Chapter 160: Individual Strategies

"Alright, from now on, you can use any method to try and grab the bells from me before the sun sets," Mutsuki said, casually hanging the bells on his waist while leaning against a tree as if resting.

Although Mutsuki was full of openings at the moment, none of the three immediately made a move. Obito and Guy had been taught by Mutsuki for a long time and knew how terrifying his strength was, especially Guy. He had witnessed Mutsuki's battle with the Six-Gate user, Might Duy, where speed and strength were beyond what he could currently comprehend.

Kakashi, being an experienced ninja, decided not to probe Mutsuki's true abilities himself. Instead, he planned to wait for Obito and Guy to make their move before seizing the opportunity to grab the bells.

"​What should we do? It's so difficult to snatch something from Yumi-sensei," Obito scratched his head, unable to think of a way to grab the bells from Mutsuki.

Guy, who liked to be straightforward, couldn't help but nod. "It feels like we won't stand a chance if we just rush in."

Rushing directly towards Mutsuki with his speed would only be walking into a trap.

"Do you know any information about Yumi Squad Captain?" Kakashi pondered and asked. Having knowledge about Mutsuki would be helpful in the battle.

"Of course, because Yumi-sensei is..." Obito suddenly paused, recalling something.

"What is it?" Kakashi asked when he noticed Obito hesitated.

"He's our sensei from the summer special training," Obito quickly compensated for his hesitation with a swift response.

"Yumi-sensei has excellent Chakra control, is adept at water walking and tree climbing, and he's also very fast with the Body Flicker Jutsu," Obito added.

Kakashi remained silent, finding only the information about the Body Flicker Jutsu being fast somewhat useful from the entire conversation.

"It seems I wasn't careless just now," thought Kakashi to himself, speculating that Mutsuki might be a speed-type ninja.

After some contemplation, Kakashi had already devised a plan for snatching the bells. Speed-type ninjas have low tolerance for errors, and moreover, the opponent was an Academy teacher who hadn't engaged in real combat for a long time. In this aspect, having just gone through a brutal battle gave Kakashi a significant advantage.

After thinking it through, Kakashi felt he had a significant advantage.

"Fighting head-on definitely won't work, but as long as we grab the bells, it's enough. We can choose to use traps to divert Yumi-sensei's attention," Obito suggested after some thought.

He had experienced the effectiveness of traps when learning Soru; once he let his guard down, he either found himself dangling from a tree or being knocked out or falling into a pit.

Guy nodded. He didn't comment on whether Obito's plan was good, but he indeed couldn't think of any alternatives.

"Hey, Kakashi, aren't you going to help set up traps?" Obito looked at Kakashi, who seemed indifferent, feeling somewhat annoyed.

"At that time, don't sneak off alone to buy food and cry secretly," said Obito.

"Your imagination is quite rich, but I don't believe in your trap-making skills. Snatching the bells is something I can do alone," said Kakashi indifferently.

Making traps is basic training for ninjas. If the battlefield can be confirmed in advance, setting traps is a must. Kakashi also planned to set up some traps, but he didn't intend to do it with Obito and the others.

After seeing the traps set up by Obito and the others, Kakashi could only say that the students at the ninja school were only this good at making traps. They were all traps that posed little threat and were easy to evade.

Kakashi felt that with Obito's trap-making skills, there wasn't much difference between using them and directly confronting Mutsuki. After all, in this kind of training exercise for snatching the bells, the sensei usually holds back. With Obito's strength, he might be able to snatch the bells if he's lucky.

"Kakashi, even if you beg me at that time, I won't share my food with you," said Obito, wiping the sweat off his forehead after setting up the traps, addressing Kakashi.

"In the streets of Konoha, there are places called shops where you can buy food," Kakashi said, as if giving a lesson to someone clueless.

"And, I won't lose." Before Obito could get angry, Kakashi disappeared in front of him in a flash.

Kakashi didn't know if Mutsuki's special dishes were good, but for him, snatching the bells was like completing a task set by Mutsuki. He was just trying to accomplish the task.

"Guy, here's the plan. You lure Yumi-sensei to the trap area with your speed. With my Fire Release and the traps restraining him, Yumi-sensei won't have much energy to focus on you. That's when you seize the opportunity to snatch the bells," Obito said excitedly.

Having trained under Mutsuki for so long and fought with Shisui and Guy several times, this was the first time Obito would fight Mutsuki.

Obito wanted to earn Mutsuki's approval. In the past, he was just a student, but now things were different. This time, he was a ninja, an intern ninja, but still a ninja.

"Leave it to me! My youth is burning!" Guy grinned, showing his big teeth, already feeling the adrenaline rush.

Worried about being instantly defeated by Mutsuki if he got too close, Guy stood twenty meters away and threw several shurikens towards Mutsuki.

Mutsuki, who had initially appeared to be resting with his eyes closed, instantly opened them and dodged the incoming shurikens.

