Chapter 512: Master of the Ninja World
Land of Rain.
Day three of the unrestricted lecture.
After two days of buildup, even more ninja poured into the Land of Rain. They wanted to see with their own eyes whether Ninja Master Sosuke's teaching was truly as terrifying as the rumors claimed, so the number of attendees swelled again.
Of course, more people also meant more trouble for management.
The Shinobi Sect only had a little over a hundred ninja. Keeping order among more than a thousand outsiders was no simple task.
But the ones who had already attended two days of lectures did not dare offend the Shinobi Sect and risk losing their chance to keep listening. They behaved extremely well. Any sparks of chaos were crushed the moment they appeared.
"Ninjutsu is the combination of chakra nature transformation, chakra shape transformation, and chakra control," Mugetsu concluded.
"Whether it's Fire Release, Water Release, Yin Release, or Yang Release, the essence is the same."
That was also why the same jutsu could look completely different in different hands.
Some people needed every single hand seal. Some could simplify the sequence. Some only needed one seal, or even none at all.
Because their nature transformation differed. Their chakra control differed. Their understanding of the jutsu differed. Everything differed.
Mugetsu's words sent many into deep thought.
Most ninja had never reached a realization like this, because they typically learned ninjutsu in only three ways.
The first was the Ninja Academy.
The second was clan training systems.
The third was instruction from elders within a family.
In all three, the "teachers" were usually ordinary jonin at best, and more often chunin.
And what was a chunin level, really?
A chunin who learned Fire Release nature transformation and could use Fire Release Great Fireball and Fire Release Phoenix Sage Fire was already considered excellent. How could someone at that level deliver broad, foundational insights?
"It's a shame I didn't come for the first two days," a ninja who had only arrived on the third day muttered with regret.
Just Mugetsu's opening sentence had already proven the trip was not wasted.
"Of course, that doesn't mean you can just mix things together randomly and call it a new jutsu," Mugetsu continued.
"Different nature transformations have different traits. Fire has heat and combustion. Wind has cutting. Water has flexibility. You develop techniques by leveraging the traits of the chakra nature you're using."
"For example, with Water Release, you can use shape transformation to make it sharper and increase penetration, or turn it into mist to obstruct vision."
Mugetsu's experience with ninjutsu was simply too deep.
On the surface, he had only trained in ninjutsu for a little over a decade. But if one counted the training memories the system had injected into him, the scale became absurd.
Every time he obtained a new master level jutsu, Mugetsu felt as if he had trained it for years, even more than a decade.
It was an illusion in the sense that only a second passed in reality, but the training experience in his mind was vivid and complete.
So no matter what ninjutsu was brought up, Mugetsu could speak smoothly, with dense substance and clear structure, while still extracting new understanding from it.
This is a true ninjutsu professor, Hanzo thought with emotion.
At this moment, he no longer felt bitter about losing to Sosuke.
The lecture was only halfway through, yet Hanzo could already sense Sosuke's terrifying depth from the little that had been revealed.
When someone was proficient in seven chakra natures and also studied all kinds of ninjutsu in detail, it became almost impossible to counter them in battle. They could always find something that answered the opponent.
Hanzo had once thought Sosuke was only outstanding in Fire Release. That was why Sosuke had dared to use a countered element to fight him.
Now, it looked more like Sosuke had simply been confident. He believed Fire Release alone was enough to win, so there was no need to reveal anything else.
A trace of loneliness surfaced in Hanzo's heart.
Understanding this was hard for him.
He had taken Sosuke so seriously, treating him as a major enemy. After losing, he had wrestled with himself countless times, only to discover that Sosuke had not even fought at full strength and had never truly regarded him as a threat.
Hanzo forced the extra emotions down and continued listening.
He could think about his pride later.
If he lost focus now, Sosuke would not repeat anything for him.
When the lecture ended, Hanzo prepared to return to Amegakure. He had been away for three days. It was time to go back.
"Tomorrow morning's lecture will still be ninjutsu," Mugetsu announced as usual. "But it will focus more on chakra control. The afternoon will be taijutsu."
Hanzo fell into thought.
No wonder something still felt unfinished.
Since I already stayed three days, I might as well stay another half day, Hanzo decided. He would leave tomorrow afternoon, after at least listening to the chakra control portion.
It felt like reading a three volume story and stopping before the final volume. Even if nothing critical was missing, it would leave an itch he could not ignore.
