Chapter 19: Danzo's Proposal

The small grove was peaceful, the rustling leaves harmonizing with the whisper of the wind.

Obito was still crawling forward with great difficulty, gritting his teeth and dragging himself inch by inch.

But this time, he wasn't alone.

A green "snake" slithered alongside him, wriggling and twisting clumsily. The duo's movements were awkward, almost comedic in their synchronicity.

Obito was numb to it all.

It felt like he and Guy were reenacting The Legend of the White Snake—except it was more embarrassing than mythical.

Guy crawled earnestly beside him, marveling aloud.

"Obito, I never thought that this 'Dragon Training' would actually stimulate the core muscles so effectively!"

He tilted his head in admiration. "How did you come up with such a genius training method?"

Obito's voice was calm but firm as he replied, "During Training, don't speak. It disrupts the effectiveness of the practice."

Guy let out an "Oh" and immediately zipped his lips.

Finally, Obito could breathe a sigh of relief.

For a moment, the grove was silent save for the rustle of leaves and the soft scraping sound of their crawling.

But the silence didn't last long.

"Obito, do you come here every night to train? Can I join you from now on?"

Obito's eye twitched. He responded, enunciating each word with exaggerated clarity.

"No. You. Can. Not!"

"We are not compatible. Give up on this dream already!"

Guy's expression fell, his thick eyebrows drooping in disappointment.

He couldn't help but feel that Obito didn't see him as a friend, even though he had already considered Obito a confidant in his heart.

As Obito firmly rejected Guy, a shimmering screen of light appeared before his eyes.

[Option 1: The path of training is long and lonely. Since someone wants to join you, embrace the companionship and train together. Reward: Taijutsu mastery upgrade (Chunin level).]

[Option 2: Even if Obito starves to death, even if there's no reward, he will never engage in performance art with a green-skinned kappa! Reward: None.]

[Option 3: Tell Guy that if he convinces Kakashi to join, then you'll agree to train together as a trio. Reward: Three's a Crowd Aura.]

[Three's a Crowd Aura: As long as two or more people are accompanying you, no matter what you're doing, you will never feel awkward.]

Obito sighed deeply. He truly wanted to reject outright, but the rewards were simply too enticing.

Forcing a smile, he turned to the "snake" beside him.

"Guy, actually, I was just joking earlier."

"From now on, let's train together. We'll encourage, supervise, and push each other to improve!"

Guy's previously dim spirits reignited with blazing passion.

"Really, Obito? That's fantastic!"

At that moment, the system's chime echoed in Obito's mind.

[Choice successful! Reward obtained: Taijutsu mastery upgrade (Chunin level).]

Obito exhaled heavily. What a pain.

He felt a surge of strength coursing through his body. His crawling speed noticeably increased.

However, to his surprise, no matter how much faster he crawled, Guy kept up effortlessly.

"This doesn't make sense…" Obito muttered under his breath.

After thinking for a moment, realization dawned on him.

"Ah, this must be the difference between an oak and a wandering dragon."

...

One Week Later

In the classroom at the Ninja Academy, the teacher stood at the podium, delivering an impassioned lecture.

Obito, however, was distracted. His gaze kept drifting to an empty seat in the corner.

Kakashi… why didn't he come to class today?

After class, while wandering the training grounds, Obito spotted a familiar figure.

Kakashi stood there, waiting, and nodded slightly when their eyes met.

Obito approached him, puzzled. "What's going on, Kakashi?"

Kakashi was silent for a moment before speaking in a calm voice.

"I've applied for early graduation. I won't be attending the Academy anymore… I just thought I'd let you know."

Obito's expression grew complex, but he nodded.

"I understand."

Kakashi standing before him was still just a child—not yet the composed and unflappable Kakashi he remembered.

Even if Kakashi was mature beyond his years, the whispers and rumors must have weighed heavily on him.

Obito thought for a moment and placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder. This time, Kakashi didn't brush it away.

Looking him in the eye, Obito said sincerely,

"No matter what decision you make, I'll always support you unconditionally."

"Because you're Kakashi. Because you're my friend."

Beneath his mask, Kakashi's mouth curved into a faint smile. On the surface, he remained stoic.

"Mm. I'll be off then."

Even Kakashi didn't realize that his steps were much lighter as he left.

Watching him go, Obito smirked.

"Damn tsundere. Would it kill him to say a few more words?"

Just then, Guy came running toward him in a hurry.

"Obito! Obito!"

"I just saw Kakashi talking to you! What did he say? Did he explain why he wasn't in class today?"

The sheer force of Guy's enthusiasm made Obito take two cautious steps back.

He recounted Kakashi's words.

Hearing them, Guy seemed to deflate, murmuring despondently,

"How could this happen… how could this happen…"

But then, his resolve hardened, and he declared firmly,

"No, I'm going to graduate early too!"

Obito shook his head, mercilessly crushing Guy's dreams.

"Guy, let's be real here. With your abysmal Transformation Jutsu, graduating might be a bit of a stretch."

Guy froze, his confidence cracking.

"…You might be right…"

As days passed, the rumors about Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of Konoha, only grew worse.

What began as whispers turned into a storm of malice, reaching a fever pitch.

Some tried to defend Sakumo, but their voices were quickly drowned out by the overwhelming tide of scorn.

"Someone who can't complete a mission is useless. Why hasn't he died yet?"

"He caused such a massive loss to the village. How does he even have the face to stay here? I feel ashamed for him!"

"I say we banish the White Fang. He's a disgrace to Konoha!"

Once hailed as a hero, Sakumo had fallen, and now everyone seemed eager to trample on him.

It was as if tearing him down elevated their own status, granting them the intoxicating power to judge and condemn.

...

Hokage's Office

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at his desk, gazing at Sakumo Hatake with a heavy heart.

"Sakumo, I…"

The weight of the slander and hatred was crushing the young man before him.

Sakumo's once-proud stance had crumbled, his sharp eyes now dull and lifeless.

The man who had been Konoha's White Fang was gone. In his place was a hollow shell.

From the shadows, another figure stepped forward.

"Let me handle this, Hiruzen."

Danzo strode toward Sakumo, his voice calm but commanding.

"Sakumo Hatake, there's an opportunity for you to redeem yourself—a mission to reclaim your honor."

"If you succeed, the voices of dissent will vanish, and you'll once again be a hero in the eyes of the village."

Danzo's eyes glinted coldly as he leaned closer.

"Well? Are you willing to take it?"

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