The monitoring room fell into temporary silence, and Genji breathed a sigh of relief.
Since the memory check was not possible, the situation became simpler—he could just insist that Akutami Hideyuki was a spy and a traitor.
Genji looked at Hiruzen, whose expression remained unchanged, making it difficult to gauge his thoughts.
Genji knew that the matter could be serious or trivial, depending on how Hiruzen chose to handle it. If Konoha wanted to accuse Akutami Hideyuki of being sent by the Mist Village to cause trouble, that would be acceptable.
At that moment, the door to the monitoring room was pushed open, and Danzo entered with two Root Ninjas.
"You Mist Village have some nerve to dare assassinate our Konoha's genius Ninja!" Danzo exclaimed harshly as soon as he entered.
"If you want to go to war with Konoha, we will definitely accompany you to the end."
Danzo started berating them, as if the Mist Village had officially declared war on Konoha.
Genji calmly explained the situation again and reiterated Akutami Hideyuki's identity as a spy.
"Just because his mind was damaged by a technique doesn't necessarily mean he's a spy. It could be that your Mist Village is trying to get rid of its own suspicions," Danzo insisted stubbornly.
"If you want to prove your innocence, then all members of the Mist Village must undergo a memory search," Danzo proposed his solution.
"If you really have no issues, I'm willing to personally apologize."
"Elder Shimura, are you joking? There's no way I would agree to such a thing," Genji said, barely able to contain his frustration. Danzo's suggestion was too unrealistic.
While a memory check could indeed prove their innocence, it would also reveal all the Mist Village's secrets to Konoha. As a Hidden Mist Village Elder, Genji knew too many secrets. Even if he were to die in Konoha, he would have to destroy his own head to prevent Konoha from accessing his memories.
Not to mention himself, but even the Jonin he brought couldn't be casually shown to Konoha. It would be like handing over Mist Village's Secret Jutsu training plans to Konoha for free.
Compared to the confidential information in their heads, Danzo's apology wasn't worth a fraction, not even worth Danzo's own life.
"Are you feeling guilty?" Danzo's gaze was cold as he looked at Genji.
"On this matter, I have a clear conscience, but I cannot let the Mist Village's secrets be exposed," Genji replied, unwaveringly meeting Danzo's gaze.
"Rest assured, our Konoha Ninjas are the most trustworthy. They won't look at what they shouldn't," Danzo continued.
Genji maintained a smiling facade, but internally he sneered. If he truly believed Danzo's words, he wouldn't be fit to be an Elder of the Hidden Mist Village. It would be absurd to think they wouldn't look at the secrets given to them for free.
Genji firmly disagreed with Danzo's proposal, while Danzo continued to press, claiming that Genji's refusal indicated guilt.
"There are many doubts about this matter, and directly checking Elder Genji's memories does seem somewhat inappropriate," Hiruzen spoke up at this moment.
"But this is the fastest and most accurate method," Danzo replied with dissatisfaction.
Mutsuki silently observed the scene, forming a general prediction about the outcome of this matter in his mind.
Konoha had no immediate intention of going to war, given that they already had conflicts with the Hidden Rock Village and Hidden Cloud Village. Even someone like Danzo, who was known for his hawkish stance, wouldn't want to face three major ninja villages at once.
However, Konoha would definitely not swallow this grievance. Whether Akutami Hideyuki was a spy or not was unimportant; what mattered was that Akutami Hideyuki was a Mist Village ninja and had not been stripped of his Mist Village status before his death.
Thus, while it wouldn't escalate to an all-out war, Konoha would certainly not let Genji and the others leave without gaining something. They would at least extract some benefits from the situation.
Danzo and Hiruzen were clearly playing their respective roles—Danzo as the hardliner proposing a solution Genji could never accept, and Hiruzen as the mediator suggesting a solution that would be uncomfortable but acceptable to the Mist Village.
But the monitoring room was not the place for negotiations. Hiruzen quickly took Genji and the others out of the monitoring room to a dedicated conference room to discuss a resolution.
Mutsuki had his Shadow Clone continue monitoring in the surveillance room while he himself went to the cafeteria in the central tower for dinner.
