Chapter 152: An Unexpected Surprise
"Obito, what did you do yesterday after going home?" Mugetsu asked, glancing at Obito's status panel—his Flame Breathing had reached the "entry-level" stage.
"I didn't do anything special… just hung out with Rin," Obito said.
"Just you and Rin?" Mugetsu asked, narrowing his eyes slightly. Something about Obito's tone seemed suspicious.
"There was also an annoying guy there," Obito admitted after a pause. He decided not to mention Kakashi's name, assuming Mugetsu wouldn't know him anyway.
But Mugetsu immediately understood. That "annoying guy" could only be Kakashi.
Inwardly, Mugetsu gave Kakashi a silent thumbs-up. Not only did he help trigger growth missions, but he also managed to stimulate Obito's strength. Truly worthy of being Obito's future teammate—already contributing before even joining the same squad.
"You don't need to do any other exercises today," Mugetsu said with a faint smile. "Focus on getting used to your current Flame Breathing. You've already completed the entry-level stage of Breathing Technique training."
"Eh? I've learned it already?" Obito scratched his head. Yesterday, he'd been so focused on bickering and fighting with Kakashi that he hadn't even realized he'd mastered the technique.
"Yes, you've learned it. You're the first one to reach this level," Mugetsu praised.
"Haha! Really? Shisui and the others should be catching up soon, right?" Obito grinned proudly.
"The first one…" Shisui muttered as he continued practicing, feeling a twinge of frustration. He had been training diligently but was still a step behind Obito.
Mugetsu used Appraisal on Shisui and saw his proficiency at ninety points—just shy of completion.
Their progress was much faster than Mugetsu had expected. Even though Shisui lagged slightly behind Obito, he would likely finish his Breathing Technique training before the end of the semester.
As for Guy… that was harder to predict. His proficiency was still around seventy points.
However, Obito and Shisui had both shown rapid improvement once combat training began. If Guy's progress followed a similar pattern, he might catch up sooner than expected.
"Next," Mugetsu said thoughtfully, "Shisui, you'll spar with Guy today."
Guy had recently finished his foundational training. Originally, Mugetsu had paired him with Obito since their power levels were similar. But after observing Obito's rapid progress, he realized the Breathing Technique seemed to advance faster when users fought stronger opponents under greater pressure.
"Eh? What about me?" Obito asked, pointing at himself. He'd been looking forward to testing his newly mastered Flame Breathing on Guy—to enjoy that feeling of overwhelming victory Shisui often experienced.
"Go focus on refining your Flame Breathing," Mugetsu said, tapping Obito lightly on the head.
Although Guy was still a beginner, the difference between Flame Breathing and Rock Breathing made it a fair test to move directly into the third stage. Shisui could use all his abilities except Sharingan, while Guy was free to go all out.
After all, Rock Breathing boosted only physical ability, and Guy didn't know any ninjutsu. Keeping the old restrictions would only put him at a disadvantage.
"Shisui, please guide me!" Guy said energetically, giving him a thumbs-up, his eyes blazing with determination.
Shisui—Mugetsu's youngest disciple yet strongest by far—was the kind of genius Guy lived to challenge.
"Please guide me," Shisui replied with a calm nod.
"Begin combat!" Mugetsu announced.
The instant the words left his mouth, Guy adjusted his breathing rhythm and charged forward with explosive power, unleashing his signature taijutsu technique.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
His kick sliced through the air like a gale, flying straight toward Shisui.
Shisui hadn't fought Guy since the summer training sessions and wasn't sure of his current strength. He decided to test him first, responding with his own Leaf Whirlwind.
Their kicks collided with a sharp impact, the wind pressure forcing both back several steps—though Shisui slid farther.
"What power…" Shisui muttered, astonished.
The strength Guy displayed now was greater than Obito's even when using Total Concentration Breathing.
"I can't trade blows head-on," Shisui quickly analyzed.
To possess such raw strength without even activating Total Concentration Breathing… the boost Rock Breathing provided was extraordinary. Facing Guy in pure taijutsu would be reckless.
Boom!
Sensing danger, Shisui used Body Flicker Technique to disappear. A heartbeat later, the tree he'd been standing by exploded under Guy's kick and crashed to the ground.
