Chapter 238: A Sudden Battle
Chapter 238: A Sudden Battle
The Grass Country was a small nation located in the northwestern part of the Fire Country.
Unlike the Rice Country and River Country Mu Yue had visited before, the Grass Country not only had its own ninja village, the Grass Ninja Village, but it was also considered one of the stronger small nations in the ninja world.
However, the Grass Country's awkward position made it difficult to utilize its strength effectively.
The Grass Country shared borders with four other nations, including two small nations and two large ones.
The two bordering small nations were the Waterfall Country and the Rain Country. Due to its unique terrain, the Grass Country had no leverage over the Waterfall Country, which was located in its northeast. On the other hand, half of the Grass Country's territory bordered the Rain Country, but it was the strongest of the ninja villages outside the five major ones, making it a tough opponent.
As for the two large nations it bordered, the Earth Country and the Fire Country, there was no question of provoking them; the Grass Country could only play the role of a subordinate.
During the Second Great Ninja War, the Rain Ninja Village had already proven its strength as one of the five major ninja villages. Even if a top-level force could put up a fight, a smaller ninja village would inevitably be crushed in other aspects, ultimately leading to defeat.
As a small nation, the Grass Country's survival strategy was to ally itself with the winning side, and so it had become a solid ally of the ever-victorious Konoha.
Of course, the Grass Country wouldn't completely side with Konoha. While being Konoha's subordinate, it would also try to maintain friendly relations with the Rock Ninja Village to avoid being disposed of during times of war.
Despite the Grass Country's efforts to maneuver through diplomacy, it couldn't avoid becoming a battleground for the clashes of the major nations, simply because of its advantageous geographical location.
At present, the best battlefield for the Rock Ninja Village to engage Konoha was the Grass Country, without a doubt.
In fact, the Rain Country had an even better position, but because of that, it was more troublesome. If the Rock Ninja Village were to invade the Fire Country through the Rain Country, they would not only face the strong Rain Ninja Village but also arouse wariness from the Wind Country, as the Rain Country also shared a border with it.
Since the Rock Ninja Village had no designs on the Wind Country, the Grass Country was their optimal route for invading Konoha, despite the Rain Country's more favorable position.
Perhaps due to the favorable situation at the front lines, this escort mission was exceptionally smooth. They didn't encounter any attacks along the way, nor did they come across any bandits.
Mu Yue figured that ordinary bandits would think twice upon seeing such a large convoy, knowing that they would likely have ninja escorts.
Of course, it could also be because of the war; bandits wouldn't dare to roam freely, lest they get caught in the crossfire of clashing ninja forces.
"Huh, we haven't encountered any enemies for so long. Could it be that Kakashi was right this time?" Obito, sitting atop the carriage, looked around but saw no signs of enemies, and he sounded disappointed.
"I told you, the previous incidents were just bad luck. It's not possible to have accidents four times in a row," Kakashi said nonchalantly.
He thought this was normal; it was what a C-rank mission should be like. The previous incidents had been extraordinary. The first and third incidents, in particular, could have been classified as S-rank missions without any question.
Once, they had encountered two jonin, and on another occasion, they had run into the candidate for the next Raikage. It had been so extreme that Kakashi had even suspected that he might be jinxed.
"How about a race filled with youth and passion?" Might Guy enthusiastically invited.
"I decline," Kakashi immediately refused. He didn't want to engage in meaningless physical exertion during a mission.
"Never mind, then," Obito also rejected Guy's proposal because he knew he wouldn't win.
Obito wasn't interested in a competition that had no significant meaning and in which he was bound to lose.
However, if Kakashi were to be his opponent, Obito would gladly accept the challenge.
"What a shame," Guy said disappointedly. He then jumped off the carriage and started running alongside it at the same speed.
Mu Yue didn't stop Guy; this amount of exercise was nothing to him, just a warm-up.
Moreover, ever since they had left Konoha, Mu Yue had been periodically using her perception jutsu to ensure there were no enemies lurking nearby.
It would be less troublesome if she could maintain the Byakugan's activated state for extended periods, but that would consume too much chakra, making it inefficient.
With no enemies in sight, Obito, out of boredom, started chatting with various members of the food transport team about anything and everything, from work to life to family.
"How much do you earn from completing a commission?" Obito asked curiously.
"Commission?" The worker he asked initially seemed confused but then realized that Obito might be inquiring about their income.
