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 the agreed spot before lunch.

"Not here... not here either..."

Rin searched every street and alley.

She checked every corner she could find, but there was still no sign of the kitten.

As she rounded a corner.

She ran into Kakashi and hurriedly waved him over.

"Kakashi! Did you find it?"

Kakashi shook his head.

"No. I found nothing."

Rin sighed and smoothed her slightly disheveled hair.

"Neither did I... Who knew finding a pet could be this hard?"

Kakashi nodded, clearly agreeing with her.

"Even so, if we can't complete a little mission like this, we'll never be assigned a real one."

"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, I found the kitten. Couldn't have done it without the grandmas."

"They gave me some pastries too. We can share them in a bit."

Rin looked impressed.

"Obito-kun, you're incredibly popular with the old ladies. All those times you were late really paid off."

Obito lifted his chin proudly.

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

If I ever got tired of working hard, I could live off their generosity for the rest of my life.

Minato smiled.

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

Obito glanced at Kakashi, who stood to one side in gloomy silence.

He shook his head and clicked his tongue.

This guy's still young. He doesn't understand the value of connections.

Here's a simple example.

Just look at who became Hokage over the years.

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

That afternoon.

The four gathered at the training ground beside the woods.

For a ninja.

Completing missions was important, but so was training every day.

"...The soles of your feet are the hardest place to gather chakra. Climbing trees with your feet will help you practice refining, sustaining, and controlling the chakra in your body."

After explaining, Minato clapped his hands with a smile.

"Rin, you try first."

Rin nodded, then ran toward the tree with a hint of nerves.

When she was 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 nervously.

Minato smiled and nodded, letting her know she had done well.

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

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

Then.

He walked upward at an easy pace.

The uneven trunk might as well have been flat ground. He soon reached the crown.

Rin gazed at the silver-haired boy in admiration.

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

Kakashi said nothing.

He turned, shot Obito a sideways glance, and dropped smoothly from the treetop.

Seriously?!

Obito was fuming.

As far as he was concerned.

Kakashi was blatantly challenging him.

He protested, refusing to be outdone.

"So what? Anyone with legs can do that!"

He strode up to a tree and said in a huff.

"Watch me do something even better!"

Oh?

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

Did Obito have a better way to train chakra control?

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

"Go, Obito-kun! Be careful!" Rin cheered, pumping a little fist.

Obito turned his head.

He gave Rin a thumbs-up and flashed his white teeth.

"You got it! Just watch, Rin!"

He clasped his hands behind his back and pressed himself against the tree.

Then he wriggled his waist like a snake, slithered lightly onto the trunk, and climbed upward in winding coils.

As he climbed.

Obito even flicked his tongue out now and then like a snake tasting the air.

Minato's expectant expression froze.

Rin's mouth fell open.

Kakashi's eyes nearly popped out.

All three were utterly stunned.

Who in their right mind would think of climbing like that?

Was that even a pose a mammal could pull off?!

Even Orochimaru would take one look and call him a master!

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

He landed softly, planted his hands on his hips, and beamed with pride.

"Well, Lin-chan? Minato-sensei?"

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

He had devised this training method himself while learning to slither like a snake.

It let him complete the system's task while strengthening his waist and core and improving his body's chakra control.

It accomplished several things at once. Even Might Guy would have given it a thumbs-up.

Obito thought he was a genius.

How else could he have come up with such an incredible training method?

"..."

Minato opened his mouth, then chose silence.

Somehow, that silence said everything.

Minato felt he had been too hasty back then.

He should have thought harder before taking on an apprentice.

He sat in stunned silence, overcome with regret~

Obito turned a challenging look 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.

The sight of Obito climbing like that had hit her too hard.

At that moment.

Even if she wanted to comfort 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. With some effort, he said.

"No, no. Your method was certainly... original, Obito. Truly unlike anything I've seen. You left me... speechless."

Obito wasn't quite sure what to make of that.

Original? Unlike anything he's seen? Why does that sound so strange?

Is Minato-sensei actually praising me?

Before he could dwell on it, Minato continued.

"Kakashi, Obito, your chakra control is already at a high level."

"In that case, we'll focus your training on combat from now on."

Minato crossed his hands, holding the index and middle fingers of each together.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

Poof!

When the smoke cleared, another Minato stood beside him.

"Come on. We'll practice combat in the woods," the first Minato said to the two boys.

Kakashi and Obito nodded and followed him.

Nearby.

The second Minato turned to Rin and spoke encouragingly.

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

Rin nodded firmly.

"Okay, Minato-sensei."

Watching the three disappear into the woods, Rin silently cheered herself on.

Work hard, Rin! You can do it!

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