Bab 277: Chapter 277: Astonished Uchiha Clan
"Then I will challenge you," Obito declared to Uchiha Inabi.
He had been unsure about how to earn the reward, but after hearing Uchiha Inabi's words, his path became clear.
"I accept your challenge," Uchiha Inabi said, looking at Obito with admiration. Being willing to challenge a stronger opponent was something he valued.
"Just go all out, don't worry about anything else," Uchiha Inabi continued.
Although Uchiha Tekka said that Obito had the strength to pass the Chunin Exams, Uchiha Inabi did not believe that the nine-year-old Obito could harm him.
Firstly, he had passed the Chunin Exams the previous year. Secondly, he felt that Uchiha Tekka, having just graduated, might not fully understand the difficulty of the Chunin Exams.
"Go all out, then. Alright," Obito agreed, thinking Uchiha Inabi was a combat enthusiast like Guy.
"Tekka, come help us as the referee," Uchiha Inabi said to Uchiha Tekka.
The Uchihas didn't usually prepare a dedicated referee; they would either ask a friend or skip the referee entirely.
"Sure," Uchiha Tekka nodded. After the fight between Uchiha Inabi and Obito, he also wanted to receive some guidance from Uchiha Inabi.
The group then moved to the open space in the courtyard. Nearby was a small pavilion where Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Yashiro went to drink tea after finishing their discussions.
Since it was the beginning, no one else was fighting in the courtyard. Obito and Uchiha Inabi were the first to engage in combat.
"I will start the fight after I count down from five. Five, four,..." Uchiha Tekka said as Obito and Uchiha Inabi took their fighting stances.
Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Yashiro, who were drinking tea, noticed the preparation for the fight.
"This Uchiha Obito is quite a promising prospect, showing good talent and the courage to challenge others," Uchiha Yashiro said, nodding as he watched the scene.
He had high hopes for Obito, believing that among the Uchiha of similar age, Obito was the second most talented after Shisui.
"Yes, Inabi is also impressive. Although young, he is very steady in his work with the police department," Uchiha Fugaku said, putting down his teacup and nodding.
"Three, two, one, begin!" Uchiha Tekka counted down while quickly retreating. By the time he shouted "begin," he had already moved to the side of the house and was now attentively watching the open space, ready to enjoy the fight.
Uchiha Tekka felt that Inabi would win in the end, but it wouldn't be an easy victory; it would involve a tough battle.
The sound of Uchiha Tekka's countdown attracted the attention of the Uchiha inside the house.
"So soon, someone is fighting. Let's see who it is."
"Anyone who steps up for the first match must have some real skill."
A few Uchiha curiously walked out to watch the match.
"Oh, it's Inabi. That's not surprising. But who is the person opposite him? I don't think I've seen him before, and he seems quite young," one Uchiha said, looking at Obito with curiosity.
"I don't know, no impression," the people around shook their heads.
"He's probably a junior who isn't very good at communication, so he appears less often. This battle will likely be more of a guidance match."
A few Uchiha went back inside to continue chatting, thinking the fight was not particularly interesting.
Once Uchiha Tekka finished the countdown, Obito immediately altered his breathing rhythm, entering Flame Breathing state while cautiously observing Uchiha Inabi.
"Staying in place? What kind of tactic is this?" Obito wondered to himself as he looked at Uchiha Inabi, who remained motionless. He had never seen an opponent stay stationary in any school battles or mission encounters; it seemed like a complete vulnerability.
Obito was puzzled about what Uchiha Inabi was trying to do.
"Fire Release·Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Obito quickly formed hand signs, concentrated Chakra in his throat, and performed Nature Transformation to release a large amount of flames.
The flames gathered and eventually formed a giant orange-red fireball about four meters in diameter, looking very imposing.
Since he was unsure about Uchiha Inabi's information and his tactics were so unusual, Obito chose to start with the versatile Ninjutsu, Great Fireball.
"To be proficient with Great Fireball at such a young age." Seeing the giant fireball coming toward him, Uchiha Inabi displayed a look of surprise.
His own Great Fireball at full strength was about at this level, and Obito was only nine years old this year, while he himself was already thirteen.
"Seems like he might be a Ninjutsu prodigy," Uchiha Inabi thought.
