Chapter 593: Coach, I Want to Learn
Chapter 593: Coach, I Want to Learn
"Just as I thought, with the Yang Seal, I have a lot more tactical options." Kakashi thought to himself as he deactivated the Yang Seal.
If it weren't for the fact that he had cultivated the Yang Seal, he definitely wouldn't have been able to use so many ninjutsu to wear down Obito, as he would have needed to conserve his chakra for the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
With the Yang Seal, he felt much more comfortable, and even after depleting his chakra, he still had enough left to unleash the Void Blade.
"Kakashi, how do you have so much chakra?" Obito couldn't help but ask, his curiosity getting the better of him despite the treatment Mu Yue had given him to heal his injuries from the fight with Rin.
Obito was feeling rather dejected at the moment, having lost to Kakashi in front of Rin and failing to destroy the photo.
However, his curiosity about Kakashi's sudden surge in chakra overshadowed his gloom, and he just couldn't wrap his head around it.
Obito's chakra would temporarily increase whenever he activated or upgraded his Sharingan, but Kakashi wasn't a member of the Uchiha clan, and the magnitude of this increase was just too great.
"The Yang Seal," Kakashi replied matter-of-factly, removing his forehead protector to reveal the lightning bolt seal on his forehead.
There was no point in keeping this information a secret, especially from his teammates. It was always better to be open and honest with those he trusted.
"The Yang Seal allows me to store excess chakra, which I can then use to activate the Chakra Mode of the Breath Technique."
Obito's eyes widened in surprise. So, there was such a trick! Wasn't this like having double the amount of chakra?
"So, you've managed to develop this ninjutsu, Mu Yue?" Minato looked at Mu Yue with a mixture of surprise and admiration.
He recalled their conversation about a similar idea during the first year they had met, a discussion they had also had with Jiraiya.
At the time, Jiraiya hadn't been optimistic about the prospects of such a technique due to its immense complexity.
"Yes, but it's not the complete version yet. There's still room for improvement," Mu Yue nodded in acknowledgment.
While the current version of the Yang Seal was functional, it wasn't quite up to her initial expectations.
"Teacher Mu Yue, I want to learn this technique too!" Obito said eagerly, brushing off the dust from his clothes.
Due to his Sharingan, Obito had more chakra than the average ninja, but it never felt like enough.
If he had an abundance of chakra, he could keep his Sharingan and the Fire Release Chakra Mode active throughout his battles, which would undoubtedly boost his combat effectiveness significantly.
"You can't learn it yet. You'll need to master the Transparent World first," Mu Yue explained, shaking her head.
The Yang Seal was more intricate and had a higher threshold than the Yin Seal.
"Ah?"
Obito was taken aback. He needed to attain the Transparent World just to learn it? How long would it take to reach that level of mastery in the Breath Technique?
He knew that the Transparent World was the ultimate goal of the Breath Technique, and it was even more challenging to achieve than the Chakra Mode.
Aside from Kakashi, who had somehow mastered it before achieving the Chakra Mode, none of Mu Yue's other disciples showed any signs of reaching this level.
Genma's expression remained unchanged, but his heart stirred as Mu Yue finished speaking. Like any ninja, he wanted more chakra.
However, his next thought was that there must be some restriction that limited this technique to Kakashi alone. Otherwise, Mu Yue wouldn't have withheld such a universally useful ninjutsu from her other disciples.
Taiyo scratched his head, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the complexity of the conversation.
He hadn't even fully grasped the basics of the Breath Technique, let alone the Chakra Mode or the Transparent World.
"Let's wait for Teacher Mu Yue to teach us the Flying Thunder God Technique," Obito said to himself.
He felt that even when he reached the threshold to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique, he might not have attained the Transparent World.
The Yang Seal, which required the Transparent World, seemed too far-fetched. For now, he'd focus on the more attainable, yet still impressive, Flying Thunder God Technique.
Kakashi bid farewell to his teachers and senior disciples, ready to head home.
He had exhausted most of his chakra and energy, and it wouldn't be wise to engage in another battle with Might Guy just yet.
Instead, he planned to further refine the Void Blade before challenging Might Guy again.
After returning home, Obito had dinner and practiced for a while before retiring to his study to read.
While he may have fallen behind Kakashi in terms of strength, and catching up seemed unlikely in the short term, he could at least strive for improvement in other areas.
...
Rain Country, Northwestern Border.
"I guess this is what they mean by 'Rain Country'," Elder Zi remarked as he felt the raindrops falling on his face and looked up at the sky.
