Make Rin Nohara Wonder Whether She Wasn't Trying Hard Enough

He saw the branches on a distant tree trunk swaying in the wind, every vein on the leaves above startlingly clear.

Farther away, swarms of insects circled the streetlights, darting through the halos of light. The frequency of their fluttering wings was clearer than ever.

Obito's face was right in front of him, filled with shock and fury. That anger had almost taken substance, surging through every fine line on his face.

Kiyoshi's gaze swept over Obito's slightly parted lips, even catching the faint movement of his teeth grinding together.

When he turned back, Rin Nohara's faint exhaustion showed between her brows, while unconcealed worry filled her eyes.

Kiyoshi silently watched them. The scarlet in his eyes spun, followed by a black tomoe.

This was the power of the "Sharingan"!

"It's getting late. I'll head out first."

Rin Nohara glanced at the sky. She could not stay any longer.

"Obito, let's go."

Rin Nohara had Obito leave with her, lest he make things difficult for Kiyoshi again.

"This... fine."

Obito could only suppress his emotions and follow Rin Nohara out in sullen silence.

Kiyoshi watched their retreating figures until the courteous Rin Nohara shut the door, only then withdrawing his gaze.

A bull without a cuckold had no soul.

All Obito could bring to the Shinobi World over the course of his life was pain.

The Nine-Tailed Fox Rampage... the Village of the Bloody Mist... the Fourth Shinobi World War.

One incident after another—who knew how many innocent people had been displaced, torn from their families, or even lost their lives in those upheavals?

Someone like that deserved punishment.

As for persuading Obito to take another path?

Leaving aside whether Madara Uchiha had already set his sights on Obito as one of his potential pieces.

Just witnessing Kakashi kill Rin, without knowing the full circumstances, then stubbornly deciding that the ninja system was at fault, that all ninja were at fault—

A normal person should have developed new theories, started a revolution, and reformed the world.

Obito was different.

He wanted to drag the entire world into the Infinite Tsukuyomi to escape the problem.

Such an innately extreme person was the true embodiment of the Uchiha's inherent evil.

According to Tobirama Senju's theory, his temperament had changed drastically under the influence of Eye Power on his brain.

Kiyoshi was different. He was neither a pure-blooded Uchiha nor someone from this world.

He could not understand a lunatic like that, nor could he easily change another person's mind.

"The next step won't take much longer either, will it?"

A smile rested on Kiyoshi's lips.

His theory had no actual successful examples.

For Kakashi's sake, Rin Nohara would come back sooner or later.

As for never being able to learn it?

Was that Kiyoshi's fault?

She had to look for the problem within herself.

Let Rin Nohara wonder whether she simply was not trying hard enough.

The departing Rin Nohara and Obito reached the edge of the Uchiha Compound. One more step would take them onto Konoha's streets.

"Obito, Kiyoshi was helping me train my Chakra nature transformation just now."

Only then did Rin Nohara speak.

"What kind of Chakra nature transformation needs that?"

Obito looked unconvinced. After a pause, he said,

"Rin, don't let that Kiyoshi Uchiha guy fool you. Some people look sunny on the outside, but they're as dark as can be inside."

Obito wanted to persuade Rin not to go to Kiyoshi Uchiha anymore.

Obito did not know much about Chakra nature transformations, since he was always sleeping in class.

But he had never heard of training that required holding hands or other physical contact.

"Obito, you don't understand."

Rin Nohara could only shake her head.

Whether it worked or not, she had to try.

Could she really just watch Kakashi sink deeper and deeper?

Once ninja acted on impulse, it was easy for something to go wrong during missions.

She wanted to help Kakashi shoulder some of the pressure.

"I'm heading home first."

Rin Nohara waved and stepped out of the Uchiha Compound.

Obito remained where he was alone, standing beside the Uchiha Compound's wall.

"Rin is learning Chakra nature transformation, but doesn't she want to become a Medical Ninja in the future? Could it be a Yang Release Chakra nature transformation?"

Obito sank into thought.

Early morning.

Kiyoshi got out of bed, ate a simple breakfast, washed up, and headed for Training Ground Three.

The forest was dense, and birds occasionally took flight in alarm.

He stood before a tree.

He began by using Chakra crafting to refine an appropriate amount of Chakra, then formed hand seals and extended his index and middle fingers, pressing the two together.

Strands of blue-white electricity coiled around Kiyoshi's fingertips as he calculated the expenditure of Chakra and Physical Energy.

Unlike those E-rank ninjutsu, the Lightning Release Iron Block Kiyoshi had already learned, or the swordsmanship of the Cloud-Hidden Style—

Purely offensive ninjutsu like "Lightning Release: Lightning Finger" required even more precise control.

If one's ability to form seals or refine Chakra was inadequate, it would lead to waste.

Only jonin could avoid such waste and perfectly convert excess Chakra into Physical Energy.

Crackle!

A faint electric sound rang out.

Once Chakra had gathered in the meridian system of his index and middle fingers, Kiyoshi suddenly thrust forward.

Sizzle.

The rough bark immediately gave off the smell of scorching.

Kiyoshi pulled back his fingers. Two black holes had appeared in the trunk, white smoke still rising from them.

"Not bad."

Kiyoshi nodded.

The rank of a ninjutsu did not represent everything. As long as one's "Ninja" and "Precision" stats were high enough, its power could be increased.

For instance, Madara Uchiha's B-rank ninjutsu, "Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation," required more than twenty Hidden Mist ninja to cast the B-rank ninjutsu "Water Release: Water Formation Wall" in order to withstand it.

Kiyoshi already had a high affinity for Lightning Release due to the Yagura Clan's talent, and the green entry Lightning Release Genin had increased it by another 20%.

Even the unremarkable "Lightning Release: Lightning Finger" dealt respectable damage in Kiyoshi's hands.

"Besides... I'm still growing stronger."

The feedback from his Eye Power had not stopped since last night.

Kiyoshi had a feeling it would continue for a while longer.

"Then next is genjutsu."

Kiyoshi thought to himself.

After learning swordsmanship, he had obtained the Apprentice Swordsman Ninja entry. With Lightning Release, he had obtained the Apprentice Lightning Release Ninja entry.

Logically, once he got started with genjutsu, he should be able to obtain a corresponding genjutsu entry as well.

He just did not know whether the Entry System would classify "Lightning Release: Blazing Flash" as genjutsu or Lightning Release.

After pondering for a moment, Kiyoshi began training this ninjutsu.

There was no use overthinking it. He might as well seize every second to strengthen himself.

Konoha's streets.

Rin Nohara walked amid the bustling crowd, thinking about Kakashi.

"Lightning Release... how can I activate cells?"

Rin Nohara suddenly heard a familiar voice. When she turned around, she found Kakashi.

"Kakashi, have you already been assigned to a three-man team?"

Seeing the Kakashi she had been thinking about day and night, Rin Nohara greeted him.

"Mm."

Kakashi nodded. He was dressed as a ninja, with the short sword left behind by White Fang strapped across his back.