"I really lost." With Obito's kunai pressed against him and Mutsuki announcing Obito's victory, Kakashi felt a moment of daze.
Just half a year ago, when Obito came to him for help practicing, Kakashi could have easily defeated Obito with a single Body Flicker Jutsu.
Half a year is long—equivalent to 181 days. Half a year is short—short enough that Kakashi still felt not long ago, he was effortlessly defeating Obito several times.
Kakashi, who had never lost to peers before, lost three times in just over a month.
He lost to *Guy, who he considered a rival and who had always strived to surpass him. He lost to the even more talented Uchiha Shisui. And today, he lost to Uchiha Obito, who had countless defeats at his hands in the past.
In these three instances, Kakashi accepted his defeats because each battle was won fair and square by his opponents, not through luck.
However, accepting defeat did not mean he lost his desire for victory. In fact, he felt deeply unwilling to accept his downfall. Guy and Obito had initially been far behind him in skill, and Shisui was even younger by two years.
"Don't get too cocky. You've only beaten me once, but I've beaten you countless times before. I'll win back soon enough," Kakashi said calmly, brushing off dust from his clothes, confronting Obito's arrogant grin.
He acknowledged his failures but refused to accept continuous defeat. Kakashi understood why he had failed; he had become lax over the past two years, caught up in missions and the ninja rules, neglecting proper training.
Now things were different. Kakashi was determined to be true to himself. He didn't seek everyone's approval; he only needed to uphold his own beliefs.
"Enough with the big talk. Facing me with Sharingan, you have no chance," Obito dismissed Kakashi's harsh words, continuing to smile smugly.
Though he had only won once, Obito felt that this victory held more significance than all the times Kakashi had won before combined.
"Then you'll just have to wait and see," Kakashi's mouth under his mask curved slightly upwards.
This time was different. He intended to show Obito and Guy the speed of a genius's growth.
With his extraordinary talent and under Mutsuki's guidance, Kakashi believed his strength would soon improve.
Mutsuki smiled as he watched the determined duo; having ambition and goals was excellent, and rapid improvement in strength was promising.
[Disciple Uchiha Obito's training mission completed. Rewards obtained: Chakra +2500, Fire Release:Great Fireball Jutsu (Mastery level), Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson (Proficient level)]"
Another 2500 Chakra points as a reward. Mutsuki was now only a little over four thousand Chakra away from his fifty thousand goal.
Although it's a Mastery-level Ninjutsu, Mutsuki is not adverse to having more Great Fireball techniques.
[Disciple Uchiha Obito receives an optional life mission]
[Life Mission: It's not the person who becomes the Hokage that everyone recognizes, but the person recognized by everyone who can become the Hokage]
[Primary Objective: Become the Hokage of Konoha]
[Mission Progress: 0]
[Mission Rewards: Rewards will be determined based on the completion of the mission and growth in strength during the mission. Settlement will occur every ten percent increase in progress]
[Note 1: Automatically fails if Uchiha Obito defects from the village; automatically fails if Konoha is destroyed]
[Note 2: Life missions are extremely difficult. Once chosen, only after completion can the next life mission be undertaken. Choose carefully]
[Note 3: Higher difficulty yields higher rewards]
Mutsuki looked at Obito's life mission and began to contemplate. This mission, in terms of difficulty, wasn't exceedingly hard, but nor was it simple.
If Minato became the Fourth Hokage and did not die unexpectedly, and if the Uchiha clan's opposition led by Danzo ceased to exist, Obito still had a chance to become the Hokage.
Mutsuki decided to accept this mission after some thought. Although he felt that Obito might trigger some mission in the future to end the Shinobi World War and bring peace to the ninja world, this mission could be coordinated with Shisui's mission.
If Obito became the Hokage, the conflict between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha would be easily resolved. Moreover, Mutsuki felt that this mission's progress would increase relatively quickly. If the endpoint was the position of Hokage, Obito's promotion and gaining public support on the battlefield would undoubtedly advance the mission progress, as these were indispensable steps to becoming the Hokage.
In addition to Obito triggering a life mission, Kakashi also successfully triggered a training mission.
