Chapter 218: Unexpected Gains
[Disciple Uchiha Obito's trust level upgraded, current trust level: Four]
[Disciple Uchiha Obito's emotions were excessively intense, triggering the activation of the Second Tomoe Sharingan from Six Paths bloodline, strength increased, rewarded with— Enhanced Byakugan purity]
[Disciple Uchiha Obito Chakra +500, returning from apprentice training gained Chakra +2000]
Obito's outburst directly triggered a series of system notifications for Mutsuki.
After Mutsuki's Byakugan purity increased, he found that he could see farther and his observational skills improved.
Although the Byakugan does not have specific levels like one Tomoe or two Tomoe, not all Byakugan abilities are at the same level. Byakugan abilities can also be improved through training, and purity is also a contributing factor.
Mutsuki was quite satisfied with this. The Byakugan was indeed a very convenient ability, especially when combined with the Transparent World Technique, it could play a significant role in battles.
In addition to the enhancement of the Byakugan, Mutsuki was also pleased with the increase in Chakra from Obito awakening his Sharingan, which directly rewarded him two thousand Chakra points.
Although there were no system notifications for Kakashi and Guy's progress, Mutsuki could see that they had made considerable improvements. With a little more practice, they might trigger advancement rewards themselves.
Seeing his disciples swiftly deal with the enemies, Mutsuki decided not to linger with the Fourth Generation A any longer.
"Water Release: Hiding in Mist Technique!"
After forming seals and releasing a thick mist, Mutsuki activated Thunder Breathing and disappeared in front of the Fourth Generation A, rushing towards the forest.
He had achieved his goal, and with Chakra running low, it was safest to return to Konoha promptly with his disciples.
The dense fog obscured the vision of the Fourth Generation A. He furrowed their brows, feeling increasingly puzzled about Mutsuki's identity.
"Isn't this the Mist Village's Water Release Ninjutsu? Could it be that he's actually a Mist ninja disguised as Sand? Is Mist trying to get a piece of the action too?" Fourth Generation A speculated continuously in his mind.
Kakashi and the others weren't very far away. With Thunder Breathing's extreme speed, before his disciples could say much after just finishing their battle, Mutsuki appeared before them.
"Yumi-sensei!" Seeing Mutsuki's figure, Obito rushed up excitedly and hugged Mutsuki.
Then, with a worried expression, Obito asked, "Sensei, are you okay? Did you defeat those Hidden Cloud ninjas?"
Seeing Mutsuki intact, Guy mustered his last ounce of strength and slowly walked towards Mutsuki. He gave Mutsuki a thumbs up and broke into a heartfelt laughter, saying, "Truly worthy of Yumi-sensei! You can defeat even the strongest enemies!"
Kakashi swiftly came over to support Guy, looked at Mutsuki, and nodded, knowing that Obito and Guy had already said what needed to be said.
"I'm fine. Though I can't say I completely defeated them, I did gain a slight advantage. You can trust your sensei more. I told you I'd come find you." Mutsuki smiled and said.
Then Mutsuki sealed the bodies of the severed Hidden Cloud Jonin into scrolls. He also finished off the shocked Hidden Cloud Chunin by decapitating him and sealing his head into a scroll. Using ninjutsu, he summoned Kuro.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A puff of white smoke flashed, and a black giant eagle appeared before them.
"Hurry up and get on. It's dangerous here. Let's return to Konoha first," Mutsuki quickly said.
Having just experienced a fierce battle of life and death, the three knew it was no time for idle talk. They swiftly jumped onto the eagle's back.
"Kuro, fly in that direction." To ensure the Summon Beast, which hadn't been raised for long, knew the way, Mutsuki manually directed it.
Kuro responded with a loud eagle cry to acknowledge Mutsuki, then flapped its wings and flew in the direction of Konoha.
On the broad back of the eagle, Mutsuki used Mystical Palm Jutsu to treat the injuries of his disciples.
Among the three, Obito had the lightest injuries, just some scratches and bruises. Next was Kakashi, whose left leg had been slashed. The most serious was Guy; his right leg muscles were severely injured, and his body was fatigued from overexertion.
"Guy, you shouldn't engage in vigorous training for the next week. I'll arrange a special recovery regimen for you," Mutsuki said.
"A whole week of rest!" Guy couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Smack!
Mutsuki tapped Guy's head with two fingers and said, "That's already the shortest timeframe. Do you want to negotiate with sensei?"
