Ike Masaya ultimately didn't run off out of guilt. He instructed Kuroda to wait in place, telling him to run if anything unusual happened, then went to Mutsuki's temporary residence.
"Sosuke-sama, maybe you should lay low for a bit. Some people have exaggerated things too much, putting you on the same level as the demi-god Hanzo. Now not only have Ninja organizations sent their people, but even Rain Ninja Village has sent some over," Ike Masaya said seriously to Mutsuki, his face tinged with a hint of regret, as if he were saddened by the prospect of not being able to hear Mutsuki's lectures anymore.
"I see," Mutsuki replied with a smile, looking at Ike Masaya. "So, who do you think exaggerated things too much?"
Mutsuki's gaze, as if seeing through everything, made Ike Masaya feel a little guilty, but his expression didn't change. He still looked as though he was thinking of Mutsuki's best interests.
"Write down your thoughts on war and peace and give them to me before I leave," Mutsuki said before walking toward the village entrance.
Regardless of Ike Masaya's true intentions, he had exceeded Mutsuki's expectations with the outcome. Even after realizing he'd made things bigger than intended, he still planned to notify Mutsuki and tell him to leave, which showed that he still had a bit of conscience.
As a result, Mutsuki was willing to give Ike Masaya a chance-an opportunity that could potentially change his life's trajectory.
Before the approaching Ninjas could even get close to the village, Mutsuki had already sensed their presence. He had used his Byakugan to observe their strength in advance.
Most of the wandering Ninjas posed no threat to him-they were mostly Genin. Then there were some Ninjas from various organizations and Hidden Rain Village who were Chunin. The number of Jonin was even smaller. Apart from Yahiko's trio, there was only one Jonin from Rain Ninja Village who was barely up to standard.
"Really not going to lay low for a bit? I see some of these Ninjas seem unfriendly, like they're looking for trouble," Ike Masaya reminded him.
"Actually, your promotion wasn't exaggerated," Mutsuki gave Ike Masaya a meaningful smile.
Given Mutsuki's current strength, comparing himself to Hanzo wasn't an exaggeration.
This left Ike Masaya, who had been planning to flee, a little hesitant.
Mutsuki really seemed confident, but Ike Masaya was worried that Mutsuki might be blindly overestimating his own strength.
"Forget it, I'll wait and see," Ike Masaya thought for a moment and decided to stay.
After all, with Mutsuki's current attitude, he was definitely not going to hold anything against him. If anything went wrong, he could always flee with his good buddy.
"Ninja Master Sosuke, where is he? I heard he was teaching Ninjutsu, is this a scam?" This was an ambitious wandering Ninja.
"How dare you compare yourself to Hanzo-sama? I'm going to see just how much skill you really have." This was a passionate fan of Hanzo.
Due to the large gathering of Ninjas, the scene was extremely noisy, and the Ninjas who had attended the lessons for a while couldn't maintain order due to their insufficient strength.
Nagato frowned; he wasn't fond of this noisy environment.
Yahiko, on the other hand, was thriving in it. He started introducing Akatsuki Organization's grand goals to a nearby Ninja he didn't know. "Brother, have you heard of the Akatsuki Organization?"
"I've heard of it, but I'm not interested in learning more," the nearby Ninja politely declined.
"Hold on, once I tell you about our Akatsuki Organization's dreams, you'll see us in a whole new light," Yahiko said enthusiastically.
"Yahiko, weren't you planning to recruit that Sosuke guy?" Konan said, noticing the wandering Ninja seemed to be getting impatient.
"The main goal is Uncle Sosuke, but with so many Ninjas here, it's a great opportunity for the Akatsuki to increase its strength," Yahiko replied to Konan.
Just as Yahiko was about to continue promoting thz Akatsuki Organization's lofty ideals, he turned around and noticed that the Ninja had disappeared after just a brief moment of distraction.
"Hello, everyone, I heard someone was looking for me. I am Sosuke." Mutsuki walked into the open area where the crowd had gathered and introduced himself.
Instantly, all eyes turned to Mutsuki, who was being observed with curiosity by the Ninjas.
They could only describe him as audacious. In the Land of Rain, comparing oneself to Hanzo was as bold as claiming to be on par with Senju Hashirama in the Land of Fire.
"You're the Sosuke who claims to be a Ninja Master and compares yourself to Hanzo-sama?" A Ninja with orange hair stepped forward, his expression hostile.
"I am indeed Sosuke, but 'Ninja Master' is not a title I gave myself," Mutsuki nodded.
"The problem is that you actually think you can be compared to Hanzo-sama," the orange-haired Ninja said, his displeasure evident. With that, he exploded with Chakra, stomping his foot hard on the ground, causing the earth to crack open instantly.
The Ninjas around the orange-haired Ninja showed expressions of shock and quickly distanced themselves. Clearly, he was looking for trouble, and his strength was not to be underestimated.
