Chapter 599: The Charm of the Ninja Clan
When the afternoon session ended, the lecture rewards were settled immediately.
Because there were more ninja attending this time, and because there was a high-quality participant like a Jinchūriki among them, the proficiency gains from this advanced lecture were even greater than before.
Mugetsu remembered very clearly just how difficult it was to raise perfect-level Nature Transformation proficiency.
During the first advanced lecture, his Fire Release Chakra Nature Transformation proficiency had only increased by ten points. This time, however, it had clearly risen by much more.
Mugetsu glanced at his personal panel.
Skills: Fire Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Perfect: 680 / 80000), Water Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Perfect), Wind Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery: 9400 / 15000), Lightning Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery: 8100), Earth Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery: 6900)…
Of the Five Great Nature Transformations, two had already reached Perfect level.
Among the remaining Mastery-level transformations, Wind Release had the highest proficiency, already above nine thousand, while Earth Release was the lowest, sitting just under seven thousand.
This time, Mugetsu planned to lecture for eight days. If all eight sessions earned an S-rank evaluation, then Wind Release Chakra Nature Transformation should easily break past ten thousand proficiency.
That was because the "Chakra Comprehension" reward from an S-rank evaluation also helped improve Nature Transformation proficiency. Even if there were fewer Wind Release users in attendance, the combined gains from eight lectures would definitely be enough.
As for Lightning Release and Earth Release, Mugetsu estimated that Earth Release would likely rise past eight thousand, while Lightning Release, though slightly lower, should still reach around nine thousand, depending on the chakra affinities of the people attending.
Even Ice Release and Wood Release would gain a little as well, because "Chakra Comprehension" advanced all Nature Transformations, including those two.
"Class dismissed. Same time tomorrow, same place," Mugetsu said with a smile, formally ending the first day's lecture.
Only then did the ninja gathered at the Training Ground realize that dusk had already arrived and the day was nearly over.
"Teacher Sōsuke is incredible. It feels like knowledge is pouring straight into my head when I listen to him," one Amegakure ninja blurted out instinctively.
The moment he spoke, he regretted it.
This time, he was not secretly here with just a few teammates. Lord Hanzō himself was present as well.
The Rain ninja quickly peeked at Hanzō from the corner of his eye. When he saw that Hanzō seemed to be deep in thought and had apparently not noticed, he finally relaxed.
"I really have to thank Ōnoki for this. If he hadn't been so stubborn, I might not have made up my mind so quickly. Then I might have missed Sōsuke's lecture altogether."
Roshi was in an exceptionally good mood after the day's lesson. For the first time in a while, even the old fossil Ōnoki seemed a little less detestable.
After all, if Roshi had been even slightly later, he might have completely missed the second unrestricted lecture.
"It seems Sōsuke really is the kind of person you expected him to be," the Four Tails said with a smile.
Roshi was not a humorless man, but he rarely smiled. The Four Tails seldom saw him this happy.
"That's not quite it," Roshi explained. "This is just the starting point after leaving Iwagakure. Since it's turned out well, of course I'm happy."
He admired Sōsuke's deeds and abilities, but he was not some blind admirer.
The real reason for his good mood was that he now felt certain he had made the right decision when he left. He had not chosen the wrong path.
"And besides, whether he's truly the sort of person I imagined can only be confirmed after I speak with him once the lecture is over."
Even though he said that, after listening to the first day's class, Roshi found himself looking forward even more to speaking with Sōsuke once the lectures were finished.
The next day, the second day's lessons focused on Water Release, Yin Release, and Yang Release Nature Transformation.
Mugetsu had chosen that lineup because his Water Release Chakra Nature Transformation had already reached Perfect level. His understanding of it had deepened greatly, which gave him even more confidence in the quality of the lecture.
This session left Hanzō thoroughly shaken.
The more he listened, the less confident he felt. He constantly had the uneasy impression that even in Water Release, the field he was best at, he might somehow be inferior to Sōsuke.
"That can't be right. If his Water Release were truly stronger than mine, he would have used Water Release against me back then," Hanzō comforted himself inwardly.
In truth, if he thought about it just a little more, he would have noticed the flaw in his logic. Sōsuke's Wind Release was obviously powerful as well, yet he had not relied on that much in their battle either.
But once someone starts comforting himself, he naturally avoids thinking in certain directions.
It was not that Hanzō could not realize it. He simply did not want to.
This day's lesson greatly satisfied many ninja from the Land of Rain, since most of them specialized in Water Release.
During the break, quite a few Rain ninja looked at the Shinobi Sect's members with envy.
They had spent half a day benefiting from Sōsuke's lecture and already felt as though they had profited enormously. The Shinobi Sect's own members, meanwhile, likely had many opportunities to receive this sort of teaching. And given Sōsuke's personality, there was no way he would be stingy toward the ninja of his own faction.
Most Amegakure ninja still respected Hanzō deeply. Many even revered him.
But comparison was always the cruelest thing.
Put side by side with Sōsuke, Lord Hanzō suddenly seemed lacking in every category.
"Why did we attack the Shinobi Sect in the first place?"
Some Rain ninja could not help but feel confused.
