【Disciple Uchiha Obito sets a training task】
【Training task: Defeat Kakashi】
【Reward: Based on task completion and strength growth during the task】
Mokutsuki nodded. Kakashi was crucial, motivating both Might Guy and Obito’s training tasks.
“First, you need to master the Flame Breathing. In a few days, you’ll spar with Shisui to get accustomed to using the breathing technique in combat,” Mokutsuki said, outlining the next steps.
Obito nodded. He preferred sparring with Guy because their fights were more balanced, making him feel less humiliated.
Sparring with Shisui, especially now that Shisui had awakened his Sharingan, would be much more challenging, and Obito needed to be more confident he could win.
After Mokutsuki had finished cooking that evening, Minato walked into his house alone.
“Kushina isn’t coming today?” Mokutsuki asked as he brought a dish to the table.
“Kushina has a secret mission recently and won’t be around for a while,” Minato smiled. “If you have any questions about sealing techniques, please ask me.”
“That’s a pity. I made braised pork belly today,” Mokutsuki said regretfully.
“Can I pack some to go? I have something urgent to attend to soon,” Minato asked, looking a bit embarrassed about asking to take food home after intruding.
However, he had no choice. Although he wanted to eat, it wasn’t necessary for him. The real issue was that Kushina had told him to bring food, or she would knock out the Anbu guards to come here herself.
Minato believed Kushina was entirely capable of doing that. She was currently in a dangerous phase, and Minato didn’t want any accidents.
Due to the changing situation in the ninja world, the higher-ups of Konoha wanted Kushina, the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, to become Konoha’s trump card in the war. Thus, they had her undergo training to control the Tailed Beast’s power.
However, controlling the most potent Nine-Tails took work, especially since Kushina had become a Jinchuriki not long ago.
Using the Nine-Tails’ power risked being influenced by it. Given the Nine-Tails’ immense strength, any loss of control could cause significant damage to Konoha. Hence, Kushina was restricted, spending most of her time in a building with enhanced seals.
Considering her needs, the higher-ups created a significant seal barrier around the building. The barrier wasn’t as strong as the one inside the building, but it suppressed the Nine-Tails, allowing her to step outside briefly.
“Packing food? No problem, I can’t eat all of it by myself anyway,” Mokutsuki said with a smile, packing two containers full of food for Minato.
“This might be too much. Can you finish it?” Mokutsuki asked.
“Don’t worry, it’s so delicious I can eat as much as you give,” Minato said with a laugh.
He originally planned to bring the food for Kushina and just have a little himself. However, since Mokutsuki packed so much, he wouldn’t have to skimp on his portion. Although this might change his image as a big eater in Mokutsuki’s eyes, it was worth it.
Watching Minato leave, Mokutsuki activated his Byakugan to scan the surroundings and noticed the usual Anbu surveillance was gone.
“One less surveillance camera connected to Hiruzen Sarutobi,” Mokutsuki thought.
When Kushina frequently visited, there were always two Anbu monitoring the place.
Having the Anbu watch was good, as Mokutsuki used their presence to his advantage several times.
For instance, he showcased his impressive sealing technique talent and displayed genuine joy when promoted to special Jounin, expressing heartfelt gratitude when talking about the Third Hokage.
“Secret mission… could it be training to control the Nine-Tails?” Mokutsuki speculated.
Knowing Kushina’s status as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Mokutsuki didn’t think she was on some dangerous S-rank mission.
During wartime, unless the war reached a point where using the Tailed Beasts was necessary, Kushina would remain in the village. Even if she wanted to leave, she wouldn’t be allowed.
While Mokutsuki wasn’t on the front lines and didn’t know the current war situation, he was sure Konoha, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure were either not fully engaged or were still probing each other.
Because Minato was still in Konoha, if the war had intensified, Minato wouldn’t have had time to visit for dinner leisurely; he’d been sent to the front lines.
Minato was a crucial figure in the Third Shinobi World War. As long as he was in Konoha and appeared relaxed, Mokutsuki could gauge the war’s status.
After making some guesses, Mokutsuki didn’t dwell on it. Even without his intervention, Minato and Kushina would survive the war and become successful, so he didn’t need to worry.
However, his disciples might face harsh futures. Guy would watch his father open the Eight Gates to save him, and Obito would be crushed and witness his best friend kill the girl he loved.
…
Shisui adapted to the Full Concentration Breathing training a few days later. Now, he just needed to deepen his understanding of what Mokutsuki had taught to master the Flame Breathing.
