Chapter 258: Something Is Wrong with the Disciples
After their discussion, Shisui went straight to a ninja tool shop called Ten Ten Ten.
"Is the katana I ordered finished?" Shisui asked the young shopkeeper.
Even before they planned the appreciation event, Shisui had already decided to give Mugetsu a gift. Since Mugetsu had once given him a short blade, Shisui wanted to return the favor with a proper weapon.
He had originally wanted to forge it himself, but given his young age and lack of resources, that wasn't realistic. So instead, he commissioned a skilled craftsman to make one according to his design. When the Thank You event came up, Shisui decided it would be the perfect time to give it.
"It's ready. I'll take you to see it," the young shopkeeper said with a smile. Calling his wife to tend the store, he led Shisui to the backyard warehouse where the weapons were stored.
The man walked over to a weapon rack and handed Shisui a wrapped katana.
Shisui carefully examined it. The weapon's design was entirely red-themed—the hilt a deep, blood-red tone, and the scabbard an orange-red with a flame pattern etched along its surface.
He nodded in satisfaction. This design had been his specific request, inspired by Mugetsu's teachings on Flame Breathing.
The katana itself was about a meter long—nearly as tall as Shisui's own height of 1.23 meters, not yet seven years old. But as a ninja, he handled it easily, drawing the blade with practiced motion.
Under the soft light of the warehouse, the blade shimmered silver-white, with faint flame-like markings running along its edge.
Shisui was pleased. He didn't know much about sword craftsmanship, but this one looked perfect.
The young owner brought over a wooden dummy and a stone slab, smiling. "Go ahead and test it."
Shisui nodded, stepping forward. Without channeling chakra, he swung once at the dummy's arm.
Thud!
The blade sliced cleanly through, the wooden limb falling to the ground with a dull sound.
Swish! Swish!
Shisui continued, swiftly cutting the dummy into neat segments. Every cut was clean and smooth.
Then he infused chakra into the blade and struck twice more—this time against the stone. The katana sliced through, splitting it into four perfect pieces.
The shopkeeper was stunned. To him, it was incredible that a boy so young possessed such control and strength.
"Excellent. Here's the full payment," Shisui said, sheathing the sword and handing over 640,000 ryō.
He had already paid a 160,000 ryō deposit earlier, bringing the total to 800,000 ryō.
It was expensive, but Shisui thought it was worth every coin. Mugetsu had invested plenty in him—his custom short blade, rare training materials, and even medicinal tonics for training.
Money didn't matter much to Shisui. Once he became a full-fledged ninja, he knew earning it wouldn't be difficult.
Afterward, he returned home with the katana and began crafting a gift box by hand.
He couldn't forge a weapon himself, but making a box—something simple and personal—was well within his skill.
When he finally finished, he breathed a long sigh of relief. He'd been worried about not completing it before the event, but he had managed to finish ahead of schedule.
Meanwhile, across the village, Kakashi was also feeling a quiet sense of accomplishment.
"It's finally almost done," he murmured, looking at the nearly finished calligraphy brush in his hands. A small smile—rare for him—appeared beneath the portion of his face uncovered by his mask.
Though his time with Mugetsu hadn't been long, Kakashi could feel how much his teacher cared for him. Mugetsu's calm, patient guidance had left a lasting impression on him.
Since Mugetsu loved calligraphy, Kakashi decided to make him a brush by hand.
After weeks of study and trial, he had finally learned how. Through the process, he came to understand that different animal hairs had distinct strengths—some soft and flexible, others firm and precise.
After examining the brush Mugetsu had once gifted him, Kakashi concluded that it had been made from goat hair. So, he decided to make one the same way—a goat hair brush of his own craftsmanship.
"If I give a brush, others might do the same," Kakashi thought.
Most of Mugetsu's students knew about his love for calligraphy. It was only natural that many would think of similar gifts.
But after a moment's reflection, Kakashi shrugged off the thought. "Even if it's the same, that's fine. It just means everyone cares."
...
The next morning, on his way to the South Border Forest, Kakashi spotted a familiar golden-haired figure ahead of him.
At first, he thought it was Mugetsu—but as he drew closer, he realized it was Minato Namikaze.
He had planned to just greet him and move on, but remembering something he hadn't been able to ask on the battlefield, Kakashi decided not to miss the chance.
