NOVEL WEB Chapter 25: CHAPTER 25
Haneda tugged Obito by the arm, darting across the street into the shadow of a corner wall.
He peeked out, scanning the street carefully before pulling Obito along again.
Panting, Obito wrenched his arm free and bent over, hands on his knees.
"I can't take this anymore, Haneda! It's just an old lady—what's the big deal?!"
"You don't understand." Haneda's tone was deadly serious as his crimson eyes swept the street once more.
As someone with the innate "Granny-attraction Constitution," Obito is like a fat sheep on the gambling table—he always loses. I can't let my plan fail because of him!
Haneda waited patiently for Obito to catch his breath before offering his hand.
"Come on, Obito. The longer we wait, the closer she'll get."
Just as he spoke, Haneda carefully raised his head and looked ahead.
An old lady was wobbling down the street, leaning heavily on her cane.
Then—she stopped. Turned.
Her cloudy eyes locked on Obito.
And she smiled kindly.
Send—!!!
---
Konoha Academy – Late Again
Da-da-da…
Hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor, followed by the sound of two boys arguing.
"I told you to stick close! But no—you had to take a break! Now we're late again!"
"Hehe… Helping people isn't wrong, bastard Haneda!" Obito shot back, still grinning.
"Shut up."
The two pushed open the classroom door.
"Sumimasen, sensei." They spoke in unison, stepping inside.
"I—" Obito, a master of late excuses, started his explanation immediately—
"Obito," the teacher interrupted with a sigh, rubbing his temples, "you were helping an old lady cross the street, right? No need to explain."
"Teacher, I—" Haneda tried to speak, but the teacher cut him off too.
"Same for you, Haneda. I know you were helping too. Just… go sit down. And Haneda—stop skipping class. If you need to leave, ask first. Got it?"
Haneda smiled awkwardly, scratching his cheek. Since when did teachers get this self-aware? I almost feel guilty now…
This time, being late wasn't the same as before. Instead of just laughter at Obito, whispers of admiration spread across the room.
"Wow! Haneda's wearing black today—he looks even cooler than in his white shirt!"
"Ahhh! That smile! Sweet and warm—did he just smile at me?!"
"Over my dead body, you hussies! Uchiha Haneda is mine!"
"Draw your blades, former sisters! This is war!"
…
A gaggle of girls squealed over Haneda, their eyes sparkling.
From the corner, Might Guy clenched his fists, his bowl-cut hair shining in the sunlight.
"Uchiha Haneda… Late twice, skipped once, and still incredible. I must push harder! THIS IS YOUTH!"
Meanwhile, Kakashi—silent, aloof—cast a glance at Haneda from behind his book.
"Breaking the rules again… You really are the sun I'm chasing," he thought, eyes narrowing in quiet determination.
Haneda, oblivious to both, stared coldly at Obito, itching to plant a few well-aimed kicks.
His plan had been flawless—perfect scouting, perfect timing—and it was all ruined because Obito wanted a break!
"Why are you glaring at me, bastard Haneda?" Obito finally snapped, feeling the weight of that stare.
"What do you think?" Haneda replied icily, turning away.
Next time? No. There will be no next time.
---
The Challenge of Youth
Ding-a-ling.
The bell rang, but Haneda didn't head for the gate just yet. Instead, he decided to do something unusual—ask the teacher for official leave.
He barely made it to the door before a firm hand clamped down on his shoulder, radiating raw determination.
Haneda turned—and was instantly blinded by a blaze of green and the brightest bowl-cut in history.
"I have a bad habit," the boy declared, his voice burning with passion. "Whenever I meet a genius—I must challenge him!"
Might Guy raised an index finger dramatically.
"Haneda! Will you stake your youth and duel with me?!"
Haneda's mouth twitched. So it begins—the Guy arc.
Feigning reluctance, he finally nodded.
"Fine, Guy. Ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, kunai, shuriken—pick one."
Guy froze. Ninjutsu? Genjutsu? Nope. His specialty was taijutsu, but he wanted to save his ultimate strength for later.
Then his eyes lit up.
"Shuriken! Let's start with shuriken!"
"Fine." Haneda shrugged. "But make it quick—I've got places to be. And… be ready to skip class."
Hands in pockets, Haneda headed toward the training ground. Guy clenched his fists and followed, fire blazing in his eyes.
Defeat Haneda… and that means I surpass Kakashi! YOUTH!!!
---
Shuriken Duel
The two stood at the shuriken range.
"You first, or me?" Haneda asked casually.
"You go." Guy wanted to see the true skill of the Uchiha prodigy.
"Alright."
Haneda drew three shuriken in a smooth motion—swish-swish-swish!
Three bullseyes. Perfect throws.
Guy's jaw dropped. Is this… genius?!
But he clenched his fists and grinned.
This is why I set geniuses as my goal! This is YOUTH!
He whipped out three shuriken and launched them—swish-swish-swish!
All three hit… barely on the edge of the same target.
"I lost…" Guy muttered. Then, with a sudden roar:
"YOSH! As punishment, I'll run 5,000 laps around the Academy! And if I fail, I'll do 5,000 more—ON MY HANDS!"
Haneda blinked, baffled. "Uh… you sure you don't want a rematch?"
Guy shot him a gleaming thumbs-up.
"If I can't beat you now, then I'll train until I can! NEXT TIME, HANE-DAAAA!"
Haneda felt a cold shiver crawl down his spine.
Oh no… The Kakashi-Guy rivalry virus… is it mutating toward me?!
He shook it off and walked away.
Forget it. Guy's challenge was just a detour. The real training starts now.