"When we're busy, we might make up to 7,000 ryo a month, but usually, it's around 5,000 ryo," the worker thought for a moment and replied.
"Don't you work very few hours per month? Why do you only make 5,000 ryo?" Obito scratched his head, puzzled.
The minimum reward for a D-rank mission was 5,000 ryo, and this amount was also tax-exempt. Mu Yue evenly distributed the mission rewards, so Obito could earn 5,000 ryo by completing four D-rank missions, usually within an afternoon's work.
Obito's question left the worker speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond.
Did they work very few hours? Of course not; they basically worked every day. However, sometimes they earned more by working day and night without rest.
Mu Yue then spent half an hour lecturing her disciples about the brutality of war. While she had the ability to protect herself and her three disciples in the midst of conflict, she didn't want them to underestimate the gravity of the situation.
Any war was cruel, claiming countless lives and destroying countless beautiful things.
Even the usually carefree Obito now wore a solemn expression, listening intently without a hint of skepticism.
As they ventured deeper into the Grass Country, the air seemed to carry a heavier aura, and the surroundings began to change.
Mu Yue and her group started encountering ninjas, but they were either from Konoha or allies from the Grass Ninja Village.
Based on the ninjas' demeanor, Mu Yue deduced that the situation was relatively stable; otherwise, their expressions would have been more grim.
"Could it be that we're finally about to experience a normal C-rank mission?" Mu Yue wondered.
Having completed three C-rank missions with no record of completion on their transcripts, their team was quite the anomaly.
As they drew closer to their destination, Mu Yue detected an increasing number of ninjas through her perception jutsu.
She switched to using the Byakugan, as the perception jutsu could only sense chakra, while the Byakugan allowed her to directly see who or what she was dealing with.
Every hour, Mu Yue would activate her Byakugan to scan the surrounding area, revealing any ninjas within a radius of 1.5 kilometers.
In the end, the supply caravan led by Mu Yue arrived at Konoha's camp in the Grass Country without encountering a single attack.
"Mu Yue, what brings you to the battlefield?" Minato, recognizing the familiar figure, asked in surprise.
In Minato's understanding, Mu Yue's presence here was unexpected, as she was a teacher at the Ninja Academy, and it was currently the school term.
Unless Konoha was facing a life-or-death situation, they wouldn't deploy an exceptional instructor like Mu Yue to the front lines.
"I'm an intern teacher, similar to a guiding Jonin in charge of a squad. This time, I'm leading my students on a C-rank war mission," Mu Yue explained with a smile.
"I see, a logistics mission," Minato said, glancing at the food transport caravan. He now had a good idea of the nature of Mu Yue's task.
"Mu Yue, try to keep your students within the camp and avoid wandering around. The Rock Ninja Village has been quiet for the past two weeks, and they might be planning a major offensive," Minato warned, concerned about the safety of Mu Yue's team, especially the two Ninja Academy students.
"We won't go running around," Obito said, feeling a bit slighted.
"That's good. Listening to your teacher's orders is the path to becoming an excellent ninja," Minato replied, ignoring Obito's tone and offering a kind smile instead.
"That guy's smile is really similar to Teacher Mu Yue's," Obito thought to himself, the idea that they were long-lost brothers resurfacing in his mind once again.
"Looks like this mission won't have any unexpected twists after all," Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief.
With their arrival at the camp, the mission could be considered complete. All that was left was to unload the food supplies and rest before returning to Konoha.
Suddenly, a loud blast rang out, followed by the sight of fireworks soaring into the sky and exploding.
Then, a series of intense explosions shook the ground, the fiery light visible even from a great distance.
"This is bad! The Rock Ninja Village has launched a large-scale assault!" Minato exclaimed, his expression turning grave.
The signal that had just been fired was Konoha's highest-level alert, instructing all ninjas who saw it to prepare for battle.
Kakashi's face paled as he recognized the signal, one that even Ninja Academy students would know the meaning of.
"Could it be that I really bring bad luck wherever I go?" Kakashi began to doubt himself, feeling responsible for the sudden escalation.
Mu Yue was also taken aback, well aware of the significance of the signal.
"Who could the enemy be? The Third Tsuchikage? Unlikely... Could it be..." Mu Yue's eyes narrowed, speculating about the Rock Ninja Village's key players in this offensive.
(End of Chapter)
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