"I still can't understand why Lord Orochimaru would take this guy as his student." Uchiha Obito gave Sen Chisato, walking ahead of them, a sidelong glance.
They'd been on the road for a while. Even though he'd confirmed it more than ten times, he still couldn't accept it.
That was Cold Lord Orochimaru, the Third's student and one of the Konoha Sannin.
This kid in front of him was only a little taller than he was. In every other way, he looked completely ordinary.
"Haha, Chisato's really impressive," Namikaze Minato explained with a smile.
Even setting aside the enormous chakra he'd witnessed with his own eyes in the Command Tent, the intelligence he'd learned from Sarutobi Hakuba before leaving was already astonishing enough.
Though Chisato was young, he was better than Obito by far. Even Kakashi, who had always been called a genius, couldn't compare.
"Tch, I think he's nothing special. Lord Orochimaru must've made a mistake." Obito spoke bluntly. He wouldn't believe it until he saw it for himself.
"Obito, stop," Nohara Rin said softly, trying to stop him. She glanced at Sen Chisato and sighed helplessly.
Obito was speaking so loudly that Chisato had definitely heard him.
Honestly, how could he bad-mouth someone like that?
Sen Chisato had indeed heard him. He stopped, turned around, and said, "Can't be helped. Even you managed to catch Minato's eye, so it's only natural that Lord Orochimaru would take me as his student."
"Damn it, are you looking down on me?" Even if Obito wasn't the brightest, he could tell he was being mocked. He clenched his fists, furious.
"Obito, don't." Nohara Rin hurried in front of him and pressed a hand to his chest, trying to calm him down.
The girl he liked was stopping him, even if she was doing it to defend Chisato. Though he felt a little disgruntled, Obito decided to hold back.
He didn't want to make Rin angry.
Then Sen Chisato's lips curled up, and he let out a quiet scoff. "Hmph!"
It was exactly the same mocking gesture Kakashi liked to use!
Obito couldn't stand that kind of scornful, contemptuous mockery.
He went around Nohara Rin and charged at Sen Chisato, his clenched fist flying straight at Chisato's face.
"No matter who you are, I, the great Obito, am going to teach you a lesson today!"
"Obito!" Nohara Rin cried out. She reached to pull him back, but could only catch the breeze stirred by the edge of his clothes.
Kakashi stood where he was with his hands in his pockets, ready to watch coldly from the sidelines.
This is the perfect chance to see how strong he is, he thought.
The moment Chisato had stopped him earlier wouldn't leave his mind. That speed had caught even him off guard. He couldn't help but dwell on it.
"They're all such problem children." Namikaze Minato gave a helpless smile.
Obito and Kakashi each had their own issues. They were teammates, yet they couldn't stand one another.
And now there was another one.
He was lucky to have such a sunny disposition. Otherwise, he might've suspected Orochimaru was targeting him.
Still, he didn't want the two kids to start fighting. The team already had serious problems, and adding another—an outsider, no less—wouldn't be something Nohara Rin could smooth over.
He tensed his legs, about to intervene.
Just then, he noticed Sen Chisato glance at him. Minato drew back the foot he'd been about to step forward with.
He understood what Chisato's look meant.
Sen Chisato stood still, his expression calm. Obito had already rushed up to him and was swinging at his face, but Chisato didn't move, as though he hadn't reacted in time.
Only when the fist was a few inches from his cheek did Sen Chisato finally move. He reached for Obito's fist while stepping to the side, and before his foot even touched down, he kicked Obito behind the knee.
The whole series of movements was astonishingly fast. Obito's vision blurred, and Sen Chisato seemed to vanish.
By the time he realized what had happened, pain shot through the back of his knee. His leg buckled, and he found his arm twisted behind his back as someone forced his head down against the ground.
He tried to struggle, but someone pinned his lower back down. At the same time, a short blade was held to his neck.
"So fast!" Kakashi's pupils contracted.
Even though he'd been prepared, he'd only barely managed to follow Sen Chisato's movements.
Speed aside, the moves were incredibly direct and efficient, without a single wasted motion. It was as if Chisato had practiced them thousands of times, born for the sole purpose of killing.
