Chapter 110: Bound Cultivation (15)
Chapter 110: Bound Cultivation (15)
"Teacher Mu Yue, I feel a slight swelling in my abdomen. Could it be that my posture is extremely standard, and the qi is swirling through my meridians and acupoints?" Obito asked excitedly.
Mu Yue glanced at him and noticed that his posture was incorrect again as he breathed, so she replied, "I think you probably ate too much dinner."
"Ah, maybe just a little," Obito said, his face slightly flushed as he rubbed his slightly protruding abdomen and smiled awkwardly.
Hearing this absurd conversation, Itachi couldn't hold back his laughter anymore, and his breathing rhythm became disrupted.
"You need to take control of the qi you inhale into your body, instead of letting it affect your posture," Mu Yue said as she physically adjusted Obito's posture.
"Itachi is doing well in this aspect," Mu Yue said, pointing at Itachi, who had regained his composure and resumed the correct posture.
Overall, Itachi's progress was slower than Obito's, but he was doing better with this particular aspect of the training.
"Teacher Mu Yue, why don't you tie me up securely? That way, I can guide the inhaled qi more effectively," Obito suggested, a spark of inspiration flashing in his eyes.
The enhanced breathing techniques were becoming increasingly challenging, not only due to the influence of the qi but also because maintaining the high-difficulty postures for extended periods was physically exhausting.
Mu Yue was unsure if Obito was overly eager to train or if he had awakened some strange fetish, but she was intrigued by his suggestion of direct physical restraint.
She had considered this method before, but while it might not guarantee better results, it would undoubtedly be uncomfortable and inhumane.
To an outsider, they might have thought that they were interrogating a spy from a rival nation.
"This method may work, but the process will be uncomfortable. Are you sure you want to proceed?" Mu Yue asked.
Since Obito was eager to try, Mu Yue wouldn't stand in his way. After all, the path of a ninja was never an easy one.
Every day, they pushed their bodies to the limit, drenched in sweat, bruised from falling out of trees, and sometimes even ending up in the water due to missteps. Training with fire-style chakra control could result in burns if one wasn't careful.
"Let's give it a try," Obito nodded, still hoping to find a shortcut to speed up his progress.
With only five weeks for the special training, the interval between the strength tests had stretched to three weeks, despite their initial plan of conducting them every two weeks.
Obito had finally managed to beat Guy once, and with his progress in breath control, he saw a glimmer of hope for consecutive victories. He was determined not to let Guy reclaim his lead so quickly.
In the two practical exams at the Ninja Academy, including the class and grade-level exams, Guy had won four times, while Obito had only tasted victory once.
Mu Yue granted Obito's wish. She fetched some wooden boards and ropes and securely tied Obito to the boards, fixing him in a specific posture.
However, she refrained from making the restraints too tight, as that could affect his blood circulation. "The ropes aren't very tight. They're only meant to assist you. You still need to focus on guiding the qi and not rely solely on being physically restrained," she cautioned.
Obito nodded and began to diligently practice the breathing technique. After a while, he felt like it was somewhat effective, although the restraints made him feel a bit constrained.
Whenever he wanted to change his posture, he would ask one of Mu Yue's shadow clones for assistance. After an hour of training, Obito even started to feel comfortable in his bonds.
"Alright, Guy. It's time to put your breathing technique to use in taijutsu," Mu Yue instructed.
Might Guy nodded, adjusting his breathing rhythm to absorb a large amount of oxygen and enhance his strength.
"Konoha Great Whirlwind!"
Might Guy chose the thickest tree in the vicinity, one that would require three people to encircle it, and with a burst of chakra, he delivered a powerful kick.
Crack!
With a thunderous roar, the massive tree toppled over, its kicked surface now a mess of splintered wood.
"Your speed and strength have increased tremendously!" exclaimed Izuna, who frequently sparred with Might Guy.
Guy's whirlwind kick seemed to have whipped up an actual gust of wind, as the surrounding grass lay flattened in its wake.
"With a little more refinement, you'll be able to incorporate the breathing technique into your battles," Mu Yue said with a smile, addressing Tobirama and Izuna.
Since the breathing technique was so challenging to master, Mu Yue wanted to offer them some encouragement. Might Guy was currently leading the pack, so he would serve as the benchmark for the others.
"There's one more thing," Mu Yue continued. "During the practical exam after tomorrow, none of you are to use the breathing technique."
"Why not?" Tobirama asked, puzzled by this instruction.
Currently, Might Guy was the only one capable of utilizing the technique in combat, so forbidding its use seemed to handicap him unnecessarily.
While this might be welcome news to Tobirama, he was still perplexed. This wasn't a training competition, and forcibly leveling the playing field seemed unnecessary. If they truly wanted to equalize their strengths, they would also have to restrict Tobirama's use of ninjutsu and genjutsu.
"You're still in the early stages of cultivating the breathing technique, and you might not be able to control the extent of its effects. Using it in battle could easily lead to overexertion and hidden injuries," Mu Yue explained.
This was only one reason. The real concern was the presence of the Third Hokage.
Unlike other ninjas, the Third possessed an extensive repertoire of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and secret techniques. Might Guy and the others were still young and inexperienced, and their sudden power surge could easily arouse the Third's suspicions.
If it were just one person, it might be explainable, but if Tobirama also exhibited a similar power boost and used the breathing technique in combat, it would raise too many questions.
Thus, Mu Yue decided to prohibit her disciples from using the technique during the exam.
The Body Flicker Technique, on the other hand, was fine to use. Aside from increased speed, it didn't appear significantly different from ordinary taijutsu or Shunshin techniques.
Given Tobirama's and Izuna's superior strength, the increased speed of their Shunshin techniques could be attributed to their overall higher skill level.
"After I used the breathing technique the other day, I thought my legs had fully recovered. But when I stopped using it, the fatigue hit me all at once," Might Guy nodded, agreeing with Mu Yue's assessment.
Tobirama's face lit up as he finally understood.
...
On Saturday, all the students assembled punctually in the training field, ready to undergo their final practical exam.
As promised, Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived, and he wasn't alone. He was accompanied by several other instructors.
This visit had been arranged beforehand between Hiruzen and Mu Yue, who wanted him and the other teachers to observe the special training regimen in action.
"The students look energetic and full of spirit. They certainly exude confidence," Hiruzen remarked, clad in his white robe and wearing the Fire Shadow's straw hat.
"Let's see the fruits of their labor over these past five weeks."
A little late, but I wanted to try writing five chapters today.
(End of Chapter)
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