Chapter 53: A New Kekkei Genkai

Obito smacked his forehead.

Man, what was he even thinking?

Shikayu was such a lazy guy. There was no way he'd cook something himself.

"Guess we'll just have some canned food," Obito suggested.

Shikayu nodded.

"Alright. Wait here for a moment."

With that, he dashed home, quick as a flash, and returned holding two cans.

"Obito, which one do you want?"

Obito glanced at the cans. They looked nearly identical. Curiosity got the better of him.

"What's in them?"

"One's black pepper beef, and the other is... also black pepper beef," Shikayu explained matter-of-factly.

Obito sighed. "Seriously? Got anything else?"

"Yeah, hold on."

Shikayu darted back home and reappeared with a whole cardboard box.

"I've got potato beef, tomato and egg, kung pao chicken…"

Whoa. He had quite the variety.

Obito pondered for a moment. "So, uh, which one tastes better?"

Shikayu thought for a second before replying earnestly,

"To be honest? None of them are particularly good."

Obito: "???"

You're really making this tough for my decision-making skills!

After some internal debate, Obito grabbed the tomato and egg can. Shikayu opened a potato beef one for himself.

The two of them settled down at a small pavilion, chatting as they ate.

"So, Obito, how's the tomato and egg can?" Shikayu asked.

Obito smacked his lips a few times, tasting it carefully.

"It's alright, I guess. Tastes... like tomatoes."

Their conversation was light and meaningless, the kind that didn't require much thought.

After finishing their meal, they both leaned back, rubbing their full stomachs, gazing at the moon.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

Then Shikayu broke the silence.

"Be careful these days… The border's been pretty unstable lately."

Obito glanced at Shikayu thoughtfully. As a member of the Nara clan, Shikayu probably knew some insider information.

"You're the one who needs to be careful," Obito said seriously.

After all, in the original timeline of his memories, Shikayu didn't seem to exist in the story.

A bad feeling gnawed at Obito. Shikayu might die in the Third Shinobi War. And not just him—maybe Sparrow, Ryoko, and the others too…

Of course, Sparrow wasn't from a major clan. Maybe he was just so insignificant to the plot that Kishimoto didn't bother drawing him.

Seeing Shikayu's indifferent attitude, Obito frowned.

"I'm telling you, take some time to train instead of always complaining about how troublesome it is," Obito chided.

"In the face of absolute strength, clever tricks won't save you."

Shikayu snorted softly. "Yeah, yeah, I got it."

On his way home, Obito sighed deeply.

"War… In this world, only great strength ensures survival."

The Battle of Kannabi Bridge loomed like the sword over his head, reminding him never to relax.

"What should I focus on improving in the coming days…?"

Just as Obito was lost in thought, the system chimed in:

Ding!

Three options appeared before him:

[Option 1: Break the current record and become the youngest Jonin in Konoha history. Reward: Hope of the Village.]

[Option 2: Master three forbidden techniques by any means. Reward: Flying Thunder God Technique.]

[Option 3: Proficiently master 20 fire-style and 20 earth-style jutsu. Reward: Kekkei Genkai: Lava Release.]

[Hope of the Village: As the record-breaking prodigy, you'll be seen as the village's hope. All attributes increase by 10%... until your record is broken.]

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! These rewards are amazing!" Obito exclaimed as he studied the glowing screen.

"But Option 2 is just absurd. Sure, Flying Thunder God is tempting, but I can't even get close to forbidden jutsu right now!"

"And forbidden jutsu take forever to learn. I'm not Minato-sensei or Orochimaru. What if I spend years and still can't figure one out?"

"Compared to that, Options 1 and 3 seem more realistic."

Both had their challenges, but Obito was confident he could achieve either before the Kannabi Bridge battle.

"Though, if I really do become a Jonin, the village might send our team to the frontlines…"

He shuddered at the thought. "That's a meat grinder out there!"

"Plus, Konoha's full of geniuses. That bonus probably wouldn't last long…"

After careful deliberation, Obito chose Option 3.

33333333!

With his decision made, his steps became noticeably lighter.

"With my current strength, adding Lava Release? I'll crush regular Jonin like nothing!"

Back home, lying on his little bed, Obito began strategizing.

"For fire-style, I can ask Uncle for help. As for earth-style… Uncle doesn't know much himself. What now?"

"Minato-sensei isn't good with earth-style, and he's busy with baby stuff these days. No way he has time to arrange a teacher for me."

"...Should I approach that person? I could even build some connections while I'm at it."

Resolving to do just that, Obito pulled his blanket over his head and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Obito stood outside the Hokage's office. After a thorough inspection by the Anbu, he entered the office.

Hiruzen set down his teacup, surprised.

"Oh? Little Obito, what brings you here? Something you need from Grandpa?"

Obito grinned.

"Hokage Grandpa, I'd like you to teach me some earth-style jutsu!"

That's right. The person Obito wanted to ask for help was the Third Hokage.

There were two reasons for this.

First, the Third Hokage, known as the "Professor," had mastered all seven chakra natures and was proficient in every type of ninjutsu.

Second, Obito wanted to build some goodwill.

In psychology, there's something called the Ben Franklin Effect: asking someone for a small favor can make them like you more.

The Third Hokage looked at Obito with a trace of guilt.

"Little Obito, Grandpa has a lot of paperwork to handle today. I don't have time to teach you…"

Obito formed a hand seal and used his Transformation Jutsu.

"Aw, c'mon, Hokage Grandpa~" he said in a sultry tone.

In front of the Hokage now stood a beautiful, curvaceous woman with long black hair.

Hiruzen wiped the blood from his nose and said solemnly,

"Alright. Come back later, after I finish my work, and I'll guide your training."

The lady bowed politely.

"Thank you, Grandpa Hokage~" she said sweetly before leaving.

As Obito left, Hiruzen glanced at the mountain of documents on his desk and sighed.

After a moment, he slammed his hand on the desk.

An Anbu member appeared silently.

"Hokage-sama, your orders?"

"Take these files to Danzo. Tell him I'm busy today and need him to handle them."

"Yes!"

(Danzo: "???")

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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