Obito and Shisui (Part Two)

Konoha.

After Obito got home with an armful of gifts,

he finally had a free hand to pick up the envelope Kakashi had given him.

He had wanted Rin to take a look at it earlier.

But as soon as she saw the envelope,

she worried its contents might be private and refused.

(What if it's a love letter? Aaaaah!)

"What could it be?"

Curious, Obito opened the envelope.

"Huh? What's this...?"

He tipped the envelope over, and a photograph slipped out.

It was a photo of him with Sakumo and Kakashi.

In it, he stood in front with an arm around Kakashi.

Sakumo stood behind them, gazing at the two of them fondly.

Kakashi looked thoroughly unwilling, while Obito himself wore a huge grin.

"Oh, it's the photo we took back then..."

"Kakashi said he deleted it. Why did he get it printed?"

"Men really do say one thing and mean another."

Obito ran a finger over Sakumo's image. Tenderness and murderous intent flickered through his eyes.

"Uncle Sakumo, I'll soon have the strength to avenge you..."

A few months later.

In a small grove in Konoha,

Obito stood with his hands behind his back, explaining to the boy before him.

"...And that's about it for the Phoenix Flower Claw Crimson Technique."

"Give it a try, Shisui."

Shisui nodded and began forming hand seals.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Claw Crimson Technique!"

He breathed out a burst of flame, then flung more than a dozen Shuriken with one hand.

The flying Shuriken passed through the flames and wheeled across the sky wreathed in fire.

They were as dazzling as scattered phoenix flowers.

But beneath that beauty lurked deadly danger.

"Holy shit..."

Obito stared at the Shuriken overhead, dumbfounded.

It had taken him several days to learn this B-rank Ninjutsu.

And his little cousin had learned it just like that?

His talent's beyond me even with my cheat?

He really is my uncle's son...

Shisui noticed the complicated look on his cousin's face.

He scratched his head, suddenly unsure of himself.

"Did I do something wrong, Obito?"

Obito smiled, shook his head, and patted his shoulder.

"No. Your Phoenix Flower Claw Crimson Technique was excellent. You're already as good at it as I am."

Shisui pumped his fist in delight.

"Yes!"

His cousin's approval meant a great deal to him.

Shisui then looked at Obito curiously.

"Obito, how long did it take you to learn that Ninjutsu?"

Obito stiffened and gave an awkward cough.

"Ahem. About as long as it took you."

As soon as he said it,

Obito realized their conversation felt strangely familiar.

...Huh?

Why does this feel so damn familiar?

Beside him, Shisui nodded as if that was just what he had expected.

My cousin's so talented. Of course he wouldn't have taken any longer than me!

"Obito, could you practice swordsmanship with me a little longer?" Shisui asked.

"Sure!"

Obito readily agreed.

He slowly drew Shadow Elegance.

Shisui drew the short Tachi he carried with him.

As they shifted their footing,

they slowly closed the distance, each searching for a gap in the other's defenses.

Since he was sparring with his younger cousin,

Obito held nothing back and made the first move.

He lunged several meters forward and brought his sword down hard at Shisui.

Whoosh!

The fierce strike cut through the air toward Shisui.

Unfazed, Shisui angled his Tachi to meet Shadow Elegance and put all his strength into his arms.

Clang!

The blades met, scattering sparks.

After blocking Obito's strike,

Shisui seized the opening and went on the offensive.

He turned at the waist and swept his Tachi toward Obito.

"Nice!"

Obito swung his blade and knocked Shisui's Tachi aside.

Then he followed up with an upward slash.

The two traded blow after blow.

Their blades rang out in a lively chorus of clangs, like two devoted cousins expressing their affection through swordplay.

After a thoroughly satisfying bout,

the two cousins sat beneath the shade of a tree.

They listened to insects and birdsong together, enjoying the breeze on their faces.

Shisui looked at his cousin beside him and spoke softly.

"Thanks for training with me today, Obito."

"You must be busy now that you're a Chunin."

Obito laughed and threw an arm around Shisui's shoulders.

"No need to thank me. Come find me whenever you need anything."

Shisui nodded firmly.

"I will!"

After a while,

Shisui looked at his wise cousin and couldn't help asking,

"Obito, things between the clan and the village seem to be getting more tense."

"Whose fault do you think it is?"

Obito gave his cousin a surprised look.

He's still so young.

He's already thinking about things like this?

After a moment's thought, he said, "I think both sides bear some responsibility."

"Konoha has never fully accepted the Uchiha Clan, and we've never truly become part of the village or felt that we belonged."

"In the end, neither side can fully trust the other. That's where all these conflicts begin."

Shisui looked thoughtful.

What his cousin said was much like what he had been thinking.

"Then how do you think we should solve it?"

"Hmm..."

Obito scratched his head and sank into thought.

"If there were someone both sides valued who was willing to serve as a bridge between them, maybe things would change."

Shisui's eyes lit up at his words.

"I'm sure you'll become that person, Obito."

"...Me?"

Obito's expression turned strange.

He expects someone plotting to wipe out the clan to save the Uchiha Clan?

Seeing the hope on Shisui's face,

Obito ruffled his hair.

"I don't know if I can do it, but I think you can, Shisui."

Shisui's cheeks flushed.

"Really? Then I'll work hard with you to turn things around!"

Obito smiled and nodded.

He glanced at the sky, then rose to his feet.

"All right, it's getting late. Let's call it a day."

Shisui stood and reluctantly said goodbye to Obito.

"I'll be going, then."

"See you, little cousin."

After watching Shisui leave,

Obito hummed a tune as he headed home.

"Why don't you just delete me? Otherwise I'll block you~~"

Over the past few months,

the system had only offered ordinary choices.

The rewards for completing them had mostly been chakra.

By his rough estimate,

he now had nearly one Kakashi's worth of chakra.

That was the total amount Kakashi had at his peak.

For a child of twelve or thirteen

who belonged to neither the Senju nor the Uzumaki Clan,

that was already a staggering amount of chakra.

(Naruto appears in the next chapter.)