The next afternoon, Hanzo planned to listen to taijutsu for only a few minutes before leaving, purely out of curiosity about Mugetsu's level.
But the moment he started listening, he was stunned.
By the time he came back to himself, the afternoon lecture was already over.
Hanzo clenched his jaw and scolded himself internally.
Hanzo, you are the leader of Amegakure. How can you neglect village affairs for Sosuke's lectures? Have you forgotten the great wish for the rise of the Land of Rain?
He decided firmly that he would leave immediately after listening to the entire morning lecture tomorrow.
On the fifth day, he listened all day.
On the sixth day, he listened all day.
More and more people arrived, and he could not even get a front row position anymore.
On the morning of the seventh day, Hanzo stood before the mirror in his hotel room, staring at himself as if he were a stranger.
Seven full days.
He had not returned to Amegakure even once.
And it was not for an urgent mission.
It was just to listen to Sosuke lecture.
Hanzo's expression turned blank for a long moment.
Then he exhaled.
Since things have come to this, I will listen first.
After breakfast, Hanzo used the Body Flicker Technique and rushed toward the lecture grounds.
Over the last six days, every single lesson had been high quality. The condensed key points Mugetsu spoke during lectures were copied, recorded, and spread outward. His reputation snowballed, drawing more and more ninja like moths to flame. If you wanted a good position near the front, you had to arrive early.
Hanzo could force a good spot with strength even if he arrived late, but he did not want to expose his identity. So he also came early and waited.
Mugetsu arrived at the podium early as well.
Yet he did not start ahead of schedule.
Starting early would benefit those who arrived early, but it would punish those who came on time by making them miss content.
"Teacher Sosuke, will there be chances like this again in the future?" a ninja asked, gathering his courage when he saw Mugetsu waiting in silence.
"There will be," Mugetsu replied after a moment. "But the timing has not been decided."
The evaluation rewards for advanced classes were excellent. If conditions allowed, Mugetsu would naturally want to farm more.
But the current problem was not the number of listeners. Even if he always had enough people, it would be difficult to keep farming advanced classes nonstop for three months the way he had done with intermediate classes.
First, there was the issue of content.
To secure an S rank evaluation, the lecture content had to be brilliant and genuinely rewarding.
If Mugetsu taught high level skills like breathing techniques or the Armament Haki secret technique, the evaluation would easily reach S rank, but those were not things he could casually spread.
So his available topics were limited.
This unrestricted lecture only achieved this effect because of Mugetsu's early preparation. It was not something he decided on a whim.
When they heard Mugetsu confirm there would be more opportunities, many ninja broke into happy expressions, whether they were rogue ninja or village ninja.
Guidance from someone at Mugetsu's level was not something you could buy with money.
There was only one exception.
Shinobi Sect members.
Inside the Shinobi Sect, the chance to receive Mugetsu's guidance was extremely high, even if it might not always be from his main body.
More ninja will want to join the Shinobi Sect, Yahiko thought, excitement rising. At this pace, the Land of Rain will return to stability soon.
Ever since joining, everything felt like forward motion. There were setbacks, yes, but they never stopped progress.
"It's truly wonderful that Teacher Sosuke established the Shinobi Sect in the Land of Rain," Yahiko sighed, knowing exactly who had made this possible.
"Mm," Nagato agreed, his gaze fixed on Mugetsu.
As the only person who knew Mugetsu's true identity, Nagato understood Mugetsu's greatness more clearly than anyone.
Mugetsu was not even from the Land of Rain. He came from the Land of Fire, a shinobi of Konoha.
Yet he had come here for peace, lived anonymously, and started over from scratch.
As a top tier expert, and a top tier expert from one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Mugetsu could have lived an easy, comfortable life.
Instead, he chose this.
Mugetsu noticed Nagato's gaze and returned it with a calm smile.
When the time reached nine oclock, Mugetsu began the lecture on schedule.
Even though it was the last day, he held no special ceremony.
He taught the same way he always did.
The attendees quickly sank into the lecture, forgetting it was the final lesson.
When the lecture ended, some people were already smiling and making plans with friends to wake early tomorrow and grab a good seat.
"All lectures have concluded," Mugetsu said, smiling. "I hope everyone has gained something."
Only then did the crowd remember.
Today was the seventh day.
The promised period was over.
"This is the last day already? I only listened for two days…" some late arrivals groaned with regret.
"I wonder when the next lecture will be, and what the content will be," others murmured, their eyes bright. "I'm really looking forward to it."
