Traveling through Naruto, I am Uchiha Obito?

After Asuma left with the Rubik's Cube, only the master and apprentice remained in the huge Hokage's office.

The Third Hokage was the first to break the silence.

"Jiraiya, do you think the Rubik's Cube will stay in Konoha and become a part of Konoha?"

"It's hard to say. This kid has been very opinionated since he was a child, even more mature than Minato back then. If we hadn't spent so many years together, I would have suspected that he was some adult in disguise. Over the past few years, I've tried to subtly ask him about it, and he either makes jokes or says, 'I've never been to Konoha, we'll talk about it in the future.' But what is clear is that he has no ill intentions towards Konoha, and I can guarantee that with my own life."

Seeing Jiraiya's expression turn serious, the Third Hokage smiled helplessly.

"You're overthinking it. Just from how this kid was willing to cooperate with my antics, I could tell he doesn't have much ill will towards Konoha, or at least not towards me, the Hokage. I was just worried that he might harbor resentment towards Konoha because of the Uzumaki clan incident and his father who was suspected to be from the Uchiha clan. But it seems he's a sensible and good kid. You've done a good job teaching him, Jiraiya."

"Of course!"

Jiraiya appeared quite proud, and he was very satisfied with this disciple. Jiraiya's initial reason for accepting the Rubik's Cube was indeed mixed with some personal motives.

Not only because of Mofang's amazing talent, but more importantly because of the Sharingan's restraining effect on the Nine-Tails inside Naruto. A large part of the reason he took Mofang as his disciple was that he hoped Mofang could provide some help to Naruto in controlling the Nine-Tails inside him in the future.

Otherwise, he could have simply taken the Rubik's Cube to Konoha and gone back to his carefree life as a hands-off manager. Keeping him by his side to train him was both to prevent Danzo, that cunning old fox, from interfering in the village, and also to verify the Great Toad Sage's prophecy.

He wanted to see if the Rubik's Cube was indeed the prophesied child in his heart.

"Since he's willing to go back to the village with you now, it seems he believes he has enough strength to ensure his safety."

“That’s right. In the past four years, I have taught him everything I could except for magic. I have to say, he is indeed a genius. My skills have a successor.”

Jiraiya remarked with emotion that, for him, Rubik's Cube was not only his disciple, but also the successor of his ninjutsu.

Although he has taught many excellent ninjas, most of them have their own training paths, and his teaching has mostly guided them in their original directions. Mo Fang is the first disciple to completely inherit his ninjutsu style.

"So, how far has his Sharingan progressed?"

The Third Hokage finally asked the question that concerned him most.

"He already has three tomoe. Although no one taught him, that kid is very skilled in using the Sharingan. Among all the Uchiha clan members I've seen, there really isn't anyone who can compare to him. If I had to say, although I haven't seen him, he should be about the same level as Shisui and Itachi back then."

Jiraiya gave a rather bold assessment.

"Really? I was hoping Kakashi could help teach this kid how to use the Sharingan, to increase his goodwill towards Konoha. What a pity."

The Third Hokage exhaled a smoke ring and said with some regret.

"In that case, it will take quite a bit of effort for anyone to get this child to integrate into Konoha and develop a sense of belonging to the village."

The Third Hokage remarked with emotion.

"No, I think it's quite easy."

Jiraiya chuckled at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Oh? Why?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was somewhat curious as he looked at his disciple's confident demeanor.

"Is there even a question? Of course, it's because he is my disciple, Jiraiya-sama, and he must have his own Will of Fire within him."

Jiraiya burst into laughter.

Seeing his disciple start acting silly again, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled helplessly.

"I hope so"

…………

On the other side, on the streets of Konoha

Ino's Flower Shop

Asuma, looking helpless, rubbed his forehead with his hand and glanced at the Rubik's Cube holding flowers beside him.

He handed the flowers in his hand to Ino, who was helping out in the shop, and held her slender, fair hand as he spoke.

"You are the most beautiful Konoha girl I have ever seen. I see stars in your eyes. This flower is a gift for you."

The incident happened so suddenly that Ino was clearly not in a state of shock. She looked blankly at Asuma beside her, then at the handsome, masculine man holding her hand, and her face turned red.

"Ah... this... um..."

Today, the Rubik's Cube discovered the will of fire within itself.

Chapter 7 First Encounter with Class 7

"Haha, sorry, sorry, did I scare you just now?"

Rubik's Cube ruffled his spiky short hair and sincerely apologized to Ino. His actions just now were indeed rude, but they weren't without reason.

As everyone knows, Jiraiya is a renowned "street-hopping expert" in the ninja world. As his disciple, Cube, though still clueless about matters of love and sex, has accompanied this lecherous old man on his travels, and nightclubs have become frequent haunts. Inevitably, he's stumbled upon some indecent scenes there. It wasn't a problem when he was young, but with his body developing rapidly in recent years, he's inevitably experienced some physiological reactions—yes, he's getting aroused.

Whether it was the restlessness of the Uzumaki clan's bloodline or the Hashirama cells within his body causing trouble, in any case, as Rubik's Cube's physical abilities grew stronger, his desires in that area seemed to rise accordingly.

