Chapter 362: Beating Up the Root and Anbu Ninja
Days passed, and it was finally time for Mugetsu to begin training the Anbu and Root members.
The training period would last two and a half months. If everything went according to plan, he would finish just as the Ninja Academy's second semester ended.
Before the training officially began, Mugetsu received information on the participants.
Of course, since they were Anbu and Root, what he got was only the basics.
But that was enough. This was a short program under three months, not a long term apprenticeship.
There were thirty shinobi in total. Fifteen from Root, and fifteen from Anbu.
Danzo and Hiruzen called them new recruits, but where would that many new recruits come from? These two organizations typically accepted only a few people each year. Wartime raised the numbers slightly, but not by much.
Mugetsu estimated they had included members who had entered Anbu or Root less than three years ago and labeled them as new blood.
Before receiving the roster, he had expected fewer than fifteen per side.
The actual number was beyond his expectations.
Thirty did not sound like much, but these were elites. Even Kakashi and Obito, as they were now, might not be able to defeat some of the stronger individuals among them.
Unexpected, yes.
But for Mugetsu, it was excellent news.
From the system's perspective, more and higher quality trainees meant a better chance to trigger worthwhile rewards.
From a practical perspective, it proved both Hiruzen and Danzo were paying attention to him.
For the training site, Mugetsu casually chose a secluded field near a forest, with a river and a mountain in the vicinity.
He arrived early.
The thirty shinobi arrived even earlier.
No one was late.
Root and Anbu automatically formed two columns, standing in front of him.
"I am Hayate Mugetsu," Mugetsu said, keeping his introduction short. "I will be in charge of this training."
Mugetsu was already somewhat well known in Konoha, but he still introduced himself to avoid awkwardness.
As he spoke, his gaze swept over them one by one.
They were not wearing masks, likely because this was training rather than a mission.
But even if they had, it would not have mattered. Masks did not stop his appraisal.
["Name: Hiten Shinshi."]
["Chakra: 8700."]
["Skills: Lightning Release Nature Transformation (Proficient: 100/15000), Earth Release Nature Transformation (Skilled: 2600/3000), Lightning Release: Four Pillar Binding…"]
["Name: Sarutobi Shinji."]
["Chakra: 10050."]
["Skills: Fire Release Nature Transformation (Proficient: 300/15000), Water Release Nature Transformation (Skilled: 1500/3000), Fire Release: Great Flame Technique…"]
Among the fifteen Anbu, the stronger ones had already reached proficient elemental transformation, and their corresponding jutsu proficiency was high as well.
Then Mugetsu reviewed the Root members.
["Name: Yamanaka Hiroshi."]
["Chakra: 7200."]
["Skills: Mind Transfer Jutsu (Skilled: 2800/3000)…"]
["Name: Mitani Kohei."]
["Chakra: 9800."]
After scanning all of them, Mugetsu concluded one thing clearly.
Overall, the Anbu were stronger than the Root.
While Mugetsu was appraising them, they were also silently judging him.
Some genuine new recruits looked normal, but the Anbu who had been active for a year or two were bewildered. Hiten was one of them.
He had heard of Mugetsu. A strong jonin, someone who had assisted Jiraiya on the battlefield and helped repel a jinchuriki.
But Hiten did not believe Mugetsu could help him improve within only two and a half months.
Mugetsu looked about the same age as him, around nineteen.
It was hard to imagine a peer teaching him anything meaningful in that timeframe.
Most of the jonin present shared that feeling. Some even believed this training existed only to pad Mugetsu's resume for promotion.
Still, they were Anbu and Root.
Even if they doubted him internally, they would not show it, and they certainly would not discuss it openly.
The shinobi world spoke through strength.
Mugetsu had strength, and he was valued by the Hokage.
No one would pick a fight for no reason.
"To make training smoother, I need to understand what you can do," Mugetsu said, a faint smile on his lips. "All of you may attack me now. Use the jutsu you are most proficient with."
He had already guessed what some of them were thinking.
So he decided to establish authority on day one.
Even in the shinobi world, age mattered, and his youth made it easy for people to underestimate him.
There was also a second reason.
Mugetsu did not have many publicly recognized feats. The most widely known was helping Jiraiya repel a jinchuriki, but as a supporting role, it did not sound as crushing as it truly was.
If he spread the story of himself defeating the new A and B duo alone, nobody would dare look down on him.
In the shinobi world, if your strength was overwhelming, seniority became irrelevant. If someone had the strength of Hashirama, they could be pushed into the Hokage seat even if they refused.
"All of us together?" Hiten could not help asking. He felt he had misheard, or Mugetsu had lost his mind.
Thirty shinobi attacking at once?
Hiten did not know Root's composition, but among the fifteen Anbu, there were three jonin, two special jonin, and the rest were elite chunin. A team like that could take on extremely important S rank missions.
Yamanaka Hiroshi also stared at Mugetsu in shock.
On the Root side, there were two jonin and two special jonin, with the rest being chunin elites.
"There are at least eight shinobi above chunin on the field," Hiroshi thought, unsettled. "And the rest are not ordinary chunin. Where does he get this confidence?"
He did not know Anbu's details, but in most cases Anbu were only stronger than Root. Thirty together was stronger than many shinobi organizations.
"Testing one by one is too troublesome," Mugetsu replied, still smiling gently. "So you will all come at once."
At that moment, his Byakugan was already active. He had noticed watchers in the shadows.
That was expected.
One reason he wanted to fight thirty was precisely this. He wanted to refresh both Hiruzen and Danzo's understanding of his strength and methods, and make his genius persona even more complete.
