I Love Telling the Truth

"Got you!"

Kakashi seized an opening and swiftly aimed a kunai at Obito's throat.

"I win, Obito!"

There was not a ripple in Kakashi's dead-fish eyes as he spoke indifferently.

Obito smiled faintly.

With a soft "poof!"

The Obito who had been on the ground instantly turned into a log.

"What?! Substitution Jutsu?"

Kakashi's eyes widened, his pupils abruptly shrinking.

Shock surged through him. He had never expected Obito to become smarter.

Just then, a gust of wind sounded behind Kakashi!

Obito Uchiha appeared behind Kakashi like a ghost, his eyes filled with ruthlessness and gloom.

Then, without hesitation, Obito raised his right leg and viciously kicked at Kakashi with lightning speed.

A deafening "bang!" rang out!

The kick struck Kakashi squarely in the back. Completely unprepared, Kakashi had no time to react before the sudden blow sent him flying.

Kakashi's body traced an arc through the air before crashing heavily onto the ground, getting extremely intimate with the hard earth.

Amid the billowing dust, Kakashi lay sprawled on the ground in a sorry state, too dizzy to get up at once.

Luckily, he wore a mask. Otherwise, Kakashi would have eaten dirt as the loser.

Seeing this, Rin felt her heart tighten. She could not bear to watch the two fight, and Obito's ruthless attack made her feel upset.

Obito Uchiha slowly stepped forward, pointing a kunai at Kakashi.

"You lost, Kakashi."

Obito Uchiha spoke calmly.

Kakashi's eyes were full of disbelief. He had never imagined that he would lose to Obito Uchiha.

The class dead last from before!

The students were even more shocked. Just last week, Obito Uchiha had been the undisputed dead last. How could he fight the strongest genius today?

And Obito had actually won!!

Might Guy stared at the two in shock. He had never expected Kakashi, his longtime rival, to be defeated by someone else!

"This... how is that possible..."

Kakashi muttered beneath his mask.

"Too weak, Kakashi..."

The corner of Obito Uchiha's mouth curled up as he deliberately wore a look of disdain in his eyes.

He remembered that whenever he had lost in the past, Kakashi would often mock him with venomous words.

But now... the tables had turned!

"What did you say?"

Kakashi glared angrily at Obito.

Obito Uchiha showed no mercy.

"Weak! Weak! Weak!"

"Kakashi, you're just weak! I love telling the truth!"

Obito Uchiha repeated himself.

Kakashi clenched his fists. No one had ever dared to call him weak since childhood!

Everyone had always called him a genius, yet today he had been humiliated by Obito, whom he had always viewed as the dead last...

"Winner of this round! Obito Uchiha!"

Umino announced a result that even he found hard to believe.

Kakashi had actually been defeated by Obito Uchiha!

Everyone stared intently at Obito Uchiha standing in the center.

At that moment, they suddenly realized that the title of strongest genius in the class might belong to Obito Uchiha.

"Obito..."

Rin Nohara looked worriedly at the cold-faced Obito in the center of the field.

The dismissal bell rang melodiously, and the Ninja Academy was immediately filled with the cheerful noise and footsteps of students.

Rin Nohara instinctively turned to look at the familiar seat beside her, but the desk and chair before her were completely empty.

She had thought Obito would leave with her as usual, but when she turned around, she found that he had already left.

Obito had not waited for her. He had left alone.

"Obito..."

Rin Nohara's voice carried a trace of confusion and disappointment.

She slowly rose to her feet, her gaze still fixed on the empty seat.

Normally, they always left the Ninja Academy together.

But today, Obito had left early without waiting for her, leaving Rin Nohara feeling strangely empty inside.

Under the setting sun, Obito walked alone down the road.

He carefully considered how he should awaken the Sharingan. After all, his greatest cheat was his Dual Kamui.

With Dual Kamui, he would even dare to trade a few moves with Isshiki Otsutsuki.

Just as Obito was lost in thought, a voice called out to him.

"Obito!"

A crisp and familiar cry rang out.

Rin Nohara came to a panting stop before Obito Uchiha.

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar boy before her, Rin Nohara cautiously asked, "Obito... why... didn't you wait for me today..."

Obito Uchiha merely glanced at her. His formerly sunny and handsome face now seemed somewhat cold.

