"Waaah, it's actually Seiki Senpai!" Rin cheered beside her, eyes sparkling like little stars.
"Danger!" Obito instantly realized the crisis when he saw that Rin's reaction was even more intense than when she met Kakashi before.
Might Guy excitedly asked, "Is he an upperclassman from a higher grade?"
Rin shook her head. "Nope, Seiki Senpai is just a second-year senior."
Obito pouted. "Huh? So he's only one year ahead of us?"
"You're not a medical ninja, so of course you wouldn't understand how amazing Senpai Seiki is," Rin clasped her hands in front of her chest, saying worshipfully, "Senpai is Tsunade-sama's disciple. He's already capable of conducting minor surgical procedures independently at the hospital within just one year."
Obito scratched his head. Is that really impressive? Somehow it feels like he could do the same too.
Might Guy then turned to Shuunen with confusion. "Senpai, the person you're challenging is a medical ninja?"
Even though Shuunen had accepted things, being suddenly asked this question still made him tremble slightly, and immediately afterward his eyes revealed a trace of bitterness. "I hate medical ninjas the most!"
Everyone around them looked awkward. Didn't Senpai Shuunen's voice sound a bit like he was holding back tears? It must've just been their imagination!
A beat later, Might Guy exclaimed in surprise. "Just one year? Seiki already matches Senpai Shuunen's skill level?"
Shuunen calmed his turbulent emotions and returned to his usual indifferent state. "To be precise, it was only two months. He outpaced everything I achieved over three years in just two months!"
Obito shouted disbelievingly, "Impossible! Senpai Shuunen, you're a genius who opened your Sharingan at age eight!"
"My Sharingan awakened during my battle against him," Shuunen sighed wistfully, his eyes filled with reminiscence. "You could even say that without awakening the Sharingan, I wouldn't have had the strength to resist at all."
Upon hearing that, everyone including Obito couldn't help but widen their eyes. Could it be that even Senior Shuunen, whose strength they knew well, wasn't a match for this Seiki Senpai?
Especially Obito, who often heard adults praising how amazing his cousin Shuunen was within the clan household. Yet he never expected his daydream would shatter on the very first day at school.
Even Kakashi, who pretended not to care while straining to catch every word from nearby, felt surprised. He remembered his father once telling him that the Uchiha were an extremely proud clan.
"To make a proud Uchiha say something like this... So this is Seiki? I'm starting to find this boring campus life a little more interesting."
The passionate and hot-blooded Might Guy was already glowing with excitement, gazing at Shuunen with intensely affectionate eyes. "Senpai, would you allow us to watch your match too?"
"That's absolutely fine," Shuunen couldn't help but shiver under that intense stare and quickly shifted his gaze elsewhere. "Besides, you can also drop by the school festival afterward."
Rin asked curiously, "School festival? What exactly is it?"
Shuunen carefully chose his words to explain. "It's where students from different grades form clubs based on shared interests, inviting classmates or even villagers to participate. In short, it's a place for you to make friends and showcase yourselves."
"Wow! Sounds super interesting."
Rin clapped her hands cheerfully, but quickly voiced a new question. "But why have I never heard of it before?"
"Because this was proposed by Seiki right before last semester's vacation," Shuunen explained, giving Obito's shoulder a firm pat. "You guys are pretty lucky to catch the very first School Festival."
Might Guy, listening nearby, sparkled with excitement. "Awesome! I'm going to form a Youthful Passion Club! Anyone interested in joining?"
However, wherever his gaze landed, people immediately turned their heads away like they were avoiding the plague.
Seeing Might Guy unwilling to give up, Obito quickly changed the topic. "Do you really think anyone will participate in this School Festival? After all, Senpai Seiki was just a freshman last year."
Now completely acting as Seiki's biggest fan, Shuunen declared confidently, "If it's him, there definitely won't be any problem!"
Before they could ask more, he eagerly continued, "That's because all the students respect him, regardless of their year level. Actually, Seiki gaining such prestige has something to do with me too!"
"I get it now! It must be because my cousin Shuunen used to run the entire school!" Obito speculated dramatically, wearing an expression of discontent. "After beating you, that Seiki Shimaseki took over your position!"
"Hmm, being strong might actually be correct," Shuunen replied, giving an odd look. "But regarding the position, does being the most hated count?"
"Huh?" Obito tilted his head playfully. "What do you mean?"
"It's only natural since I was once the bully among bullies!" Shuunen admitted frankly and laughed. "Actually, those jerks who gave you trouble earlier were all my underlings."
Everyone around let out surprised cries simultaneously, "Eh!!?"
Obito stuttered nervously. "Wha—what exactly happened here?"
"My family must've never told you how much of a delinquent I used to be." Shuunen chuckled bitterly before placing both hands firmly on Obito's shoulders and continuing solemnly. "I was such a fool back then—I had no idea what real love even meant. I thought showing 'respect' for the Uchiha through violence was love for my father, and believed without effort we could naturally receive others' affection. It was Seiki who knocked some sense into me, dragging me out from illusions!"
"That's so cheesy! Doesn't Cousin Shuunen feel embarrassed at all?" Obito felt goosebumps rising all over his skin. Just when he was wondering how to escape this situation, his eyes accidentally caught sight of Rin beside him.
"Wait... If I could be as shameless as Cousin Shuunen, could I also confess my love to Rin directly in front of her... Hehehe."
With this thought, Obito's eyes shone with determination. "Cousin Shuunen, I get it now!"
Shuunen nodded approvingly, though sadness lingered slightly. "Sometimes mistakes have already been made—no matter what you do afterwards, you can't undo the damage. So promise me, don't ever turn out like me again!"
As Obito nodded half-knowingly, Might Guy suddenly slapped him hard on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Senior Shuunen! With Obito being so weak, he'll never turn into a villain anyway!"
Obito stumbled, almost getting knocked flat onto the ground. After struggling to regain his balance, he shot a weary look toward Might Guy.
Even though the guy was trying to help him out, he still couldn't feel any joy.
"Obito has such reliable companions. Looks like he won't end up like me," Shuunen mused inwardly. Then he waved and said, "Come on, the School Festival's being held in the little woods behind campus."
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