A large number of ninja bowed deeply toward Mugetsu.
"Teacher Sosuke, thank you for your guidance."
Even though Mugetsu had only taught for seven days, and some for fewer than seven, they still felt like they had become the Ninja Master's students.
Because his lectures finally made them understand the weight of that title.
Before attending, many people believed the unrestricted lecture would be ordinary.
A single secret technique was enough to form a clan. Why would anyone spread advanced shinobi knowledge freely and without restriction?
But the facts slapped that arrogance into dust.
Mugetsu did not teach specific secret techniques or hand out named ninjutsu.
Yet what he taught made many people feel as if it surpassed the so called powerful jutsu and bloodline secrets.
Not only did they feel like students.
They felt proud to be.
Even Amegakure ninja were bowing.
In the past, Hanzo was known for sparing talented young opponents, a kind of magnanimity that earned admiration and respect.
Compared to that, the Ninja Master's actions were even more overwhelming.
How could anyone not respect him?
The bows spread like a wave. More and more ninja bowed.
Even Pakura and Kitsuchi dipped their heads in respect.
Hanzo looked at Mugetsu, his expression complicated.
He bowed slightly as well, but said nothing.
Mugetsu's lecture had benefited him. Hanzo had to admit that.
But calling Sosuke teacher was something he could not force out of his mouth.
"I remember your name is Hattori, right?" a Rain ninja beside him whispered in surprise. "Teacher Sosuke even spoke with you. Why are you not saying anything?"
Hanzo stared at the man for a moment.
He suddenly wondered what expression this subordinate would wear if he canceled the disguise.
But he had no interest in competing with a subordinate, and it was not worth exposing himself.
Mugetsu raised his voice again.
"Soon, the Shinobi Sect will establish a formal headquarters in the eastern part of the Land of Rain. At that time, a Youth Martial Arts Tournament will be held."
"Ninja aged eighteen and below may register."
"Those who place highly will receive rewards."
"The first place reward will be Fire Dragon Dance."
"The remaining rewards will be announced when the tournament approaches."
The crowd went silent.
Then the entire lecture ground exploded into stunned disbelief.
More than a thousand people had seen Fire Dragon Dance with their own eyes. They knew exactly how terrifying that Fire Release was.
"The Fire Release that defeated Lord Hanzo is being given away for first place…" a Rain ninja sucked in a sharp breath.
"Damn it. I'm exactly nineteen this year," someone cursed, crushing his own excitement in an instant.
Kitsuchi's eyes narrowed, shock flickering across his face.
Sosuke is actually willing to use Fire Dragon Dance as a prize.
He had personally witnessed Fire Dragon Dance crush Hanzo. He never expected Mugetsu to give away something like that so easily.
When Pakura heard it, her first thought was not jealousy.
When we return, we have to publicize this.
Even if Sunagakure did not have many Fire Release users, gaining it was still a benefit. And even if they could not use it, preventing other villages from gaining it mattered.
If she were not over the age limit, Pakura would have wanted to participate herself.
Hanzo's face darkened.
A terrible premonition rose in his chest.
Once this tournament began, the story of him being defeated by Sosuke would spread through the entire shinobi world again, this time with even more fuel.
Hanzo regretted it now.
By opposing the Shinobi Sect, he gained nothing.
Amegakure weakened, his reputation worsened, and Sosuke's legend only grew.
Maybe in ten years, he would no longer be called the Demigod of the shinobi world.
He would simply be remembered as Sosuke's backdrop.
"Sosuke really is good at making money," Kakuzu murmured, watching the crowd's expressions and smiling.
These people were no longer just targets to extract money from.
They looked like they were begging the Shinobi Sect to take their money.
In Kakuzu's eyes, every ninja in the crowd turned into a walking stack of banknotes.
Even his naturally fierce gaze softened a fraction.
After the announcement, the seven day unrestricted lecture finally ended.
The ninja who came to listen began to disperse, while Shinobi Sect members started packing and preparing to head east.
Mugetsu knew it would be difficult to squeeze money from the daimyo.
The Land of Rain was not rich, for one.
And the Rain Country daimyo still had to fund Amegakure as well.
So Mugetsu asked for something else.
Land.
He requested that a region be assigned for the Shinobi Sect to station itself, with a status similar to a shinobi village. Everything within that region would be managed by the Shinobi Sect.
The Rain Country daimyo waved his hand and approved three hundred and fifty square kilometers.
