"It's December again, time really flies. It feels like the special training during the holidays was just recently, and now we're about to enter another long break," Hagane Kotetsu sighed.
"Yeah, in three weeks, it's the final exams. I feel like I've been off my game lately, hopefully, I don't do too badly," Kamizuki Izumo said with a worried expression on his face.
"You two, stop it. You always say you're not doing well, yet every time you take an exam, you score a hundred or ninety-something. Besides Shisui, who can beat you two?" Anko walked into the classroom and immediately scolded her two good friends.
In the past, she had believed them many times, only to end up with the sadness of low scores on her own.
"Anko, you don't get it. For someone who's scored a hundred, even getting ninety-five feels like a step back," Hagane Kotetsu shook his head and said.
"And once you've scored a hundred, you can never enjoy the joy of improving your score again. I hope, Anko, that you'll never experience this kind of pain."
"I really envy you, Anko, for having so much room to improve. You've never been first in either theory or practical combat," Kamizuki Izumo added with a jab.
This time, Anko really couldn't hold back. Being second in practical combat had always been her sore spot. Shisui was like an insurmountable mountain blocking her path to first place.
Bang! Bang!
Anko used Body Flicker Jutsu to instantly appear beside them and swung her fists.
Hagane Kotetsu and Kamizuki Izumo tried to dodge, but they couldn't match Anko's speed and were unable to escape her "magic fists."
After the punch, Anko immediately felt much better and her smile returned.
"Anko, you're a girl, how can you just go around hitting people? We were just speaking the truth," Hagane Kotetsu advised.
Although teasing Anko was fun, taking a punch for it was a bit too much. At least they thought it would be worth it if he could get a few more words in.
Anko knew she couldn't win the argument, so she swung her small fists a couple of times.
Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu immediately swallowed the words they were about to say.
"Today's weather is really nice."
"Indeed, it's December, and there's this much sun."
The two of them used the weather card to forcefully change the subject.
"I wonder if this special training is with Yumi-sensei or another sensei. If it's not Yumi-sensei, then I'll just refuse," Hagane Kotetsu suddenly thought about the sensei for the holiday special training.
The special training during the holiday was mandatory only for graduates, and excellent lower-year students like them could choose to refuse.
"Same here. If it's not Yumi-sensei teaching, I'd rather just spend the whole holiday playing. At least then I'd enjoy myself," Anko agreed.
Although training for a month would definitely result in some improvement, Anko felt that the small gains weren't worth more than having fun during the break.
"I'm afraid it's highly unlikely," Kamizuki Izumo said, maintaining a pessimistic outlook.
"Why, how do you know if Yumi-sensei didn't say anything?" Anko asked in confusion.
"Because the second semester holiday special training also coincides with the day the graduate interns start," Kamizuki Izumo explained.
"Since last year, the school selects a group of outstanding graduates for internships to familiarize them with Ninja work. Last year, Yumi-sensei couldn't do the holiday special training because he was busy with the interns."
The holiday special training was originally set up to improve the strength of graduates, and the interns are all top graduates chosen for the program. If Kamizuki Izumo were to be the Academy Elder, he would have Mutsuki teach the strongest students.
"Why don't we apply to become intern Ninjas with Yumi-sensei?" Hagane Kotetsu thought of a good idea.
"We've beaten fourth-year students before, so it's not fair that they can do internships and we can't."
He felt this was totally reasonable—Ninjas speak with strength, and as long as you're strong enough, you can apply for early graduation without finishing the first year.
"Everyone, open your books and prepare for class," Mutsuki said as he entered the classroom.
The three immediately sat up straight, took out their textbooks, and exchanged glances, silently agreeing to meet up with Mutsuki after school.
The time spent seriously listening to class always passed quickly, and before they knew it, the school bell rang for the end of the day.
"See you all this afternoon," Mutsuki said with a warm smile as he left the classroom.
Originally, Sarutobi Hiruzen had planned to find another sensei to cover for Mutsuki, but Mutsuki ultimately refused and decided to use a Shadow Clone to teach.
Although the Shadow Clone didn't have any teaching skills, Mutsuki's Ninja knowledge and teaching abilities were beyond what an ordinary sensei could offer.
"Yumi-sensei, wait a moment," Anko and the others quickly ran out to stop him.
"Yumi-sensei, we want to become intern Ninjas too!" Anko didn't waste time, directly stating their purpose, then looked at Mutsuki with anticipation.
