Obito had been grappling with a sense of unease over the last few days. While he was relieved that he managed to survive despite losing half of his body, he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that an elderly man had been the one to save him.
Not that he had a problem with being saved by an old guy. Being alive was the priority here. He looked forward to the day when he could return as a hero, shocking Rin and even that insufferable Kakashi. Perhaps Rin would even rush into his arms, overjoyed at his unexpected survival.
Yet, Obito did hold genuine gratitude towards the elderly man who had used those white people or things to rescue him. But oh, how he wished that the old man wasn't a teacher.
"Kid! Hmph! Get up and go to class!" The voice, familiar yet resonating deeply as if it bore into his very core, snapped Obito awake from his slumber, jolting him into complete alertness.
He recognized it well – Madara-sensei's genjutsu, or as Obito liked to call it, the 'Genjutsu: Wake Up'. It was as if no matter how deep in sleep he was, hearing that voice was a guaranteed way to snap him back to reality.
But as that authoritative voice echoed above him, Obito's eyes welled up with tears as he gazed up at Madara, his voice carrying a touch of pleading, "Madara-sensei, I'm still recovering. I really should take it easy and focus on regaining my strength."
This Madara-sensei, for whatever inexplicable reason, had made his abode in this cave and was incredibly stringent. The moment Obito woke, he was thrust into class, complete with the dreaded homework assignments. It was nothing short of infuriating.
It was beyond Obito how, even after he had graduated from the Konoha Ninja Academy, ascended to the rank of Chunin, and undertaken successful missions, he was still being subjected to the rigors of education.
Recalling his time at the Konoha Ninja Academy, he had been a student just barely scraping by. He dozed off during lectures, and diligently played truant – in essence, a textbook slacker. How could he be expected to transform into an earnest scholar in this scenario? Especially when his right arm was yet to make a full recovery. How could he possibly manage the burden of his studies?
"Silence! Pay attention to the lesson," Uchiha Madara shot him a glance, his expression indifferent. He then closed his eyes, as if engrossed in his morning reading, all the while calmly absorbing the lecture. "I'll be collecting last night's homework later. If you've neglected it, don't expect me to be lenient."
Obito could only fall into silence. What other option did he have? With his ears perked up, he earnestly focused on the lesson. Madara-sensei, though somewhat eccentric and strict, was a reasonable person, after all.
However, as Obito's ears caught a certain term – "Spirit of the New Grass?" – he scratched his head in puzzlement. "What's that? Where does it come from? Spirit of the Grass? Could it be related to Grass Village?"
"Quiet! Concentrate on the lesson!" Madara's reprimanding voice abruptly cut through the air, catching Obito off guard as he realized his attention had wandered. Obito swiftly stuck out his tongue in response, quickly quieting down and refocusing on the lecture.
However, it wasn't long before Obito's body tensed up, freezing in place. He murmured to himself, "Some of this sounds quite similar to the Will of Fire."
His words hung in the air only to be met with a slow opening of Madara's eyes. A sneer curled his lips as he snorted with a mixture of scorn and mockery. "Hmph, the Will of Fire?" He let out a dry, disdainful laugh before closing his eyes once more.
Obito, witnessing Madara-sensei's nonchalant reaction to his mentioning the highly esteemed concept of the Will of Fire, couldn't help but feel a twitch in his cheek. He retorted, "What's so amusing? You should know that this came from the Strongest Hokage, the Third Hokage, and is essentially a compilation of ideals from the First and Second Hokage!"
"Heh, heh~, focus on the lesson," Madara countered with a smirk, instructing Obito to concentrate on the class at hand.
"When leaves take flight, fires burn eternally. These flames will continue to illuminate the village and encourage the growth of new leaves." Obito, sensing that Madara-sensei still wasn't taking his words seriously, found himself losing interest in the class. he decided to show off a bit.
He tilted his head back a little, as he continued with a smug smile, "I already learned this back in school. Quite impressive, isn't it? The underlying message is that the youth represent the village's future, and the elder generation should trust and support them. Simultaneously, the sacrifices made by the older generation serve as motivation for the youth to become the sturdy foundation of the future. This is the essence of the Will of Fire."
"Sacrifices of the older generation, huh? As for whether those old guys are dead or alive, this old man isn't particularly concerned. But you..." Madara retorted with a slight smile, "You almost managed to die quite rapidly."
