"Mokgetsu, it seems I'm troubling you again today."
Seeing Mokgetsu walking alongside Asuma, Sarutobi Hiruzen took out his pipe and said with a cheerful smile.
At first, Mokgetsu was just a tutor that Sarutobi hired with money, but later, due to various reasons, Mokgetsu couldn't maintain a regular teaching schedule. As a result, the relationship between Mokgetsu and Asuma began to resemble that of a mentor and student.
"How can guiding a student be considered trouble?" Mokgetsu replied with a warm smile.
"I'm wondering if you have some free time today, Third Hokage. I've encountered some rather difficult questions in my Earth Release cultivation and would like to seek your guidance."
"Right now is fine," Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded in agreement.
To avoid being too lenient with his son and considering the difficulty of Mokgetsu's questions, Sarutobi Hiruzen chose not to bring Asuma along.
Among all the chakra nature changes Mokgetsu had mastered, Earth Attribute was considered one of the weaker ones. This time, Mokgetsu didn't ask about content he already knew; instead, he genuinely sought advice on issues encountered during cultivation.
At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen showcased the knowledge expected of a ninja technique professor, not only swiftly answering Mokgetsu's questions but also personally demonstrating solutions and directions for further improvement.
"Mokgetsu, how is your Flying Thunder God Jutsu cultivation going? If it's not progressing well, I can help you switch to another ninjutsu," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, recalling something.
It had already been half a year since he rewarded Mokgetsu with the Flying Thunder God Jutsu. If Mokgetsu still couldn't learn it after half a year, perhaps he never would.
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't feel much about this; in his view, failing to learn the Flying Thunder God Jutsu was quite normal. Even someone like him, who could skillfully use thousands of ninjutsu secret techniques, hadn't mastered the Flying Thunder God Jutsu.
"Although I'm not as proficient as Minato, I can at least say I've learned it," Mokgetsu replied.
He originally intended to reveal that he had mastered the Flying Thunder God, and since Sarutobi Hiruzen asked directly, it saved him the effort of bringing it up himself.
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Mokgetsu with some surprise, but as the Third Hokage who had seen many great events, he quickly adjusted.
"It seems I underestimated your ninja talent, Mokgetsu. After all, Minato started training many years before you did, so there's no need to compare." Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled, stroking his goatee.
Swish!
Mokgetsu retrieved two kunai, both marked with the Flying Thunder God Mark, from his ninja pouch. He threw one towards his front side and placed the other at his feet.
Swoosh!
When the kunai flew about seven or eight meters, Mokgetsu activated the Flying Thunder God, instantly disappearing from his original spot and appearing in the direction the kunai was flying.
Swoosh!
After a slight pause in place, Mokgetsu swiftly used the Flying Thunder God to return to the spot where he had just been standing.
Watching Mokgetsu move freely, Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes flickered.
"Mokgetsu, this isn't just 'barely learned'; you've actually mastered it quite smoothly," Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed his pipe and praised.
Although he couldn't perform the Flying Thunder God, Sarutobi Hiruzen had the eye for it. The level Mokgetsu displayed with the Flying Thunder God was far beyond a beginner's—already quite proficient.
Of course, what Mokgetsu said wasn't wrong; he indeed wasn't as skilled as Minato yet.
Mokgetsu smiled humbly. He had invested many Skill Proficiency Scrolls, so naturally, his progress was remarkably smooth.
Having achieved his purpose, Mokgetsu discussed matters concerning the Ninja Academy and Asuma's training with Sarutobi Hiruzen before leaving.
"He's already mastered the Flying Thunder God Jutsu," Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled white smoke while gazing at Mokgetsu's departing figure.
He wished Mokgetsu could split into two people: one as a unique talent in education and the other as a genius ninja with extraordinary strength, so he could utilize both separately.
Though the situation in Konoha hadn't deteriorated yet, and they had even achieved repeated victories, Sarutobi Hiruzen knew things weren't that simple.
Right now, the conflicts were mere skirmishes. If they were to engage in full-scale combat, Konoha wouldn't stand a chance against the three Great Ninja Villages.
Only if Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara were resurrected could they suppress a Great Ninja Village single-handedly, allowing Konoha to withstand the pressure and hold their ground for victory.
Currently, Konoha lacked such powerful figures, so the current situation in the Ninja World was indeed awkward and quite passive for Konoha.
With Konoha's strength, launching an all-out war to crush one Great Ninja Village was feasible, but Konoha didn't dare to do so. The other two Great Ninja Villages weren't foolish—they wouldn't wait around to be defeated one by one.
If Konoha dared to concentrate their ninja forces on one battlefield, other fronts would inevitably suffer substantial pressure, leaving their base vulnerable to attacks.
Since they couldn't act too aggressively, they could only defend, keep the enemies outside the Land of Fire, minimize losses, and wait for an opportunity.
Upon leaving, Mokgetsu used the Transformation Skill to scan Sarutobi Hiruzen's information.
Possibly due to his mastery of numerous ninjutsu secret techniques, Sarutobi Hiruzen became the ninja with the most comprehensive information among those Mokgetsu had scanned so far, surpassing both Kushina and Tsunade combined.
The chakra consumption required to transform into Sarutobi Hiruzen was also extraordinarily high.
After transforming, Mokgetsu found the dense array of skills justifiable, as Sarutobi Hiruzen possessed a vast repertoire of skills, many of which were highly advanced.
After training with his students in Konoha for a while, Mokgetsu picked up a B-Class Mission set in the Land of Rain.