On a bench by the street.
After hesitating for a moment, Uchiha Obito poured out his troubles to the elderly woman.
To sum it up in one sentence: He couldn't beat Hanekawa.
"You don't need to feel so down," the elderly woman said with a kind smile. "At your age, unlocking the two-tomoe Sharingan is already remarkable."
"I know."
Obito nodded slightly but quickly sighed. "But he's a genius among geniuses. I can't even touch him."
"Not necessarily."
The elderly woman pondered briefly and said, "I think you're just missing a good teacher."
"A teacher?"
Obito scratched his head. "But my teacher is already excellent."
He had been under Namikaze Minato for over a year and knew how strong his teacher was.
There weren't many jonin stronger than Minato—maybe just the Hokage, the Sannin, and White Fang.
If even Minato wasn't enough, then who else?
"But your teacher isn't an Uchiha," the elderly woman replied with a smile. "Your talent lies in the Sharingan. He can't help you with that."
"That… makes sense."
Obito froze for a moment, uncertain.
Thinking back, he realized Minato had mostly taught him chakra control techniques over the past year.
While his overall strength had improved a lot, it paled compared to the explosive growth he experienced after awakening his Sharingan—which had nothing to do with Minato.
"So… should I go to the clan leader?" Obito asked hesitantly.
"The clan leader is busy with countless affairs. Do you think he'll have time to teach you?"
The elderly woman countered.
"Probably not," Obito said miserably. "I've only seen him a few times all year."
"Well, I do know an Uchiha jonin," the elderly woman said, patting his head gently. "Though he's retired, he has plenty of experience and could help you."
"Really?" Obito's eyes lit up with hope.
"Of course," the elderly woman said, smiling warmly. "Consider it my way of thanking you for helping me cross the street every day."
"Thank you, Grandma!"
Obito could hardly contain his excitement. "Where is he?"
"He's quite old and unwell, resting at a lodge outside the village," the elderly woman said. "It's not far—just about ten minutes away."
"That's great!"
Obito jumped to his feet. "Let's go now!"
"No rush," the elderly woman said with a chuckle. "He doesn't know about this yet. Whether he'll agree is another matter."
"Then what should I do?" Obito asked anxiously.
"Don't worry," the elderly woman said reassuringly. "I'll visit him today and talk to him. With your talent, I'm sure he'll agree to teach you."
"Thank you, Grandma!" Obito said, deeply moved.
Good deeds really do pay off!
All those days of helping people finally seemed to be bringing him good fortune.
"See you tomorrow," the elderly woman said, patting his shoulder. "You've worked hard today. Go home and rest early."
"Okay!" Obito nodded vigorously.
After the elderly woman left, Obito exhaled deeply.
Perhaps this was the turning point he needed to defeat Hanekawa!
With excitement, Obito headed home.
At his doorstep, he encountered an unexpected visitor.
"Clan leader," Obito said, quickly stepping forward to greet him.
"You've done well today," Uchiha Fugaku said with a slight nod. "Congratulations on unlocking the two-tomoe Sharingan."
"Thank you, Clan Leader!"
Obito couldn't hide his joy—he never expected Fugaku to notice him.
"Keep it up. Don't disgrace the Uchiha name," Fugaku said, handing him a ninjutsu scroll. "This is your reward."
"Clan Leader, I don't deserve this. I lost to Hanekawa."
Obito's excitement vanished instantly.
"Hanekawa is insignificant," Fugaku said calmly. "Against a three-tomoe Sharingan, no amount of ninjutsu matters."
"…"
Obito hesitated, unsure what to say.
He had been humiliated so many times he no longer had confidence in himself.
"When you reach the three-tomoe stage, you'll understand," Fugaku said with a faint smile. "The Sharingan isn't as simple as you think."
He was referring to the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Of course, in his opinion, Uchiha Shisui was far more likely to awaken it.
As for Uchiha Obito? It was better to prepare for all possibilities and treat him as a backup option.
"Yes!"
Obito's spirits lifted, and he said, "Clan leader, I will do my best!"
"I'll be leaving now," Uchiha Fugaku said as he turned to leave.
He still had to find Uchiha Shisui.
