White Fang's Invitation

After the written exam came the practical test.

For the first-year students, it covered only one skill.

Shuriken throwing.

A row of targets had already been set up on the training ground, waiting for the children to take their turns.

The scoring rules were simple.

Each student threw ten shuriken.

A shuriken that hit the one-point ring earned one point, and so on up to ten points for the bullseye.

The maximum score was one hundred.

"Kakashi Hatake, one hundred points."

"Might Guy, sixty-nine points."

"Rin Nohara, sixty-seven."

"Nagano Nami, eighty-three points."

Nagano Nami strutted back to the group, looking pleased with himself.

He gave Obito the middle finger.

"Tch."

Obito curled his lip and fired back with a few choice words.

"Next, Obito Uchiha."

At the sound of his name, Obito perked up and strode over to the target.

The teacher overseeing the test smiled when he saw him.

"Well, if it isn't you."

Children missed the target fairly often when throwing shuriken.

But someone who missed with all ten? Obito was in a class of his own.

The teacher warned him, not entirely at ease.

"Make sure you aim this time, kid. Don't throw them at your teacher's face again."

Obito gave a soft chuckle, lifting his chin with a faint smile.

"Teacher, you're thinking too small."

"You should never judge someone by who he used to be. I'm not the same person I was before. This time, I'm aiming for a perfect score!"

Having made his grand declaration, Obito began whipping shuriken at the target.

With Genin-level Taijutsu and all the hard training he had put in lately, his throwing skill was nothing like it used to be.

When Obito stopped, the teacher glanced at the target and announced in surprise,

"Obito Uchiha, ninety points. You really have improved, young man."

"Uh..."

Obito scratched his head awkwardly.

He had talked up a perfect score, only to send two throws wide...

Forget it. As long as I don't act embarrassed, a little slip-up won't matter!

Ninety points was an excellent score, after all.

Aside from that freak Kakashi, it was top-tier.

Once all the children had finished, a teacher called out,

"The annual exam results will be announced in a week. We won't assign any homework this week, so take the chance to relax."

"Remember to come back on time next week..."

The children's cheers drowned out the rest of the teacher's words.

"Woohoo!"

"Yes!"

Rin came up beside Obito and asked, blinking her big eyes,

"Obito-kun, do you have any plans for the break?"

Obito thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"Hmm, not yet. How about we..."

(Come over to my place? My house is pretty big.)

But just as Obito was about to invite her over for the break, someone he hadn't expected walked up beside him.

Rin paused, then asked with delighted surprise,

"Kakashi, Obito and I were just talking about our plans for the break. Do you want to join us?"

Kakashi ignored Rin and spoke directly to Obito.

"My father wants to invite you over for dinner. Seven tonight."

No sooner had Kakashi finished speaking than a choice appeared before Obito's eyes.

[Option one: Can some old man compare to my adorable little Rin? No thanks. Reward for completion: LSP points +1.]

[Option two: Women would only slow my blade. Go ask White Fang to teach me swordsmanship! Reward for completion: Unlock a follow-up mission.]

Huh?

This was the first time Obito had seen a reward that unlocked a follow-up mission.

After some hesitation, he chose option two.

"Sure. Thank your father for me," he said to Kakashi.

"Mm," Kakashi replied.

He gave Rin a slight nod by way of greeting, then left on his own.

Obito glanced at Rin, who looked a little unhappy, and put on an indignant face.

"Kakashi's as cold as ever. How could he treat my adorable Lin-chan like that?"

Rin's cheeks reddened, and she muttered,

"Obito-kun, you're teasing me again."

Obito answered with a perfectly straight face,

"I'm not. To me, Lin-chan is the cutest person in the world."

After cheering Rin up for a while, Obito headed home.

He needed to tell Grandmother ahead of time that he was going out for dinner!

At half past six that evening, Obito set out from home, swaying his head as he went to dinner.

"The moon rises over the willow tips; lovers meet after dusk."

"What a shame my date isn't a pretty girl, but a middle-aged man."

"But why did White Fang invite me over?"

Obito thought it over. The most likely explanation was that Sakumo had heard what he had said in support of him.

He probably thought Obito was a decent kid, so he had invited him to dinner.

Lost in thought, Obito soon reached Kakashi's home.

Outside the modest house, someone stood waiting, seemingly just for him.

Obito waved.

"I'm here, Kakashi."

"Mm."

Kakashi gave a faint reply, turned, and said without looking back,

"Follow me."

Obito hurried after him, looking around with curiosity.

The furnishings in Kakashi's home were simple, but the place felt warm and welcoming.

As he passed, Obito caught a glimpse of a photograph of Kakashi as a child hanging on the wall.

He was so cute—like a little silver fluffball.

Footsteps sounded from inside, as though someone had heard them arrive.

A handsome silver-haired man came out.

He looked somewhat haggard, but there was still an unmistakable strength in his features.

Hatake Sakumo!

He smiled at Obito.

"You must be Little Obito. Kakashi mentions you often."

Obito nodded, a little embarrassed.

"Hello, White Fang. I'm Obito."

"I bet Kakashi's told you plenty of embarrassing stories about me."

At that, Kakashi's young face flushed beneath his mask.

Sakumo burst out laughing and ruffled his son's hair.

"I wouldn't call them embarrassing. He has told me a few funny stories, though."

"Let's sit down and talk over dinner. I made a few of my specialties tonight. See if they're to your taste."

Obito nodded eagerly. He was starving!

The three of them sat down at the table.

Obito quietly studied Sakumo beside him.

It was hard to imagine that this gentle, soft-spoken man who cooked for his family had earned such a fearsome reputation outside his home.

Sakumo smiled at the slightly stiff Obito.

"Don't just look. Try some and tell me what you think."

Obito needed no more encouragement. He picked up a piece of sweet-and-sour pork rib and put it in his mouth. His eyes lit up.

Rich flavor burst across his tongue, delighting every taste bud.

"It's delicious!"

Sakumo's smile deepened.

"Then eat plenty. There's more in the pot. Make yourself at home."

Obito grinned.

"All right!"