Chapter 694: Captain Obito Arrives (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Under Muzuki’s impetus, the Uchiha Ninja who were first selected for the Police Force were all assigned to teams.

Jonin Uchiha basically served as team captains in various squads, while Chunin Uchiha were mostly team members.

However, there was a small interlude: Obito, who was not a member of the Police Force, also wanted to participate and become a captain in other squads. His reason was to train his abilities in order to become Hokage.

But Muzuki felt that Obito was more likely just eager to experience being a captain, especially after being suppressed by Kakashi for so long.

Muzuki did not refuse and assigned Obito to a three-person squad that currently had no captain.

“It’s finally my turn to be a captain. This time, I’ll definitely achieve something, let Kakashi know how capable I am, and let Rin know about my progress,” Obito was incredibly excited on his way to the Training Ground.

Although he was just a small Jonin captain with only the right to command his three team members, for Obito, it was a huge step in his life and a firm step on his path to becoming Hokage.

Currently, his three team members were only Chunin; perhaps when he became a Hokage candidate, they would be Jonin, which would mean three Jonin votes.

“Senior Obito, long time no see,” Kotetsu Hagane saw a somewhat familiar figure and immediately chased after him, greeting him with enthusiasm.

Among his seniors at the Ninja Academy, besides his older brother Ebisu, Kotetsu Hagane admired Obito and Might Guy the most.

The year he entered the Ninja Academy was precisely the year Obito transformed from a dead-last student into a genius Ninja.

Moreover, after Obito left the Ninja Academy, he became increasingly impressive, being promoted to Jonin at only ten years old, and then achieving an excellent second place in the Youth Martial Arts Tournament.

“Kotetsu, long time no see,” Obito greeted him with a smile.

“Senior Obito, are you training at the nearby Training Ground today?” Kotetsu Hagane jogged beside Obito and asked.

“Something like that,” Obito nodded.

Before the two could chat much, a voice quickly caught their attention.

“Kotetsu, Senior Obito?” Izumo Kamizuki asked, somewhat unsure.

“Good morning, Izumo, yes, it’s Senior Obito. He’s training here today,” Kotetsu Hagane turned around and explained.

Izumo Kamizuki showed an ‘I see’ expression and greeted Obito warmly.

“Senior Obito, at Muzuki-sensei’s succession ceremony, were you watching from the Hokage Building? I don’t think I saw you below,” Izumo Kamizuki asked curiously.

“Yes, I was up there, but the spot wasn’t great, it was in the last row,” Obito replied.

Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane both showed envy; they had both been squeezed in the crowd on the ground.

“As expected of Senior Obito. Even Ishizaka Yoshio-sensei couldn’t go up to the Hokage Building to watch,” Kotetsu Hagane exclaimed.

Ishizaka Yoshio was their Jonin instructor.

“Indeed,” Izumo Kamizuki nodded, looking envious.

“But speaking of Ishizaka Yoshio-sensei, I wonder when his injuries will heal. I hope he recovers quickly.”

Talking about their instructor, Izumo Kamizuki sighed.

Ishizaka Yoshio didn’t possess Muzuki’s formidable strength, nor Muzuki’s extraordinary teaching ability, but he was truly very good to them. If Ishizaka Yoshio hadn’t desperately protected them during their last mission, someone among them might have been sacrificed.

“What are you guys chatting about, sighing so early in the morning?”

Anko Mitarashi looked at the all too familiar backs and, hearing the sighs, quickly ran over and patted Izumo Kamizuki’s shoulder.

“Senior Obito, good morning!”

Only when she got closer did Anko recognize Obito, greeting him with a cheerful laugh.

Obito responded with a smile.

“What else could it be? It’s about Ishizaka Yoshio-sensei,” Kotetsu Hagane said.

“If we don’t go out on a mission today, let’s all visit Ishizaka Yoshio-sensei together after training this afternoon.”

Izumo Kamizuki and Anko both nodded.

After all, Ishizaka Yoshio was so severely injured because he protected them.

“Generally speaking, an acting captain on their first day will first familiarize themselves with the team’s situation and won’t directly go out on a mission,” Izumo Kamizuki analyzed.

