The night at the Daimyo's residence was so quiet that one could hear the koi blowing bubbles in the pond.
Shin-chan lay on the tatami in his guest room, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"I can't sleep." He sat up. "I'll go find Chashu and hold an emergency security meeting."
Chashu was curled up on the windowsill, its tail wrapped around itself in a perfect circle.
When Shin-chan shook it awake, the cat narrowed its eyes and let out an extremely displeased meow.
"Emergency situation." Shin-chan sat cross-legged beneath the windowsill. "I'm wondering whether I should return to Konoha if the war really starts."
Chashu buried its head back beneath its tail.
"As Deputy Minister of Security, can't you take this a little more seriously?"
Chashu's ears twitched, indicating that it had heard him but had no intention of responding.
"The Daimyo called me here and said it was to protect Ai, but I keep feeling like there's something else he hasn't told me." Shin-chan rested his chin on one hand.
Chashu yawned.
"If Konoha gets dragged into the war too, should I leave or stay?"
"Meow, meow."
"You're right. This question is much harder than transmitting chocolate sticks with the Flying Thunder God."
Chashu finally raised its head in exasperation and slapped its tail against the windowsill three times. After thinking for a moment, it added one more slap.
"Three means return to Konoha, and one means stay?" Shin-chan rubbed his chin. "No, you slapped four times. Does that mean we should eat four dried fish before discussing it?"
"Meow!"
Chashu jumped down from the windowsill and strutted toward the kitchen.
"I understand. You mean we need to fill our stomachs before we'll have enough energy to think." Shin-chan immediately stood. "As expected of the Deputy Minister of Security. You consider everything."
The boy and cat sneaked into the kitchen, where Shin-chan skilfully found a plate of dried fish.
"Tell me, if I leave, who will take Ai over the wall to eat dango? Who will invent new ways to eat sweets with her?"
With a dried fish in its mouth, Chashu gave a muffled meow.
"You think the steward will do it? All he knows how to say is, 'Your Highness must not.'" Shin-chan shook his head. "Besides, if I leave, the kitchen will have too many sweets. The cook will be sad."
"Meow."
"You're right. Protecting Ai is also an S-rank mission. A future Hokage can't casually abandon an S-rank mission."
Chashu flicked its tail.
"That's why the Flying Thunder God Snack Transmission Plan has to succeed." Shin-chan stood. "If supplies can be delivered to the front lines instantly, far fewer people will die in the war."
"Meow."
"You don't believe me?"
"Meow, meow."
"Just wait and see. Once I complete the Phase Three experiment, I'll send a dango all the way from the Daimyo's residence to Konoha Village."
Chashu brushed its tail across his ankle.
"But before that..." Shin-chan stretched. "I'll protect Ai properly."
He reached the kitchen doorway, then looked back at the plate.
"I'll ask the cook to buy more dried fish tomorrow."
Chashu's ears immediately stood up.
...
Several days later.
The sound of kunai striking targets awakened Konoha Village that morning.
Today was the day of the ninja academy's graduation examination.
Guy stood outside the academy and took a deep breath.
He had deliberately woken up early to do five hundred extra push-ups.
"Today is the day I take the first step of my youth!"
Guy's passionate declaration received no response, because Obito was crouching in a corner beside the wall, muttering over a scroll.
"The Will of the Hokage, the Will of the Hokage, the Will of the Hokage..."
"Obito, what are you doing?"
"Don't interrupt me!" Obito did not even turn around. "I'm performing the prayer dance. I have to shout this pose three times."
Asuma stood nearby and watched him place both hands on his hips while raising his head toward the sky. He couldn't help laughing.
"What is that? It looks ridiculous."
"What do you know? Shin-chan drew this especially for me."
"He's back?"
Obito rolled up the scroll. "His shadow clone came back and brought us graduation presents. Guy's was a green headband, right?"
"This is the greatest gift I have ever received in my life." Guy touched the strip of cloth around his forehead bearing the word Youth.
Asuma stared at him strangely.
"What is that look for? This isn't an ordinary headband. It contains the ultimate secret principle of youth—"
"The examination is about to begin." Rin's voice came from behind them. She was carrying a small flowerpot in her arms.
Shizune leaned closer, looking confused. "Rin, you brought a flowerpot to the examination?"
"Shin-chan gave it to me." Rin smiled. "He said that if I water it for three months, chocolate sticks will grow."
"You believe that?"
"Of course." Rin carefully placed the flowerpot on the windowsill outside the examination room. "He'll owe me a whole box very soon."
Inside the examination room, the examiner patrolled with a stern expression.
During the written portion, Obito stared at his paper for a full ten minutes.
Question One: What should a ninja prioritise protecting during a mission?
A. The mission objective
B. Their comrades
C. Intelligence
D. Themselves
Obito chose B without hesitation. After thinking for a moment, he added a small note beside it:
And Rin.
Question Two: What should you do when encountering an enemy jōnin?
A. Fight head-on
B. Retreat immediately and request reinforcements
C. Set a trap and lure the enemy in
D. Act according to the situation
Obito chose D and wrote as his reason:
If Shin-chan is there, fight head-on. If he isn't, retreat.
When the examiner reached his paper, his expression became extremely complicated.
Obito's results during the shuriken examination were as terrible as ever.
Of eight shuriken, three completely missed the target, while two struck the target beside his.
"Uchiha Obito. Shurikenjutsu: Barely passing."
Obito breathed a sigh of relief.
At least it was better than last time.
The final portion was a practical combat exercise, with examinees paired against each other.
Obito's opponent was a boy who looked even more nervous than he did.
The two stood on the training field, and Obito took a deep breath.
He could not embarrass himself.
Absolutely not.
He was already a proper Uchiha.
The examiner gave the signal.
Obito formed hand seals and muttered, "Ninja Art: Graduation-Exam Victory Prayer Dance!"
Then he turned around, faced away from his opponent, and began hopping while wiggling his body.
His opponent: "???"
The examiner: "???"
The entire examination ground fell silent for three seconds.
Then thunderous laughter erupted.
"Hahahaha! Uchiha Obito, what are you doing?!"
"What kind of bizarre ninjutsu is that? I'm going to die laughing!"
"Has something gone wrong with his brain?!"
Obito's face instantly turned so red that it looked ready to bleed, but he stubbornly continued wiggling.
"Stop laughing! This is a secret Konoha ninjutsu! It's incredibly powerful!"
His opponent was laughing so hard that he could barely stand upright.
"I can't take it! If I keep laughing, my stomach is going to burst!"
Whether the Victory Prayer Dance truly worked or not, Obito ultimately succeeded in defeating his opponent.
The examiner's mouth twitched as he wrote on the score sheet:
Uchiha Obito. Practical Combat Exercise: Pass. Reason: Successfully disrupted opponent's mental state. Innovative tactics.
"See? I told you it was powerful." Obito turned around proudly. "Shin-chan said catching the enemy by surprise is the essence of being a ninja."
Guy began furiously doing push-ups nearby.
"Such passion! Obito's victory has ignited the flames of my youth! I'll do five hundred push-ups to celebrate!"