At noon, in the southern border forest, Obito showed the developed photos to Rin.
"Rin-chan, how are they? These photos turned out pretty good, right?" Obito asked aloud, anxiously awaiting Rin's assessment. His fingers kept fidgeting with his clothes, drawing circles on the ground.
Rin, who was earnestly examining the photos, paused, smiled, and nodded. Then she clasped her hands together and said, "They're very nice. These wildflowers look beautiful, even though they grow alone in the wild."
"Hehe, I thought they were beautiful too, that's why I took them." Obito breathed a sigh of relief in his heart and chuckled.
Seeing Rin's happy smile, he instantly felt that his efforts weren't in vain. It wasn't just luck that allowed him to capture such beautiful scenes; it took effort to find them.
"If you like them, Rin-chan, next time I see beautiful flowers, I'll pick a few for you. Yumi-sensei should be able to preserve them."
Rin smiled and shook her head gently, saying softly, "Thank you, Obito, for your kindness. But there's no need for the trouble. Haven't we already captured their beauty with the camera? There's no need to bring them back."
Rin felt that wildflowers were already struggling in the dangerous wilderness; there was no need to subject them to further harm. It was best for them to continue growing naturally in nature. Different flowers require different environments, and bringing them back may not ensure their survival.
"Yeah, flowers wilt quickly, but if it's photos, they can be preserved for a long time if handled properly," nodded Obito.
"A camera really is a magical and convenient device. I can't imagine the intelligence and ingenuity of those who invented it," Obito sighed.
With his knowledge, he couldn't comprehend how a camera worked, how simply pressing a button could capture an image—like a miraculous Ninjutsu.
However, Obito didn't mind this at all. Not knowing the principle didn't hinder his use.
"It is indeed miraculous. However, a camera isn't omnipotent. Hand-drawn paintings have a feeling that cameras can't capture. Besides, there are many things a camera can't record, like dreams," Rin thought and said.
"Speaking of dreams, Rin-chan, what is your dream?" Obito asked curiously.
He thought carefully and realized he didn't seem to have any memories related to that. Although in the first year of school, all students had to introduce themselves, dreams weren't something mandatory to talk about.
"As for dreams, mine is to save more people injured by war, and ideally, make war disappear," Rin looked up at the sky and said with a smile.
"Isn't it strange for a girl to have such a dream? Clearly, I'm not good at fighting, yet I have this dream of making war disappear," Rin turned to look into Obito's eyes and asked with a smile.
Whether it's Shisui, Kakashi, Obito, or Guy, they are all children from ninja families. Some lost their parents early, but Rin is different from them. Both of Rin's parents are ordinary people, and there are no ninjas in the previous generation.
Rin didn't go to the Academy because her parents sent her; she actively told her parents that she wanted to become a ninja.
It's not because she envies ninjas for earning a lot of money through mission commissions, nor because she thinks ninjas can live better with strong abilities. It's because when Rin was very young, her close neighbor sister died in the war.
Since then, the cruelty of war has been etched into Rin's mind, and that's how she developed this dream.
That's why Rin admires Tsunade of the Three Sannin, not only for her ability to use Medical Ninjutsu to heal injured comrades but also for her significant role in combat.
"It's not strange at all. I think it's great," Obito said excitedly, standing up.
"After going to the battlefield, I realized how cruel war is. Whether they were comrades or enemies, it seemed like someone was dying every minute."
"Understanding all this, my dream is not just to become Hokage. I not only want to become Hokage, but I also want to end war and prevent such cruelty from happening again!" Obito clenched his fist excitedly.
Hearing that Rin also wanted to make war disappear, Obito was extremely happy. Having the same dream as the person he liked was simply amazing.
Obito casually let his thoughts wander to envision a future where he and Rin worked together to achieve their dreams.
"If it's you, Obito, and maybe Kakashi too, we might really be able to achieve it," Rin said with her hands behind her back, a look of longing in her eyes.
Obito felt like the mention of Kakashi disrupted the atmosphere.
"I hope the graduation exam comes quickly. Rin-chan being around Kakashi every day is starting to influence her," Obito silently muttered to himself.
Suddenly mentioning Kakashi truly felt like it was ruining the mood for Obito. He couldn't wait to graduate and disband the training team so that Kakashi wouldn't have so much time to be around Rin.
However, what worried Obito was that if he graduated, he might not have many chances to see Rin.
"Blessings from Six Paths Sage, Mutsuki Sage, Sage Shima, Sage Fukasaku... Please make sure Rin-chan and I are placed in the same team," Obito silently prayed, reciting all the deities he knew in his heart.
Although Sage Shima and Sage Fukasaku didn't seem particularly reliable, Obito felt that living for eight hundred years must count for something.
"What are you mumbling about?" Suddenly sensing something, Kakashi looked at Obito with a puzzled expression.
He always felt like Obito was criticizing him in his mind.
