Chapter 419: Kakashi's Promotion Reward
["Disciple Uchiha Shisui diligently trained and achieved a perfect score in the Chunin Exams, advancing to chunin, receiving rewards: chakra plus 1800, random bloodline limit extraction scroll."]
Even though Shisui's path to first place had been far easier than Kakashi's, the system's reward did not change at all.
Mugetsu judged that the Chunin Exams rewards were fixed, just like the Ninja Academy exam rewards, and were distributed according to rank.
He headed to the kitchen, turned on the faucet, washed his hands, and then prepared to use the bloodline extraction scroll.
The operation did not actually require his hands, but the sense of ritual still mattered.
After greeting every deity he could think of in his heart, Mugetsu focused his mind, controlled the panel, and clicked to extract.
"Random bloodline limit extraction scroll consumed, obtained bloodline limit: Wood Release."
"Wood Release. Not bad," Mugetsu nodded as a new entry level skill appeared in his skill bar.
Senju Hashirama's terrifying power was not simply because of Wood Release. With Hashirama's chakra reserves, any ninjutsu he used would have been monstrous.
Still, Wood Release was unquestionably an excellent bloodline limit.
It could absorb chakra and suppress tailed beast power. That was exactly why Kakashi had needed Yamato's help when training Naruto.
Mugetsu also found tailed beasts troublesome. They were hard to put down and carried terrifying abilities like the tailed beast ball. Having Wood Release would make dealing with them much easier.
Of course, that depended on proficiency.
Even Yamato's Wood Release was only at the master level, and his proficiency was not especially high. Mugetsu's brand new Wood Release, an entry level skill with zero proficiency, probably could not even grow a tree that looked impressive.
With a thought, Mugetsu used his last nature transformation experience scroll on Wood Release.
This was one of the promotion rewards he received for training seven hundred students. He had obtained two in total, and the other had been used on Ice Release.
Because his seven major natures were already at master level or above, Mugetsu knew from experience that higher level skills became harder to raise in proficiency.
An entry level skill with one point of proficiency could be pushed from entry level to proficient just by repeating the same ninjutsu three times in class.
But once it reached proficient, the same repetition gave less and less. Even eighteen repetitions of an entry level skill could not turn a proficient skill into a master level one.
"Skill: Wood Release (Proficient: 1000/3000)."
As the scroll took effect, countless memories related to Wood Release training flooded into Mugetsu's mind.
In an instant, he went from someone who had never practiced it to someone who understood it, at least to a certain degree.
Right after that, Mugetsu went to the South Border Forest to test his Wood Release.
Before doing anything, he used perception ninjutsu to scan the surroundings, then activated Transparent World and the Byakugan to confirm no one was nearby.
Only then did he begin.
Mugetsu lowered his palm toward the ground, rapidly converting the chakra in his body into Wood Release chakra and activating the technique.
Under his gaze, a tender sprout burst through the soil and grew at an unscientific speed, expanding into a tree eight or nine meters tall.
"What a miraculous nature," Mugetsu murmured as he examined what he had created.
Logically, growth that violent should have made the tree fragile and sickly.
Instead, it was unbelievably healthy, even more vibrant than trees that grew naturally.
From that practical test alone, Mugetsu could confirm one thing.
Wood Release chakra nature transformation carried powerful vitality in its very composition.
However, that vitality only manifested in the trees created by Wood Release. It could only function as a ninjutsu effect, not as some kind of life force booster for the user.
Wood Release vitality was like the burning property of fire nature. It was an inherent trait of the nature itself, not something that granted the caster a miraculous body.
"How do I raise Wood Release proficiency?" Mugetsu fell into thought after burning down the tree he had created.
Compared to Ice Release, Wood Release held far more strategic value for him. It broadened his options against tailed beasts, so he wanted to improve it quickly.
Mugetsu was willing to train by himself. Since transmigrating into the shinobi world, he had never been idle, and he did not mind carving out time for Wood Release Training.
But training alone would be painfully inefficient.
Yamato had practiced for more than twenty years and only barely reached the master level.
Unless Mugetsu's talent for Wood Release was on the same level as his talent for sealing techniques, it would be impossible to develop it to something meaningful before Uchiha Madara made his move.
On that point, Mugetsu was realistic.
Even Hashirama himself did not become invincible after only two or three years of Wood Release training.
So if self practice would not work, he would have to rely on cheats.
Mugetsu's current idea was to run special training, then use two more nature transformation experience scrolls on Wood Release.
He was not avoiding teaching Wood Release because he feared exposing it. It simply would not work.
After giving many S rank lectures, Mugetsu understood the reward mechanism.
The first key factor for an S rank reward was that you were rewarded for what you taught, but that factor had a prerequisite.
The students had to gain something.
The more the students gained, the more rewards the system provided. The less they gained, the less the system gave.
That was one reason the rewards differed when Mugetsu taught nature transformations. People's chakra natures were not balanced. Wind was rare, while fire, earth, and water were far more common.
