"For the next four days, you can take a good rest. No need for training or tasks," Minato told the three upon returning to Konoha.
Minato felt that this mission was too dangerous for Obito and his team. They encountered such a powerful enemy right after becoming official ninjas and experienced battles of this magnitude.
If Obito's team hadn't just joined not long ago, Minato would have considered giving them a week's leave to rest and adjust.
"Resting for this long all of a sudden, huh." Obito scratched his head, feeling the break might be a bit too long.
He wasn't used to resting for four days straight because after completing a mission, Teacher Mokgetsu usually had them rest on the same day and continue training the next. Sometimes, they'd take an extra day or two if they were really tired, but rarely had four consecutive days off.
"It's fairly normal, considering the level of enemies we encountered," Kakashi thought taking four days off wasn't a big deal.
In his previous squads, they generally rested for a few days after completing a mission above C-level.
However, Kakashi felt that it didn't matter to rest a few days. If every instructor were like Teacher Mokgetsu, he wouldn't mind if they didn't get extra days off.
Though the schedule under Teacher Mokgetsu was tight, it wasn't like he forced his students to cultivate. Students even voluntarily trained during the break.
"Anyway, just relax and enjoy the next few days. Don't worry about the missions; I'll report them soon," Minato said with a gentle smile.
The appearance of the new A-B combo in the Land of Hot Water was a piece of news Minato needed to report to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
This was a bad signal for Konoha, indicating that Hidden Cloud might gather forces in the Land of Hot Water and impact the Land of Fire's borders.
"See you, Teacher Minato," Obito waved goodbye to Minato with a smile.
"Goodbye, Teacher Minato," Kakashi also bid farewell.
"Teacher Minato, remember to rest well too," Nohara Rin said with a caring smile.
Initially, because of prior impressions, Obito and Kakashi always called Minato "senpai" or "captain," but during this mission, they got to know Minato anew and felt his care, realizing the change in their relationship, hence they started calling him "teacher."
"I will," Minato waved goodbye with a smile and then walked toward the Hokage Building.
"Four days off, huh. I'm not sure what to do during these four days. What about you, Rin?" Obito curiously asked Nohara Rin.
"Well, today and tomorrow I'll probably rest a bit and go over some medical ninjutsu materials. The next two days, I might consult Teacher Mokgetsu about some cultivation issues. School is about to start at the Ninja Academy, so Teacher Mokgetsu might be less available then," Nohara Rin thought and replied.
Obito's eyes lit up, thinking Rin had a point, but he didn't plan on seeking Teacher Mokgetsu after two days. He intended to train in the Southern Border Forest tomorrow.
This wasn't his first encounter with the candidate for the Raikage, and thanks to Minato's protection, Obito didn't feel tired physically or mentally.
"If I train with Teacher Mokgetsu for all four days, Kakashi will never catch up with me," Obito thought to himself.
He knew he couldn't beat Kakashi theoretically, but he didn't want Kakashi to surpass him in strength, either.
"What about you, Obito? You're not thinking of sleeping at home for four days, are you?" Nohara Rin joked.
"It's not like I'd sleep for four days straight; I definitely plan to train," Obito replied ambiguously, not revealing his specific training plans.
"What about you, Kakashi?" Obito asked, turning to Kakashi.
"Training," Kakashi answered concisely.
Right now, Kakashi had a huge desire to get stronger. Whether it was Obito, Might Guy, or Shisui, he wanted to surpass them and defeat them in actual combat.
Rin's words reminded Kakashi that since they had a break, and Teacher Mokgetsu was available, these four days were perfect for training with Mokgetsu.
Seeing Kakashi's determination, Obito changed his mind. He wouldn't rest today. Instead, he'd go home first and then head straight to the Southern Border Forest to train.
If Kakashi trained hard for a day while he rested for a day, the gap would only narrow.
At the crossroads, the three went their separate ways, each heading home.
...
After becoming Might Guy's tutor, Teacher Chen finally understood why Might Guy had such a strong physique for his age.
For other students, Teacher Chen always criticized their insufficient training, which led to their lack of strength, urging them to cultivate more.
But after seeing Might Guy's training, Chen reminded Guy not to overwork himself, as it could damage his body.
According to Teacher Chen's somewhat stringent standards, Might Guy's training volume was already way over the top.
"Haha, Teacher Chen, you don't need to worry. I've always trained like this. Teacher Mokgetsu adjusted it for me, so there won't be any problems," Might Guy explained with a hearty laugh.
"Teacher Mokgetsu? Who is he? At such an intensity, it might be fine when you're young, but problems will arise as you get older," Teacher Chen said seriously.