The sky was shrouded by thick, dark clouds, like a massive black curtain hanging over the horizon, blocking out the sunlight completely.
Whether it was a display put on for this foreign visitor or simply his bad luck, the clouds had gathered as soon as he arrived in the Rain Country.
After walking some distance, Lao Zi stopped and turned back.
The rain had started to come down harder, blurring the distant scenery in the rain curtain. The mountains and buildings seemed shrouded in a thin mist, their outlines losing their usual clarity.
"Farewell, Earth Country," Lao Zi turned back once more, waving at the distant mountain before turning away and walking into the distance.
Iwagakure was his hometown, and Earth Country his homeland, but neither place held happy memories for him.
Of course, if the opportunity arose, Lao Zi might still return for a visit.
While there were no happy memories, there were some memorable ones.
For instance, the first time Lao Zi successfully borrowed chakra from a tailed beast, and the first time he achieved a complete tailed beast transformation.
Whoosh!
The rain grew heavier, with large raindrops pattering on the muddy ground and leaves, creating a soothing sound.
Lao Zi, unfazed, continued his leisurely stroll in the rain.
With his robust physique, he had no fear of catching a cold.
If it weren't for his desire to keep a low profile, he could even have used his Lava Release Chakra Mode to shield himself from the rain.
"Young man, why are you traveling in such heavy rain? Come and take shelter!" a villager, who had just reached his front door, called out to Lao Zi.
Lao Zi was about to ignore the offer and continue on his way, but then the Four-Tails spoke up.
"Lao Zi, aren't you planning to travel throughout the ninja world? It would be a waste to spend so much time in Rain Country just to meet a ninja master. You should also try interacting with other people."
The Four-Tails believed that Lao Zi should experience more of life and what it was like to live without the strange stares.
Lao Zi found the Four-Tails' suggestion reasonable, so he headed toward the villager who had called out to him.
The villager scrutinized Lao Zi for a few moments. Lao Zi, keen on maintaining his disguise and avoiding detection by Iwagakure ninjas, had been using a transformation technique, and now appeared as a clean-shaven young man.
It was only because he appeared unarmed and dressed like a regular civilian that the villager had called out to him.
Upon closer inspection, the villager began to regret his decision, as despite Lao Zi's ordinary appearance and lack of weapons, there was something about his aura that didn't seem quite right.
The villager dared not make any sudden moves and remained silent, continuing to wipe the rain from his body.
In his heart, he prayed that Lao Zi was just an ordinary person with a unique aura and not a ninja.
Lao Zi, for his part, rarely interacted with others, and the villager was a stranger and a foreigner, so he struggled to think of something to say.
"What's the name of this village?" Lao Zi finally asked, initiating the conversation after a long pause.
He simply couldn't think of a topic to discuss.
Hearing Lao Zi's question, the villager was so startled that he broke out in a cold sweat.
"Could it be that someone has posted a mission about our village in a ninja organization?" the villager's heart skipped a beat.
"It's... it's Shirakawa Village," the villager stuttered in response.
He hadn't wanted to answer, but he was afraid that Lao Zi would think he was being evasive and kill him on the spot.
Not knowing how to continue the conversation, Lao Zi created an awkward atmosphere.
"Dad, why aren't you coming inside?" At that moment, the villager's child came running out.
"Dad, you won't be able to dry your clothes completely if you keep wiping them like that," the child said, looking at his father in confusion.
The villager's body stiffened as he continued to wipe himself and his clothes anxiously.
"It's alright, I'm just chatting with this young man. You go inside first," the villager said, standing protectively in front of his child.
Lao Zi frowned slightly. Due to his traumatic past, he was sensitive to the atmosphere, and he could sense that the villager was afraid of him.
This didn't make him feel any ill will towards the villager, however.
He just found it strange that the villager was afraid of him when his transformed appearance wasn't particularly intimidating.
Seeing Lao Zi's frown, the villager's anxiety only increased.
Instead of heeding his father's words and going back inside, the villager's child peered out at Lao Zi and asked, "Are you a foreigner, big brother? I don't recognize you."
The villager's face twitched, and he quickly tried to pull his child back inside.
"Yes," Lao Zi nodded.
Seeing that Lao Zi showed no signs of hostility, the villager's heart eased somewhat, but he still didn't fully relax, intending to force his child back into the house.
Just then, a commotion broke out nearby.
"Behave yourselves, or I'll kill you! Hand over anything valuable you have!"
