Chapter 393: Investigating Uchiha Itachi
Mugetsu did not draw his reward immediately.
Instead, he bathed, lit incense, and treated it like a proper ritual before finally reaching out and clicking the draw.
[System: S rank Ninjutsu Extraction Scroll consumed. Gained skill: Transformation (Mastery level).]
Mugetsu stared at the result, stunned.
Fortunately, it did not end with the word jutsu. Otherwise, his mood might have cracked on the spot. This was an S rank scroll, and pulling one of the Three Basic Techniques would have been beyond absurd.
As the draw completed, an overwhelming flood of memories and knowledge slammed into his mind. Only then did Mugetsu understand where this skill truly came from.
Transformation was a localized ninjutsu from the Pokemon world.
If someone only heard the name Transformation, they might not recognize it. But if you mentioned Ditto and Mew, anyone who had watched Pokemon would immediately recall that ability.
This was not the same as the Transformation Technique in the shinobi world.
This Transformation allowed the user to take on the abilities of the target as well, though with limitations.
After sorting through the massive amount of information, Mugetsu could only admit it.
Transformation truly deserved to come from an S rank scroll. It was absurdly versatile.
With Appraisal Technique, Mugetsu could already be considered an information focused Mugetsu. And Transformation, to a certain extent, could let its user grasp capabilities similar to Appraisal Technique as well.
The activation of Transformation had two stages.
The first stage was scanning and recording the physical information of the target.
If Mugetsu taught Transformation to Jiraiya, it really could create an information focused Jiraiya, assuming Jiraiya could actually learn it.
The second stage was copying that recorded information into the user.
Once the second stage completed, the caster entered the transformed state and could use the copied abilities.
Mugetsu could say with confidence that Transformation was the most complex ninjutsu he had ever seen.
With his current knowledge, trying to comprehend the essence of Transformation felt like an elementary school student staring at a university textbook.
At times, Mugetsu even felt it resembled the Mangekyo Sharingan. The effect was terrifyingly strong, and the logic behind it was just as hard to grasp.
Still, there was a problem.
The skill was undeniably powerful and extremely functional, but it did not fully match what Mugetsu wanted most.
What he truly hoped for was something clone related.
If he had better clones, planning, protection, and arrangements would become far more convenient.
Shadow Clone was decent, but it could not refine chakra on its own, could not last for long periods, and was fragile enough to vanish from a single solid hit.
But the draw was the draw.
At most, Mugetsu could complain about his luck for a moment. After that, he would focus on developing what he had, instead of wasting time dwelling on what did not appear.
If the most suitable ability did not come, then it simply did not exist. The only path forward was to sharpen the tools already in hand until they broke through the current deadlock.
Compared to the system reward, Mugetsu's biggest gain from the Roran trip was the successful development of Yang Release Breathing.
Naruto's uniqueness allowed Mugetsu to harvest a large amount of Yang Release Breathing progress, accelerating his development speed dramatically.
However, in Mugetsu's eyes, the current Yang Release Breathing could not be called a complete success.
Right now, it could only be used as a single breath. It could not yet achieve Yang Fire Fusion or Yang Lightning Fusion, the state Mugetsu originally envisioned.
Even so, it was a massive step forward.
If Mugetsu's hypothesis was correct, Yang Release Breathing might also solve Obito and Shisui's future Mangekyo blindness problem.
In the original story, there were two known solutions to Mangekyo blindness.
The first was to transplant the Mangekyo Sharingan of a blood relative, evolving it into the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Madara and Sasuke were examples.
The second was to transplant Hashirama cells.
Obito did not possess the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, yet he could use Kamui without restraint because half his body was infused with Hashirama cells by Madara.
Why did Hashirama cells produce that effect?
Mugetsu analyzed it and concluded it came from the terrifying vitality, the physical energy, contained in Hashirama cells.
Danzo's arm, which contained Hashirama cells and had ten three tomoe Sharingan transplanted into it, only managed to maintain balance between mental and physical energy. That alone proved how overwhelming the physical energy inside those cells truly was.
And Yang Release Breathing strengthened physical energy.
In theory, it should be able to achieve an effect similar to Hashirama cells.
