Chapter 121: Standing Above the Skies (45)
Chapter 121: Standing Above the Skies (45)
That evening, Mu Yue did not return to the main district of Konoha. Instead, he remained in the house on the outskirts of the Southern Border Forest, delving into his research on sealing techniques.
Sensing someone moving swiftly nearby, Mu Yue temporarily halted his cultivation and stepped out.
"Night, Danzo-sama has a task for you," the Root ninja said indifferently.
"Do I need to change into my uniform?" Mu Yue asked.
Although he was not an official member of Root, he still possessed their uniform and mask.
"No need, just follow me," the Root ninja replied with a shake of his head.
Mu Yue silently trailed after the Root ninja, a vague guess forming in his mind.
Just the day before, he had been warned to be cautious and not expose his identity, and now he was being summoned openly to the Root base.
Evidently, there was no longer any need to conceal his identity.
Unless something unexpected had happened, he likely underwent a "shadow you regret" experience in the Hokage's office yesterday or the day before.
Despite heading towards the Root headquarters, Mu Yue remained relatively calm.
Just a few days ago, he had submitted a report to Danzo, divulging the rewards the Third Hokage had given him, portraying himself as a loyal and devoted subordinate.
Now, he was marked as a loyal follower of both the Third Hokage and Root, his primary focus being stability.
"Danzo-sama," Mu Yue greeted respectfully upon arriving at the Root base.
"Night, you are exceptional," Danzo suddenly said.
"It is all thanks to your nurturing, Danzo-sama. Without your guidance, I would just be an ordinary orphan," Mu Yue replied reverently.
"Do you know that the Third Hokage values you greatly?" Danzo continued.
"Perhaps. On the last day of the special training, he praised me profusely and even rewarded me with two ninjutsu techniques and 300,000 ryo," Mu Yue answered, sticking to the report he had previously written.
"Oh, and today, my position at the Ninja Academy was also promoted. I became the homeroom teacher for the first-grade students, which might also be due to the Third Hokage's recommendation," Mu Yue added.
Danzo nodded, his expression thoughtful.
He was testing to see if Mu Yue knew about Sarutobi Hiruzen's intention to take Mu Yue away from him.
After a series of tests, combined with the mission report from a few days ago and his confidence in his brainwashing techniques, Danzo tentatively concluded that Mu Yue's loyalty lay with him.
"I discussed with the Third Hokage, and we feel that your talent would be better utilized at the Ninja Academy to nurture future ninjas, rather than remaining within Root," Danzo said after some thought.
"Tomorrow, I will go to the Hokage's office to help you remove the Root curse seal. From then on, you will no longer be a Root ninja."
"Danzo-sama, have I done something wrong? Why am I being expelled from Root?" Mu Yue asked, feigning dread.
"Danzo-sama, I want to protect Konoha alongside you!"
At that moment, Mu Yue's heart was exceedingly calm. He certainly didn't believe Danzo's words, and the notion of discussing how to better utilize his talent with Sarutobi Hiruzen was most likely a forced departure.
Since Danzo wanted to put on an act, Mu Yue decided to play along.
Danzo was portraying himself as a benevolent leader, reluctantly letting go of his subordinate for the greater good, while Mu Yue was the loyal follower, devoted to Root and Danzo himself.
Witnessing Mu Yue's performance, Danzo nodded in satisfaction. Regardless, Mu Yue was currently loyal to Root and, more importantly, to him—Danzo Shimura.
"No, you've done well," Danzo said slowly. "However, you now have a more critical mission."
"Even though you are no longer a member of the Root organization, if one day my order reaches you again, will you still carry it out?"
"Of course. Danzo-sama's missions are always crucial for the protection of Konoha."
Danzo wasn't worried about his investment going to waste. Even if Mu Yue became disloyal in the future, Danzo had ways to ensure his loyalty.
The resources of Root were not something that could be easily obtained.
"I will definitely not let you down, Danzo-sama," Mu Yue said with a touched expression.
"If only Root had more ninjas like you, I wouldn't have to worry about protecting Konoha," Danzo said, satisfied.
"You may leave now. Cultivate well and await my summons," Danzo added.
Mu Yue finally left, his face filled with reluctance. Before departing, he gave Danzo an identification scroll.
【Name: Shimura Danzo】
【Chakra: 69,000】
【Skills: Wind-attribute Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficient: 5000/15000), Wind Release: Vacuum Wave (Proficient: 2100/15000)・・・】
【Potential: S (Basic Talent + Sharingan)】
As he had expected, Danzo's capabilities were likely at the Shadow Level, but not exceptionally remarkable.
Compared to his old classmate Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo's stats fell short. Aside from having over 100,000 less chakra, he also lacked proficiency in skills. Unlike Sarutobi, who had mastered all five basic nature transformations, Danzo's proficiency levels were much lower, and he had few Proficient-level ninjutsu, mostly Wind Release techniques.
However, Mu Yue did not underestimate Danzo. Regardless, Danzo was currently much stronger than him.
Although Danzo didn't have many Proficient-level ninjutsu, he had mastered numerous forbidden techniques, making him a formidable opponent in actual combat. This was evident in his battle against Mangekyo Sharingan Sasuke, where Sasuke may have lost if not for the assistance of Obito.
After walking a distance away from the Root base, Mu Yue's expression gradually returned to its usual calm.
"Still not willing to let go even after the Third Hokage requested for me? Being too persistent can be annoying," Mu Yue sighed softly.
He truly wanted peace to cultivate and develop his strength to a certain level before doing what he could.
But Danzo always seemed to interrupt, whether it was with Root ninjas appearing in his yard or calling him to the Root base before letting him go.
Mu Yue was dissatisfied with Danzo and Root, and he resented this world filled with neurotics and dangers.
If his strength could one day reach a level where he could suppress everything, Mu Yue wouldn't mind standing above the heavens and bringing some normalcy to this world.
Upon returning home, Mu Yue took out the scrolls Danzo had given him and glanced at them.
The so-called advanced Fire Release ninjutsu turned out to be the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, which he had already mastered, causing Mu Yue to lose interest immediately. As for the cultivation secret manual, Mu Yue didn't even bother to look at it and tossed it into a corner.
Mu Yue continued his research into sealing techniques. Based on the current situation, it seemed that Danzo intended to use him as a spy within the Third Hokage's inner circle.
Thus, he couldn't afford to stop his research into sealing techniques. Perhaps one day, Danzo would decide to place a new curse mark on him, and Mu Yue felt it unlikely that it would be removed on the same day. Having it discovered by Hiruzen Sarutobi would be embarrassing.
"I've finally mastered it." Mu Yue nodded to himself as he grasped the fundamentals of the Five Elements Seal, then immediately smashed a Proficiency Scroll onto it, causing a large amount of knowledge about sealing techniques to appear in his mind.
In a world where strength was paramount, only his own power would be the most reliable.
(End of Chapter)
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