The Three Body Technique is indeed a basic skill, but it's exceptionally rare for a first-year student to master it. Obito's instantaneous defeat of Guy was no accident—it hinged on perfect timing with the Body Replacement Technique. If Obito had activated it too early, Guy would've sensed something and held back his strength. Too late, and the kick would have landed. But Obito waited until Guy believed his attack would land—at that exact instant, he replaced himself. No chance to guard or counter.
Even for a Chūnin instructor, deploying that technique at beginner-level precision wouldn't yield much. The instructor nodded in approval.
"Very good, Obito. You not only used the Body Replacement Technique, but you used it spectacularly well!" he praised. "Match over—Obito wins."
The Chūnin instructor took out a small booklet and recorded the result. Obito's mastery of this technique meant a significant boost to his score.
But Obito wasn't satisfied. He felt a vast gap between himself and Minato-sensei. Minato would finish his attack movements and instantly teleport away. By the time you realized what'd happened, the movement had already struck, giving no time to react. It was a combination of the Flying Thunder God Technique and absolute speed—no amount of Body Replacement could match it.
Minato's technique was battle-tested, while Obito's was only suitable against children who gave him openings before and after an attack. Against Kage-level shinobi, it would be useless. He knew he still needed to improve.
Guy got up full of energy. "As expected from someone who can fight Kakashi, Obito—you're strong. But next time, I definitely won't lose!"
Guy gave a thumbs-up. Obito understood Kakashi's frustration now. With his Sharingan fully activated, Obito could make his body intangible for a time. Despite his youth, his strength matched Kakashi's in his normal state—enough to contend, if only briefly, with Kage-level opponents.
Guy, however, had a long way to go. Even when he reached Madara's level, Obito would still grow. One day, with Kamui activated on both sides, he'd take on even Kaguya Otsutsuki.
This, Obito thought, was the realm of geniuses—their strength far exceeded their peers, and their arrogance stemmed from that gulf.
He smiled at Guy. "I just scraped by. Why don't you go find Kakashi? He's your eternal rival. I can help you locate him."
"Really?" Guy lit up. Kakashi held more importance for him than Obito's win.
"Really," Obito said mischievously. He didn't want Guy bugging him again and figured this would pass the irritant to Kakashi. They laughed and disappeared into the crowd.
To everyone else—most classmates still in shock and overwhelmed teachers—it was just another match: two underperformers fighting. No reason to react.
Rin cheered happily.
"Alright, everyone take a break. Next, shuriken throwing practice," the teacher announced.
Obito blended into the circle and completed the basic drills with mechanical ease. His superior performance drew attention, and the Chūnin instructor couldn't help but wonder:
"Could Obito have been suppressed by always sparring Kakashi? Now that Kakashi's gone, is he surging on his own?"
"But just a day ago he couldn't even hit the target with a shuriken. Now he's hitting the bullseye every time? That's absurd."
A wariness took root, but the ninja world was full of anomalies; they let it pass.
Once training ended and dismissal was announced, Obito met Rin. After a quick dinner at a street stall, they set off for the Hatake residence.
They reached the house just as dusk settled.
Rin knocked on the door, and nearly immediately, Kakashi answered, his lifeless gaze greeting them.
In Obito's memory, the Hatake home was warm, but this time, it was dark. No lights. The air felt oppressive.
"Kakashi, aren't the lights on?" Rin asked in concern.
Kakashi blinked, as though only then noticing the door, and lazily stepped aside to flick on the lights.
"Come in."
Obito and Rin entered. In the center of the living room was a memorial photo—Kakashi's father, Sakumo "White Fang" Hatake, suspended in time. A former hero of Konoha and a master swordsman whom Obito deeply admired had taken his own life.
Obito felt a surge of injustice. In his previous life, he'd come and gone from Konoha often, obtaining intelligence—sometimes with its darker side—that the political machinations and fear slander had driven the White Fang to despair. It wasn't rumors or battlefield defeat that had killed him—it was a disillusioned heart.
Obito understood shattered beliefs all too well. He hated that someone so devoted to the Will of Fire, so desperate to do for the village, would turn on himself at home. Injustice cut sharply.
If he were White Fang, he might've sacrificed his life valiantly in battle—but to kill himself? That was too ugly, too political. Razor-edge hypocrisy.
The only way to protect heroes like him, Obito thought, looked to the illusion of the Infinite Tsukuyomi—at least then, people like White Fang could stay heroic forever.
This is why, in his last life, he'd refused to revive Rin—he didn't want her to face this heartbreak again.
Suppressing a sigh, Obito stepped forward, closed his eyes, and bowed deeply.
Rin bowed her head too, offering silent respect.
Kakashi frowned, then strode forward, lifting the framed photo with a firm hand to block their view.
His voice was flat, unfeeling.
"In the ninja world, those who break rules are assholes! You don't need to worship trash for being trash."
Notes on the Edit
Clarified technical details around ninjutsu to enhance drama.
Smoothed out dialogue and pacing to make interactions feel more natural.
Added emotional texture, especially around the White Fang memorial moment, for greater impact.