Chapter 199: What a Big Bird
Chapter 199: What a Big Bird
Kawakitacho was located at the foot of a small mountain. Just as Mu Yue had imagined, it was remote and impoverished. Most of the houses here were so different from those in the main village of Konoha that they seemed to belong to different eras.
"The scenery here is quite nice," Obito remarked as he scanned the surroundings with his hand across his forehead, standing atop a rooftop.
"Honorable ninjas, Da Hei usually stays at the highest point of the mountain. If possible, please try not to kill it. Just scare it away," Hajiro pleaded.
Hajiro's words dampened Obito's mood, which had been lifted by the pleasant scenery.
The thought of having to help that despicable mayor made Obito feel irritated.
"I understand," Mu Yue nodded. "But since it's a bird, it can fly. We'll need to prepare accordingly, and we'll let you know once it's done." With that, Mu Yue led her disciples away from Hajiro's house.
"Teacher Mu Yue, are we really going to help that mayor?" Obito asked as he saw Mu Yue leading them towards the mountain peak.
"What else? Ninjas are nothing if they don't complete their missions," Kakashi replied.
Although he also felt displeased with the so-called mayor, he would still choose to drive away the giant eagle and complete the task.
"Let's investigate first and see what the real situation is. Don't just believe everything we hear," Mu Yue shook her head.
While it was good to be enthusiastic, they shouldn't blindly follow someone's words. If the giant eagle was truly harassing the residents and the mayor wasn't a bad person, acting blindly would only make their good intentions backfire.
"Kakashi, you narcissist. I wasn't asking you," Obito retorted, glad that Mu Yue didn't mention helping the mayor.
With the power of Mu Yue's Byakugan and the ninjas' mobility, they soon located the giant eagle described in their mission.
Perhaps due to its massive size, this giant eagle didn't build its nest on a tree or a cliff like ordinary eagles. Instead, it made its home in a cave.
Mu Yue estimated the eagle's height and wingspan. She guessed that its body length should be around four meters, and its wingspan might exceed ten meters.
After seeing the eagle's true form, Mu Yue was certain that it was a Ninju—an ordinary eagle could never grow to such a size.
"Da Hei, Da Hei," Obito called out.
Unlike Mu Yue, who possessed the powerful Byakugan, her disciples hadn't yet discovered the eagle's location. Obito tried calling out its name to lure it out.
Although they were her disciples, Mu Yue couldn't reveal the existence of the Byakugan just yet. So, she didn't directly disclose what she knew and instead led her disciples to continue their search, gradually approaching the cave where the giant eagle resided.
Suddenly, a sharp and piercing eagle cry rang out.
Then, a black shadow flashed by, and a giant black eagle appeared at the entrance of the cave, fixing its sharp eyes on Mu Yue and her companions.
"What a huge bird," Obito exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise.
Seeing the giant eagle in person, towering several meters tall, was a completely different experience from reading about it in the mission description.
Kakashi's muscles tensed, and he quietly reached into his ninja tool pouch, pulling out two kunai.
Unlike Obito, Kakashi's first thought upon seeing the giant eagle was how its sharp claws could easily tear a person to shreds.
"It really is huge," Might Guy remarked, deep in thought. If they had to fight such a massive bird, what would they do if it simply flew away?
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The giant eagle suddenly spread its enormous black wings and began flapping them, letting out terrifying shrieks. The powerful gusts of wind from its wings sent grass, leaves, and sand swirling in the air.
Kakashi believed the eagle was about to attack, and he readied himself to throw the kunai in his hand.
However, Mu Yue gently pressed down Kakashi's hand, preventing him from taking action.
Kakashi looked at Mu Yue with a puzzled expression. Although they had promised the client not to kill the giant eagle, with its massive size, not attacking its vital spots would likely result in minimal damage.
"Don't be hasty," Mu Yue shook her head and pointed to the eagle's right wing, where a charred wound could be seen. "Look over there."
Because the eagle's feathers were already black, and its body was so large, Kakashi hadn't noticed this detail at first.
"This wound... Are there other ninjas from the village here?" Kakashi speculated as he kept a cautious eye on the eagle.
Being proficient in Lightning Release ninjutsu, he immediately recognized that the wound on the eagle's wing had been caused by a lightning-based technique.
"Could it be that the mayor hired other ninjas to take revenge on Da Hei?" Obito wondered aloud.
At this moment, Mu Yue could roughly confirm that the eagle had a gentle temperament. Despite being injured and facing strangers, it only attempted to intimidate them without launching a direct attack.