After all, Ninja missions aren’t about fighting alone; a well-coordinated team and an uncoordinated team have completely different combat strengths.

“Who cares about ‘generally’ or’secondly’? He’s just a temporary acting captain. If he cooperates, then we’ll continue as usual until Ishizaka Yoshio-sensei returns. Otherwise, we’ll let him know what we’re capable of,” Anko said with Haki.

They were all top Chunin, and with their excellent teamwork, an ordinary Jonin might not be able to get the better of them three.

“Yeah, let him know the power of our Muzuki Class Trident!” Kotetsu Hagane pumped his fist and nodded.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be a direct confrontation,” Izumo Kamizuki had a different idea.

Kotetsu Hagane grew interested and asked, “Izumo, what brilliant plan do you have now?”

“If we go in hard, it might look bad if it gets to Muzuki-sensei. If he doesn’t get along with us, we can subtly mock him every day and pretend to follow his orders while doing the opposite, making him retreat in difficulty.”

“That’s true, Izumo, you really are something,” Kotetsu Hagane thought it was a good idea.

The current Hokage was Muzuki, and if the acting Jonin captain were to complain about them to Muzuki, it would affect their impression as excellent students in Muzuki’s eyes.

“How do you subtly mock? How do you pretend to follow orders?” Obito asked curiously.

“That’s simple. On the first day, we pretend to inquire about his past, then use the information he gives us to find people to verify and unearth more details. Then, we use that information to subtly mock him,” Izumo Kamizuki said enthusiastically.

“If he brags about good grades at the Ninja Academy, but our investigation reveals they were ordinary or poor, then we first pretend not to know and praise him. Finally, we let him inadvertently discover that we know, making him realize our disdain for such grades, and then…”

“We can also do this and that…”

Kotetsu Hagane and Anko quickly joined the discussion.

The three grew more and more excited, as if they could already see an arrogant Jonin’s spirit shattered under their trio’s brilliant scheme.

Obito showed a hint of surprise. How could these juniors, so young, be so full of mischief? They were talents who could be used against Kakashi.

As they chatted, they walked near a small, ornamental building.

“We’ve arrived, Senior Obito, goodbye,” Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane smiled as they bid farewell to Obito.

The information provided by the Village instructed them to gather here.

“Senior Obito, let’s meet up often if you have time. I’ll make you treat me to dango,” Anko also laughed cheerfully as she bid farewell to Obito.

However, what puzzled them was that Obito also stopped and didn’t move, looking at them with a wide smile.

“Senior Obito, are you…?”

Izumo Kamizuki looked puzzled.

“I’ve arrived at my destination too,” Obito said with a mischievous smile.

The smiles on Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane’s faces slowly faded.

“Senior Obito, are you training here? Great! If the Jonin who comes is quite strong, you can help us out, right?” Anko said with a giggle.

Obito’s smile deepened slightly, and without answering Anko’s question, he continued:

“Let’s reintroduce ourselves. I am Uchiha Obito, the acting captain of Team Six.”

Anko’s eyes widened, her mouth slightly agape, and the smile vanished from her face.

“Heh heh, Kotetsu Hagane, Anko Mitarashi, I knew you two were up to no good a long time ago,” Izumo Kamizuki suddenly sneered.

“No matter who the captain is, a captain is still a captain, and obeying superior orders is a Ninja’s duty. Just now, I deliberately brought up the topic of dealing with the captain, and you two indeed came up with many malicious plans. Truly, human hearts have degenerated!”

Izumo Kamizuki reacted quickly, but Kotetsu Hagane was no slouch and immediately retorted:

“I think you’re the one with ulterior motives! I saw through your intentions long ago, which is why I specifically asked if you had any ideas. I didn’t expect you, Izumo, and Anko to be so despicable, trying every means to deal with the captain before he even appeared.”

Anko:… How, in just a moment, had she become an evil, disloyal, and unfilial villain?

Obito struggled to suppress his laughter. When he saw his team members’ profiles, he thought it would be interesting, but he didn’t expect it to be even more so in reality.

“I was just transforming into darkness to lure out the true darkness,” Izumo Kamizuki adamantly refused to admit it.

“No, the darkness hidden within the light was lured out!” Kotetsu Hagane clung to his point.

