Before leaving with Asuma, Mokgetsu gave Sarutobi Hiruzen an assessment.
He was curious about how extensive the skills of the ninja technique professor, who was said to master all Konoha ninjutsu, would be.
[Name: Sarutobi Hiruzen]
[Chakra: 170000]
[Skills: Combined Ninjutsu (Master: 13000/15000), Fire Attribute Chakra Nature Changes (Master: 8200/15000), Earth Attribute Chakra Nature Changes (Master: 7000/15000), Water Attribute Chakra Nature Changes (Master: 5800/15000)...]
Sarutobi Hiruzen's skill list was indeed very extensive, almost overwhelmingly so. Mokgetsu calculated roughly and estimated there to be over a thousand jutsu.
From the quantity alone, the ninja technique professor lived up to his name. After all, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't have the Sharingan to copy jutsus and had to practice each one himself.
However, most of the jutsu proficiency levels only remained at the introductory and proficient levels. Not many have reached the master level, but Mokgetsu thought it was already incredible. He spotted many familiar high-level and even secret jutsus.
Regarding nature transformations, all five fundamental attributes of Sarutobi Hiruzen had met the master level, although the proficiencies varied, with the fire attribute being the highest and the others slightly lower.
"It seems the master level of the system holds more value than I imagined," Mokgetsu thought to himself.
In terms of the chakra nature transformation levels of water and fire, he didn't fall short compared to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
However, in an actual fight, Sarutobi Hiruzen could easily defeat him due to an overwhelming advantage in chakra, taijutsu, battle experience, and jutsu configuration.
Looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen's panel, Mokgetsu realized what a truly versatile ninja was, finding ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, fuinjutsu, secret techniques, kinjutsu, and a host of other techniques on Sarutobi Hiruzen's skill list.
Mokgetsu was at a loss for words upon seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen's panel.
After instructing Asuma, Mokgetsu returned to the main Konoha district, grabbed Minato and Kushina, and demonstrated the entire process of making Magical Mapo Tofu to them.
Kushina and Minato were also delighted to see how soybeans could turn into "meat."
Even after watching the cooking process and tasting the flavor, Kushina still found it very mystical.
"Mokgetsu, how did you come up with the idea of making soybeans taste like meat," Kushina couldn't help but ask.
"A sudden whim," Mokgetsu thought for a moment and said.
He couldn't say that someone else had taught him these dishes, as that would be a bigger giveaway, so he had to confidently claim it was his own development.
Then Minato inquired about Mokgetsu's progress in practicing fuinjutsu, as it had been about a week since the last time he had received the fuinjutsu.
Mokgetsu shared some of his thoughts after reading the Five-Finger Seal.
"The difficulty of the Five-Finger Seal is significantly higher than the Three-Finger Seal. You can learn it gradually by reading more fuinjutsu knowledge and practicing diligently," Minato explained.
The Five-Finger Seal is distinctly more difficult to perform compared to the previous One-Finger and Three-Finger Seals, with a marked increase in difficulty. Minato was worried that Mokgetsu might start doubting himself if no progress was made over time.
Mokgetsu nodded, seamlessly steering the conversation toward fuinjutsu and sharing some challenges he faced with fuinjutsu.
Mokgetsu didn't ask about issues with practicing a specific sealing jutsu but rather raised questions about knowledge regarding fuinjutsu.
If he had asked about his current difficulties with the Five-Finger Seal, with Kushina and Minato's level of proficiency in fuinjutsu, they could easily deduce his actual practice progress.
On weekend nights, when the disciples didn't need to follow him to practice, Mokgetsu trained alone in the Southern Border Forest.
"Five-Finger Seal!"
Mokgetsu concentrated chakra onto the five fingers of his right hand and struck at his Shadow Clone.
The black sealing pattern appeared on the Shadow Clone's body, indicating the successful application of the technique.
"Next, I can train in the Five Elements Seal," Mokgetsu thought as he observed the Five-Finger Seal, which had reached the introductory level on his panel.
Completing the training of the Five-Finger Seal, he could barely call himself a sealing ninja, despite not knowing any formal sealing techniques yet.
However, Mokgetsu didn't mind. His study of fuinjutsu wasn't to expand his skill set but to solve the problem of the Tongue Curse Seal.
Once he mastered the Five Elements Seal, he would directly use the skill scroll to elevate it to the proficient level and then learn the Contract Seal, subsequently promoting the Contract Seal to the proficient level.
Once proficient in both sealing techniques, Mokgetsu's knowledge of fuinjutsu would expand significantly, enabling him to attempt research into the Root's Curse Seal.
Mokgetsu advanced into the forest as he activated Perception Ninjutsu. Today, he intended to test his own limit.
A month had passed since he attained mastery of the Breath of Rock.
With Breathing Technique, once you reach the introductory level, you can greatly enhance your abilities through Full Concentration Breathing, and at the proficient level, the Constant State enables maintaining a weakened version of Full Concentration Breathing twenty-four hours a day.
The Constant State was crucial for Mokgetsu, as it meant his body was always exercising.
Over a month, Mokgetsu could clearly sense his body gradually strengthening, surpassing the effects of practicing taijutsu alone.
Even due to the strengthening of his body, his natural rate of chakra increase had quickened slightly.
With the strengthening of his body, Mokgetsu prepared to attempt the combination of the Eight Gates and the Breath of Rock.
He had mastered the first three gates of the Eight Gates, which constituted a safe zone without imposing too much strain on the body.
"First Gate, Open!" Without the level of mastery Might Guy had over the Eight Gates, Mokgetsu had to proceed slowly from the First Gate.
As Mokgetsu activated the Eight Gates, he felt some restraint inside his body being released, the restrained chakra surged, enhancing his physical strength and significantly boosting his power and speed.
When Mokgetsu opened the third gate, the Life Gate, his body became flushed and red, his chakra surged, and green energy radiated from his entire body.
Mokgetsu assessed himself in the state of the third gate.
[Name: Habu Mokgetsu]
[Chakra: 23200]
His chakra exceeded twenty thousand, but Mokgetsu sensed the extreme turbulence within his chakra, making precise operations impossible and ninjutsu unusable.
This outcome was as expected by Mokgetsu. He took a deep breath, absorbing a large amount of oxygen to enter the Full Concentration Breathing state of the Breath of Rock, fully enhancing his physical qualities again.
Mokgetsu casually threw a punch, and the air shockwave from just the punch wind alone knocked down over a dozen large trees.
Without the need to use chakra enhancement, stones were as easily broken in his hand as tofu.
His running speed was akin to using the Instant Body Jutsu.
"Hoo." Mokgetsu exhaled a stream of white air, releasing the states of Eight Gates and Full Concentration Breathing. A wave of intense fatigue washed over him.
The combination of the Eight Gates and Breath of Rock indeed resulted in an astonishing boost. Mokgetsu didn't dare to exert too much force, fearing the disturbance might attract Anbu ninjas or Root ninjas.
However, despite its strength, the load on the body was tremendous; Mokgetsu felt exhausted after just three minutes.
This was without utilizing the pattern. Mokgetsu realized that had he opened the pattern, he might probably collapse into a faint directly upon release.
This experiment confirmed his hypothesis; the Breath of Rock truly complemented the Eight Gates, amplifying the limit.
With an extra card for explosive strength, Mokgetsu's sense of security grew slightly.
Currently, apart from a limited amount of chakra and insufficient battle experience, his repertoire of techniques wasn't lacking at all.
"The training plan is about done; I can start training the disciples in the Breathing Technique." Mokgetsu thought to himself.