Chapter 37: Nature Transformation Training
"Mugetsu-sensei, how long did I last this time?" Obito wiped the water from his face, looking at Mugetsu with anticipation.
He felt like he'd been standing on the river for a long time—maybe even an hour.
"You did very well this time. You lasted twenty minutes," Mugetsu praised without hesitation.
"Ah? Only twenty minutes? I thought it was at least half an hour..." Obito said, a hint of disappointment creeping into his voice.
Balancing atop the river wasn't just about maintaining Chakra output. He also had to stay alert for Mugetsu's Water Release, read the shifting waves, and be ready to dodge at any moment. Staying in that state made time feel endless.
"You've completed your Chakra control training. You can begin Nature Transformation training now," Mugetsu said with a small smile.
"Mmh—I'll get off right away." Obito, who had been practicing walking on water for days, instinctively stepped toward the riverbank. But after a few steps, he suddenly paused.
"...Wait—no more water walking?!"
He clenched his fists in celebration, jumping in place before quickly calming down when he noticed Shisui and Guy watching.
"I've gotten so used to walking on water that even the river water's taste is starting to grow on me..." Obito grumbled.
Walking on water wasn't like tree climbing. If he lost focus with the trees, Mugetsu could catch him. But on the river, if he slipped, he'd end up swallowing mouthfuls of water.
Thankfully, the river wasn't dirty. Not many people came here, and the water was clean and clear, without any weird taste.
"Want to practice more?" Mugetsu asked jokingly.
"No, no—I'm starting to detour every time I see a river lately," Obito replied quickly, clearly still traumatized.
"Let's begin Nature Transformation. There are only fourteen days left until the competition," Obito said seriously. Time was tight.
Aside from learning Nature Transformation, he also needed to refine his Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.
"With the training plan I've set up, there's plenty of time," Mugetsu assured him.
This was just preparation for a civilian competition—not a battle against Pain. There was no need to master Nature Transformation to extreme levels.
With the teaching skill buff and Mugetsu's own mastery of the Great Fireball Technique, helping Obito improve his Fire Release proficiency was easy.
After all, the reward for the training mission depended on it, so Mugetsu had taken it seriously.
Soon, his Shadow Clone arrived with a large wooden barrel. Mugetsu opened the lid, pulled out an egg-sized ice cube, and handed it to Obito.
"Hold this ice cube in your palm and use Chakra to perform Nature Transformation to melt it," Mugetsu explained.
Nature Transformation was considered a more advanced part of a ninja's training.
Even with sufficient Chakra, if your control over the element's nature was weak, your ninjutsu would be limited in power.
Fire-style training was especially risky because fire could easily hurt the user.
Mugetsu had originally thought of using leaves, but if Obito failed to turn them to ash instantly, the burning leaves might hurt his hand.
Ice cubes, however, were safer. Their low temperature meant that even if Obito failed to generate true flames, they'd only melt into water—no burns, no danger.
"So cold!" Obito gasped, holding the ice cube. It was still spring, and the morning sun wasn't strong. The air was chilly.
"Then hurry up and release your Chakra," Mugetsu said, flicking Obito's forehead with two fingers.
Obito winced, then shrunk his neck like a turtle before guiding his Chakra into his palm and beginning the Nature Transformation process.
"When doing Nature Transformation, always remember the essence of fire: combustion and high temperature. Make your Chakra burn. Raise its heat," Mugetsu instructed.
Obito stared at the ice cube, nodded, and muttered to himself, "Combustion... high temperature..."
Two minutes later, he felt moisture on his palm. His eyes lit up.
"Sensei! It's melting!" he said excitedly.
"How about getting another ice cube and holding it without using Chakra this time?" Mugetsu suggested.
Curious, Obito grabbed another cube and held it normally.
A few minutes later, he discovered the difference in melting wasn't that big.
"The human body has heat too. Holding a small cube like that melts it even without Chakra," Mugetsu said, rubbing his forehead. "Good thing it's not summer—otherwise, you'd think you were some Nature Transformation prodigy."
"Hehe... I'm used to doing jutsu with hand signs and my mouth. Using just my hand feels a little weird," Obito scratched his head.
"Just remember what fire is." Mugetsu then took out a large, head-sized ice cube and held it in his palm.
Sizzle—sizzle—sizzle!
A red glow flared from Mugetsu's hand. The massive ice cube instantly vaporized into white smoke and drifted skyward.
"Combustion... high temperature..." Obito kept repeating, gathering Chakra and releasing it over and over.
By late morning, his hands were numb from the cold. The skin had turned pale and wrinkled after soaking in water for so long.
"Thinking back... the river water wasn't so bad after all," Obito muttered, regretting not taking Mugetsu's earlier suggestion to practice more.
This training was even more painful than walking on water.
"Alright, that's enough. Let's eat," Mugetsu finally called, handing out lunchboxes to all three of them.
"Smells so good!" Guy opened his lunchbox, and the rich aroma seemed to shine like golden light.
"Mugetsu-sensei... the food's glowing!" Guy blinked in disbelief.
"It's just the sunlight reflecting. Eat up," Mugetsu replied with a faint smile.
Guy took a spoonful and his eyes sparkled. He instantly began shoveling fried rice into his mouth with blinding speed.
"Delicious! So good!" he shouted between bites.
[You gifted your disciple Golden Egg Fried Rice. Your disciple is extremely grateful, triggering a reward critical hit: Chakra +100]
Mugetsu nodded in satisfaction. The Chef skill really was powerful.
"Is Guy really that hungry from training?" Obito muttered. Mugetsu-sensei's cooking was great, but this was a bit much...
But after opening his own lunchbox, Obito paused.
His meal wasn't fried rice—it was a simple stir-fry, but the smell was mouthwatering.
He picked up some vegetables and a spoonful of rice, then took a bite.
"Delicious!" Obito's eyes went wide. The flavor exploded in his mouth—something he'd never tasted before.
He immediately began eating like a madman, stuffing food into his mouth nonstop.
Until... he bit into a chili.
An intense heat exploded on his tongue. In a daze, Obito felt like he was standing inside a volcano, the air around him hot and dry, ready to erupt.
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