Still, Mugetsu did not intend to teach Yang Release Breathing to them yet.
It was too difficult to learn, and it did not improve combat power efficiently in the early stages, which made the effort feel unjustified.
More importantly, Obito and Shisui were still far from the Mangekyo at their current age and strength.
After finishing his preparations and organizing his thoughts, Mugetsu left his house.
Since Transformation had a range limit, he went out into the streets to scan and record shinobi at random.
After testing, he found the maximum scanning distance was about fifteen meters. Beyond that, scanning simply failed.
"Transformation Technique, Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique…"
Powerful shinobi were rare. Mugetsu scanned several people in a row, but they were all genin or chunin. Their skills were mostly abilities he already possessed.
Even so, Mugetsu used Flying Thunder God to return home, removed his black framed glasses, and activated Transformation.
In the mirror, his figure shifted rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, he became the unfamiliar chunin he had scanned.
Mugetsu inspected himself carefully.
There were no flaws at all.
It was a perfect replication. Even Mugetsu's Byakugan could not see through it.
He tried to use ninjutsu, and the first thing he noticed was that his chakra had changed.
Everyone's chakra was distinct, even more unique than their face.
For sensory shinobi, chakra was far more reliable than appearances.
Mugetsu remembered that in the shinobi world, only White Zetsu's impersonation technique could mimic chakra, and even then, it required absorption before copying.
Mugetsu only needed to glance.
That was on an entirely higher level.
"I wonder if the Rinnegan can see through Transformation," Mugetsu muttered. "If it cannot, then taking Nagato as a disciple becomes much simpler."
A plan immediately formed in his mind.
Becoming Nagato's teacher while using the identity of Hayate Mugetsu was too difficult.
First, Nagato would likely reject him simply for being a Konoha shinobi.
Second, because of Obito, Madara probably had information on Mugetsu and would not be thrilled about Mugetsu approaching the Rinnegan.
But if Mugetsu was not Hayate Mugetsu, things changed completely.
He could create countless identities that would gain Nagato's trust.
For example, he could claim to be born in the Land of Rain, driven from home by war, forced to wander the shinobi world, and finally returning as a powerful patriot determined to rebuild his homeland.
Or he could present himself as the last descendant of an ancient shinobi sect, reemerging because he could no longer tolerate endless war, and because he wished to restore the resolve shinobi had long forgotten.
Mugetsu quickly recorded the plan.
In the current shinobi world, Nagato was the best candidate for Mugetsu's fifth disciple slot.
Not because of Nagato's potential, but because Nagato could provide Mugetsu with massive chakra benefits, filling Mugetsu's gaps and even turning weaknesses into strengths.
Mugetsu continued testing Transformation.
"Substitution Technique, Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique, three tomoe Sharingan, Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique…"
When he scanned an Uchiha jonin, Mugetsu was surprised to discover that even a bloodline limit like the three tomoe Sharingan could be recorded by Transformation.
He quietly returned home and transformed again.
This time, the chakra consumed by Transformation was noticeably higher than when he turned into a chunin.
"If the Sharingan works…" Mugetsu stared into the mirror at the blood red eyes. "Then other bloodline limits should work too, right?"
The upper limit of Transformation was higher than he expected.
It did not only copy appearances.
Right now, Mugetsu truly possessed a pair of three tomoe Sharingan. His dynamic vision rose sharply, and the world itself looked different.
Mugetsu's appreciation for Transformation rose another level.
Given what it had shown, it might even be considered one of the better abilities among S rank scrolls.
It was just a pity.
There were no Uchiha in Konoha with the Mangekyo Sharingan at the moment. Otherwise, Mugetsu would absolutely copy it.
If the abilities of the Mangekyo could also be copied, that would be terrifying.
This transformation also allowed Mugetsu to confirm a limitation.
Information consumption.
After twenty minutes, the Sharingan vanished. It could no longer be used.
Mugetsu canceled the transformed state, then used Transformation again to become that same Uchiha jonin.
The three tomoe Sharingan reappeared successfully.
Immediately after that, Mugetsu went to Tsunade's house.
He ate lunch with her and discussed the development of ninjutsu compatible with the Yang Seal.
