Chapter 43: The Competition Begins

Evening, Uchiha Clan territory.

"Obito, don't eat so quickly, be careful not to choke."

Upon hearing his grandmother's words, Obito slowed down his pace of eating and explained:

"Grandma, a friend invited me to hang out."

"Which friend, is it little Rin?" Obito's grandmother looked at Obito with a smiling squint and asked.

Since Rin often came to play with Obito, Obito's grandmother also knew Rin.

"Yeah, but there are also other people." Obito replied while eating.

Tomorrow, the Youth Ninjutsu Grand Competition is about to begin, and today he practiced seriously all day, leaving him exhausted.

Perhaps because he and Kakashi are going to be competitors again tomorrow, Rin invited them to come out tonight to relax a bit.

Due to Kakashi's influence, Obito also invited Might Guy to join them.

"I'm full." After finishing his meal, Obito wiped his mouth and hurriedly prepared to leave.

Obito's grandmother followed him to the entrance, smiling, and said, "Do your best, Obito. I hope to see a great-grandchild someday."

Obito nearly somersaulted to the ground, blushing as he turned around and shouted, "Grandma, I'm still in school, you know."

Although he did have certain thoughts in his mind, he felt he was still too young at the moment.

They agreed to meet on a street in the southern part of the main city.

When Obito arrived, he found that the other three had already gathered; he was the last one.

"I ran into an old lady who needed help on the way, so I was a bit delayed." Obito explained.

"You seem to encounter old ladies easily, it's always like this every time." Kakashi felt it was a bit exaggerated.

"I don't know either, but when I see an old lady in need, I can't just ignore her, right?" Obito felt a bit wronged because he did indeed help an old lady on the way.

"Alright, it's okay now. It's probably because Obito is too kind, with a pair of eyes keen on spotting those in need of help." Rin walked with her hands behind her back, coming between the two and smiling gently.

With this small incident resolved, the four of them walked together on the main street.

"So many people. How about it, Kakashi? Shall we see who can navigate through the crowd faster?" Might Guy couldn't help asking as he looked at the densely packed crowd.

"I'm afraid I have to decline." Kakashi decisively refused, leaving no room for Might Guy's fantasies. Such a challenge was just too foolish.

"Today, this side of the street is hosting an event, so many people have gathered." Rin explained.

Then, Rin led the three to the event venue. The entire street was filled with vendors, brightly lit, and people dressed in yukatas strolling together.

"Look, these goldfish are so cute." Rin spotted a stall where people were trying to catch goldfish and waved to the others with a smile.

"Young lady, want to give it a try? It's just ten ryo, and you can get a net." The stall owner tempted.

"Ten ryo, huh..." Rin wore a contemplative expression. Just ten ryo didn't seem like much, but there was no guarantee that a single net would be sufficient; these paper nets were too easy to tear.

"Let me give it a try." Obito volunteered and stepped forward, handing the money for a net to the stall owner.

Obito directly aimed for the most lively and attractive fish. After attempting to catch it two or three times, he failed to catch the fish, but the net ended up tearing.

"Again!" Obito wasn't discouraged and tried once more, but still failed.

It wasn't until the ninth attempt that Rin intervened, stopping Obito with a hand and saying, "Let's forget about it and go somewhere else."

Eighty ryo could buy a bowl of ramen.

"But I've already tried so many times, and I've become more skilled than before. Ending now feels like a loss." Obito hesitated.

"I'll give it a try too." Might Guy, who had never played before, rolled up his sleeves, preparing to give it his all to capture the fish in one breath.

Snap! The stick with the net attached to it broke directly.

"Let me handle this." Kakashi said casually, handed ten ryo to the vendor, and effortlessly caught a goldfish with a single swipe of the net.

"Here you go." Kakashi handed the neatly packed fish to Rin.

Rin happily said, "Thank you, Kakashi."

Then she added, "Thanks also to Obito and Guy."

Obito, who had originally worn a troubled expression, instantly broke into a silly grin.

Next, the four of them played together, using shurikens to hit targets, and whatnot..

After playing until the number of pedestrians on the street gradually decreased, they decided to each go home.

"Kakashi, just wait and see tomorrow. This time, I'll definitely be the first." Obito, taking a bite of takoyaki, didn't forget to boast.

"If you want the reward for first place, I can give it to you after I get it." Kakashi, at this moment, had an impressive level of sarcasm.

The exchange of boasts between the two fueled Might Guy's enthusiasm. If there were a Youth Taijutsu competition, he would definitely invite Kakashi for a good showdown.

...

The next day, due to it being a Sunday, there was no need to go to school.

The competition was scheduled for the afternoon, and Obito spent the morning in final preparations.

The venue for the Youth Ninjutsu competition was a commercial street in Konoha's main city.

Obito heard that it was organized by a certain old ninja shopkeeper to encourage academy students. If it managed to attract a crowd, everyone chipped in to organize it, making it an annual event.

"Obito, which Ninjutsu are you planning to use in the competition this time?" Rin asked.

"Great Fireball Jutsu." Obito didn't beat around the bush and directly informed Rin.

"Aren't you going to use the Great Dragon Fire Jutsu you used in the practical exam last time?" Rin was a bit puzzled.

The last time Obito lost to Kakashi, he used the Great Fireball, scoring thirty points, which was a full nine points lower than Kakashi.

"This time is different from the last. Now my Great Fireball Jutsu is powerful!" Obito showed a confident expression. He believed that his Great Fireball would absolutely shock the audience.

"Well, then I look forward to your performance." Rin smiled gently.

"Obito, do your best. As my arch-nemesis, that man is not easy to defeat." Might Guy crossed his arms, looking mysterious and profound.

"Are you asking me to leave?" Kakashi, who had been silent on the side, spoke up.

Why were they already discussing how to defeat him in front of him?

"What Ninjutsu are you planning to use, Kakashi?" Rin immediately asked with a smile.

"I haven't decided yet. I'll use whatever comes to mind at the time, maybe Earth-Style Wall." Kakashi thought for a moment and said.

This wasn't bragging because he had a fair amount of Ninjutsu at his disposal. In this kind of competition, he could indeed choose casually.

Obito looked around and noticed many familiar faces from the ninja academy, including two ninjas with forehead protectors.

"There are a lot more people this time than last time." Obito recalled the previous competition.

"Because the rewards have increased. The first-place winner this time not only gets a finely crafted silver kunai but also a prize of eight thousand ryo." Rin explained.

"Eight thousand ryo!" Obito widened his eyes, even more determined to clinch the first place.

This was a significant amount, allowing him to treat Rin to a meal or buy gifts without any worries.

"The competition begins. Please have the first contestant come forward for the performance."

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