"Ice Release: Pheasant Beak!"
Just as Sarutobi Shinji's internal alarm bells were ringing, a massive ice bird suddenly burst forth from the still dissipating smoke.
The ice bird had tremendous impact and emitted a chilling cold aura. Some Ninjas, caught off guard and unable to dodge in time, tried to counter with Taijutsu but ended up being knocked back and frozen into ice blocks.
In the surprise attack, five Ninjas were frozen solid by the ice bird.
The Ninjas who managed to avoid being frozen breathed a sigh of relief, rushing out as soon as the flames dissipated. It was quite an unexpected turn of events.
"He actually possesses Ice Release Kekkei Genkai!" Sarutobi Shinji exclaimed, staring at the frozen Ninjas in shock.
Although he had never personally witnessed an Ice Release Ninja using Ice Release Ninjutsu, there was no doubt that this technique's effects clearly indicated it was the Kekkei Genkai Ice Release.
Sarutobi Shinji was filled with confusion; logically speaking, Mutsuki was no nameless nobody, and such an obvious Kekkei Genkai Ninjutsu should have been easily recognizable, yet he had no impression of it at all.
Sarutobi Shinji couldn't help but admire Mutsuki's ability to conceal his own information, to the point that even his own village's Ninja were unaware of it, let alone his enemies.
"Just having recently learned Ice Release, and he can already use such Ice Release Ninjutsu," Sarutobi Hiruzen, watching through the crystal ball, acknowledged Mutsuki's Ice Release Ninjutsu.
Mutsuki had learned Ice Release only after going to the Land of Snow, and achieving this level in such a short time was a clear testament to his Ninjutsu talent.
The other Ninjas also looked at Mutsuki in shock; this sudden display of Ice Release was truly unexpected for them.
But soon, they had no time to ponder such matters, as Mutsuki launched his next round of attacks.
Whoosh!
Mutsuki's main body flashed behind a Root Ninja and then unleashed a rapid Whirlwind Kick.
The Root Ninja only saw a blur before the world around him began to spin uncontrollably.
"Ice Release: Freeze Ray!"
At that moment, one of Mutsuki's Shadow Clones raised a hand, shooting a beam of icy energy that froze the kicked Ninja in mid-air.
In an instant, the team lost another Ninja.
"He's so strong; we're not even on the same level," Tobita Kenji thought, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he watched Mutsuki rampaging through the crowd.
Although Mutsuki was just one person, he was overpowering their thirty elite Ninjas.
Tobita Kenji took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. While Mutsuki was their sensei for the upcoming training, it was too embarrassing that so many Root and ANBU Ninjas couldn't even pose a challenge to him.
They didn't have to defeat Mutsuki, but at the very least, they should make him feel a bit pressured, rather than allowing him to take them all down without getting a single speck of dirt on his clothes.
The other ANBU and Root Ninjas had similar thoughts. Under the immense pressure from Mutsuki, their teamwork became more cohesive.
Soon, through the combined efforts of over twenty elite Ninjas, they successfully dispersed Mutsuki's two Shadow Clones.
Of course, this was intentional on Mutsuki's part.
If he could easily overpower the ANBU and Root with just his Shadow Clones, it would come off as too overwhelming, which was not what he wanted to convey.
"Secret Jutsu: Insect Tornado!"
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter!"
The Ninjas unleashed their attacks, trying to keep Mutsuki in place.
At that moment, Tobita Kenji also used his signature Ninjutsu.
"Lightning Release: Four Pillar Bind!"
As Tobita Kenji quickly formed hand seals, four massive stone pillars suddenly erupted around Mutsuki, with dazzling electric nets connecting the pillars to form a cage.
"Earth Release: Sticky Earth Drop!"
Next, more Ninjas used Earth Release Ninjutsu, summoning large amounts of clay from above to pour onto the cage, hoping to seal Mutsuki within it.
However, they underestimated Mutsuki's Taijutsu prowess.
"Golden Skyline!"
Mutsuki extended two fingers of his right hand, concentrating his Stone Breathing and entering the Transparent World state.
Then, he placed his right hand behind his waist, slightly bending his left leg, and unleashed a burst of Chakra, striking forward with a slashing motion aimed at the lightning pillars.
Boom!
A flash of golden light surged, and a black line appeared instantly on the thick stone pillar. As Mutsuki stepped forward, the two massive stone pillars collapsed with a roar, and the electric net vanished.
Just like that, Mutsuki boldly walked out of the Lightning Release cage, with a massive amount of clay pouring down behind him, becoming his backdrop.
"How is this possible? He was able to destroy my Four Pillar Bind using just Taijutsu!" Tobita Kenji displayed an unprecedented look of shock.
