After the gathering, Senya did not linger. He returned straight to the Guard Tower.
He brought a small gift to Obito's grandmother, shared a simple meal, then headed back to Shikkotsu Forest.
Once the Sage Body passed ninety percent, progress slowed even more.
Senya did not dare slack off.
So it went.
He kept checking in and training as usual, stopping by to visit Obito's grandmother and the neighbors now and then.
The Sage Body crossed ninety five percent and entered the final sprint.
Two months later, in a stone cave, Senya sat cross legged.
When the progress readout ticked to ninety eight, his chakra flow settled into calm.
A strange sensation rippled through him.
It vanished at once.
"Is that the sign of Wood Release awakening?"
Twilight was falling. Senya ended practice and jumped home with Summon Flash.
At Obito's door, he heard voices inside.
A moment of sensing brought a smile to his lips.
Obito's two teammates had come.
Hatake Kakashi and Nohara Rin.
Inside, the three chatted in the main room.
Obito spoke to Rin with bright excitement.
Rin answered with a gentle smile.
Kakashi sat a little apart, cool faced and heavy with thought.
Senya knew the boy was still lost after White Fang's death.
That grief had even nudged back Kakashi's age of promotion to jonin.
"Big Brother Senya, you're here."
Obito spotted him and waved.
Two other gazes turned as well.
Rin saw the tall, handsome Uchiha and flushed, springing up to greet him.
Kakashi looked uncertain, even wary.
When had this man arrived?
He had sensed nothing.
Even if he had not been watching the perimeter, he should have noticed someone so close.
Without Obito's call, he would have missed it.
"So this is the Senya Obito mentioned."
From Obito, Kakashi had heard that Senya was a chunin.
Senya met his eyes, and Kakashi felt danger in that sharp gaze and singular presence.
"This brother of Obito's is not simple."
Greetings done, Senya took his usual seat.
The room grew quiet.
Obito broke the pause.
"Big Brother Senya, how about we hit the training field before dinner?"
Dinner needed time. Obito urged everyone to go.
Back when Senya often came by for a meal, he used the spare minutes to coach Obito.
He refused to let the boy become Madara's puppet, so he pushed him to grow.
He could not always be at Obito's side. Your own strength was the best shield.
For all the later legend around him, Obito's gift was real.
He only lacked guidance.
Losing his parents to the war had twisted those early years.
And even if he was the bottom of the elite class, that still put him above the ordinary track.
Seeing Obito ask for extra drills, Senya smiled and agreed.
With Obito's enthusiasm, Rin and Kakashi joined as well.
Obito's family lived near the edge of the district, not far from a training ground.
Soon the four stood on open earth beneath the trees.
"Come at me. Do not hold back."
Senya did not know where Kakashi and Rin were in their training, so he let them show it first.
"Really, one against three?"
Obito had been thrashed by Senya before and knew he was stronger.
But he still thought Senya was only a high level chunin.
Facing three at once, and with a genius like Kakashi among them, might be too much.
"Relax and attack."
To show he was serious, Senya stirred his chakra.
A single tomoe Sharingan opened.
"Sharingan."
Kakashi's expression sharpened.
Obito eyed those red tomoe with envy.
The Sharingan.
He was already a chunin and still had not awakened.
"Then be careful."
Obito sobered.
Taijutsu, ninjutsu, genjutsu, they came in waves.
Under Minato's teaching, the trio already had a feel for team rhythm.
For chunin, their combat power was solid.
Kakashi, unencumbered by a transplanted eye at this stage, moved with a crisp, lethal blade style. He was the strongest of the three.
Yet no matter what they tried, they could not brush Senya's sleeve.
Each attack missed by a narrow margin.
The pattern made Obito want to tear his hair out.
At first, Kakashi held back, worried about going too far.
A few exchanges later, he was all in.
Senya still slipped through by a hair.
Reasonable, but odd.
Could it really be this coincidental every time?
Stung, he began hunting for weaknesses.
After several more passes, Kakashi sprang back to open space, sweat beading his brow.
"Looks like I have to use that one."
If this dragged on, he would burn out.
He drew a long breath and drove chakra through his body, hands blurring.
Ox, Hare, Monkey.
Obito and Rin moved on cue to screen for him.
"So that one."
Senya's smile turned knowing at the familiar seals.
He had not used this in a long while.