A Meal

Konoha, Akimichi BBQ Restaurant

Kakashi sat across from Obito with a look of utter despair, his mood even gloomier than it had been before the exam.

"That Suifeng is something else. How could he do something like that? That was way too much!"

He still envied Suifeng's feat at the Chunin Ninja Exams. As unreliable as Obito was, he still had the basic pride and sense of belonging that came with being part of the Uchiha Clan. What Suifeng had done at the Chunin Ninja Exams had been right up his alley. He wished he could turn into Suifeng, stand at the Forest of Death's exit, point at that bunch of Genin, and say, "You mere mortals!"

That superior attitude, that carefree flair, that sheer audacity—no one could top it.

The only blemish was that Suifeng had kicked Kakashi out too. That made Obito feel as if he'd lost face. However you looked at it, Kakashi was still Kakashi! If Suifeng wouldn't do it for his sake, he could at least have done it for Obito's. What was the point of kicking him out like that?

"Suifeng must have had his reasons," Rin said quietly from beside him. "Kakashi wasn't the only one who didn't pass this time. I heard there were other people who failed too, and that there were also some unknown attackers. Maybe Suifeng was trying to protect everyone!"

"Rin, you're just too kind!" Obito's indignant expression vanished at once.

They were only Genin. They knew the result of the Chunin Ninja Exams and had a rough idea of what happened, but they didn't know the details.

Kakashi, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. "He defeated three attackers, then kicked every single candidate out, took all the scrolls, and burned them!"

"Uh..."

The atmosphere immediately turned awkward. So Suifeng hadn't been trying to protect everyone—he'd deliberately stopped them from passing the exam!

Just as the awkward silence settled in, Suifeng's voice reached the three of them.

"Hey, Kakashi, Obito, you're here too? Great, there aren't any seats left. Mind if we join you?"

"Suifeng, you...?!" Obito jumped to his feet. He didn't get the word "bastard" out, because he'd spotted Hideki and Haku beside Suifeng.

They weren't close, but they were all Uchiha, and they were on the same team as Suifeng. Obito knew them.

"Hideki, Haku, you're here too!"

"Of course, Obito. We're here to celebrate Suifeng becoming a Chunin!" Haku said with a smile. As Suifeng's teammate, she knew that the three in front of her were some of his few "friends" in Konoha. And, thinking of what had happened to Kakashi, she mentally put quotation marks around the word "friends."

Having a barbecue with Obito and the others felt both unusual and awkward to Uchiha Hideki and Uchiha Haku.

In Konoha, the Uchiha Clan was an extremely closed-off family. Although most of the clan's children attended the Ninja Academy, the Uchiha's nature made it hard for them to make friends. Someone like Obito was a rare exception. Suifeng had been the same way before. Most of the time, Uchiha stuck with other Uchiha. After graduation, they went straight into the Military Police Force and stayed with their clanmates. Except during wartime, they rarely went on missions with other shinobi from the village. This only deepened the divide between the Uchiha Clan and the rest of the village.

Hideki and Haku were no different. Haku had a good temperament, but even at school she hadn't had any close friends outside the clan. It was rare for them to eat with people from outside the clan, so they both felt a little awkward.

Fortunately, Kakashi and Rin weren't very talkative, and they were young. The one who made the most noise was also an Uchiha, and whenever he said something out of line, Suifeng immediately shot him down. All in all, they had a pretty enjoyable meal.

Still, Obito remained hung up on Suifeng kicking Kakashi out. He brought it up every so often. Suifeng just smiled without saying a word, while Kakashi was left feeling awkward.

As far as Kakashi was concerned, he had nothing to complain about. He'd lost because he wasn't strong enough. No matter how you looked at it, he couldn't keep up with Suifeng's speed. He'd also turned down Suifeng's offer to team up, so it was only natural that he'd been eliminated. Was there any need to bring it up over and over again?

I'm not even bothered anymore. Why are you going on about it? Are you just trying to stir things up and get attention?!

"My lack of skill is why I couldn't pass the Chunin exam. That has nothing to do with Suifeng!" At last, Kakashi spoke up, putting an end to Obito's endless chatter.

In the end, Suifeng paid the bill, claiming he was comforting Kakashi's wounded heart. In truth, he was playing the good guy with Fushan's wallet.

"Suifeng, Kakashi really isn't so bad. He may have been upset about what happened, but he was still very polite. He's not quite like the rumors say!"

On the way back, Haku couldn't help bringing up Kakashi.

"We Uchiha aren't like the rumors, either," Suifeng said. "There's something I've been wondering. Did you ever notice that our classmates seemed to shun me when we were at school?"

"Hmph, that's because they're all jealous of the Uchiha Clan!" Uchiha Hideki said. "They know that once we awaken the Sharingan, we'll surpass them, so they avoid us because they're afraid of us. What about it, Suifeng? Does it bother you?"

"Not really. It just feels wrong. We're all from the same village, but we act like strangers, and we don't get along very well either. It feels strange."

He wasn't about to say anything far-sighted at a time like this. He was simply speaking from his own perspective, voicing a reasonable question for someone his age.

"Who knows? It's been like this for a long time. What can you expect when the Uchiha Clan has the Sharingan?" Uchiha Hideki said helplessly.

For the two boys and the little kid, the subject was a bit too heavy.

"By the way, Suifeng, you're a Chunin now, and you've set a record in the Ninja World. I heard the clan wants to make you a squad leader. Don't forget about us when you do!" Haku suddenly said. "I really envy you geniuses. You're so young, yet already so strong."

"Me, a squad leader?" Suifeng narrowed his eyes slightly. He'd spent all his time training lately and hadn't paid much attention to clan affairs. He'd barely even left the house, so naturally he knew little about what was going on in the clan.

But squad leader in the Military Police Force wasn't a trivial position. Usually, only Jonin could hold it. He was only eight and had just passed the Chunin exam. How could he possibly become a squad leader? Even if someone proposed it, surely it wouldn't pass at the clan's Jonin Conference.

The clan's Jonin Conference was much like Konoha's Jonin Conference. In a world where strength was everything, those with strength had a say.

"Yeah. I heard the Great Elder proposed it, and the Third Elder agreed. They're planning to pass it at the next Jonin Conference." Uchiha Haku's father was a Jonin in the clan, so she was well-informed.

"You've got to be kidding," Suifeng said casually. "I'm only eight. What kind of squad leader could I be? That'd be risking the lives of our own people. No way. I'm going to find the Great Elder and make him take back that decision!"