Anko did not participate in their great debate. With a pained expression, she took out a dango, held it in both hands, and offered it to Obito.

“Captain Obito, I’ll treat you to dango. Just hit them, don’t hit me,” Anko said sincerely.

They weren’t afraid of an ordinary Jonin, but Obito wasn’t an ordinary Jonin.

According to the news circulating in Konoha, Obito was already a Jonin of the same caliber as Ninja World powerhouses like Kitsuchi and Pakura.

That address of ‘Captain’ made Obito feel incredibly comfortable, as if a spiritual energy surged from his feet straight to his head, making his entire being feel clear.

He had intended to accept his first gift as a captain, but seeing Anko’s reluctant expression, he ultimately returned the dango to her.

Obito felt that if he took it, Anko might even be thinking about it in her sleep tonight; it was just a dango, no need for such a fuss.

“Thank you, Captain Obito!”

With the dango back in her hands, Anko instantly beamed with joy. She had specifically saved it that morning, planning to eat it to replenish energy after getting tired from training.

“Munch!”

Anko thought for a moment, then quickly devoured the dango in big bites. A dango eaten and in her stomach was truly her own dango.

“Captain Obito, don’t listen to slander. Anko was the most arrogant one just now.”

“That’s right, setting aside the facts, Anko is definitely the one who deserves a beating the most.”

Seeing Anko try a different approach, Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane tacitly aimed their criticism at Anko.

Slap, slap, slap!!!

Obito pressed his index and middle fingers together, his figure flickering, and swiftly tapped each of their heads.

“Don’t argue, everyone gets a turn,” Obito said with a smile after tapping them.

He had originally intended to deliberately put on a serious expression to establish his authority.

However, no matter how much Obito tried to recall, he couldn’t find the expression he wanted on Muzuki’s face in his memories; Muzuki always seemed so gentle.

Upon realizing this, Obito decided not to pretend anymore.

“So, hitting people on the head is this satisfying? No wonder Teacher Muzuki always hit us.”

Obito rubbed his thumb against his middle and index fingers, secretly pleased, feeling he had made the right choice to come.

He got to watch the fun and experience being Teacher Muzuki; even if it cost money, he would still come.

“You all know each other, so there’s no need for introductions. Now, let’s begin the official training. Although I am your senior, as your captain, I won’t go easy on you,” Obito reminded them.

Obito had now experienced various wars, big and small. He understood that the Ninja profession was not beautiful, and even somewhat cruel.

If training was easy, then missions in the future would be dangerous.

Kotetsu Hagane and the other two also stopped joking and nodded seriously.

“Let’s start with bell-snatching training. As long as any one of you snatches a bell, it counts as a success,” Obito said, taking out two bells.

Obito had snatched bells twice, once from Muzuki and once from Minato Namikaze.

He thought this was a very suitable training to get acquainted with each other, and it definitely wasn’t because he wanted to experience the feeling Muzuki had.

“Bell-snatching, huh? Is there a reward if we succeed?” Anko asked, her eyes lighting up.

She had also snatched bells when she interned with Muzuki, and the reward was a high-level Ninjutsu or Taijutsu.

“Reward? If you want a reward, then there must be a punishment. If you don’t snatch it, you have to take a test,” Obito replied after thinking for a moment.

Anko:???

Anko looked at Obito as if facing a formidable enemy. Did this person just say something terrifying?

She had already graduated and become a Chunin, and yet tests were still chasing her. She didn’t want this to happen!

“I don’t think rewards are necessary. Training is something every Ninja should do,” Anko said with a serious face.

“Alright, then the reward will be no reward, and the punishment will be taking a test,” Obito said, barely suppressing a laugh.

Anko looked shocked. Could it be played this way?

Looking at Anko’s expression, Obito felt as if he was seeing himself after finishing a problem-solving training, facing a pile of questions. Perhaps this was tradition.

As Muzuki’s strongest disciple, he had an obligation to pass on Teacher Muzuki’s secret teaching methods.

“If you can snatch it today, I can give you a Ninjutsu or Taijutsu. If it’s Fire Release, I’ll teach you. For other Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, I can find someone to teach you,” Obito added.

After all, they were Teacher Muzuki’s students; how could he truly not give them a reward?