"Internship, huh..." Mutsuki thought for a moment.
Anko and the others had decent talent, and with his guidance, they were much stronger than most fourth-year students. Especially Anko—her strength could easily place her in a good position in the fourth-year class's combat ranking.
"I'll add you to the list, and the results will be announced at the end of the semester," Mutsuki replied.
"Yay, Yumi-sensei is the best!" Anko cheered with her hand raised.
Hagane Kotetsu and Kamizuki Izumo also showed expressions of joy. "Participating in the internship as second-year students, we're making history!"
This was indeed true, as the intern Ninja program had only been proposed by Mutsuki last year.
...
In a secluded training field, whether they were Root Ninjas or ANBU Ninjas, everyone stood upright, staring straight ahead. They all looked as if they were prepared for battle.
Today was the last day of training, which also meant it was the day of their exam.
Of course, if it were just a regular exam, they would complete it seriously, but it wouldn't be to the extent of them looking like they were heading into a battlefield.
The reason they displayed such a posture was because Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo were standing nearby, watching the proceedings.
With the highest leaders standing right there, of course, they wanted to perform even better.
"Sarutobi Shinji versus Koyama Kakuei," Mutsuki glanced at the list and announced the first matchup.
The best way to demonstrate Ninja strength is through battle, but considering that they were all elite Ninjas, Mutsuki did not limit the area and instead chose a free-for-all style combat.
As soon as Sarutobi Shinji heard his name, he stepped out of the team, and Koyama Kakuei immediately followed.
The two of them performed the traditional Seal of Confrontation according to Konoha's rules, then silently stared at each other, waiting for the referee's signal.
"Start!" Once both were ready, Mutsuki called out.
As soon as Mutsuki's voice fell, the two immediately unleashed their Chakra and charged forward.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In order to gain the upper hand, both used the multi-explosion technique of Shunpo to accelerate their speed.
"They're lucky to have Mutsuki as their training sensei. Shunpo, as a Body Flicker Jutsu, is indeed quite exceptional," Sarutobi Hiruzen stroked his beard and said with a smile.
As the Hokage, he couldn't know the exact strength of every ANBU, but Sarutobi Shinji, being both an ANBU and a Jonin from the Sarutobi Clan, was someone he knew a little better.
Sarutobi Hiruzen could clearly sense that Sarutobi Shinji's Body Flicker Jutsu had improved significantly compared to before.
"The Ninjas I've trained in Root are naturally outstanding," Shimura Danzo suddenly remarked, emphasizing Root's achievements.
"Danzo, have you forgotten? There's never been a Ninja named Mutsuki Yumi in Root," Sarutobi Hiruzen said without changing his expression.
He was reminding Shimura Danzo not to have any more ideas about Mutsuki, because Mutsuki was a Ninja Danzo had trained against regulations, so Sarutobi Hiruzen outright denied Mutsuki's affiliation with Root and even erased the records.
Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at Mutsuki out of the corner of his eye with a conflicted expression, tinged with a bit of self-blame.
"I should have discovered Mutsuki earlier," Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed inwardly.
Given Mutsuki's displayed personality, it was impossible that he had spent so much time in Root without developing any attachment to it.
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't look down on Shimura Danzo, but he felt that Danzo wasn't suitable for Mutsuki and would lead him astray.
"Hmph." Shimura Danzo snorted coldly and stopped speaking. He knew that he was in the wrong in this matter.
However, Shimura Danzo wasn't actually trying to bring Mutsuki back to Root. He felt that Mutsuki was doing well on his own, capable of carrying out missions for him, while also gaining resources from Sarutobi Hiruzen's side to grow.
He said this just to remind Sarutobi Hiruzen that allowing Root to expand was the correct course of action.
Hiruzen and Danzo didn't continue to argue, both visibly relieved and refocused on the ongoing battle.
At this moment, Mutsuki just wanted to say that life was like a play, and it all depended on acting. In this world, if you didn't have a bit of acting skill, you'd never get by.
He had to be the genius Ninja inheriting the Will of Fire in the eyes of the Third Hokage, and also the deeply loyal Root Ninja in Danzo's heart.
Bang!
In the end, it was Sarutobi Shinji, who had mastered Shunpo and had stronger Chakra, who was a bit faster, landing a punch that sent Koyama Kakuei stumbling back several meters.
Seizing the advantage, Sarutobi Shinji pressed forward, expanding his lead.