He decided to focus his guidance on Taijutsu, as there wasn't much to instruct on with Fire Release given Obito's proficiency with Great Fireball at his age.
"Does anyone know his background? To have such proficiency with Great Fireball at this age." It wasn't just Uchiha Inabi who was impressed by Obito's Great Fireball.
Some even suspected that Obito might be twelve or thirteen years old, but just short in stature.
"His name is Uchiha Obito, the same age as me, nine years old this year," Uchiha Tekka came out to correct them.
"Uchiha Obito? I've heard that name before. Isn't he the one rumored to be the 'tail end' of the Uchiha?" A Uchiha Ninja three years older than Obito recalled some information upon hearing the name.
In his final year before graduation, he heard that a lower-grade student named Uchiha Obito had very poor grades and was called the "tail end" of the Uchiha. Although they were from the same clan, he had no intention of standing up for Obito. In his view, if one's strength was lacking, it was only natural to earn such a nickname.
"Tail end? You call a nine-year-old who can use such a Great Fireball a tail end?"
Uchiha Tekka felt very conflicted hearing this. Who would have thought that Obito would suddenly explode in strength in his final year, going from the bottom to being a top contender for first place in his grade?
He also understood that these Uchiha didn't know about Obito's progress, since once they graduated, they stopped paying attention to school matters. Moreover, Obito seemed to have no Uchiha friends besides Shisui, associating mostly with people from other clans.
"Fire Release·Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Uchiha Inabi also quickly performed the hand seals, channeling a large amount of Chakra to release a Great Fireball similar in size to Obito's.
Boom!!
The two massive Great Fireballs collided, causing a violent explosion. The fierce flames blackened the ground near the impact, and the loud explosion drew all the Uchiha inside the house outside.
"This Uchiha Obito is not just good; he should have a strong talent for Fire Release," Uchiha Fugaku said with a look of surprise.
He had initially come to observe Shisui's performance, but Obito ended up giving him an unexpected pleasure.
"Indeed, this level of talent is rare even among us Uchiha," Uchiha Yashiro agreed. He couldn't use such a Great Fireball at nine years old.
Uchiha Fugaku decided to reward Obito with a B-rank Fire Release Ninjutsu after the exchange meeting.
After negating Obito's Great Fireball with his own, Uchiha Inabi took the initiative to charge at Obito. Based on his judgment, Taijutsu should be Obito's weak point.
At only nine years old, Obito's outstanding Ninjutsu skills must have required a lot of time, leaving little time for Taijutsu practice.
"His speed is a bit slow. Is there some kind of tactic?" Obito thought that Uchiha Inabi might be feigning weakness.
Given that Uchiha Inabi had previously acted as if he were mentoring juniors, Obito assumed Uchiha Inabi's strength would be substantial. Currently, Uchiha Inabi's speed was only about the same as Obito's standard breathing.
"Flame Breathing, Total Concentration Breathing!" Obito focused his breathing, enhancing his physical abilities once again.
Not wanting to overthink it, he decided to go all out and adapt as needed.
Whoosh!
Obito concentrated Chakra on his feet and surged towards Uchiha Inabi with incredible speed, delivering a Whirlwind Kick.
Obito had learned a bit of the Whirlwind series Taijutsu and, having frequently fought with Guy, he was proficient with it.
"Such speed!" Uchiha Inabi only felt Obito's form flash and instantly appear beside him.
Bang!
Caught off guard, Uchiha Inabi was kicked four meters away and slammed heavily to the ground.
Lying on the ground, Uchiha Inabi was extremely dazed, his mind blank with thoughts of who he was, where he was, and what he was supposed to do.
"With such high proficiency in Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, did he start training the moment he was born?" Uchiha Inabi was deeply frustrated.
Not only was Uchiha Inabi stunned, but so was Obito.
"I haven't made any major progress in Taijutsu or Breathing Technique recently; how did I end up knocking him down so easily?" Obito wondered, scratching his head as he looked at Uchiha Inabi, who was lying four meters away.
The surrounding Uchiha were even more astonished. Although they didn't know Obito, they were familiar with Uchiha Inabi.
Uchiha Inabi had been participating in exchange meetings since he became a Genin, never missing a year, and always challenging older Uchiha. He was considered one of the prominent young experts among the Uchiha.
"When did such a genius emerge from the clan? He looks no more than ten years old, and Inabi was easily defeated."