His Lightning Release Four Pillar Bind was a technique that combined the barrier techniques of Earth Release, characterized by its sturdiness, making it difficult to break even with Ninjutsu. Yet, Mutsuki had managed to emerge from the most solid interior using just Taijutsu.
This directly challenged Tobita Kenji's worldview as a Ninja.
"An unprecedented Taijutsu; could it be developed by Mutsuki himself? If Mutsuki continues to grow, he might rival Raikage's Hell Stab." Witnessing the terrifying power of Golden Skyline, even Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but feel a hint of surprise.
He was well aware of the basics of Konoha's Ninjutsu, including the not-so-special Lightning Release Four Pillar Bind, so he understood the characteristics of this technique clearly.
Although its might was not as strong as the Wind Release and Fire Release Combination Jutsu Mutsuki had used earlier, Sarutobi Hiruzen recognized that Mutsuki's Golden Skyline was far more dangerous.
If this were on a battlefield, and Root and ANBU were enemies of Mutsuki, using Golden Skyline at the start of the battle would undoubtedly allow Mutsuki to eliminate a significant number of Ninjas in an instant.
Looking at the increasingly terrifying Mutsuki, some Ninjas felt confused. Despite giving their all, they couldn't seem to affect him at all.
After showcasing his abilities, Mutsuki began to act with the intent to defeat, swiftly overpowering the ANBU and Root Ninjas.
Their Genjutsu had no effect on Mutsuki, and their combined Ninjutsu was no match for the Ninjutsu he unleashed. Taijutsu was completely dominated by Mutsuki, and soon after recognizing their skills, there were no Ninjas left standing on the field.
Due to their injuries, Mutsuki did not require them to stand, and the thirty Ninjas sat together.
Some Ninjas awkwardly lowered their heads; both ANBU and Root were elite Ninjas of Konoha, and yet these thirty elite members had been easily defeated by Mutsuki alone.
Mutsuki sent out Shadow Clones to heal the Ninjas. Although he controlled the intensity of the fight, injuries were inevitable during combat, so he quickly treated them to avoid affecting the subsequent training.
"I have a good understanding of your abilities. You are indeed better than Ninjas of the same age as you, but as ANBU members, you still have some shortcomings," Mutsuki said while treating them.
"First of all, the last thing you should do is underestimate the enemy. Even though I've already let you all go all out, you didn't immediately attack me," Mutsuki said.
Tobita Kenji looked somewhat embarrassed; he genuinely felt it wasn't their fault. Who would have thought that the nineteen-year-old Mutsuki would possess such terrifying strength?
It should be noted that Mutsuki's most impressive achievement was assisting Jiraiya in repelling the Jinchuriki, but that report from Konoha didn't reveal that Mutsuki had this level of power.
Although he had never seen Minato Namikaze in action, Tobita Kenji believed that Mutsuki's strength should be comparable to that of the most renowned young ninja in Konoha today, Minato Namikaze.
Compared to Mutsuki, Minato Namikaze had many more accomplishments, with the most notable being that he single-handedly fought to a standstill against the new generation of the A and B duo on the battlefield in the Land of Hot Water. This immediately propelled Minato Namikaze to fame, making his name well-known throughout the ninja world.
Killer B might not have much recognition yet, but Fourth Generation A is widely acknowledged as a powerful figure in the ninja world, with many famous ninjas having perished at his hands, solidifying his reputation.
Tobita Kenji compared and calculated, feeling that Mutsuki was even more terrifying. In a few years, Mutsuki would likely reach the level of a Sannin.
Mutsuki pointed out all the problems the ninjas had during the battle, accurately identifying each ninja's issues.
"He even had the energy to take note of these during the fight," Sarutobi Shinji felt that Mutsuki had become even more unfathomable.
After this battle, the thirty ninjas were all extremely convinced by Mutsuki. Not only was his strength formidable, but his teaching ability was also outstanding; such a good sensei was hard to find.
On the first day, Mutsuki did not officially start teaching; he merely expanded on the initial battle.
On one hand, the ninjas were injured and needed to recover, making intense movement unwise. On the other hand, the previous activities had consumed a lot of time, and Mutsuki estimated he wouldn't be able to gain teaching rewards, so he decided to save it for the next day.
With Mutsuki's healing and the fact that they were all members of Root and ANBU with considerable strength, a day of rest was just right.
Shimura Danzo wouldn't use the Telescope Jutsu, so he directly ordered the Root members who received the training to report back to him afterward.
Hearing that Mutsuki had used only one Shadow Clone to block the attacks from thirty Root ANBU ninjas, a look of surprise flashed across Danzo's face.
He was aware that Mutsuki's Ninjutsu was formidable, as he had coincidentally seen it at Sarutobi Hiruzen's house before, but a demonstration in an open space was ultimately not as convincing as actual combat.