"Finally ready, huh?" Mutsuki said, casually stretching his limbs before charging towards Guy.

After throwing the shurikens, Guy quickly turned and ran towards the trap area. Glancing back, he saw Mutsuki catching up, so he began to accelerate using Stone Breathing.

Since his goal was only to train his students, Mutsuki didn't use his full power to catch Guy directly. Instead, he controlled his speed to follow behind him.

Obito, who had been waiting for the right moment, saw the two approaching and immediately pulled out a kunai to cut the ropes binding a large wooden log. The log was sent hurtling towards Mutsuki, while Guy, prepared in advance, swiftly dodged it.

Swoosh!

Just as the log was about to collide, Mutsuki disappeared in a flash, reappearing on a nearby tree, evading the trap's attack.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!" Obito swiftly formed hand seals and used Ninjutsu against Mutsuki.

A huge fireball, four meters high, hurtled towards Mutsuki.

"It worked!" Obito couldn't help but celebrate with a punch.

The distance between him and Mutsuki wasn't far. At this range, Mutsuki had little time to dodge or counter the Great Fireball with Ninjutsu, especially with Guy nearby, watching closely.

"Water Release: Water Wall!" Mutsuki quickly gathered chakra and formed seals, causing a wall of water to rise rapidly.

"Stone Breathing, Total Concentration Breathing!" Taking advantage of this opportunity, Guy charged forward using the Breathing Technique.

Just as Guy was about to grab the bell, he found that his hand couldn't move. Looking up, he realized that Mutsuki had already grabbed his hand.

"Such quick reflexes!" Guy was astonished. Considering that the trap, the Fire Release, and his assault had all happened in an instant, Mutsuki managed to handle them all smoothly.

Bang!

Guy was flung and struck a tree by Mutsuki.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson!" To prevent Mutsuki from continuing the attack on Guy, Obito once again used Fire Release Ninjutsu.

Obito ensured maximum power by not using the single-handed seal version but the regular version of Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson. Numerous shuriken, like small fireballs, were hurled toward Mutsuki.

Silently, Mutsuki switched from Stone Breathing to Thunder Breathing in the Breathing Technique, instantly disappearing from Obito's sight.

"So fast, where did he go?" Obito looked around, attempting to find Mutsuki's whereabouts, but he couldn't locate him at all.

"Darn it, if only I had Sharingan," Obito envied Shisui, who activated Sharingan at the age of six.

In the next moment, Obito felt a strong wind behind him. But as soon as he sensed it, he was instantly thrown backward, crashing into a tree beside Guy.

Guy quickly got up and rushed towards Mutsuki again, concentrating his breath.

However, facing Mutsuki in Thunder Breathing state, Guy was doomed to be out of reach.

Bang!

In the next moment, Guy was thrown backward to a large tree with even greater speed than when he charged, shaking the tree violently upon impact.

Seeing Guy's plight, Obito, who had intended to endure the pain and stand up, sat down directly. It wasn't realistic for one person to snatch the bell; he'd better recover his chakra.

After temporarily dealing with Guy and Obito, Mutsuki began to search for Kakashi.

"The speed is indeed very fast, but in this position, there is an opportunity!" Kakashi, who had been observing from the shadows, saw Mutsuki approaching his trap and prepared to act.

Swish, swish, swish!

A large number of shuriken were thrown towards Mutsuki, forcing him to retreat backwards.

Then, Kakashi burst out suddenly, drawing the short blade from behind him in midair, and swung it towards Mutsuki.

Mutsuki reacted quickly, swiftly pulling out a kunai to block the incoming blade.

Kakashi's strikes were swift and aimed at Mutsuki's vital points, forcing Mutsuki to retreat once again.

"I got it!" Kakashi directly detonated the prepared explosive tag.

Sensing something amiss, Mutsuki quickly retreated to the side.

Boom!

A fiery explosion erupted suddenly, creating a scorched area with a diameter of more than five meters.

Seizing the opportunity, Kakashi reached for the bell around Mutsuki's waist.

"The trap was good, but one person's strength isn't enough," Mutsuki said, grabbing Kakashi's hand.

"Such fast speed and reaction!" Kakashi was astonished. While watching Guy and Obito being beaten, he didn't feel much, but when facing Mutsuki himself, he realized Mutsuki's speed was astonishing.

"Why didn't you join in when Obito and they were attacking? It would have been easier to seize the opportunity with three people," Mutsuki asked.

"Because I think one person is enough," Kakashi replied.

"Is that so? It seems your thinking was wrong," Mutsuki smiled faintly, then Kakashi was also slammed into a nearby tree by Mutsuki.

Puff!

Kakashi, who was smashed into the tree, disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

Meanwhile, the real Kakashi, who had been hiding and waiting in the shadows, seized the opportunity when Mutsuki made a move, swiftly drew his tanto blade, and aimed to strike at the bell around Mutsuki's waist.

"Indeed, one person is enough," Kakashi thought in his mind.

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