Ordinary Uchiha juniors wouldn't warrant his personal attention. But given Shisui and Obito's exceptional teacher, it was essential to invest in them for the future of the Uchiha clan.
"What a pity," Fugaku muttered with a sigh.
If only one of the Uchiha could apprentice under one of the Legendary Sannin, the clan would have even greater prospects.
---
That afternoon, the results of the Chūnin Exams spread throughout Konoha Village.
Though the Chūnin Exams were held every year, most of them were rather unremarkable.
The reason was simple: there were no outstanding genin.
But this year was different. The sheer number of astonishing geniuses shocked everyone.
The final few matches especially showcased skills that were already at the level of a jōnin.
Moreover, competitors like Hanekawa and Hatake Kakashi had identities that were anything but ordinary, generating widespread discussion.
---
Konoha Knowledge Bookstore
"What an incredible surprise!"
Tsuchibashi couldn't help but exclaim after learning the rankings of the Chūnin Exams.
No one could have guessed that the first-place prodigy, Hanekawa, was actually a spy from the Hidden Cloud Village.
In fact, neither he nor the Third Raikage had expected it.
It was truly a twist of fate.
"This must be reported to Lord Raikage immediately," Tsuchibashi thought, snapping out of his astonishment as he grabbed pen and paper.
As a spy, Hanekawa's prominence in the exams raised questions about how the Hidden Cloud would react to this.
Tsuchibashi could only hope nothing bad would happen.
After all, Hanekawa's friend had written novels that had made him quite a bit of money over the years.
Once his undercover mission ended, he could retire in the Hidden Cloud and enjoy a peaceful old age.
---
The Next Morning
Uchiha Obito woke up early.
To be more precise, he was so excited that he couldn't sleep.
After breakfast, he ran out the door and soon arrived at the usual spot, where he found the elderly woman.
"Grandma!"
Obito quickly ran up to her and offered his support.
"Good morning, Obito," the elderly woman said with a cheerful smile. "Let's go."
"Okay!"
Obito followed her out of Konoha Village to a nearby lodge.
"He's here," the elderly woman said as she knocked on the door.
"Come in," a weak voice replied, as though the speaker was at death's door.
Obito couldn't help but worry. Could this person really teach him?
The elderly woman pushed open the door.
Obito instinctively glanced inside the room.
An old man sat by the bed.
He was dressed in a black robe, his hair completely white, his face full of wrinkles. Yet his eyes shone with a sharp, vibrant light.
"Hello, sir," Obito greeted politely as he walked up to him.
"Outside," the old man said without expression as he stood up and exited the room.
Obito, full of questions, held back his curiosity and followed him to an open field.
"Show me your best ninjutsu," the old man said coldly.
Obito was momentarily stunned but complied.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
He formed the hand seals, tilted his body back, and spewed out a massive fireball from his mouth.
"How's that?" Obito asked proudly.
In his mind, no one his age, aside from Shisui, could match him in performing the Great Fireball Technique.
"Utterly pathetic," the old man snorted.
"..."
Obito froze, his expression stiffening.
Though the old man didn't say much, Obito's pride naturally turned into disbelief.
"Watch closely," the old man said, guessing Obito's thoughts. His hands moved swiftly to form seals.
In an instant, scorching heatwaves erupted. The air twisted and shimmered under the blazing heat.
A colossal fireball, towering at ten meters, appeared out of nowhere.
Nearby grass and flowers were instantly reduced to ash, and even the ground turned blackened and cracked.
"This... this can't be… impossible…"
Obito stood frozen, utterly dumbfounded.
He had never seen a Fireball Technique so terrifying. This wasn't a fireball—it was a miniature sun!
"Grandpa!" he exclaimed.
Uchiha Obito snapped back to reality and quickly said, "Please teach me!"
"I have only one condition," the old man said coldly. "No other Uchiha must know of my existence."
"Huh? Why?" Obito asked in confusion.
"I don't like them," the old man replied casually. "If you can't keep this a secret, then leave."
"I can do it!" Obito said earnestly. "I promise!"
To defeat Hanekawa, keeping a secret was a small price to pay.
"Good," the old man nodded slightly. "Come find me when you have free time."
"Yes!" Obito suddenly thought of something and asked, "Grandpa, how should I address you?"
