https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-142-Rewards-Galore-Beyond-Proficiency/12557998/
Chapter 141: Gifts Filled with Heartfelt Intent (4k)
Chapter 141: Gifts Filled with Heartfelt Intent (4k)
"Today's training is over; it's getting late, so everyone head home." Mu Yue's gentle voice echoed as she brought the session to a close.
The time had already ticked past seven in the evening, and the sky had long since darkened.
"Alright, goodbye, Teacher Mu Yue!" Obito bid farewell to Mu Yue with excitement brimming on his face.
"Goodbye, Teacher Mu Yue," Genjiro added, also taking his leave.
"Genjiro, I won't be heading back with you today. Rin and I have something to take care of, so go on ahead by yourself," Obito explained to Genjiro.
Since he wanted to give Genjiro a surprise, it made sense to not return together.
"Okay, then I'll head back alone," Genjiro nodded, his expression unchanged.
After bidding farewell to everyone, Genjiro set off alone toward home.
The moon on the 19th of October was full and round, and in its silvery glow, Genjiro's shadow stretched long, standing tall alongside the trees, giving him a sense of companionship in the night.
"Just like any other day…" Genjiro mused, reflecting on the day's events and finding nothing out of the ordinary.
Upon further contemplation, he questioned the significance of celebrating the day of one's birth. For a ninja, wasn't mastering a powerful jutsu a more worthy occasion to commemorate?
As Genjiro strode out of the Southern Border Forest, he gradually entered the main district of the village, and the number of people around him increased.
Even though it was a time of war, the warring factions had not yet made their decisive moves, and Konoha remained largely unaffected. The main district bustled with life, and even though night had fallen, the streets were still lively with crowds and brightly lit shops.
"Be a good boy and stop crying. Mommy will buy you a toy for your birthday," a mother consoled her crying child, and soon enough, the little one's tears turned to smiles.
"Daddy, I want to eat that!"
"No, you just finished dinner."
"But I still want some."
"Alright, but just one."
Drawn by the enticing aroma of fried treats, a child tugged at their parent's sleeve, pleading for a taste.
Some parents couldn't resist their children's innocent pleas, while others skillfully persuaded their little ones to let go of their demands.
"That's too expensive; we can't afford it. We're poor," a parent lamented.
"Eat that, and the legendary Uchiha Madara will come and get you in the night," another parent teased, referring to the legendary ancestor of the Uchiha clan.
Hearing this, Genjiro's mood became somewhat complicated. Had his ancestor become so infamous that his name was now used to stop children from crying?
Intrigued by the number of children who seemed to crave these treats, Genjiro bought a fried meat pie to sample.
To be honest, after the first bite, he found it rather ordinary compared to the heavenly tempura Teacher Mu Yue made—worlds apart.
Not wanting to waste food, Genjiro finished the entire pie.
As Genjiro drew closer to the Uchiha clan's territory, the surroundings grew quieter and less bustling.
As he neared his home, Genjiro felt a sense of relief that the day was finally coming to an end.
Although he knew that Teacher Mu Yue wouldn't celebrate his birthday—since she didn't even know when it was, and he hadn't told her—a tiny spark of hope still lingered in his heart. Perhaps the mysterious and powerful Teacher Mu Yue could know his birthday without being told.
To be honest, Genjiro disliked himself a little for having such thoughts. He imagined that if it were Obito, he would have eagerly and happily approached Teacher Mu Yue, beaming with joy, and announcing that his birthday was approaching.
Since he hadn't even mentioned it to her, why was he secretly harboring these expectations? Wasn't he just setting himself up for disappointment?
"Genjiro, you must look up to your grandfather, Uchiha Izumi, and strive to become a strong and brave ninja who carries the Will of Fire," Genjiro recalled the words of his uncle. Clearly, his thoughts earlier were not indicative of strength, even though he was currently just a six-year-old child without parents.
"Don't overthink things. Focus on becoming stronger. I'll practice the breathing technique for another two hours later," Genjiro thought to himself.
In the world of ninjas, strength was what mattered. Having too many thoughts without the power to back them up was meaningless.
Genjiro skillfully made his way to his home, which looked pitch-black from the outside.
After all, with no one living there, turning on the lights would have been strange.
Despite the darkness, Genjiro was familiar with his own home. As he stepped inside, even before turning on the lights, his sharp senses detected that something was amiss—there were signs of intrusion.