The second stage of the Chunin Exams lasted a total of five days. During these five days, both the candidates and the examiners had to stay within the Forest of Death. Even if a candidate met the requirements and reached the central tower on the first day, they had to remain there until the final moment.
This was because there would be rules related to the third stage of the exam to be discussed after the second stage ended. Additionally, if there were too many candidates who passed the second stage, a supplementary test would be conducted to eliminate a portion of them and improve the quality of candidates for the third stage.
The third stage of the exam was different from the first two. Konoha invited many officials, nobles, and wealthy merchants to watch the competition. To better showcase the Konoha Ninjas' abilities, both the quantity and quality of the candidates needed to be controlled.
This wasn't always done for every Chunin Exam; it was only for large-scale exams like this one that officials and nobles were invited. After all, Konoha held two Chunin Exams each year, and inviting officials every time would be too frequent.
"Yumi-sensei, don't you find the food from other people's kitchens unappetizing?" After dinner, Obito asked curiously.
In Obito's mind, there was only the best cuisine, with no second place, because he felt that others were far inferior compared to Mutsuki, with a gap even greater than the difference between Jonin and Genin.
"It's not too bad. After all, you can't always make your own food," Mutsuki replied with a smile after thinking for a moment.
He didn't have much desire for food at the moment. Before crossing over, he did enjoy sampling local delicacies, but in the world of Naruto, he wasn't in the mood for that until he became invincible.
This world left such a poor impression on Mutsuki with its backward feudal system and brutal ninja wars. In such a situation, how could he leisurely pursue culinary desires?
"But if you really want to eat, I can make some time to prepare lunch for you tomorrow," Mutsuki saw through Obito's thoughts.
"Heh heh, you really understand me, Yumi-sensei," Obito grinned and admitted that he was actually just looking forward to eating Mutsuki's cooking.
"Yumi-sensei, I think I entered that Transparent World state you mentioned today," Kakashi started to talk to Mutsuki about his experiences that day.
"At the time, I didn't know how I did it. I was mentally exhausted, and every part of my body was in pain, but suddenly I entered this transparent world where I could see both my own body and the enemy's clearly."
"But now that I've recovered, I can't reach that state again. My senses are definitely stronger than before, though."
After being treated by Mutsuki, Kakashi tried many times, but no matter how hard he tried to recall that feeling, he couldn't enter that clear and transparent world again.
"You did enter the Transparent World, but it wasn't a true mastery. You just accidentally entered the state of the Transparent World under extreme circumstances," Mutsuki explained.
"But this is a good thing for you because once you awaken, you'll be close to truly mastering it. You just need to strengthen your breathing and continuously search for the feeling of accessing the Transparent World to truly master it."
At that time, even Mutsuki was somewhat surprised by Kakashi's strike. Originally, he had prepared to eliminate Akutami Hideyuki in the next move, but Kakashi went over and delivered a finishing blow with just one strike.
[Name: Hatake Kakashi]
[Skills: Thunder Breathing (Beginner: 499/500), Transparent World (Beginner: 20/100) ...]
Kakashi's Breathing Technique Proficiency level surged dramatically, surpassing those disciples who had started learning earlier than him, coming just short of reaching the Proficient level. However, Mutsuki estimated that it would take Kakashi a long time to achieve that, as Kakashi's Proficiency level increased due to a significant rise in his Breathing Technique's upper limit. Constant practice is needed to maintain a weakened Total Concentration state throughout the day, which Kakashi was not yet able to achieve.
Additionally, Kakashi's Transparent World skill had already shown some proficiency, so Mutsuki believed it was only a matter of time before Kakashi mastered Transparent World.
The Mark and Transparent World abilities are considered derived skills of the Breathing Technique, automatically mastered once reaching a certain level, but strong enough talent can allow for earlier mastery.
"I understand," Kakashi nodded, preparing to dedicate all his time to strengthening his Breathing Technique in hopes of fully mastering Transparent World as soon as possible.
Having experienced the Transparent World once, Kakashi knew how powerful it was. If he could fully master it, he was confident he could surpass his father's achievements in the Ninja world.
"What are you guys talking about? What is the Transparent World?" Obito asked, looking confused.
Since the conditions for achieving the Transparent World were so difficult, Mutsuki had only briefly explained it to Kakashi while trying to solve his problem. He hadn't mentioned it to the other disciples.