Guy's use of the Breathing Technique to forcefully open the Eight Inner Gates put too much strain on his body. It was like standing on one leg while balancing the other on top of it to reach the sky—and he actually managed it. While the boost was significant, coming down from it was like falling from the sky, causing considerable harm to the body. Without specialized restorative medicine, Guy's injuries would normally require over a month of recovery.
"Youth also needs to balance work and rest!" Guy immediately corrected himself.
"Yumi-sensei, who exactly is that guy? You only managed to just have a slight edge over his strength," Obito curiously asked.
After the battle with the Hidden Cloud Jonin, Obito understood how difficult it was to deal with Jonin. Mutsuki could easily handle the Jonin, indicating another level of strength.
"He's the son of the Third Raikage. If things go as expected, he should be the next Raikage," Mutsuki replied.
At this point, the Fourth Generation A had already gained considerable fame. However, Kakashi had been a ninja for a relatively short time, and Obito and the others hadn't even become ninjas yet, which is why they didn't recognize the Fourth Generation A.
"Ah, the next Raikage! So, Yumi-sensei, does that mean you gained the advantage over the Raikage in your battle?" Obito said in shock.
Although Mutsuki was regarded as invincible in his heart, Obito was still surprised to hear such explosive news.
Although he's just a candidate Raikage, he's also a Kage, quite an impressive ninja.
"So he's a candidate Raikage. No wonder he had that kind of power" Kakashi nodded inwardly. He always believed Mutsuki's strength was unfathomable, but facing a candidate Raikage explained why Mutsuki was initially so cautious.
"You're exaggerating a bit. While his strength is good, he's still far from the Third Raikage," Mutsuki chuckled, ruffling Obito's hair.
This time, if they were up against the Third Raikage, Mutsuki would have preferred not to fight and just run.
"Yumi-sensei, you didn't see it, but we teamed up to defeat a Hidden Cloud Jonin!" Obito recounted their achievements after battling their opponent.
Mutsuki smiled and listened attentively.
"That guy was really tough. The three of us had a hard time taking him down alone, but thankfully I activated the Sharingan..." Obito said, opening his Sharingan eyes, now crimson in color.
Perhaps because Kakashi helped block a sword strike, Obito didn't mention Kakashi's momentary desire to give up; he only said Kakashi was injured and couldn't move.
"You all did great. Defeating a Jonin isn't easy. If word gets out, others might think you're boasting," Mutsuki praised with a smile.
Indeed, it was an unimaginable achievement, considering that aside from Guy, Obito and Kakashi weren't even nine years old yet.
Although they teamed up to kill the Jonin, it was still an astounding feat. After all, he was a Jonin, and according to the panel, that Hidden Cloud Jonin was one of the stronger ones among Jonin.
If Guy and the others had been placed in the same class after graduation and were trained to snatch bells, Mutsuki felt their sensei would be utterly shocked. If the Jonin were of average strength, they would have needed even more education from their students.
However, based on their strength and performance, Mutsuki felt that even if Minato did not come, it would not be an ordinary Jonin.
"Nothing can change the fact that our youth is burning brighter and brighter," Guy said fervently.
Despite being the most seriously injured, Guy had no regrets about his actions. On the contrary, he was happy because he had used his strength to protect what he wanted to protect, achieving a true victory.
Mutsuki glanced at the current panels of his disciples. Guy's Stone Breathing proficiency had reached Beginner level 40 points, Obito's Flame Breathing proficiency was at Beginner level 130 points, and Kakashi's Thunder Breathing was at Pre-Beginner level 54 points, showing significant progress for all.
Besides the visible improvement in proficiency levels on the panels, there were also unseen advancements, such as combat experience.
Except for Kakashi, Guy and Obito didn't have much combat experience. This recent tough battle was a tough exercise in improving their combat experience.
"When we get back, I'll make sure Rin-chan gets a good look at my Sharingan," Obito said as he started to relax completely and think about what to do after returning to Konoha.
This time, he had defeated a Jonin. Obito could already envision Rin's expression of astonishment and admiration.
"I still need to challenge Kakashi," Obito thought of something even more important.
With Sharingan this time, Obito wasn't afraid even if Kakashi had some grasp of Thunder Breathing. He could foresee the movements of the Hidden Cloud Jonin; how could he fear Kakashi?