"Darkness Breathing, Total Concentration Breathing!" Seeing his disadvantage grow, Koyama Kakuei focused his breath to the extreme, while his Chakra surged explosively.
With the boost from Beginner-level Darkness Breathing, Koyama Kakuei's physical abilities quickly increased, allowing him to block Sarutobi Shinji's attacks.
"Darkness Breathing, Total Concentration Breathing!" Sarutobi Shinji also activated his focused breathing, refusing to back down.
In an instant, the situation returned to where it was before. With his solid strength, Sarutobi Shinji only needed four minutes to defeat Koyama Kakuei.
"Is it that Shinji has more talent in Darkness Breathing?" Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had been watching the entire fight, fell into deep thought.
Sarutobi Shinji didn't give the impression of someone who had trained for only two and a half months. Normally, such a significant improvement would take years to achieve.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had two theories: one was that Sarutobi Shinji was particularly suited to practicing Darkness Breathing, and the other was that Darkness Breathing was stronger than he had initially thought.
"Has there really been such significant improvement in just two and a half months?" Shimura Danzo was also surprised after watching the fight.
Koyama Kakuei was one of his subordinates, and since he was a new member who had just joined Root, Shimura Danzo was very aware of Koyama Kakuei's strength.
Although Koyama Kakuei only lasted for four minutes, Danzo thought that if the pre-training Koyama Kakuei had fought, lasting two and a half minutes would have been impressive.
"Is it because of Shunpo and Darkness Breathing?" Danzo considered that after the results were determined, it might be a good idea to have all Root members learn these two Taijutsu styles.
"Tobita Kenji vs. Miwa Ryota!" After the battle ended, Mutsuki quickly announced the names of the next two Ninjas.
Both Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo showed serious expressions as they looked toward the two about to fight.
Although such a level of battle was no more than children's play to them, they were eager to know whether the effects of the two Taijutsu were exceptional cases or a general trend.
Noticing the intense gaze of Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo, Tobita Kenji and Miwa Ryota exchanged a glance and both felt the pressure.
As teammates who had trained together for two and a half months, they were very aware of each other's strengths.
In this situation, even though Miwa Ryota knew he was no match for Tobita Kenji, he still went all out, determined that even if he couldn't win, he would at least make the fight look good.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Bang! Boom!
The two figures constantly flashed through the dense forest, the powerful strength granted by the Breathing Technique knocking down one giant tree after another.
It wasn't until Miwa Ryota had completely exhausted himself that he unwillingly collapsed to the ground.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo continued to watch the battle without saying a word. After watching the first round, then the second, and the third, they were both deeply surprised.
This immense improvement wasn't an isolated case; every Ninja participating in the training had shown significant improvement. However, those with better talents, like Tobita Kenji and Sarutobi Shinji, had improved even more.
"Although the difficulty is only A-rank, the actual improvement from Darkness Breathing is unlike any ordinary A-rank Taijutsu," Sarutobi Hiruzen realized that he had truly underestimated this Taijutsu.
This overall significant improvement was not only due to Mutsuki's excellent teaching ability, but also largely because of the excellence of Shunpo and Darkness Breathing.
"All Root members must learn these two Taijutsu!" Shimura Danzo felt a bit regretful.
If he hadn't sent Mutsuki to the Academy, even if Mutsuki had only trained the Root members, it would have greatly increased the strength of Root.
From Shimura Danzo's perspective, this level of improvement wouldn't be considered earth-shattering. When Sarutobi Hiruzen was young, his own strength improved much faster, but if a group of people all experienced such improvement, that was quite remarkable.
"Mutsuki, you've really surprised me. To think that such improvement could be achieved in less than three months," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a kindly smile, praising him.
"Third-sama, you flatter me. Everyone trained very seriously, and such improvement was to be expected," Mutsuki humbly replied.
"You have impressive talent in the development of techniques. I have some experience from the Second Hokage on Ninjutsu development; if you're interested, I can have someone send it to you," Sarutobi Hiruzen thought Mutsuki's talent for developing Ninjutsu also deserved attention.
Mutsuki immediately showed a delighted expression upon hearing this and quickly thanked Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Shimura Danzo, standing nearby, felt uneasy. He had already lost the right to openly recruit Mutsuki.
"Hiruzen, you're too late. No matter how much you try to recruit Mutsuki now, it's useless. He will always be a Ninja of Root," Shimura Danzo reassured himself inwardly.
Sarutobi Hiruzen might have gained Mutsuki's allegiance, but Mutsuki's heart would always remain with Root.
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