Obito was also wearing a raincoat, but in his hurry to intercept Ryuji, he had rushed out without even putting on the hood.
The torrential rain instantly soaked the boy, his hair plastered to his forehead.
But his gaze remained unwavering.
Ryuji's eyebrows twitched slightly before relaxing. "Is there a problem?"
"You were the one who did that just now, right?!" Obito was referring to the stool tipping over and making him fall.
Ryuji understood and let out a light chuckle. "Oh? You're allowed to attack, but others aren't allowed to retaliate?"
"No!"
Obito denied loudly, then explained, "That was a sneak attack! I was careless, so I didn't dodge. Let's start over properly now."
"Obito!"
Rin called out worriedly. When Obito looked at her, she quickly added, "Stop this! We have a sewer-cleaning mission later."
"It's fine, Rin."
Hearing the girl he secretly liked show concern made Obito happy. A goofy grin spread across his face.
But he hadn't forgotten his goal: to challenge this man and prove himself.
Obito wasn't trying to prove his statement about 'chore missions being a waste of time for Genin' was right because it had been challenged.
In truth, he knew that statement was wrong.
While he genuinely didn't see the point of chore missions for Genin beyond earning some pocket money, Konoha had operated this way since its founding. That meant there was a purpose to it he simply didn't understand.
He had only said it to complain.
Even though Obito was usually clumsy and the class dunce, his constant chatter about wanting to become Hokage was backed by a firm resolve.
In his imagination, once he officially became a Shinobi, it would be his time to shine. With dazzling performances, he'd surpass Kakashi, rise through the ranks to Jonin, and finally, under the gaze of the entire village, don the Hokage's hat.
But reality was completely different.
There were no missions to fight enemies. For a whole month, it was nothing but chores... Sure, he excelled as 'Konoha's Friendly Neighbor' and 'The Grandmothers' Best Helper', always finishing tasks with record speed, but it brought no sense of true accomplishment. None of the admiration he'd imagined.
That's why he'd complained that chores were pointless for Genin.
Of course, Obito's desire to challenge Ryuji wasn't solely because of the other party's attitude... Alright, he had to admit, his initial impulsive attack had been a reaction to the provocation.
But he was calmer now.
The reason he still wanted to fight was because Kakashi had said this guy was strong, stronger than Minato.
Having never seen Minato in serious action, Obito naturally assumed the perpetually kind-smiling teacher couldn't be that powerful. But he was still a Jonin.
If he, Obito, could defeat a foreign Shinobi stronger than his Jonin Teacher, wouldn't that mean he had already surpassed Minato?
Then, the Hokage would have no reason to keep assigning him only chores, right?
Wait, no… not just that.
If he could defeat a foreign Jonin, he'd gain significant fame too!
He didn't fully understand what 'Head of the Puppeteer Corps' meant in Sunagakure, but from Kakashi's tone, it was clearly an important, high-ranking position.
If he could defeat its holder, he'd definitely become a rising star, making his path to Hokage much smoother.
A perfect win-win. Why not go for it?
The plan was flawless!
Recalling his brilliant reasoning, Obito mentally gave himself a thumbs-up.
'Hah! Kakashi's always calling me an idiot. Could an idiot come up with such a smart plan so fast?'
'Once I win this challenge and become the talk of the town, I'll make sure to gloat right in his face.'
Seeing the boy's silly grin, clearly lost in a daydream, everyone present felt a wave of secondhand embarrassment.
Kakashi rolled his eyes and muttered his classic line under his breath.
Ryuji glanced back at Minato. "Your call?"
"Sigh..."
Minato let out a deep sigh. "Perhaps it's good for him to get a taste of the wider world. I leave it to you, Ryuji-kun. Please show some restraint."
"Understood."
Ryuji nodded, then turned back to the still-fantasizing boy. "You dare to challenge me. I admire your courage. But if I accepted every Tom, Dick, and Harry who wanted a fight, I'd never have a moment's peace."
"Huh? What did you say?"
Snapping back to reality, Obito looked utterly confused. He hadn't caught a word Ryuji said. If not for everyone knowing his scatterbrained nature, they'd think he was being deliberately disrespectful.
Ryuji's eyes narrowed, a dangerous smile playing on his lips. "Before I even set foot in the Shinobi Academy, I designed and built a toy. If you can defeat it, then you can fight me."
As he spoke, Ryuji produced a scroll and summoned a small doll-like figure from it.
It was a tiny green soldier, about the length of an adult's middle finger, dressed in full combat fatigues, clutching a miniature M17 assault rifle, with grenades dangling from its belt.
"Wh-what is this?!"
Obito was baffled, but indignation quickly took over. "You want me to fight this... this toy? Are you making fun of me?"
"Obito, don't underestimate it."
Minato's expression turned serious as he stared at the small figure, his voice low. "Ryuji-kun is a puppeteer. His puppets are his weapons. You must never judge an opponent's strength by the size of their puppet."
"R-really?"
"Absolutely."
While winding a key on the small figure's back, Ryuji continued, "This is the Bad Company. The very first proper doll I ever created in my life."
That was a lie.
The Bad Company wasn't something he designed and built; it was a reward from his system.
Its original concept was the Stand, 'Bad Company' from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. The system had given it to Ryuji as a ten-day check-in reward, in the form of this doll.
"Now, experience its power for yourself!"
With the winding complete, the green figure's eyes lit up with a malevolent crimson glow, locking onto Obito.
"Target confirmed. Commencing destruction." The figure spoke in a flat, synthetic voice. It raised its M17 rifle and fired.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!
The muzzle flashed, spitting a stream of tiny projectiles.
Before Obito could even process what was happening, his face was peppered with a cluster of pinpoint wounds, blood immediately welling to the surface.
"Huh?"
Obito blinked, instinctively bringing a hand to his stinging face. He felt the wetness of blood, and a sharp, stinging pain followed.
"Ow, ow, ow! What the… ?! It shoots?! Ahh, it stings!"
"Target not eliminated. Continuing execution."
Ignoring Obito's yelps, the small figure saw its target was still standing. It impassively raised its rifle again and resumed firing.
"Tch, you think you can hit me again?!"
This time, Obito was ready. The moment the gun lifted, he dodged to the side. The barrage of tiny bullets struck the ground where he'd been standing, leaving a tight pattern of impacts.