Chapter 43: I Have an Idea
"Alright!"
As soon as he heard there was a new mission, Obito's spirits lifted, banishing his earlier gloom.
"Sensei Minato, what's the mission? Do we have to leave the village? It must be exciting, right?"
Minato looked at Obito, a playful smile creeping onto his face.
"Ha ha, it's definitely an interesting mission," he said. "But this time, we only need three people."
Obito froze.
"Only three people? That means someone will be left behind, and that person isn't…"
Minato nodded slightly, his expression confirming Obito's fears.
"That's right. You won't be joining this mission, Obito."
Obito clutched his head in despair, letting out a long wail.
"Sensei Minato! How could you—!"
Minato laughed heartily, waving his hand dismissively.
"I couldn't resist teasing you. After all, you gave me quite the hard time yesterday, remember?"
Obito froze, guilt flashing across his face.
"Anyway, the reason you're staying behind is that I have a special task for you."
Obito's eyes lit up again.
"Oh? A special task? Am I going undercover in the Land of Earth?"
Minato shook his head, his expression turning somewhat peculiar.
"Not quite. There's a pharmacy owner who's requested a ninja to help organize her stock. She specifically asked for you by name."
Obito slumped, letting out a resigned sigh.
Of course, the person who'd made the request had to be Yuki.
"How did it come to this..."
You're all heading off on exciting missions while I'm stuck helping a beautiful woman in a quiet pharmacy.
Do you really think I'll be unhappy about this?
...Well, you read me like a book.
Rin chimed in with a cheerful smile.
"The client must be an elderly woman Obito helped before. She probably likes him a lot."
Kakashi nodded in agreement, looking at Obito with barely disguised glee.
Obito huffed, annoyed by Kakashi's mocking expression.
"Wrong! The client is a beautiful big sister type! She's drop-dead gorgeous!"
Kakashi scoffed, entirely unconvinced.
He didn't believe a single punctuation mark in Obito's claim.
The average age of Obito's acquaintances had to start at fifty.
Drop-dead gorgeous? Maybe... if you multiplied her age by four!
"Alright, we're heading out," Minato said with a chuckle.
"Obito, you should prepare and head to the pharmacy soon."
Obito sighed again, his agreement half-hearted.
"Yes, Sensei Minato..."
Minato led Rin and Kakashi away, Rin waving back with a playful gesture.
"See you later, Obito! Bye-bye~"
Kakashi, hands in his pockets, simply shrugged.
"Let's go."
After watching them leave, Obito turned toward the pharmacy.
It only took him about ten minutes to reach the door.
The moment he stepped inside, he was greeted by a familiar figure.
Yuki was sitting behind the counter, her smile as captivating as ever.
"Well, well. You're here, kid."
Obito scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly.
"Yuki-nee, long time no see!"
Yuki tapped her fingers on the counter, getting straight to the point.
"Since you're here, let's get to work. Go move the crates outside into the shop."
That straightforward, huh?
Fine. Let's get it done, then.
But just as he rolled up his sleeves, a notification popped into his mind:
[Choice Event Activated:]
Diligently transport the herbs and be a good boy.
Reward: None. (Good boys don't need rewards!)
Pretend to carry herbs while secretly admiring Yuki.
Reward: Sexy Technique Level Up.
Work? What's work? Chat with Yuki instead.
Reward: +1 Yuki Favorability.
[Reminder: When Yuki's favorability reaches a certain threshold, additional missions can be unlocked.]
Obito stared at the options, feeling a bit conflicted.
Clearly, he still didn't understand women.
If he hadn't seen these choices, he might have actually started working.
Option one? Out of the question.
Option two? Ha! As if he, Uchiha Obito, would ever stoop to being a pervert.
...Or a monk.
Option three it is! 33333333!
Obito grabbed a small stool, plopped himself beside Ayame, and grinned.
"Yuki-nee, it's been ages! Let's chat, shall we?"
[Choice Successful! Reward: +1 Yuki Favorability!]
A sly smile curled at the corners of Yuki's lips.
"Alright then. What do you want to talk about?"
Obito hesitated for a moment before tentatively suggesting,
"How about... something sensitive?"
Yuki blinked in surprise, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks.
"S-sensitive? What kind of topic are you talking about?"
Wait, am I overthinking this? He's just a kid, right?
Obito's grin widened.
"Like your opinion on the current chaos among the Five Great Nations?"
Yuki rolled her eyes, her earlier embarrassment replaced by exasperation.
"Kid, are you just messing with me?"
"Of course!" Obito said matter-of-factly.
"If it weren't fun, why would I do it?"
Yuki stared at him, speechless.
Well, you've got a point...
The two spent the entire day chatting, their conversation growing deeper and more lively as time passed.
By the time dusk fell, Obito reluctantly took his leave, his mood as bright as ever.
As she watched him go, Yuki murmured to herself with a faint smile.
"That kid... he's really something. Wait—"
Her eyes fell on the crates still sitting outside the store.
"Wasn't he supposed to move these?!"
Looking at the untouched crates, her flawless face darkened.
Obito, meanwhile, strolled home humming a cheerful tune.
"Chatting with a pretty lady and getting paid for it? Maybe I really do have what it takes to live the easy life!"
"Think Kaguya-baa-sama would go for someone like me…?"
After daydreaming for a bit, Obito sat cross-legged on the floor, ready to put his new idea into practice.
"My body's modifications are complete. It should be able to handle that power now."
Back when Sakumo died and his Sharingan awakened, the second tomoe had almost formed.
But his body couldn't bear the strain, so it didn't fully activate.
He could feel it, though—that power still lingered, waiting to emerge.
"Time to draw it out and upgrade my Sharingan!"
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Pls drop some Power Stones
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