Naruto: Strength Through Teaching

Not only are Obito and the others striving to improve themselves, but Asuma, the only one in the team who advanced to the third round of the exam, also wants to make a breakthrough within a month.

However, Asuma doesn't know the location of Mutsuki's house, so he waited for Mutsuki at the Academy gate after school on Monday afternoon. As soon as he saw Mutsuki coming out, he immediately greeted him.

Mutsuki responded with a smile, probably guessing the purpose of Asuma's visit. After all, there shouldn't be any other reasons for Asuma to seek him out at this time.

"Yumi-sensei, do you have time to help me come up with a special training plan? I feel like only training with you gives me a chance to defeat Obito," Asuma asked somewhat awkwardly.

Although it might sound hurtful, his guiding Jonin is indeed far behind Mutsuki. If he trains with his Jonin sensei for a month, it's certain he would only end up losing.

"If you're looking to improve your strength in a short period, I do have some ideas. However, defeating Obito is still quite difficult," Mutsuki replied tactfully.

It's not that Asuma's strength is lacking, but Obito's power is on a different level compared to ordinary Chunin. With Sharingan and the ability to activate the Mark, although not a complete version, Obito is significantly more formidable.

Even if Asuma's strength improves greatly within this month, he would still not be able to match Obito because Asuma only knows Wind Release and Fire Release. To defeat Obito, one would need to have attribute advantages like Terumi Mei, or be another disciple who, like Obito, receives constant teaching from Mutsuki.

Although the rewards provided by the system are for Mutsuki, his disciples also benefit, such as from unique forbidden techniques like Breathing Technique and powerful teaching skills. The fact that Obito and others quickly learned various powerful Ninjutsu and skills from Mutsuki is closely related to this. Although Asuma is one of the most taught individuals among Mutsuki's disciples, he has had much less time for training compared to Obito and the others.

Moreover, due to Asuma's identity as the Third's son, Mutsuki had to choose the Ninjutsu he openly possessed to teach Asuma in order to avoid exposing his anomalies. He could only teach a bit of Nature Transformation and C-rank and B-rank Ninjutsu, as he was not yet the Jonin capable of assisting Jiraiya in defeating the Tailed Beasts at that time.

Now, Mutsuki can teach Breathing Technique to Asuma, which can further establish a high-level foundation.

Although the Mark and Transparent World techniques are very powerful, they are not easy to practice and achieve. Under normal circumstances, Breathing Technique is just a decent Secret Jutsu, not exceptionally extraordinary.

So, even if Asuma hadn't come to seek Mutsuki out, Mutsuki would have taught Asuma the basic Breathing Technique in their next session. The reason for teaching basic Breathing Technique rather than Flame Breathing is that Asuma clearly has more talent in Wind Release and is more suited for Wind Breathing. However, since the system has never rewarded Wind Breathing, Mutsuki had to develop it himself.

Mutsuki currently has Mastery-level Wind Release Chakra Nature Transformation, two Perfect-level Breathing Techniques, and two Mastery-level Breathing Techniques, along with experience in developing Water Breathing. Mutsuki expects that he will be able to fully develop Wind Breathing in about six months.

Once Wind Breathing is completed, Mutsuki will attempt to develop Sun Breathing on his own. After finishing Wind Breathing, Mutsuki will have gathered all five basic Breathing Techniques, and he would be a bit unwilling if he didn't at least make an effort towards Sun Breathing.

Mutsuki's current speculation about Sun Breathing is that it is primarily based on Yang Attribute Nature Transformation, possibly involving Yang and Fire, or related to Natural Energy and Sage Mode, or perhaps a combination of all these elements.

"It's alright. If I give it my all and still can't win, then I'll accept my defeat willingly," Asuma said with a serious expression.

At present, Obito is stronger and Asuma is weaker. Even if he trains hard for the next month while Obito doesn't train much, whether he can defeat Obito remains uncertain. Asuma knows that winning is difficult; he just doesn't want to lose so easily.

After all, he is considered Obito's senior. If he were defeated by Obito as easily as the person in the preliminaries, it would be quite embarrassing. He is currently the only hope in his team.

"I understand your determination," Mutsuki nodded and began teaching Asuma after dinner.

"I will now teach you a secret technique that can enhance your physical abilities. You need to practice this diligently every day," Mutsuki explained the basic Breathing Technique to Asuma.

The basic Breathing Technique is essential; it not only enhances Taijutsu but also lays the foundation for future Wind Breathing, making it highly cost-effective.