"Tsunade has grown bored," Tsunade said, leaning back lazily. "Mugetsu, have you created any new characters recently?"
Tsunade was clearly addicted now. She played Ninja Kill several times every day.
"Not yet," Mugetsu replied after thinking. "I'm still conceiving some."
He had not even had time to develop sealing techniques in Roran. How could he possibly sit down and design Ninja Kill characters?
"Then hurry up," Tsunade urged. "I can already recite the skill descriptions for these old characters."
"Okay," Mugetsu agreed.
He planned to have a Shadow Clone design a few characters with skill descriptions long enough to qualify as short essays. That should last Tsunade longer.
Before leaving, Mugetsu scanned Tsunade's information.
When he scanned her, he could clearly feel how much more abundant her information was compared to ordinary shinobi.
Tsunade alone carried more information than all the people Mugetsu had scanned previously combined.
Mugetsu set up a warning barrier using sealing techniques before transforming into Tsunade.
He did not want to be stumbled upon and seen. If that happened, he would be labeled a pervert instantly, with no trial.
By comparing his stats before and after the transformation, Mugetsu discovered something shocking.
Transforming into Tsunade consumed fifteen thousand chakra points.
After transforming, the Yin Seal, which he had never been able to cultivate before, suddenly felt responsive.
At the same time, a large number of advanced medical ninjutsu appeared on his status screen.
Because he had been able to use the Sharingan after transforming into an Uchiha, Mugetsu tried restoring chakra while in Tsunade's form.
"So fast," Mugetsu muttered.
It felt like going from 3G to 5G. His recovery speed had risen dramatically.
After that, Mugetsu arranged a meeting with Kushina and copied Kushina's information as well.
However, he was disappointed.
Copying Kushina did not let him become a chakra monster.
The copied Uzumaki physique did not raise his chakra limit. Transformation also could not copy the Nine Tails sealed within Kushina.
What it copied was a bundle of sealing techniques.
After testing to this point, Mugetsu understood Transformation's basic effects and limitations.
First, it could not increase his chakra limit.
No matter how much chakra the target had, Mugetsu's chakra limit did not change after transformation. His physical strength also did not change.
Second, while it could not increase his limit, it could copy special traits that improved recovery speed.
If the target had something like a Senju physique, Mugetsu's chakra recovery rate increased significantly.
Third, bloodline limits, secret techniques, and ninjutsu could be copied in general.
Mugetsu copied all three current heads of the Ino Shika Cho clans to confirm this.
Fourth, the more information a target had, and the higher the target's rank, the more chakra Transformation consumed.
However, the chakra cost for using ninjutsu after transforming remained normal.
Fifth, while transformed, Mugetsu's skills existed in two states.
One set was his own skills.
The other set was the target's skills.
Using the target's skills consumed corresponding information. Once that information was exhausted, that skill could no longer be used.
But by canceling the transformation and using it again, he could refresh the information.
Sixth, if there were overlapping skills, such as Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique, and both Mugetsu and the target knew it, then the determining factor was proficiency.
Whichever side had higher mastery would decide whether it counted as Mugetsu's own skill or the target's skill.
Seventh, if the target's skill proficiency exceeded the proficiency ceiling of Mugetsu's Transformation, then it could not be fully copied.
Only partial information could be copied.
For example, if Mugetsu's Transformation was currently at mastery level one, then the copied skill could only reach that level at most.
Finally, there was a limit to stored information.
Because Mugetsu copied too much information from too many shinobi, he had to delete previous records.
In the end, he wiped everything until only Tsunade, Kushina, and the three heads of the Ino Shika Cho clans remained.
Mugetsu also discovered another detail.
It was best to remove his black framed glasses when using Transformation. Otherwise, it looked strange.
To outsiders, it would appear like Mugetsu's head had been pasted onto the target's body.
If the body type and gender matched the target, it was less noticeable. If they did not match, it looked extremely awkward, like some crude photo editing mistake.
Mugetsu also tried using Transformation by imagining target information from scratch.
That only changed his appearance, and the chakra cost was extremely low.
…
"Shisui, come here," Obito whispered as afternoon training neared its end. "I have something to tell you."
