Rin looked at him with a strange expression, thinking, Obito seems different today. Observing further, she noticed his clothes had changed too; he no longer looked as foolish as before...

"Sit anywhere, I'll pour you some water," Obito said, using the time to mentally prepare his excuse.

"No need..." Rin glanced at the messy room. Aside from the bed, there was nowhere to sit, and the floor was littered with crumpled paper balls...

Obito noticed the state of the room, blaming his poor luck with the card draws earlier... the room had paid the price.

"Um... I was rummaging through some things, it's a bit messy. Rin, I'm not going to school anymore. I'm dropping out," Obito said.

"Dropping out? Why?" Rin asked, her eyes wide with shock. Everyone knew that children in Konoha dreamed of becoming ninjas and Hokage. Obito had always talked about becoming Hokage; why would he suddenly drop out for no reason?

"Well, I awakened the Sharingan. Clan Head Fugaku said I'm a genius, so he's going to tutor me personally," Obito said, activating his Sharingan.

Rin looked at the Sharingan in Obito's eyes with a mix of joy and disappointment. That's right, Obito is from the Uchiha clan, and there's Kakashi too—they're all geniuses. Only I...

Obito felt a pang in his heart as he looked at the dejected Rin. Damn this heartache!

"Rin, even if I don't go to school, we're still good friends! And that guy Kakashi! Once I finish training, I'm definitely going to teach him a lesson!" Obito said, patting Rin's shoulder with a smile.

"Yeah, we'll always be good friends!" Feeling the warmth of Obito's hand on her shoulder and seeing his bright smile, Rin perked up again. I'll work hard on my training too!

Yeah, I'd like to be that kind of 'good friend' with you for a lifetime... Obito thought naturally.

"Rin, let me treat you to a meal! The Clan Head gave me a lot of money, and he said he'd give me a living allowance every month!" Obito said.

"Okay! Let's go to Ichiraku Ramen! I haven't had it in days, I've really been craving it!" Rin said with a smile.

"Let's go! We'll have a contest to see who can eat more. The loser has to bark like a dog three times!" Obito said boastfully.

"Obito, you're going to lose!" Rin said, hands on her hips, looking at him with disdain.

Obito and Rin arrived at the legendary Ichiraku Ramen, a small stall where Ichiraku was kneading dough. An alluring aroma wafted from the pot.

Obito and Rin each ordered a bowl. The portions were generous, the noodles chewy and firm, and the broth rich and delicious. At first, Obito could keep up with Rin, but after three bowls, he could only watch.

Rin didn't seem to be gulping them down, yet with every small bite, a fifth of the bowl would vanish! Before long, a stack of eight empty bowls had piled up beside her!

"Woof, woof, woof."

Obito looked utterly defeated as he reluctantly barked three times. He hadn't expected Rin to be such a bottomless pit; how did someone so small fit eight bowls of ramen?

But seeing Rin's satisfied expression, he felt happy too. Obito, you can rest easy. In this life, I will protect her for you. Please, stop causing trouble. I'm not interested in little kids. And you, you're way too precocious! You're only five! You beast!

"Obito, why do you keep staring at my stomach? It's embarrassing," Rin said shyly. She had just been focused on winning, and Ichiraku Ramen was truly delicious... she had accidentally eaten a bit too much.

"I was just curious how you fit eight bowls of ramen into such a small stomach... It's amazing. I couldn't even finish three," Obito said, looking away in embarrassment.

"Well, I'm not really sure myself. Just don't think I'm a glutton; I usually only eat a little bit. Hehe..."

"So what if you can eat? Being able to eat is a blessing! Let's go play some arcade games!" Obito said as they passed an arcade.

"You already treated me to dinner, don't spend any more money. I need to go back and train. I'll treat you next time," Rin said politely.

"Alright, then I'll walk you home."

"Okay."

In this life, you will grow up happy and loved, Rin!