"It's truly amazing. The Land of Snow is already covered in heavy snow, yet here we can't even see a trace of it," Obito sighed as he stood at the entrance of Konoha, looking at the blazing sun in the sky.
Although Mutsuki had briefly explained the principle behind it, Obito couldn't quite understand it. He only felt that it was one of nature's wonders.
"Yeah, it'll be a while before Konoha sees snow, and even then, it won't be as heavy as in the Land of Snow," Rin nodded.
"Good thing you brought your camera, Obito. The snow there is so beautiful, it's definitely worth capturing."
"Hehe." Obito flashed a proud smile. These days, he always brought his camera with him when going out on missions.
At first, Obito might have just wanted to share the scenery with Rin, but now he had come to enjoy the feeling of recording the landscapes of the ninja world.
"Let's all take a break for now. We'll rest tomorrow and resume normal training the day after," Mutsuki said, as usual.
This mission hadn't been particularly difficult for Obito and the others since Mutsuki had done most of the work. However, after the long journey back, a day's rest was definitely necessary.
The three students nodded in understanding.
Mutsuki then headed to the Hokage Building to report on the mission.
After dealing with the coup, Mutsuki and the others had stayed in the Land of Snow until the end of the Snow God Festival. Kazahana Sosetsu had already sent people ahead to inform Konoha about the changes in the mission and even increased the payment.
Still, Mutsuki had to give his own report, as the necessary procedures needed to be followed.
As Mutsuki walked away, Obito glanced at Kakashi from the corner of his eye.
Though his body was a bit tired from the journey, Obito didn't really want to rest. He wanted to train in the Breathing Technique to quickly perfect his incomplete Fire-Style Chakra Mode.
For Obito, it would be ideal if Kakashi went to rest. If he trained for one more day while Kakashi trained one less day, that would mean he'd be ahead of Kakashi.
With this gap, he was sure he'd soon surpass Kakashi again and thoroughly defeat him in front of Rin.
"Ah, yeah, my body is really tired. I should take a good rest," Obito said, stretching and rolling his eyes.
Based on Obito's experience, when people around him started resting, they usually didn't feel like moving anymore. He wanted to take advantage of this to provoke Kakashi's laziness.
"After all, we ran all the way back. A good sleep should make us feel much better," Rin said gently with a smile.
Mutsuki didn't want to waste time on the way back, so he always had his students push themselves to run the whole way, which saved time and also counted as stamina training.
"I think you're absolutely right, Rin-chan. A nap sounds perfect," Obito thought to himself, giving several silent thumbs-ups to Rin.
Exactly, Kakashi should just sleep for a whole week.
"It's not too bad, much easier than the training we did a while ago," Kakashi shook his head, not feeling particularly tired.
Compared to the hellish training of the Breathing Technique Constant, Kakashi thought this was nothing. During that time, he could easily fall asleep even while standing.
Hearing this, Obito's expression became serious. This clearly meant Kakashi was planning to train.
"I'm just worried that the day after tomorrow's training will be just as intense, which is why I think resting now is important. Resting is to prepare for better training," Obito continued to preach the benefits of rest.
Kakashi looked thoughtful, finding some truth in Obito's words.
"It seems you've grown during this mission, Obito. It's rare to see you thinking about so many things," Rin said with a soft laugh, covering her mouth.
"It's just that you haven't noticed, Rin-chan. Actually, I, Uchiha Obito, am someone who enjoys thinking and is good at it," Obito said proudly, puffing out his chest.
Kakashi: …
Liking to think is one thing, but Obito being "good at thinking"? That's just him flattering himself. What kind of "good thinker" scores in the single digits on exams?
Rin chuckled and praised Obito a little, going along with his words. He had done pretty well during this mission.
"Maybe. Yumi-sensei also said it's important to balance work and rest," Kakashi decided not to argue with Obito anymore. He figured it was best to let Obito rest while he trained according to his own methods.
This way, he could avoid a pointless argument and keep a lead in strength for a bit longer.
Obito's face lit up with joy, as if he could already see Kakashi lying defeated at his feet.
"I didn't surpass you because I'm more talented than you. I just used the time you spent resting for training," Obito proclaimed in his imagined victory speech.
"Obito, why are you suddenly smiling so happily?" Rin asked curiously, a bit puzzled.
Kakashi also glanced at Obito, wondering what on earth had caused him to grin so smugly out of nowhere.
Realizing something was off, Obito quickly tried to control his expression, but he couldn't suppress the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Ahem, I was just imagining Kazahana Koyuki opening her gifts only to find they're all test papers," Obito said without blinking.