Mu Yue approached with a smile, and the eagle, startled by her action, flapped its wings furiously once again.
Whoosh!
Mu Yue disappeared from the eagle's sight, and just as it wondered where the little human had gone, it felt a heavy blow to its head. The force of the strike made the eagle dizzy, and it collapsed to the ground.
"Looks like Teacher Mu Yue went easy on me," Obito thought as he watched Mu Yue knock out the giant eagle with a two-finger strike. He subconsciously rubbed his forehead, a frequent target of Mu Yue's reprimands.
Calming the unruly giant eagle, Mu Yue extended his hand towards the eagle's injured wing and channeled his palm healing technique.
A green glow enveloped the eagle's wound, and its injury began to heal rapidly.
"Guuu," the eagle cooed, unable to suppress a comfortable sound as the pain in its wing vanished.
Although it didn't understand what had happened, the eagle realized one thing: this small stranger was not to be trifled with, and he bore it no ill will.
The eagle tucked in its wings and bowed its head, rubbing its feathers gently against Mu Yue in a gesture of friendship.
Obito, drawn by the eagle's thick feathers, walked up to Mu Yue, intending to stroke the eagle's large head. However, as soon as he reached out, the eagle quickly dodged, eyeing Obito warily.
"Don't worry, they're my disciples. They won't hurt you," Mu Yue assured the eagle.
Subsequently, Mu Yue and his disciples set up a tent nearby. Despite the presence of homes downhill, Mu Yue chose to stay on the mountain to forge a better connection with his potential Spirit Beast.
Around lunchtime, perhaps as a gesture of gratitude, the eagle brought a wounded wild boar and placed it near Mu Yue's tent.
Mu Yue didn't hesitate; he slaughtered the boar and turned it into roast meat.
After returning the favor, the eagle retreated to its cave to rest. However, it soon found itself drawn by a scent it had never encountered before—a tantalizing aroma.
The eagle quickly exited its cave, following the scent to its source—the very spot where Mu Yue and his companions were enjoying their meal.
Enticed by the irresistible aroma, the eagle stared intently at the wild boar roasting on the grill, hesitant to make a move.
It wanted to eat, but the small human had healed its wound, and it knew better than to provoke him.
"No way, do eagles like barbecue too?" Obito teased, seeing the eagle's unwavering gaze fixed on the roasting boar.
"Looks like the cooking skill is pretty powerful," Mu Yue mused, feeling that this life skill was a sure way to boost affinity, even enticing a Ninju.
The eagle stood in front of the barbecue for a few minutes, deep in thought. Suddenly, it flew away, only to return shortly with various prey in its beak, which it placed next to Mu Yue.
"Gu guuu," the eagle cooed gently, pointing its wing at the prey, then at the roast boar. With eager eyes, it looked at Mu Yue and bowed its head, rubbing its feathers against him affectionately.
Mu Yue laughed and used a kunai to cut off two-thirds of the roast boar, offering it to the eagle. "I can't give it all to you; my disciples and I need to eat too."
Finally able to indulge in the mouthwatering food, the eagle paid no heed to Obito's attempts to pet its head, devouring the meat ravenously.
After its first bite, the eagle's eyes sparkled with delight. It had never tasted anything so delectable—the aroma was enticing, but the flavor was even more extraordinary.
"Wow, Teacher Mu Yue, Da Hei really seems to like your barbecue," Obito exclaimed, his excitement evident as he finally got to stroke the eagle's smooth feathers.
Obito felt like he had gained new knowledge; he never expected birds to enjoy barbecue too.
Mu Yue smiled but remained silent, feeling that he didn't even need to lift a finger. If they stayed a few more days, this black giant eagle might just decide to follow him around.
"After we're done eating, we'll scout the area around Kawakitacho. Be cautious; there might be enemy ninjas nearby," Mu Yue said, turning to more serious matters.
With the ongoing conflict between Cloud and Sand, it was not unusual to find Cloud ninjas in the Land of Rivers, which bordered the Land of Wind. Additionally, the eagle's injury was caused by lightning-based techniques, suggesting that the ninjas who harmed it were likely from Cloud.
However, Mu Yue speculated that their opponents were not highly skilled. If they were powerful ninjas, the eagle, despite its ability to fly, would have had a hard time escaping.
Kakashi felt a bit lost for words. Once again, Obito's jinx had proven true, and they had unexpectedly encountered ninjas.
Before joining Mu Yue's class, Kakashi had completed numerous C-rank missions without ever running into a single ninja. Yet, with Mu Yue, they had now come across ninjas in two consecutive C-rank missions.
(End of Chapter)
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