Chapter 131: The Exam Approaches

With Iwagakure and the Hidden Cloud declaring war on Konoha, the war is gradually approaching, which has already to some extent affected the atmosphere among the ninja in Konoha.

Two weeks after the meeting, Mutsuki could hear the senseis in the office discussing war-related topics.

Although it was the content of Jonin meetings, it was something that couldn't be hidden.

To go to war, the ninja must be mobilized, and it's impossible to keep it secret.

However, it hasn't affected the overall atmosphere in Konoha for now.

Although it's a ninja village, Konoha has more ordinary people than ninja, and even some ninja clans have ordinary people who haven't become ninja.

"In my opinion, we should defeat Iwagakure with lightning speed to deter the ninja world, and then unite with the Sand to defeat the Hidden Cloud."

"Why not first unite with the Sand to defeat the Hidden Cloud before going after Iwagakure together?"

"Are you stupid? Let Hidden Cloud exhaust Sand's strength first. When we're done with Hidden Cloud, we'll take down Iwagakure, along with Sand. That way, we can maximize our gains."

Perhaps discussing politics was really enjoyable. Although Chunin sensei in the office generally didn't need to go to the battlefield, they still discussed fervently, coming up with various ingenious ideas and strategies.

"Both of you, war is a cruel thing. It's not as simple as you think." Ueda Aya looked at Chitani Isamu and Kimura Sugito as they spoke more and more outlandishly, then spoke up.

"Although the Ninja World War is cruel, we've always been the victors in Konoha. I don't think this time will be any different," replied Kimura Sugito, showing confidence in Konoha.

"Yeah, under Third's leadership, Hidden Cloud and Iwagakure are definitely not our match," nodded Chitani Isamu.

"Mutsuki, you agree, right?" Chitani Isamu looked at Mutsuki.

"Of course, I believe the village will definitely emerge victorious. But those of us who are senseis also need to do our part for the village. We must approach the training of Ninja with even greater seriousness" Mutsuki said.

Konoha will indeed achieve the final victory, even if it's against all four major ninja villages, even if it's a hard-won victory.

"You see, we should have confidence in the village just like Yumi-sensei," Chitani Isamu said.

"I'm not lacking confidence in the village, I just feel like you two are underestimating the war," Ueda Aya explained.

After organizing his things, Mutsuki quickly left the office, went home to cook, and then headed to the Southern Forest.

The flames of war have not yet reached the Academy, nor have they touched those like him with an educational specialty.

Only when Konoha is truly on the brink will Mutsuki be sent to the battlefield.

At that point, even fresh Genin graduates won't be relegated to garbage collection or weeding; they'll be sent directly to the battlefield.

After arriving at the training location, Mutsuki conducted an assessment alone.

Obito still maintained his lead in progress. Currently, his Flame Breathing proficiency has reached thirty-five points. Shisui closely followed with a proficiency of thirty points, while Guy, who had been leading for some time, now found himself at the bottom with a Stone Breathing proficiency of twenty-five points.

Mutsuki was satisfied with everyone's progress. Although Guy lagged behind Obito by a full ten points in proficiency, it was due to various factors beyond his control.

"You two can proceed to the next stage of training," Mutsuki told Shisui and Obito.

"The next phase of training will be even more challenging than before. Be prepared mentally."

"Come on, Yumi-sensei, just teach us already. We're not afraid of any difficulty," Obito chuckled, showing no fear.

In two weeks, the first practical exam of the semester would take place. Obito wanted to delve further into learning Flame Breathing. He was determined to rank first in the class this time.

"Do you remember the second step of the training?" Mutsuki asked.

"It involves assuming specific postures to assist in practicing the Breathing Technique," Obito replied after some thought.

"This time, you don't need specific postures. You should be able to control the inhalation of air into your body at will, and use Ninjutsu while in the state of Flame Breathing," Mutsuki explained.

It seems like two separate objectives, but in reality, achieving the former is crucial for accomplishing the latter.

Why do some Ninjas need hand seals while others can perform without them or with fewer seals?

If we liken Ninjutsu to a math problem, hand seals are the steps in solving the problem. Ninjas who don't use hand seals are like those who directly arrive at the answer, while those who use fewer hand seals are familiar with the problem and require fewer steps.

Flame Breathing adds an additional question to the original problem. Answering it correctly adds power.

However, using different Ninjutsu under Flame Breathing is akin to solving different additional questions. Therefore, absolute control over the inhaled air in Flame Breathing is necessary, ensuring that you can answer any question correctly regardless of its nature.

At this stage, Mutsuki's initial training for the two individuals is to perform various extreme exercises using only the Breathing Technique without using Chakra.

Sometimes, pushing oneself can indeed bring out something unexpected.

Even someone like Obito, who is relatively thick-skinned, feels a bit nervous when climbing cliffs without using Chakra to adhere, because the footholds are often less than half the length of a foot, with only the tip of the foot touching the ground.

To complete various difficult extreme challenges without using Chakra and various tools, Obito and Shisui can only rely on the power provided by the Breathing Technique.

In this step, Shisui and Obito's progress is quite similar. After Obito's Proficiency level reached forty-two, Shisui also reached thirty-seven. Both of them completed the training in just one week.

In theory, not only the training in the second and fourth parts, but also the training in controlling the breath has been ongoing since the beginning. From the moment Obito and others acquired the sense of Breathing Technique, every time they practiced Breathing Technique, they were familiar with how to control their breath. The training in the fourth part is equivalent to the final summary.

After being able to control the inhaled breath freely, it was time for formal Ninjutsu training. Obito focused on practicing Ninjutsu, which he was already very familiar with. He thought he would easily complete the training, but it turned out to be a bit harder than he imagined. With the additional Nature Transformation boost from Flame Breathing, although it increased the power of Ninjutsu, it also made it more difficult to control.

However, compared to previous training, Obito felt this step was somewhat easier, as it only strengthened control and familiarized him with the enhanced state. It took Obito five days to become familiar with using Ninjutsu in the Breathing Technique state.

At this moment, Obito's Breathing Technique Proficiency level had reached forty-six. Shisui was a bit faster in the Ninjutsu step than Obito, becoming familiar with it in three days. After five days, his Proficiency level reached forty-two, and Shisui was catching up quickly.

Although Guy underwent considerable training, due to the difficulty, he only reached a Proficiency level of thirty-two at the same time.

On Saturday night, Obito, Shisui, and Guy exchanged their training progress. When Obito heard that Guy hadn't started extreme exercises yet, he felt more confident.

The exam is on Monday, and this time he must secure the first place in the grade!

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