"In addition, strengthen your training in Wind Release Nature Transformation. I will teach you a Wind Release Ninjutsu with strong wind power," Mutsuki continued.

It is impossible for Asuma to defeat Obito with Fire Release. Even without Flame Breathing, Asuma cannot win against Obito. Obito's proficiency and Chakra amount in Fire Release are superior to Asuma's, so Asuma can only focus on improving his Wind Release.

Although Fire Release is superior to Wind Release in nature, the actual clash between the two is not like that between Water Release and Fire Release. However, a strong wind can significantly affect the opponent's control of flames.

Of course, attribute advantages are still present, and Fire Release has a better chance of winning. Since there isn't enough time to practice Water Release, Wind Release still offers a slim chance.

Mutsuki plans to teach Asuma Wind Release: Cyclone, a B-rank Ninjutsu that he exchanged from the Ninjutsu Hall. It is well-suited for Asuma in all aspects.

After setting up the plan, the formal training began. Asuma, just starting with Breathing Technique, showed the same problem as Obito and the others initially did—struggling to find the correct breathing rhythm.

"I didn't expect even breathing techniques could be developed. Why have I never heard of this before?" Asuma complained.

"This field is relatively obscure. Besides myself, I rarely hear of others developing Ninjutsu related to Breathing Technique," Mutsuki replied with a smile, highlighting his role as the developer.

"Wow, so it was developed by you, Yumi-sensei!" Asuma's eyes lit up, feeling he had struck gold by learning Mutsuki's unique Ninjutsu.

Mutsuki adjusted his black-framed glasses with his right hand and said warmly, "Developing some Ninjutsu yourself is a good choice when possible. After all, no one understands their own needs better than themselves."

After this, Mutsuki became quite busy. He had to attend classes at the Academy to hone his skills, conduct special training for his disciples, find time to study with Tsunade, and also work on developing Wind Breathing and self-study Sealing Jutsu. His days, apart from the few hours spent sleeping, were packed full.

However, Mutsuki could accept this, as being busy genuinely helped him improve his strength. Although he was helping Asuma strategize to defeat Obito, Mutsuki also spared no effort in helping Obito with Fire Release Ninjutsu and Taijutsu.

Mutsuki has mastered many advanced Ninjutsu, with his Fire Release Nature Transformation reaching the Perfect level, giving him a significant advantage in developing Fire Release Ninjutsu and Taijutsu.

However, considering that Obito's learning ability is somewhat weaker and the time is only one month, Mutsuki developed three techniques for him.

The first is Fire Release: Fire Fist. Mutsuki, while developing it, incorporated all techniques from Enhanced Strength. Chakra is condensed and compressed in the fist, and upon striking the target, flames erupt instantly, engulfing the enemy.

The second is Fire Release: Konoha Whirlwind. It retains the high-speed Whirlwind Kick of Konoha Whirlwind but adds high-temperature flames to enhance its power.

The third is Fire Release Ninjutsu called Fire Release: Fiery Impact. Chakra is concentrated in the shoulder, setting the entire body on fire to charge at the target and strike with a strong shoulder slam, making it the most powerful of the three Fire Release Ninjutsu.

Although they may seem plain, they are not easy to learn. In terms of Ninjutsu, Fire Fist and Fiery Impact would be classified as B-rank. However, due to the Perfect match with Flame Breathing characteristics, the actual training is somewhat easier.

After teaching Obito these three Ninjutsu and Taijutsu techniques, Obito practiced Fiery Impact every day by crashing into trees, using a shouldr slam to break them. He thought the technique looked very cool, with flames engulfing his entire body, making it extremely dazzling.

Kakashi's special training was truly hellish, the most strenuous among all of Mutsuki's disciples.

Kakashi had to push his body to the limit before he could start fighting, and Mutsuki's Shadow Clones did not hold back much, inflicting injuries when necessary. This high-intensity training, even if done only once a day, put a lot of pressure on Kakashi. His progress with Breathing Technique was rapid; although his panel was still slightly short of reaching the Proficient level, Mutsuki could sense that Kakashi's Thunder Breathing was getting stronger.

It is worth mentioning that ten days after the Chunin Exam, Mutsuki encountered Terumi Mei again on the street.

In the same place as last time, Terumi Mei was still standing in front of the ice cream stall with a troubled expression.

"If you don't know what to buy, you might as well just buy everything," Mutsuki said, walking up to the ice cream stall.

"That would require money," Terumi Mei replied with a resentful look at Mutsuki.