Of course, as a ninja who adheres to his duty, he didn't touch any of the "three forbidden ninja" vices: gambling, drugs, and prostitution. After all, with the cautionary tale of "Kamui's tears being hard to hide" constantly reminding him, he had no interest in creating an alternate account to harm the next generation so soon.

However, with Jiraiya, that lecherous sage, right beside him, he unconsciously picked up the "bad habit" of flirting... In short, it's all that old pervert's fault! 乆乆乆!

"It's alright, I was just a little taken aback and startled. Are you from another country? Welcome to Konoha! By the way, you're actually a disciple of Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin? That's amazing, you look about my age..."

Ino readily accepted the apology. Although the sudden attack had surprised her, being approached by such a handsome guy greatly satisfied the girl's vanity.

'While he can't compare to Sasuke, he's still quite a handsome guy, huh? Looks like my charm isn't bad after all!'*

Ino felt a little smug inside.

"Ah, she is indeed very charming." Rubik's Cube gave Ino a gentle smile.

"Huh?!" Ino's face flushed instantly, her thoughts laid bare. *'How...how did he know what I was thinking?!'*

"Sorry, sorry," Rubik's Cube chuckled and explained with a smile, "because you're so cute, you accidentally blurted out what was on your mind."

"Th...thank you." Ino subconsciously twirled her dazzling blond hair with her slender, fair fingers, her large blue eyes darting away, unable to look directly at the boy before her, trying to hide her burning cheeks. Her delicate toes nervously rubbed against the ground inside her shoes, silently telling of the turmoil in her heart.

Even though Ino usually appears strong and confident, she is still a young girl in her prime. Faced with such a direct "attack" from a boy her age, it's inevitable that she would feel her heart race and feel at a loss.

Asma, who was standing nearby, couldn't stand it any longer. She grabbed the still-entertaining Rubik's Cube and left the flower shop.

"See you next time, Ms. Ino!" Rubik's Cube realized he had gotten a little carried away, and waved goodbye as Asuma led him away from the scene.

"Goodbye..." Ino blushed and waved gently in the direction the Rubik's Cube had left. For some reason, the moment she saw this boy, a surge of heat welled up inside her, making it impossible for her to think calmly.

"Ugh... Seriously! What's wrong with me?!" Recalling her stunned appearance just now, a strong sense of shame overwhelmed her instantly. She immediately squatted down, hugging her knees and burying her burning cheeks deep in her arms.

……

On the other side, on Konoha Street.

Asuma walked along with a dark expression, unable to resist speaking to the Rubik's Cube beside him: "Looks like you really are Jiraiya-sama's disciple, no doubt about it. Jiraiya-sama, really, how could he teach a child like this... Even I..." Realizing he almost slipped up, Asuma quickly coughed twice, forcibly changing the subject, "Ahem! Although Jiraiya-sama's 'bad education' bears a lot of responsibility, you also need to reflect on your behavior just now! Ino is my subordinate, and you were flirting with her right in front of me." Asuma deliberately put on a stern face, wanting to correct the "bad habits" the child had learned from his master.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, the Rubik's Cube burst into tears.

"Finally... finally someone understands that it was that old man Jiraiya who led me astray!!!"

"Huh?! Hey! Kid! Stop crying here!" Asuma panicked when he saw the strange looks from the passersby.

The Rubik's Cube seemed not to hear, sobbing and wailing, "Back in my day, I was a famous handsome young man in the surrounding villages, known as 'Pure Little Rubik's Cube,' my heart was purer than the toilet paper I use before taking a dump! It's all because of that old bastard Jiraiya! What kind of master asks which hot spring in the nearby town has the most pretty girls on their first day of apprenticeship? Asking is one thing, but even though we were going together, that stinky old man just abandoned me and ran off! I ended up getting a spanking from one of the girls, and I limped to the inn entrance before finally catching up with him while he was flirting with me! How could anyone do that? Waaah... Mr. Asuma, thank you for understanding me! You're such a good person!"

"I'm sorry! I was wrong! Please stop crying! Let's go! Oh...right! It's lunchtime! I'll treat you to lunch!" Seeing the crowd growing larger and larger, Asma couldn't bear the embarrassment any longer. He grabbed the still-sobbing Rubik's Cube, carried it like a sack of potatoes, and dashed out of the crowd.

The villagers who had been watching dispersed when they saw the people run away. Only a boy with a pineapple-shaped haircut and a lazy look in his eyes and a plump boy remained in the same spot.

"What is Asuma-sensei doing? Honestly, I hope he doesn't cause any trouble." Shikamaru sighed helplessly.

……

Asuma ran around with the Rubik's Cube for a while, and the Rubik's Cube knew when to stop and put away its pitiful appearance (after all, even the thickest skin can't withstand such humiliation).