After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "It's nothing. The Uchiha Clan is too far from your home. We shouldn't walk together anymore."

After saying that, he looked elsewhere and no longer looked at Rin Nohara.

Hearing Obito's cold reply, Rin Nohara softly answered, "Oh..."

For a time, silence fell between them, and neither spoke again.

Only the breeze brushed against their clothes, as though quietly telling of the subtle change in their relationship.

Rin could clearly feel that Obito had changed toward her.

After a long while.

Rin Nohara finally could not help breaking the silence.

Rin raised her head, her eyes full of confusion and concern, and cautiously asked, "Obito! You... why have you changed so much? Did something happen at home?"

"Why... why were you so harsh on your companion..."

Obito Uchiha suddenly stopped walking.

"Oh? Rin, do you want me to become that dead last everyone laughed at again?"

Obito Uchiha asked coldly.

"No! Obito, that's not what I meant. I just think you hit too hard today. Everyone is a companion..."

Rin hurriedly explained.

Upon hearing that, Obito coldly looked at Rin.

"Too hard? How was it too hard? Didn't Kakashi beat me badly during our matches before? And he mocked me more than once!"

As he spoke, Obito kept staring coldly at Rin.

"What, I only taught him a little lesson, and you can't stand it? Oh! Right, he's the one you like, so I'm not allowed to touch him, is that it?"

Obito Uchiha's face darkened, his voice cold and suppressed.

As Rin watched Obito gradually approach her, fear could not help rising in her heart.

She had always known that the Uchiha Clan tended to have extreme personalities, but she had never imagined that one day such extremity would appear in Obito.

At this moment, the eyes that should once have been filled with gentleness and sunshine held nothing but coldness.

Rin involuntarily backed away, stumbling as she did so. Yet Obito pressed forward step by step, showing no intention of stopping.

Very soon, Rin realized she had been forced into a corner, with nowhere left to retreat.

"Th-That's not it. I... I don't like Kakashi at all! Obito... don't misunderstand, okay?"

Rin hurriedly explained.

Obito Uchiha did not press further, because that would make it seem as though he had been harsh on Kakashi out of jealousy.

Just as he was about to leave, Rin suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Obito frowned slightly. "What do you want now?"

To be honest, he was truly getting annoyed. He had no interest in a five-year-old girl.

The instant he turned around, Obito met Rin's eyes.

"I'll always be watching you, Obito..."

Rin looked at Obito with determined eyes.

Obito frowned slightly as memories of the past flooded his mind.

"Obito, I'll always be watching you!"

Many memories resurfaced.

She had helped him collect materials, encouraged him when he was down, helped him, and comforted him. To the original Obito, she truly had been his white moonlight.

But Rin liked Kakashi, and that was something Obito could not accept.

If Rin truly liked him, he could still inherit the original owner's wishes and love Rin.

But Rin did not like him at all. What she felt for him was only friendship.

He also did not want to beg for love like some pathetic, affection-starved fool.

"Sorry, what I said just now was a little harsh."

"Rin, I know you don't want to accept who I am now, but people always change. I'm no exception. I just suddenly felt that the things I did before were a little ridiculous. So, Rin, accept who I am now."

Obito's tone reluctantly softened.

Perhaps he should not have vented his negative emotions on a little girl.

After all, the old Rin had not been some manipulative flirt stringing him along. She had genuinely treated him well.

"So, Rin, thank you. Thank you for caring about me normally, thank you for encouraging me before. If there's any Ninjutsu you don't know, you can come find me."

With that, Obito Uchiha left.

"Obito!"

Rin watched Obito walk farther and farther away with a complicated look in her eyes.

Obito Uchiha looked at the setting sun. Just as he was about to reach home,

a civilian girl blocked his path and shyly handed him a love letter.

"Obito... you looked so cool throwing shuriken today. I wrote this for you..."

The girl said shyly.

Obito Uchiha recognized the girl.

She was in his class and had mocked him before for being the dead last.

Obito loathed girls like her.

"No thanks. I'm not interested."

Obito was just about to leave...

"Obito! Rin likes Kakashi, she doesn't like you!"

"I'll always be watching you too!"

The girl shouted at Obito with a deeply affectionate expression.

"What the hell are you looking at?"

Obito Uchiha left with black lines all over his face.

The girl was left standing there in a daze, so angry that bubbles nearly came out of her nose.