Tree-Climbing Practice, Obito Shows Off

The next day.

Just as Obito had expected.

Their team's first mission really was to find a lost kitten.

The three decided to split up and meet at an agreed spot before lunch.

"No... Not here either..."

Rin searched the streets and alleys.

She checked every corner, but still found no trace of the kitten.

As she rounded a corner,

she ran into Kakashi and quickly waved him over.

"Kakashi! Did you find it?"

Kakashi shook his head.

"No. I've had no luck."

Rin sighed and smoothed her slightly disheveled hair.

"Neither have I... Who knew finding a pet would be this hard?"

Kakashi nodded, agreeing with her.

"Even so, if we can't complete a small mission like this, we'll never get to take on real missions."

"By the way, where's Obito?"

Rin spread her hands. She didn't know either.

"Obito said he had an idea he wanted to try. I don't know where he ran off to."

By late morning,

at their agreed meeting spot,

Obito appeared with a kitten in his left arm and several bags in his right hand, grinning.

"Here it is! I found the kitten, thanks to the grandmas."

"They gave me some pastries too. Let's have some together later."

Rin stared at him in amazement.

"Obito, you're incredibly popular with the grandmas. All those times you were late weren't for nothing!"

Obito lifted his chin proudly.

Of course. They don't call me Grandma Killer for nothing.

If I ever get tired of working hard, I could live off them for the rest of my life.

Minato smiled.

"Help others, and they'll help you. Obito's kindness has paid off."

Obito glanced at Kakashi, who stood silently to one side, looking a little glum.

He shook his head with a tsk.

He's still young. He doesn't understand how important connections are.

Take an obvious example.

Just look at who's been chosen as Naruto over the years.

If you know, you know. And if you don't, explaining won't help.

That afternoon,

the four gathered at a training ground by the forest.

For ninja,

completing missions was important, but daily training was essential too.

"...The soles of your feet are the hardest place to gather chakra. Climbing a tree with your feet will train you to draw out, sustain, and control the chakra in your body."

Minato finished explaining, then clapped his hands with a smile.

"Rin, you try first."

Rin nodded and ran toward the tree, a little nervous.

When she was just one step away,

she leaped up and planted a foot against its trunk.

One step, two steps, three steps...

"Ah!"

The chakra beneath Rin's feet suddenly dispersed.

With nothing holding her to the tree, she flipped backward and landed.

Rin looked at Minato anxiously.

Minato smiled and nodded, showing her she'd done well.

"You're next, Kakashi," Minato said.

Kakashi gave a slight nod, stepped forward, and set a foot on the tree.

Then

he walked upward as casually as if he were taking a stroll.

The uneven bark might as well have been level ground. He soon reached the crown.

Rin gazed at the silver-haired boy in admiration.

"You're amazing, Kakashi! You made it look so easy."

Kakashi said nothing.

He turned, shot Obito a sidelong glance, and dropped gracefully from the treetop, landing steadily.

!!!

Obito was furious.

To him,

Kakashi was blatantly challenging him.

"I don't see what's so special about that," he said defiantly. "Anyone with legs can do it!"

He marched up to a tree and declared indignantly,

"Watch me do something even better!"

Oh?

Minato looked at Obito in surprise, a hint of anticipation rising within him.

Could Obito have a better way to train chakra control?

Kakashi's gaze sharpened too. He wanted to see what Obito had up his sleeve.

"Good luck, Obito! Be careful!" Rin called, waving her little fist.

Obito turned around.

He gave Rin a thumbs-up, flashing his white teeth.

"You got it! Just watch, Rin!"

He put his hands behind his back and pressed his whole body against the tree.

Then he wriggled his waist like a snake, slithered nimbly onto the trunk, and wound his way upward.

As he climbed,

Obito even flicked his tongue out now and then like a venomous snake.

Minato's expectant expression froze.

Rin's mouth fell open.

Kakashi's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

All three were utterly stunned.

Who in their right mind would come up with that pose?

Could a mammal even move like that?!

Hell, even Orochimaru would call him a master!

After reaching the top, Obito deftly turned around and slithered gracefully back down.

He landed lightly, planted his hands on his hips, and asked proudly,

"Well, Rin? Minato-sensei?"

"Wasn't that way better than what Kakashi did?"

It was a training method he had developed himself while learning to crawl like a snake.

It let him complete his system task, strengthen his waist and abdomen, and improve his chakra control.

Several benefits in one. Even Might Guy would give it his seal of approval.

Obito thought he was a genius.

How else could he have devised such a remarkable training method?

"..."

Minato opened his mouth, then chose silence.

He said nothing, yet somehow said everything.

Minato felt he had been too hasty back then.

He should have thought it over more carefully before taking on an apprentice.

(He hung his silence out to dry~ and regretted acting on impulse~)

Obito turned a challenging gaze on Kakashi.

Kakashi silently raised a hand to his forehead.

I'm an idiot for expecting anything from that idiot Obito.

"..." Rin fell silent too.

What she had just seen had shaken her to the core.

At a moment like this,

even if she wanted to reassure Obito, she had no idea what to say.

"Uh..."

Obito scratched his head awkwardly.

"Why isn't anyone saying anything... Did I mess up again?"

Minato had recovered from his shock and managed to speak.

"No, no. Your method really is... original and unconventional. You've left your teacher... speechless."

Obito felt a little uncertain.

Original? Unconventional? Why does that sound so strange?

Is Minato-sensei actually praising me?

Before he could think further, Minato continued.

"Kakashi, Obito, you've both reached a high level of chakra control."

"In that case, your training from here on will focus on combat."

Minato pressed his index and middle fingers together, crossing his hands into a seal.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! Shadow Clone Technique!"

Poof!

When the smoke cleared, another Minato stood beside him.

"Come on. We'll run a combat drill in the woods," the first Minato told the two boys.

Kakashi and Obito nodded and followed the first Minato.

Off to one side,

the second Minato turned to Rin and said encouragingly,

"Rin, keep practicing your tree climbing. I'll stay here with you."

Rin nodded firmly.

"Okay, Minato-sensei."

Watching the three head into the forest, Rin silently cheered herself on.

Come on, Rin! Work hard!

Kakashi and Obito are both so talented. You can't hold them back!