Mugetsu did not believe those students could truly understand a Wood Release lecture.
Bloodline limits were a blend of learning and something closer to fate. They were too difficult to popularize.
The next day, the disciples proactively asked Mugetsu to officiate their internal sparring.
As everyone's strength rose, injuries became inevitable when determining a winner. With Mugetsu present, it was far safer.
Of course.
Kakashi and the others had never actually been able to hide it from him. Mugetsu simply had not exposed them, because nothing had gone wrong.
He felt regular internal sparring was a good method.
It motivated the disciples to teain harder.
"Just a little more," Kakashi sighed quietly. "It would've been better if it was a bit later."
His Armament Haki was still stuck at that final step.
He could use it, but not every time.
For Kakashi, who relied on explosive power, that flaw was fatal. If he could not guarantee that full power slash, it was almost like he had not learned Armament Haki at all.
"Shisui, this time the winner is definitely me," Obito declared, brimming with confidence after staying up all night studying Shisui's detailed intel.
This time he had information. He would not be careless. His win rate against Shisui had already climbed past ninety percent in his head.
"Obito," Kakashi said, staring at him, "how do you know your opponent will be Shisui?"
They were drawing lots. There were no fixed matchups.
Obito's expression froze.
A hint of panic rose, but his mouth stayed stubborn.
"No matter who my opponent is, I will win," Obito said, as if first place was already reserved for him.
"You'll win," Kakashi replied, copying Obito's expression from three months ago.
Rin covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
Obito's face slowly turned red.
"Three months changes people, Kakashi," Obito shouted, forcing confidence into his voice. "Don't underestimate how much I've grown!"
Kakashi only smiled, saying nothing.
How could he not know, when they trained together every day?
Mugetsu cleared his throat twice and began drawing lots for his disciples.
"Please, not Guy. Please, not Guy," Obito prayed in his heart, hands clasped together.
He was not afraid of Might Guy as a person.
He was afraid of the penalty for losing in the first round.
Might Guy was the opponent with the lowest win rate for him. Obito would rather fight Kakashi.
After the last spar, Obito had tried to think of ways to beat Might Guy, but every plan came back with the same conclusion.
Too difficult. Too many harsh conditions.
"Obito versus Kakashi. Shisui versus Guy," Mugetsu announced.
Obito exhaled in relief.
Facing Kakashi did not give him as much winning potential as facing Shisui, but it was still far better than drawing Might Guy. A blessing in disguise.
Shisui and Might Guy exchanged a glance, and a heavy pressure silently rose between them.
Shisui had lost to Guy in the last internal sparring, letting Guy hold the title of strongest disciple for three months.
Obito and Kakashi stepped forward, faced each other, and formed the Confrontation Seal.
Their eyes burned with fighting spirit.
Neither of them wanted to lose, not just because of the penalty, but because of pride.
"How can I lose to this guy under Rin's gaze?" Feeling Rin watching, Obito forced out one hundred twenty percent of his strength.
This time there was no carelessness, no arrogance.
Obito stayed cautious from beginning to end, refusing to fall into Kakashi's combat traps.
They exchanged blows again and again. Fire Release and dazzling Lightning Release sword techniques bloomed constantly, one after another.
Kakashi wiped the thin sheen of sweat from his forehead, heat rolling off Obito's flames as Kakashi sprinted and evaded the high temperature attacks.
Obito pushed his Sharingan to its limit, making sure he was never caught off guard by Kakashi's high speed slashes.
Their overall strength was nearly equal. After several collisions, neither side could break the other in a single decisive strike.
Under the pressure Obito created, Kakashi tried to use Armament Haki a third time.
In that moment, something clicked.
An epiphany.
Kakashi finally grasped the basics properly. He no longer needed luck or a fleeting feeling to activate it.
"Kakashi wins," Mugetsu announced after the final clash of fire and lightning, then, together with Rin, began treating both of them.
["Disciple Kakashi Hatake diligently trained under your guidance and improved his overall strength, receiving a promotion reward: Thunderclap Flash Godspeed (Master Level)."]
Instantly, a wave of memories about Lightning Release sword techniques surged into Mugetsu's mind.
He was not unfamiliar with this skill.
It was a Thunder Breathing technique from Demon Slayer, the ultimate form of Thunderclap Flash.
Blindingly fast. Brutally powerful.
It suited Kakashi's current path perfectly.
Obito, receiving treatment, hung his head and did not dare look at Rin, afraid he would see disappointment on her face.
He had no excuse for this loss.
He had given everything. He had not underestimated Kakashi. He had not been careless.
"No matter who my opponent is, I will win," Kakashi said, imitating him again.
"Damn you, Kakashi!" Obito snapped, unable to hold it in anymore. He jerked his head up and cursed.
The moment he looked up, he saw Rin's expression beside him.
It was not disappointment.
It was encouragement, and care.
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