After finishing a morning of training, Mokgetsu said to the students, "Tonight is Guy's birthday, let's gather at his house by then."
This was mainly directed at Kakashi, as Obito had already prepared his gift.
"I have other things to attend to next, you can move freely now, or continue training here for the afternoon."
Mokgetsu was going to put on a performance for Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Maybe he's going to prepare a gift for you, Guy. I wonder what kind of gift it will be," Obito said with envy on his face.
His birthday was on February 10th, a little over a month away, and Obito was already anticipating what gift Mokgetsu would prepare for him.
"Haha, no matter what Teacher Mokgetsu gives, I will be very happy," Might Guy said with a big laugh.
He believed Mokgetsu had been very kind to him; apart from his father, he hadn't met anyone else so good to him. Therefore, he didn't ask for more, even if Mokgetsu simply said "Happy Birthday," he would be delighted.
"That's what you say, but if the gift is better, you'd be happier, right?" Obito thought aloud.
If the birthday gift from Mokgetsu was a store-bought Kunai, he would be happy and keep it, but if it was a hand-crafted Kunai from Mokgetsu, he would be even happier and treasure it more.
...
After leaving the training ground, Mokgetsu headed straight to the Hokage Building.
It was true that he and Might Duy had more opportunities to meet Sarutobi Hiruzen due to special reasons, but Mokgetsu said this more to increase the credibility of his words.
Under normal circumstances, it was more convenient to visit Sarutobi Hiruzen at the Hokage Building than going to his house in the evening, which would be too late.
Knock, knock!
Mokgetsu knocked on the door of the Hokage Office.
"Come in," Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice came from inside.
"Lord Third," Mokgetsu greeted respectfully.
"Oh, it's Mokgetsu. What's the matter?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, taking out a pipe from his mouth and exhaling a cloud of smoke.
"Lord Third, I've found a ninja in Konoha with strength far exceeding their current rank, an exceedingly powerful individual who is still a Genin," Mokgetsu said seriously.
"An exceptionally powerful Genin?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind immediately conjured up an image.
"Is it a ninja who carries a pot?" Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered for a moment before asking.
Speaking of exceptionally powerful yet still a Genin, the first person he thought of was Maruboshi Kosuke.
Maruboshi Kosuke was a veteran ninja whose strength and contributions had long reached the Jonin level, but due to some past incidents, he developed some mental barriers and always refused promotion.
Sarutobi Hiruzen admired Maruboshi Kosuke greatly and even taught him his self-created A-level Ninjutsu, the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu.
"No, if we talk about distinctive features, it should be thick eyebrows and a green jumpsuit," Mokgetsu shook his head and replied.
"Might Duy?" Hearing Mokgetsu's description, Sarutobi Hiruzen envisioned another figure.
Might Duy was somewhat well-known in Konoha, albeit for not-so-good reasons.
Mokgetsu nodded and explained:
"I discovered this by chance because Might Duy's child, Might Guy, was interning with me. By coincidence, I discovered Might Duy's true strength."
This was why Mokgetsu only took this step after starting the internship; having such a status made the adaptation process more reasonable and convincing.
"He has mastered a powerful Taijutsu called the Eight Gates, and at full power, even I am not his match," Mokgetsu fabricated earnestly.
"I felt something was off, a Genin mastering such a powerful Taijutsu that I've never heard of, so I came to report it to you, Lord Third."
Hearing Mokgetsu's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen showed a hint of surprise. Might Duy had actually mastered the Eight Gates.
"It's normal that you haven't heard of it because the Eight Gates is a Kinjutsu from the Sealing Book," Sarutobi Hiruzen explained.
Sarutobi Hiruzen paused for a while, exhaling smoke as he continued:
"This Kinjutsu existed as early as the Warring States period. Once fully trained, it has terrifying power. The Second Hokage once gathered some people to form a ninja squad capable of using the Eight Gates, and Might Duy was among them."
Sarutobi Hiruzen had never witnessed the power of Eight Gates ninjas with his own eyes, but he had seen the training methods of the Eight Gates, which could be described as the epitome of raw strength.
If it weren't for Senju Tobirama's Eight Gates team plan failing disastrously, he might have considered implementing one.
Senju Tobirama innovated many things, such as the Ninja Academy and the Anbu, but not all were successful; the Eight Gates plan was among the biggest failures.
It wasted manpower and resources, and in the end, there wasn't a single successful trainee, all efforts went in vain.
"I didn't expect him to persist for so long and actually succeed," Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen performed the hand seals and created a shadow clone.
"If Might Duy truly mastered the Eight Gates, then remaining a Genin isn't appropriate. He should be promoted to Chunin," Sarutobi Hiruzen stated.
To the Third Hokage, Might Duy's successful mastery of the Eight Gates was an achievement in itself, proving the viability of the Eight Gates team plan.
However, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't take Mokgetsu's word for it; he had to see for himself.
It's not that he didn't trust Mokgetsu's integrity, rather it was Mokgetsu's judgment that he doubted; after all, this was a highly sought-after Eight Gates ninja.
Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen directly create a shadow clone, Mokgetsu realized the alluring draw of an Eight Gates ninja was indeed strong; he didn't even wait for Might Duy to arrive but asked him to go with the clone right away.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's shadow clone had arrived at an open training ground, while Mokgetsu went to fetch Might Duy for the test.
Since Mokgetsu had given prior notice, Might Duy remained home, so Mokgetsu saw him immediately upon arrival.
"Let's go, the Third wants to personally test your strength, Senior Dai, so give it your all," Mokgetsu instructed.
"No problem, I'm always ready to burn my youth!" Might Duy chuckled, flashing his shiny white teeth and giving a thumbs up.
At this moment, Might Duy was a bit elated; after decades, he had resigned to being a perpetual Genin, but now he unexpectedly got such an opportunity.
"Additionally, Senior Dai, please try not to discuss my strength with the Third," Mokgetsu reminded, worried that Might Duy might slip up.
Although Might Duy didn't know the full extent of Mokgetsu's strength, it wasn't yet at a level which should be revealed now.
"Don't worry, I understand," Might Duy nodded in agreement.
He didn't know why Mokgetsu wanted him to conceal his strength, but Might Duy respected Mokgetsu's wishes and was willing to help.
Then, led by Mokgetsu, the two headed to the training ground where Sarutobi Hiruzen's shadow clone awaited.