At the beginning, Hanzō had not been hostile toward Sōsuke at all. The two sides had even interacted quite amicably, and many Amegakure ninja had initially held a very favorable impression of Sōsuke.
Then, for some inexplicable reason, negative rumors about the Shinobi Sect began circulating in Amegakure, claiming it was an illegal ninja organization attempting to incite war, and things quickly deteriorated from there.
First, Hanzō personally led a force to surround and eliminate the Shinobi Sect, only to fail. After that, the two sides became openly hostile.
If the Shinobi Sect had truly been some evil ninja organization, that would have been one thing. But now, looking back, it was plainly Amegakure that had been in the wrong. Many Rain ninja simply could not understand how things had ended up that way.
Ordinary Rain ninja knew too little. With only fragments of information, they could not piece together a coherent explanation.
"When Lord Hanzō is gone someday, maybe joining the Shinobi Sect wouldn't be a bad choice."
They knew little else, but they did know one thing for certain: Sōsuke was powerful, he treated his subordinates well, and he seemed capable of bringing true change to the Land of Rain.
Moreover, the Shinobi Sect was now an official power in the Land of Rain, standing on equal footing with Amegakure. To the Rain ninja, joining it would simply mean changing employers while still protecting their homeland.
At the end of the session, Mugetsu reminded everyone, "Tomorrow is a rest day, so you don't need to come. The lectures will resume the day after, at the usual time."
The schedule had already been announced beforehand, but he still repeated it in case anyone had become so engrossed in the lectures that they forgot.
"Also, during the rest day, our Shinobi Sect will be holding several activities in the city. Anyone interested, or anyone considering joining the Shinobi Sect, is welcome to go take a look."
Mugetsu took the chance to advertise the organization a little.
His words did not stir any resentment at all. With lecture quality like this, the attendees would probably tolerate far more than a bit of recruitment talk.
Some rogue ninja and members of smaller factions were visibly tempted.
The Shinobi Sect was not yet large, but its strength was clearly real, and its future development was equally obvious.
Even some Amegakure ninja felt tempted. Quite a few secretly wondered whether they ought to disguise themselves and go have a look.
…
On the third day, the scheduled rest day, Roshi woke early in the morning and, out of habit, went to a nearby breakfast stall to buy something to eat. Then, bowl in hand, he started walking toward the Training Ground where the lectures had been held.
"Roshi, it's a rest day today. There's no class," the Four Tails reminded him.
"I know," Roshi replied without changing expression. "Didn't Sōsuke say so himself? I just don't feel right sitting still while I eat. Walking helps digestion."
The Four Tails smiled and said nothing.
With no lecture to attend, Roshi had no choice but to wander around Six Paths City.
He quickly became a little bored.
That was because on the first day he arrived, he had already explored most of the city. On top of that, many parts of Six Paths City had an unmistakable Iwagakure style to them, which made the place feel overly familiar to Roshi and dulled his sense of novelty even further.
Eventually, he remembered what Mugetsu had said the day before and headed toward the area where the Shinobi Sect was holding its activities.
Following the posted signs, Roshi arrived at a fork in the road.
One sign read Recruiting Ninja.
The other read Learn About the Shinobi Sect.
Roshi looked at them briefly, then headed straight down the second path without hesitation.
He had no intention of joining another ninja force.
Doing so would only bring trouble to both himself and whoever took him in.
This was not Roshi being vain. As the Four Tails' Jinchūriki, he was an asset every major force in the ninja world would covet.
If he joined any organization, even one on the level of one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, it would alter the balance of power dramatically.
If he joined a smaller organization, then the day his identity was exposed would likely be the day that organization was destroyed.
And that was only the external danger. Roshi himself had no desire to return to the sort of life he had lived before.
He had won battles for Iwagakure and never changed the way the villagers looked at him. He had broken through with his comrades alive and was repaid with surveillance. No one had believed a word he said.
Roshi followed the path to the end and found himself entering a large classroom.
The moment he stepped inside, a ninja from the Shinobi Sect walked up and handed him a book that was not particularly thick.
"If there's anything you don't understand, you can go to the booths over there and ask us," the Shinobi Sect ninja said, pointing toward another door inside the classroom.
Roshi nodded, found a random seat, and lowered his gaze to the book.
Though it was called a book, it felt more like a bundle of bound documents. It was far too plain.
There were no illustrations on the cover. Only a few large words were written on it.
The Shinobi Sect and Peace.
With curiosity, Roshi opened the excessively plain volume.
The first chapter discussed the origins of the Shinobi Sect, describing how the ancient Shinobi Sect had pursued peace during the era of the Six Paths Sage.
After only a few lines, Roshi already felt tempted to skip ahead.
He assumed it would just be the usual thing, praising the Six Paths Sage, glorifying the ancient Shinobi Sect, and proving the legitimacy of the present one.
But after noticing that the author's name was Sōsuke, Roshi forced himself to continue.
Then his expression changed, surprise flashing across his face.
This book prepared by the Shinobi Sect did not blindly praise the Six Paths Sage or the ancient Shinobi Sect in its opening chapter the way he had expected.
Instead, it directly pointed out the shortcomings of the ancient Shinobi Sect.
That instantly caught Roshi's interest, and he began reading much more seriously.
.....
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