Quietly drawing a kunai from his ninja tool pouch, Genjiro altered his breathing pattern and narrowed his eyes, scanning his surroundings warily.
Suddenly, the lights flipped on, and the dazzling electric glow transformed the pitch-black room into a bright space.
"Genjiro, happy birthday!"
Genjiro, who had been readying himself for combat with kunai in hand, was stunned by the sudden appearance of Teacher Mu Yue, Obito, and the others. With a clatter, the kunai fell from his hand to the floor.
"Hehe, so Itachi, you can make this kind of expression too." Obito looked at Itachi, who was staring with a dumbfounded expression, and laughed. If only he had a camera to capture this moment.
"Itachi, happy birthday. May your youth continue to flourish." Might Guy gave Itachi a thumbs-up in celebration.
Itachi scanned his home, taking in the festive decorations, and felt indescribable joy.
The more lost he had felt along the way, the happier he was now.
"Teacher Mu Yue, how did you know it was my birthday today?" Itachi asked, unable to contain the smile tugging at his lips.
Although he was excited, Itachi was genuinely curious as to how Mu Yue knew about his birthday. Surely she hadn't asked his uncle?
"I don't know. Teacher Mu Yue told us," Obito replied.
"This is the wisdom of adults." Mu Yue spoke with an air of mystery.
As his homeroom teacher, it was a simple matter for her to find out—a quick glance at Itachi's records would have sufficed.
At that moment, Itachi had a lot he wanted to say to Mu Yue, but the words stuck in his throat, and he didn't know where to begin.
He never imagined that the secret fantasy hidden deep within his heart would actually come true. If it weren't for encountering the children celebrating their birthdays on his way home, he might not have even realized he had such a fantasy.
Mu Yue had miraculously known his birthday and, along with Obito and the others, had given him a huge surprise that evening.
"I..." Itachi's thoughts were in a jumble.
"Thank you, Teacher Mu Yue, and everyone," Itachi finally said, his heart overflowing with gratitude.
He was truly appreciative. Even if Mu Yue hadn't gone to the trouble of decorating his room and giving him this surprise, just a simple birthday wish would have made him happy and excited.
After all, he hadn't told Mu Yue about his birthday, nor had he expected her to help him celebrate, so everything was an unexpected delight.
"Look at the cake. We picked it out together. Although it's not as big as the one we got for Teacher Mu Yue before, it's still pretty good." Obito lifted the cover off the cake.
"Itachi, this is my birthday gift to you. Let's continue to work hard together and become powerful ninjas." Might Guy presented Itachi with a green bodysuit like his own.
"Guy, thank you for your gift. I'm very happy," Itachi expressed his gratitude.
Itachi decided to keep the outfit as a memento and not wear it himself; it would feel strange.
"This is the kunai I won at the last Junior Ninja Competition. I didn't have much time to prepare a gift, so please accept this."
Kakashi handed Itachi the silver kunai he had won, his eyes reflecting a hint of reluctance.
With limited time, he couldn't think of anything else to give, and this competition-winning kunai was the only valuable item he had on hand.
"Obito, thank you for your gift. But since it holds such sentimental value, why don't you keep it and give me a regular kunai instead?" Itachi suggested.
He was already delighted that Obito was willing to part with something he cherished, and the thought behind the gift was what mattered most.
"No, I can't take back a gift I've given. Itachi, please keep it. I won't take it back anyway," Obito insisted, pressing the kunai into Itachi's hand.
Seeing Obito's determination, Itachi accepted his generosity without further refusal.
He planned to win first place in the next Junior Ninja Competition and give Obito a silver kunai as well when his birthday came around.
Yahara Rin's gift was a handmade item, a bit rushed due to time constraints, but Itachi appreciated the sentiment and thanked her with a nod.
"Thank you all so much," Itachi said, taking a deep breath.
The surprise was truly unexpected, and he was overjoyed.
"Itachi, you haven't even seen my gift yet. Don't rush to thank us," Mu Yue said with a smile.
Mu Yue handed Itachi a rectangular gift box and said, "Go ahead and open it now. I hope you'll like it."
Itachi nodded and, without hesitation, opened the gift as Mu Yue had suggested. He was curious to see what Mu Yue had chosen for him.
After opening it, Itachi wasn't sure what to call the gift.