*'Yamanaka Ino (C) and Sarutobi Asuma (A) have been unlocked. Congratulations, host, for using your clever mind to defeat Yamanaka Ino (C) and Sarutobi Asuma (A), and obtaining a trial card for recruiting Yamanaka Ino (C) and Sarutobi Asuma (20/40).'*

Rubik's Cube glanced furtively at Asuma, whose face was flushed, and silently apologized. If he could, he wouldn't want to collect "fragments" in this clownish way. But he couldn't exactly fight every single person he encountered, could he? Reluctantly, he had to rely on this little bit of "cleverness" to unlock the ninja.

As expected of Konoha's top elite Jonin, they arrived at their destination in no time. Asuma gently put down the Rubik's Cube and pointed to the simple shop in front of them, saying:

"Alright! Let's have lunch here. Don't let the small size of this ramen shop fool you, 'Ichiraku Ramen' is incredibly popular in Konoha!"

Rubik's Cube looked around at the simply decorated ramen shop in front of him, his heart pounding with excitement:

"This is the legendary ramen shop of Otsutsuki Ichiraku? The sacred place that withstood a single Shinra Tensei from Chao Ge unscathed! After all these years in the Naruto world, I've finally made it to check it out."

Asuma seemed to catch the excitement in Rubik's Cube's eyes (mistaking it for hunger), so he pulled him into the store.

"Boss, two bowls of our signature tonkotsu ramen, please!"

"Hey, Uncle Ichiraku! Sister Ayame! Let me tell you, so many amazing things happened on this mission to the Land of Waves, it was incredible!"

"Hey! Naruto! Don't go around telling everyone about the mission details! I'm sorry, shopkeeper, and Ayame-neechan, Naruto was too reckless."

"What does it matter! Sakura, you must want to tell others about our experience in the Land of Waves, right?"

"Seriously, Naruto, you're like a brat. Right, Sasuke?"

"Hmph, what a complete idiot."

"What?! Arrogant Sasuke! Want to fight?"

"boring."

"Alright, alright, you lot, stop arguing. Other guests are coming, so be quiet." A lazy voice said.

"it is good."

"Hmph." ×2

"Oh my, what a coincidence, you guys are here too? Just got back from a mission, Kakashi?" Asuma was somewhat surprised and delighted to see the four members of Team 7 sitting in the shop, and greeted Kakashi.

"Kakashi?"

Not hearing a response from Kakashi, Asuma turned his head in confusion, following Kakashi's gaze.

Kakashi's gaze was fixed firmly on the Rubik's Cube's face.

Chapter 8 You Resemble an Old Friend of Mine

"Kakashi-sensei? Hey! Kakashi-sensei! That bearded man's calling you."

Naruto tugged hard at Kakashi's sleeve, even the usually oblivious Kakashi noticed something was wrong. Kakashi seemed frozen in place, his single eye beneath his silver hair staring straight ahead, his breathing becoming barely audible.

"Kakashi-sensei, you've been acting strange since earlier. Are you still suffering from the aftereffects of your fight with Zabuza?"

Sakura frowned, her fingers nervously twisting together.

Sasuke didn't join in the questioning; instead, he keenly followed Kakashi's gaze and finally locked it onto the unfamiliar black-haired boy next to Asuma.

"Hey," his cold voice broke the silence, "you over there, do you know Kakashi? He turned into this idiot after seeing your face."

Rubik's Cube was observing the legendary Team 7 with great interest. Although he had anticipated Kakashi's reaction upon seeing him, witnessing the elite Jonin's loss of composure still intrigued him. He curled the corners of his lips into a perfectly timed smile:

"No, we've never met before. But this gentleman seems quite interested in my face?"

Kakashi's chest heaved violently, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists. He forced himself to pull himself out of his daze, but his exposed eye still betrayed a rare wavering.

"Oh, it's nothing, it's nothing," he said casually, scratching his silver hair as he turned to Asuma. "Is the mission over?"

"I've already greeted you three times." Asuma shook his head helplessly, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his eyes glancing at the black-haired boy beside him. He completely understood his old friend's embarrassment—anyone would be shocked by this face that bore a striking resemblance to his old friend. They had originally planned to meet privately, but they never expected to bump into each other at Ichiraku Ramen.

Kakashi chuckled dryly, but his gaze was drawn back to the Rubik's Cube face as if by a magnet.

"Is this... a new guest in the village?"

He tried to make his voice sound nonchalant, but he couldn't hide the tremor in his voice at the end.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Copy Ninja Hatake Kakashi."

The Rubik's Cube put down its chopsticks and performed a standard gesture of etiquette.

"My teacher often mentions you, saying that you are a role model worthy of emulation by younger generations."

"That's outrageous!" Kakashi nearly knocked over the miso soup as he waved his hand. "May I ask who your teacher is...?"

"Rubik's Cube is Jiraiya-sama's disciple," Asuma interjected at the opportune moment, his cigarette glowing in the dim light. "The old man is giving a report in the Hokage's office and asked me to show the kid around the village to familiarize him with the surroundings."

He caught a glimpse of Kakashi's taut shoulders and sighed inwardly—the impact of that face on his old friend was indeed too strong.

"The ramen's getting cold!" Uncle Ichiraku's shout broke the awkward atmosphere. As everyone sat down, the three members of Class 7 huddled together whispering.