"Nothing, just thinking about what will happen after graduation. According to the rules, teams will probably be reassigned, so Kakashi, you'll have to switch teams then, right?" Obito replied, snapping out of his thoughts.
Kakashi thought for a moment and answered, "Most likely."
Although he often encountered unexpected situations when working on missions with Mutsuki, Kakashi felt quite comfortable. The thought of moving to a new team made him feel a bit reluctant inside.
However, Kakashi knew deep down that Mutsuki couldn't continue to be his team's sensei because Mutsuki didn't lead Genin at all; he was a sensei at the Academy.
Upon hearing Kakashi's words, Obito couldn't help but let a smile drift across his lips. If Kakashi left and Rin remained on their team, life would be incredibly comfortable.
"Even if we're not in the same team anymore, I'll still be your sensei. If you have time, remember to come to me for training," Mutsuki said with a smile as he approached.
In his second year of teaching, he planned to focus more on honing his skills, but he would still make time for mentoring his disciples. With a little effort, he could always find some time.
"Yeah, yeah, even after graduation, I'll definitely come to train with you, Yumi-sensei," Obito quickly nodded.
Having spent close to a year with Mutsuki, Obito had unconsciously made life with Mutsuki a habit. He even thought that if his assigned sensei wasn't strong enough, he could just continue training with Mutsuki as before.
"I feel the same! With Yumi-sensei's guidance, the flames of youth burn even brighter," Guy, running backwards, said as he passed by.
"After I graduate, I also want to come to Yumi-sensei to ask questions. I hope you don't mind," Rin said softly with a smile.
"If I have the time, I'll come," Kakashi promised.
Shisui watched quietly. Graduation was still far off for him as a first-year student. When Obito and the others graduated, he would just move up to the second year.
"Everyone's enthusiasm is commendable. Let's begin our training," Mutsuki announced with a smile, signaling the start of the afternoon training session.
"Obito and Shisui, finish your special training first before you practice," Mutsuki stopped the two who were preparing for Constant training.
"I've been watching your progress these days. From barely evading once to now evading five times or more, I'm pleased to see your growth," Mutsuki praised with a smile.
"With a great sensei like Yumi-sensei, it's natural to improve faster," Obito replied happily.
"Thanks to your careful guidance, Yumi-sensei," Shisui nodded in agreement.
Mutsuki really took care of both their physical and mental well-being.
"Alright then. To enhance the effectiveness of your special training, I'll increase the speed of the Shadow Clones a bit. You need to focus more on using the Breathing Technique to strengthen your body for dodging attacks," Mutsuki announced the adjustment to their special training.
"A bit faster... How much exactly?" Obito felt a sense of unease. He had just managed to solve the problems recently; he hoped he wouldn't end up owing more.
"You'll find out during training," Mutsuki replied with a gentle smile.
After preparing them, Mutsuki separated the Shadow Clones and called out for the training to begin.
Obito immediately concentrated his breathing to the utmost and started running. When he couldn't escape the pursuing clones, he tried his best to dodge but found himself narrowly missing evasion by a hair's breadth.
"Why is it always just a bit off?" Obito began to question his life choices inwardly.
If the difference was too great, he wouldn't feel much, but being just a bit short left him deeply dissatisfied. After all, it was two questions, exactly two.
"Could it be that I didn't practice hard enough during training, so I always fall short during exercises?" Obito felt he needed to redouble his training efforts.
Next, even with Obito striving to dodge with maximum effort and his Sharingan pushed to its limits, he still narrowly missed successful dodges.
"Obito was hit fifteen times and dodged zero times, totaling thirty-three questions. Shisui's hits and dodges match Obito's, also totaling thirty-three questions," Mutsuki announced the results.
"Damn it, it was so close!" Obito voiced his frustration. If he had managed to dodge even once, he could have reduced five questions. Plus, there were two questions for the dodge itself, with an additional ten percent increase.
"We must make a breakthrough," Shisui also felt the pressure; Mutsuki's questions were no joke.
"Obito, if you want to become Hokage, your theoretical knowledge can't be lacking either," Rin encouraged.
"Regardless of the number of questions, I just want to perform better in training," Obito quickly changed his expression to explain.
He had recently declared his ambition to become Hokage and couldn't afford to lose to the questions.
"Yumi-sensei, I suggest doubling Obito's questions to save his theoretical knowledge," Kakashi suggested.
"Oh, in that case..." Mutsuki showed a contemplative expression.
"Yumi-sensei, I think we should stick to the rules regarding the number of questions, we shouldn't change them casually," Obito panicked when he saw Mutsuki seemed genuinely considering Kakashi's suggestion.
Smack!
Mutsuki's finger landed precisely on Obito's forehead, smiling as he said, "Then focus and complete all the questions seriously."
"Definitely," Obito instantly felt relieved, already planning how he would confront Kakashi after the training ended.
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