She wasn't foolish; she was still agonizing over which flavors to choose.

Because she came for the exam, Terumi Mei didn't bring much money with her. She was here on a mission to achieve good results, not for sightseeing. Additionally, the failure in the Forest of Death made her quite unhappy. After not having any desserts for five days, she indulged in ice cream for several days, eating it like a meal. As a result, she quickly spent most of her money. To ensure she could have some dessert every day, Terumi Mei had to painfully control her spending.

Terumi Mei felt that Mutsuki was partially to blame for her depleted wallet, as he had introduced her to the new world of "buying everything," and the failure in the Forest of Death was also due to Mutsuki's disciple.

"Give me three strawberry ice creams," Mutsuki said to the vendor, without responding to Terumi Mei's comment.

The vendor, quick and efficient, soon handed Mutsuki three strawberry ice creams.

Terumi Mei looked at him with envy. Just a few days ago, she could have been more extravagant, having the vendor give her three of each flavor.

With Terumi Mei's astonished and delighted gaze, Mutsuki handed two of the strawberry ice creams to her.

"You gave me one last time, so this time I'm giving you two, making it even," Mutsuki said with a smile.

When he remembered Obito calling Terumi Mei a lunatic over a strawberry ice cream as payment for a fight, Mutsuki couldn't help but smile. He had left decisively to avoid trouble, and it was Obito who had suffered the consequences.

So, Mutsuki bought three strawberry ice creams, giving two to Terumi Mei to resolve the troublesome situation caused by the strawberry ice cream, ensuring she wouldn't hold onto it. The remaining one was for Obito, as compensation.

Terumi Mei received the two strawberry ice creams, feeling very pleased. With this, she could buy a vanilla one herself and be absolutely satisfied.

However, Terumi Mei soon felt a bit embarrassed about accepting ice cream after having fought with someone's disciple.

"During the Chunin Exam, I'll make sure he loses spectacularly and impressively," she thought. She decided to put on a show during the exam, making Obito fight with great flair before defeating him, as a way to repay Mutsuki for the ice cream.

"Thank you, you're a good person," a delighted Terumi Mei thanked Mutsuki and handed him a 'good person' card.

Mutsuki didn't say anything further, calmly accepting the card and leaving. The future of the relationship between Mist Village and Konoha was uncertain, and too much interaction could be detrimental for both sides.

...

In the dimly lit cave, Uchiha Madara was listening to the information reported by Black Zetsu.

"Mutsuki Yumi might be cold beneath his warm exterior. Although he was always present, he didn't take action, merely watching his students get injured. Even though Akutami Hideyuki was eventually defeated by his students working together, it was only barely successful due to the extreme outbreak," Black Zetsu reported on Obito's changes and briefly mentioned Mutsuki's performance.

"Usually attentive to his disciples, but merely watches when they are in danger..." Uchiha Madara found Mutsuki Yumi intriguing, suspecting he might have some secrets.

"If he truly doesn't care about these students, then the plan would proceed smoothly," Uchiha Madara thought, a smile appearing on his face.

If Mutsuki's apparent indifference towards Obito's situation was just an act, then initially, there wouldn't be a need for much effort. Simply guiding Obito to discover this fact would be enough to cause a breakdown in Obito's emotions. After that, killing the person he cares about, Nohara Rin, would send Obito into a dark abyss, making him a tool for Madara's use.

"But if not, Mutsuki Yumi could be a significant obstacle. He was able to injure the Hidden Cloud's candidate Raikage without using his full strength, so his power might even surpass Minato Namikaze," Black Zetsu reminded.

Due to monitoring Obito, Black Zetsu had gathered a lot of information about Mutsuki, including his Armament Haki, Flame Breathing, and Flame Breathing Chakra Mode. These techniques were very powerful and even Black Zetsu, who had lived for over a thousand years, had never heard of them before. This undoubtedly meant that they were Mutsuki's own creations. To Black Zetsu, Mutsuki was like a figure similar to Senju Tobirama, just someone who preferred to stay hidden.

If Uchiha Madara were at his peak, Mutsuki wouldn't be a concern, as even Senju Tobirama himself would have been no match. But now, Uchiha Madara was just an old man surviving with the help of the Outer Path Statue. Regardless of whether or not he succeeded in dealing with Mutsuki, it would require a great deal of effort.

"Even Hashirama has passed away. What can a junior under twenty do?" Uchiha Madara said with a calm expression.

He didn't look down on anyone in the ninja world; he simply looked down equally on everyone except his brother and Hashirama.

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