It sounded impressive, but in reality it was not that large. It was only slightly bigger than Konoha's Death Forest.
Worse, most of it was barren land.
The only two or three villages inside were so poor they could not even pay taxes.
Still, Mugetsu did not see any of those flaws as fatal.
Barren land could be built up. Ninja were not weak at construction.
If money was lacking, he could use his alias's reputation to find ways to develop the economy.
If population was lacking, a shinobi world war was underway. If they displayed strength, people would move voluntarily. Accepting refugees was also an option.
Before moving east, the Shinobi Sect had already built simple housing in advance.
Once they arrived, they began arguing over a name.
This was no longer a temporary base. It was a formal settlement.
"How about Shinobi Sect Village?" Yahiko offered. "Other places are called villages too."
"It doesn't sound very good," Konan said frankly.
To her, Shinobi Sect Village sounded awkward. Even Akatsuki Ninja Village sounded more natural.
"Haha, yeah…" Yahiko repeated it in his head and realized she was right.
"How about Peace City?" Nagato suggested after thinking for a moment.
Whether it was the former Akatsuki or the current Shinobi Sect, the goal had always been peace.
Now that they were rooted in the east, they would stabilize the region, then spread influence across the Land of Rain.
So Nagato thought naming it after peace fit perfectly. It embodied the dream they carried.
"That's great!" Yahiko immediately understood and praised him.
Kakuzu snorted. "Why not call it Ninja Master City? Then everyone will know it's Sosuke's territory."
He believed that would attract more admirers, which meant more money.
Others chimed in with their own ideas.
Some said the Shinobi Sect was a ray of light in troubled times, so it should be Light City.
Some liked Kakuzu's blunt Ninja Master City.
Mugetsu used his usual method.
A vote.
Since everyone insisted Mugetsu propose a name as well, Mugetsu suggested Six Paths City and added it to the ballot.
The final result surprised almost no one.
Six Paths City won by a wide margin.
Peace City and Ninja Master City ended up close, nearly tied.
The rest received almost no votes.
With the name decided, the Shinobi Sect began building with enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, the shockwave of Mugetsu's unrestricted lecture spread outward at terrifying speed.
The sharp golden phrases he spoke, the feat of Fire Dragon Dance instantly defeating Pakura, and the sight of thousands of ninja bowing as if they were his students, all swept across the shinobi world.
Countless ninja vouched for Sosuke, proving the value of the title Ninja Master.
Some people, perhaps exaggerating out of praise, perhaps speaking from genuine worship, began calling Sosuke the contemporary Six Paths Sage.
The second Six Paths Sage.
Iwagakure.
Tsuchikage Building, Tsuchikage Office.
After listening to Kitsuchi's report, Onoki showed a rare look of surprise.
"Is that Sosuke really that strong at teaching? Even you gained something in just seven days."
Onoki felt that at Kitsuchi's level, it should be almost impossible for anyone to teach him. Kitsuchi should only be able to rely on himself.
Onoki had tried hard with Kitsuchi, but Kitsuchi still could not learn Dust Release or the Light Weight Rock Technique. Those were not things you gained through effort alone.
"There was no exaggeration," Kitsuchi said seriously. "On the last day, all the ninja bowed sincerely to Sosuke and thanked him. His teaching ability really is that strong."
"I think we can commission him to help train ninja in the village. With his teaching ability, the final results are worth looking forward to."
Onoki fell into deep thought.
A shinobi village was essentially a military organization. Outsourcing the training of its members sounded absurd.
If something went wrong, the consequences could be catastrophic.
"First, contact them and test the Shinobi Sect's willingness," Onoki finally decided after weighing the pros and cons.
It was worth trying.
First, based on existing intelligence, the Shinobi Sect was filled with idealists, especially Sosuke, their leader. It was extremely unlikely they would help another village subvert Iwagakure.
Second, Onoki did not plan to send top talent at the start. He would send ninja with the Will of Stone as a test.
Kitsuchi's praise was simply too high. If it truly worked, a little trouble would still be worth it.
After Kitsuchi left, Onoki began reviewing the village's files, searching for powerful young ninja under eighteen.
Even if Iwagakure did not have many Fire Release users, preventing rivals from obtaining Fire Dragon Dance was still a gain.
Iwagakure could not afford to ignore the Youth Martial Arts Tournament.
One of their enemies, Konoha, had many Fire Release users. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was even a Fire Release master.