Despite Guy's overwhelming physical power, Shisui remained calm. This level of strength alone wouldn't be enough to defeat him—not in front of Mugetsu.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Forming hand seals in rapid succession, Shisui unleashed a massive fireball that roared toward Guy. At the same time, he threw several shuriken to predict Guy's dodging routes and used Body Flicker to appear in the only unblocked position.
Guy hadn't expected Shisui to think so far ahead within a single jutsu. As he moved to evade, Shisui struck, launching a burst of flames toward him.
"Rock Breathing—Total Concentration!" Guy roared, his body tensing. His chakra flared, muscles tightening like steel.
Rock Breathing's Total Concentration state significantly enhanced physical performance—and hardened defense as well.
If Guy had activated his own Mark, Shisui's flames wouldn't have been able to harm him at all. But since Guy's Breathing was still at entry-level, he could only mitigate the damage. The searing heat still burned faintly across his skin.
With his power heightened, Guy charged again, kicking at blinding speed.
But Shisui had anticipated it. He knew Rock Breathing's Total Concentration granted massive defense and attack bonuses, so pressing the assault would only expose him. After releasing his Flame Palm, he vanished once more, leaving Guy's kick to smash into the dirt and carve a deep crater.
"As expected of him…" Shisui thought, watching the ground crack beneath Guy's strike.
The fight continued at a blistering pace. Yet despite Guy's endless attacks, he couldn't land a single solid hit. The frustration grew, but so did his determination.
"Got you!" Guy shouted as he finally connected—only for his foot to pass through Shisui's body as if through smoke.
"An illusion?" Guy's eyes widened in disbelief.
In the same instant, a kunai wreathed in flame flashed past him, embedding itself in the ground beside his foot.
"It's over," Shisui said, stepping out from behind him. If this were a real battle, he would have thrown the kunai directly—but Guy wasn't an enemy.
"What a youthful fight!" Guy laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "I admit defeat!"
Shisui smiled faintly and nodded.
Shisui truly has no rival among his peers, Mugetsu thought as he watched. Even Kakashi—two years older—wouldn't stand a chance against him.
Even if Kakashi had more chakra, Mugetsu didn't believe he could match Shisui. Without using the Sharingan, they might be evenly matched—Kakashi's experience could balance things out—but once Shisui activated his eyes, Kakashi wouldn't stand a chance.
Mugetsu couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. I'm slowly raising Shisui into a boss-level ninja. The Shisui from the original timeline could never have reached this level of strength at such a young age.
With his Sharingan awakened early, his mental acuity had skyrocketed, and his body, enhanced through the Breathing Technique, was rapidly catching up. From this point onward, Shisui's growth would only become more terrifying.
"You all did very well today. Take a break before continuing," Mugetsu said with a gentle smile.
As his disciples rested, Mugetsu began to ponder another matter—how to raise Might Guy's trust level before his birthday.
Today was December 10th. That meant only twenty-one days remained.
From observation, Mugetsu had noticed that when he celebrated Shisui's birthday, the other disciples' trust levels had subtly increased as well. If that pattern held true, then Guy's trust level should already be higher than Shisui's had been before his own birthday.
However, trust levels couldn't be appraised directly, and their growth wasn't displayed. Mugetsu could only infer progress based on his students' behavior and emotional responses.
To be safe, he planned to go all out this time—to create an emotional impact strong enough to push Guy's trust to Level 4 in one go.
The challenge, however, was greater with Guy than with Shisui. Shisui, being an orphan, lacked parental affection, which made emotional connection easier. Guy, on the other hand, though motherless, had a loving father who was deeply involved in his life. That made the emotional gap Mugetsu could fill much smaller.
As for giving ninja tools—Guy rarely used them. Such a gift would be meaningless. Besides, since Shisui had just received one, giving Guy the same kind of present would seem half-hearted.
Mugetsu had been planning something special for a while, but when it came to Guy, he still couldn't think of anything suitable.
"Maybe I should approach it through his father," Mugetsu mused, an idea sparking in his mind. Perhaps he had been too focused on the student himself.
