https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-271-The-Yellow-Flash-and-the-AB-Combo/12558310/
Chapter 270: The Feasibility of Going Home: Minato's Assessment
Chapter 270: The Feasibility of Going Home: Minato's Assessment
In the afternoon, at the Hokage Building—
"Uncle Homura, give us ten more D-rank missions!" As he strolled into the mission hall, Obito declared boldly.
Determined to qualify for C-rank missions, Obito was pushing himself to complete thirty missions that day.
"There aren't any more D-rank missions available for your team at the moment," Homura shook his head.
There were indeed more missions, but he couldn't assign them to Obito's team; other genin teams needed their share of work, and at the rate Obito's team was going, they'd leave the rest with nothing to do.
"Alright! We're finally done," Obito exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with a smile. Using shadow clones had been efficient, but it was exhausting.
"Does that mean we can take on C-rank missions now?"
"No," came the firm reply from Homura. He wasn't the Hokage, and he didn't have the authority to make such decisions.
Obito was about to ask why, but he suddenly spotted the Third Hokage sitting not far away, deep in conversation with another ninja. He made his way over.
Having finished giving the other ninja their assigned mission, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, noticed Obito approaching and asked with a smile, "How does it feel to be a full-fledged ninja now?"
"Not much different, to be honest. We're still limited to D-rank missions," Obito replied with a touch of sarcasm.
"Hokage-sama, you know my capabilities, and Kakashi is a chunin. Rin's skills are no slouch either. Our team is more than capable of handling C-rank missions," Obito asserted, eager to showcase the strengths of his team members.
If they weren't indoors, he would have demonstrated his prowess by unleashing a fireball with all his might.
"You and Kakashi certainly possess the skills to complete C-rank missions," Hiruzen acknowledged, nodding thoughtfully.
There were reasons for the established rules, and one of them was to protect new genin. However, in the case of Minato's team, Hiruzen felt it wouldn't hurt to bend the rules a little.
"Minato, do you think they are ready to take on C-rank missions with their current abilities?" Hiruzen turned to Minato for his assessment.
With a serious expression, Minato replied, "I believe they are."
They had already proven their mettle during the bell test, and Minato was confident that his team could handle not just C-rank but even B-rank missions.
"From now on, when Minato's team accepts missions, they won't be restricted by the usual standards for new genin," Hiruzen said to the mission registration ninja after hearing Minato's endorsement of his team.
"See, Rin, I told you there was nothing to worry about," Obito boasted, beaming at Rin.
Kakashi often called him dull-witted, but Obito felt that he had outsmarted them all this time, even if he struggled with academic theory.
"You really are as clever as you predicted, Obito. Impressive," Rin smiled and complimented him.
She hadn't expected that blitzing through D-rank missions would actually work, and she had even prepared comforting words for Obito in case he was disappointed.
"It's not so much the number of D-rank missions we completed, but the experiences we gained during our internship and the leadership of Captain Minato that made the difference," Kakashi offered his perspective.
Their team composition was nearly identical to their internship days, with Guy replaced by Rin, and their captain, Minato, was exceptionally strong. Kakashi attributed their special treatment more to these factors than anything else.
"I knew it! Kakashi, you're just jealous of my intelligence. Why didn't you mention this method of getting C-rank missions earlier?" Obito gloated, paying no heed to Kakashi's opinion.
Kakashi: ...
He couldn't fathom where Obito's newfound confidence in this particular word choice came from.
However, with the Hokage present and so many people around, Kakashi decided to give Obito some face and refrained from bringing up Obito's academic scores to counter his claim of intelligence.
Seeing that Kakashi didn't refute him, Obito took it as an acknowledgment of his statement and excitedly rushed to Minato's side to select their next mission together.
"Any missions that take us through scenic places?" Obito asked curiously.
"This isn't a vacation, it's work..." The mission registration ninja replied, dumbfounded. He had never heard such a bizarre request.
"Scenery, huh? Well, then, how about this escort mission to the Land of Hot Water?" Minato suggested, pointing to a C-rank mission after a moment's thought.
Located northeast of the Fire Country, the Land of Hot Water, in Minato's recollection, boasted landscapes that rivaled those of the Fire Country, and it was also known for its abundance of natural hot springs.
The mission registration ninja double-checked, then confirmed the assignment after receiving Minato's affirmative response, handling the necessary paperwork.
"The Land of Hot Water, huh? That's a country I've never visited," a hint of curiosity crossed Obito's face. Thus far, he had only been to three countries—the Land of Rice Fields, the Land of Grass, and the Land of Rivers—and the experience that left the deepest impression on him was the vast desert in the western region of the Land of Rivers.
For Obito, who had grown up amidst the lush forests of the Fire Country, the endless expanse of golden sand was truly awe-inspiring.
