Chapter 20 — The Outcome of Minato Namikaze's Trial
Should he let Rin succeed, or should he sit back and reap the rewards? The thought flashed through Obuya's mind.
But he barely had time to consider it. Minato's Rasengan was already hurtling toward Rin's back.
Perhaps Rin's attention was entirely absorbed by the bell within reach—or perhaps Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique was simply too fast—but she didn't notice it at all.
Zzz…
Obuya's fist sparked with electricity.
The fist, transformed into a flowing current, morphed into a beast and struck toward Minato.
In the end, he had decided to let Rin succeed.
Although the outcome was equally cruel for him.
By doing so, he was likely forfeiting his chance to advance in the Chunin Exam, to become a one-star demon, and awaken the "Human Modification" Devil Fruit ability he had long coveted.
Minato seemed to sense it. The Rasengan, originally aimed at Rin, diverted in the nick of time, turning toward Obuya approaching from the flank.
The high-intensity, beast-like electricity met the legendary Rasengan for the first time.
The currents writhed wildly, emitting blinding white sparks.
Rin, who had just grabbed the bell, didn't even have time to rejoice before seeing what happened behind her. Her eyes widened in shock.
Obuya's body, like a kite cut loose from its string, was slammed backward by the tremendous force of the Rasengan, flying far into the air.
"What strong Lightning Release!!"
Minato murmured under his breath.
Though he had dispersed the high-intensity electricity from Obuya's fist using the Rasengan, one of his hands was briefly paralyzed.
Even with his refined chakra, the impact was severe. One could only imagine that any other person, caught off guard by such a blow, would have been rendered powerless.
Boom!!!
Obuya slammed heavily into a massive tree, producing a resounding crack.
A tree too large for two people to embrace had been dented by his mortal body, leaving an enormous indentation.
"Obuya!"
Rin's face paled. Landing on the ground, she immediately rushed over.
Obito and Kakashi, seeing this, lost all excitement about grabbing the bells and sprinted over to check.
"Huh? I… don't seem injured."
Obuya stood up, surprised to find he had no injuries at all. Reflecting on the scene just now, he found it incredible.
"The Rasengan really is remarkable!"
Kakashi exclaimed.
Hearing this, Obuya suddenly understood.
The Rasengan was created by Minato Namikaze. Its power was ingenious.
Though it looked as if Obuya had taken a heavy hit, in reality, the Rasengan had channeled the force of his body into the tree behind him.
That explained why the tree was so severely damaged. In Obuya's understanding, this was a type of chakra usage akin to striking through an obstacle.
Seeing that Obuya was unharmed, Rin breathed a sigh of relief.
Recalling the scene just now, she also understood the sequence of events, which made her gaze toward Obuya tinged with a hint of grievance.
Her pride would not allow her to feel that the hard-earned results were due to someone else's help—even if that someone was Obuya.
Though her thoughts were conflicted, she could not deny feeling moved. A swirl of emotions swept through her.
"Congratulations. You really did it."
Minato Namikaze smiled as he approached.
It should have been a joyous moment, but no one felt happy.
The reason was obvious: Obuya had not secured the bell. According to the rules, he would be eliminated and disqualified from the Chunin Exam.
"Master Minato, just now Obuya lost the chance to grab the bell to save me. If it weren't for him, the one hit by the Rasengan would have been me, so…"
"No!"
Before Rin could finish, Obito interrupted.
"Don't forget… We're participating in the Chunin Exam. The first stage is a preliminary team match. Logically and practically, the strongest person should participate. And I…"
"All know me as the weakest. If I go, it's pointless. I might even hold you back. So this bell… should belong to Obuya."
Kakashi glanced at him in surprise.
He recalled many instances where people, even himself, had teased Obito, but Obito had never admitted to being the weakest—until now…
Obuya suddenly smiled.
"Obito, what are you talking about? You may have hidden it well, but I noticed long ago. You've awakened the Uchiha clan's bloodline limit and possess the single tomoe Sharingan. How could you be the weakest?"
"It's just the Chunin Exam. It doesn't matter to me. Whether I'm a Genin or Chunin, it's all the same. I don't care about these titles."
Though he said that, a hint of regret lingered.
For him, there was no real difference between Genin and Chunin, but losing his Chunin Exam eligibility meant losing the chance to advance to a one-star demon.
Obito fell silent, his mood low.
In this mission, all four had played irreplaceable roles. Without even one of them, the operation would have failed.
Yet in the end, only three could advance, which left an uneasy feeling. Each wanted to give up their bell to help the others succeed.
"The Human Modification Devil Fruit ability… will have to be delayed again," Obuya muttered in a sigh.
Minato cast a glance at the four and said, "Rules are rules. They cannot be changed. Moreover, in the team matches, other classes also have three participants."
Obito and the others knew this well.
All other teams had three members. If they had four, fairness would be compromised.
"But…"
Minato suddenly smiled.
Hearing this, Obito and Rin looked at him with hope.
Minato's gaze fell on Obuya, carrying an emotion others could not read.
"Just now, you could have stood aside and let Rin fail, taking the bell for yourself. But you chose to help her, giving up your goal. That is truly commendable. However…"
Minato hesitated.
He thought of Kakashi's father, White Fang of Konoha.
Years ago, White Fang had sacrificed his mission to save his teammates, causing irreparable losses to Konoha.
Even those he saved later blamed him, eventually leading to tragedy: White Fang's suicide.
In the subtleties of human nature, Minato saw a similarity between Obuya and White Fang.
Such spirit was rare. People like them would not betray others.
Yet clearly, they were easily bound by emotion—something dangerous for a ninja who values information and missions above all else.