In the Amazon Store, Masahiko looked helplessly at Obito's so-called hard work, while a thick layer of sawdust was already piled on the ground.
Rin's encouragement meant the world to him, and nothing was going to stop him, or that what he thought.
"Stop, stop." Masahiko hurriedly stopped him, "I'm teaching you how to carve, not how to chop wood."
Crack!!
The moment Masahiko stopped him, the wood in Obito's hand cracked into two pieces.
Obito was clearly fantasizing about Rin again. And Masahiko felt already tired of dealing with this teenager.
"Ah! Sorry, Master!"
Masahiko shook his head and took the carving knife, "Okay, you got really used to the carving knife during this month. Let's officially start learning to sculpt…"
Masahiko cleaned up the broken wood, then looked for a stone around.
"I'm no longer wasting my wood on you. Use stones to practice." Masahiko smiled, then using his Chakra, he quickly moved his carving knife and wrote "Uchiha Obito."
"Try it yourself."
…
At the same time, the three children who had left Masahiko's shop parted ways, and each went to his home.
Kakashi carried the sculpture that Masahiko gave to him, frowning.
The way that old-man have talked seemed weird to him, Kakashi didn't notice anything wrong with him when he was there, but now after he walked out, he was a little confused.
"So Konoha's famous sculptor is a reclusive ninja? Why I've never heard of this before? Could it be that he's from another village…"
"Kakashi, you're back." Sakumo's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Father, you came early today?" As an Anbu, Sakumo is usually very busy.
Sakumo nodded and noticed the sculptor in Kakashi's hand, "Did you go to the Amazon Store?"
Kakashi was surprised, only to remember later that his father also had such a sculpture.
"Father, do you know that the owner of the Amazon Store is a reclusive ninja?"
The corner of Sakumo's mouth twitched, not knowing what the hell Masahiko was playing again.
He reluctantly nodded after a long while, "I know, he's a very strong ninja too. Why did you go there?"
"So, he's really a ninja?" Kakashi looked surprised, "The clown of our class has become his carving disciple."
"Uchiha Obito?" Sakumo obviously knew about this nickname from Kakashi, "Learning carving, huh…"
Because Masahiko would often do things he can't understand, he believed Kakashi's story, but in his heart, he knew that Masahiko wouldn't do such a thing just to teach him carving.
But this time, he missed the target. Masahiko didn't accept him as a disciple. He just accepted Obito as Hagoromo's apprentice to add some fun to the shop.
Also… he really liked kids, and this one is very funny and stupid; a good mix.
Masahiko smirked as he looked at Obito, struggling with the stone in his hand.
Obito's current strength is really off the standards. He couldn't even master the three basic Ninjutsu, let alone transmitting his Chakra into the carving knife.
Masahiko has added a lot of Chakra Conductive Metal into the blade of this carving knife. Obito should easily be able to pour his Chakra into it but controlling it another story.
"Done!" Obito shouted, then collapsed on the ground, with sweat all over his forehead.
Masahiko looked at it again and again, then he smiled helplessly, "What is this? I can barely read it."
He put the stone away, planning to keep it for two years to see if Obito could recognize the carving characters by then.
After that, under the desperate gazes of Obito, Masahiko brought two more stones from nowhere.
"Carry on."
However, Obito lost his spirit and seemed unwilling to keep practicing.
Masahiko smiled, "I wonder what that girl would think of you if she saw how you're working so hard…"
Obito, full of new blood, instantly jumped up again and continued his endless struggle with the new stone.
Until half an hour later, he collapsed on the ground again, refusing to get up.
Masahiko looked at the five stones carved with the name "Uchiha Obito" and tried to use his "Rin style," again, but it was no longer sufficient.
Sensing his body, Obito's had no Chakra left inside, so Masahiko couldn't help but nod in satisfaction.
"Okay, let's stop here today, remember that since you've carved six stones this time, next time when you come, you must break this record, and so on."
Masahiko was trying to strengthen Obito's Chakra control and extend his Chakra Reserve, and this way was all he could think of.
Hearing this "bad news," Obito couldn't get himself to stand up again, and with watering eyes, he swore that he will never help a Grandpa cross the road again.
After a long time, Obito finally recovered some of his strength and asked, "Did we finish carving today?"
Masahiko was startled, "Why, are you still willing to carry on?"
Obito shook his head quickly, then hesitated before asking, "Can you teach me Ninjutsu?"
Masahiko felt helpless; since that time he heard that he was a senior ninja, Obito started getting this idea.
"You want to beat Hatake Kakashi?"
Obito was startled, then nodded quickly.
"Do you think Kakashi is that strong just by relying on talent?"
Jiraiya is the right example for this, and Masahiko believed that anyone can reach the highest level just by effort alone.
"I asked you to carve one piece of stone, and you wanted to give up. If I didn't keep mentioning that girl to you, it would have been impossible to complete the other five stones behind you."
"If it were Kakashi, he would have continued to sculpt to his limit, without stopping at all, and he will persist until he runs out of strength."
Masahiko smartly changed the concept here. After all, there is a difference between practicing Ninjutsu and Carving.
Obito pondered for a moment, then got all excited again, "I see!"
Masahiko snickered, "Brainwashing, succeeded!"
Although Obito's main strength is his Sharingan eyes, his Taijutsu and Ninjutsu were strong in the mid and late stages of the original, which proves that his talent isn't actually much lower than Kakashi.
But now he was almost a year older and way weaker. On the one hand, he didn't have someone like Sakumo to guide him, and on the other, he also lacked the ambition to work harder.
Obito quickly cheered up and looked at Masahiko, "Master, I still don't know your name yet. You must have been a great ninja before!"
Masahiko smiled, "My name is Hagoromo, you might not have heard of it."
Obito nodded, "When I go back, I will ask the seniors in my clan, they must have heard of you."
Masahiko quickly stopped him.
"No, don't mention the past, a shinobi's life will always be full of unexpected storms … Uh, in short, I live in seclusion here, and I'm happy with that, so don't publicize it."
This can cause a lot of unwanted troubles.
Obito nodded, "I see."
Seeing that he still wants to ask, Masahiko quickly interrupted.
"I see that you've recovered enough strength to run your mouth. Why don't you use it to practice."
"Didn't you say that you want to beat Kakashi?"
"Oh yes, practice, practice…"