Chapter 231: Possibilities of Breathing Techniques
Chapter 231: Possibilities of Breathing Techniques
"I'm sorry, Teacher Mu Yue. I'm not feeling well today," said Itachi apologetically.
He felt a bit guilty for not living up to Mu Yue's dedicated teachings.
Mu Yue smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. Everyone has their off days."
"But I sense that something is troubling you. Can you share it with me?" Mu Yue looked into Itachi's eyes.
As their eyes met, Itachi could deeply feel Mu Yue's concern for him.
"Ever since I mastered the breathing technique, I haven't made much progress. On the other hand, Obito doesn't seem to have this problem. So, I carefully thought about the step of comprehending the flame, and it seems that my heart doesn't have the same passionate fire as Obito's."
Facing Mu Yue, Itachi had no intention to hide his thoughts and shared his contemplations from the previous day.
"Maybe I'm not really suited for the Fire Breathing Technique."
Mu Yue placed her hand on Itachi's head, ruffling his hair gently, and said with a smile:
"I'm quite certain that you are suitable for cultivating the Fire Breathing Technique."
Obito was extremely well-suited for the Fire Breathing Technique, but before he began his training, he didn't have much of a lead over Itachi; the most was a lead of about ten points in proficiency. This alone showed that Itachi's compatibility with the Fire Breathing Technique was not low.
The reason Obito now had a lead of almost ninety points in proficiency was due to multiple factors. On one hand, Obito's compatibility was maxed out, and on the other hand, he was able to follow Mu Yue on missions and engage in real battles, which accelerated his progress.
It was not that Mu Yue was belittling Obito, but in the beginning, the efficiency of Itachi and Obito's training was truly the difference between a genius and a laggard. Itachi's one day of studying ninjutsu would take Obito ten days or even more to achieve the same results.
In fact, when Itachi was first taken in as a disciple, he wasn't particularly strong, after all, he was only six years old and had just started training. But after training under Mu Yue, the gap between Itachi, Might Guy, and Obito had only widened. This situation persisted for a long time.
Given this premise, it was easy to understand Itachi's feelings. He was no longer as fast at learning important forbidden techniques as he used to be, and he used to be able to surpass Obito casually. Now, his strength was slowly being caught up to.
Itachi was relatively mature for his age, calmer and stronger than his peers. However, he was still a six-year-old child. At Mu Yue's age in her previous life, children would have just started first grade, so it was normal for him to doubt himself in this situation.
But when it came to breathing techniques, one must never doubt themselves. Once you start questioning and denying yourself, the power of your breathing will weaken.
This was also why Mu Yue felt that the breathing technique was tinged with Yin Release; this technique was indeed a bit spiritual and relied heavily on the mindset.
This was also why Obito and Might Guy were always able to break through their breathing techniques in battle—because they had strong self-confidence and unwavering beliefs.
Fortunately, Mu Yue discovered this early on. Otherwise, with Obito's rapid progress, Itachi's distrust in his breathing technique would only grow.
"Obito's passion is indeed strong, but that doesn't mean there isn't a flame burning within you," Mu Yue said earnestly.
"Itachi, don't you have anything you want to do? Don't you have any dreams? Recall the dreams in your heart."
"Dreams..." Mu Yue's words caused Itachi to sink into his memories.
Although he was an orphan, Itachi's life had never been touched by poverty.
His father was an excellent jonin of the Uchiha clan, and his grandfather, Uchiha Kagami, had almost become one of Konoha's high-ranking officials. He was a well-known elite jonin in the village. If Itachi had wanted to, he could have lived a carefree life of luxury, relying on his inheritance.
Obviously, Itachi had not chosen to live off his family's wealth. He had chosen to become a genius ninja.
After learning about the history of the Uchiha clan and witnessing the resentment directed at them by the villagers of Konoha, Yagura resolved to follow in his grandfather's footsteps and accomplish what he could not.
"We are all people with two eyes and a nose," Yagura said, his voice carrying a hint of frustration. "Why should they reject us, the Uchiha? I want to change this situation."
As he spoke, Yagura raised his head to look directly into Mu Yue's eyes, his determination evident. "I want to improve the current state of the Uchiha clan. We are all people of Konoha, and we should be able to live together in harmony!"
"That's a wonderful goal," Mu Yue replied, her fingers gently touching Yagura's chest as a smile played on her lips. "I can sense the fire burning within you."
"Yagura, you are a kind and honest person," she continued. "Remember how you feel at this moment and never doubt your dreams."
Mu Yue couldn't speak for how Yagura was portrayed in the original story, but in her current life, he was exceedingly honest and kind, though these traits were more subdued compared to Deidara's straightforward nature.
"Could it be that you doubt your ability to fulfill your dreams?" Mu Yue asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"No!" Yagura replied firmly, his resolve unwavering.
In the past, he might have hesitated, questioning if he could truly accomplish what even his revered grandfather could not. But now, with Mu Yue's guidance, he was confident in his answer.
"Enter a state of full concentration and breathing," Mu Yue suddenly instructed, her fingers poised to strike. "I'm going to attack now!"
Yagura immediately focused his breathing and dodged with pinpoint precision, not even needing to activate his Sharingan.
"I did it..." Yagura breathed, his eyes wide with surprise as he saw Mu Yue's fingers come to a stop less than a centimeter from his body. Just moments ago, he hadn't been able to evade her attack even with his Sharingan activated.
"Yes, you successfully dodged my attack," Mu Yue acknowledged, her fingers retracting as a smile spread across her face. "But this isn't a sparring session, so dodging doesn't reduce your assignment."
"It's fine," Yagura replied, his voice still carrying a hint of delight. The breakthrough in his breathing technique had him feeling elated, and he would gladly tackle a hundred more assignments.
After a moment's thought, Yagura reconsidered. "Well, maybe not a hundred... those assignments are quite challenging. But I'd gladly take on twenty more!"
"Breathing techniques are not set in stone," Mu Yue explained, her expression turning serious. "If one day you have a better idea, you can modify your breathing technique to suit your abilities. What's most important is to remain steadfast in your dreams and beliefs."
While it was true that Yagura had an affinity for the Fire Style Breathing Technique, whether it was the most suitable for him was another matter. Breathing techniques held a world of possibilities, and they could be tailored to one's unique capabilities.
"Thank you, Teacher Mu Yue, for your guidance," Yagura said, his eyes shining with determination. "I will keep your words in mind and stay true to my beliefs."
"Go and cultivate," Mu Yue smiled, knowing that counseling sessions like these often had a positive impact on her students' training.
Yagura nodded enthusiastically, his entire being brimming with newfound motivation as he immersed himself in his training.
...
As February 20th approached, Mu Yue decided to give her disciples a break from their training, as four of the five were still students at the Ninja Academy and needed to focus on their exams. Even Kakashi was included in this unexpected vacation.
Mu Yue herself paid a visit to the Ninja Academy, a place she hadn't stepped foot in for a long while, not since she had started mentoring her interns.
(End of Chapter)
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