Obito staggered into the clearing, lungs burning, clutching a long box to his chest like it was a mission scroll.
"Huff… Teacher Yuuma… here."
He held it out with both hands.
"Teacher Mu Yue, I heard you like calligraphy… so I used my prize money to buy you a brush."
His voice wavered—half nervous, half proud.
He'd originally wanted to buy something for Rin. But deep down, even his stubborn heart knew the truth:
Without Hanyū Yuuma, he never would've taken first place.Without him, Obito never would've passed theory.Without him, he never would've crawled out of "Last Place Uchiha."
This victory, this pride, this future…
It all flowed back to the teacher who pushed him forward.
Yuuma lifted the long box.His planned scolding vanished.
He opened it quietly—took one look—and closed it again with a small nod.
He put the box under his arm, placed a steady hand on Obito's shoulder, and said gently:
"I do like calligraphy. And I'm very pleased with your gift. Rest a moment before training."
A disciple giving a teacher a gift deserved acknowledgment, not discipline.
Yuuma could imagine exactly how this happened. Obito must've run all over the village, frantic and late because he was choosing this gift.
If his first reaction had been a lecture…it would've crushed the kid.
There was another option—pretend to misunderstand, scold him, then soften later to create emotional contrast and boost favorability—but Yuuma dismissed that tactic.
Not today.
Today was his first gift in this world.
Obito grinned, embarrassed. "I—I don't know anything about calligraphy. But it looked cool, so I bought it."
He took a deep breath, straightened, and declared:
"Teacher Yuuma, I'm ready. Let's start today's training."
Yuuma nodded and motioned for Might Guy.
"Since the competition is over… we're returning to the training from three weeks ago. You remember, don't you?"
Obito's face froze.
That training.
That hell.
"If I got hit… I had to answer a test question…" he whispered, trembling.
He had been so focused on chakra control the past twenty days that he'd almost forgotten the torment.
Guy nodded enthusiastically. "If I miss the target, I do 50 questions! Every hit lowers the total! Maximum reduction is 40!"
Then he pointed at Obito. "And Obito isn't allowed to use ninjutsu. One question for every hit he takes!"
Obito stared at Guy's shining teeth like he was witnessing the executioner smile.
"Teacher… maybe I overestimated myself. Maybe I should rest today…"
Yuuma chuckled softly.
"Of course you can rest. And since you aren't training… I brought plenty of test papers."
He unfurled a scroll—revealing an entire stack of exams.
Obito leapt to his feet as if resurrected.
"I—I'm fine, Teacher Yuuma. The pain is nothing! I can definitely train today!"
Yuuma smiled gently.
"Don't force yourself."
"Thank you for your concern, Teacher Mu Yue, but—there's only one month until final exams. I want revenge against Hyūga Kamado. I need to get stronger."
Yuuma nodded in approval and patted Guy's shoulder.
"Guy. Obito is motivated today. Help him sharpen his taijutsu."
Guy stood straight, radiating youth like a nuclear reactor.
"Teacher Mu Yue! I will give 120% of my strength!"
Obito, hearing that, felt his soul leave his body.
Either he or his brain would die today.
Guy's promise wasn't empty.He had grown stronger—visibly so. Yuuma's secret system-enhanced regimen had boosted his speed and power drastically.
Obito, forbidden from using ninjutsu, was demolished.
Completely.
If not for Yuuma's enhanced water-walking drills improving Obito's footwork, he would've been annihilated outright.
That beating shattered Obito's arrogance.
Winning the Junior Ninjutsu Competition had inflated him, but Guy's fists brought him back to reality:
If this were the real practical exam…he still couldn't beat Iketani Isamu of the Hyūga.
Isamu's Gentle Fist left no openings. Byakugan erased all angles of attack. Once he gained momentum, Obito would be shut down before he could even form a seal.
Reality slapped him harder than Guy did.
"…but these questions…" Obito stared at the worksheets, hand trembling. "They're too hard…"
He could understand the principles—but solving the problems was another story.
Yuuma placed a lunchbox in front of him.
"Eat."
Then he handed boxes to Guy and Shisui.
Obito took one bite—one taste of Yuuma's cooking—and life returned to his eyes.
[System Notice: You gifted your disciple a delicious home-cooked meal.][Reward Granted: Critical Hit — Chakra +100]
Perfect timing. Perfect morale boost.Obito practically vibrated with gratitude.
Because he had taken too many hits earlier, Yuuma allowed him to split the test questions into stages.
A mercy—small, but vital.
The Next Day — Yuuma's Operation Begins
If he wanted stronger disciples and a stronger Class 1…he needed to raise the entire group.
So during Ninjutsu class, Yuuma conducted a full practical assessment, giving individual feedback to every student—sharpening their progress, laying groundwork for future rewards.