Before leaving with Asuma, Mutsuki cast an appraisal on Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He was curious about the abilities of the "Professor of Ninjutsu," renowned for mastering all of Konoha's techniques.
[Name: Hiruzen Sarutobi]
[Chakra: 170,000]
[Skills: Combination Ninjutsu (Proficient: 13,000/15,000), Fire Attribute Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficient: 7,200/15,000), Earth Attribute Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficient: 6,000/15,000), Water Attribute Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficient: 4,800/15,000)...]
Hiruzen's skill list was astoundingly long, a dense catalog of techniques. Mutsuki estimated ther
In terms of sheer quantity, the title "Professor" was well-deserved. Considering Hiruzen didn't have the Sharingan to copy techniques, each one had to be mastered individually.
However, most techniques were only at the beginner or adept level. Only a small percentage were truly proficient, though even that was impressive. Mutsuki recognized many advanced jutsu and secret techniques in the list.
As for chakra nature transformation, Hiruzen had reached proficiency in all five basic attributes, though his mastery of fire was the highest, with the others slightly lagging behind.
"It seems the system's definition of 'proficient' carries more weight than I initially thought," Mutsuki reflected.
In terms of proficiency with water and fire nature transformations, Mutsuki himself surpassed Hiruzen.
Of course, in an actual battle, Mutsuki would be defeated instantly. Hiruzen's superior chakra reserves, taijutsu skills, battle experience, and vast arsenal of techniques gave him an overwhelming advantage.
Examining Hiruzen's profile gave Mutsuki a glimpse of what a truly versatile ninja looked like: ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, sealing techniques, secret techniques, forbidden jutsu—the list was exhaustive.
Mutsuki could only offer a muted acknowledgment, impressed but withholding deeper critique.
After finishing Asuma's training, Mutsuki returned to Konoha's main district and invited Minato and Kushina over. He demonstrated the entire process of making the mystical "Mapo Tofu."
Both Kushina and Minato were fascinated, watching with keen interest as soybeans were transformed into a dish that tasted remarkably like meat.
Even after seeing the process, Kushina found it hard to believe. After tasting it, she was even more amazed.
"Mutsuki, how on earth did you come up with the idea of making soybeans taste like meat?" Kushina asked, unable to hide her curiosity.
"Just a random stroke of inspiration," Mutsuki replied, after some thought.
He couldn't reveal that the recipe came from someone else, as it would only create more unnecessary suspicion. Claiming it as his creation seemed like the safest option.
The conversation shifted to sealing techniques when Minato asked about Mutsuki's progress. It had been about a week since he handed over the materials on the Five-Finger Seal.
Mutsuki shared his thoughts and initial insights into the Five-Finger Seal.
"The Five-Finger Seal is much harder than the Three-Finger Seal. With more study and practice, you'll gradually master it," Minato explained.
Unlike the One-Finger and Three-Finger Seals, the difficulty spike in the Five-Finger Seal was significant. Minato worried that Mutsuki might lose confidence due to a lack of immediate progress.
Mutsuki nodded and redirected the discussion toward broader questions about sealing technique theory, carefully avoiding details of his current progress with the Five-Finger Seal.
If he had directly asked about issues with the Five-Finger Seal, Minato and Kushina—both masters of sealing—could easily deduce his actual level of progress.
On weekend evenings, Mutsuki trained alone in the Southern Forest.
"Five-Finger Seal!"
Mutsuki gathered chakra into the fingers of his right hand and slammed it onto one of his shadow clones.
Black seal markings spread across the clone's body—the technique was successful.
"Now I can move on to the Five-Element Seal," Mutsuki thought, gazing at the newly entered "Five-Finger Seal" on his skill list.
With the Five-Finger Seal mastered, Mutsuki could now count himself as a fledgling sealing ninja, though he still didn't know any official sealing techniques.
This didn't bother him. His goal in learning sealing techniques wasn't to expand his skill library but to address the Curse Seal of the Root.
Once he unlocked the Five-Element Seal, Mutsuki planned to use proficiency scrolls to level it up quickly. After that, he'd study the Contract Seal and raise it to a proficient level as well.
With two proficient-level sealing techniques under his belt, Mutsuki's knowledge of sealing would grow substantially, giving him the foundation needed to tackle the Root's curse marks.
As the evening deepened, Mutsuki activated his sensory jutsu and ventured deeper into the forest. Tonight, he intended to test his limits.
It had been a month since he gained proficiency in the Rock Breathing technique.
Once a breathing technique is mastered, it greatly enhances the user's abilities through Full Concentration Breathing. At the proficient level, users can enter the "Constant" state, maintaining a weaker version of Full Concentration Breathing 24/7.
This was particularly valuable to Mutsuki, as it meant his body was continuously training itself.
Over the past month, Mutsuki could clearly feel his body growing stronger. The effects were far superior to ordinary taijutsu training.
His enhanced physical condition even slightly increased his natural chakra regeneration rate.
With his body strengthening steadily, Mutsuki decided to combine the Eight Gates with the Rock Breathing technique.
He had mastered the first three gates of the Eight Gates formation—the "safe zone" where the strain on the body was manageable.
"Gate of Opening, open!"
Unlike Guy, Mutsuki lacked innate mastery of the Eight Gates and had to open them sequentially, one at a time.
As the gates opened, he felt the constraints on his body dissolved. Chakra surged wildly, and his physical abilities began to soar.
When he reached the third gate, the Gate of Life, his body turned red from the surging blood flow, and his chakra output skyrocketed. A green aura of energy enveloped him.
Mutsuki assessed his state using appraisal.
[Name: Hayabusa Mutsuki]
[Chakra: 23,200]
His chakra had broken past 20,000, but Mutsuki could feel how turbulent and uncontrollable it was. Fine control and ninjutsu were out of the question.
As anticipated, Mutsuki took a deep breath, activating Full Concentration Breathing. His physical abilities received yet another comprehensive boost.
He punched casually, and the resulting shockwave flattened a dozen large trees.
Even without chakra augmentation, stones crumbled like tofu in his hands.
His sprinting speed was comparable to a teleportation jutsu.
"Huff." Mutsuki exhaled a cloud of white air, deactivating the Eight Gates and his breathing technique. A wave of exhaustion crashed over him.
The combination of the Eight Gates and Rock Breathing was undoubtedly powerful. However, the strain on his body was equally significant. After just three minutes, he felt utterly drained.
This was without activating his Demon Slayer mark. Mutsuki suspected that if he had used the mark, he might have fainted immediately after releasing the techniques.
This experiment confirmed his hypothesis: Rock Breathing complemented the Eight Gates, allowing for explosive power increases.
With an additional trump card up his sleeve, Mutsuki felt slightly more secure.
Aside from limited chakra reserves and a lack of combat experience, his arsenal of abilities was steadily expanding.
"My training plans are nearly finalized. It's time to teach my disciples the breathing techniques," Mutsuki resolved.
(End of Chapter)
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