Chapter 41: Training in Progress
Root moved fast.
The morning after Mugetsu submitted his report, a Root ninja appeared silently in his courtyard.
"These are orders from Danzo-sama."
The masked ninja handed over two scrolls.
Mugetsu nodded and took them.
As always, the Root ninja said nothing more. The moment the scrolls changed hands, he vanished without a trace.
Sensing the chakra fade away, Mugetsu stepped back inside the house and unsealed the scrolls.
The first was the mission scroll. As expected, it opened with the usual praise and indoctrination—commending him for upholding Root's standards and completing missions with excellence. But beneath the flowery flattery came the real orders: the part that mattered.
Danzo had responded to his earlier inquiry about recruiting Asuma into Root:
Not necessary.
Mugetsu was simply to teach Asuma as usual. Become a trusted teacher, gain his confidence—but do nothing beyond that. Danzo even included a warning: do not reveal anything out of the ordinary.
Exactly as Mugetsu had predicted.
Recruiting Asuma into Root would be akin to Danzo declaring war from within the Hokage's office—an invitation for Sarutobi Hiruzen to act.
Root might be strong, but its strength came entirely from leeching Anbu's resources. And that meant the real Hokage, Hiruzen, could rein it in whenever he wanted.
There were also other orders:
Keep a close eye on Uchiha students.
Assess their loyalty to Konoha.
Watch for prodigies who could be absorbed into Root.
Mugetsu set that scroll aside and opened the second one.
Inside were several rare, high-grade medicinal formulas—rewards for his excellent mission results.
He stored the scroll carefully and burned the first one to ash.
"In this world... a stable life has become a luxury."
He swept the ashes into the trash and stared out at the courtyard, expression unreadable.
Waking up to a fully armed ninja standing in your yard wasn't just uncomfortable—it was unsettling.
But he had no choice.
For a time, he'd considered revealing his strength during his teachings with Asuma. Perhaps if Hiruzen saw his value, he could earn protection from the curse mark and transfer allegiance to the Hokage's side.
That thought was short-lived.
Even if Hiruzen wanted him, exposing his strength wouldn't work.
Hiruzen didn't know the full extent of his abilities—what Jutsu he had mastered or how far he'd progressed. As long as he didn't use anything too conspicuous, like Water Severing Wave, he could pass unnoticed.
But Danzo?
Danzo knew too much.
After all, Mugetsu's original self was trained by Root.
If he showed his hand, Danzo could simply frame him as a spy and feed that "truth" to Hiruzen. There'd be no salvation.
There were only three situations where he could reveal his true strength:
One – If Danzo tried to sacrifice him, he'd unleash his power and escape.
Two – If he reached the level of the Sannin, and a war broke out.
If he rose as a battlefield hero in Konoha's time of need, his mysterious background wouldn't matter—only his contributions.
Three – If he gained the power to overthrow Konoha.
At that point, exposure would be meaningless.
Mugetsu adjusted his expression. Calm. Gentle. Unbothered.
He walked to the Ninja School, stepped into the faculty office with a warm smile, and then into his classroom.
He still lacked the strength to act.
So for now, it was better to play the role—an easygoing, likable teacher everyone trusted.
---
Saturday.
Obito arrived at the training ground early.
He picked up a palm-sized ice cube, placed it in his hand, and began focusing his chakra.
Ten seconds later, the ice cube melted completely, leaving only a wet mark on the ground.
Mugetsu, standing nearby, nodded silently.
Six days ago, Obito couldn't even melt ice faster than nature could.
To reach this level in less than a week...
That was beyond expectations
He hadn't expected to unlock the Chef skill—let alone for it to actually help with Nature Transformation training.
To reach this level so quickly... Mapo Tofu had truly played a major role.
"You've grasped the basics of Nature Transformation. Next, you need to focus on increasing your maximum output," Mugetsu said, pulling out a head-sized ice cube from a wooden bucket and placing it on the ground.
"Your new goal is to melt this ice cube within ten seconds."
"Huh? That's huge..." Obito scratched his head, staring at the ice block. It was clearly on a different scale than before.
"This phase is about testing your limit—how much Chakra you can instantly release. Don't worry about conserving energy. Use your full strength. Rest when you're tired, and resume once you've recovered."
This stage required time and repetition. Unless someone had the absurd vitality and chakra reserves of Naruto—who could cheat with a thousand Shadow Clones gaining experience all at once—there were no shortcuts.
Compared to someone like that, Obito was already doing well. The teaching skill helped, and the buff from that special dish certainly wasn't hurting either.
—
As noon approached, Mugetsu had the three stop their training.
"You've probably gotten sick of eating the same dishes every day," he said with a smile. "So today... we're having hotpot."
Even with the skill buff, eating the same thing every day could grow dull. Mugetsu didn't just want obedience from his students—he wanted their trust. And to do that, he had to go the extra mile.
"Awesome! No more super spicy tofu!" Obito jumped up, visibly thrilled.
It wasn't that Mapo Tofu tasted bad—it was the aftermath. Eating it every day had made trips to the restroom... traumatic.
"I've only prepared the hotpot base," Mugetsu added. "As for the ingredients, that's up to what you find."
"I want fish!" Obito declared, pulling out a kunai and dashing toward the river to start spearfishing.
"I'll help you!" Might Guy shouted, sprinting full speed ahead. He dove into the water like a torpedo, sending waves splashing in every direction.
Obito, crouched by the riverbank and poised to strike, was instantly soaked.
"Might Guy!" Obito clenched his fists.
Guy popped up from the water, two fish in hand, blinking innocently. "Obito, did you call me?"
"Yeah!" Obito grinned through gritted teeth, then forced a cheerful tone. "I wanted to say... Might Guy, you're amazing. Truly a great brother."
Elsewhere, Shisui returned from the forest with a handful of wild vegetables and mushrooms.
Later, the trio even managed to take down a wild boar together.
Guy distracted it, Shisui struck the killing blow, and Obito provided backup. It was clumsy teamwork—but it worked.
Meanwhile, Mugetsu prepared the hotpot base and processed the ingredients they gathered.
He created several Shadow Clones to help divide the labor and get everything ready quickly.
Only the wild boar and fish took real effort to clean. The vegetables and mushrooms just needed washing and a quick slice before tossing them in.
They didn't even bother lighting a fire—Obito simply held his hand under the pot, using chakra to heat it directly. It doubled as extra training.
And just like that, the four of them—master and disciples—made a simple meal from the forest.
It wasn't a gourmet feast. The ingredients were raw, the cooking rough, and it lacked the depth of Mugetsu's usual dishes... but Shisui ate with a rare, quiet joy.
For someone who'd lost both parents at a young age, this kind of warmth was something he almost never felt.
[Disciple Uchiha Shisui's Trust Level has increased. Current Trust Level: Three]
Mugetsu smiled as he picked up a piece of fish from the pot and took a bite.
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