Before leaving with Asuma, Mutsuki shot an appraisal on Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He was curious about the Ninjutsu teaching skills of the self-proclaimed Ninjutsu professor who claimed mastery over all Ninjutsu in Konoha.
[Name: Sarutobi Hiruzen]
[Chakra: 170,000]
[Skills: Combination Jutsu (Mastery: 13,000/15,000), Fire Attribute Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery: 6,200/15,000), Earth Attribute Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery: 3,000/15,000), Water Attribute Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery: 2,400/15,000)...]
Hiruzen's skill list was indeed quite long, and densely packed. Mutsuki roughly calculated, and he estimated Hiruzen had over a thousand Ninjutsu.
In terms of quantity, the title of Ninjutsu professor was well-deserved. After all, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't have the Sharingan to copy techniques, so he had to practice each one individually.
However, most of the Ninjutsu proficiency levels were only at the Beginner and Proficient stages. Mastery levels were relatively scarce, but Mutsuki thought it was still impressive. He spotted many familiar advanced Ninjutsu and even Secret Jutsu among them.
In terms of Nature Transformation, Sarutobi Hiruzen has achieved Mastery level in all five basic attributes, although the Proficiency levels vary. The highest is in the Fire attribute, while the others are slightly lower.
"It seems that the Mastery level of the system holds more value than I had imagined," Mutsuki thought to himself.
If we consider only the proficiency levels of Water and Fire attribute Chakra Nature Transformations, he surpasses Sarutobi Hiruzen. However, in actual combat, he would be easily defeated by the current Sarutobi Hiruzen because Sarutobi Hiruzen surpasses him in Chakra, Taijutsu, combat experience, and even Ninjutsu configuration.
After examining Hiruzen's panel, Mutsuki realized what a true all-around ninja is. Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, Sealing Jutsu, Secret Jutsu, forbidden techniques, and more – all sorts of techniques can be found in Hiruzen's skill list.
As for Hiruzen's panel, Mutsuki could only say it was beyond his evaluation.
After finishing instructing Asuma, Mutsuki returned to the main area of Konoha. He called Minato and Kushina and showed them the entire process of making Illusion Mapo Tofu.
Kushina and Minato finally got to see how soybeans turned into "meat" as they had wished.
Even after watching the cooking process and tasting the dish, Kushina still found it quite magical.
"How did you come up with the idea of making soybeans taste like meat, Mutsuki?" Kushina couldn't help but ask.
"It was a random idea," Mutsuki thought for a moment and replied.
He couldn't say that someone else taught him these dishes; that would expose a bigger loophole. So, he boldly claimed to have developed them himself.
Minato then inquired about Mutsuki's progress in practicing Sealing Jutsu, as it had been almost a week since the last time Mutsuki used Sealing Jutsu.
Mutsuki shared some thoughts he had just had about the Five Finger Seal.
"The difficulty of the Five Fingers Seal is much higher than that of the Three Fingers Seal. By studying more Sealing Jutsu knowledge and practicing diligently, you can gradually learn it," Minato explained.
Unlike the previous One Finger Seal and Three Fingers Seal, the difficulty of the Five Fingers Seal increases significantly. Minato was concerned that Mutsuki might start doubting himself due to the lack of progress over an extended period.
Mutsuki nodded, smoothly steering the conversation toward Sealing Jutsu again and sharing some of the challenges he had encountered in that area.
Mutsuki wasn't asking about specific practices for a particular Sealing Jutsu; instead, he posed questions related to the knowledge of Sealing Jutsu.
If he had asked about the specific issues he faced in the Five Fingers Seal, considering Kushina and Minato's proficiency in Sealing Jutsu, they could easily deduce his actual progress in training.
...
On weekend evenings, disciples didn't join him for training, and Mutsuki practiced alone in the Southern Border Forest.
"Five Fingers Seal!"
Mutsuki gathered Chakra on the fingertips of his right hand and slapped his Shadow Clone.
Black Sealing Jutsu patterns appeared on the Shadow Clone's body, indicating a successful technique.
