Despite the mundanity of basics, Obito considered the day a valuable opportunity to refine his fundamentals. With that mindset, he reported dutifully to the chūnin instructor.
Previously, his sparring partner had always been Kakashi—by Obito's own request—but since Kakashi had graduated early, a new pairing was inevitable.
The instructor paused briefly before announcing, "Obito, from now on you'll be in a group with Might Guy."
Obito nodded. The decision made sense—Guy and Obito, both scoring on the lower end, were grouped together.
He recalled vividly how, in his former life, Guy had humiliated him. Losing to Kakashi once stung, but being beaten by Guy—even as an underachiever—had been even more humiliating.
Yet this time, Obito reminded himself, losing to a fellow underachiever was hardly shameful.
The instructor called out each group swiftly. With limited space on the training grounds, matches would be one-on-one. Obito and Guy were scheduled last.
The rest of the fights were dull—awkward punches and kicks from overexcited kids lacking discipline. His thoughts drifted toward Amegakure and the advance preparation needed to remodel the Akatsuki organization.
Obito harbored deep affection for Akatsuki. His promise to Nagato to bring world peace was sincere, but more so was his commitment to steering its growth. Nagato spent his days preaching slogans and worshiping himself, but it was Obito who had shouldered the responsibility—father, strategist, organizer. Without him, the second-generation Akatsuki could never have risen so swiftly.
But Amegakure lay far away, and Obito preferred not to rely on his Kamui dōjutsu for transportation. He wondered: how could he travel there without revealing his abilities?
Lost in thought, he barely registered when it was his turn.
"Obito, Guy—step forward and form the hand seal."
Obito snapped back to reality and stepped into the ring with Guy. They formed the seals for confrontation.
"Obito, let's burn our youth together!" Guy shouted, his grin wide enough to show every tooth.
The surrounding students laughed condescendingly.
"Two dead last—this should be entertaining!"
"Even if one wins, they're still at the bottom!"
Several faces Obito didn't recognize sneered at them—kids from minor families or poor-performing students who took pride in being less capable than the best, but always better than the worst.
Such people existed everywhere in Konoha—from elite families to common villagers. They never learned anything but how to bully, which disgusted Obito.
He glared. At that moment, he remembered a painful memory from his past life.
Back then, he'd infiltrated Konoha intending to seize the Nine-Tails during a moment of weakness—his teacher's wife's weakest. Normally, capturing the Nine-Tails meant confronting two powerful shinobi: one a master of space–time ninjutsu, the other wielding Nine‑Tails sealing techniques. That duo—speed, space control, massive destructive potential—was even more terrifying than the famed Raikage–Bee team from Kumogakure.
Moreover, those two were still young and growing. Obito feared what they might become.
He knew that if his sensei and his wife matured further, they could use guerrilla tactics to annihilate Akatsuki. Although Nagato possessed the Rinnegan, he lacked agility and could not match Minato.
Even with his space‑time Mangekyō, Obito doubted he could outrun Minato.
Had Kushina and Minato fought together—Adamantine Sealing Chains in one hand, Tailed Beast Bomb in the other—Obito would never have escaped or won.
Thus, he reluctantly chose to act within Konoha, using the bonds between good people to restrict Minato's movement and exploit Kushina's postpartum weakness. Then, and only then, could he seize the Nine-Tails.
To his credit, he had succeeded. He never intended to kill Minato or Kushina; her vitality was strong enough she might have survived.
But at the decisive moment, when he gazed upon the ungrateful villagers of Konoha, fury surged within him. In a blind burst of rage, he unleashed the Nine-Tails to teach them a lesson.
That impulsive act—born of guilt and chaos—haunted him.
Among all his sins, none weighed heavier. He didn't even know how to face Kushina afterward.
In the end, when Kakashi attempted to finish him, Minato intervened. And when Naruto Uzumaki, Minato's son, forgave him, Obito's shame deepened further.
Now, such thoughts turned to envy. Why did these ungrateful villagers deserve the protection of Minato's family?
Rage coiled within him.
"Shut up!" Obito's voice thundered at the mocking crowd. His aura—born of hard-fought battles and spilled blood—erupted. For a moment, the students froze, trembling so badly they likely would have been traumatized, had Obito not consciously restrained his power.
His intent to kill was singular—but so potent it bordered on lethal. The chūnin teacher, unaware of Obito's deeper turmoil, merely thought he was reacting to bullying—as was often the case. He waved his hand.
"Enough distractions. Begin your match!" he declared.
No sooner had the words left the teacher's mouth than Guy launched himself forward with his signature shout, "Burn, my youth!"
The attack was impressive—raw power and speed fused, no fancy technique required. If it landed, it was overwhelming.
Obito, recalling how often he'd been bested by this move, mentally prepared himself—but Guy's speed was just too fast. The kick struck true, sending Obito spinning through the air.
Rin gasped from the sidelines, tears glimmering in her eyes as she cried out, "Obito!"
With a loud bang, Obito landed hard—but as his body hit the ground, his form blurred. His real body had teleported behind Guy, who, committed to the failed kick, stood vulnerable.
A single, precise punch later, Guy collapsed to the ground.
The chūnin teacher's eyes widened in surprise.