"Good morning, Minato-senpai," he greeted.
"Good morning, Kakashi," Minato replied warmly as he finished buying breakfast.
Knowing Kakashi would soon become one of his students, Minato's gaze held a touch of fondness.
Kakashi noticed the change in Minato's demeanor but didn't dwell on it. "Minato-senpai, what kind of gift do you think Mugetsu-sensei would like? Our team's about to disband, and I want to give him something special."
The question made Minato pause.
If he were to give Mugetsu a gift, it would probably be something related to sealing techniques—perhaps even a new formula or scroll. But for a child like Kakashi, that wasn't possible.
He thought for a while, recalling every interaction he'd had with Mugetsu, but no specific preferences came to mind.
Finally, he smiled. "I think what matters most is the thought behind it. Just give him what feels right to you."
Kakashi nodded. It made sense. "Thank you, Minato-senpai."
Though he hadn't gotten a clear answer, he appreciated the advice. Overthinking it would only make the gesture less sincere.
As Minato watched Kakashi leave, he couldn't help but smile. He wondered if, one day, Kakashi would also prepare such a heartfelt gift for him. The thought made him look forward to his new role as a guiding sensei even more.
By the time Kakashi arrived at the training ground, he wasn't late—but he was the last one there.
"Kakashi, you don't value training time at all! You should wake up earlier next time," Obito immediately said, seizing the chance to get back at him for yesterday's teasing.
Kakashi gave him a flat look. "I woke up early. I just met Minato-senpai on the way and got delayed."
Obito opened his mouth to argue but froze when he processed what Kakashi said. "Wait, isn't Minato-senpai on the battlefield? How did you meet him?"
"The front-line war's nearly over," Mugetsu replied calmly before Kakashi could. "Minato returned to rest."
Obito blinked, then remembered that Mugetsu was right beside them—and that they couldn't openly talk about the appreciation event. He quickly sent Kakashi a look, signaling him to stop.
"We'll talk later," he muttered.
Kakashi gave a subtle nod.
Mugetsu, however, watched the exchange with mild confusion. It was unusual—Obito and Kakashi rarely dropped a conversation that easily.
Smiling faintly, Mugetsu walked closer to Obito. "Obito, you've been practicing your Constant State Breathing for quite some time now. Have you noticed it lasting longer recently?"
Obito scratched his head. "Not really. Maybe I've been training less at home. I've been… a little busy lately."
He spoke honestly, unaware that Mugetsu was quietly wondering what exactly had his students acting so strangely.
"But Mugetsu-sensei, don't worry. I always focus during training, and I'll make sure to train even more when I have free time," Obito said quickly.
Mugetsu chuckled and patted Obito's head. "Of course I know you're diligent. As for your free time outside of class, it's yours to manage however you like."
Afterward, Mugetsu walked over to Might Guy, observed him for a while, and asked, "Guy, how's your Eight Gates training going? Do you feel close to opening the Third Gate?"
Might Guy shook his head firmly. "Not yet."
"Could it be because I've been slacking off while preparing the gift?" Guy wondered aloud, scratching his cheek nervously.
Whenever Mugetsu asked about his progress so specifically, it usually meant his results weren't meeting expectations.
"Maybe my training volume's been too low lately. I'll double it today to make up for it!" Guy declared, his voice full of determination.
Mugetsu smiled and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "No need for that. I was only asking. Just follow your regular training schedule."
"Still, something feels off," Mugetsu thought to himself.
After asking both Obito and Guy, he began to suspect that his disciples were busy with something outside of training hours—and that they were intentionally keeping it secret from him.
"Are they… preparing a celebration or gifts for me since graduation's coming up?" Mugetsu mused with a faint smile.
It wouldn't be surprising. All three of them had already reached Trust Level Four, which, based on his observation, meant they saw him as more than a mentor—almost like family.
Even Kakashi, though not quite at that level, held a deep respect for him.
Considering their bond and the timing, the idea of a graduation celebration seemed very likely.
And while there were plenty of unhinged individuals in the shinobi world, his students weren't the type to suddenly turn violent. The thought made him laugh softly to himself.
He decided not to overthink it. Treating his students with the same suspicion he used for Hiruzen or Danzo would be exhausting.
