Obito felt like his brain wasn't working properly.
Some people called him an idiot, others said he was evil, but being called "creepy" was a first for him.
"Kakashi, you really are a genius."
Obito laughed in anger, immediately thinking about using Kamui to pull Kakashi into his alternate space and give him a lesson on what being creepy actually means!
"Alright, Obito, don't get mad."
Seeing Obito about to make a big deal out of things, Rin couldn't just stand there and pretend she didn't see it.
With her persuasion, Obito decided not to stoop to Kakashi's level and argue with that guy.
[Obito lost his parents when he was young and lived with his grandmother.]
[His grandmother always taught him to help those in need.]
[Because of that, Obito would often be late for things due to helping others.]
[One day, Rin asked Obito to join her for a ninja competition hosted by the village.]
[In the ninja competition, Obito used a single fire technique, Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu, to dominate his opponents.]
[He had planned to win a kunai as a gift for Rin, who he secretly liked, but just then, Kakashi appeared and stole the kunai with his impressive Earth Style jutsu.]
[Obito and Kakashi were like Naruto and Sasuke when they were kids: the underdog and the genius combo.]
[Maybe it was Kakashi's fate to overshadow Obito, because every time Obito tried to stand out, Kakashi would always steal the spotlight.]
[So, Obito set his goal to surpass Kakashi and trained desperately.]
"I didn't expect that back then, you were already training so hard with me as your target, haha. You kept denying it, but your body was honest, huh?"
"..."
Obito was speechless.
Because Kakashi's words were the truth.
During that time, even though Obito always tried to act like he wasn't going to lose to Kakashi, he knew deep down that this guy, who hid his face and refused to show his true self, was much stronger than him.
To catch up to this annoying guy, he had no choice but to secretly train like crazy.
In the Hokage's office, everyone initially had a negative opinion of Obito.
After all, the things Obito did had made people like the Second Hokage and Hiruzen utterly disgusted, even to the point of hatred.
However, when they saw the image of young Obito on the screen, they couldn't help but feel that this contradictory yet kind-hearted Obito wasn't as detestable as they thought.
"It's all Uchiha Madara's fault."
"A good and kind child, turned into the hidden mastermind behind the destruction of the ninja world by Uchiha Madara."
"Uchiha Madara should go to hell. We absolutely cannot let that ridiculous Infinite Tsukuyomi plan succeed."
"Yeah!"
Despite their passionate words, the real decision didn't lie in their hands.
How to deal with Uchiha Madara depended on the stance of the First Hokage, the Second Hokage, and Mito.
"You all are right."
Senju Tobirama looked around at the people who were speaking out against Uchiha Madara. He didn't scold them but instead continued.
"Madara did play a huge role in Obito's descent into darkness, but he was by no means the most crucial factor."
This speech left Hiruzen and the others confused.
"So, teacher, what was the main factor that led to Obito's dark turn?"
"It was the system of the ninja world, the profession of ninjas, and various other aspects."
Seeing that his students were still confused, Tobirama simply opened up, "As long as there are many countries, fighting and war will be inevitable.
Obito turned dark because of Rin's death, right?
Even without Madara's plan, as long as there are conflicts in the ninja world, Rin Nohara could have died.
Once Rin dies, Obito would turn dark anyway. It would just be a matter of time."
Tobirama's words were simple, but they carried a lot of weight.
Smart people like Sarutobi Hiruzen and Uchiha Kagami had already roughly figured out why Teacher Tobirama would say this.
Following Tobirama's words, Hiruzen said, "So what you mean, teacher, is that to prevent a tragedy like Obito's, the ninja world needs to be in a relatively peaceful state?"
"Yes, the ninja world is too small, and there are too many who can issue orders. This is not good."
This statement made Tobirama's meaning clear.
He wanted to unify the ninja world.
"Hiruzen, Kagami, you've been studying at the daimyo's mansion for a year now. If I gave you control of a city or even a country, would you be able to manage it?"
Hiruzen and Kagami looked at each other, then firmly nodded.
"Then you need to prepare yourselves. Soon, I might launch the war to unify the ninja world."
"Understood."
Turning his head, Tobirama noticed his older brother looking at him with a complex expression, so he immediately asked, "Big brother, do you have something to ask?"
"Are we really going to start a war? A lot of people will die."
Clearly, Tobirama and Hashirama had spoken privately beforehand, otherwise, hearing his younger brother was about to start a war, Hashirama would probably blow up.
"To achieve permanent peace, the ninja world must be unified. The sacrifices made now are for a better future."
"I can't argue with you. I hope you're right."
[After graduating from the Ninja Academy, Obito, Rin, and Kakashi were assigned to Minato's team.]
[Minato's first lesson to them was: teamwork.]
[But Obito and Kakashi often clashed.]
[Kakashi thought Obito was always late, which violated ninja rules.]
[Obito also thought Kakashi always liked to preach about rules, being too stubborn.]
[At that time, Obito didn't know what Kakashi had gone through.]
[Fortunately, Rin was there. With her kindness and enthusiasm, she constantly influenced the two teammates, and gradually, their bond grew stronger without them even realizing it.]
[The night before the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, Minato and Kushina talked about the growth of the three kids.]
[Minato could tell that, among the three, Kushina cared for and liked Obito the most.]
[Obito's optimistic and cheerful personality was very contagious. Kushina hoped that her own child would one day be like Obito—someone who doesn't have to be exceptional but has a heart that cherishes companions and stays positive.]
[In the near future, Kushina's wish would come true in Naruto.]
"Obito, now you know why I beat you up so badly back then?"
Looking at Kushina's smiling face, Obito nervously swallowed and carefully replied, "Was it because I let you down?"
"Just as long as you know."
"I'm sorry."
Hearing Obito's apology, Kushina sighed, shook her head, and said, "There's no need to say sorry."
Just when Obito thought he had been forgiven and didn't know what to say next, he heard Kushina continue, "After the light screen is over, come with me to the nearby training ground."
Obito: ???
"This... it's already past nine after watching the light screen. The people around here have to work tomorrow. If we disturb them, it seems a bit bad, right?"
"Then should we go to the Forest of Death?"
Seeing that he couldn't avoid the beating, Obito sulked and replied, "Then let's stay at the training field. If we finish early, I can rest sooner."
*********
Support me on my ko-fi account and read upto 30 early chapters,
https://ko-fi.com/aayume