Mokutsuki had Obito and Shisui spar to get accustomed to the breathing technique in combat.
“The combat training will have three stages: the first stage uses only the breathing technique, no chakra. The second stage uses both the breathing technique and chakra but no jutsu. The third stage lifts all restrictions. Additionally, the Sharingan is banned in all stages,” Mokutsuki announced the training plan.
The dynamic vision of the Sharingan significantly boosted taijutsu, and without banning it, Obito wouldn’t stand a chance.
“No chakra, huh? Maybe I can win,” Obito suddenly felt hopeful.
Purely comparing breathing techniques, his progress was slightly ahead of Shisui’s.
“Not using chakra means the breathing technique can’t use chakra. Techniques like the ‘Shave’ that require chakra can still be used,” Mokutsuki added.
The breathing techniques adapted to the Naruto world had two choices: with or without chakra.
Without chakra, many effects were lost. For example, the Rock Breathing wouldn’t enhance the body as much, the Flame Breathing wouldn’t accelerate the elemental change, and all breathing techniques needed chakra for the marked state.
After hearing this, Obito’s chances went from high to low since Shisui’s Body Flicker Technique was superior to his.
But compared to stage three, he still had a better chance in stage one, as his jutsu wasn’t as strong as Shisui’s.
“Everyone clear on the rules?” Mokutsuki asked.
“Yes,” Shisui and Obito replied, nodding.
“Then get ready to fight. We’ll spend the first week on stage one,” Mokutsuki said.
The two got into position, preparing to fight as instructed by Mokutsuki.
“Begin!” Mokutsuki called out.
Shisui and Obito immediately entered the breathing technique state, taking in large amounts of oxygen to enhance their bodies.
But just as Obito prepared to charge at Shisui, Shisui suddenly appeared right before him.
“So fast!” Obito was shocked. Even though he had practised the “Shave,” Shisui was much faster.
Fortunately, neither chakra can be used to enhance the breathing technique or perform jutsu. Though Obito was a step slower, it only put him at a slight disadvantage.
“Flame Breathing, Full Concentration Breathing,” Obito aimed to turn his disadvantage into an advantage, entering the Full Concentration Breathing state to boost his power.
Shisui chose not to engage head-on, using the “Shave” to create distance.
Obito lost his disadvantage but couldn’t gain an advantage since he couldn’t catch up to Shisui, and the Full Concentration Breathing drained his stamina.
In the end, Shisui seized an opportunity to defeat Obito in a single strike.
Smack!
“You’re making the same mistake I mentioned before,” Mokutsuki said, tapping Obito’s head with two fingers. “Don’t use Full Concentration Breathing so easily,” he emphasised.
With Obito’s current stamina and chakra, Full Concentration Breathing was like a trump card. Using it recklessly at close range left no room for further strategy.
“I thought if I didn’t use it, the disadvantage would grow, so I used it right away,” Obito scratched his head, explaining his thought process during the fight.
“The larger the enemy’s advantage, the more likely they are to make mistakes. Using it when you’re at a significant disadvantage is more likely to turn the tables,” Mokutsuki advised.
“Also, keep in mind that Shisui is faster than you. If you use Full Concentration Breathing so easily, he’ll just avoid direct confrontation.”
Mokutsuki didn’t want to negate Obito’s strategy completely. Sometimes, starting at a disadvantage could put you right into the opponent’s rhythm. He hoped Obito could judge each fight’s needs flexibly.
“Use the intel you have on Shisui; don’t waste it,” Mokutsuki emphasised.
He wanted Obito to avoid mastering a bunch of jutsu and gain actual combat skills. Natural combat ability was crucial.
“I understand now!” Obito replied, feeling enlightened.
Reflecting on the times he beat Guy, Obito realised he had used intel on Guy, albeit unconsciously.
After resting, Sh
isui and Obito fought again.
This time, Obito heeded Mokutsuki’s advice and held off on using Full Concentration Breathing. Though he didn’t win, he lasted longer than before.
He still didn’t win in the third fight, but it lasted half a minute longer. Obito felt he was improving.
When the first day of combat training ended, Obito still hadn’t won a single fight. However, in the last section, he effectively used full concentration breathing, making Shisui feel somewhat tired after winning.
“Sorry, Obito, but I won’t lose under Mokutsuki-sensei’s watch,” Shisui thought, determined to meet Mokutsuki’s expectations.
Kushina’s restricted movement is mentioned in Minato’s story, which you can check out if you are interested. Though it portrays Kushina as somewhat fragile, the overall narrative is decent.
(Chapter End)
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