22 - A Shift in Mindset
"You should've seen how heroic I was back there."
"That old guy thought I was just stalling for time, chasing me down like crazy!"
"But who am I? I'm Lord Obito! I turned around and hit him with a Great Fireball that left him totally stunned!"
The next day, inside Konoha Hospital.
Obito Uchiha was busy boasting about his valiant exploits.
As the class slacker, Obito had finally gotten his moment to shine…
Though out of the three who took the exam, he was the only one beaten badly enough to land in the hospital.
Still… he'd passed.
Now, a crowd of classmates surrounded him, all there to congratulate him on passing the graduation exam.
Except for the few Hyuga in the class.
The reason was simple—the other Uchiha who'd passed was keeping a constant vigil here.
Having glimpsed a sliver of Konoha's darker side, Yuto Souta wasn't at ease.
So, under the pretense of caring for the patient, he stayed.
Right now, he sat by the window, sunlight streaming in as he scribbled furiously.
A new main mission had arrived: master chakra nature transformation.
Yuto Souta took it seriously… Beyond the mission reward of upgrading Ninjutsu Master, mastering multiple natures had always been part of his plan.
He had a hypothesis.
A bold one.
If he mastered chakra's water nature transformation, then its lightning nature transformation…
Could he electrolyze Water Release to produce hydrogen and oxygen, then ignite it with Fire Release?
A Hydrogen Release ninja?
World-leveling power?!
Thanks to his constant research on Nitrogen Release and Fire Release, he'd already touched the threshold of chakra form manipulation.
The mission's initial 13% completion was proof of that.
"Let's figure out Fire Release first."
His pen spun into a blur between his fingers as Yuto Souta locked onto his direction.
Nitrogen Release had a limited ceiling.
But it could serve as a stepping stone to Water Release.
And compared to Nitrogen Release, the Uchiha's signature Fire Release was more convenient for studying chakra natures.
He'd start with form. His raw materials? Still the Great Fireball and Fire Dragon Bullet.
"Fire Release, a process of energy reaction."
"Fire Release form changes depend on chakra quality and the shape of the released technique."
"Substitute chakra quality with quantity—maintain intensity while increasing volume to trigger a qualitative shift, then forcibly compress the technique's size."
"Keep the release method unchanged, replace the original technique form with a linear shape."
"High-temperature beam instead of Fire Release technique—is the theory feasible?"
As he scribbled furiously, time slipped by unnoticed.
Yuto Souta submitted one theoretical framework after another to the system.
Refining through failures, testing new approaches.
By the time night replaced day, the new technique's development was nearing completion.
"Souta… I'm hungry."
A faint, resentful voice broke the silence.
"Kakashi will bring food. Hold on."
Yuto Souta replied without looking up.
It was a bit dismissive, but in his current state, responding at all was already generous…
"Oh…" Obito answered weakly, glancing at the clock on the wall.
It was already 11 p.m…
That jerk Kakashi! No lunch, no nothing—did he mean to starve them both?!
Didn't he know Obito was a patient?!
Maybe his resentment was too loud.
The scientist's pen finally paused.
Yuto Souta submitted his latest plan—flawless this time, he was sure.
But an inexplicable bad feeling crept into his chest…
Like he'd forgotten something?
Right!
"I think I forgot—Kakashi said at noon he couldn't come this afternoon because something came up," Yuto Souta slapped his thigh, realization dawning.
"Huh?" Obito blinked, dumbfounded.
"Then… what do we do?"
Yuto Souta checked the time, frowning.
11 p.m…
Food was an issue, but something else lingered in his mind.
"By my calculations, Kakashi's father should be back around now."
Memories sharpened in his head.
When Kakashi came by at noon to say he couldn't make it later, his expression had been off.
Given the timing, Yuto Souta quickly deduced the situation.
"Obito, if Kakashi's in trouble… would you help?"
Yuto Souta asked after a moment's hesitation.
Obito froze, clearly caught off guard by the question.
"How would I help?"
"Wait… what kind of trouble could that guy get into? Did he steal his dad's money?"
In Obito's naive world…
Nothing was a bigger deal than swiping cash from home.
It was even worse than schoolyard brawls!
Yuto Souta raised an eyebrow.
Obito's one-track mind and straightforwardness never failed to impress…
Something a bit more serious than that… "Come on, I'll treat you to ramen. We'll talk on the way."
Since wrapping up his "Science Student Dignity Defense Battle" research,
Yuto Souta had begun integrating into this world.
He still didn't want to impose his will on others, but now, his mindset had quietly shifted.
Some regrets were better left unfulfilled…
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