Anko and the others’ morale was instantly ignited. Some wanted to obtain Ninjutsu, while others didn’t want to take a test.

Finally, with Obito deliberately going easy on them, Anko and the others managed to snatch the bells just as the sun was setting.

With Obito’s strength, if he hadn’t held back, let alone Anko and her team, even three Jonin wouldn’t have been able to snatch the bells.

Watching the three happy faces of Anko and her teammates, a unique sense of accomplishment welled up in Obito’s heart.

“I must lead a team of graduating Genin sometime,” Obito thought to himself.

Perhaps, he could also become someone else’s Sage Muzuki… Other Uchiha, due to various reasons, weren’t as smooth as Obito, but they didn’t encounter too many major problems either.

Although Uchiha Inaho was a Chunin, his actual combat power was not much worse than a Jonin due to his recent activation of the Sharingan.

This wasn’t particularly rare in Konoha. Jonin were already scarce, and some Jonin had various important duties that prevented them from leading teams, so many squad leaders were just experienced Chunin.

When Uchiha Inaho first joined the team as captain, he could clearly feel a subtle sense of distance from his three teammates, as if they had some opinion of him.

Most Uchiha were not good at socializing, but this didn’t mean they couldn’t perceive the emotions of others; on the contrary, Uchiha were surprisingly sensitive to various emotions.

If it were in the past, Uchiha Inaho would have done nothing.

They were just a few outsiders not as strong as him; why should he bother to investigate the reasons and bridge the gap? Wouldn’t that time be better spent on training? Let those short-sighted, jealous outsiders misunderstand him.

However, this time, Uchiha Inaho was not indifferent. He took action according to the steps taught by Shisui and Obito.

During training, Uchiha Inaho coldly used high demands to train his teammates. Afterwards, he treated the three to a meal and asked if they were injured, advising them to get more rest.

Because Uchiha Inaho knew that it was very difficult for one person to complete missions well. He didn’t need his teammates to like him much, but he couldn’t let them dislike him.

Earning less money by doing fewer missions was irrelevant, but he was a Ninja recognized by Lord Fourth! If he was as mediocre as an ordinary team, wouldn’t he be letting down Lord Fourth’s high regard?

When he returned to the Uchiha, other captains would boast about how many S-rank Missions and A-Rank Missions they had completed, with Clients showering them with praise, while he would be as mediocre as an ordinary squad, which would simply bring shame to the clan.

This continued for several days, and Uchiha Inaho then took them on a regular B-Rank Mission.

However, an unexpected incident occurred during this mission. The Client misrepresented the specific details of the mission, putting them in a passive position.

Fortunately, Uchiha Inaho was no ordinary Chunin. Relying on his solid strength, he managed to complete the mission and then unceremoniously gave the Client a stern dressing-down.

After this mission, the teammates’ attitudes completely changed.

Uchiha Inaho no longer felt a subtle sense of distance, but rather enthusiasm and remorse.

When the mission ended and they returned to Konoha, the three teammates insisted on treating Uchiha Inaho, who wanted to go back to training, to drinks and barbecue.

During their conversation, Uchiha Inaho finally understood why his teammates had initially kept their distance from him.

He knew there were some rumors about the Uchiha outside, but he hadn’t expected them to be so absurd.

“I can’t vouch for others, but I can responsibly say that in my years working in the Police Force, I have absolutely never abused my authority to wrong anyone or profit for myself!” Uchiha Inaho said seriously.

“Captain Inaho, we certainly trust your character,” the teammates reassured him.

“The main thing is that the Police Force was entirely run by you Uchiha before, so everyone thought it was normal for such things to happen.”

“But now, I actually think there are many problems with the rumors. Most of the Ninja in the Uchiha Clan should be normal, otherwise, how could there be an upright young Ninja like Captain Inaho?” one of the teammates said.

As time progressed, the Ninja who teamed up with members of the Uchiha Police Force discovered that these Uchiha were not as detestable as the rumors claimed.

While it wouldn’t immediately reverse the Uchiha’s reputation in Konoha, it began to move in a positive direction.

PS: This chapter is 5k, and there will be another chapter, but the time is TBD.

Third day of explosive updates, please give me your monthly votes!