#17 - Not much time left
Seeing this, Obito immediately took off his sports jacket in a flurry and jumped into the water with a splash.
"Idiot, you're supposed to stand on the water, not dive in."
Kakashi retorted with his usual sharp tongue.
"Hey, you're the idiot, Kakashi. It's too hot, can't I cool down first?"
Obito popped his head out of the water, his orange sunglasses now speckled with droplets.
"Is that so."
Kakashi's tone remained unchanged.
"Don't underestimate me."
Watching the bickering between Kakashi and Obito, Rin Nohara giggled.
"Alright, alright, everyone stop arguing."
At times like these, Rin Nohara would always step in to smooth things over.
Seiji had no interest in joining their鬧劇 and focused on his training.
As the saying goes, only Kakashi and Rin Nohara could ever truly reach Obito's heart.
Seeing the person he secretly loved killed by his best friend, he instantly harbored extreme hatred for everyone, hating Minato Namikaze for being the fastest shinobi in the world but not being there, hating Kakashi for not taking care of Rin, and hating Kirigakure for kidnapping Rin.
This was the root cause of Obito's determination to execute the Eye of the Moon Plan and end the shinobi system, an extreme manifestation of his feelings.
Even Minato and Kushina, who were so good to him, were killed without hesitation.
"It might be worthwhile to get to know Rin Nohara better."
Seiji thought to himself.
Rin Nohara's talent was not bad.
And in time, she might become Seiji's trump card to restrain Obito.
After all, Kamui had the best track record among all Mangekyō Sharingan abilities.
It was far better than the ineffective Amaterasu.
Contacting Obito was even riskier than contacting Kumogakure.
Kumogakure at least had a history of infiltration, such as kidnapping Kushina and only being discovered at the border.
Seiji took this into consideration when making contact.
As for Obito, who knew if Madara had sent White Zetsu, masters of infiltration, to Konoha to monitor him?
Obito's defection was highly probable.
It was always good to have an extra layer of insurance.
Gradually, the golden gauze faded, replaced by a night sky filled with stars.
Night had fallen.
The distant streetlights cast their glow, illuminating the water's surface with shimmering ripples.
The Third Training Ground was located near the center of the village, not too far away.
Obito's grandmother picked him up, and Rin Nohara was picked up by her parents.
They had all informed their families of their whereabouts in advance.
A man wearing a green shinobi flak jacket, with the same white hair as Kakashi, approached.
"Kakashi, it's time to go back."
"Yes, Father."
Kakashi nodded and followed the man.
Now only Seiji remained, still training by the river.
Sakumo Hatake patted Kakashi's head and led him home. After walking for a while, he looked back at Seiji and said:
"Is he Uchiha Seiji, who came from the Land of Lightning?"
Sakumo Hatake asked.
The Uchiha clan had recently brought back a new member from abroad, and this matter had caused quite a stir.
This was the first instance of a Konoha ninja clan's bloodline being leaked!
The Hyuga clan, known as a dōjutsu family like the Uchiha, had never leaked a single Byakugan.
The weaker clans, such as the Yamanaka, Inuzuka, Akimichi, Nara, etc., had also never had such a situation.
This made Uchiha Seiji the focus of attention.
Most people were wondering if a person from the Land of Lightning who had never received Konoha education could successfully inherit the Will of Fire?
"He is Uchiha Seiji."
Kakashi said, turning his head. They were now far away from Seiji and could only see a figure training there.
"He seems like a determined child."
Sakumo Hatake's keen insight allowed him to see deeper.
Seiji's water walking was now barely able to keep his feet on the surface, but they were still sinking halfway, with the water covering his insteps.
How long had it been since Seiji entered the academy?
"It seems that Uchiha Seiji will be a formidable opponent for you in the future, perhaps even stronger than Might Dai's son."
Sakumo Hatake said seriously.
Seiji, in addition to the Uchiha's Sharingan, was said to possess the talent of the Hozuki clan.
The mixed bloodline of ninja clans has only two outcomes.
First, they become stronger than ordinary purebloods, inheriting the talents of both bloodlines.
Second, they interfere with each other, and neither is inherited, resulting in an ordinary person.
Among them, the probability of the second type is particularly high.
Therefore, ninja clans with different surnames rarely combine.
Uchiha Seiji should be... the former.
Such rapid learning speed and physical endurance were not something the Uchiha could achieve.
Sakumo Hatake glanced at Kakashi's forehead, which was covered in sweat.
Obviously, even his son, who was known as a genius, could not withstand such long hours of training.
"Father is right."
Kakashi agreed.
Kakashi didn't feel anything about his father saying that Might Guy would be a formidable opponent.
Looking at Seiji's solid footing and rapid progress, he felt a bit of empathy.
If Seiji wasn't a transfer student and was a student with the same normal progress as them, how strong would he be?
Kakashi didn't know the answer to this question.
But he thought that Uchiha Seiji might also be praised as a genius.
The father and son walked further and further away.
After they had completely left, Seiji looked in the direction they had left.
"Konoha White Fang, Sakumo Hatake..."
It wouldn't be long before he committed suicide at home because he couldn't stand the pressure of the villagers' constant condemnation after a failed mission.
"Time is running out."
Seiji thought to himself.
The number of missions Sakumo Hatake had during his lifetime was recorded in the official databook.
He had a terrifying 27 S-rank missions and 123 A-rank missions.
This meant that Sakumo Hatake was an experienced ninja who had seen countless partings and deaths.
And ninjas are naturally inseparable from dark espionage and assassinations.
His hands were bound to be stained with blood.
However, he died by suicide.
His body was discovered by Kakashi, who idolized him the most, leaving an indelible psychological shadow on him when his most admired father committed suicide like a coward.
Perhaps only the Konoha White Fang himself knew why he committed suicide.
But it was very likely inseparable from politics.
When Minato Namikaze introduced Kakashi's father to Obito, he said: "It is said that even the legendary Sannin fear him by three points."
The specific situation can only be seen differently by different people.
All Seiji could do was get stronger quickly.
Sakumo Hatake, such a figure, had such an end.
Moreover, he was a "person from the Land of Lightning", a "member of the Hozuki clan", and an "Uchiha".
This series of labels had long made his image increasingly subtle.
Danzo Shimura or others had most likely already set their sights on him.
The only way was to strengthen himself quickly.
Turning around, Seiji continued his training.
It was still early, and the nightlife on Konoha's bustling streets had just begun.
He still had time to train.
[Entry: Water Walker (White).]
[Requirement: Walk on the water's surface with your feet as if walking on flat ground.]
[Progress: 25%.]
[Effect: In special terrains, your skill in controlling chakra becomes more proficient, and your chakra 'sustainability' becomes longer than that of ordinary people, increasing by 5% based on the original foundation.]
[Note: Can be upgraded later.]