He worried that Might Guy might have been deceived by someone pretending to know more than they actually did.
"Teacher Mokgetsu's full name is Habu Mokgetsu. In my eyes, he is a Taijutsu user no less skilled than you," Might Guy said with a proud expression.
Although Ebisu claimed that Teacher Chen was the best in Taijutsu in Konoha, Might Guy believed that if Mokgetsu used both the Eight Gates and the Breathing Pattern, Teacher Chen definitely couldn't beat Mokgetsu.
Of course, because of Mokgetsu's request, Might Guy didn't exaggerate too much—he simply said he felt Mokgetsu was not inferior to Teacher Chen.
"Habu Mokgetsu, the same Habu Mokgetsu from that recent article in the Konoha Newspaper?" asked Teacher Chen, who had read the paper and had a slight impression of the name.
"Yes, that time Teacher Mokgetsu led us on a supply mission, and an accident occurred. When we reached the battlefield, Hidden Rock launched a massive attack, and Teacher Mokgetsu led us to support the battlefield," Might Guy nodded and said.
Hearing this, Teacher Chen was convinced that Mokgetsu wasn't a fraud, as anyone involved in battles with the Jinchuriki had to be a skilled ninja.
"Alright then, find some time to talk to Habu Mokgetsu. I want to have a chat with him," Teacher Chen thought for a moment and said.
Seeing Might Guy speak so highly of Mokgetsu, he figured the quickest way to resolve the issue would be to find Mokgetsu.
Teacher Chen was also curious about Mokgetsu's Taijutsu skills, wondering what level they were to warrant such remarks from Might Guy.
"I'll go to Teacher Mokgetsu and ask after training," Might Guy nodded in agreement.
After chatting with Might Guy, Teacher Chen advised him to rest a little before starting cultivation.
So, Might Guy walked towards a big tree where Shiranui Genma and Ebisu were also resting in the shade.
"What did Teacher Chen talk to you about? He seemed so serious," Shiranui Genma asked curiously in a low voice.
Hearing Shiranui Genma's question, Ebisu also looked at Might Guy, as he was also quite interested.
"It's nothing serious, just worried that I might overexert myself. He suggested that I reduce my training and rest more," Might Guy replied honestly.
Shiranui Genma's mouth twitched, feeling the disparity in the world.
Not long ago, Teacher Chen had scolded him for not being diligent enough in his training, even demonstrating decades of power by kicking a large rock to pieces to motivate him.
"But what Teacher Chen said makes sense. Guy, your training is indeed a bit extreme. It sounds exhausting just to hear about it," Shiranui Genma said with a face full of agreement.
He no longer questions why Might Guy's Taijutsu is so strong, because he has seen with his own eyes how Might Guy constantly engages in various intense training exercises.
Being a disciple of Teacher Chen, Taijutsu training is naturally essential, as even though Teacher Chen knows Ninjutsu, Taijutsu is his forte.
But Shiranui Genma felt that Might Guy's training wasn't just training; it reached a level of self-abuse, just listening to it he could imagine how exhausting it was.
Shiranui Genma felt that if he were in Might Guy's shoes, he would probably collapse before completing it.
"It's alright, I don't really feel it. I've always trained like this. If I'm not as talented, then I have to work harder to become a genius of hard work!" Might Guy said with a bright smile, giving a thumbs up.
"A genius of hard work..." Ebisu repeated, finding it very fitting to describe Might Guy.
If effort is a talent, then Might Guy is surely among the top geniuses, Ebisu thought.
He previously couldn't understand how a student like Might Guy, without a ninja clan or a powerful ninja father, became so strong. But after training with Might Guy for a few days, Ebisu found the answer.
"If I had worked this hard in school, could I have defeated Uchiha Obito?" Ebisu couldn't help but wonder.
Unfortunately, he would never know the answer to this, as they had already graduated and were now Official Genin.
But fortunately, Ebisu found a new path in Might Guy: that as long as one works hard enough and keeps at it, there will be a day when one stands out.
"Guy, you're the one I admire the most. Among our class, you will certainly become the strongest," Shiranui Genma said, patting Might Guy on the shoulder with a smile.
Since Might Guy exhibited strong Taijutsu skills unshown during exams, Shiranui Genma believed that Might Guy was now ahead of Obito.
"Guy will definitely be strong in the future, worry about yourself for now. Haven't you rested long enough? Why haven't you started your cultivation?" Teacher Chen appeared silently behind Shiranui Genma and spoke.
"How did he walk without making a sound?" Shiranui Genma murmured internally, quickly getting up to train.
Before Teacher Chen could say anything, Ebisu tactfully stood up and began training. While past deeds couldn't be changed, he could start working hard from now onwards.