Kakashi couldn't help wondering: if they were enemies, how many moves could he last against Sen Chisato?
After running through it in his head several times, the fist in his pocket clenched on its own.
Ten moves at most!
"Damn it, let me go! I was caught off guard! If you've got the guts, fight me fair and square!" Obito shouted indignantly. Even with Sen Chisato holding him down, he struggled with all his might.
The blade slid past his neck and plunged into the ground. Its icy touch made Obito tense all over, raising goosebumps on his neck. Then a wave of cold enveloped him, seeping into his body like thousands of needles.
Obito's body went rigid. His heart pounded, and his mind went blank.
"If you weren't a Konoha Ninja, you'd be dead by now. A fair fight? What do you think this is, some kind of ninja game? If you don't want to die, remember this: you're on a battlefield. One moment of carelessness, and you could be killed!"
Sen Chisato spoke coldly. After giving Obito a thorough scolding, he let him go, thinking, So this is what it feels like to teach someone a lesson when you've got every reason to do it. It's great!
Sure enough, having a righteous public image was important. There were so many things he could use it for.
And as Orochimaru's student, he naturally had the trust of the Hokage's faction. He'd have to make sure to maintain that image from now on.
With that in mind, he kept a stern expression and turned slightly. "And another thing: say what you like about me, but don't let me hear anyone say anything bad about my teacher."
Yes, he had to stand up for Lord Orochimaru—not just in front of the man himself, but in a way that would leave the same strong impression on everyone else.
"And you. Stop staring at me like that. If you don't mind getting beaten up, I'd be happy to train with you in my spare time." After warning Kakashi as well, Sen Chisato decided that the first step of his plan was probably complete.
He'd come up with the plan while traveling with Team Minato.
With Nohara Rin at its center, it was tailored specifically to Obito, taking advantage of the complicated situation within Team Minato!
If it worked, the rewards would be enormous.
The first step was to put them through the wringer. Not just Obito, but Kakashi too.
He was sure that after today, Team Minato would have a well-rounded impression of him.
A powerful, cold, unruly genius ninja—and a seemingly heartless yet dependable and trustworthy teammate!
Team Minato should be reacting by now.
But the atmosphere was completely silent.
Sen Chisato blinked.
What was going on?
Why wasn't anyone reacting?
Wouldn't Namikaze Minato say something? Wouldn't Kakashi feel provoked? Wouldn't Nohara Rin try to talk him down?
Especially Uchiha Obito. After being taught a lesson like that, shouldn't he be jumping up to fight him?
This wasn't what Xian Er was supposed to act like!
He turned around. Uchiha Obito was still lying on the ground, as if all his strength had been drained away.
At last, Minato spoke, his tone unusually earnest and serious. "Chisato's right. I hope everyone remembers what he said!"
"But..."
Minato's tone shifted, and he sounded a little helpless. "Chisato, don't release killing intent so casually next time."
Sen Chisato was speechless.
He had indeed released some killing intent, intending to intimidate Obito and leave a lasting impression on Team Minato.
He hadn't expected Obito to be so easily frightened.
"Tch, got it." Though Team Minato's reaction had differed somewhat from what he'd expected, that didn't interfere with his plan. Sen Chisato had no intention of doing anything else for now, so when Minato spoke up, he readily went along with it.
Nohara Rin finally came to her senses. She passed by Chisato, glancing at him nervously, then hurried over to help Obito up, worry plain on her face.
"Obito, are you all right?"
"M-me? What could possibly be wrong with me?" Obito slowly got to his feet, stubbornly insisting he was fine.
"Heh, scared stiff, were you?" Kakashi took the perfect opportunity to jab at him.
"W-who'd be scared by a little trick like that?" Obito stubbornly insisted, unwilling to lose face in front of Nohara Rin. He hurriedly tried to save face. "I was just—I just thought he was right, so I was taking some time to think it over on the ground."
That wasn't enough. Desperate for reassurance from the girl he liked most, he looked at Nohara Rin pitifully. "Rin, you believe me, right?"
"Of course!" Nohara Rin replied with a radiant smile, her eyes curved into crescents. She didn't hesitate to give him the most definite answer.
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