A loud, rough voice reached Lao Zi's ears.
So, it turned out that he was mistaken for a robber. It wasn't his fault after all.
"I won't hurt you, nor do I need your things. I'm not a robber; I'm just an ordinary passerby," Lao Zi replied calmly.
The villager remained cautious, as anyone would be suspicious of a stranger who remained so calm amidst a robbery.
Lao Zi paid no heed to the villager and instead turned toward the sound of the commotion in the rain.
He wasn't a vigilante, but he despised ninjas who preyed on ordinary citizens.
Lao Zi made no attempt to conceal his approach and instead strode forward boldly.
The vagrant ninja, who had been robbing the villagers, noticed Lao Zi approaching and was about to chastise him. But before he could act, Lao Zi's chakra erupted.
Whoosh! Bang!
The vagrant ninja's vision blurred, and then unbearable pain exploded throughout his body, causing him to pass out instantly.
"Tha... " The relieved villager, overjoyed at being rescued, was about to express his gratitude to Lao Zi.
However, when he looked up, Lao Zi had already disappeared, having used the Body Flicker Technique to move next to another vagrant ninja.
There was more than one vagrant ninja involved in the robbery, and they had split up to increase their efficiency.
Bang! Bang!!
Lao Zi's fists, plain and unadorned, struck out, and with each blow, a vagrant ninja fell.
Perhaps due to the earlier downpour, the raindrops gradually diminished in size and became more sparse.
As Lao Zi defeated the fourth and final vagrant ninja, the rain also came to a stop.
"They're ridiculously weak. Even a random Jonin from the village could handle them, I bet," Lao Zi shook his head in disdain.
These vagrant ninjas were so weak that Lao Zi didn't even consider them worth his attention.
"I'm sorry for misunderstanding you, sir. Please forgive me," the villager who had initially invited Lao Zi to take shelter apologized.
He had come out to investigate when the commotion outside ceased, only to find that all the vagrant ninjas had been knocked out.
"Thank you for your help," the other villagers chimed in, expressing their gratitude.
Especially those who had been robbed or were in the process of being robbed, their gratitude was palpable.
Lao Zi remained silent, merely scanning the crowd.
At that moment, he felt a mix of emotions. He had only defeated a few low-level ninjas, yet he had received such heartfelt thanks.
Lao Zi, being sensitive to the atmosphere, could tell that the villagers were genuinely appreciative of his actions.
And it was precisely because of this that he felt a sense of sadness.
During his time in Iwagakure, he had completed countless S-rank missions and eliminated countless enemies for the village, yet he had never received a single word of praise or a sincere smile from the villagers of Iwagakure.
But here, in a foreign land, by simply defeating a few vagrant ninjas who were barely even genin-level, he had earned more gratitude than he had ever received in his entire life.
One of the villagers, eager to express their thanks, offered to give Lao Zi gifts and invited him to their home to rest and dry off.
Lao Zi felt almost overwhelmed by their kindness, wondering if this was the kind of treatment he deserved.
However, he politely refused everyone's offers, as he needed to continue southward, away from the border of the Earth Country.
Given his identity, it wouldn't be wise to linger in one place for too long, for his sake and the villagers' safety.
"Are you a ninja from the Ninja Sect?" a curious villager asked.
"Why do you ask that?" Instead of answering, Lao Zi questioned the villager.
He found the villager's question odd, as he wasn't wearing the forehead protector of the Rain Ninjas, so why would they assume he was from the Ninja Sect?
"Well, usually, ninjas who are helpful and don't ask for anything in return are from the Ninja Sect," the villager replied honestly.
He had heard that ninjas from the Ninja Sect had recently arrived in the northern regions, and combined with Lao Zi's actions, it seemed plausible that he might be one of them.
"What about the Rain Ninja Village?" Lao Zi inquired.
Compared to the Ninja Sect, he felt that the Rain Ninja Village was the true force maintaining order in the Rain Country.
After all, the Rain Ninja Village had been established since the early days of the country, whereas the Ninja Sect was a newer organization that had only been founded recently.
The villagers exchanged glances, but no one spoke.
Although no one answered, their silence was an answer in itself.
Lao Zi didn't press the matter further. He created a shadow clone to carry away the four vagrant ninjas.
After traveling some distance from Shirakawa Village, he killed the vagrant ninjas and continued on his journey.
"Sou Yousuke, the Ninja Sect..."
PS: Oops, looks like my sleep schedule is messed up again.
(End of Chapter)
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