Obito couldn't help but look at Madara, his expression nearly speechless as he retorted inwardly, 'That was just an accident.'
Madara's gaze turned back to Obito, his face maintaining an air of calmness. "And by the way," he continued, "Did you finish the 8,000-word essay about your vision of peace that you were assigned to write last night?"
At this, Obito's earlier stubbornness waned. His expression stiffened, replaced by a sheepish grin."Class time, class time! We're in class now," he declared in a more serious tone. "Don't disturb me during class, Madara-sensei!"
A subtle twitch in Madara's mouth hinted at his amusement as he saw Obito suddenly become attentive, all thanks to the mention of unfinished homework.
…
After a while, the morning classes concluded. As Madara closed his eyes to rest, Obito felt a wave of relief wash over him. He let out a sigh and cast his gaze upwards. Was that truly the famed Ninja World village, the Grass Village?
And right then, that weird guy with the spiral-patterned face returned. But there was a noticeable lack of enthusiasm about him.
"What's the matter?" Obito asked, his skepticism evident as he observed the downtrodden mood. What had caused this sudden shift in demeanor?
"Ugh, don't even ask. I couldn't make a single Ryo today!" Zetsu replied, his annoyance palpable as he remembered his encounter with the detested White Zetsu.
As Zetsu finished sharing his frustration, a realization dawned on Obito. Over the past few days, he had noticed several guys with a similar white appearance like the spiral-faced person. However, unlike the spiral-faced one who seemed to be working to earn a living, the others appeared rather eccentric or just kept wandering off. Obito had noted that the spiral-faced guy had been the one purchasing his books and pens. But now, he appeared to be jobless?
Mulling over these thoughts, Obito scratched his head, a sense of awkwardness creeping over him. Curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, "By the way, I haven't asked what you do for a living? You head out early each day to work, seems like quite the endeavor."
"Picking up trash," Zetsu replied in a casual tone.
Hearing this casual response from the spiral-faced guy, Obito's eyes widened, and he was left utterly astonished. His gaze shifted to Madara, who was seated on a stone bench with closed eyes, and then to his own injured arm. Touched by the reality of the situation, his eyes began to well up, and he said, "It's not easy for you to support so many people."
Zetsu glanced at Obito, who was looking at him with an unexpected warmth. Baffled by the sudden change in atmosphere, Zetsu scratched his head and replied, "It's fine."
"Don't worry, once I've recovered," Obito said, his gaze determined as he wiped his teary eyes. "I'll definitely find a way to repay you!"
Then, his brows furrowed in curiosity, and he turned his attention to Zetsu. "By the way, you mentioned that you don't need to eat or drink, right?"
"But there are still things I want to buy, Like snacks for Madara-sensei, and this sound up there..." Zetsu gestured upwards, a sense of accomplishment was evident in his voice. "Initially, it wasn't this loud, but I tweaked it with materials, and now it can clearly broadcast sounds from up there. What do you think? Can you hear it better now? They'll be having final exams up there soon. I'll grab a few exam papers for you to attempt. You can even take the test."
Obito looked at Zetsu, who was partly responsible for his current struggles, feeling somewhat speechless. He sighed and said, "Thank you."
"No need to thank me, just focus on your studies," Zetsu waved his hand, exuding a cheerful demeanor.
Rolling his eyes internally, Obito thought sarcastically, 'Are you trying to be my mother?' His lips twitched as he sighed emotionally, gazing upwards with a puzzled expression. Softly, he muttered to himself, "I wonder how things are up there? Does anyone even know that I'm still alive?"
…
"It's likely that he's still alive, albeit brainwashed by Madara," Akihiko pondered, his brows furrowing as he studied the intelligence report in his hands. He let out a sigh, feeling a mix of frustration and resignation. "Even after relinquishing control of the Kannabi Bridge, Iwa Village even managed and deployed heavy guards, and yet Konoha still found a way to blow it up."
Taking a moment to reflect, he casually discarded the intelligence report. After all, the one being deceived was Konoha, not their Grass Village. There was no need to invest too much concern in this matter. After all, it was highly unlikely that the he would undergo a transformation like Nagato, who had been deeply influenced by the Spirit of the New Grass, leading to a significant shift in his perspective, who do not want the Ninja World to experience pain.
With these thoughts in mind, Akihiko redirected his attention elsewhere, allowing himself to relax and stretch with a contented yawn. Mumbling to himself, he added, "Next on the agenda is preparing for the year-end."
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