"By the way, Jonin Minato, we've received reports from the border patrol team that there have been several sightings of Cloud ninja in the Land of Hot Water recently. Be cautious during your mission," the mission registration ninja reminded them.
Typically, this kind of mission wouldn't involve encountering other ninja, as it merely entailed escorting an ordinary person to an ordinary location.
However, with Cloud and Leaf ninja engaged in hostilities, a chance meeting between the two sides would undoubtedly result in a fierce battle.
"You must be the ninjas who accepted my request. I'm Izumi Muneki, and I'm ready to depart whenever you are," Izumi said with a smile.
"In that case, let's set off now," Minato agreed with a nod, never one to delay a mission.
Izumi did not prepare a horse-drawn carriage, so the five of them traveled on foot towards the Land of Hot Water.
Their formation consisted of Minato and Obito in the front, with Kakashi and Rin on either side, protecting their client in the middle.
"Captain Minato, I think your spatial ninjutsu is amazing. If you placed a kunai in your home and more kunai on the battlefield, you could return home to rest whenever you get tired and then surprise your opponent. Wouldn't that make you invincible?" Obito said, his eyes sparkling with excitement at the idea.
The more he thought about it, the more brilliant he found this "Home-Advantage Minato" tactic, believing that only the all-powerful Mu Yue could possibly counter it.
Minato paused for a moment, taken aback by Obito's imaginative suggestion.
"That's a great idea, but the Flying Thunder God Technique isn't as convenient as you think," Minato explained with a smile.
"The Flying Thunder God Technique has a range limit. If the distance is too far, I won't be able to use it."
His Flying Thunder God Technique was not unlimited in range, and the farther he traveled, the more chakra it consumed.
"Enemies won't just stand still, either. They can move to another location while I'm away using the technique," Minato added.
There was a solution to this issue—directly marking the enemy with the Flying Thunder God Technique.
However, this gave rise to a new problem. It was difficult for Minato to mark powerful opponents with the technique, and weaker foes didn't need the mark for him to defeat them.
Of course, the main problem was the first one, so the "Home-Advantage Minato" tactic remained impractical.
"Then just leave more kunai in between and tie several short threads together to increase the distance!" Obito suggested, feeling proud of his wit as he solved the fundamental problem.
"Obito, a ninja's chakra isn't infinite," Minato explained with a gentle smile.
With all that back and forth, even if he rested at home for an hour, it would be pointless. By the time he reached his opponent, he would have already consumed a significant amount of chakra, and long-distance teleportation was very chakra-intensive.
"Oh, yeah..." Obito realized that chakra was indeed an issue.
For example, he could use the Fire-Style Breathing Method to rapidly perform hand seals with one hand and cast ninjutsu, but in theory, he couldn't keep it up indefinitely due to chakra limitations.
When evening fell, Minato found a secluded spot and set up a tent for them to rest.
While they, as ninjas, could travel day and night without stopping, their client was an ordinary person who needed proper rest.
Obito took this opportunity to continue imparting his mission experience to Rin.
"You have to pay attention to what Kakashi says. If he assures you that nothing unexpected will happen, be extra cautious, because that's usually when something does happen," Obito said earnestly.
"Really?" Rin asked, unsure if Obito was joking, though his expression seemed serious.
"It's just a coincidence!" Kakashi interjected, unable to keep a straight face any longer.
"But it happened every time during our last mission. Once is a coincidence, but four times in a row? That's more than just a coincidence," Obito argued.
"Alright, then predict whether we'll encounter any ninjas on this mission," Obito challenged.
Kakashi's mind raced as he struggled to come up with an answer.
Normally, C-rank missions didn't involve encountering other ninjas, but they were in a state of war, and the registration ninja had mentioned Cloud ninja sightings in the Land of Hot Water. Kakashi found himself in a tricky situation.
"See? You don't sound very confident yourself," Obito said, a triumphant smile spreading across his face.
"This mission won't have any unexpected incidents," Kakashi finally said, driven to make a prediction by Obito's goading.
Although there were Cloud ninja in the Land of Hot Water, it was still an entire country, and the chances of the two sides meeting were slim. The mission's location was in the southern part of the Land of Hot Water, near the Fire Country, further reducing the likelihood of an encounter.
Additionally, their previous four C-rank missions had all gone awry, and Kakashi believed that no matter how unlucky they were, it was unlikely for mishaps to occur five times in a row.
"You actually said it! Rin, this isn't a joke. We really need to be careful," Obito said gravely, his expression turning solemn.
Based on Kakashi's track record, Obito expected that they would definitely come across enemy ninjas.
Watching the two of them bicker over this strange point, Rin shook her head and smiled helplessly. "I'll be careful. Thank you for the reminder, Obito."
(End of Chapter)
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