Raising a disciple's trust level doesn't have to revolve solely around the disciple...
With more than half a month left, Mugetsu decided not to rush things. For now, he would prepare carefully.
---
That afternoon, since it was Sunday, Mugetsu went to Asuma's house for tutoring.
"Teacher Mugetsu, how's your Wind Release training going?" Asuma asked curiously during their break.
"I wouldn't call myself a Wind Release genius like you hoped," Mugetsu said with a light smile, "but it's not bad either."
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
He swiftly formed hand seals and exhaled a powerful gust of wind toward a nearby tree.
Whoosh!
Under the roaring blast, the tree didn't break, but it bent deeply, its leaves rustling and scattering.
"It's still much weaker than my Fire and Water Releases," Mugetsu admitted, watching the tree sway.
To maintain his teaching persona, Mugetsu had prepared thoroughly. He had borrowed Wind Release materials from the library and even consulted Minato personally, intentionally acting as though he were a beginner in Wind Release.
"It's already amazing, Teacher Mugetsu! You've only been learning for a little over a month," Asuma said with admiration, feeling there was still hope for his own progress.
"You should focus on your Fire Release too. Don't let me finish mastering Wind Release before you complete your training," Mugetsu said with a smile, patting Asuma's head lightly.
"I definitely won't! My Fire Release has improved a lot lately," Asuma replied confidently, eager not to let his teacher down.
After sending Asuma home, Mugetsu headed back to the academy. There, he found the Third Hokage sitting in the classroom, calmly smoking his pipe.
"Third Hokage-sama," Mugetsu greeted respectfully.
"Training's done? Good work," Hiruzen said, nodding with a smile.
Mugetsu was about to take his leave when the Hokage suddenly called out, "Mugetsu, you've finalized the candidate list for that intern program, haven't you?"
"Yes," Mugetsu replied with a nod. "The groupings and supervising instructors have all been arranged."
There were only ten days left before the academy's winter break—he couldn't afford any delays.
"The list should include Might Guy and Obito, right?" Hiruzen asked.
"Yes. They're both on it. They were the top two in the last Fourth Grade exam," Mugetsu confirmed.
"Good. Then I'll have to ask you to revise it slightly," Hiruzen said, exhaling smoke slowly. "Either remove one person or add two. There's a young ninja who has already graduated but could use some guidance. I'd like you to place him in the same group as Might Guy and Obito—and you'll serve as their supervising teacher."
As soon as Mugetsu heard that, he immediately guessed who it was.
So it's Kakashi.
Hiruzen continued, "That child has been through a lot. Obito and Guy are among the few people he still cares about, and I believe you're the right teacher for him."
A month of vacation followed by three months of internship—four months in total. Hiruzen didn't expect Kakashi to completely recover in that time, but at the very least, he hoped the boy wouldn't remain stuck in the same shadow.
"Isn't it somewhat improper for a graduate to join a student internship?" Mugetsu asked politely, keeping his tone neutral though he already knew the answer.
"Normally, yes," Hiruzen admitted with a sigh. "But in this case, it's a special exception."
He then explained Kakashi's recent experiences—from his rapid rise as a prodigy to the tragedy that had left him emotionally hollow.
"So it's the son of White Fang…" Mugetsu said softly, his expression showing both surprise and quiet regret.
He bowed slightly. "Third Hokage-sama, please rest assured. I'll take care of him. I'll do everything I can to help Kakashi overcome his shadow and find his path again."
"White Fang was a ninja I've always admired deeply," Mugetsu added sincerely. "I won't let his son live in darkness forever."
Hiruzen smiled, visibly relieved. "With your words, Mugetsu, I can rest easy."
The fact that Mugetsu was a fan of the White Fang made this arrangement even more reassuring.
---
After returning home, Mugetsu sat down to revise the internship plan.
Originally, he had intended for Rin, Obito, and Guy to form one group. But since the Third Hokage wanted Kakashi inserted, Mugetsu made the adjustment—he removed Rin from the program entirely.
Following the Chunin instructors on standard missions wouldn't benefit her much anyway. Staying behind to train under Mugetsu's Shadow Clone for four months would yield far greater results.
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