Now that all the disciples were present, Mutsuki gave a brief explanation of the Breathing Technique's ultimate form, Transparent World.
"I thought Kakashi was possessed by Yumi-sensei, but it turns out he learned a new ability," Obito said, looking enlightened.
"This ability is very powerful. Do you think I could learn it now, Yumi-sensei?" Obito asked, looking at Mutsuki with anticipation.
"It's unlikely. Kakashi's situation is extremely unique," Mutsuki shook his head and replied.
It wasn't that he wanted to dampen his disciples' enthusiasm, but achieving this ability was genuinely difficult. Kakashi awakening the Transparent World ahead of time was something Mutsuki hadn't expected.
This is an ability that requires the Breathing Technique to be cultivated to the Perfect level for stable awakening. Obito and the others have been practicing the Breathing Technique under his guidance for a year and still haven't reached the Proficient level, let alone the Perfect level. It takes a full 15,000 points of proficiency points to go from Mastery to Perfect.
"I see…" Obito's expression showed some disappointment, realizing that Kakashi had something he didn't.
"It's okay. I still have the Sharingan, something Kakashi can never have," Obito comforted himself immediately.
Not being able to learn the Transparent World now doesn't mean he won't be able to learn it in the future, but Kakashi, being not an Uchiha, can never possess the Sharingan.
"Obito, you don't need to envy Kakashi. Didn't you notice that your Breathing Technique also changed during battle?" Mutsuki said, patting Obito on the head.
[Name: Uchiha Obito]
[Skills: Flame Breathing (Beginner: 497/500), Flame Breathing Mark (Beginner: 10/100)]
The Perfect-level Transparent World might be unlocked early, and the same goes for the Mark. After all, the localized Mark in the naruto world mainly burns Chakra and places less strain on the body.
The reason Obito and Kakashi performed so differently in battle isn't that the Transparent World is vastly superior to the Mark; these two abilities actually have their own strengths.
However, the Mark has a drawback—it requires a significant amount of Chakra. Since Obito is still young and has limited Chakra, and most of his Chakra was used up before his fight with Akutami Hideyuki, Obito's appearance didn't change much besides being more resilient and not burning himself with his own flames.
At that time, Kakashi had completely entered the Transparent World state, whereas Obito, due to insufficient Chakra, did not enter the true Mark State.
"If you train hard, you can enter the Flame Breathing Chakra Mode earlier," Mutsuki said, giving the Mark a more Naruto-like name, since nothing was growing on his forehead now.
"At that time, all Fire Release techniques won't need hand signs, and their power will greatly increase."
"Hmm, hmm." Obito nodded eagerly, already imagining himself transforming into a Fire Release cannon, bombarding Kakashi.
"Indeed, my opponents have all made significant progress," Guy gave Kakashi and Obito a thumbs-up.
Both the Transparent World and the Mark are abilities that, once learned, clearly have the potential to become very powerful.
"Guy, you should continue with your Constant training; you can put the Eight Gates on hold for now," Mutsuki said with a smile, indicating the focus for Guy's upcoming training.
Although both Kakashi and Obito had made significant progress, if it came to one-on-one combat, Kakashi's situation was uncertain, but Obito was really at a disadvantage. Stone Breathing combined with the Eight Inner Gates was straightforwardly brutal.
"Understood!" Guy said confidently, showing his bright white teeth.
Even though he hadn't learned the Transparent World or the Mark in advance, he believed he was not inferior to Kakashi and Obito.
After chatting with his disciples for a while, Mutsuki went to work. As the chief examiner for the second stage, he couldn't be too obvious about slacking off.
However, before leaving, Mutsuki shared some insights and training experiences about the Transparent World and the Mark with Kakashi and Obito. Knowing that reaching Trust Level 4 would grant an opportunity for a Perfect-level reward, Mutsuki first gave the guidance to Kakashi and then to Obito.
[You have gifted your disciple the Transparent World training manual. The disciple is extremely grateful and has awarded you with a Super Critical Reward: Water Breathing (Perfect Level).]
Mutsuki was stunned when he saw the system's reward. He hadn't expected the system to reveal the Water Breathing technique he was developing.
