Chapter 255: The Disciples Also Want to Win Mugetsu's Favor
One afternoon, about a week before the graduation exam, Obito and Kakashi finished their training but didn't head home. Instead, they gathered at the Dango Shop.
"None of you dislike these, right?" Obito asked before ordering.
Seeing everyone nod, he ordered five portions of dango from the shop owner and led them to a quiet corner inside.
"You all know what this meeting's about, right?" Obito said in a low, serious voice, glancing around.
"Yes, we know—it's for that," Rin replied softly with a nod.
"Oh, that," Might Guy whispered as well.
"Isn't this just about planning a thank-you party for Mugetsu-sensei? Do you really have to act like we're on a secret mission?" Kakashi couldn't help but remark dryly.
Because Obito and the others were about to graduate, they would soon have fewer chances to see Mugetsu. Even Kakashi, who had already graduated, knew his current team would be disbanded, meaning he wouldn't be able to train under Mugetsu every day anymore.
After some discussion, they decided to hold a thank-you party to show their gratitude for Mugetsu's guidance and support.
Although Shisui wasn't part of their internship team and wasn't graduating, he was still determined to take part.
"Seeing how serious Obito was, I just wanted to play along," Rin said with an embarrassed smile.
"I thought they were trying to train their stealth habits in daily life," Guy added, scratching his head.
"It's because we might run into someone who knows Mugetsu-sensei, and if they overhear us, the surprise will be ruined!" Obito said firmly, as if it were obvious.
"How could we possibly run into someone like that here at a Dango Shop?" Kakashi sighed. "If only you had this kind of alertness during missions."
Obito was about to argue, but Shisui, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up.
"Those details don't matter. Let's just decide what we're actually doing."
Both Obito and Kakashi fell silent. Neither wanted to ignore Shisui's words—despite being two years younger, his skill and maturity had long earned their respect.
"How about holding it on the day the graduation exam ends?" Obito suggested.
"I think that's perfect," Rin said, smiling warmly. "If we pass, sensei will give us our headbands right away. We can wear them when we thank him—it'll feel more meaningful."
"That's exactly what I was thinking," Obito agreed happily.
Under Mugetsu's teaching, he had gone from the bottom of the class to one of the top performers. The idea of thanking Mugetsu while wearing his headband filled him with pride.
"I don't mind," Kakashi said with a small nod. The timing didn't matter much to him—he wasn't the sentimental type.
"It feels great! Just thinking about it makes my youth burn brighter!" Guy said, already emotional, nearly tearing up.
"Alright, that works for me too," Shisui agreed easily.
Once they settled on the date, they moved on to the next issue—what the thank-you party would include.
"We should prepare a gift, but should we all chip in for one big present, or each give something on our own?" Obito asked.
Kakashi looked thoughtful, but Shisui quickly offered a practical solution.
"Why choose? We can each give something personal and still give one together as a group."
"Shisui, that's actually a good idea," Obito said after thinking it through. "There's no need to pick just one."
Individual gifts were personal, so there was no need to discuss those. The group present, however, required everyone's input.
"Then we should start by thinking about what Mugetsu-sensei likes," Kakashi suggested. "You've known him longer, so you guys go first."
Shisui fell silent, deep in thought. He knew Mugetsu enjoyed watching them grow stronger—but that obviously couldn't be turned into a tangible gift.
He tried to recall all the little details about Mugetsu's habits. The most obvious one was his love for calligraphy. Shisui had seen him practicing during lunch breaks and sometimes gifting them small scrolls of his work.
Still, he wanted to dig deeper—something more personal, something meaningful.
But the more he tried to analyze it, the more he realized he couldn't figure it out at all.
In Shisui's memory, Mugetsu had always taught them with a gentle smile—not only guiding them in Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, but also patiently easing any doubts or negative emotions they had.
Because they were always the ones being helped, their understanding of Mugetsu wasn't that deep. They knew his personality and kindness, but beyond that, most of what they knew was vague.
"Maybe when I get stronger, I'll come to understand him more," Shisui thought to himself.
If Mugetsu ever faced trouble, someone like him, still at this level, wouldn't be able to help at all.
"Mugetsu-sensei likes calligraphy and enjoys teaching," Shisui finally said aloud.
That was all he could think of—anything else was beyond what he truly knew.
"Those two are definitely Mugetsu-sensei's interests," Obito said, scratching his head, "but isn't there something a bit more personal?"
Everyone in the Academy already knew Mugetsu liked calligraphy—it was common knowledge. Obito had even given him a brush before. But for a group gift, something more thoughtful seemed necessary. Five people pitching in for a single brush felt too plain.
"I remember Mugetsu-sensei once said he likes egg dishes. How about we all make one for him together?" Might Guy suggested seriously, rubbing his chin.
He might forget names easily, but he never forgot anything Mugetsu said.
"You can cook?" Obito asked, intrigued by the idea.
Shisui and Kakashi nodded. Though Shisui was young, circumstances had forced him to learn to cook from an early age.
Guy shook his head; he was just proposing the idea. Rin also shook her head quickly—her parents handled all the cooking at home, so she hadn't learned yet.
"I can't either… so that just leaves Shisui and Kakashi. Forget it, we can't make only the two of them do all the work," Obito decided, reluctantly giving up on the plan.
He then started recalling every detail of his time with Mugetsu, hoping to find some spark of inspiration. But the more he thought, the more he realized how difficult it was. Aside from calligraphy, nothing else came to mind.
"Actually, I don't think we need to overthink it," Rin said gently. "Maybe Mugetsu-sensei doesn't have many hobbies. As long as we express our gratitude sincerely, that's what matters most."
She smiled and added, "And we still have a week left. We could ask other teachers or friends of Mugetsu-sensei for ideas."
"You're right," Obito said, feeling calmer. They still had time. If they couldn't find anything special, they'd just do their best with what they had—and sincerity would make up for the rest.
While they were talking, the shop owner arrived with five plates of dango, setting them neatly on the table.
"You're really lucky, Shisui," Obito said, taking a skewer and popping one into his mouth. "You got to meet Mugetsu-sensei right when you entered the Academy."
If he had met Mugetsu earlier, he thought, his strength might be far greater by now—and he would've had more time to learn from him.
Shisui smiled slightly. "Even after you graduate, you're still Mugetsu-sensei's student. You can always come back to train with him."
Obito nodded. He knew that already, but if graduating meant seeing Mugetsu less, he half-joked to himself that he might just fail the exam on purpose to stay longer.
"Kakashi, are Genin busy right after graduation?" Obito asked, turning to the only official ninja among them.
"It's about the same as your internship," Kakashi replied. "You train every day and can only take D-rank missions."
To him, that was the rhythm of a ninja's life—training, missions, repeat.
"Of course, it still depends on what kind of teacher you get," Kakashi added.
"I just hope we get a sensei who doesn't meddle too much," Obito said, clasping his hands together in mock prayer. "Then I can still train under Mugetsu-sensei like before."
In his heart, having Mugetsu as his team leader was the ideal outcome. But he had already asked—and Mugetsu had told him he had no plans to become an instructor for Genin.
"That's impossible," Kakashi said flatly. "If a teacher's like that, they can't even lead a team. And Mugetsu-sensei still has to teach his classes."
"Anything's possible! You just don't have any dreams," Obito shot back. "I feel sorry for your future teammates, having to work with someone so boring."
"Funny," Kakashi said coolly. "I feel sorry for your teammates too—imagine trying to survive missions with someone who daydreams all the time."
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