Obito grew excited, his voice rising without him realizing it. He hurriedly lowered it again and glanced around like a thief.
"Like one of those Anbu secret bases? With mechanisms? Secret rooms? Hidden doors? That's so cool!"
Kakashi's previously lazy gaze suddenly sharpened. He glanced at Uchiha Makoto and asked slowly:
"So well hidden... that even Orochimaru-sensei doesn't know about it?"
That was a rather tricky question.
Uchiha Makoto's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained perfectly composed. He even smiled. "Sensei knows I'm doing research, of course, and he's pretty supportive. He supplied a lot of the equipment, too. But as for where exactly I'm doing it... heh, a guy's got to have a few little secrets of his own, right?"
Looking into Kakashi's dead-fish eyes, which seemed capable of seeing straight through him, he grumbled inwardly: This guy's instincts are way too sharp.
His gaze shifted to Obito, who was fighting Guy for the last piece of grilled meat, and Uchiha Makoto sighed inwardly.
Ah, if only Naruto were here.
With that kid's single-celled level of trusting simplicity, all he would have to say was, "I've got an amazing secret base," and Naruto would probably believe him one hundred percent, maxing out the manifestation rate.
The entire base might even materialize at one hundred percent completion on the spot.
As for this fool Obito... he trusted him quite a bit too, but he would probably need some gradual guidance and a few more rounds of groundwork.
There was still a long road ahead.
After eating and drinking their fill, the group ambled out of the Barbecue Restaurant.
Kakashi and Harada Yuichi lived on the west side of the village, so they said their goodbyes and left first.
Guy's home lay in another direction. His father, Might Duy,