Rin gently rubbed her forehead and smiled helplessly.
"You were just talking about protecting the princess, and now you're pulling a prank like that on Koyuki, a real princess."
Obito's antics left Rin unsure of how to respond.
Obito let out a sly chuckle but didn't say more, in case Kakashi figured something out.
To throw Kakashi off, Obito made a point of leaving first, walking in the direction of the Uchiha clan district.
Rin had thought about training for a while longer, but seeing that both Obito and Kakashi were heading off to rest, she decided to go home and rest as well, since she was pretty tired.
While the students were busy with their plans, Mutsuki had already finished reporting the mission.
"Mutsuki, you did a great job this time. The Daimyo of the Land of Snow gave you a very high commendation in his letter. It's rare for a ninja to receive such praise from a Daimyo," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a smile, setting down his pipe.
Even though the Daimyo of the Land of Snow comes from a smaller country, a Daimyo is still a Daimyo, and there aren't many in the entire ninja world. Plus, the Land of Snow rarely issues missions to Konoha. This time, Mutsuki had helped Konoha make a name for itself in the Land of Snow, expanding its influence and market.
Mutsuki didn't downplay his achievement; he nodded, acknowledging the credit he deserved.
He had indeed contributed greatly this time, almost single-handedly crushing Kazahana Doto's plot to seize the throne.
"How about this, Mutsuki? Is there any particular Ninjutsu you want? I can reward you with one of your choice, no level restrictions," Sarutobi Hiruzen said after some thought.
Although the Ninjutsu Library contained many advanced techniques, some of the more valuable A-rank or S-rank Ninjutsu weren't available there.
"I want the Flying Thunder God Jutsu," Mutsuki said after considering for a moment.
Even though Mutsuki had already mastered many Ninjutsu, including some powerful ones, there were still a few techniques he wanted but didn't have yet. Flying Thunder God was one of them.
In terms of reaction speed, Mutsuki wouldn't lose to Minato, since he could enhance his nerves with Lightning Release chakra and use the Transparent World. The Flying Thunder God Jutsu would boost his combat ability, not to mention its advantage in rapid long-distance travel.
Many of Mutsuki's strategies required fast, long-distance movement, and while Thunder Breathing was quick in bursts, it consumed too much stamina over long distances.
"Flying Thunder God Jutsu..." Sarutobi Hiruzen looked thoughtful.
It wasn't that Flying Thunder God Jutsu was too powerful, making Hiruzen hesitant to give it to him, but rather that it was extremely difficult to master. Sarutobi Hiruzen doubted whether Mutsuki would be able to learn it.
The Flying Thunder God Jutsu was different from other Ninjutsu. It required a special Space-Time affinity, and even someone as talented in Ninjutsu as Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't been able to master it.
Mutsuki's abilities were indeed genius-level, but Space-Time aptitude was another matter. Since the technique's development, only two people in all of Konoha had mastered the Flying Thunder God Jutsu: its creator, Senju Tobirama, and Jiraiya's disciple, Minato Namikaze.
"Mutsuki, are you sure you want the Flying Thunder God Jutsu? It is indeed a powerful technique and is considered the Second Hokage's masterpiece. Don't be misled by the fact that Minato has also mastered it—up until now, only the Second Hokage and Minato have been able to learn this Ninjutsu," Sarutobi Hiruzen reminded him.
In Hiruzen's view, mastering the Flying Thunder God Jutsu wasn't just a matter of difficulty; it depended on luck and having a Space-Time affinity. Without that, there was little hope of learning it.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was concerned that Mutsuki might be misjudging his chances because of his relationship with Minato. Seeing someone close to him master the technique, combined with Mutsuki's own genius, might have led him to believe that he could also succeed without issue.
"Thank you for the warning, Third Hokage-sama, but I'm certain that I want the Flying Thunder God," Mutsuki replied confidently.
Mutsuki didn't know for sure if he could master the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, but if he succeeded, the rewards would be immense. He had saved several Ninjutsu proficiency scrolls, and once he grasped the basics, he could use them to instantly raise his mastery of the Flying Thunder God to a high level.
If he couldn't learn it, so be it—there was no real cost to trying.
Sarutobi Hiruzen placed his pipe back in his mouth, took a deep puff, and exhaled thick smoke, realizing that Mutsuki had made up his mind.
"I'll have someone send the reward to you," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, no longer trying to dissuade Mutsuki.
