On Sunday, Mutsuki gave his disciples a day off. Earlier, he had arranged with a ninja who brought lunch to Kushina to meet next weekend. The meeting was scheduled for 9 AM.
Mutsuki arrived ten minutes early at the designated place. It was his habit to arrive early, regardless of who he was meeting. He liked having extra time in case of unexpected events.
Thanks to these extra ten minutes, even if something unexpected happened, he wouldn't be late.
In Konoha, getting around relied entirely on walking; there were no cars to cause traffic jams. Otherwise, Mutsuki might have allotted even more time for preparation.
When Mutsuki arrived, he didn't see Kushina's figure. About five minutes later, he saw Kushina hurrying towards him.
"Hey, Mutsuki, you're already here? Did I arrive late?" Kushina looked a bit surprised to see Mutsuki already standing there.
As the sensei herself this time, she thought she should arrive first, so she prepared to come a bit earlier, but she didn't expect Mutsuki to beat her to it.
"Could my watch be broken?" Kushina scratched her head, thinking.
"You're not late; you're even a bit earlier than the scheduled time. But I arrived even earlier than you," Mutsuki said with a smile.
Although he had the habit of arriving early himself, he never expected others to do the same. He just hoped his companions wouldn't be late.
"Cough, cough, diligent student Mutsuki, you're quite punctual. You should be this diligent during our lessons later," Kushina coughed lightly and began to focus.
"I'm a strict sensei, you know. If Minato doesn't study well, he'll face my punishment," Kushina said, trying to keep a serious face.
Unfortunately, Kushina didn't seem to have a natural talent for seriousness. Her attempt at a serious face looked more like she was trying not to laugh.
"Kushina sensei, rest assured, I will study seriously. Considering your hard work in teaching, I specially brought some sweets that I made for you to taste." Mutsuki smiled and took out a box, handing it to Kushina.
Upon hearing that the sweets were made by Mutsuki himself, Kushina's eyes lit up. Her thoughts of maintaining her role as a teacher flew out the window as she quickly took the box and thanked him.
"Mutsuki, you're so talented! You can even make sweets. I really appreciate it," she said gratefully after thanking him.
After expressing her gratitude, Kushina couldn't wait to open the box. However, inside were not the traditional Japanese sweets she had imagined, like wagashi, daifuku, or sponge cake, but a square-shaped white pastry.
"What kind of sweet is this?" Kushina curiously asked.
Although she had never seen this type of sweet before, just by smelling it, she knew it must taste good.
"This is osmanthus cake that I tried making myself. It's not sold in regular pastry shops," Mutsuki explained.
"Amazing!" Kushina praised Mutsuki and then picked up a piece to eat directly.
Upon tasting it, Kushina immediately experienced the sweet and glutinous texture of the osmanthus cake. It was sweet but not cloying, followed by a refreshing osmanthus fragrance that brought a cool sensation to her mouth.
In that moment, Kushina felt as if she were in the midst of a scorching summer day, then diving into a cool floral pond, enveloped by the scent of flowers and the refreshing coolness.
"So delicious!" Kushina exclaimed after coming back to her senses.
"It's good that you find it delicious. I was worried you might not like it," Mutsuki smiled and said.
"You're such a cunning student. Were you hoping I'd accept your bribe and not punish you?" Kushina joked with a wide smile.
"In that case, sensei, will you accept it?" Mutsuki asked.
"Of course I will!" Kushina quickly replied. Jokes aside, sweets should never be returned.
"This delicious treat shouldn't be finished in one go. I'll save some to enjoy later," Kushina thought to herself.
Then, the two headed towards their previous teaching location.
Walking along the road, Kushina's heart was deeply conflicted.
"This dessert is so delicious, I couldn't even taste the first piece. I'll have another one, since there are still over ten pieces left," Kushina decided, ultimately taking another piece.
With this bite, Kushina once again experienced an unprecedented deliciousness.
"I've already had two pieces, so having another one won't hurt," Kushina couldn't resist and had another piece.
Piece after piece was devoured. As they approached their destination, Kushina habitually reached for the box, only to find it empty when she looked inside.
"What's wrong?" Mutsuki asked as he noticed Kushina suddenly stopping.
"Haha, it's nothing," Kushina quietly closed the box with an awkward smile.
She couldn't admit that she was just thinking about how to get more of the osmanthus cake. Even someone as straightforward as Kushina felt embarrassed to trouble others right after eating.
"The Sealing Jutsu class is starting. Student Mutsuki, can you tell us what sustains the Four Symbols Seal?" Kushina began the Sealing Jutsu lesson.
"Cycle of the Four Symbols," Mutsuki answered.
"Will the sealing power of the Four Symbols Seal remain constant?" Kushina inquired further.
"No, it will weaken over time and needs to be reinforced," Mutsuki continued to explain.
"Very good, it seems you haven't forgotten the knowledge I taught you," Kushina nodded in satisfaction.
