Naruto: Strength Through Teaching

"Today we begin the final training for Constant, maintaining the Breathing Technique around the clock," Mutsuki said.

The most important aspect of Constant is being able to maintain the Breathing Technique for twenty-four hours. Right now, Obito and Kakashi's upper limit for the Breathing Technique has increased, but they haven't truly completed the training for Constant yet.

"Is it Total Concentration, or is normal breathing sufficient?" Obito scratched his head and asked.

If it's Total Concentration, he wouldn't even be able to last an hour without doing anything, let alone a whole day.

"Normal breathing is sufficient, and you don't need to do too much training," Mutsuki replied with a smile.

The concentrated breathing of Constant is relatively focused, different from the extreme concentration during combat. Obito and the others haven't yet practiced breathing continuously throughout the day; it has to be done in a cyclical and progressive manner.

Hearing this, Kakashi nodded. With that said, even though he hasn't fully recovered, he can still participate in the training.

"That sounds pretty simple," Obito chuckled, thinking this was a relaxed training session after the Chunin exam.

"Of course, to encourage you all, if you can't maintain the breathing state, each time you break it you'll have to solve a problem. If you can't resume within ten minutes, you'll have to solve another one," Mutsuki stated the training rules.

Although his disciples are relatively diligent, having a penalty rule is necessary to instill a sense of urgency.

While others might not mind, Obito and Guy are particularly affected by this approach.

After hearing Mutsuki's words, the smile on Obito's face instantly disappeared, gradually turning serious. His premonition seemed to be correct; it really was the dreaded problem-solving training again.

Although Mutsuki's questions helped him achieve good results in the Chunin exam, that didn't make Obito like solving problems. Just thinking about those black-and-white exam papers made his head start spinning.

"The training is quite daunting," Guy said with a serious expression. Even with his diligence, he hasn't managed to maintain the Breathing Technique all day.

If he had to solve problems, he would rather fight with the Hidden Cloud Jonin for another hour.

Under Mutsuki's arrangement, all disciples except Rin began their final training for Constant.

Rin hasn't been exposed to the Breathing Technique for long enough; she hasn't even reached the Beginner level in Water Breathing, so it's still too early for her to practice Constant.

Moreover, Rin's focus is currently on Medical Ninjutsu. Her role in the team is more about healing, and given the current power of her Ninjutsu, it's better to conserve her Chakra for healing rather than using it against enemies.

Unfortunately, on the day after the Chunin exam, he couldn't successfully hand over Rin to Tsunade for training.

Otherwise, with Rin's talent in Medical Ninjutsu, learning from Tsunade would help her gain a lot of knowledge.

It's not that Tsunade looks down on Rin; rather, Tsunade has to go to the capital of the Land of Fire for some matters, so she can't teach her for the time being.

Although he really didn't want to solve problems, Guy didn't change his training plan; after all, the strength he cultivates is his own.

However, it's quite difficult to achieve a Perfect completion on the first attempt, and after two hours, the first person unable to maintain the Breathing Technique appeared.

"Kakashi, one time," a Shadow Clone responsible for watching over Kakashi noted down.

"Kakashi, are you okay? You've already stopped after such a short time," Obito immediately mocked upon hearing this.

"It's just one question. Do you think I'm like you? Even ten wouldn't faze me," Kakashi replied nonchalantly, taking a breath.

He kept trying to enter the Transparent World, and each attempt required him to concentrate his breathing to the utmost. Even without much training, the consumption was particularly high, and resting from time to time didn't help much.

Kakashi could feel that he was close to truly entering the Transparent World, so he focused intensely on it, temporarily setting aside his Armament Haki.

If Mutsuki knew about Kakashi's thoughts, he would tell him that he was right.

According to Mutsuki's assessment, Kakashi's proficiency level in the Transparent World had reached ninety points, just ten points away from truly grasping it.

"You can hold on as much as you want; when it comes time to solve problems, you'll be the only one suffering," Obito scoffed, believing that Kakashi was just putting on a brave front.

Kakashi didn't argue much with Obito; after resting for a few minutes, he re-entered the Breathing Technique state.

