"Mutsuki, sorry to interrupt, but I have to leave," Minato apologized to Mutsuki with regret on his face. He had intended to chat with Mutsuki for a while, but the sudden situation required him to take action.
Before waiting for Mutsuki's response, Minato disappeared before Mutsuki's eyes using Flying Thunder God.
"What's going on? He just vanished, I couldn't see where he went at all," Obito looked around in confusion.
Even if someone is moving too fast to be seen, you can usually sense their movements with keen perception, but Obito felt that Minato simply vanished into thin air.
"It must be some kind of Space-Time Ninjutsu," Mutsuki explained to Obito.
"You can think of it as a powerful Body Flicker Jutsu," Mutsuki reassured Obito.
Although Flying Thunder God has uses beyond rapid movement, Mutsuki simplified it for Obito's better understanding.
"Seems like a formidable person. No wonder you, Yumi-sensei, acknowledge his strength," Obito said, though he didn't fully grasp Mutsuki's words, he sensed Minato's prowess.
He remembered the first time he met Minato, when Mutsuki had mentioned Minato's impressive abilities.
Obito felt that if Mutsuki, who ranked above the candidate Raikage, acknowledged Minato's strength, then Minato must indeed be formidable, perhaps nearly as strong as Mutsuki.
"So fast!" Kakashi exclaimed in surprise as Minato vanished.
"Yumi-sensei, what should we do now?" Guy asked Mutsuki.
Normally, upon seeing the alert, they would join the battle, but the specifics depended on Mutsuki's instructions.
"Protect yourselves and help our village comrades defeat the enemy," Mutsuki answered after a moment of thought.
With the highest level of alert now raised, although they had come for a C-Rank mission, they had to engage in the fight.
"Although it was unexpected, it's also a rare opportunity to showcase my abilities," Mutsuki planned his next actions in his mind.
Mutsuki had the idea of gradually demonstrating his strength because in this ninja world, actions spoke louder than words. The stronger one's recognized abilities, the more convenient their actions became.
If it weren't for showcasing exceptional educational capabilities and advancing to Special Jonin, things like special training, major courses, and internships would never have been possible. An ordinary sensei wouldn't have the qualifications to propose such things, and even if they did, they wouldn't be taken seriously.
Of course, displaying powerful abilities without reason would only attract suspicion and danger unless one was powerful enough to disregard everything.
To make his strength more credible, Mutsuki had been laying various foundations. For example, he had shown exceptional talent in sealing jutsu to Minato and Kushina.
While teaching Asuma, Mutsuki not only demonstrated proficiency in Water Release and Fire Release but also crafted an image of being highly capable of learning. Starting from initially not knowing Wind Release, he progressed to proficiently using powerful B-rank Wind Release ninjutsu.
His upbringing in the Root further rationalized Mutsuki's strength, considering it was a darker organization even compared to ANBU.
Normally, due to the special circumstances of the Root, Danzo needed to have a thorough understanding of his subordinates' abilities. Root missions were directly assigned by Danzo, not acquired through usual commissions. Without knowledge of his subordinates' capabilities, task allocation wouldn't be reasonable.
Thus, Danzo established a rule: Root members underwent annual ability tests to ensure he had a comprehensive understanding of their skills.
However, members like Mutsuki, who were trained against regulations, couldn't be openly acknowledged. For secrecy, non-regular members like Mutsuki were tested every two years.
Currently, Mutsuki had been out of Root under Sarutobi Hiruzen's guidance for half a year. This meant Danzo's information on Mutsuki was two and a half years old. As long as Mutsuki didn't flaunt his strength excessively, even if Danzo found out, it would only provoke mild surprise.
From Danzo's perspective, Mutsuki was in a prime period of strength growth. Two and a half years was sufficient time for Mutsuki to develop significantly, possibly even receiving training from Sarutobi Hiruzen after leaving Root.
Sarutobi Hiruzen regarded him as an elite of the Root, an obscure genius ninja. From Danzo's perspective, he also had sufficient blank periods. It could be said that Mutsuki took into account all the influences from both the light and dark sides of Konoha.
"Looks like we're going into battle despite what Kakashi said," Obito stretched his body, ready to fight at any moment.
Kakashi couldn't argue with Obito. With four consecutive unexpected incidents and now an outbreak of the highest alert level war, even he was feeling less confident.
"Go, protect our comrades, defeat our enemies," Mutsuki quietly activated his Byakugan, supporting the battlefield in the distance.
Even though Mutsuki was no longer a naive newcomer having witnessed the deaths of more than ten people and having killed ninjas with his own hands, the cruelty of war still surprised him slightly.
The ground was dirty and chaotic, littered with various limbs, shattered stones, and broken wood. The red blood stained the soil, and scattered on the ground were ninjas, rarely seen under normal circumstances, from both Konoha and Hidden Rock.
