Do You Like Him Better?

The sunlight, like delicate golden threads, gently spilled into the courtyard, covering every inch of the land with its soft light.

Koki was wholeheartedly teaching Itachi the subtleties of Ninjutsu, while Itachi stared intently at Koki, afraid of missing a single detail.

Obito, Kakashi, and Shisui stood quietly to the side, their gazes also fixed on Koki.

Obito's gaze never left Koki for a moment. Everything around him had disappeared; Koki was the only thing that existed in his eyes.

Kakashi crossed his arms over his chest, and his slightly narrowed eyes revealed his admiration for Koki.

Shisui wore a smile and had a peaceful look in his eyes.

No one spoke; only the rustling sound of the wind gently blowing through the leaves.

As time went by, a fine layer of sweat gradually appeared on Koki's forehead.

Upon seeing this, Obito turned away without hesitation, and soon returned with a glass of crystal-clear cool water.

He walked to Koki's side, then gently reached out and softly wrapped his arm around Koki's shoulder.

"Koki, let's rest for a bit," Obito said softly.

Before Koki could react, Obito had already slowly brought the water glass in his hand to Koki's lips.

Koki was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting Obito to be so thoughtful and considerate.

He reached out and took the water glass, taking a small sip. The cool water flowed down his throat, instantly quenching his thirst and bringing him a sense of comfort.

Just then, a figure burst into the courtyard with lightning speed.

Sasori's expression was extremely sinister, his gaze like lightning, and in an instant he firmly locked onto the scene of Obito intimately embracing Koki.

His already extremely gloomy face became even more ferocious and twisted, sending chills down one's spine.

A flash of anger and jealousy crossed his eyes, the flames of jealousy seeming to consume him.

Without uttering a word, the scorpion suddenly exerted its strength and pushed forward with tremendous force.

Obito was completely unprepared for Sasori's actions and had no time to prepare. He staggered backward, almost falling to the ground.

Immediately afterward, Sasori moved with lightning speed, striking again and pulling hard, dragging Shisui and Kakashi to the side as well.

Everyone was stunned by the scorpion's sudden change and had not yet reacted.

The next instant, Scorpion let out a low shout, and a puppet shot into the sky.

The puppet streaked across the sunlight like a shooting star, leaving a cold metallic glint, and charged straight at Obito with a fierce momentum.

The puppet exploded in mid-air with a deafening roar, causing the entire courtyard to tremble violently.

The powerful shockwave from the explosion sent dust flying through the courtyard, with dirt, gravel, and bits of grass billowing into the air, enveloping everyone in a thick cloud of dust.

Koki was the first to recover from his shock. He frowned, looked at Sasori, and shouted, "Sasori, what are you doing? Are you crazy?"

Scorpion ignored this, stepping forward without hesitation to shield Koki tightly behind him, his eyes flashing coldly as he said in a chilling tone, "You are not allowed to touch him."

"Why does he hate Obito so much?" Shisui asked Kakashi quietly, full of doubt.

Kakashi simply shook his head slightly, looking equally bewildered.

Sasori initially attacked everyone indiscriminately, but in the past few days he has singled out Obito, which must be due to some hidden reason that they have not yet discovered.

Obito, burning with rage, his face grave, roared like thunder, "Let's fight!"

He had reached his limit in his tolerance of Scorpion's provocations.

"Just what I wanted." Without hesitation, Scorpion reached for the Kunai. "Losers stay away from Koki."

His possessiveness towards Koki had become insane; any act of closeness towards Koki would ignite his jealousy.

Seeing this, Koki became anxious and quickly stepped forward, grabbing Scorpion's wrist to stop his impulsive act.

His helplessness was palpable, and he shouted, "This matter ends here."

Scorpion turned around, his face full of anger and indignation, and shouted, "You're biased towards him! Don't you like him more?!"

Obito's heart stirred, and his gaze shifted slightly, immediately landing on Koki, a hint of anticipation flickering in his eyes.

Koki at Scorpion, a sigh tinged with helplessness, and whispered, "Scorpion, stop talking nonsense. We're friends, you can't be so unreasonable."

Then, he leaned down and whispered a few words in the scorpion's ear.

A blush instantly spread across Scorpion's face, and her angry expression vanished, replaced by shyness and tenderness.

He was no longer arrogant and domineering; instead, he was calm and composed, like a child who had made a mistake, looking at Koki with shame.

This unexpected turn of events surprised everyone present, and their eyes instantly turned deep and unfathomable.

Looking at the people who were staring at her, Koki felt an indescribable sense of oppression.

Such scenes have become commonplace since he returned.

Shizune's condition improved day by day, but she was never fully cured, so Sasori stayed in Konoha.

He visited the Uchiha almost daily, frequently provoking them and causing such farces.

Koki vaguely sensed something, and this complex emotional relationship left him somewhat at a loss, unsure of how to handle it.

He didn't want to hurt anyone, but the situation seemed to be getting increasingly out of control.

He looked at the crowd before him, sighed, and was about to speak to break the awkward atmosphere when he suddenly heard—

"Koki!" A gentle voice called out.

Koki looked up and met those clear, deep blue eyes.

Minato Namikaze the chaos in the courtyard, lightly tossing the intelligence report in his hand, his warm smile still on his face, and said, "You have a new mission."

We're saved!

They sped along the way, weaving through the forest like birds, leaping over one giant tree after another.

Koki's skin was snow-white, appearing even more translucent under the sunlight. With her eyes upturned, she excitedly shouted, "Minato-sensei, you're a lifesaver!"

His cheerful voice echoed through the woods, conveying a sense of relief and ease.

Minato's eyes were full of smiles as he looked at Koki, and his heart was also infected by his emotions, feeling a sense of ease.

"Isn't that a bit too much?"

"You have no idea, they're really going too far..."

Koki began to complain incessantly, recounting the people and things that gave him a headache.

Hearing Koki's complaints, Minato's expression remained unchanged, still maintaining that gentle smile, but a strange turmoil stirred within him.

He turned to look at Koki, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. Unwilling to listen any longer, he quietly changed the subject. "But, is the situation in the village alright?"

"Sigh." Koki was unaware of Minato's inner turmoil.

His thoughts quickly shifted from complaining to the state of the village.

Because there were other people around, Koki did not address the Third Hokage by his name.

"Do you think I don't know what he's thinking? It's just..."

Koki hesitated, knowing some things couldn't be said too explicitly in this setting. "Anyway, I've made most of the arrangements, don't worry."

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, today's meeting... He has his own assessment and plans regarding the village's situation.

Minato was not a fool; on the contrary, he was exceptionally intelligent, though he sometimes chose not to reveal it. He was naturally aware of the Third Hokage's thoughts.

Jiraiya his teacher, so he naturally didn't want to say anything more.

He squinted slightly, feeling the gentle breeze caress his face, bringing a touch of coolness, and murmured, "That's good."