Once his body recovered, he also wanted to challenge Shisui, as it had been a while since the disciples had fought among themselves, so he didn't know what level Shisui's strength was at now. To defeat Shisui, Kakashi would try to make himself as strong as possible during this time. After all, improving his own strength could never be a mistake.

Soon, after two and a half hours, the second person unable to maintain the Breathing Technique appeared: it was none other than Obito, who had mocked Kakashi not long ago.

Kakashi didn't say anything; he just glanced at Obito and let out a small laugh.

"Flame Breathing Chakra Mode consumes a lot of energy," Obito explained loudly, his face slightly flushed.

There wasn't really an issue, but he had just practiced Fiery Impact and those Nin-TaiJutsu, which consumed too much chakra, causing him to break the breathing state.

Everyone was busy training, and no one responded. After a few minutes, Obito re-entered the Breathing Technique state.

After five hours of training, instances of being unable to maintain the Breathing Technique increased, and everyone had to focus intensely on their breathing to barely hold on.

Even during the noon break, Mutsuki still required everyone to maintain their Breathing Technique.

Due to the consumption in the morning, the situation in the afternoon became even more severe, with more instances of being unable to maintain the Breathing Technique.

At the end of the day's training, Mutsuki announced everyone's results.

"Kakashi, thirty-four; Obito, thirty-two; Guy, thirty-one; Shisui, twenty-eight."

"Everyone worked hard today; you can go home and rest early. Tomorrow will be the same training content," Mutsuki reminded them.

For now, Kakashi and the others could still get a good rest, but once they reached the stage of maintaining the Breathing Technique while sleeping, it would be difficult for them to sleep well.

"Come back tomorrow!" Obito exclaimed, nearly stumbling to the ground upon hearing this.

Since graduating, Mutsuki rarely conducted consecutive problem-solving training; it usually happened about once a week.

In a daze, Obito seemed to see a mountain of problems crashing down on him, and a miserable life was about to arrive.

"Although the training is a bit tough, I believe you'll complete the Constant training soon. When that happens, I'll cook a big meal to celebrate," Mutsuki encouraged with a smile.

Obito swallowed back the words he wanted to say. With Mutsuki trusting them so much, how could he easily give up?

He couldn't blame Mutsuki for the abundance of questions; it was his own fault for not mastering the Breathing Technique properly. If he practiced the Breathing Technique well enough to maintain it continuously, he wouldn't have to solve problems at all.

Due to the ongoing summer special training, the next day Mutsuki only sent a Shadow Clone to instruct Obito while his main body taught the students of the summer training.

At this point, the summer training was nearly halfway through.

On this day, Mutsuki gathered Groups A and B to announce a new course.

"From now on, Groups A and B will temporarily have classes together to learn Ninjutsu!" Mutsuki announced.

Group C would also learn it, but since their curriculum was a bit behind, they would have to wait a few more days.

"Really? We get to learn Ninjutsu?" A student showed delight, thinking that learning Nature Transformation was already great. They hadn't expected this free special training to also include Ninjutsu.

Groups A and B were mostly Genin, with only a few exceptional Ninja Academy students. But for Genin, it was a rare opportunity to learn Ninjutsu from Mutsuki.

After all, he was someone who could take on Tailed Beasts, and his teaching abilities were exceptional.

"What kind of Ninjutsu will it be?" Shiranui Genma was very excited.

Mutsuki's performance on the first day of the special training was still fresh in their minds. If those five Ninjutsu were learned, it would truly be a great gain.

"This course is not mandatory. If anyone among you feels that these Ninjutsu won't be very helpful, you can choose not to learn them, because the Ninjutsu I will be teaching next are some low-level techniques that I created myself," Mutsuki explained.

When Mutsuki decided to teach Nature Transformation, he developed five Ninjutsu specifically for teaching purposes, as merely learning Nature Transformation without studying specific Ninjutsu wouldn't be helpful in combat.

Although he had mastered quite a few low-level Ninjutsu, for most students, even C-rank techniques like Phoenix Sage Fire and Great Fireball wouldn't be easy to learn and use.