Ike Masaya saw the situation and pulled Kuroda back a certain distance, positioning himself in front to protect the other Ninjas.
"You are free to think that way," to everyone's surprise, Mutsuki did not immediately argue or deny it. Instead, he tacitly accepted the orange-haired Ninja's statement.
The Rain Ninja Village Ninjas in the crowd frowned. This was too arrogant. Their Hanzo-sama was a recognized powerhouse by the entire Ninja world.
If it weren't for the strength displayed by the orange-haired Ninja, the Jonin from Rain Ninja Village would have stepped forward to test Mutsuki's strength.
But since someone was willing to take the lead, the Jonin from the Rain Ninja Village was happy to watch the spectacle.
"Let me, Kurosaki Ichigo, see how strong you really are if you dare compare yourself to Hanzo-sama!" Kurosaki Ichigo snorted coldly, releasing his Chakra and letting his pressure spread outwards.
The Rain Ninja Village Jonin felt the oppressive force coming from Kurosaki Ichigo and showed a surprised expression. This was far stronger than he had expected.
"No wonder Hanzo-sama has admirers with this level of strength, even outside of Rain Ninja Village." The Jonin from Rain Ninja Village thought to himself, growing even more respectful of Hanzo.
"Since it's almost time for class, let's have a practical lesson," Mutsuki said, accepting the challenge with ease.
This Kurosaki Ichigo was not a Ninja with a name coincidentally matching a certain manga protagonist, but rather one of Mutsuki's Shadow Clones.
Mutsuki wanted to show off his strength, and the best way to do that was to have a brainless antagonist step out of the crowd for him to defeat-demonstrating both his power and establishing his reputation.
However, the real world doesn't have so many mindless people, so Mutsuki simply had his Shadow Clone take the stage.
To prevent Nagato's Rinnegan from detecting the clone, Mutsuki's Shadow Clone had also used Transformation to alter its appearance.
Since Transformation is a chakra-intensive technique, and sustaining it requires even more chakra, the Shadow Clone couldn't maintain it for long. Otherwise, Mutsuki would have chosen an existing Ninja from the Land of Rain for a better result.
"That guy looks like he's not weak. Are we not going to help?" Konan asked quietly.
Since Konan wasn't present when Mutsuki met with Nagato, she wasn't aware of Nagato's opinion of Mutsuki.
"I believe in Uncle Sosuke's strength. Since he acknowledged it, he must really be no weaker than Hanzo!" Yahiko chose to trust that Mutsuki would handle the situation well.
In order to avoid affecting the villagers of Ozu, Mutsuki moved the battleground to a large open area outside the village.
"If you're ready, we'll start after counting down from three," Kurosaki Ichigo said, getting into a fighting stance.
Mutsuki nodded, showing no objections.
"Three, two, one!"
The moment they reached "one," both moved.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!"
Kurosaki Ichigo quickly formed hand seals, and the once smooth ground immediately erupted, with numerous large rock spikes shooting up. Each spike was taller than an average person and incredibly sharp.
Most of the wandering Ninjas had never seen such a powerful Ninjutsu and instinctively took a few steps back to avoid getting caught in the aftermath of the battle.
Mutsuki, however, seemed to have anticipated this. With a whoosh, he used Body Flicker Jutsu to evade the wide-ranging rock spike attack.
"Such speed," the Rain Ninja Village Jonin realized that this Sosuke was indeed no simple opponent.
Just now, he hadn't been able to react in time to how Mutsuki dodged Kurosaki Ichigo's Earth Release attack.
The Rain Ninja Village Jonin was glad that Kurosaki Ichigo had stepped forward first. If Mutsuki had made them lose face, Hanzo would definitely punish him.
"The sharpness of lightning can break through the hardness of earth. Lightning Release Chakra Nature Transformation counters Earth Release Chakra Nature Transformation, so the best way to deal with Earth Release is with Lightning Release," Mutsuki said as he formed hand seals.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
Mutsuki gathered a large amount of Chakra in his mouth and released a sharp lightning bolt, throwing it forward.
Boom!!
The terrifying Lightning Spear instantly destroyed all the rock spikes on the ground, sending shards of stone flying. The remaining force continued to hurtle toward Kurosaki Ichigo.
It seemed that even Kurosaki Ichigo hadn't expected Mutsuki's Lightning Release to be this powerful, and he struggled to respond.
"He's so powerful, so the rumors are true," a wandering Ninja clenched his fist, his face filled with excitement.
If he could learn such a powerful Ninjutsu, he wouldn't have to keep hiding and robbing ordinary people to sustain his training. He could just take on bounty missions in the black market and become wealthy.
It wasn't just him thinking this way-many Ninjas felt like they hadn't come here in vain.
"So what if you counter my Earth Release? I don't just use Earth Release Ninjutsu!" Kurosaki Ichigo, unwilling to give up, quickly formed more hand seals.