"Seems like his name is Uchiha Obito."
"Uchiha Obito? Isn't that..."
Initially, the commotion was due to the explosion from the Ninjutsu clash. As the discussion grew, the noise increased, and eventually, all the Uchiha inside the house came out. They all noted Uchiha Obito's name and marked him as a genius.
"His strength surpasses that of Inabi? Has he made such progress?" Seeing the result of the Taijutsu clash, Uchiha Tekka found it hard to accept.
Uchiha Inabi was someone Uchiha Tekka admired and aspired to be like.
"Maybe Inabi was just careless; after all, it was his first time fighting Obito," Uchiha Tekka thought, trying to console himself, and then continued watching the fight. At this moment, Uchiha Inabi had gotten back on his feet.
Uchiha Inabi shared similar thoughts. He admitted that Obito's Taijutsu was indeed strong, but being so easily defeated was largely due to his own underestimation.
"I can't treat him as just a junior anymore; I need to regard him as a Ninja of the same level," Uchiha Inabi said, taking a deep breath and showing a cautious expression.
Uchiha Inabi saw Obito as a peer, but after two rounds of combat, Obito concluded that Uchiha Inabi was significantly weaker.
The previous tactics weren't strategies; they were just pure weaknesses.
Understanding this, Obito charged in using the boost from Total Concentration Breathing and engaged in close combat with Uchiha Inabi. This time, despite Uchiha Inabi's utmost seriousness and caution, it couldn't compensate for the difference in their skill levels.
With a loud thud, he was once again knocked down by Obito.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!" Realizing that Taijutsu couldn't match up, Uchiha Inabi switched to Ninjutsu.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson!"
The fireball infused with Shuriken was more powerful than the usual Phoenix Sage Fire. Uchiha Inabi's Phoenix Sage Fire was countered, and he was also cut by the high-temperature Shuriken.
"He even mastered this technique!" Uchiha Inabi realized he had underestimated Obito. It wasn't just that Obito's Taijutsu was stronger, but his Ninjutsu and Taijutsu were both superior.
Obito seized the opportunity to pin Uchiha Inabi down, pressing a Kunai against Uchiha Inabi's neck.
"Does this mean I win?" Obito asked with a relaxed expression.
He felt that winning the high-level Fire Release was quite easy. Uchiha Inabi didn't even have a Sharingan, and he had been wondering what to do if Uchiha Inabi used one.
"Uchiha Obito wins," Uchiha Tekka announced the result of the fight. His expression was hard to describe, a mix of surprise, sadness, and confusion.
Lying on the ground, Uchiha Inabi's emotions were also extremely complicated. Initially, he had aimed to guide a junior, but instead, he had been thoroughly taught a lesson by one.
"Are you alright? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" Obito asked, extending his hand to Uchiha Inabi with concern.
Obito had a good impression of Uchiha Inabi and felt that securing a high-level Fire Release Ninjutsu was quite easy under such circumstances.
Uchiha Inabi grabbed Obito's hand and stood up, responding, "No need for that. It's just a scrape. I just need some rest."
Afterward, Uchiha Inabi walked towards the house, needing some time to himself.
"Inabi," Uchiha Tekka patted Uchiha Inabi's shoulder, fully understanding the feeling. He had also been defeated by Obito amidst the incredulous expressions of his classmates.
Obito's performance in this battle surprised most people; aside from Shisui, no one expected him to defeat Uchiha Inabi.
"I didn't expect him to be so excellent in Taijutsu as well, besides Ninjutsu," Uchiha Yashiro remarked.
He had originally hoped for Obito to become the next Uchiha Inabi, but now Obito already had strength surpassing that of Uchiha Inabi.
"We should allocate more resources to Uchiha Obito and also focus on fostering a sense of family identity," Uchiha Fugaku suggested after some thought.
Uchiha Fugaku was very optimistic about Obito, as he himself did not have Obito's level of strength at the age of nine.
Uchiha Yashiro nodded in agreement. A talent like Obito's certainly deserved strong support; in ten years, he would be a reliable asset.
Due to his victory over Uchiha Inabi, some Uchiha approached Obito with curiosity to discuss training matters. Obito answered as many questions as he could and met several young ninjas from the Uchiha Clan.
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Status Power Mingguan
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