Seeing this, Obito immediately hurried to take off his athletic jacket, then plunged into the water with a *plop*.
"Idiot, you're supposed to stand on the water, not jump in," Kakashi remarked venomously.
"Hey, you're the idiot, Kakashi! It's too hot, is it a crime to cool down first?" Obito poked his head out of the water, his orange goggles smeared with water stains.
"Is that so," Kakashi said, his tone unchanged.
"Don't look down on me."
Seeing the argument between Kakashi and Obito, Rin Nohara let out a giggle.
"Alright, alright, everyone stop fighting."
Rin Nohara always stepped in to mediate at times like this.
Kiyoshi had no interest in getting involved in their antics and focused on his training.
Again, the only people who would ever truly touch Obito's heart were Kakashi and Rin Nohara.
The moment he personally witnessed the friend he secretly loved being killed by his own friend, he harbored extreme hatred for everyone, hatred for Minato Namikaze, the fastest ninja in the world, for not being there, hatred for Kakashi, the genius, for failing to protect Rin; and hatred for the Hidden Mist for abducting Rin.
This was the fundamental reason Obito resolved to execute the Eye of the Moon Plan and bring an end to the ninja system—it was his extreme reaction.
Even Minato and Kushina, who were so kind to him, were killed without hesitation.
"Rin Nohara is someone I can delve deeper into contact with," Kiyoshi mused.
Rin Nohara's talent wasn't bad.
And in time, she could very well become a hidden card for Kiyoshi to restrain Obito.
After all, Kamui had the best track record among the Mangekyō Dōjutsu.
It performed much better than the Amaterasu.
Contacting Obito was riskier than contacting the Hidden Cloud.
The Hidden Cloud at least had a track record of infiltration. For example, they were only discovered after they had reached the border when attempting to abduct Kushina.
Kiyoshi considered this point when he made contact.
As for Obito, who knew if Madara had sent a White Zetsu with full infiltration capabilities to monitor him in the Hidden Leaf?
There was a high probability of Obito going rogue.
Having an extra layer of protection was always good.
Gradually, the golden light of dusk faded, replaced by a night sky dotted with stars.
It was already night.
The light from the distant streetlights shone over, making the water glimmer.
The Third Training Ground was not far from the center of the village.
Obito's grandmother came to pick him up, and Rin Nohara was also picked up by her parents.
They had all informed their families of their whereabouts beforehand.
A man wearing a green ninja vest and with the same white hair as Kakashi walked over.
"Kakashi, it's time to go back."
"Yes, Father."
Kakashi nodded and followed the man.
At this point, Kiyoshi was the only one left, still training by the river.
Sakumo Hatake rubbed Kakashi's head and walked toward home with him. After walking a short distance, he turned back to look at Kiyoshi and spoke:
"Is that Kiyoshi Uchiha from the Land of Lightning?" Sakumo Hatake asked.
The Uchiha's recent success in finding a new clan member outside the village was quite the buzz.
No other reason, this was the first instance of a Hidden Leaf ninja clan's bloodline being leaked outside the village!
The Hyūga clan, also famous for its Dōjutsu, had never had a Byakugan user leak out.
Less powerful clans, such as the Yamanaka, Inuzuka, Akimichi, and Nara clans, had also never experienced such a situation.
This made Kiyoshi Uchiha a focal point of attention.
Most people wondered if a person from the Land of Lightning who had not received Hidden Leaf education in his early years could successfully inherit the Will of Fire.
"That is Kiyoshi Uchiha."
Kakashi spoke, turning his head back. They were quite far from Kiyoshi now, and could only see a silhouette training there.
"He seems like a resolute child." Sakumo Hatake's keen insight saw deeper.
Kiyoshi could now barely keep his feet on the water's surface while doing the Water Surface Walking, though he was still sinking halfway, with the water reaching his instep.
How long had it been since Kiyoshi enrolled in the academy?
"It seems Kiyoshi Uchiha will be a respectable rival for you in the future, perhaps even stronger than Might Duy's son." Sakumo Hatake said seriously.
Besides the Uchiha's Sharingan, Kiyoshi was rumored to possess the talent of the Yotsuki clan.
The interbreeding between ninja clans usually resulted in two outcomes.
First, the individual becomes stronger than a pure-blooded member, inheriting the talents of both bloodlines.
Second, the bloodlines interfere with each other, resulting in the individual inheriting neither and becoming an ordinary person.
The second possibility was highly probable.
Therefore, ninja clans with different surnames rarely intermarried.
Kiyoshi Uchiha was likely the former.
Such rapid learning speed and physical endurance were not something the Uchiha clan could achieve alone.
Sakumo Hatake glanced at Kakashi's forehead, which was beaded with sweat.
Clearly, even his son, a self-proclaimed genius, could not withstand such prolonged training.
"Father is right." Kakashi agreed.
Kakashi didn't feel much about his father saying Might Guy would be a respectable rival.
But looking at Kiyoshi, who was progressing steadily and quickly, he felt a sense of camaraderie.
If Kiyoshi hadn't been a transfer student and had been a student with the same normal progress as them, how strong would he be?
Kakashi didn't know the answer to this question.
But he thought that Kiyoshi Uchiha would also be heralded as a genius.
The father and son walked further and further away.
It wasn't until they had completely disappeared that Kiyoshi looked toward the direction they had left.
"The White Fang of the Leaf, Sakumo Hatake..."
In not too long, he would commit suicide at home, unable to bear the constant public condemnation after failing a mission.
"Time is running out," Kiyoshi thought.
The number of missions Sakumo Hatake had completed was recorded in the data book.
He had a terrifying 27 S-rank missions and 123 A-rank missions.
This meant that Sakumo Hatake was already an experienced ninja who was accustomed to life and death.
And the ninja world was naturally inseparable from dark activities like espionage and assassination.
His hands were certainly stained with blood.
Yet, his cause of death was suicide.
His body was immediately discovered by Kakashi, leaving an indelible psychological scar on his most admired father, who had acted like a coward by taking his own life.
Perhaps only the White Fang of the Leaf himself knew why he committed suicide.
But it was very likely related to politics.
When Minato Namikaze introduced Kakashi's father to Obito, he used the words: "It is said that even the legendary Sannin feared him."
The specific situation can only be interpreted by the benevolent and the wise.
All Kiyoshi could do was get stronger quickly.
A figure like Sakumo Hatake met such an end.
How much more so for him, a person with the labels of "Land of Lightning native," "Yotsuki clan," and "Uchiha."
This series of labels had already made his image increasingly controversial.
Danzō Shimura or others had, more likely than not, already set their sights on him.
The only solution was to rapidly strengthen himself.
Turning back, Kiyoshi continued his training.
It was still early, the nightlife on the bustling streets of the Hidden Leaf was just beginning.
He still had time to train.
[Trait: Water Walker (White).]
[Achievement Requirement: Walk on the water's surface with both feet, as if walking on flat ground.]
[Progress: 25%.]
[Effect: In special terrains, your skill in chakra control is more proficient, and your chakra "endurance" is more sustained than ordinary people, increasing by 5% on the original basis.]
[Note: Can be upgraded later.]