Chapter 17: A New Semester

Obito rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"Uncle, I want to learn another new jutsu!"

Kawa thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"Obito, you have to understand your limits. Why not focus on mastering the Great Fireball Jutsu first? Once you've perfected it, come back, and I'll teach you something new."

Obito frowned inwardly.

That won't do! If I wait until next time, the system might not give me this task again!

"Uncle, I just want to expand my knowledge of jutsu. Please understand my thirst for learning. Even if you just explain the basics, that would help me a lot!"

Preferably, just teach me a forbidden jutsu while you're at it!

Seeing the eagerness in his nephew's eyes, Kawa sighed after a moment of hesitation.

"Alright then. I'll teach you another jutsu—Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu."

The moment Kawa said the words, a notification echoed in Obito's mind.

[System notification: Choice successful! Reward obtained: Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!]

"This technique's key point is—"

"Got it, Uncle! Let's leave it here for today. Thanks!" Obito interrupted with a grin.

"…???"

Kawa's expression morphed into a mix of confusion and frustration.

Didn't you just beg me to teach you? I barely said the name of the jutsu, and now you're done?

Caught between amusement and irritation, Kawa finally relented with a sigh.

"Fine, fine."

"Thanks, Uncle! See you later!" Obito bolted toward home, humming a jaunty tune.

"Feeling so free~"

Pleased with himself, he thought, Learning two jutsu in half a day? That's me, alright! Hard work really is the only path to success… time to grind for more system missions!

Back at home, Obito rummaged around his room, only to discover something alarming.

"Where's my sword?" he shouted.

His grandmother's voice came from outside.

"I cleaned your room today. It's under the bed, in the box."

"Ah, found it!" Obito exclaimed, pulling out the sheathed blade. With his trusty weapon in hand, he got to work on his tasks.

"Let's go! Lion's Roar! Thirty-six Blades of Torment!"

In the following days, Obito poured himself entirely into training. Time flew by without him even noticing. For him, training was never dull. Performing flashy jutsu, wielding elegant sword techniques, and darting over rooftops—this was a dream come true compared to his past life.

If only the system would reward me with a Telescope Jutsu… now that would be perfect.

Thanks to the system, Obito's skills had improved tremendously. He'd mastered the Great Fireball Jutsu, Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu, Dragon Fire Jutsu, and Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall. (Not counting the basic three academy techniques.)

After learning Iaido, he even managed to "borrow" some foundational sword techniques from Sakumo Hatake. His taijutsu had reached somewhere between genin and chunin level, though genjutsu remained his weak point.

But hey, I'm an Uchiha! Once I awaken my Sharingan, that problem will solve itself.

Reflecting on his break, Obito grinned.

"This vacation was super productive. My strength's grown so much, I've gotten closer to Rin, and Sakumo-senpai…"

Though rumors about Sakumo continued to worsen, Obito felt confident.

As long as he keeps his inner resolve, he'll make a different choice this time. I hope Kakashi can finally have a happy life.

With a sigh, Obito lay down to rest. Tomorrow marked the start of the new semester.

...

First Day of Academy

As expected, Obito was called to Kisuke. Sitting at his desk, Kisuke eyed the sulking boy in front of him.

"Obito," he said with a cold snort, "why didn't you do your homework again?"

Obito thought for a moment, then replied, "Sensei, I think the stuff you're teaching is useless for—"

Before he could finish, Kisuke sighed and interrupted.

"Obito, don't put yourself down like that. You actually have a lot of potential."

"…???"

"Sensei, I was saying your assignments don't really help improve our strength."

Kisuke tapped his desk thoughtfully. He knew the academy's curriculum wasn't the most rigorous. A lively student like Obito needed a different approach.

"Alright, how about this," Kisuke finally said. "If you can maintain stable grades, I'll allow you to skip the homework. But this stays between us—don't tell anyone else."

Overjoyed, Obito immediately agreed.

"No problem, Sensei!"

"Good. Now get back to class before you're late for the next lesson."

Returning to class, Obito was intercepted by a freckled boy with an aggressive glare.

"Obito, duel me after Academy today!" the boy demanded.

Obito sighed and pushed him aside.

"People who know you call you Nagano. Those who don't might think you're Might Gano."

"What?!"

"Look, you're no match for me. I suggest you give up."

Nagano sneered.

"Give up? That word doesn't exist in my dictionary!"

"Uh… you should probably go back to the bookstore, then. Sounds like you bought a bootleg dictionary."

"…!!"

As Nagano fumed in silence, Obito breezed past him and sat next to Rin.

"Rin, have you gotten even prettier in just a few days?" he teased with a grin.

Rin's cheeks turned pink.

"Obito, stop teasing me."

"I'm not teasing. Everyone knows Obito Uchiha never lies."

From across the room, Nagano shouted angrily, "Liar! You made me wait in the cold all night last time!"

"Obito's mouth speaks only lies!"

Obito shot him a warning glare.

"Watch it, bird-brain. You want a beating that badly? Meet me at the training grounds after Academy."

Nagano smirked.

"Fine. Whoever chickens out is a mutt!"

With a scoff, Obito muttered, "Never seen someone so eager to lose."

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