Chapter 205: Ideas for Developing New Breathing Techniques
Minato's letter was short and polite, containing nothing of particular importance—essentially, "I'm heading to the battlefield for a mission; please help look after Kushina's meals."
Of course, Minato didn't phrase it so bluntly. His wording was courteous and filled with gratitude.
While the content seemed trivial, his departure carried significance for Mugetsu. It hinted that the probing phase of the war might have ended, and the two sides were finally beginning full-scale engagement.
The Third Shinobi World War was expected to last four to five years, but it wouldn't spend four years in small skirmishes only to reach its peak at the very end.
Still, this had little to do with Mugetsu for now. Unless the situation reached the point of tens of thousands of Iwagakure soldiers attacking the border, a Special Jonin specializing in education would not be sent to the front lines.
That was one benefit of being a teacher at the Ninja Academy—until the very worst of times, they were kept away from the battlefield.
After finishing Minato's letter, Mugetsu began outlining his next improvement plan.
First was Obito. His birthday was in twenty-one days, which meant another opportunity for a Perfect-level reward.
After Might Guy's birthday, Mugetsu had directly asked Obito what kind of gift he wanted. Normally talkative, Obito became uncharacteristically quiet and finally said that anything from Mugetsu would be fine.
That response was expected. Obito wasn't being shy—he simply felt awkward asking for more when Mugetsu already treated his students so well.
The question, however, served a deeper purpose. Mugetsu wanted to strengthen the emotional connection—planting the thought, "Teacher Mugetsu really cares about me and my birthday." That emotional resonance could help trigger stronger outbursts later, essential for his growth.
Roughly ten days after Obito's birthday would come their next exam—an ordinary test, but one that Mugetsu insisted his interns attend even during field work.
It would be their last regular exam before the final graduation test, which only assessed the Three Basic Techniques.
Beyond birthdays and exams, Mugetsu's focus was his disciples' training plans—because their progress meant his own.
Obito's Breathing Technique had advanced steadily, and Mugetsu planned to begin the next stage of training: achieving the Constant State.
Constant State meant maintaining Total Concentration Breathing twenty-four hours a day, even while sleeping.
Of course, this wasn't the extreme version used in battle but a slightly weakened, continuous form. Mastering it would bring a qualitative leap in physical ability and dramatically amplify the effects of Breathing Techniques.
At the same time, Mugetsu wanted to help Obito awaken his Sharingan.
The benefits were immense—enhanced perception, stronger genjutsu resistance, and an increase in chakra efficiency. This was why so many Uchiha eventually reached Jonin level; once their Sharingan awakened, advancement became inevitable.
Shisui had awakened his Sharingan on his last birthday, but Mugetsu doubted Obito would do the same.
Shisui's trust level had risen slower than Obito's or Guy's, yet he'd been the first to reach level four—thanks to an overwhelming emotional surge that triggered the Sharingan's manifestation.
By contrast, Obito already held the deepest bond among Mugetsu's disciples, leaving little room for another major emotional breakthrough.
Mugetsu's plan, then, was simple: the next time they faced enemy ninja, he would raise the mission's difficulty—to push Obito toward awakening.
For Guy, the focus remained on the Eight Gates, specifically reaching the Third Gate.
Shisui would join Obito in Constant State Flame Breathing training while refining his Sharingan to strengthen his Haki.
As for Kakashi, Mugetsu's priority was helping him stabilize mentally, followed by improving Lightning Breathing and secondary Armament Haki training.
Once his plans were set, Mugetsu made his way to the South Border Forest.
When he arrived, he found all his disciples training hard. Seeing all five lined up diligently surprised him. Obito wasn't lazy, but he rarely showed the same level of intensity as Guy and usually rested when allowed.
"It seems everyone's quite motivated today," Mugetsu praised with a warm smile.
Guy grinned widely, showing his perfect white teeth, and gave a thumbs-up.
Kakashi silently continued his breathing motions, saying nothing.
Obito smiled awkwardly, pretending to share the same enthusiasm.
With everyone focused, Mugetsu began the day's lesson.
Since Guy and Obito hadn't yet mastered Yin Release, they hadn't started formal Armament Haki training.
Currently, Obito's Yin Release proficiency had reached about seventy points—success was within sight. Guy, however, lagged far behind at just over twenty, meaning he had a long way to go.
After tireless effort, Kakashi's Lightning Breathing finally broke through ten points, allowing him to enhance his body slightly with breathing alone—a small but meaningful milestone.
Shisui's Armament Haki had reached twelve points after twenty days of grueling practice, showing steady progress.
Meanwhile, Rin Nohara had refined her chakra control enough to grasp the basics of the Mystical Palm Technique, enhancing her healing precision and combat endurance.
To further strengthen her, Mugetsu began developing a new Breathing Technique.
Having mastered three major Breathing Styles—one at the Perfect level—Mugetsu was well-versed in their structure and principles.
Though he lacked deep knowledge of medical ninjutsu and thus couldn't design a Medical Breathing, his expertise in Water Release (over seven thousand proficiency) gave him another option.
He decided to create a Water Breathing style tailored to Rin's natural water affinity.
With Water Breathing combined with the Mystical Palm Technique, Rin would be far safer even in wartime conditions.
After training concluded, Obito excitedly ran up to Rin.
"Rin! You wouldn't believe how exciting our missions were! We took on two C-Rank missions—one turned into an A-Rank, the other into a B-Rank—and we fought real enemy ninja!" Obito said animatedly, his eyes shining.
He described each battle in vivid detail, gesturing enthusiastically.
Rin smiled, clapping softly. "That's amazing! You three are incredible—just like the teachers' stories."
"Hehe, that's because Teacher Mugetsu is awesome," Obito said proudly. "Most interns just run errands around the village."
Seeing Rin's bright smile, Obito felt the long journey had been worth every step.
Kakashi was about to leave after finishing his training but paused when he heard their conversation. Only after Obito finished boasting did Kakashi turn to go.
If Obito had exaggerated the story, Kakashi might have interrupted—but this time, Obito's account was almost entirely accurate.
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