He understood that a genius like Mutsuki wouldn't be satisfied without at least trying. Back in his youth, Hiruzen himself had spent some effort on the Flying Thunder God Jutsu but gave up after making no progress.
Besides, Sarutobi Hiruzen had a thought: if Mutsuki truly had a Space-Time affinity, it would be extraordinary. Konoha would gain another "Yellow Flash."
"Third Hokage-sama, have you ever tried to fuse your chakra to develop a Kekkei Genkai?" Mutsuki shifted the conversation to Chakra Nature Transformation.
"I did try at one point, but fusing two Nature Transformations to create a completely new one is incredibly difficult. It requires a certain amount of luck," Sarutobi Hiruzen replied, shaking his head.
He had mastered five major Nature Transformations and knew that fusing two Chakra Nature Transformations could create a Kekkei Genkai. However, after many attempts without any success, and considering that Combination Jutsu also had considerable power, he ultimately chose the path of Combination Jutsu.
Nevertheless, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't think he had made the wrong choice; his current strength was proof of that. Many ninjas in the ninja world possessed Kekkei Genkai, but which Kekkei Genkai ninja could confidently say they were stronger than Sarutobi Hiruzen?
"Could it be that you, Mutsuki...?" Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly realized something and looked at Mutsuki in surprise.
If his thoughts were correct, then Mutsuki's future might need to be reevaluated.
Mutsuki didn't keep him in suspense for long. A dazzling blue-white light burst forth from his hand, and soon an Ice Block formed in Mutsuki's grasp.
"Ice Release." Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at the Ice Block in Mutsuki's hand and uttered the name of the Kekkei Genkai.
Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a strange emotion in his heart. Kekkei Genkai was different from Ninjutsu; Kekkei Genkai had the potential to be inherited by future generations. If Mutsuki's son and grandson were not lacking in talent, a new ninja clan could emerge.
"In the Land of Snow, there exists a type of snow Ninjutsu that is very similar to Ice Release, but it is not Ice Release," Mutsuki began to share his experiences developing his Kekkei Genkai.
He was not worried about being suspected because there were no points of doubt regarding him.
Ninjas in the Naruto world could not possibly know that Mutsuki had a system. The fact that he could use Ice Release could only be attributed to two possibilities: either he was a spy from the Mist or he had developed it himself.
However, the first option would never hold because Mutsuki was a true Konoha native; both of his parents were ninjas who sacrificed themselves during the war, and he had also spent time in Root. Therefore, it could only be the second option—Mutsuki had developed Ice Release.
"If the village organized ninjas who mastered Water and Wind Nature Transformations to learn the snow Ninjutsu from the Land of Snow, perhaps the village could produce some Ice Release ninjas," Mutsuki suggested.
In fact, this was quite unlikely. If it were that easy to develop a Kekkei Genkai, the people from the Snow Village would have developed it themselves long ago. However, the performance had to be convincing, so Mutsuki tried to act as if he had developed it on his own.
"Mutsuki, you underestimate yourself. Those snow Ninjutsu may have played a role, but they are definitely not the deciding factor. What truly allowed you to develop Ice Release is your talent," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a smile.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's extensive experience made him aware that Mutsuki's idea wouldn't hold. Teaching Konoha ninjas those snow Ninjutsu, which would lose effectiveness outside of the Land of Snow, was purely a waste of time. If Kekkei Genkai were that easy to develop, he would have done it long ago.
However, since Mutsuki was ultimately working to strengthen the village, Sarutobi Hiruzen was in a good mood. It was quite a windfall for him to see a piece that had once seemed insignificant grow to such an extent.
After Sarutobi Hiruzen finished explaining, Mutsuki showed an expression of sudden realization. Once the formalities were completed, Mutsuki sent a Shadow Clone home while his main body headed to the southern forest.
At this moment, in the southern forest, Obito and Kakashi were staring at each other.
"Kakashi, didn't you say you wanted to balance work and rest? Why are you here in the southern forest?" Obito couldn't help but ask.
"Aren't you the one who said you were tired and wanted to rest? Isn't training better after a rest?" Kakashi retorted defiantly.
After that, the two fell into an awkward silence.
Obito felt speechless, realizing he had done a lot of unnecessary things. He could have trained with Rin, but now he had to train with Kakashi.
Kakashi didn't waste time and quickly got into the zone to start training. Seeing this, Obito hurriedly began his training as well.
"Sly and annoying Kakashi, once I surpass you, I'll definitely challenge you to a fight every day!" Obito thought to himself while training.
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