Chapter 74 The Disappearance of the Third Kazekage

"The holiday special training is finally here," Obito took a deep breath as if he could already foresee the tragic experience of the next month and a half.

"When I was in school, I had a buffer of five days of school time. Now I have a long vacation, and every day is like a weekend."

Obito just hopes that they don't continue the previous exercises; otherwise, there will be more than two hundred questions a day, and by the time the vacation is over, his life will be over.

When he heard about the special training, Might Gai's eyes lit up, but when he thought about the previous usual extra questions on the weekends, he felt tremendous pressure.

There was no change in Shisui's expression. Unlike Might Gai and Obito, he had already mastered the shadow clone technique that he can use for solving questions if he ever needs to.

Except for going to school during the exams, Shisui basically spent the rest of his time practicing in the training field.

So even if Makoto said that he should practice every day during holidays, it would be no different from his usual practice.

"Thursdays and Sundays are off. On other days, you can come to my place to practice in the morning and afternoon. You can go home at noon or stay and eat at my home," Makoto said.

"Two days off a week!" Obito exclaimed in surprise.

Upon doing the math, he realized it seemed easier than his school schedule. Back then, he had classes from Monday to Friday and spent all day at Makoto's place practicing on weekends.

"In addition, combat training is on hold. Obito, you'll continue improving your fire attribute. Shisui and Gai will work on mastering the Soru," Makoto outlined the new holiday training plan.

During the Junior Ninjutsu Competition training mission, Obito had practiced fire nature  change for a while but had only grasped the basics, so he needed to continue honing his skills.

Since Obito lacked the vitality and chakra reserves of someone like Naruto, he couldn't employ the multiple shadow clone training method. Instead, he had to practice in cycles.

"No need for combat training!"

The suspension of combat training made Obito feel as if he were on a long holiday. Without combat training, there wouldn't be a deluge of questions to answer. Although practicing chakra nature change was challenging, he preferred it to endless assignments.

After the training plan was set, the disciples began their respective training sessions. Obito worked on chakra control, holding a large ice cube and continuously infusing it with chakra, while Shisui, Might Gai, and Makoto focused on mastering the Body Flicker technique.

As Obito watched Makoto swiftly move about with Shisui and Might Gai, he felt the coolness of the ice cube's energy flowing through his hand and into his heart.

"Teacher Makoto, what's this physical challenge you mentioned earlier? I'd like to learn Soru too," Obito inquired.

He recalled Makoto mentioning that, in addition to achieving top grades in the combat assesment, one could learn the Soru by completing a physical skills challenge. However, Makoto had previously told him that he couldn't complete it, so Obito hadn't inquired about the specifics.

With the progress he had made over the past month, Obito believed he might now have a shot at the challenge Makoto mentioned.

"It's a demanding physical challenge. Are you sure you want to attempt it?" Mu Makoto asked through a shadow clone.

"But everyone else is learning Soru. If I don't learn it, I'll fall behind," Obito replied.

"Alright, I'll set up the challenge today, and you can attempt it tomorrow," Makoto agreed.

Obito's decision was expected. Makoto didn't directly teach the Shadow Clone technique to all his disciples. Instead, he imposed conditions and challenges to motivate struggling students.

Rather than imposing training directly, he preferred to kindle his disciples' enthusiasm. He'd create challenges that demanded both speed and strength. Obito would certainly put in the effort to complete the challenge and learn Soru.

As he improved, it would be easier to master Soru. Achieving this reward through his own effort would also motivate Obito to train more diligently.

Makoto considered all aspects, including his students' psychology, to help them enhance their strength better.

After training, Makoto returned to his house in the main city. On that day, he prepared sushi and tempura for dinner.

However, their meal was interrupted when an eagle's cry came from outside. Kushina, who was savoring a piece of sushi, expressed her annoyance.

"Let's go; something major must have happened suddenly," Minato said, standing up.

"Sorry, Makoto, we have to leave for now. The jounin meeting has been urgently convened."

In Konoha, when a significant event occurred, emergency notifications were delivered to the jounin through messenger beasts. This wasn't the first time Minato had encountered such a situation.

"Makoto, please remember to save some food for us. These meetings usually start promptly. With Minato's speed, we'll be back soon," Kushina requested before leaving.

"I can't eat all of this by myself," Makoto smiled and nodded, suspecting that a major incident had occurred.

Considering the timing, Makoto deduced that it was likely related to the Third Ninja War.

"Is a full-scale war about to break out?" Makoto pondered.

Kushina and Minato returned within half an hour, and Kushina complained that they had been summoned for the Third Kazekage's disappearance. She found it unnecessary to call a jounin meeting for such an event.

However, Minato's expression was more solemn. He emphasized the impact of any Kage's disappearance on the ninja world's structure, especially in a time when war seemed likely.

Listening to the conversation between the two, Makoto felt a subtle sense of unease. Little did anyone know that the Third Ninja War, initiated by the Third Kazekage's disappearance, would become a grueling siege for Konoha, despite their ultimate victory.

With war looming on the horizon, Makoto's insecurity grew. In this perilous world, strength was paramount, and everything else was just empty talk.