Taking this into account, Mutsuki utilized his extensive knowledge of Ninjutsu to further reduce the power of the techniques and developed five D-rank Ninjutsu.

"Yumi-sensei developed these himself!" Asuma perked up. Since these were created by Yumi-sensei, even if they were lower rank, Asuma believed they held more potential than ordinary Ninjutsu.

Mutsuki is a genius in Ninjutsu. Asuma still remembered when he first met Mutsuki; he could only use Fire Release and Water Release, but now he can freely use Ninjutsu from all five major elemental affinities.

"Fire Release: Small Fireball Jutsu !"

Mutsuki instructed the students to spread out a bit, then formed the hand signs and released a fireball about half his height, leaving a charred mark on the ground.

Fire Release is currently Mutsuki's strongest Ninjutsu. Not only has his Nature Transformation reached the Perfect level, but he also has a wealth of Proficient Mastery in Fire Release Ninjutsu, so he developed this D-rank Fire Release technique the fastest.

Mutsuki also conveniently created advanced versions, such as the C-rank Big Fireball Technique and the B-rank Fireball Sea Technique.

"Wind Release: Wind Slash!"

Mutsuki formed hand signs again, and his palm erupted with a fierce gust of wind, leaving scratches on the large tree beside him.

This was the most challenging among the five low-level Ninjutsu that Mutsuki developed, as for Wind Release to have offensive power, the Nature Transformation level couldn't be too low.

"Water Release: Water Impact!"

"Lightning Release: Electric Beam!"

"Earth Release: Rock Stab!"

Mutsuki quickly demonstrated the remaining three Ninjutsu. Water Impact shot out a column of water, Electric Beam emitted a current, and Rock Stab controlled the ground to protrude rock pillars for attacks.

He basically had follow-up development ideas for these Ninjutsu. For example, Water Impact could increase in form transformation to become finer and enhance its penetrating power, while Electric Beam could also progress toward False Darkness.

The S-rank evaluation reward made Mutsuki very satisfied, so he would continue to hold the special training. If the Ninjas who participated continued to join, they could learn advanced Ninjutsu.

"If last year's special training had been like this, it would have been great," a student couldn't help but exclaim after watching.

He had graduated a few months ago, but the guiding sensei still hadn't started teaching them Ninjutsu, only taking them through some training.

If he could master this Ninjutsu while still in school, he would be far ahead.

Being able to master a technique like Great Fireball or Phoenix Sage Fire at the Genin stage would be considered excellent. Graduating Genin generally rely on Taijutsu and ninja tools for combat.

Many civilian Genin empathized with him; the path of a civilian Ninja was indeed too difficult.

It would be fine if they encountered a sensei with the same Chakra attribute, but if someone had a natural affinity for water and ended up with a sensei specializing in Fire Release, that would be truly tough.

After the demonstration, Mutsuki divided into five Shadow Clones to teach the corresponding attribute Ninjutsu.

Most of the students who could learn went to study, as Mutsuki taught so well—having more skills is never a burden.

Of course, it depended on the situation; no one from Nara Ensui's team learned because they all relied on their family's Secret Jutsu, so these techniques wouldn't benefit them much.

"I can't believe they're already starting to learn Ninjutsu!" Hagane Kotetsu observed the commotion from Groups A and B with great envy.

Then Hagane Kotetsu couldn't help but ask Mutsuki's Shadow Clone in Group C, "Yumi-sensei, when will we in Group C learn Ninjutsu?"

Hagane Kotetsu looked at Mutsuki nervously, fearing that Mutsuki might say they wouldn't learn at all.

"Based on your current progress, probably in about four days," Shadow Clone Mutsuki thought for a moment and replied.

It wasn't that he was being biased, but Group C's progress was indeed slower, so they would start a bit later.

"Great!" Hagane Kotetsu exclaimed excitedly; he could finally learn other Ninjutsu. He was getting tired of practicing the Three Basic Jutsu.

Perhaps because they could only learn the Three Basic Jutsu in school, the Academy students were extremely enthusiastic about learning Ninjutsu.

Once they understood it was due to progress, the students in Group C diligently practiced Nature Transformation, eager to learn Ninjutsu as soon as possible.