This time, he used Fire Release. A massive fireball was expelled from his mouth, quickly growing into a giant ball of flames aimed directly at Mutsuki.
"The best way to deal with Fire Release is with Water. Water can extinguish fire," Mutsuki continued explaining.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Jutsu!"
Mutsuki gathered Chakra and expelled a huge water balloon, which not only doused the incoming fireball but also drenched Kurosaki Ichigo, leaving him soaking wet and completely chilled.
"Don't think you're the only one who can use Water Release," Kurosaki Ichigo seemed to feel humiliated, his face flushing with anger.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"
Taking advantage of the residual water flow left by Mutsuki's Great Waterfall Jutsu, Kurosaki Ichigo quickly formed a massive water dragon.
Seeing the super-sized water dragon, both in length and girth, far surpassing the typical Water Dragon Bullet, many of the watching Ninjas instinctively stepped back.
Many of them were not necessarily stronger than a newly graduated Genin from Konoha, but they survived in the chaotic Land of Rain by being cautious. They knew to maintain a safe distance when watching such a scene.
A Rain Ninja Village Jonin was already considering whether to recommend Kurosaki Ichigo to Hanzo. Though he was an outsider, his strength was undeniably impressive. Not only had he mastered three types of Nature Transformation, but it appeared he had a certain level of proficiency in each.
"Of course, in battle, elemental countering isn't absolute. If the gap in strength is too large, it doesn't matter. A powerful flame can still dry up water," Mutsuki said, not choosing to counter but instead allowing himself to be countered.
"Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work!"
Mutsuki launched a small, highly compressed fireball toward the incoming water dragon.
At first, the fireball was only the size of a fist, but upon colliding with the Water Dragon Bullet, the compressed flames instantly erupted into a sea of fire. Under the intense heat of the blaze, the massive water dragon rapidly dissipated.
The Rain Ninja Village Jonin's pupils contracted sharply. This Ninjutsu clash was completely different from the previous ones.
To counter an elemental disadvantage and suppress the opponent instead could only mean that one's strength vastly outmatched the other's. Kurosaki Ichigo's performance had already surpassed that of an average Jonin by a significant margin.
The Jonin from the Rain Ninja Village was stunned to realize that, apart from Hanzo, no one in Rain Ninja Village seemed to be a match for this Sosuke.
"No wonder he dared to compare himself to Hanzo-sama," the Jonin thought, suddenly no longer seeing Mutsuki as arrogant.
This was the reality. This was the ninja world. A ninja's strength was the foundation of everything.
Although the Rain Ninja Village Jonin felt that this level of strength would never be enough to defeat their demi-god Hanzo, he acknowledged that it was no exaggeration to say that Mutsuki was the second strongest in the Land of Rain.
Considering that Mutsuki had never fought Hanzo, a misjudgment was understandable, so the Jonin did not feel that Mutsuki's behavior could be considered arrogant.
"No wonder Uncle Sosuke is so powerful," Yahiko couldn't help but praise as he felt the heatwave from the battle.
He was a Ninja who specialized in Water Release, so he understood better than most just how impressive Mutsuki's Fire Release had been.
"Could it be that what he said before was true?" Ike Masaya, stunned by Mutsuki's ability to casually teach even a powerful Jonin, began to have a terrifying thought.
Mutsuki hadn't been boasting earlier-he truly had mastered seven Chakra Nature Transformations.
Ike Masaya's heart raced as he recalled Mutsuki's words from just minutes ago. While he still had to write his thoughts down, it was clear this time was different from the usual.
Next, Mutsuki further demonstrated his formidable Taijutsu abilities to the watching Ninjas. While battling, he pointed out the flaws in Kurosaki Ichigo's technique and even offered suggestions for improvement.
Not only the new Ninjas were surprised, but even those who had been following Mutsuki for some time hadn't expected him to be this strong.
In their minds, Mutsuki reaching the level of a Jonin from one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations was the peak of what they could imagine, as such figures were beyond their reach.
"Your strength is indeed impressive, but that doesn't mean it matches Hanzo-sama's level," Kurosaki Ichigo, unable to endure the humiliation, admitted defeat but continued to speak in favor of Hanzo.
The Rain Ninja Village Jonin were somewhat moved. In this day and age, such a Ninja was rare, and now they felt they had to recommend him to Hanzo.
Other watching Ninjas also bowed their heads in respect, believing that while Kurosaki Ichigo lost, he was still worthy of admiration.
After speaking, Kurosaki Ichigo left without looking back.
The Rain Ninja Village Jonin silently made a note of Mutsuki's name. His displayed strength was overwhelming, and he needed to continue investigating. For now, he couldn't leave.
"Ninja-sama, please teach me Ninjutsu!" A Ninja immediately called out respectfully.
The shout immediately triggered a chain reaction, and others who realized what was happening quickly complimented Mutsuki and adopted a student-like posture.
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