After organizing the extensive memories of Water Breathing training in his mind, Mutsuki realized that his approach to developing Breathing Techniques was fundamentally sound, though there were minor differences in details.
Comparing his conceptual Breathing Techniques with the Perfect-level Water Breathing in his mind, Mutsuki gained a new understanding of Breathing Techniques.
"Well, this works out nicely. I can now focus fully on researching Sealing Jutsu," Mutsuki's mood gradually calmed.
The randomness of rewards from teaching disciples was quite high, but receiving a Perfect-level Breathing Technique was certainly better than getting a Perfect-level Ninjutsu and saved him time developing Water Breathing.
Each Breathing Technique has its own characteristics. Compared to other Breathing Techniques, Water Breathing consumes less energy and is more enduring. Additionally, Water Breathing has a unique effect that enhances Chakra transformation ability, making Water Release more versatile.
Reaching the Perfect level in a Breathing Technique automatically grants insight into the Transparent World. Although Mutsuki already had a Perfect-level Thunder Breathing, he noticed that his Transparent World changed slightly with another Breathing Technique reaching Perfect level.
"What would the Sun Breathing be like?" Mutsuki wondered.
According to the current system localization model, the Sun Breathing would likely also be related to flames after localization.
Since Flame Breathing is already related to flames, and Sun Breathing would be much stronger than Flame Breathing, Mutsuki was curious about what effect Sun Breathing would have.
...
At night, Obito woke up in an unfamiliar room. As he was about to use the restroom, he saw Rin's figure through the large floor-to-ceiling window.
"Rin-chan, why aren't you asleep at this late hour?" Obito asked, scratching his head.
"Maybe it's because a lot happened today; I'm not very tired yet," Rin replied with a smile as she turned around.
"Given what happened, I also can't really sleep," Obito said with a chuckle, walking over to Rin.
Looking at the bright moon outside the window, Rin sighed, "It feels like everyone is amazing except for me. Even a Jonin was defeated."
Guy defeated Kisame and held off Akutami Hideyuki; Obito endured under Akutami Hideyuki's pressure for a long time; Kakashi's single strike that defeated Akutami Hideyuki was the greatest contribution. Even the Nara Ensui team, who were initially saved by them, made a significant contribution, almost defeating Akutami Hideyuki.
"Not at all, Rin-chan. Your role was also very important. Without your healing, we would have collapsed long ago," Obito said, believing that Rin played a crucial role in the battle.
If Rin hadn't used her last Chakra to heal him, he might not have lasted until Kakashi awakened the Transparent World. Also, the Nara Ensui team was able to recover and join the fight because of Rin's healing.
"But if I could be stronger, maybe it wouldn't have been so difficult," Rin said with a sigh, looking at the moon outside the window.
Seeing Obito and Kakashi with increasing wounds while she had no Chakra left for healing, Rin still couldn't forget the feeling of helplessness. She couldn't bear to think about what might have happened if Kakashi hadn't had his crucial breakthrough.
In terms of combat, she hadn't defeated any enemies, and in terms of healing, she felt she hadn't made much of an impact. Rin felt she was truly falling behind Obito and Kakashi, even as a purely medical Ninja.
"But Rin-chan, you're already very impressive. None of the Chunin exam participants have probably mastered Mystical Palm Jutsu, right? And didn't Yumi-sensei say that you have a great talent for Medical Ninjutsu? You've only just started," Obito encouraged, looking into Rin's eyes.
Back when he was at the bottom, Rin always encouraged him to believe in himself. Obito also believed that Rin wouldn't be any worse than them and could make a name for herself in her field.
"Look at me—I barely scored five points in theory when I first entered the Academy. By the time of the Chunin exam, I scored eighty points. Guy used to be defeated by Kakashi in a single move, but later Guy managed to beat Kakashi. Nothing is impossible," Obito said, using his own theoretical scores as an example to inspire Rin.
"It's hard to imagine how you got those five points," Rin couldn't help but smile when she heard Obito mention his low score.
"That's not important. Anyway, Rin-chan, you're already amazing. You need to believe in yourself and in Yumi-sensei," Obito said seriously, clenching his fists.
"Mm," Rin nodded, showing a gentle smile.
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