This enthusiasm allowed them to meet the requirements a day early, and after three days, they began learning Ninjutsu alongside the Shadow Clones.

After studying Ninjutsu for two weeks, a new practical exam arrived, and many students gained a deeper understanding of Ninjutsu during combat. Being able to use Ninjutsu and effectively applying it in battle are two different things.

After two practical exams, it also marked the end of the special training, which lasted only five weeks in total.

In the final week, at the strong request of many students, Mutsuki extended the training duration to six weeks.

"I feel like there's still so much about Ninjutsu that I don't understand. Since we have nothing to do during the break, Yumi-sensei, could you teach us a bit longer?"

"Yumi-sensei, if it's really not possible, let's skip the weekend breaks. If school starts again, we definitely won't learn this at school."

Many students earnestly pleaded with Mutsuki to extend the training time or to have make-up classes during the break.

Although an extra week of classes meant they would only have a few days of rest during the summer, the students didn't mind at all; breaks would always come, but opportunities to learn Ninjutsu are rare.

Compared to their own concerns, the students were more worried about Mutsuki, as he was teaching so many people, which was undoubtedly more exhausting for him than their own studies.

Faced with such eager students, Mutsuki had no reason to refuse; you reap what you sow. While more classes are indeed tiring, the rewards are also greater.

However, this was ultimately an unexpected change. When Mutsuki went to Hiruzen's house to learn Ninjutsu, he reported this matter to him.

Now, Mutsuki typically handled two things when visiting Hiruzen's house: one was to consult with him about Ninjutsu and to demonstrate his progress in learning Ninjutsu, reinforcing his skills, and the other was to report on the progress of the special training.

Due to the large number of students this time, Hiruzen took this special training quite seriously.

"If the students are willing, adding another week of classes isn't a problem; it's just that it's hard on you, Mutsuki," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, stroking his goatee.

When Mutsuki set up the special training, he considered the students' vacation issues. Even after the training ended, the students would still have over a week of vacation, so adding another week wouldn't affect the Academy's normal opening. As for those Genin, their movements would be even freer.

"As long as the students can learn something, I don't mind working a little harder," Mutsuki said earnestly.

He meant every word, as the more the students learned, the more rewards he received.

"If every sensei were as outstanding as Mutsuki, the strength of the Academy students would definitely improve significantly," Hiruzen couldn't help but praise.

Hearing Mutsuki's heartfelt words moved Hiruzen.

Normally, a Ninja of Mutsuki's caliber would not teach at the Academy. With such strong abilities, he could earn a lot of money and resources from missions, and taking on more challenging tasks could also enhance his reputation, building his credentials for a higher position.

"Outstanding Ninjas like this should be rewarded more," Hiruzen decided to give Mutsuki additional rewards as compensation.

After discussing the extended teaching hours, Mutsuki reported the progress of the students in this exam to Hiruzen.

"Your self-created Ninjutsu?" Hiruzen said, revealing an intrigued expression.

Mutsuki briefly demonstrated for Hiruzen.

"Although these are all very simple Ninjutsu, it shows that you have a solid foundation in Ninjutsu. You've put in effort," Hiruzen nodded in approval.

"When school starts, those sensei are going to be shocked by the students, all having learned new Ninjutsu," Hiruzen said with a smile.

Mutsuki's training program consistently surprised him, as he managed to achieve what the entire Academy faculty couldn't.

After thinking for a moment, Hiruzen decided to create a new position specifically for Mutsuki at the Academy.

The leader of the teacher group couldn't be easily replaced, and Mutsuki had already reached the top of his positions at the Academy. If Hiruzen wanted to promote Mutsuki further, he could either assign him to another role or create a new position.

Hiruzen planned to inspect the last exam, and if there were no issues, he would appoint Mutsuki as the vice-principal of the Academy.

Since the establishment of the Academy, there had never been a vice-principal position because the identity of the principal was too unique; it was the Hokage, and what kind of status could someone have to become the vice-principal?

Hiruzen now felt that Mutsuki's abilities were sufficient to become the vice-principal!

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