Obito, Kakashi, and Rin discussed it and decided to share the future with Shisui.
Changing the future required power, and Shisui was also Mugetsu's disciple. He was a genius among geniuses, the kind of person who naturally belonged on their history changing team.
Shisui stopped training, released a long breath, and followed Obito to the side.
"The Uchiha clan will be annihilated in the future," Obito said, face serious.
"Why?" Shisui asked, stunned.
He believed the Uchiha had serious internal issues, and if those issues were never resolved, something terrible could happen.
But he never imagined the clan would be annihilated.
The Uchiha were Konoha's strongest clan, with deep foundations and vast strength. There were many chunin and jonin within the clan.
"This is not my guess," Obito said quickly, seeing Shisui misunderstand. "It is what will most likely happen if we do not interfere."
"Our mission this time was to go to the Land of Rain and help the queen investigate a minister. During the mission, we met two shinobi from the future…"
"Future shinobi… time travel…" Shisui stared at Obito.
If Obito had not described it so vividly, with such a serious expression, Shisui might have thought it was a prank.
"One of them was Kakashi's disciple," Obito continued, "and the other was Kakashi's junior. But they did not know Mugetsu sensei at all. They also did not know me or Rin."
Obito's voice dropped low.
Just imagining such a future, even if it had not happened yet, made him feel suffocated.
"They do not know Mugetsu sensei…" Shisui's eyes flickered.
A cold, ominous guess formed in his mind.
Even if they were not close to Mugetsu, they should have heard something. If they had never heard the name at all, then it might mean…
Shisui did not dare to finish the thought. He kept listening.
"Based on what we learned, we inferred that Mugetsu sensei will most likely sacrifice himself during the Third Shinobi World War if we do nothing," Obito said, forcing out the words Shisui least wanted to hear.
"Impossible," Shisui snapped on instinct.
That was Mugetsu sensei. Powerful. Mysterious. The one who always seemed to have an answer.
"I thought it was impossible too," Obito said softly. "Mugetsu sensei is so strong. How could he die?"
"But it is still a possible future. We confirmed many times that those two were truly shinobi who traveled through time. There is no mistake."
Shisui fell silent.
Memories of Mugetsu kept resurfacing.
Mugetsu had been busy, yet to give Shisui a birthday gift, he taught himself to forge shinobi tools. He even injured his hand just to make sure the gift was good enough.
Whenever Shisui was lost, Mugetsu always guided him immediately, pushing him toward the right path.
"Absolutely… absolutely… absolutely cannot let that happen," Shisui whispered.
Emotions surged inside him.
A special chakra rose with them, and without realizing it, Shisui's Sharingan activated.
The tomoe in his blood colored eyes spun rapidly, changing from two to three.
"None of us wants that future," Obito said, clenching his fist. "So we have to work together and create the best future ourselves."
"I will do my utmost," Shisui replied, taking a deep breath.
A future where Mugetsu died was not a future Shisui could accept. He wanted to prevent Mugetsu's death, and he wanted to prevent the annihilation of the Uchiha clan.
"There is not much information about Mugetsu sensei's death," Obito admitted, "but the annihilation of the clan is very clear. In that future, the clan was wiped out by someone named Uchiha Itachi."
Obito's tone sharpened.
"He awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan. It is stronger than the three tomoe Sharingan."
"Uchiha Itachi…" Shisui frowned. The name felt familiar.
Obito leaned forward, already irritated. "You know him? Is he the gloomy type? The kind of guy who does not look like a good person the moment you see him?"
In Obito's eyes, Uchiha Itachi was not human.
According to Yamato, it was not only Uchiha shinobi who died. Ordinary residents in the Uchiha compound also died. Even women, children, and the elderly were slaughtered.
Only two survived.
The killer, Uchiha Itachi, and his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke.
If Itachi had only killed those he hated, Obito might have despised him less.
But killing innocents was unforgivable.
Obito hated that kind of cruelty with everything he had.
Shisui searched his memory until it finally clicked.
A few months ago, while walking through the Uchiha compound, he had seen Fugaku holding a small child.
That child's name had been Itachi.