[Disciple Hatake Kakashi sets a training mission]
[Training Mission: Defeat Uchiha Obito, Uchiha Shisui, and Might Guy in combat, becoming the strongest among Mutsuki's disciples]
[Rewards: Rewards will be determined based on the completion of the mission and growth in strength during the mission]
It was the first time Mutsuki had seen a mission to fight three people, but upon reflection, he realized that this mission was essentially a competition within Mutsuki's team to achieve first place.
Mutsuki could only say that this mission was a bit challenging. Although the current gap between them wasn't large, Kakashi was diligently training, and Obito, Guy, and others weren't slacking off for no reason.
Unless Kakashi suddenly had some special insight into his Breathing Techniques, it would be difficult to make a short-term comeback.
"Rin-chan, wasn't I amazing just now?" Obito couldn't help but run up to Rin and ask.
"You were very impressive. You actually defeated Kakashi. If our classmates knew about this, they would be quite surprised," Rin praised with astonishment.
If there hadn't been the precedent set by Guy, Rin would have been even more surprised. Kakashi's performance during the Academy days had left a deep impression on her, truly showcasing his overwhelming strength.
"It's not really something worth spreading. After all, I've already activated my Sharingan now. It's only natural for me to defeat Kakashi," Obito said proudly in response to Rin's praise, feeling even more pleased and self-assured.
"After I can open the second gate normally, I also want to experience the power of Sharingan," Guy said enthusiastically to Obito.
"Uh..." Obito's previously proud attitude stabilized again. Facing Guy, he didn't feel very confident about winning.
Although Kakashi had a fast burst speed, it was only momentary. On the other hand, Guy who could activate the Eight Inner Gates and Stone Breathing, maintained high speed and strength throughout.
"Haha, let's talk about it later. I also want to become more familiar with the power of Sharingan," Obito neither explicitly refused nor agreed.
Rejecting in front of Rin would make him seem afraid of Guy, but agreeing directly might really be embarrassing.
"The second gate..." Shisui, standing beside them, felt a growing sense of urgency. After completing a mission, it seemed like Kakashi and the others were undergoing a small transformation.
After resting until one-thirty in the afternoon, they resumed training. Obito and Shisui practiced Total Concentration Breathing, Guy underwent recovery training, and Kakashi continued to strive for improvement in Beginner techniques.
"Yumi-sensei, I've developed a technique combining Thunder Breathing with my family's sword art, but it has quite a few drawbacks. Could you help take a look?" Kakashi asked Mutsuki for advice during their training.
One of the reasons he lost to Obito this time was the significant flaws in Thunderclap and Flash. Once the opponent sees through the attack trajectory, it's almost ineffective. Moreover, the mismatch in speed and reaction prevents him from responding to the enemy's counterattacks.
"Show it to me" Mutsuki nodded and said.
"Thank you," Kakashi expressed his gratitude and then took out his White Fang short blade, changing his breathing rhythm in preparation to strike.
"Thunderclap and Flash!"
Swish!
Thunder erupted from Kakashi's feet, accompanied by a loud thunderous roar. Kakashi immediately shot out like a lightning bolt parallel to the ground.
Boom!
The large tree targeted by Kakashi immediately collapsed with a thunderous crash.
"Is it that your reactions can't quite keep up with the speed?" Mutsuki pondered and asked.
Mutsuki felt Kakashi might have some talent in this area. He entrusted Purple Electricity, which didn't require Sharingan, to Kakashi, but now Kakashi unexpectedly produced another skill that his reactions couldn't keep up with.
"Hmm, and I feel this technique's trajectory is too predictable. If it's seen through, it becomes ineffective," nodded Kakashi.
"The trajectory of the attack doesn't matter much. What's crucial is that when you unleash it, if one flash isn't enough, flash three or six times in a row. The problem lies more in your reaction," Mutsuki pinpointed the issue.
"There are essentially two ways to solve this. One is mastering the technique of using Lightning Chakra Nature Transformation to strengthen your nerves, which can enhance your reactions. The second is mastering the Extreme State of the Breathing Technique, Transparent World."
"Wait until your Thunder Breathing reaches the Constant realm, then you can learn how to strengthen your nerves."
"Constant..." Kakashi was familiar with this term because Obito and Shisui were already training in this area.
"So how can I master Transparent World?" Kakashi pondered and asked.
As far as he knew, Obito and the others had been training in the Breathing Technique for half a year and had just started training in Constant. He didn't know when they would complete their training. In other words, if he wanted to reach the Constant realm, it might take him a year or more.