If it were a kunai, it was significantly longer than the average one, which was typically around 18 to 20 centimeters. This one, he estimated, was about 30 centimeters long. If it were a sword, it would be too short, so calling it a short blade seemed appropriate.
At this moment, Mu Yue's hands were not wrapped in bandages. Her originally fair and slender hands were now marked with many scars, indicating that she had endured quite a bit.
Looking at Mu Yue's injured hands and recalling her earlier mention of learning to make ninja tools, Kakashi glanced at the plain-looking short blade in his hand, and suddenly understood everything.
Mu Yue's reason for learning to forge ninja tools was not out of a strong person's demand or Obito's whimsical ninja tool shop, but to personally make a ninja tool for him.
In that instant, the ordinary-looking short blade suddenly transformed into the best ninja tool in Kakashi's eyes, far surpassing Obito's silver kunai that had won first place in the Youth Ninja Competition.
Honestly, Kakashi never expected Mu Yue to go to such lengths for him.
Even his uncle, when celebrating his birthday, would at most buy him some gifts, but he wouldn't go to the extent of learning to forge ninja tools and making one himself.
It must be known that Mu Yue was very busy; her teaching schedule alone took up as much time as their training sessions.
"Haha, don't judge this short blade by its looks. It's actually quite practical. When I was forging it, I asked the shop owner to mix in a bit of Chakra Metal, so it should have better Chakra conduction than ordinary weapons." Mu Yue explained with a smile.
Not only Chakra Metal weapons could conduct chakra; it was just that Chakra Metal had better conduction properties. Pure Chakra Metal weapons were also known for their ability to extend the blade's edge.
Mu Yue wanted to use more Chakra Metal in the forging process, but the ninja tool shop didn't have a large supply, and she also couldn't afford the price.
"But the forging materials are really expensive. Just the materials alone cost several million ryo. From now on, your lunches and dinners won't include any expensive ingredients." Mu Yue said jokingly.
"Several million ryo!" Might Guy exclaimed in shock as he looked at the short blade in Kakashi's hand, surprised at how expensive this unassuming weapon was.
"No, I think this weapon is beautiful, and I love it. I really do." Kakashi held the short blade in both hands and examined it carefully, noticing that the words 'stop' and 'water' were engraved on each side of the blade.
At that moment, Kakashi felt indescribably grateful, and he even felt a bit unworthy of Mu Yue's efforts.
Had he known Mu Yue for a long time? Not really, it had been less than a year.
And he wasn't her only disciple, just the first one.
Yet, without him telling Mu Yue about his birthday, she had still prepared such a big surprise for him.
Mu Yue took the time to learn how to forge ninja tools for his gift, even injuring her hands in the process due to her haste.
Whether it was the details of the ninja tool or the materials used, Kakashi could feel Mu Yue's importance and emotions towards him.
At that moment, he somewhat understood those children who begged their parents to buy them snacks and toys.
Through Mu Yue, Kakashi experienced a feeling he had never felt before.
What kind of feeling was it? It was the feeling of someone proactively helping him when he encountered difficulties, always considering his best interests, and giving him what he longed for the most when he felt lost...
Kakashi's eyes misted over slightly, which was rare for him, as he was the strong and brave Kakashi Hatake who carried the Will of Fire.
He carefully kept the short blade close to him and, looking at Mu Yue's injured hands, said, "Teacher Mu Yue, thank you for all your hard work and for doing so much for me. I..."
Kakashi didn't know what else to say, and he felt unsure of what he could offer in return for Mu Yue's care and attention.
At that moment, Mu Yue placed her hand on Kakashi's head and said with a gentle smile, "Kakashi, you should understand that I'm your teacher, and you're my disciple. That's enough."
Hearing Mu Yue's words, Kakashi could no longer hold back his emotions, and he hugged Mu Yue, tears of joy streaming down his face.
"Teacher Mu Yue, I will definitely live up to your expectations," Kakashi vowed, his emotions overflowing.
The three disciples who witnessed this scene were also deeply touched.
"I wonder what gift Teacher Mu Yue will give me for my birthday," Obito thought to himself.
"Teacher Mu Yue is truly a wonderful teacher," Yahara Rin thought.
"What a youthful scene," Might Guy thought, giving it his approval.
Seeing the message that popped up from the system, Mu Yue's smile became even warmer.
(End of Chapter)
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