Kakashi has been talking about what Obito should do after losing, but hasn't mentioned the consequences if he loses himself.
Kakashi turned to look at Anko, whose focus seemed different from others.
"Yeah, it shouldn't be that I get punished for losing and you get nothing for losing. Even though I'm sure I won't lose, since you've set this bet, you should stake something too," Obito quickly said.
"Since it's a battle we need to determine a winner, let's make it the same for both; if Obito-senpai loses, he'll shout that he's inferior to Kakashi-senpai, and if Kakashi-senpai loses, he'll shout he's inferior to Obito-senpai," Anko eagerly suggested, offering ideas for the two.
This put Kakashi in a bit of a bind because he was the one who initiated it.
"No problem," Kakashi nodded calmly, though he felt a bit serious inside.
"It seems I'll have to invest more time in cultivation," Kakashi thought silently.
Obito wasn't confident he could defeat Kakashi, but Kakashi also wasn't a hundred percent sure he could defeat Obito with his Three Tomoe Sharingan.
If he really had to run around Konoha shouting that he's inferior to Obito, Kakashi might stop wearing his mask and just wear a hood.
Shisui glanced at Anko and realized she had quite a talent for stirring things up.
Originally, they could have treated it as a joke, but thanks to Anko, it truly became a battle wager.
Neither Obito nor Kakashi wanted to lose, so they both threw themselves into their cultivation, enhancing the training atmosphere in the Southern Border Forest.
Seeing the two practicing as if they wouldn't stop until it killed them, Mokgetsu thought that if Nohara Rin had this ability to stir things up, the two might have been on their toes long ago, and the fourth best member of the Minato Squad was an as-of-yet-ungraduated student?
But it's good that the disciples' willingness to train has strengthened, given that the Ninja World is becoming increasingly dangerous, and greater strength is necessary to survive in such a chaotic situation.
After the three trained for a while, Mokgetsu gave them a strength test.
Obito and his group were mostly on the battlefield for tasks over the past few months, only coming back occasionally. Fortunately, the Enlightenment Skills effect on the system disciples could be controlled directly through the panel, and their benefits were similar to those in Konoha.
Since they hadn't returned for two months this time, Mokgetsu needed to confirm their current strength to ensure that the training plan was effective.
For accuracy, Mokgetsu conducted tests individually rather than having them face off in a group.
By combining the battle impressions from the actual tests with the data assessed by skills, Mokgetsu quickly grasped the growth of the three in the past three months.
The battlefield truly is a place that can hone a person. While the data indicated that the growth of the three was normal, their actual combat abilities improved significantly.
Now, both Kakashi and Obito possess genuine jonin-level combat power, the kind ample enough to be directly promoted to jonin.
Moreover, due to having the Transparent World and Breath of Flame Chakra Mode, their actual output limits are slightly stronger than ordinary jonin.
However, they do have their weaknesses; they both share the common flaw of being unable to sustain prolonged combat at full strength.
Kakashi's Lightning Flash consumes a lot of chakra and stamina, while Obito's Breath of Flame Chakra Mode does even more.
Because of activating the Sharingan, Obito's chakra surges after a while, having a lot more chakra than Kakashi. Even so, with the Breath of Flame Chakra Mode, Obito can't fully unleash two Fire Dragon Flame Bombs.
It can be said that both gained skills suitable for themselves; if Kakashi were to activate the Breath of Thunder Chakra Mode, his chakra might not be sufficient to fully execute Purple Lighting once.
However, this flaw isn't due to Obito or Kakashi's innate talents, but more due to their age and physical condition—they are still too young. If they were eighteen, it might be a different story.
Nohara Rin gave Mokgetsu a pleasant surprise, as she had the most comprehensive progress among them, having significant advancements in Medical Ninjutsu. The trials of the battlefield also made her Water Release and Taijutsu more proficient, making her stand out among the Chunin.
This excellence refers to the effectiveness rather than combat power. Even if Nohara Rin were to face Obito or Kakashi from a few months ago, she would still easily lose.