When no one moved, Mugetsu continued.
"Use your full strength. Anyone who performs exceptionally will be reported to the Sandaime and Assistant Danzo."
Hiroshi exchanged glances with several Root teammates, then nodded.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Three Root shinobi flashed to three positions and threw a storm of shuriken toward Mugetsu.
They were not foolish enough to believe shuriken would defeat him. The blades were meant to restrict his movement. Their true killing moves were ninjutsu.
"Mind Transfer Clone Jutsu!" Hiroshi immediately used his clan technique.
Even with his teammates restricting space, he chose the more flexible variant. The clone technique could turn.
The standard Mind Transfer only traveled in a straight line.
Under the cover of the shuriken, Hiroshi's spirit shot toward Mugetsu.
Whoosh!
"That is not a bad idea," Mugetsu said, smile unchanged. "But trying to pin me down with shuriken is naive."
To Hiroshi's shock, Mugetsu vanished from where he stood.
Hiroshi's eyes spun wildly as he searched.
"So fast. I cannot see him at all."
Then his expression darkened.
"Oh no."
He understood what was coming and immediately tried to retract his spirit, but it was too late.
Bang!
Mugetsu appeared behind him and kicked him cleanly.
Boom!
Because the opponent was a jonin, Mugetsu used a bit more force. Hiroshi smashed through six thick trees before finally stopping.
Silence.
The entire training ground went still.
No one spoke.
Every gaze turned solemn.
Defeating Hiroshi was not what shocked them. Hiroshi was not a famous jonin.
What stunned them was how Mugetsu did it, and how fast.
Some of them had wanted to move the moment Hiroshi used his technique, but none could react in time. By the time their bodies responded, Hiroshi was already flying.
From the Hokage office, Hiruzen watched through the crystal ball and nodded.
"Not only is he talented in ninjutsu, his taijutsu is solid as well."
Mugetsu's Body Flicker just now was dazzling. It was normal that Anbu could not react. That was not because they were weak.
It was because Mugetsu was too fast.
"But how will you handle what comes next?" Hiruzen murmured, pipe in his mouth, smoke curling as curiosity rose.
Without orders, Anbu and Root would not rush in at full force from the start.
But now it was different.
Mugetsu's overwhelming defeat of Hiroshi made everyone on the field recognize his danger.
They would go all out next, especially since he asked for it.
Mugetsu was strong.
But these thirty were not ordinary shinobi.
One against thirty was not the same as a duel.
"Fire Release: Great Flame Technique!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
"Secret Technique: Insect Sphere!"
The remaining twenty nine shinobi unleashed their signature jutsu at once, some even combining with teammates.
In moments, an overwhelming wave of attacks rushed toward Mugetsu.
They truly lived up to Anbu and Root standards. Even without prior coordination, their teamwork was clean. There was no clumsy overlap where one person's Fire Release got canceled by another's Water Release.
Mugetsu calmly created two shadow clones and began forming hand seals.
Hiten , who had been staring at Mugetsu and preparing Lightning Release to disrupt his movement, frowned.
A dangerous thought formed in his mind.
"Is he going to block all of this head on?"
It felt terrifying to even think.
These were jutsu launched by numerous Anbu and Root shinobi at once, including jonin.
If Mugetsu could clash head on against that with ninjutsu, it meant his strength was on a completely different level from ordinary jonin.
Jonin were not all the same.
No ordinary jonin believed they could compare to Orochimaru, Jiraiya, or Tsunade.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Mugetsu's main body completed the seals first.
A massive surge of chakra turned into roaring fire. The moment he exhaled, high temperature flames erupted across the field.
The inferno moved like a rampaging dragon. Anything flammable near it ignited instantly, and the temperature spiked.
Those standing too close instinctively retreated.
The Fire Dragon Flame Bullet Obito used during the chunin exams was insignificant next to this. Intensity, range, temperature, everything was on a different level.
Even from far away, Hiruzen could feel the power through the Telescope Technique.
"Fire Release must be his most proficient element," Hiruzen thought.
Even if Hiruzen used that same jutsu at the same age, he could not guarantee he would do better.
"Wind Release: Cyclone!"
Immediately after, one of Mugetsu's shadow clones finished Wind Release.
A violent hurricane burst out, whipping the field into chaos. Dirt, stones, and leaves screamed through the air.
With the wind's terrifying boost, the already fierce Fire Dragon Flame Bullet expanded instantly. Grass vanished under fire. Trees were swallowed. The training ground looked like it was being turned into a furnace.
"He can use a combination jutsu on this scale?" Sarutobi Shinji stared, eyes wide.
He had only seen power like this from one person.
The Sandaime in his prime.
Rumble!
A massive explosion shook the ground. The earth itself seemed to crack under the impact. Smoke of every color flooded the field, black from burning, yellow from shattered soil.
The shinobi retreated again to avoid being caught in the collision.
The parasitic insects were the first to become ash.
Earth Release was burned into dust under the inferno's heat.
Fire Release of the same nature was crushed outright by the superior flames.
For a moment, Mugetsu's combination jutsu, cast by one person, overwhelmed the ninjutsu launched by twenty nine Anbu and Root shinobi together, forcing them to withdraw and dodge.
As the smoke thinned, the training ground revealed its wounds.
Craters.
Scorched earth.
Charred stumps.
Everything screamed of how terrifying the clash had been.
"He created two shadow clones, it seems," Sarutobi Shinji suddenly noticed.
Mugetsu had made two, but only one was using Wind Release to support the main body.
That meant the other shadow clone had not even acted yet.
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