Chapter 102: Commencing Breathing Techniques Training

On a typical Sunday morning, Makoto went to the Southern Forest to begin a new round of training. Instead of immediately teaching the breathing techniques, he decided to hold a running competition between Might Gai and Obito.

The previous day, Makoto had used the appraisal technique to check Obito's progress in the Body Flicker Technique. Obito was nearly ready to advance to the next level, and he was expected to complete the transition today.

Makoto explained a change in the rules for this competition: the winners would be exempt from answering questions, and the losers would receive double the questions. Obito was apprehensive, as he had more to lose under these new rules.

Upon hearing this, a thin layer of sweat formed on Might Gai's forehead. He had won many times, but he also faced defeat occasionally. He was relieved to learn that this special rule was only for the day.

Obito, still anxious, questioned the reason for the special event on that particular day.

Makoto responded, "Because today is my 111th day as a teacher." It was a casual statement, but it was indeed the 111th day since Makoto had become a teacher, marking his time in the Ninja world.

With that, the competition began. Obito and Might Gai performed their warm-up exercises and positioned themselves at the starting point.

**Swish**

As the race began, Obito accelerated using Soru and charged ahead with great enthusiasm. The pressure of potentially answering 80 questions pushed him to give his all.

Might Gai, feeling the challenge, also accelerated using Soru. He refused to let Obito get ahead.

The sound of their movement grew louder as they neared the finish line. Obito was determined not to lose this time, with the threat of 80 questions hanging over his head.

Might Gai's physical strength and his advanced use of Soru allowed him to gain ground on Obito as they approached the finish line.

Suddenly, Might Gai switched to sprinting mode, disappearing from his original position and making significant progress. Obito, too, began sprinting and pushed himself to use another Soru in his final dash.

The distance between them grew shorter and shorter, and Obito could see Might Gai's green-clad figure racing alongside him. He realized that Might Gai had made remarkable progress this time.

Determined not to lose, Obito poured all his strength into his legs and sprinted with all his might.

""Soru!""

**SWOOOSH**

In unison, both of them activated the Body Flicker Technique, and their bodies vanished from sight.

"Who won?" Rin felt their figures blur for a moment, and the next moment they appeared together at the finish line.

"Obito won, and Gai has seventy questions," Makoto announced the result.

In the final sprint, Obito demonstrated complete mastery of Soru, effectively utilizing the technique of triple superposition, and secured his victory due to his proximity to the finish line.

Obito, gasping for breath, collapsed on the ground. He felt his chest burning, and even his breath seemed hot. Despite the fatigue, Obito was thrilled. Winning this race meant that won't have to solve 80 fewer questions. He also achieved victory in front of Rin.

In the presence of Rin, Obito struggled to his feet, even though his legs quivered with exhaustion.

"Obito, do you need more rest?" Nohara Rin asked, expressing her concern.

"It's fine; just a short run won't tire me out," Obito replied, trying to appear composed while keeping his legs from trembling.

"It seems the distance was a bit short, so let's double it tomorrow," Makoto suggested with a knowing smile.

Obito:...

"It seems you still have some energy left. We can race together again. I believe there's room for improvement," Might Gai said, setting aside his apprehension about the questions and showing genuine enthusiasm for the competition.

Obito was momentarily unsure if Might Gai intended to challenge him again or if he was merely testing his resolve.

"Actually, you misinterpreted me," Obito attempted to deflect the challenge.

Rin once more came to Obito's rescue, poking his thigh. It quivered uncontrollably.

"Don't push yourself too hard, Obito. You're already shaking like a leaf. If we double the distance, you might not be able to get up," Rin remarked with a sigh.

Obito felt the exhaustion wash over him, and he questioned why he had chosen this moment to show off in front of Rin. Everything felt on the brink of falling apart due to his fatigue.

"All right, let's take a break and prepare to learn a new Ninjutsu. I'm going to teach you a very challenging secret technique this time. You need to approach this with dedication," Makoto explained.

"A secret technique that's extremely challenging? Does that mean it's very powerful?" Obito suddenly perked up. Generally, the more difficult a ninjutsu is to master, the more powerful it is.

"Yes, it's challenging to learn, but mastering it will significantly enhance your strength," Makoto confirmed.

Breathing techniques, after getting localized, possessed substantial power and were notoriously difficult. According to Naruto's classification, the two breathing techniques he already had could both be considered S-level forbidden techniques.

Particularly, the Stone Breathing was exceptionally demanding to master, requiring a level of dedication and effort comparable to the Eight Gates.

"Teacher, should I learn it too? I am a bit slow in grasping ninjutsu," Might Gai admitted, scratching his head.

"You should learn it, but your learning approach will differ from theirs. Just have confidence in your ability to learn it," Makoto advised.

After their break, Makoto called for Shisui, signaling the beginning of their training in breathing techniques.