Grind, and You'll Get Stronger

"Kakashi has been stubborn ever since he was little. I'm afraid he'll..."

At that, Sakumo let out a long sigh.

Obito's heart tightened.

Had Sakumo already realized something?

A sense of helplessness welled up inside him.

He really liked the gentle senior before him and wanted to do something for him.

But right now, he had no influence, and his strength was pathetic.

Other than silently sighing to himself... there seemed to be nothing he could do.

With those thoughts running through his mind, Obito looked straight into Sakumo's eyes and spoke with utter sincerity.

"Please take care of yourself, White Fang. You have to keep your spirits up."

Sakumo chuckled softly and said nothing more.

After practicing with Obito for a little longer, he led him out of the training room.

In the living room.

Kakashi had just finished cleaning the kitchen and sat down on the couch to rest.

Then Sakumo walked in and said,

"Son, Little Obito needs to head home. Go see him off."

Kakashi sighed inwardly.

He stood up with a calm expression and nodded.

"Yes, Father."

As he stepped outside, Obito said goodbye to Sakumo with a heavy heart.

"Goodbye, White Fang. Thank you for having me today."

The moonlight was pale, and the wind carried a chill.

The streets, bustling with traffic during the day, were deserted and silent at night.

The two boys' footsteps were the only sound in the darkness.

Kakashi glanced at Obito beside him and finally couldn't resist asking,

"What... did my father say to you?"

Obito thought for a moment, then shrugged.

"He said you're too aloof and need to make more friends, so he asked me to look after you from now on."

Kakashi snorted.

That certainly sounded like something his father would say. Besides... Obito probably wasn't smart enough to lie.

So what on earth was Father thinking?!

I don't need an idiot like Obito looking after me!

Kakashi ranted inwardly, but outwardly, he said nothing.

And so silence settled between them again.

Before long, Obito reached home.

He waved goodbye to Kakashi as naturally as could be.

"See you, Kakashi."

Kakashi gave a slight nod in response.

Then he left without looking back.

Obito pursed his lips at the sight and muttered,

"Tch. What a cold guy."

He shook his head and called into the house,

"Grandmother, I'm home!"

Early the next morning.

Before the neighbors' rooster even crowed, Obito climbed out of bed.

As long as he didn't have school, he never slept in.

"Hmm, what should I do today?"

While Obito was debating, the system presented him with three options.

[Option 1: With no women in your heart, your blade will draw like a god's. Practice Iaijutsu ten thousand times. Completion reward: Iaijutsu (proficient).]

[Option 2: Why practice with a blade? That's as much of a distraction as Kakashi playing with eyeballs. Go play... wouldn't hanging out with Rin be better? Completion reward: Little Bird +0.1 cm.]

[Option 3: Women? Swordsmanship? None of that interests me. I just want to laze around at home. Completion reward: 0.01 kaka chakra.]

"Hmm... first, eliminate option three. I, Obito, rise with the rooster and strive tirelessly to improve. How could I be the sort who lacks ambition?"

"Option two does look tempting, but 0.1 cm? Is 0.1 cm what I, Obito, am missing? What I'm missing is..."

"Ahem. Anyway, if I want to get stronger quickly, option one suits me best."

Obito quickly made up his mind.

"I'll pick option one. I'll start practicing after breakfast!"

Grandmother wasn't up yet.

After grabbing some bread and drinking a carton of milk,

Obito eagerly picked up Shadow Elegance.

Then he began practicing Iaijutsu using the techniques Sakumo had taught him.

"Hasagi!"

"Death is like the wind—always by my side!"

"This sword's power grows fiercer with every slash... uh, aren't I practicing with a different kind of blade?"

Two hours later.

Panting, Obito put Shadow Elegance away and collapsed onto the ground.

His arms felt as though they were filled with lead. He couldn't lift them at all.

Yes.

For certain embarrassingly theatrical reasons, his voice was a little hoarse too.

"Ugh... two hours, and I haven't even done a hundred draws."

"How long is it going to take me to do ten thousand...?!"

He let out one miserable sigh after another.

He felt as though he was shouldering pressure no child his age should have to bear.

Still, looking at it another way, it wasn't so bad.

After all, he was still young.

For now, he didn't need those two arms for any... special activities.

The week's vacation passed in a flash.

Obito went nowhere, staying home and slogging away at his blade practice.

Seven days! Do you know how I spent those seven days?!

The skin on my hands is almost worn off, my shoulders have practically developed arthritis from all the shaking, and my elbows can barely rotate anymore!

Yet despite all his hard work, he hadn't even reached one-fifth of his goal.

"Ugh, that's enough for today."

Obito sighed and shakily set Shadow Elegance down.

Then he dragged himself over to the bed and flopped onto it.

I have to go to school tomorrow. I'd better get some sleep, he thought.

Just then, a new choice appeared before his eyes.

[Option 1: Stay up all night cultivating, and gain boundless power... or die trying. Grind yourself into the ground, young man! Completion reward: Double your current task progress (Iaijutsu).]

[Option 2: Pretend you didn't see option one. Completion reward: Eyesight -1.]

Oh, for fuck's sake!

Is this that legendary choice that looks like a choice but isn't actually a choice?

Like a dying patient jolting upright in bed, Obito sprang up and shouted that he could do it.

"I can do it!"

Grandmother's voice drifted ominously in from outside the room.

"Obito..."

Obito answered sheepishly,

"Sorry, Grandmother. Sorry, sorry. Please go back to sleep."

He raised his arms and weakly picked up Shadow Elegance.

Then he started another round of grinding.

The next morning.

With two enormous dark circles under his eyes, Obito trudged listlessly toward school, looking just like a certain celebrity-slash-athlete.

"Ah, I'm so sleepy!"

"But after that double-progress reward, I'm almost at four thousand draws now... so this is the joy of grinding?"

He entered the classroom, yawning nonstop.

Upon reaching his seat, he immediately put his head down and went to sleep.

"Zzz... zzz... zzz..."

He had no idea how much time passed.

A little girl's soft, sweet voice sounded beside his ear.

"Obito-kun, Mr. Kisuke is here. Wake up."

Rubbing his eyes, Obito sat up groggily, his mind utterly blank.

Who am I? Where am I? Why am I so handsome...?

Kisuke Urahara strode briskly into the classroom.

Holding a grade sheet high, he stood at the front, positively beaming.

"Class, I have some good news for you."

He deliberately kept them in suspense before continuing,

"Our class's average score this time... was the highest in our year!"

The children obligingly burst into cheers.

"Woohoo!"

Nagano Nami called out,

"Mr. Kisuke, when are you treating us to that big meal?"

Kisuke scratched his head in apparent confusion.

"Big meal? What big meal?"

The classroom immediately filled with jeers.

"Booo!"

Even someone as thick-skinned as Kisuke couldn't withstand that. He was mortified.

He really had intended to treat the children to a meal.

Unfortunately, his wife flatly refused to fund it.

He did have a little money stashed away... but it wasn't nearly enough.