Afterwards, Kushina asked a few more questions to confirm that Mutsuki had grasped the previous content before starting to teach new material.
Mutsuki quickly immersed himself in Kushina's teaching. While Kushina's personality was unxconventional, her knowledge of Sealing Jutsu was profound. Coupled with Mutsuki's own talent in Sealing Jutsu, he made rapid progress under Kushina's guidance.
By one o'clock in the afternoon, Mutsuki's proficiency level in the Four Symbols Seal had reached fifty points, classified as Pre-Beginner.
When it was time for lunch, Mutsuki straightforwardly invited Kushina to dine at the same restaurant as last time, where he had arranged a sumptuous lunch using the kitchen facilities.
"The sent over meals, although they were delicious, freshly cooked hot dishes are indeed tastier," Kushina said blissfully.
After lunch, Kushina's free time was almost over. She handed the training scrolls to Mutsuki and returned with the ANBU to the Uzumaki Sealing House.
After bidding farewell to Kushina, Mutsuki went to check on the progress of his Shadow Clone in forging iron.
Although Obito claimed he liked whatever was sent to him, Mutsuki knew from the envious look Obito gave during Shisui's birthday that Obito definitely wanted a weapon forged by Mutsuki himself.
To distinguish between his two disciples, Mutsuki decided to craft this weapon in the standard Kunai style, rather than another short blade. Despite being a standard Kunai, Mutsuki planned to express his care through details, such as intricately carving a dragon pattern on the Kunai, engraving Obito's name on both sides, and adding the Uchiha clan emblem on the handle.
Upon arrival, Mutsuki found that the Kunai was mostly completed, lacking only a few final detailed touches.
"Time is ample, with six days remaining," Mutsuki nodded to himself.
The emotions from the last session had already escalated significantly, upgrading to Trust Level 4 directly and even triggering a Perfect-level reward. Mutsuki felt it would be difficult to surpass such a massive success this birthday.
If he could achieve a Mastery-level reward, he would consider it quite satisfactory. Even without a reward, he would still prepare gifts earnestly. Firstly, to avoid making his disciples feel he favored those who celebrated their birthdays earlier, and secondly, because Obito had also given him gifts.
Next, Mutsuki went to Asuma's house for tutoring.
"Today, I'll teach you Wind Release Nature Transformation," Mutsuki said with a smile, announcing the new lesson for Asuma.
"I knew Yumi-sensei, you'd be quick to grasp Wind Release," Asuma said happily.
"It's not too bad, a bit smoother than I imagined," Mutsuki modestly replied before starting the lesson.
"Wind Nature Transformation—try to envision it as thin and sharp."
Mutsuki plucked a leaf, swiftly condensing Chakra into his hand for Nature Transformation. In an instant, the leaf was sliced into several pieces.
"Or perhaps like shockwaves akin to air currents."
Mutsuki quickly formed seals, concentrating Chakra at his throat, then opened his mouth to unleash transparent shockwaves. Trees and stones touched by the shockwaves were pierced through.
"Wind-attribute Chakra acts like a blade, excelling in cutting and penetrating."
Watching even hard stones pierced through by Mutsuki, Asuma's eyes widened. Mutsuki's Wind Release was even more formidable than he had imagined; mastering this level of Wind Release after just a few months of study was impressive.
"Yumi-sensei, I knew it. Without learning, how would one know their strengths? You truly are a genius in Wind Release," Asuma expressed joy for Mutsuki and himself.
Mutsuki had strengthened his abilities, securing his future in Wind Release techniques.
"It's just a coincidence," Mutsuki chuckled. With such skills, in Hiruzen's eyes, he was a Ninja capable of using Ninjutsu with three attributes in combat.
"If you ask me, Mutsuki-sensei, you just lack resources. Maybe you can also learn the properties of lightning and earth." Asuma thought that Mutsuki's strength should be even stronger.
"Let's continue delving deeper into what you've already mastered," Mutsuki tapped Asuma's head and chuckled.
After spending the afternoon learning Wind Nature Transformation with Mutsuki, Asuma felt it was more beneficial than ten days with a Jonin sensei.
As they were about to part ways after training, Asuma looked regretful and said, "If only I had graduated a year later, then I could have had the chance to intern with you, Yumi-sensei."
"Work hard in your training now. If I have time, I'll let you know in advance. Once this internship period is over, I should have more time for private tutoring," Mutsuki thought and replied.
After dropping Asuma off at home, Mutsuki returned to his residence in the main city area.
First, he prepared dinner, then after eating, he studied the Four Symbols Seal for a while before developing Water Breathing techniques.
The Water Breathing Technique is, after all, a forbidden level skill. Even though Mutsuki has already mastered three other Breathing Techniques, developing Water Breathing still feels quite challenging.
Since some of the other Breathing Techniques enhance physical strength, Water Breathing should also do the same or provide the ability to accelerate Water Nature Transformation of Chakra.
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