Kakashi dared not imagine how arrogant Obito could become in this year.
"I can't say for sure. It depends on your personal comprehension. Some may practice the Breathing Technique their whole lives and still not master it, while others may naturally grasp it," Mutsuki said.
The reason he only explained strengthening the nerves and didn't do the same for Transparent World was because Transparent World was too difficult. It requires understanding the Forbidden-level Breathing Technique to the level of Perfect, and the difficulty of improving proficiency levels varies between skills.
For example, Nature Transformation is on a different level compared to regular Ninjutsu, and advanced Ninjutsu is on a different level compared to basic Ninjutsu.
Once Thunder Breathing is truly mastered to the Perfect level, Kakashi's problems will be solved long ago. Not to mention Thunderclap and Flash, even Thunderclap and Ten Flashes would pose no problem.
Of course, Mutsuki, who is well-versed in the Breathing Technique, also knows that it's possible to understand Transparent World without reaching Perfect level in the Breathing Technique. However, Mutsuki feels that this is even harder than mastering the Breathing Technique to the Perfect level.
This is no longer a matter of whether personalities match, but rather a matter of having extremely strong Breathing Technique talent.
"Is it really that difficult? Maybe I'll never master it in my lifetime," Mutsuki's response surprised Kakashi.
"How else could it be called the peak of the Breathing Technique?" Mutsuki smiled and prepared to show Kakashi the effect of Transparent World.
"Attack me."
Without hesitation, Kakashi swung his blade towards Mutsuki.
"You're aiming for my left arm," Mutsuki said the moment Kakashi swung his blade, and skillfully dodged Kakashi's attack.
"Your target is the thigh."
"You're going to stab my heart."
Next, as if predicting the future with precision, Mutsuki accurately predicted various attacks Kakashi was about to launch, and though not fast, his performance made it impossible for Kakashi to touch even the hem of Mutsuki's clothes.
Kakashi's expression grew more and more astonished. Mutsuki's displayed ability was simply too extraordinary.
Not relying on physical fitness and a large amount of Chakra, Mutsuki effortlessly dodged all his attacks solely with his extreme reaction speed.
"This is just one of the abilities of Transparent World. It can also see through the weaknesses of the enemy and unleash one's own strength to one hundred percent," Mutsuki explained.
Just listening to Mutsuki's description, Kakashi could sense the power of this ability and couldn't help but yearn for it.
If he could master such a powerful ability, Obito's Sharingan would pale in comparison.
"If one day you feel a transparent sensation in your mind, able to see and control every muscle and blood vessel in your body, then you have entered the state of Transparent World," Mutsuki briefly described the feeling of entering Transparent World.
Kakashi showed a serious expression, committing Mutsuki's words to memory.
"Although your flaw can't be cured in a short time, there are ways to alleviate it to some extent, such as specialized training to enhance reaction ability," Mutsuki continued.
Reaction ability can be enhanced through training, but there are limits to this. Expecting training to reach the level of Minato and the Fourth Hokage's Lightning Speed is unrealistic; it can only enhance reaction ability to a certain extent.
"After that, during battles, if the timing isn't right, try not to use it as much. Don't use it excessively in a single battle; once or twice should suffice," Mutsuki advised.
Obito was able to grasp Kakashi's Thunderclap and Flash not only because of his Sharingan but also because he had observed it once before, gathering certain intelligence.
"Thank you for your guidance. I understand what I need to do now," Kakashi nodded again in gratitude.
"Keep it up. As long as you explore your own talents, one day you'll also be able to master Transparent World," Mutsuki encouraged.
Mutsuki liked to encourage his disciples. Although difficult, one never knows what might happen.
To defeat Obito sooner, Kakashi was highly motivated in his training, focusing wholeheartedly on mastering Thunder Breathing after asking his questions.
"Yumi-sensei, I want to accompany you on missions next school year," Shisui approached Mutsuki after training.
"I feel like I need to train outside the village too," Shisui explained, watching Obito and the others grow stronger from their missions made him feel restless himself.
"If I'm still in charge of interns at that time, there won't be a problem," Mutsuki agreed.
Shisui indeed needed real combat to grow, and if all goes well, by the third term of the next academic year, his Chakra should be over 70,000, ensuring greater safety.
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