Onoki did not want Konoha obtaining Fire Dragon Dance.
Sunagakure.
Kazekage Building, Kazekage Office.
"Pakura, instead of going out and making a fool of yourself, why don't you spend more time on the battlefield hunting enemy squads?" Rasa scolded coldly. "You've completely disgraced Sunagakure."
He and Pakura had always been rivals. Pakura had never been convinced after he became Kazekage, and their relationship was strained to the point of snapping.
Now that an opening had appeared, Rasa attacked without restraint.
"As a hero of Sunagakure, you were instantly defeated by a ninja from a small country," Rasa pressed on. "How do you think the other Four Great Shinobi Villages will view us now?"
"What's wrong with that?" Pakura snapped back. "Senior Sosuke is unbelievably strong. Isn't it natural that I lost to him?"
If it were a real battle, she would not have been instantly defeated, but she had asked to experience Mugetsu's Fire Release directly. That meant facing it head on.
"If you're so capable, go challenge Senior Sosuke yourself," Pakura shot back, eyes sharp. "If you can win, come back and tell me to die, and I'll kill myself with a kunai on the spot."
If you can do it, you go, was what she meant.
Pakura did not believe Rasa could defeat Mugetsu.
"As Kazekage, I deal with endless affairs every day," Rasa sneered. "I don't have as much free time as you."
He was not stupid enough to challenge Sosuke.
Even Lord Hanzo, a veteran known across the shinobi world, had fallen to Sosuke. Rasa would not do any better.
He only wanted an excuse to scold Pakura. He would not underestimate Sosuke just because Sosuke came from a small country.
Pakura's fists clenched so hard her knuckles whitened.
She wanted to punch Rasa's hateful face until it swelled.
Her remaining restraint forced her to loosen her grip. She turned and walked toward the door.
"I don't care what you say about me," Pakura said, pausing at the threshold. "But the Youth Martial Arts Tournament hosted by Senior Sosuke has absurd rewards. Pick the best young ninja in the village and send them. If you don't, you'll regret it."
She disliked Rasa, but he was still Kazekage now. She had no authority to summon the village's geniuses herself.
"You don't need to worry about that," Rasa said indifferently. "I am the Kazekage."
Bang.
The door slammed shut.
Once Pakura left, Rasa's expression turned serious as he studied the intelligence on the Shinobi Sect and Sosuke.
He came to a conclusion that made his spine tighten.
The Shinobi Sect was a genuine threat.
Because Sosuke was too unique.
He had overwhelming individual power, but he also had terrifying teaching ability and natural charisma.
In just seven days, he made thousands of ninja willingly call themselves his students.
If that happened a few more times, what would the result be?
Sosuke was becoming a teacher of the entire shinobi world.
And he was not alone.
He had the Shinobi Sect, a force growing rapidly under his influence.
To Rasa, Sosuke and the Shinobi Sect felt like a supercharged version of Lord Hanzo and Amegakure.
If Sosuke developed ambitions like Lord Hanzo once had, then the Land of Wind, bordering the Land of Rain, could easily become a target.
Konoha.
Because of the Rinnegan and the sage art inheritance, Danzo Shimura paid extreme attention to intelligence from the Land of Rain.
Every day, he read the reports sent back by Root.
"This Sosuke's mastery of seven chakra natures and ninjutsu must be connected to the sage art inheritance," Danzo thought, refusing to believe Sosuke reached this level through ordinary training.
No matter how talented someone was, time still mattered.
Danzo's old classmate, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was Konoha's greatest ninjutsu genius. Even Tobirama Senju had admitted inferiority in pure ninjutsu talent.
Yet even Hiruzen at the same age was nowhere near the current Sosuke.
Danzo did not believe anyone could be that gifted.
If Sosuke truly had that level of talent, he would not have remained obscure for so long before suddenly exploding into fame.
"We cannot let Sosuke and the Shinobi Sect keep growing," Danzo decided, and immediately issued orders to the Root members stationed in the Land of Rain.
They were to contact Hanzo again.
They were to discuss eliminating the Shinobi Sect.
Even though Hanzo had already signed a peace treaty with them.
Danzo believed Hanzo would still cooperate.
The Shinobi Sect was a visible threat to Amegakure. If Danzo were in Hanzo's position, he would already be planning how to assassinate Sosuke.
Danzo still felt it was not enough.
He went to find Hiruzen, intending to explain just how dangerous Sosuke had become.
.....
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