Rin Nohara: Obito, Yuu and I Already Have Plans

Mikami Yu and Might Duy had actually known each other for quite some time.

After all, the latter ran dozens of laps around Konoha every day. He also often took cat-catching and dog-catching missions, popping up at random throughout Konoha's streets and alleys. As long as someone did not stay cooped up at home all the time, they would definitely run into him.

Might Duy was the kind of person who was rather simple-minded and desperately lacking in recognition. In theory, as long as Yu chatted with him more often when he had nothing to do, raised his favorability, and occasionally gave him gifts... no, trained with him and showed enthusiasm for taijutsu, he might get Duy's guidance and learn the Eight Gates Kinoe from him.

Mikami Yu had indeed tried doing that before.

But...

In the end, he had failed miserably.

It was not that Might Duy refused to teach him.

It was that the hidden threshold for the Eight Gates Kinoe was simply too high. According to Might Duy, to even get started with this forbidden technique, one had to be able to run ten laps around Konoha in one go. If one wanted to go further and open more than three gates, the standards became even higher.

Might Duy himself had trained doggedly for twenty or thirty years to reach his current level. And because he had not taken proper care of himself, he had accumulated a host of hidden injuries that left him feeling unwell from time to time.

Still, his judgment of the physical requirements needed to open each gate of the Eight Gates Kinoe should have been completely accurate.

Might Guy had already gotten started with the Eight Gates Kinoe, though he had yet to use it in the Ninja Academy's practical exams.

As for Mikami Yu,

he was already eight years old, yet he could not match the daily training intensity that Might Guy had maintained at six. That was why he had never had the chance to learn the Eight Gates Kinoe.

But now that he had the Gala System, things were different. Once he finished dealing with these next couple of days, Yu figured he could visit Might Duy again and see whether he now qualified to train in the Eight Gates Kinoe.

After bidding farewell to the two teachers, Mikami Yu left the school building and prepared to head home. But at the school gate, he spotted several familiar figures.

"Eh, Rin, you're still here?"

Mikami Yu stopped.

There were three people waiting at the school gate. One was Nohara Rin, while the other two figures beside her were noisy and bouncing around—it was clearly Obito and Might Guy.

Obito, in particular, seemed dissatisfied with losing to Might Guy in the arena and was challenging Guy to another match.

"Yu, you're out?"

Nohara Rin spotted Mikami Yu as well and smiled faintly. "We all came here together this morning, so of course we should go home together too. We were only waiting a few extra minutes anyway. As for Guy..."

"Yu! You came out too late! I've been waiting so long I can barely stand it! Come, let me witness your youth!"

Might Guy sprang out immediately, gave a thumbs-up, and flashed his gleaming teeth.

Huh?

Shouldn't you be challenging Kakashi? Why were you looking for me?

Was this a freebie too?

Mikami Yu felt a little helpless. "Guy, it's too late today, and everyone is already exhausted after the test. It's not suitable for another fight... How about we compete at something else?"

"What do you mean?"

Might Guy looked puzzled.

"How about this? Let's go to Ichiraku Ramen. Everyone orders a bowl, and we see who finishes first. The loser treats everyone. How about it?"

"Eh?"

Might Guy froze for a moment, then nodded. Though this competition sounded a little strange, it seemed workable?

Nohara Rin and Obito exchanged a glance. Rin was the first to speak softly. "Can I come too? I haven't had Ichiraku Ramen in a long time. I wonder whether Uncle Teuchi has come up with any new flavors."

If Rin was going, Obito naturally had no objections. He was a professional when it came to being a "flower guardian."

And so,

Mikami Yu could only bring three tagalongs to the place where he had once dreamed of working—Ichiraku Ramen.

As Konoha's most famous ramen shop, Ichiraku Ramen was actually not very large, and it only had one long row of seats. Still, it had more than enough room for four eight- or nine-year-old children.

Mikami Yu ordered a bowl of tonkotsu ramen, while Might Guy ordered a special char siu ramen.

Then...

Yu had only taken two bites when Might Guy drained the last bit of broth from his bowl and gave him a thumbs-up. "Yu, looks like I won this time!"

"Congratulations, congratulations."

Mikami Yu took out a banknote and pushed it over. "This bowl is on me. If you order more, you pay for it yourself."

—Though he did not know whether Might Guy's appetite could compare to Hinata's, Yu knew that with Guy's level of exercise, he definitely ate more than Yu did. That was why he only competed in speed, not in who could eat more. This way, at most, he would only lose the cost of one bowl of ramen.

Guy was simply too careless to notice that anything was wrong with this arrangement.

About half an hour later.

The four of them, now full, got up and headed home.

Might Guy's home was not in the same direction as Mikami Yu's and the others', so they parted ways halfway there.

Obito's home was not in that direction either.

But using "it's unsafe to walk at night" as an excuse, he insisted on playing the flower guardian and escorted Mikami Yu and Nohara Rin all the way to their doorstep, still reluctant to leave.

"Alright, Obito, Yu and I are home now. It's getting late, so you should head back soon too. Don't make Grandma Kyoka worry."

Nohara Rin tried to persuade him.

"Alright, then I'll come find you again tomorrow..."

Obito was still reluctant.

"Tomorrow might not work."

"Hm?"

Faced with Obito's puzzled gaze,

Nohara Rin glanced at Mikami Yu and explained, "Yu and I have plans tomorrow. We're going to Konoha Hospital together..."

"?!"

The moment he heard that, Obito perked up. His eyes widened like bells as he stared in disbelief. "What plans? Where are you going? The hospital... Why are you going to the hospital? Could it be..."

Thinking of something, Obito secretly glanced at Rin's stomach.

"?"

Mikami Yu froze for a moment. Shinobi World kids couldn't be maturing this early, could they?

Nohara Rin, on the other hand, did not think much of it and continued in her gentle voice, "We're not going to see a doctor. We're going to attend classes. Yu and I signed up for Konoha Hospital's medical training course through Teacher Oki. Starting this week, we'll be going every weekend, so I can't play with you."

"So it's a training course. I thought it was..."

Obito breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately raised his hand. "Then I want to go too!"

"Hm?"

"Rin, don't judge me by how I look. I'm actually very interested in Medical Ninjutsu too! After all, I'm going to become Hokage someday. How can I not know how to save lives? That training course probably doesn't limit the number of attendees, right? Even if it does, it's fine. I can stand in the back and listen...

"Right, Yu?"

Obito puffed out his chest and thumped it hard, then shot Mikami Yu a meaningful look.

Nohara Rin also turned an inquisitive gaze toward him.

Mikami Yu shrugged. "I don't mind."