Chapter 20 — The Outcome of Minato Namikaze's Trial
Should he let Rin succeed, or should he stand aside and claim the reward for himself?
The thought flashed through Obuya's mind, sharp and fleeting.
But there was no time to deliberate.
Minato's Rasengan was already surging toward Rin's back.
Whether because her attention was completely fixed on the bell within reach, or because Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique was simply too fast to perceive, Rin showed no sign of noticing the danger closing in behind her.
Zzz—
Electricity crackled violently around Obuya's fist.
The current flowed like a living thing, twisting and compressing as it took on the shape of a ferocious beast, surging forward toward Minato with explosive force.
In the end, Obuya made his choice.
He would let Rin succeed.
Even if the cost was unbearably high.
By doing so, he was effectively surrendering his chance to advance in the Chūnin Exam—to obtain the final forty Devil Points he needed, to reach one hundred, to become a one-star demon, and to awaken the "Human Modification" Devil Fruit ability he had long pursued.
Minato seemed to sense his intent.
The Rasengan, which had been aimed at Rin, shifted at the last possible instant, turning to meet Obuya's attack head-on.
For the first time, the high-intensity lightning collided directly with the legendary Rasengan.
The two forces clashed violently.
The compressed sphere of chakra ground against the writhing current, emitting blinding white sparks that lit up the surrounding forest in an instant.
Rin, who had just secured the bell, didn't even have time to celebrate. The moment she turned and saw what had happened, her eyes widened in shock.
Obuya's body was sent flying.
Like a kite with its string severed, he was hurled backward by the overwhelming force of the Rasengan, lifted clean off his feet and flung through the air.
"What powerful Lightning Release…"
Minato murmured under his breath.
Although the Rasengan had dispersed the concentrated current surrounding Obuya's fist, his own hand still tingled with numbness, momentarily paralyzed.
Even with his precise chakra control, the impact was not insignificant. Against anyone else, caught unprepared, such an attack would have been enough to incapacitate them entirely.
Boom!!!
Obuya crashed heavily into a massive tree, the impact producing a deep, resounding crack.
The trunk—so wide that two people could not encircle it—caved inward from the collision, an enormous indentation forming where his body had struck.
"Obuya!"
Rin's face paled as she landed and immediately rushed toward him.
Obito and Kakashi, seeing the outcome, abandoned any lingering excitement over the bells and hurried over as well.
"Huh… I don't seem to be injured."
Obuya stood up slowly, surprise flickering across his face as he examined himself.
Replaying the moment in his mind, he found it almost unbelievable.
"The Rasengan really is incredible…"
Kakashi couldn't help but exclaim.
Hearing this, Obuya quickly understood.
The Rasengan, created by Minato, was far more refined than it appeared.
Though it looked like he had taken the full force of the blow, the technique had actually redirected the impact, channeling it through his body and into the tree behind him.
That explained why the tree had suffered such severe damage while he himself remained unharmed. From Obuya's perspective, it was a form of chakra control that allowed force to pass through a target and discharge elsewhere.
Seeing that Obuya was safe, Rin finally let out a breath of relief.
But as she recalled what had just happened, understanding dawned on her, and her gaze toward him grew complicated—tinged with a faint sense of grievance.
Her pride would not allow her to believe that her success had depended on someone else's sacrifice.
And yet, she could not deny what she had seen.
Nor could she ignore the feeling stirring within her.
"Congratulations. You really did it."
Minato approached with a gentle smile.
Under normal circumstances, it should have been a moment of celebration.
But no one smiled.
The reason was obvious.
Obuya had not obtained a bell. According to the rules, he would be eliminated and disqualified from the Chūnin Exam.
"Minato-sensei, just now Obuya gave up his chance to take the bell to save me. If it weren't for him, the one struck by the Rasengan would have been me. So—"
"No!"
Before Rin could finish, Obito interrupted.
"Don't forget… this is the Chūnin Exam. The first stage is a team-based preliminary. Whether logically or practically, the strongest should go forward. And I…"
He paused briefly, then forced the words out.
"…I'm the weakest."
"If I go, it's meaningless. I might even hold you back. So this bell… should belong to Obuya."
Kakashi glanced at him, clearly surprised.
He had seen Obito get teased countless times—even participated in it himself—but never once had Obito admitted such a thing.
Until now.
Obuya suddenly smiled.
"Obito, what are you talking about? You might have hidden it well, but I noticed it long ago. You've already awakened the Uchiha clan's kekkei genkai—the single tomoe Sharingan. How could you be the weakest?"
"It's just the Chūnin Exam," he continued. "To me, it doesn't really matter. Whether I'm a Genin or a Chūnin, it's all the same. I don't care about those titles."
Even so, a trace of regret lingered in his tone.
For him, the rank itself was insignificant—but losing his qualification meant losing the chance to advance into a one-star demon.
That was something he could not completely disregard.
Obito fell silent, his expression dim.
In this operation, all four of them had been indispensable. Without any one of them, their plan would have failed.
And yet, in the end, only three could pass.
The imbalance left a lingering discomfort between them.
Each of them, in their own way, wanted to give up their bell so that the others could succeed.
"The Human Modification Devil Fruit ability… looks like it'll have to wait again."
Obuya let out a quiet sigh.
Minato observed the four of them before speaking calmly, "Rules are rules. They can't be changed. Besides, in the team matches, the other classes also have only three participants."
Obito and the others knew this well.
Every other team consisted of three members. Allowing four would disrupt the fairness of the exam.
"But…"
Minato suddenly smiled.
At that word, Obito and Rin looked up, hope flickering in their eyes.
Minato's gaze settled on Obuya, carrying a depth of emotion that was difficult to read.
"Just now, you had the option to stand aside, let Rin fail, and secure the bell for yourself. But instead, you chose to help her, even at the cost of your own goal. That's commendable. However…"
He paused.
In that moment, Minato was reminded of someone else.
Kakashi's father—the White Fang of Konoha.
A man who had once abandoned a mission to save his comrades, only to be condemned for it. Even those he had rescued turned against him, and in the end, he chose death.
In Obuya, Minato saw a similar quality.
Such people were rare.
They would never betray their companions.
But at the same time, they were easily bound by emotion—a dangerous flaw for a ninja, in a world where missions and information were meant to take precedence over all else.