Kakashi held a very special place in Obito's heart. Kakashi was the genius he had admired during his lagging period, as well as his good friend. After realizing he was slowly catching up to Kakashi, Obito was truly happy.
With such feelings in mind, Obito would be especially angry to see Kakashi feigning incompetence and giving up. That was the genius Kakashi he had been chasing after!
"This time, it's your turn to chase after me!" Just thinking about Kakashi being defeated by him made Obito unable to control the smile on his lips. His body involuntarily trembled with excitement.
"Stop standing there stupidly grinning and shaking," Kakashi said with a wry expression, as the space in Kuro's back wasn't particularly large, and although they weren't sitting close together, they were still relatively near.
"Who's the one laughing foolishly? Kakashi, you're so annoying. Just wait until we get back to Konoha," Obito's smile turned a bit more restrained as he glared at Kakashi.
"Whether it's foolish or not, ask Guy and you'll know," Kakashi replied nonchalantly.
"Guy, give your opinion. I trust your judgment," Obito turned to Guy.
Guy glanced at Kakashi, then back at Obito. Recalling Obito's earlier smile, he adopted a serious expression and said, "Obito, you did look a little foolish just now."
As he spoke, Guy even made a gesture with his thumb and index finger.
"Ah, Guy, you too?" Obito widened his eyes, surprised that his good brother-in-arms from just moments ago had turned against him.
"Just a little bit," Guy replied with a clear conscience.
"How much did Kakashi bribe you anyway?" Obito wore a pained expression, refusing to admit that his smile could be seen as foolish.
"If you don't believe it, you can ask Yumi-sensei," Kakashi said with a hint of amusement, observing Obito's reaction.
"Yumi-sensei, I trust you the most," Obito said, looking at Mutsuki with hopeful eyes.
Mutsuki looked up at the sky. It was quite enjoyable flying on the Summon Beast and admiring the scenery.
In the silence that followed, though Mutsuki didn't say a word, it seemed everyone had received their answer, and Obito didn't press further.
After flying into the Land of Fire for a while, Mutsuki instructed Kuro to land, and then they hunted and had a hot meal together.
The four of them, along with the bird, enjoyed their meal heartily.
After satisfying their hunger and thirst, Mutsuki didn't waste Obito's current high spirits and began teaching him Genjutsu.
[You taught the disciple Illusion: Tree Binding Death. Due to the disciple's immense gratitude, a super critical reward was given, acquiring the Fire Attribute Chakra Nature Transformation (Perfect level).]
A large amount of Fire Release training memories continuously appeared in Mutsuki's mind, taking his understanding of fire to a whole new level.
Another big reward explosion. Mutsuki smiled, feeling that the Perfect level Fire Attribute Nature Transformation was just as good as his other two Perfect skills.
It elevated Mutsuki's Fire Release capabilities to an extremely high level. Even Fire Release techniques with low Proficiency levels could wield considerable power with the Perfect-level Nature Transformation boost. Moreover, it opened up more possibilities for fire manipulation. Previously, Mutsuki didn't fully grasp flames like Amaterasu, but after accepting memories of Perfect-level Nature Transformation, he gained some understanding.
"I didn't expect to get a Perfect-level skill from going out on a mission..." Mutsuki thought to himself.
The outcome of this mission exceeded Mutsuki's expectations. Initially, he intended to address Kakashi's issue while motivating Obito to open his eyes. Unexpectedly, their Trust Level also significantly increased.
While the disciples progressed a lot on this mission, Mutsuki's own strength advanced even further. Moreover, Obito's training task was also nearing completion.
Though Obito triggered his advancements later, settlement also occurred later. Mutsuki felt the rewards would not differ much from Guy's, with another 2000 Chakra and Mastery-level skills awaiting.
"Let's keep the encounter with the candidate Raikage a secret. Let's say we only encountered a Jonin and a Chunin," Mutsuki reminded them before returning.
He didn't want his efforts to disguise himself to be inadvertently exposed by his disciples.
"Why not, Yumi-sensei? You didn't lose, did you?" Obito asked, looking puzzled. If he had achieved such results, the news would have spread throughout Konoha on the same day and across the Land of Fire by the next.
"Yumi-sensei probably doesn't want to become famous," Kakashi speculated. With such achievements, Mutsuki would instantly become well-known if it got out.
"I don't want others to know my true strength for now," Mutsuki nodded in agreement.
After discussing the experiences of the mission with his three disciples, Mutsuki returned to Konoha with them.
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