The Next Morning
At the break of dawn, Haneda had already risen and washed up. Unlike Obito, he didn't make a habit of being late.
After a simple breakfast, he stepped out of the Uchiha Clan Grounds and suddenly recalled how Obito had been called out and scolded by the sensei the day before.
"I'd better go pick him up, just in case he oversleeps again."
Soon, he arrived at Obito's doorstep and knocked politely.
"Granny, I'm here to walk to school with Obito!"
Moments later, Obito's grandmother—hunched and kind-eyed—opened the door. Recognizing Haneda, she called upstairs in a gentle but loud voice:
"Obito! Little Haneda's here to get you for school!"
A faint, muffled voice drifted down from upstairs:
"Huh? Haneda...? Just lemme sleep five more minutes, Granny..."
The old woman sighed and turned back to Haneda with a tired smile.
"This child... always like this. Come in and sit, I'll go wake him—"
"It's alright, Granny. I'll handle it," Haneda replied with a grin.
"Then go on up. His room's to the right of the hallway."
Haneda padded quietly up the stairs. The house was silent, and a mischievous grin crept across his face as he approached Obito's room.
Then—fwip!
With a swift tug, Haneda yanked the blanket clean off the bed.
"Agh! What the hell?!" Obito jolted upright.
Half-awake, Obito stared at the familiar smirking face and instantly remembered yesterday's embarrassment. Rubbing his red cheeks, he shouted:
"You bastard, Haneda! I, Uchiha Obito, swear I'll never forgive you!"
Fueled by righteous fury, he threw a sleepy punch at Haneda, who casually dodged and caught Obito's fist mid-air.
"Time to get up, sleepyhead. Besides, you still can't beat me~"
"AARGH!! You're dead, Haneda!"
Before the scuffle could escalate, Obito's grandmother came up the stairs with a knowing smile.
"Breakfast is on the table, little Obito. Eat it on the way so you won't be late again."
"Got it…" Obito mumbled, shooting Haneda a glare before stomping down the stairs.
Haneda followed casually.
Behind them, Obito's grandmother gazed after the boys fondly, murmuring to herself:
"Ah… youth really is full of energy."
---
On the Road to the Academy
"Still mad, Obito?" Haneda teased as they walked.
"Shut it, Haneda!!"
Just then, an old woman slowly hobbled toward the crosswalk with a cane.
"Granny, let me help you!"
Obito immediately ran over, gently taking her arm and guiding her across.
Haneda stood on the side, observing.
So this is really why he's always late?
But helping once wouldn't take that long… right?
Just as they resumed walking, another granny appeared… then another…
"Granny, let me help you!"
"You're such a kind boy, little Obito!"
Haneda rubbed his temples.
Okay… twice is still manageable. But what the hell?!
When yet another cane-toting granny emerged—
"No way…"
"Granny! I'll help you too!" Haneda finally snapped, hurrying over to speed things up.
There's no way this many grannies randomly need help every day, right? It's like they're lying in ambush!
After safely escorting the third granny, Haneda turned around—only to see another one shuffling toward them.
.. "You've gotta be kidding me!!!"
---
At the Academy
Tap, tap, tap—
Two sets of hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor.
Haneda and Obito burst through the classroom door, panting.
"Sumimasen, Sensei!"
Obito, familiar with the drill, rushed to explain:
"Sensei! On the way to school, I—"
"Let me guess." The teacher sighed. "You were helping an old lady cross the road again?"
Obito looked down, embarrassed. The sensei turned to Haneda with a skeptical gaze.
"And you?"
"...Same. Helping a granny. With Obito."
The classroom erupted into laughter.
Haneda wished he could dig a hole and crawl inside.
Ugh… this is humiliating.
Is Obito cursed to attract grannies?! Is he some kind of senior magnet?!
Across the room, Asuma Sarutobi chewed on a pen and muttered under his breath with a smirk:
"Two dumb Uchiha…"
As always, he enjoyed needling the clan's pride. Being the Hokage's rebellious son had made him irreverent since childhood.
Kakashi, however, was more reserved. Though his impression of Haneda had improved after the previous night, the sight of him being late—especially for something so absurd—made him internally shake his head.
Punctuality is a ninja's duty.
Still, favorability points didn't decrease, and rewards weren't revoked, so Haneda had narrowly escaped a loss.
The sensei, though clearly annoyed, couldn't bring himself to scold them too harshly. Eventually, he waved the boys toward their seats with a deep sigh.
"Go sit down. And don't let this become a habit."
As they slunk to their desks, the teacher gave one last note:
"This afternoon is practical training. Prepare accordingly."
---
Lunch Break
Haneda sat by the corridor railing, eating his bento. As he chewed, a familiar presence approached.
Kakashi.
He stood by the railing, silent, his black mask hiding any emotion—but his eyes revealed something else: conflict, perhaps doubt.
"Kakashi? Looking for me?"
Haneda paused mid-bite.
Kakashi looked off into the distance.
"You know about my father, right?"
Haneda nodded.
"Of course. The White Fang of Konoha—Sakumo Hatake. A master of the tanto, respected across the Shinobi World."
"But lately there's been rumors… about how he abandoned a mission to save his comrades. How it brought losses to the village… and how even those he saved turned against him."
The words hung in the air.
Kakashi didn't respond immediately. When he did, his voice was lower.
"Haneda… what do you think matters more to a ninja? The mission… or your comrades?"