Evening, Uchiha Clan Land.
"Obito, don't eat so fast, you'll choke."
Hearing Grandma's words, Obito slowed down a bit and explained:
"Grandma, we're going to hang out with some friends."
"Which friend, is it Rin?" Grandma Obito asked with a smile.
Since Nohara Rin often came to play with Obito, Grandma was familiar with Rin.
"Yeah, but there are others too." Obito replied while eating.
The Young Ninja Contest is starting tomorrow, and today he seriously trained the entire day, exhausting him.
Maybe it's because he and Kakashi would be rivals again tomorrow, so Nohara Rin invited them all to relax together tonight.
Since Kakashi was involved, Obito also invited Might Guy.
"I'm full." After finishing, Obito wiped his mouth and hurriedly prepared to go out.
Grandma followed him to the entrance, smiling, "Do your best Obito, I'd love to see a great-grandchild."
Obito almost tripped, turned around blushing, and shouted, "Grandma, I'm still in school."
Even if he had those thoughts, he was definitely too young now.
Everyone agreed to meet on the southern street of the main district.
When Obito arrived, he saw the other three were already there; he was the last one.
"I bumped into an elderly lady who needed help, so I was a bit late." Obito explained.
"You always seem to run into elderly ladies, it's always like this." Kakashi found it somewhat improbable.
"I don't know, but if I see an old lady needing help, I can't just walk away." Obito felt wronged since he did help the lady.
"Alright, it's okay, it's probably because Obito is too kind-hearted, with eyes that spot those in need." Nohara Rin said with a gentle smile, walking between them.
With the minor interruption settled, the four of them walked down the street together.
"So many people, hey Kakashi, how about we race to see who can get through the crowd faster?" Might Guy couldn't resist asking, looking at the crowded street.
"I must refuse." Kakashi declined promptly, not leaving Guy with any false hope; such a challenge seemed too silly to him.
"Today these streets are hosting an event, so a lot of people are here." Nohara Rin explained.
Then she led them to the event area, where merchants lined the brightly lit street, and people in yukata strolled together.
"Look, these goldfish are so cute." Nohara Rin spotted a goldfish scooping booth and waved at the group with a smile.
"Young lady, care to try? Only ten ryo for a net." The booth owner tempted.
"Ten ryo…" Nohara Rin mused; while not much, one net might not do, as these paper nets were too fragile.
"Let me try." Obito volunteered and handed money for a net to the owner.
Obito targeted the liveliest, prettiest fish, but after two or three tries, the fish remained uncaught, and the net broke.
"Again!" Undeterred, Obito gave it another go but still failed.
By the ninth attempt, Nohara Rin stepped in to stop Obito and said: "Let's just go elsewhere."
The eighty ryo could easily buy a bowl of ramen.
"But after so many tries, I'm getting better; isn't it a waste to stop now?" Obito hesitated.
"Let me give it a shot too." Having never played, Might Guy rolled up his sleeves and prepared to catch the fish in one go.
With a snap, the stick holding the net broke immediately.
"Let me try it." Kakashi said coolly, handing ten ryo to the owner and effortlessly scooping up a goldfish in one go.
"Here you go." Kakashi handed the packed fish to Nohara Rin.
Nohara Rin smiled happily, "Thank you, Kakashi."
Then she added: "And thanks to Obito and Guy too."
Obito, who had been frowning, immediately grinned.
Next, the four of them wandered around, playing shuriken dart throwing, identity guessing games…
As the street started to empty, they decided to get some takoyaki before heading home.
"Kakashi, just wait and see tomorrow, I'm definitely taking first place this time." Obito said aggressively while taking a bite of takoyaki.
"If you want that first-place prize I can get it and give it to you." Kakashi retorted with some edge.
Their back and forth got Might Guy fired up, determined to challenge Kakashi in a Taijutsu competition.
...
The next day, it was a Sunday, so no school.
The competition started in the afternoon, but Obito practiced one last time in the morning.
The Young Ninja Contest was held on a commercial street in the main Konoha district.
Obito heard it was originally hosted by some old ninja store owner to encourage Ninja School students, and later everyone chipped in because it drew crowds, becoming an annual event.
"Obito, which ninjutsu are you going to use this time?" Nohara Rin asked.
"Great Fireball Jutsu." Obito didn't dodge the question, answering directly.
"You're not using the Mighty Dragon Fire Jutsu you used in the last practical exam?" Nohara Rin wondered.
Obito lost to Kakashi last time using the Great Fireball, scoring nine points lower out of thirty.
"This time is different, now my Great Fireball Jutsu is strong!" Obito said confidently, believing it would amaze everyone.
"Okay, I'm looking forward to your performance." Nohara Rin smiled gently.
"Obito, do your best, as my rival, that guy is not easy to beat." Might Guy said with arms crossed, looking mysteriously profound.
"Do I need to leave?" Kakashi interjected.
How did they start discussing how to beat him right in front of him?
"Kakashi, what ninjutsu will you use?" Nohara Rin quickly asked with a smile.
"Haven't decided, I'll use whatever, probably Earth Flow Wall." Kakashi mused aloud.
He wasn't showing off; he knew a fair amount of ninjutsu, allowing him the flexibility in such competitions.
Obito glanced around, recognizing many familiar faces from Ninja School, even spotting two ninjas with forehead protectors.
"There are way more people than last time," Obito recalled the previous competition.
"Probably because the prizes increased; this time, the first place gets not only a fine silver-plated Kunai but also eight thousand ryo." Nohara Rin explained.
"Eight thousand ryo!" Obito's eyes widened, feeling more resolved to win the first place.
With eight thousand ryo, he could easily treat Rin or buy gifts.
"The competition is starting, would the first contestant please come up to perform."