The Shimura Actually Has Ice Release

"You're looking a little pale, Takeshi."

At the meeting point, Obito looked curiously at Takeshi.

[If you got whipped every day, your complexion wouldn't look good either.]

Takeshi grumbled to himself, but out loud he said something else entirely.

"You're one to talk—your face is swollen."

"No way! I just checked the mirror this morning. The swelling should've gone down by now!"

Shocked, Obito began frantically feeling his face and looking around for a reflective surface.

"Alright, enough talking. Do you even know how long Kakashi and I have been waiting for you? You idiot!"

Takeshi lightly punched Obito on the head. It was the first time he really understood Obito's talent for being late.

"Ah, how should I put it... There are always moments of confusion on the road of life..."

Obito clutched his head, trying to come up with an excuse.

"Hmph, you just overslept, didn't you?"

Kakashi offered his guess flatly.

"I did not, you bastard Kakashi!"

Obito vehemently denied it. If he could beat Kakashi in a fight, he would've punched that smug face already.

Not far away, a girl with two streaks of face paint on her cheeks watched the group with a gentle smile.

"Ah, it's your fault! I almost forgot to introduce you. Rin, these are my friends, Takeshi and Kakashi."

Hearing the girl's laugh, Obito suddenly remembered what he should be doing and started introducing them.

"Takeshi, Kakashi, this is Rin. Nohara Rin."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Nohara Rin."

Nohara Rin extended her hand graciously.

"Hatake Kakashi."

"Shimura Takeshi."

Kakashi didn't return the handshake. Takeshi, afraid she might feel awkward, gently shook her hand instead.

So this is Obito's light... She's definitely a good kid.

Takeshi sighed inwardly.

I guess this means I've officially stepped into the main story. Or maybe it's more like a prequel? After all, Naruto—the actual protagonist—is probably still who-knows-where right now.

Tsk tsk tsk... If I could stop Obito from getting crushed during that something-something bridge battle, wouldn't that prevent the whole Nine-Tails incident?

Takeshi began spiraling into his thoughts again.

I wonder when that old geezer Madara first set his sights on Obito. Well, I'm not even a Genin yet, so why stress over things that are years away?

"A-Anyway, let's all hang out together! Let's go have fun!"

Seeing Takeshi hold Rin's hand a bit too long, Obito got flustered.

"Ah, oh, right! Yeah, let's go, let's go."

Snapping out of it, Takeshi quickly let go of Rin's hand. He wanted to explain, but was afraid he'd make things worse, so he just echoed Obito's words.

Crap, is he going to hold a grudge against me for this? When the Uchiha Massacre night comes, he might bring a blade just for me and deliver Eternal Night personally...

He cautiously glanced at Obito's face. Takeshi felt a little guilty. Heaven knows, he'd been a hardcore "pure love" advocate in his past life! Just now, he was only spacing out—he didn't have any indecent thoughts.

"Hmm? Isn't that Kakashi? What, off to train again?"

While walking past a dango shop, a slightly tanned boy leaning against the shop's entrance greeted Kakashi.

Kakashi simply gave a cold nod and a half-hearted "Mm."

"You're always like that."

Shaking his head with a smile, the boy stepped away from the doorframe and stood up straight.

"This guy looks new. Where'd you meet him?"

The "new guy" he was referring to was clearly Takeshi.

"Now that you mention it, I think I saw him yesterday, walking down the street alone..."

A kid sitting nearby with a long skewer in his mouth suddenly recalled.

Kakashi sighed and stopped walking, preparing to introduce Takeshi himself. But before he could say a word, the other boy had already jogged up to Takeshi and introduced himself.

"Hi, I'm Asuma. Sarutobi Asuma."

Sarutobi Asuma...

Holy crap!

"I'm Shimura Takeshi."

This was the second time today Takeshi introduced himself.

"Shimura?"

Hearing that, Asuma's expression turned a little strange.

If it's Shimura... it's hard not to think of a certain advisor to the Hokage...

Asuma did know Danzō. Sometimes, Danzō would drop by to discuss official matters with his father.

But compared to Koharu and Homura, Danzō always came off much colder.

"Yeah, it's the Shimura you're thinking of."

Seeing through Asuma's thoughts, Takeshi nodded.

"A member of the Shimura clan, huh? That's pretty rare..."

The boy chewing on the skewer was none other than Shiranui Genma.

As a kid, he chewed on skewers. When he got older, he chewed on senbon. And somehow, he could still talk clearly with stuff in his mouth. Impressive, honestly.

"What? A member of the Shimura clan?"

From the innermost table of the dango shop, a girl suddenly poked her head out, holding a skewer in her hand.

"Let me see this Shimura kid!"

"Anko, you eat so many dangos every day—aren't you afraid of getting fat? I think you're already looking a bit chubby..."

Beside Genma, Ebisu, with his round sunglasses, pushed up his frames and teased Anko.

"You bastard, Ebisu! You looking for a beating?!"

Anko raised her fists and lunged at him.

Yūhi Kurenai, sitting beside her, quickly tried to calm her down.

"Well, since you're here, let's all have some dango. My treat!"

Laughing and brushing everything aside, Asuma patted his chest heroically.

"Then... I'll have a bit?"

Though he said it like a question, Takeshi's feet had already carried him inside.

"Thanks a ton!"

Obito, seeing that, pulled Rin inside with him.

"Thank you very much."

Rin also politely thanked Asuma.

Seeing the three of them go in, Kakashi had no choice but to pinch his nose and follow, taking the seat closest to the door.

"That's more like it, Kakashi! Aunty, four more plates of dango!"

Asuma patted Kakashi on the shoulder and shouted to the shop owner.

"Hey, you're kinda cute, you know."

While waiting for the dango, Mitarashi Anko curiously walked up to Takeshi. Looking at his skin—fairer than her own—she seemed a little envious.

"Uh... good genes, maybe?"

Takeshi wasn't sure how to respond and could only awkwardly chat back.

"Eh, is that so..."

Anko muttered, continuing to size him up while stuffing another skewer into her mouth.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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