Chapter 92: Breath of Fire
"Teacher, I think I can handle more pressure. Please give me extra training!" Asuma earnestly requested Mugetsu.
The first practical test was in just two days, and Asuma felt he could still push himself further.
This time, it wouldn't be a private sparring session with only Mugetsu present—Kurenai would be watching too. Even if he lost, he had to lose with dignity.
"Why the sudden request for extra training? Is it for the practical test?" Mugetsu asked with a knowing smile.
It wasn't hard to guess what was going through Asuma's mind.
"Yes, you guessed it, Teacher." Asuma gave an embarrassed grin.
"Temporary extra training won't increase your strength," Mugetsu replied, cutting down the idea.
In theoretical exams, last-minute cramming could help—if you happened to review something that appeared on the test, you'd gain a few extra points.
But in combat, two extra days of practice wouldn't bring significant physical improvement. Unless you had exceptional learning speed—like picking up one ninjutsu a day—two days wouldn't make a huge difference. And Asuma clearly wasn't that type.
"Then what should I do?" Asuma asked, pinning his hopes on the ever-resourceful Mugetsu.
"Do you really want to improve your strength?" Mugetsu asked again. His tone made it clear—there was a way, but it would be brutal.
"More than anything," Asuma said without hesitation.
"In two days, there's only one option: combat," Mugetsu decided. "Fight my Shadow Clones. For the rest of the time, as long as you can stand, keep fighting them. This way, you can still gain some improvement before the test."
For a practical exam, combat was the main content. This method was the equivalent of cramming for theory—much more effective than just "extra training."
Just hearing it, Asuma could already imagine how miserable he'd be. But for the sake of Kurenai, he gritted his teeth and agreed.
If you want to shine in public, you have to suffer in private.
For the rest of the day, Asuma was beaten around by Mugetsu's Shadow Clones in every possible way.
Even with their strength deliberately suppressed, they were still far beyond his ability to win against.
When he finally slumped against a tree to catch his breath, he muttered bitterly, "If you ask me, the old man's just getting senile. A ninja like you is still a chūnin? You should be a jōnin already."
During their fight, Mugetsu had used eight different ninjutsu—Fire Release, Water Release, and a balanced mix of offense and defense.
"The current me isn't qualified to be a jōnin," Mugetsu said flatly.
From his point of view, he was simply a chūnin who knew more ninjutsu than most. It was only because Asuma was still too weak that he seemed so strong in comparison.
Hiruzen, are you watching? Mugetsu thought silently, keeping his expression neutral.
The real reason he had shown a little more strength wasn't to train Asuma—it was to be seen by the Third Hokage.
Even if the Hokage himself wasn't present, the Anbu surveillance on him would be, and they would report what they saw.
This was part of a deliberate setup.
The Hokage didn't know his full background. As long as Mugetsu didn't reveal anything too outrageous, his growth could be attributed to natural talent in the Hokage's eyes.
He had laid this kind of groundwork before—back when Kushina had mentioned his talent in sealing techniques. She, as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, was under constant Anbu surveillance.
That was exactly why Mugetsu had "revealed" his sealing skills then. Otherwise, his cautious nature would have him pretend it took ten days to learn.
A young man skilled in sealing, talented as a teacher, and competent as a ninja—this was someone worth protecting.
By showing value where Root couldn't see it, but the Hokage could, he increased his chances of being pulled from Root's grasp.
Once transferred under the Hokage's direct watch, he could display more ability without fear of Root's interference. Any further progress would be credited to talent the Hokage "discovered" and trained, rather than something suspicious.
Mugetsu wanted steady growth, but he wouldn't remain a simple chūnin teacher forever. That title alone limited his future.
Would he even have been given this summer special training opportunity if he were just an ordinary teacher? More likely, he'd be stuck in Root during the holidays, doing grunt work for Danzo.
The higher his rank and the more strength he displayed, the greater his freedom to earn rewards.
For example, if he wanted to reform the Academy curriculum and add public lectures for multiple classes, no one would listen if he were just a teacher. But as a Special Jōnin—especially after a successful summer training program—his proposals would be taken seriously.
…
On Sunday morning, Mugetsu was overseeing Obito's Shave training.
By now, Guy and Shisui had already mastered it, so only Obito remained in practice.
"Shave is simple," Mugetsu explained, demonstrating. "Just stack the technique you've been using—three times or more."
"My legs can't take it anymore… this is too hard," Obito groaned, trying again.
It had seemed easy when Mugetsu explained it, and even in his mind the sequence felt clear—but actually executing it was another matter entirely.
He couldn't even stabilize two bursts, let alone three.
"Just keep practicing. Shisui and Guy didn't master it in a few days either," Mugetsu said.
A quick check with the Appraisal Technique showed Obito's proficiency had already passed forty points.
Because part of the technique had already been taught to him earlier, he was learning faster now.
By the end of training, Obito still couldn't complete a three-stack burst, but he had stabilized two—already a decent improvement.
[Disciple Uchiha Obito trained diligently under your guidance and grew stronger. You received a reward — Flame Breathing (Proficient).]
Mugetsu was slightly surprised. Another Breathing Technique—this time Flame Breathing.
As the memories of the technique filled his mind, his surprise grew. The Naruto-world version of Flame Breathing was completely different from Rock Breathing—its effects were powerful enough to be considered a true secret art.
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