"I have abandoned my name," the old man said calmly, hands clasped behind his back.
Obito felt a jolt in his heart.
He couldn't shake the feeling that this old man had a profound story and exuded an invincible aura.
Yet the fact that he was willing to teach without compensation was a clear sign of his kindness.
Such a warm-hearted grandpa!
---
Time flew by, and soon it was evening.
After a full day of learning, Obito was left utterly astounded.
He believed this old man's mastery of Fire Release far surpassed even Minato Namikaze's.
He only wondered how it compared to Clan Leader Uchiha Fugaku's level.
"Goodbye, Grandpa!" Obito waved with a beaming smile. "I'll come see you again tomorrow!"
"He's really nothing like the other Uchiha," the elderly woman remarked, shaking her head.
"Lord Madara, why did you choose him?"
"He has the potential to awaken his Sharingan further," said the old man, who was actually a shadow clone of Madara Uchiha.
"But I think Uchiha Shisui's talent surpasses his," the elderly woman said in confusion.
"Shisui's temperament needs closer observation," Madara replied before giving further instructions. "White Zetsu, monitor Uchiha Obito to ensure my existence isn't exposed."
"Yes, Lord Madara," White Zetsu said before sinking into the ground and disappearing.
---
The next day.
Raikage's Office, Hidden Cloud Village.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," said the Third Raikage, raising his head.
The door opened, and an Anbu ninja entered.
"Lord Raikage," the ninja said, presenting a scroll with both hands. "This is a classified report from Konoha."
The Third Raikage opened the scroll.
It detailed the events of the Chūnin Exams, with a particular focus on Hanekawa's use of numerous ninjutsu techniques.
"Summon Dodai and Mabui," the Raikage said after a pause.
"Yes," the Anbu ninja said, turning to leave.
Before long, Dodai and Mabui knocked and entered the room.
The Raikage hadn't called his son, A, or the Eight-Tails jinchūriki, Killer Bee, because they weren't skilled at analysis.
Dodai was his trusted right-hand man, as well as the overseer of the Hell Stab technique. His strength and loyalty were beyond question.
As for Mabui, the dark-skinned, white-haired girl was young but calm and highly intelligent.
In the brute-force-driven Hidden Cloud Village, she was a rare gem.
The Raikage, recognizing her potential, had quickly promoted her to serve as his secretary and strategist.
Her innate talent was also impressive, ranking her alongside Nii Yugito, Samui, and Darui as one of the Cloud's most promising young ninjas.
However, the Raikage couldn't help but lament about Hanekawa.
From what he could tell, not even the jinchūriki Yugito Nii could compare to Hanekawa.
"What do you think?" the Raikage asked, handing the scroll to Mabui.
It's him.
Mabui's brow furrowed as she read the scroll.
Fewer than ten people in the Hidden Cloud knew of Hanekawa's true identity, and she was one of them.
Her most detailed understanding came from her close friend Samui.
Long ago, Samui had encountered Hanekawa and sparred with him, only to lose miserably.
At the time, Mabui had been skeptical, but now she was fully convinced.
The scroll described Hanekawa using a vast array of ninjutsu.
To be honest, even an average jōnin couldn't master so many techniques, let alone a genin.
It was beyond her comprehension.
"This is good news," Dodai said with a smile after reading the scroll. "The more outstanding Hanekawa is, the higher he can climb."
"Not necessarily," Mabui said after some thought. "At this point, Hanekawa could completely sever ties with the Hidden Cloud."
Sorry, Samui.
Mabui knew that after losing to Hanekawa and receiving his guidance, Samui had developed a favorable impression of him.
But for the sake of the Hidden Cloud, she had to prepare for the worst.
"He's bound by a seal," Dodai said with a frown. "He wouldn't dare betray us."
"The seal is real, but who's to say he can't undo it?" Mabui said solemnly. "Given Hanekawa's identity and position, the entire Leaf Village would help him break it."
"That's indeed a possibility," the Raikage said after a moment of thought. "Should we summon him back?"
"Summoning him back would be a waste and might alert him," Mabui said calmly. "If he refuses, it would be pointless. Instead, let him prove his loyalty. After all, war isn't far off."
__
New entry: This Danzo Is Weird
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