"Now, I can practice the Five Elements Seal," Mutsuki thought to himself as he looked at his panel where the Five Fingers Seal had reached the Beginner level.
With the completion of the Five Fingers Seal training, he could now barely be considered a Sealing Ninja, even though he hadn't mastered any formal Sealing Jutsu at the moment.
However, Mutsuki didn't mind. His study of Sealing Jutsu was not aimed at expanding his skill repertoire but rather to address the issue of the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal.
Once he reaches Beginner level with the Five Elements Seal, he plans to use a Proficient scroll to advance it to Proficient level. After that, he will proceed to learn the Contract Seal and elevate it to Proficient level as well.
With both Sealing Jutsu at Proficient level, his knowledge in Sealing Jutsu will significantly increase. At that point, he can attempt to study Danzo's seal.
While utilizing Sensory Ninjutsu, Mutsuki ventured deeper into the forest. Today, he wanted to test the limits of his strength.
It had been a month since he attained Mastery level in Stone Breathing. Once Breathing techniques reach the Beginner level, they can greatly enhance one's abilities through Total Concentration Breathing. Proficient level Constant, on the other hand, allows maintaining a weakened form of Total Concentration Breathing for twenty-four hours.
For Mutsuki, Constant is crucial, as it means his body is in a constant state of training, providing continuous improvement.
In the span of a month, Mutsuki could clearly sense that his body was gradually growing stronger, even more effective than his Taijutsu training.
Due to the strengthening of his body, even the natural speed of his Chakra improvement had increased slightly.
As his body grew stronger, Mutsuki decided to try the combination of the Eight Inner Gates and Stone Breathing.
He had mastered the first three gates of the Eight Inner Gates, which are considered the safe zone, exerting minimal pressure on the body.
"Gate of Opening, open!" Mutsuki, lacking Guy's dramatic mastery of the Eight Inner Gates from the plot, had to start slowly with the first gate.
With the use of the Eight Inner Gates, Mutsuki felt a certain limit within his body being unlocked. Restricted Chakra surged out, and his body gradually became stronger, experiencing a significant boost in strength and speed.
By the time Mutsuki opened the third gate, the Gate of Life, his body was already flushed red, Chakra skyrocketed, and he exuded a green energy aura.
Mutsuki assessed his condition after opening the third gate.
[Name: Mutsuki Yumi]
[Chakra: 23,200]
His Chakra had surpassed twenty thousand directly, but Mutsuki could sense that at this moment, the Chakra within him was extremely violent, preventing him from executing any precise actions or releasing Ninjutsu.
However, Mutsuki had anticipated this. He took a deep breath, inhaling a large amount of oxygen to enter the Total Concentration Breathing state of Stone Breathing, further enhancing his overall physical abilities.
Mutsuki casually threw a punch, and the shockwave generated by the air moved like a blast, overwhelming several large trees.
Without the need for Chakra reinforcement, stones in his hands shattered as easily as tofu.
His running speed was akin to using the Body Flicker Jutsu.
"Phew," Mutsuki exhaled, dispelling the states of the Eight Inner Gates and Total Concentration Breathing, feeling a wave of intense fatigue.
The combination of the Eight Inner Gates and Stone Breathing indeed provided astonishing enhancements. Mutsuki refrained from using too much force, fearing that the commotion might attract ANBU Ninja or members of the Root.
However powerful it was, the strain on the body was indeed significant, and Mutsuki felt tired after only three minutes.
This was without using the Mark State; Mutsuki believed that if he had activated the Mark, he might have passed out immediately upon deactivation.
Through this experiment, he confirmed his speculation that Stone Breathing did complement the Eight Inner Gates, enhancing the upper limit.
Having an additional explosive card up his sleeve slightly increased Mutsuki's sense of security.
At present, apart from having limited Chakra and insufficient combat experience, he already possessed various means to defend himself.
"My training plan is almost complete; I can now let my disciples begin practicing Breathing techniques," Mutsuki thought to himself.
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