"Obito," Shisui asked carefully, "are you sure it was Uchiha Itachi who annihilated the Uchiha compound?"
"Of course," Obito said without hesitation. "For something this important, I confirmed the name several times. It is absolutely Uchiha Itachi."
Shisui's expression turned strange, almost disbelieving. "I do know him. But he was only born not long ago."
His encounter with Fugaku was only a few months back. Itachi might not even be one year old now.
Obito scratched his head. "Ah… so he is still that small."
Then Obito's eyes narrowed.
"I still have to go take a look. Maybe he is the type that is born rotten."
Shisui was not comfortable letting Obito do that alone. After thinking, he nodded. "Then I will go with you. We can go to Fugaku sama's home under the excuse of asking for training advice. That should not raise suspicion."
Since Obito's performance in the chunin exams, his reputation as a genius within the clan had even surpassed Shisui's. With the two of them together, Fugaku would welcome them.
"Yeah," Obito said quickly, as if he had planned it all along. "That is exactly what I was thinking."
In truth, Obito had originally planned to buy lollipops and snacks, wander around Fugaku's home, and use candy to lure Itachi out for investigation.
Now he silently killed that plan and moved on.
They went home, ate dinner, then met again and headed to Fugaku's house.
"Uncle Fugaku, good evening," Shisui greeted politely.
"Clan Head, good evening," Obito added beside him.
"Uncle Fugaku," Shisui continued, "are you free right now? Obito and I ran into a few things in training that we do not understand."
Fugaku nodded and welcomed them inside.
The moment they stepped into the courtyard, they saw Itachi sitting on the outdoor veranda, staring off into space as if lost in thought.
Fugaku smiled, as if remembering something, and waved.
"Itachi, come here," Fugaku called. "Come meet the excellent seniors of the clan."
Itachi turned his head and looked curiously at Obito and Shisui, then walked over to Fugaku's side.
"This is my child," Fugaku said, resting a hand on Itachi's head. "His name is Uchiha Itachi."
Then he gave Itachi simple instructions.
"Call them Shisui nii and Obito nii. They are the most talented young shinobi in the clan. Last year, Shisui even touched your face."
"Shisui nii… Obito nii," Itachi greeted obediently, following Fugaku's words. He sounded a little unclear, likely because he had only recently learned to speak.
"Itachi, good evening," Shisui replied calmly.
At the same time, he subtly elbowed Obito, who was staring too intensely at the child.
Shisui was glad he came.
Obito's behavior right now looked disturbingly close to a kidnapper.
Obito snapped out of it and quickly greeted Itachi as well.
Still, Obito was puzzled.
Why did this kid look so dazed?
Can someone like this really annihilate the Uchiha clan?
Obito began to suspect the clan must have suffered heavy losses after the Third Shinobi World War.
Fugaku did not notice Obito's strange focus. In his eyes, Obito was simply a slightly older child.
To keep Fugaku from sensing anything, Shisui came prepared.
He genuinely brought two questions about Fire Style training, one for himself, one for Obito.
Fugaku had practiced Fire Style for decades. After only a brief pause, he answered both questions smoothly.
"To understand Fire Style to this extent at your age," Fugaku said, sighing, "if Itachi can reach even two thirds of your level when he grows up, he will already be excellent."
Fugaku could judge their progress just from the questions they asked.
In Fugaku's eyes, Shisui and Obito could only be described as the Uchiha dual prodigies.
If they grew up normally, and did not die young, then the revival of the Uchiha clan over the next few decades would largely depend on them.
"Uncle Fugaku, you flatter us," Shisui said modestly. "There is always someone better. Itachi's talent might even surpass ours."
Fugaku smiled.
If that happened, then the clan's revival would truly be close. Returning to the glory of the Warring States Era would no longer feel like a dream.
Perhaps because Obito showed such obvious interest in Itachi, after the training discussion ended, Fugaku deliberately left space for the three of them.
"Itachi," Fugaku said, "learn more from your two seniors."
After that, Fugaku temporarily left the living room.
Obito's eyes lit up.
He had been waiting for this moment.
Fugaku was too much of a barrier. There were plenty of things Obito could not say with him sitting right there.
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