Evening settled over the Uchiha district like a quiet curtain.
Obito inhaled dinner like a starving shinobi until his grandmother tapped the table.
"Obito, eat slower. You'll choke."
He swallowed, wiped his mouth, and said between breaths,"Grandma, I'm meeting friends tonight."
"Which friends? Little Rin-chan?"She smiled knowingly. Nohara Rin had visited often enough to become a familiar name in the household.
"Yeah, her… and the others."The Junior Ninjutsu Competition began tomorrow. After a full day of training, Obito felt drained but restless.
Since he'd be facing Kakashi again, Rin suggested they all relax together tonight—with Might Guy invited too.
When he finished, Obito hurried to the door.
"Obito," his grandmother called after him with a bright grin, "I want to see my great-grandson someday."
Obito tripped so hard he nearly face-planted. "G-Grandma! I'm still in school!"
…Not that the idea never crossed his mind, he thought stiffly.
The four of them agreed to meet in the southern district. When Obito arrived, the others were already there.
"I met an old lady on the way. Helped her home," Obito explained.
Kakashi sighed. "You meet old ladies every time. That shouldn't be statistically possible."
Obito wilted. "It's not like I go looking for them—! I can't ignore people who need help."
"It's fine." Rin walked between them, smiling softly. "It just means you're kind, Obito."
With that tiny crisis defused, the four wandered into the lively street.
"Whoa… so many people tonight." Might Guy's eyes sparkled. "Kakashi! Let's race through the crowd—see who reaches the other side first!"
"No."Kakashi rejected him instantly.
Rin laughed and pointed ahead. "There's an event today, that's why the street's full."
Vendors filled the road, lanterns flickered, yukata brushed past them. It felt like the village was celebrating something.
"Look, goldfish!" Rin ran toward a stall.
"Ten ryō per net, little miss," the vendor said enticingly.
Rin hesitated—ten ryō wasn't much, but these nets broke if you breathed too hard.
"I'll do it." Obito stepped forward confidently.
He grabbed a net, targeted the flashiest goldfish… and ripped the net in three tries.
"Again!"
He kept going.
Second net.Third.Fourth.
By the ninth, Rin grabbed his wrist. "Obito… enough…"
"That's eighty ryō…" she whispered. Enough to buy ramen.
"But—but we're getting better! We shouldn't quit halfway!" Obito insisted.
"I'll try!" Might Guy declared heroically.
He rolled up his sleeves, swung the net—
Snap.
He broke the stick clean off.
Kakashi sighed, paid ten ryō, scooped up a fish on his first try, and handed it to Rin.
"Here."
Rin smiled warmly. "Thank you, Kakashi. And thank you too, Obito, Guy."
Obito immediately puffed up with foolish pride.
The four wandered through games, shuriken booths, clone-guessing stalls… until the night thinned and crowds dispersed.
They bought takoyaki on the walk home.
"Kakashi! Just wait. Tomorrow, I'm taking first place!" Obito boasted, biting into a hot piece.
Kakashi replied calmly, "If you really want the first-place reward, I'll hand it to you after I win."
Might Guy clenched a fist, fired up. "If there were a Youth Taijutsu Tournament, I would challenge you right here!"
Competition Day
Sunday. No school.
The tournament started in the afternoon, so Obito trained hard in the morning.
The event took place in Konoha's busiest commercial street. Originally created by an old shopkeeper to encourage students, it later became a village-wide tradition—good publicity, good business.
"Obito, what jutsu are you using today?" Rin asked.
"Great Fireball Technique."He said it proudly, no hesitation.
"Not Dragon Fire? You scored higher with that in exams," Rin said curiously.
"That was then." Obito clenched his fists. "My Fireball is on a whole other level now."
Rin nodded sweetly. "Then I'll look forward to it."
Guy crossed his arms dramatically. "As my eternal rival, that man won't fall easily!"
"You want me to leave?" Kakashi muttered. They were discussing how to beat him while he stood two feet away.
"Kakashi, what'll you use?" Rin asked.
"I don't know yet. Whatever I feel like. Maybe Earth-Style Wall."He wasn't bluffing. He had plenty of options.
Obito scanned the crowd—lots of familiar faces from the Academy… and two actual ninjas wearing forehead protectors.
"So many people this year…"
"Because the prize increased," Rin explained. "First place gets a silver-plated kunai—and eight thousand ryō."
"Eight… thousand?!"Obito's jaw dropped.
That was a feast with Rin, or a gift for Rin, or both.
His determination skyrocketed.
Right then, the host's voice echoed:
"Competitor Number One, please proceed to the stage!"