Whether they are youths, young adults, or middle-aged, everyone is fighting together. They may not have known each other before this battle, but on this battlefield, due to the different headbands they wear, they fight together as if they have deep-seated blood feuds.
"This is war..." Obito stared dumbfounded at the brutal scene before him, his grip loosening on the Kunai he held.
The cruelty of war surpassed Obito's imagination. In Obito's mind, war was just fighting, but with more people involved.
The large number of bodies on the battlefield, various human body parts scattered everywhere, and traces of blood everywhere were all severely unsettling Obito's nerves.
This was the first time Obito had seen so many dead people. Just as he was stunned, he noticed a Konoha ninja not far from him about to be pierced by a Kunai.
"Hey..." Obito instinctively called out as a warning, but he didn't notice several Shuriken swiftly heading towards him. By the time he realized it, the Shuriken were already dangerously close.
Clang clang!
Mutsuki drew his Kunai and swiftly deflected all incoming Shuriken. He addressed his disciples, "In this chaotic warfare, you must be careful and watch your surroundings to avoid injury."
While showcasing his strength and building reputation was important, he couldn't afford to overlook the safety of his disciples.
All three disciples nodded solemnly. At this moment, words were unnecessary; they understood the dangers of war simply by witnessing the gruesome scene.
Due to the signal flare, more Konoha ninjas continued to join the battle.
Thanks to his Byakugan, Mutsuki could oversee the entire battlefield and discern the course of the war. He could see the battles of mid-tier ninjas clearly, and as long as powerful fighters weren't too far away, he could observe them with his Byakugan.
"Two Jinchuriki attacking together... No wonder they raised the highest alert level," Mutsuki remarked as he observed Jiraiya, who seemed prepared for a major threat. Nearby, two Hidden Rock ninjas emitted terrifying Chakra, revealing the top combatants on both sides of the battle.
Of course, Jiraiya had no intention of taking on two Jinchuriki alone; he was accompanied by several elite Jonin, including Minato.
Similarly, the Hidden Rock Jinchuriki were not acting alone; they were also surrounded by elite Hidden Rock forces.
From a distance, Mutsuki could see but not hear what both sides were saying. However, it was evident that the Hidden Rock side was acting arrogantly, while Jiraiya consciously kept their top fighters separate from the ordinary ninjas' battlefield.
"Worried about Tailed Beast Bombs?" Mutsuki could guess Jiraiya's concern.
Even if Jiraiya could enter Sage Mode, his Senjutsu wasn't strong enough to neutralize a Tailed Beast Bomb. The aftermath of a Tailed Beast Bomb alone could kill a bunch of mid-tier ninjas.
With his Byakugan providing a 360-degree view without blind spots, Mutsuki could clearly observe everything around him. He temporarily set aside the affairs of the top-tier battlefield and focused on dealing with the Hidden Rock ninjas around him.
Reputation is built through actions. With so many Konoha and Hidden Rock ninjas around him, as long as he demonstrated his strength, his name would be known even in other countries in the future.
All thoughts came and went in an instant. From Obito's perspective, Mutsuki intercepted the incoming Shuriken for him, then swiftly moved to rescue a endangered Konoha Chunin.
"Thank you." The rescued Konoha Chunin managed to utter two words before diving back into the battle. There were too many Hidden Rock ninjas on the scene.
Mutsuki maintained his Stone Breathing state, wielding a standard Kunai to swiftly harvest the lives of every Hidden Rock ninja around him.
While each Breathing Technique had its own uses—Flame Breathing enhancing flames, Thunder Breathing involving lightning and explosiveness—Mutsuki's favorite for everyday use was Stone Breathing.
Stone Breathing lacked the flashy effects of other Breathing Techniques, but it provided the strongest enhancement to physical abilities and the most effective physical conditioning.
Even though Mutsuki wasn't particularly focused on Taijutsu training, constant practice of Stone Breathing gradually honed his physique to that of a Taijutsu ninja. Just by maintaining Stone Breathing and using Taijutsu, Mutsuki possessed strength surpassing that of an ordinary Jonin, even without employing any other abilities.
Mutsuki's killings of Hidden Rock ninjas didn't mean much in the grand scheme of the war, but Konoha ninjas around him took notice of their formidable companion.
"So fast and powerful."
"Is this a newly promoted Jonin-sama? I don't recall seeing him before."
The Konoha ninjas rescued by Mutsuki, as well as those relieved of pressure by his actions against the enemy, all recognized Mutsuki's exceptional strength. Just using Taijutsu, he was able to dispatch a group of Hidden Rock ninjas.
"Is there a Jonin-sama here? We're struggling against a tough opponent," Mutsuki heard the plea for help. Using his Byakugan, he spotted a Hidden Rock ninja with exposed arms swiftly incapacitating several Konoha ninjas in Chunin vests.
Mutsuki assessed the Hidden Rock ninja and found he had over 5,000 Chakra points, proficient in skills at the highest proficient level of around 2,500 points. Immediately, he charged towards him.
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