Chapter 37: I Don’t Want to Be a Chūnin

That afternoon, after classes at the Ninja Academy had ended, Shisui stopped his teacher with a curious look in his eyes.

"Teacher Kisuke, what kind of person do you think my cousin is?" he asked expectantly.

Kisuke didn't hesitate.

"Obito? He's a unique child... truly exceptional!"

Kisuke could still vividly recall the first day of school.

The moment Obito saw him, the boy had confidently declared, "Teacher, you don't need to bother assigning me a seat. I can get along with anyone, no matter where I sit."

At the time, Kisuke had been young and headstrong. He didn't believe a word of it and deliberately moved Obito's seat multiple times, trying to challenge his claim.

Eventually, he placed Obito next to the quietest, most reserved student in the class, thinking, Let's see him chat now.

To his surprise, Kisuke later realized he had been the fool all along.

That quiet student, Nagano, had somehow become just as talkative as Obito.

Even now, Kisuke wasn't sure what had gone wrong.

Was it Obito's influence? My own lack of discipline? Or was Nagano rebellious all along?

In any case, from that point onward, Kisuke decided to just let Obito be.

Some students are like old ladies climbing stairs—you simply have to help them along.

Obito was the most peculiar student Kisuke had ever taught.

Still, in front of Shisui, Kisuke chose his words carefully.

After all, Obito had eventually brought honor to his name.

"That's amazing..." Shisui murmured after hearing Kisuke's assessment. He felt like he understood his cousin a bit better.

Obito wasn't just talented, he had a charm that left an impression on everyone he met.

Determined, Shisui made a silent vow.

I'll follow in Cousin Obito's footsteps and become an excellent ninja like him!

The warm sunlight bathed the earth, bright and gentle, like a big sister's soft hand brushing across one's skin.

Obito leaned lazily on the bridge's railing, basking in the sun.

"What's the deal with Minato-sensei? He called us here early, but now he's late himself," Obito grumbled.

Kakashi, standing beside him with his usual bored expression, shot him a side glance.

"Obito, you're really one to talk."

Obito opened his mouth to retort but found himself at a loss for words. Instead, he glared at Kakashi.

"Kakashi!"

Kakashi returned the glare.

"Obito!"

"Kakashi!"

"Obito!"

Rin chuckled helplessly and stepped between the two, placing a hand on each of their heads.

"Alright, that's enough, you two!"

As they squabbled, a figure descended from above—it was Minato. Landing gracefully, he greeted them with a smile.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I see everyone's here."

Obito walked up, curiosity shining in his eyes.

"Sensei, why'd you jump down from so high up? Do we have a new mission today?"

Minato hesitated, momentarily thrown off by Obito's question.

"Ah... no, no mission today. I have something else to announce."

Reaching into his pouch, Minato pulled out three pieces of paper.

"What's that, Sensei?" Rin asked, her big eyes blinking in curiosity.

Minato handed the papers to the trio.

"These are consent forms for the Chūnin Exams. I've recommended you all for promotion."

Chūnin, huh...

Obito accepted the form reluctantly, his enthusiasm noticeably lacking.

Minato, puzzled by Obito's reaction, had imagined him leaping with joy, maybe even hugging him and shouting something dramatic like "I love you, Sensei!"

Instead, Obito looked like he couldn't care less.

Minato scratched his head in confusion.

"Obito, you don't seem too excited. Are you not interested in becoming a Chūnin?"

Both Kakashi and Rin turned to Obito in surprise. His behavior was indeed out of character.

Under their stares, Obito hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"That's right, Sensei. I don't want to take the Chūnin Exams."

If I stay a Genin, Obito thought to himself, maybe I can help our team avoid the tragedy of the Kannabi Bridge mission. Besides, being a Genin in Konoha is pretty great. Why rush to become a Chūnin?

But the system had other plans.

With a soft ding, a new set of options appeared before him.

[Option 1: Agree to take the Chūnin Exams and wow everyone in the final round. Reward: Hashirama Cells enhancement.]

[Option 2: Agree to take the Chūnin Exams and pass with average performance. Reward: Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet.]

[Option 3: Refuse to take the Chūnin Exams and remain a proud Genin. Reward: Genin Aura.]

[Genin Aura]: When encountering an enemy, shout, "I'm just a Genin!" to lower their sanity by 1 point.

What the...

Obito scanned the options and found that all the rewards were decent.

Still, Option 1 was clearly the most tempting, though it seemed the hardest to achieve.

Well, it looks like skipping the exams isn't an option after all.

Without hesitation, he mentally selected Option 1.

"Obito," Minato prompted again, noticing the boy lost in thought. "Can you tell me why you don't want to take the Chūnin Exams?"

Snapping out of it, Obito grinned sheepishly.

"Because I'm afraid I'll shine too brightly in the exams and make everyone jealous!"

Minato: "..."

Rin: "..."

Kakashi sighed and punched Obito in the arm.

"Sensei, just ignore him. Please continue."

Minato exhaled, his expression complicated, and nodded.

"Kakashi, even though you're already a Chūnin, this exam includes a group competition segment. So I'll need you to join Obito and Rin for the test."

Kakashi nodded calmly.

"No problem, Sensei."

Satisfied, Minato clapped Kakashi on the shoulder.

"Good. Now let me explain the details of the Chūnin Exams. Obito, Rin, make sure you listen carefully. The first stage is a written test..."

On the day of the written test, Obito confidently handed in his paper early and strolled out of the exam room.

"Pfft, too easy. Anyone with a hand could pass this," he boasted loudly at the door.

His comment earned him glares from many test-takers still inside.

What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying we're all incompetent?!

Rin quickly dragged Obito away from the scene, laughing softly.

"So, how do you think you did, Obito?"

Patting his chest, Obito grinned.

"Piece of cake!"

For past-life Obito, the written exam might've been the hardest part. But now? A breeze.

Or so he thought.

When the results were posted, Obito stared at the board, wiping cold sweat from his brow.

"Seriously?! I barely passed by the skin of my teeth?!"

Beside him, Kakashi crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

"Idiot."

Obito huffed, glaring at Kakashi.

"So what if you scored first? Big deal! …Kakashi!"

"Obito!"

"Kakashi!"

"Obito!"

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