Chapter 251: Sarutobi Hiruzen's Surprise
On the fifth day after returning to Konoha, Mugetsu received his Ninjutsu Pavilion pass and headed there to select his techniques.
He was allowed to choose ten Ninjutsu, and if he chose wisely, his visible strength would increase significantly.
He didn't have many techniques he could use openly. Most of his current arsenal came from official sources: Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique and Fire Dragon Flame Bullet were given by Danzo, while Vacuum Sphere was a reward from the Third Hokage.
He had also managed to "legalize" several common Ninjutsu by using them in public settings. For example, when teaching Asuma, he had demonstrated Water Formation Wall and Water Dragon Bullet, which were recorded by Hiruzen or Anbu observers. He even used Water Severing Wave in a battle with a Tailed Beast.
However, this method only worked with standard techniques. Hiruzen wouldn't overlook high-level or secret Ninjutsu known only to select individuals.
Konoha strictly controlled advanced and forbidden Ninjutsu. Once a person became a Ninja, learning basic techniques wasn't difficult—but mastering too many was meaningless since most didn't have enough Chakra to use them effectively. Many relied more on Taijutsu and Ninja tools for combat.
Still, Water Severing Wave was different. Developed by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, it was a high-level Water Release that very few could master—not even Root operatives.
Mugetsu wondered if the Pavilion even had it. If it did, he would take it without hesitation. Learning such a technique would prove his Water Release talent.
At first, Mugetsu thought the Pavilion would be hidden behind layers of barriers, but instead, it was built underground, guarded by Ninja at the entrance.
He presented his pass. The guard examined it closely, then nodded and opened the heavy door.
Inside, a middle-aged Ninja sat at a desk. Mugetsu handed him the pass.
"You can choose ten Ninjutsu of any rank," the man said, recording his entry. "But I'd advise you to pick techniques that suit your strengths, not just based on rank."
It was rare for someone to be given ten free choices. Seeing Mugetsu's young age, the man spoke out of genuine concern.
The ranking of Ninjutsu wasn't based purely on power but on difficulty. Higher-ranked techniques required complex Nature and Form Transformations, making them harder to master. Power wasn't the issue—time and compatibility were.
"Thank you for the advice," Mugetsu replied politely. Though the reminder didn't apply to him, he appreciated the gesture.
The Pavilion's layout resembled a small library. Two-meter-tall shelves were lined with scrolls, each labeled with a plaque describing the technique.
Mugetsu first walked to the Water Release section. Of the five elemental natures, he could openly use Wind, Fire, and Water, so those were his priority.
After browsing for a while, he found it—Water Severing Wave. The plaque even warned of its extreme difficulty, recommending it only for those skilled in Water Release and Form Transformation.
Without hesitation, Mugetsu took the scroll. He noticed other techniques developed by Tobirama as well but ignored them. With the scroll in hand, he moved on to the Fire Release section.
There was no Great Dragon Fire Technique available, so he proceeded to the Wind Release section. Though Wind Blade wasn't listed—likely exclusive to the Hidden Sand—he found Vortex and immediately selected it.
He had encountered Vortex twice before during instruction, and it was far more versatile than Great Breakthrough, useful in both solo and combination techniques.
Next, he selected Lightning Release: Thunderclap, Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall, Mystical Palm Technique, and several others.
Having Mystical Palm Technique publicly registered was especially valuable—it meant he could heal his students openly and even approach Tsunade under legitimate grounds as a medical Ninja.
Once he finished, Mugetsu returned to the entrance to register his choices.
When the middle-aged Ninja reviewed the list, his expression tightened. Six different elemental Natures—each represented by high-level techniques of B-rank or above.
"Are you sure about these? You can still change your selection now. Once I finalize it, it'll be permanent," the man warned.
"I'm sure. Thank you," Mugetsu replied with an easy smile.
The man hesitated but eventually nodded, stamping the registration log.
With that done, Mugetsu left for the South Border Forest to continue teaching his disciples. In between lessons, he also practiced the Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique that the Hokage had given him.
To reinforce his image as a Ninjutsu prodigy, he intended to seek Hiruzen's personal guidance and demonstrate the same techniques later as if he had learned them under the Hokage's instruction.
Thanks to his mastery in Water Release Chakra Nature Transformation and the fragments of Tobirama's training memories embedded within him, Mugetsu progressed quickly. In less than a week, he had mastered the Great Waterfall Technique.
At seven that evening, the day he completed it, Mugetsu headed to Hiruzen's residence.
"Mugetsu-sensei!" Asuma greeted him cheerfully at the door.
"Why are you here this late, Mugetsu-sensei? Don't tell me it's for tutoring?" Asuma asked curiously.
He hadn't trained with Mugetsu in a while and clearly missed it.
"Mugetsu must be here to discuss Ninjutsu," Hiruzen said with a knowing smile from his chair.
Before Mugetsu could answer, Asuma blinked at his father suspiciously. "You? Teaching Mugetsu-sensei? Really? What could you possibly teach him?"
Feeling his son's doubt, Hiruzen's expression darkened. He was the Third Hokage—the Professor, master of a thousand techniques. Teaching a young Jonin like Mugetsu was hardly beneath him.