Mokgetsu planned to teach Rin some more supportive Water Release techniques, as she's currently not suited to offensive output and might need a few more years of development.
Mokgetsu estimates that with a few more years, Tsunade might be able to teach Rin the Strength of a Hundred Seal. After learning the Yin Seal and Strength of a Hundred Seal, Rin could handle both output and support roles.
Obito's return was a happy event for Mokgetsu because it meant Minato had returned as well, and his Flying Thunder God Jutsu was stuck at ninety-nine proficiency points, requiring Minato's guidance.
Once through entry, Mokgetsu wouldn't have to bother as much, as not only did he have a Ninjutsu Proficiency Scroll, but also a Ninjutsu Mastery Scroll that could directly elevate the Flying Thunder God proficiency to Master Level.
That evening, Minato visited Mokgetsu's home as usual.
"Minato, I've encountered a bit of a problem with the Flying Thunder God. Do you have time tonight?" Mokgetsu asked while cooking.
"Mm, I'll explain it to you after dinner," Minato nodded in agreement.
His leisurely days were numbered, so he would try his best to assist Mokgetsu when needed.
After finishing the meal, Minato first used Flying Thunder God to deliver food to Kushina, then joined Mokgetsu for dinner.
He had already visited Kushina once since returning to Konoha, so there was no urgency for a chat.
"In the upcoming period, I'll have to trouble you with looking after Obito and the others," Minato said apologetically.
He felt a bit like an inadequate teacher, always leaving the disciples in Mokgetsu's care.
"The village assigned me a mission to assist Orochimaru-sama in resolving the Hidden Cloud in the Land of Hot Water as soon as possible," Minato explained.
The Hidden Mist's declaration of war on Konoha wasn't just an empty threat. They had already launched operations on the East Coast of the Land of Fire, so Konoha was a bit anxious, trying to resolve a battlefield swiftly to allocate forces to tackle the Hidden Mist.
The reason for targeting the Hidden Cloud rather than the Hidden Rock is because despite having two major Jinchuriki, the Hidden Cloud seemed easier to handle following an incident involving the Eight-tails Jinchuriki.
Konoha truly doesn't want to confront three Great Ninja Villages simultaneously, as even without mutual cooperation, it would be enough to heavily damage Konoha, with any misstep risking severe depletion of resources.
Fighting on three fronts against different Great Ninja Villages exerted immense pressure, meaning Konoha ninja would need to win three-on-one scenarios, which was extremely challenging.
"It's no trouble at all; I'm also their teacher," Mokgetsu replied with a warm smile.
"Moreover, Minato, you're doing this to protect Konoha, to protect them. Now that we have one more Hidden Mist, the village's burden has increased greatly."
Minato nodded and said, "The Hidden Mist has directly entered the Land of Fire, which is what the village least wanted to see."
The general plan for Konoha now is to first conclude the Land of Hot Water battlefield and then concentrate forces to drive away the Hidden Mist, saving the Hidden Rock for last.
Minato was well aware of the immense pressure Konoha faced; he was like a brick that could be moved wherever needed, with little time for rest.
Mokgetsu listened quietly to Minato talking about the frontline situation. As a rear-line ninja and a teacher, he indeed found it harder to get the latest intelligence.
Especially regarding the Hidden Mist, as they had only recently started engaging Konoha. Only the ninja assigned to the missions would know some related intel.
It wasn't so much top secret as it was that few had the information.
After dinner, Mokgetsu enlightened himself and laid out all the aspects he didn't understand. Regardless of the frontline's situation, enhancing one's abilities remained paramount.
"It's quite simple, you just need to do it like this…" Minato said, quickly solving Mokgetsu's problem after a bit of thought.
At first, Mokgetsu found it difficult to follow Minato's train of thought; if Mokgetsu's problem was like a solution-oriented question, Minato provided the answer without any steps.
However, with Minato's patient explanation, Mokgetsu managed to comprehend it.
[Skill: Flying Thunder God Jutsu (Entry Level: 1/500)]