That afternoon, as training began, Mugetsu called out to Shisui and Obito, who were preparing to start, and announced a new form of special training.
"Before, I was the one chasing you. This time, I'll give you the chance to strike back," he explained. "I'll limit my speed to match yours. You may use any method you like to attack my Shadow Clone—it won't counterattack."
This version of the exercise focused more on offense rather than movement.
"No homework, right?" Obito asked nervously.
The setup sounded suspiciously similar to their previous training, and he dreaded another mountain of written exercises that would eat into his gift-preparation time.
"Not for now," Mugetsu replied with a calm smile.
Originally, he had planned to assign homework as punishment—five questions per minute until they landed a hit, up to a maximum of ten minutes—but knowing his students were likely preparing something special for him, he decided to be lenient.
He wasn't a strict or inflexible teacher. If they needed more free time, he could give it.
"Yay!" Obito shouted in relief.
He conveniently ignored the "for now" part. Special training without homework was the best kind of training.
Shisui, too, breathed a quiet sigh of relief. His gift was nearly complete, but he wanted to perfect the box he'd made by hand. Too much written work would have cut into that time.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Mugetsu formed a seal and created two Shadow Clones, which took their positions across the clearing.
Shisui and Obito adjusted their breathing, entering their Total Concentration Breathing state. Their breathing slowed and deepened, their bodies sharpening like drawn blades.
"Begin!" Mugetsu called out.
Obito charged first, his fist swinging toward the Shadow Clone.
The clone stood still until the last instant, then smoothly sidestepped the punch.
Obito quickly followed up with a swing to the head and a swift kick—but the clone's movements were too refined. It dodged every attack with graceful precision.
Gritting his teeth, Obito activated his Two-Tomoe Sharingan. His red eyes spun with determination as he lunged forward again.
But instead of helping, it made things worse. He could now see that every single attack missed by the slimmest margin—it was maddening.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Forming seals, Obito gathered chakra in his throat and released a volley of small fireballs that rained down toward the Shadow Clone.
At the same time, he dashed forward, hoping to land a punch when the clone dodged.
But Mugetsu's clone didn't panic. It skillfully used the surrounding trees to block and disperse the incoming flames, neutralizing the attack completely.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Shisui took his turn, channeling chakra into his lungs and exhaling a massive two-meter fireball that blazed toward the clone.
Then, without forming another seal, he immediately released a second Great Fireball in quick succession.
The twin bursts of flame split in two directions—a maneuver he'd been developing himself. It wasn't as powerful as a single Great Fireball, but the wider spread made it harder to evade.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Mugetsu's clone slammed its hand to the ground, summoning a thick wall of earth that rose up just in time to block both fireballs.
Shisui blinked in surprise, then realized something. The clone wasn't attacking—but it was defending with Ninjutsu.
Activating his Sharingan, he observed more carefully.
After five minutes of testing different attacks, he made a discovery: the Shadow Clone only used Ninjutsu when he used it first. If he stuck to physical strikes, even when he nearly landed a blow, the clone didn't counter with any jutsu.
"Is this training meant to teach timing?" Shisui wondered.
If so, then the key wasn't power—it was precision. He had to gauge the exact moment when Ninjutsu could break through an opponent's guard without revealing his own intent.
The realization was one thing, but putting it into practice was another.
Even after ten minutes, neither he nor Obito managed to land a single hit.
"Both of you scored zero hits in ten minutes," Mugetsu announced calmly.
Obito slumped, gasping. "This is too hard! Isn't this basically like fighting a weaker version of you, Sensei?"
"My Shadow Clone isn't even attacking you," Mugetsu said with a light tap to Obito's forehead using two fingers. "If this were a real battle, you'd already be on the ground."
Obito winced. Even with his Sharingan still active, he couldn't react fast enough to dodge that simple tap.
"The difficulty isn't higher than the last training," Mugetsu continued. "Once you make the right breakthrough, you'll start landing hits. You need to think more during combat—don't just move instinctively."
Obito nodded with a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his head. "Got it. I'll work on it, Sensei."
He knew exactly what Mugetsu meant. In combat awareness and analysis, he lagged behind Shisui and Guy by far—and even Kakashi often outperformed him.
He sighed quietly. If everyone's abilities were equal, he probably wouldn't stand a chance against Kakashi in a real fight.
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