"The Third Hokage is teaching me the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique and Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique," Mugetsu said with a calm smile. "Both are A-rank Ninjutsu—and both are extremely powerful. The Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique, especially, is one of his original creations."
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Asuma, his expression clearly saying, even the teacher you admire respects me.
Asuma frowned, unable to hide his irritation. "Is this Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique really that strong? I've never even heard of it. The First Hokage's Wood Release, now that's a famous technique—everyone in the Ninja World knows about it."
Hiruzen sighed. Comparing the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique to Wood Release was absurd. This was merely an offensive ninjutsu derived from the Shadow Clone Technique—it could never rival something as unique as Wood Release.
"It can't compare to the First Hokage's Wood Release, of course," Hiruzen said patiently, "but you'll see soon enough how powerful it truly is."
He decided to teach Mugetsu while also giving Asuma a little lesson.
Leading the two into the backyard, Hiruzen threw a handful of shuriken into the air. "Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
With rapid hand signs, the air filled with the sharp sound of spinning steel.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The shuriken split—first into two, then four. In the blink of an eye, one became hundreds, then thousands, raining down like a storm. They embedded deeply into the ground, tearing through grass and soil until the entire yard was littered with steel.
"How about that?" Hiruzen said, stroking his beard proudly.
This was one of his most refined original jutsu—simple in concept, devastating in practice. A shuriken thrown by a skilled ninja could pierce through solid rock; multiply that by a thousand, and it became almost impossible to evade.
"The power's not bad at all," Asuma admitted, eyes widening despite himself.
"Mugetsu, have you been studying the ninjutsu scrolls I gave you?" Hiruzen asked, his tone softening with approval.
"Yes. I've already begun practicing it. I can use it at a basic level—it's just not as refined as yours, Lord Third," Mugetsu replied modestly.
"You can already use it?" Hiruzen's brows rose slightly. The Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique was notoriously difficult, even more so than the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu. Creating clones of a material object required far more control than cloning oneself—it was classified as an A-rank ninjutsu for a reason.
If Mugetsu had mastered it in half a month, Hiruzen would have been impressed. But a week? That was beyond expectation.
Mugetsu drew a shuriken and swiftly threw it, forming hand seals mid-motion. "Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
Whoosh!
The single shuriken burst into dozens, embedding themselves neatly into the earth.
White smoke drifted from Hiruzen's pipe as he exhaled slowly, eyes gleaming with admiration. What he had assumed was just a gifted teacher turned out to be a natural genius.
"Incredible! You learned it in just a few days? As expected of Mugetsu-sensei!" Asuma said, his voice full of excitement.
Cough, cough. Hiruzen nearly choked on his pipe smoke.
He had just created thousands of shuriken, and Asuma only said it was "pretty good." Yet Mugetsu created dozens and was instantly called "amazing"? Whose son was this again?
"Asuma, go take a bath," Hiruzen said flatly, deciding that removing the source of irritation was the best choice.
"Mugetsu-sensei, keep up the great work! When you've fully mastered it, teach me, alright? The old man's not very good at explaining things!" Asuma called back cheerfully as he left, completely unaware he had just insulted his father.
"Please don't mind him," Hiruzen said with a weary smile, rubbing his forehead. "He's at that rebellious age."
Mugetsu smiled calmly. "It's natural for kids to be like that. Deep down, I'm sure he still respects you a lot."
Hiruzen nodded slightly, though a trace of helplessness lingered in his eyes. "I know he's young. He'll understand everything I've done for him once he matures."
Setting his pipe aside, he began explaining the finer points of controlling chakra flow during the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique—how to stabilize replication and maintain the number of clones.
Then, out of nowhere, Hiruzen asked, "Mugetsu, have you ever considered working as a Jonin instructor?"
He continued, "If you don't want to stay at the Academy, I can appoint you as one. You can even keep your current team as your squad."
Now that Mugetsu had proven his strength by defeating Kari and showing such remarkable ninjutsu talent, Hiruzen wanted to prioritize his development. A Jonin instructor had flexible teaching hours and could take on missions to earn extra income while training further—a perfect balance of teaching and growth.
Mugetsu shook his head politely. "Thank you for the offer, Lord Third, but I truly enjoy teaching at the Ninja Academy. I like being around the students—it feels peaceful and fulfilling."
Then, smiling softly, he added, "Please rest assured, Lord Third. While I teach, I'm still improving myself. The more I learn, the better I can guide my students."
Hiruzen paused, ready to argue that such power wasn't necessary for Academy students—but the words caught in his throat. Instead, he smiled faintly. Mugetsu's choice was his own.
Perhaps, Hiruzen thought, after spending so long in Root, Mugetsu simply longed for a place filled with light and innocence.
Danzo… you almost destroyed a true genius.
Relieved that he had personally pulled Mugetsu from Root, Hiruzen silently vowed to tighten his control over that organization once the war ended.
After demonstrating the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique, Mugetsu asked Hiruzen a few questions about the Great Waterfall Technique, preparing for his next Water Release demonstration.
…
The next day at noon, after morning training, the students rested. Mugetsu gathered everyone and selected a few of Shisui's problem sets to explain, letting the others observe and learn.
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