The concept of one ninja killing thirty ninjas is not the same as one ninja overpowering thirty Ninjutsu, especially considering that these thirty ninjas were all from Root ANBU.
"Hiruzen, you really think highly of him," Shimura Danzo immediately assumed this was a result of Sarutobi Hiruzen's teaching.
When Mutsuki was with him, he couldn't use any Combination Jutsu, and the last time he visited Sarutobi Hiruzen's home, Hiruzen was indeed teaching Mutsuki.
Now, Mutsuki was proficient in five types of Chakra Nature Transformation Ninjutsu and was capable of Combination Jutsu. Shimura Danzo seemed to see the young Sarutobi Hiruzen in him.
"It's a pity that no matter how hard you try, Mutsuki Yumi is still one of my Root members," Shimura Danzo couldn't help but smile.
The thought that Sarutobi Hiruzen was both restraining Root's development and inadvertently helping him strengthen Root brought Danzo immense pleasure.
"To think he even used Kekkei Genkai Ice Release!" Upon hearing that Mutsuki had Ice Release, Shimura Danzo was even more surprised.
As far as he knew, neither Mutsuki's parents nor his grandparents had Kekkei Genkai, so how did Ice Release suddenly appear in Mutsuki?
Danzo felt puzzled but didn't suspect anything, as Mutsuki was indeed a genuine Konoha citizen. His parents were both Konoha ninjas who died in battle, and Mutsuki had always behaved normally.
If Mutsuki were an orphan who had flowed into Konoha from outside, Danzo might suspect he was a spy sent by the Mist Village. However, whether sending such a talented spy was a sign of madness was not something Danzo concerned himself with; the investigation would reveal any issues.
"Did his ancestors ever have an Ice Release ninja? Or did he just get lucky and created it himself?" Shimura Danzo made a simple guess and dismissed it.
Although Kekkei Genkai is rare, its strength varies depending on the type. Ice Release, for instance, isn't that impressive and pales in comparison to something like Byakugan.
In Shimura Danzo's eyes, Byakugan isn't particularly noteworthy either; it's just strategically valuable. In terms of enhancing strength, it falls short of Sharingan. The strongest Kekkei Genkai in Danzo's mind is Wood Release, which he believes to be invincible.
Having an undeveloped Wood Release ninja gives Shimura Danzo confidence. He believes that once he cultivates this Wood Release ninja, they will be able to clear all obstacles for Konoha.
After the Root Ninja completed their report, Shimura Danzo roughly estimated Mutsuki's strength in his mind.
"In a one-on-one battle, he might not necessarily defeat Minato Namikaze, but his methods are more comprehensive than Minato's, and he should be roughly equal in strength to a young Hiruzen."
Although Mutsuki possesses Ice Release and his Taijutsu is quite formidable, Sarutobi Hiruzen's Combination Jutsu is stronger, along with an excellent Summon Beast. Danzo feels that Mutsuki's strength is likely comparable to that of Sarutobi Hiruzen at the same age.
This couldn't help but make Shimura Danzo entertain some pleasant fantasies. With a Wood Release ninja and Mutsuki, who is a genius comparable to Sarutobi Hiruzen, once both of them have fully matured, could he possibly strive for that position again?
...
The next day, they were back at the same training ground, but due to the destruction from yesterday's battle, Mutsuki shifted the position slightly.
It was the same training and the same group of people, but the atmosphere was different from the first day. The thirty ninjas were all eagerly anticipating how Mutsuki would help them improve their strength.
"In battle, speed is crucial. A faster speed allows you to dodge more attacks and gain the upper hand during combat."
"Today, I will teach you a Body Flicker Jutsu. This Body Flicker Jutsu is one I developed myself. Although it puts a lot of strain on your legs, it is also faster." Mutsuki began to explain.
After all, they were Konoha's elite ninjas, and they needed to show some skill. After careful consideration, Mutsuki decided to modify and weaken Soru for teaching purposes.
The core of Soru lies in the technique of layered Chakra bursts. After Mutsuki modified it, the power of the burst decreased to a certain extent, and the upper limit for layering was greatly reduced.
Of course, the weakened version of Soru that Mutsuki created is still much faster than a regular Body Flicker Jutsu, making it an excellent Body Flicker Jutsu; Mutsuki primarily controlled the upper limit.
After explaining, Mutsuki demonstrated the speed of Soru.
The ninjas found it very familiar because that was how Mutsuki had darted around and beaten them up the day before.
This exceeded the ninjas' expectations; they did not think Mutsuki would directly teach them his self-created Body Flicker Jutsu. They had assumed there would be more emphasis on technical guidance.
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