Chapter 349: Becoming a Hero
Chapter 349: Becoming a Hero
"What a huge ball of ice," Obito remarked, stroking his chin. "If it rolled around carelessly, it would crush Fuhua City into ruins."
The moment these words left Obito's mouth, the entire place fell into an awkward silence. Some people gave him a look of disbelief, while others, imagining the ball of ice rolling towards them, broke into cold sweats. Indeed, if that massive ice sphere started rolling, it would wreak untold destruction.
"Haha, I was just joking to liven up the mood. It's Teacher Mu Yue; there won't be any problems." Obito chuckled, finding his own comment amusing.
He trusted that Mu Yue, their teacher, wouldn't make such a mistake.
"Really, this is not the time for jokes like that," Rin Nohara said, gently rubbing her forehead. She had long given up any hope that Obito would ever learn to read the room.
The battle had just ended, and everyone was still rejoicing when Obito had to come up with such a remark.
"Well, wasn't I amazing? You should be grateful to me. I'm a magnanimous person, so I'll let your previous transgressions slide," Obito said smugly, noticing that Fuhua Xiaoxue was looking around as if searching for someone.
"Do you think I forgot what you said before?" Fuhua Xiaoxue replied, her cheeks puffed up in anger. "You rude Obito, how dare you say I don't look like a princess and that I'm unlikeable! Slandering a princess is a crime, you know!"
While Obito's latter words had touched her, she hadn't forgotten how he had denigrated her earlier.
Both Fuhua Zao Xue and Mu Yue had acknowledged her cuteness, yet Obito, a mere nobody, had the audacity to claim otherwise.
"Slander? I was stating a fact. You should learn a thing or two from those princesses in novels!" Obito retorted, convinced that he was in the right.
Fuhua Xiaoxue: ...
Her fists clenched tightly, and she was sorely tempted to punch Obito right then and there.
However, as a well-bred princess, Fuhua Xiaoxue would only entertain such thoughts and not act on them, for Obito was, after all, her benefactor.
"Still, thank you," Fuhua Xiaoxue whispered, her voice barely audible, expressing her gratitude to Obito.
While Obito had many flaws—his lack of manners and poor taste, to name a few—she couldn't deny that he had looked incredibly cool when he unleashed that fire punch.
"Hahahaha!" Obito burst into laughter, his ears sharp enough to catch Fuhua Xiaoxue's faint words, which only added to his smugness.
Embarrassed, Fuhua Xiaoxue quickly scurried over to Fuhua Zao Xue's side.
Everyone then made their way to the battlefield, and standing beneath the colossal ice sphere, they felt a profound sense of their own insignificance compared to Mu Yue's immense power.
"Mu Yue, you've saved the Snow Country," Fuhua Zao Xue said solemnly, bowing deeply to express his gratitude.
Only now did he truly understand why Obito and the others trusted Mu Yue so implicitly. Mu Yue was someone worthy of their unwavering faith.
When Mu Yue had provided him with intelligence about Fuhua Nu Tao's plot to usurp the throne, he hadn't believed it, missing the best opportunity to apprehend the traitor. As a result, Fuhua Nu Tao and his Snow Ninja Village had laid siege to Fuhua City.
And when Mu Yue had assured him that he could handle the Snow Ninja Village, he hadn't believed that either, instead asking Mu Yue to take Fuhua Xiaoxue away. Fuhua Zao Xue was grateful that Mu Yue hadn't left, or else he would have lost his daughter forever.
The guards also bowed in gratitude, for without Mu Yue's timely aid, they would have perished at the hands of the Snow Ninjas.
Witnessing this, Obito felt a sense of pride by association, as he, too, was a member of Mu Yue's squad.
"I suppose this marks the end of our mission," Mu Yue said with a faint smile.
Although Fuhua Zao Xue, the daimyo of the Snow Country, had taken the lead in expressing his thanks, Mu Yue's heart remained unmoved.
In his opinion, he hadn't truly saved the Snow Country; he had only saved Fuhua Xiaoxue's family and the people of Fuhua City.
After all, he hadn't averted some nation-destroying catastrophe, and even if Fuhua Nu Tao's coup had succeeded, he wouldn't have slaughtered the populace.
"It's over, and we've achieved a perfect victory," Fuhua Zao Xue affirmed with a nod.
Mu Yue's performance during this incident had left a deep impression on him, and if there were ever a need for outside ninja assistance in the future, he would undoubtedly turn to Mu Yue and Konoha.
"Big Brother Mu Yue, how did you create such a huge ball of ice? It's so cool!" Fuhua Xiaoxue marveled, stretching her arms wide to indicate the sheer magnitude of the ice sphere, her face a picture of awe.
"Just create a ball of water and then freeze it," Mu Yue replied succinctly.
Fuhua Xiaoxue scratched her head, feeling like she both understood and didn't understand at the same time.
Fuhua Xiaoxue's bewildered expression was so comical that Obito couldn't help but burst out laughing, setting off a chain reaction of laughter among the others. The atmosphere gradually lightened.
With Fuhua Nu Tao dead and the Snow Ninjas defeated, the defense of Fuhua City could be declared an overwhelming success.
Of course, even in victory, there were still many loose ends to tie up.
A plot as significant as usurping the throne couldn't have been orchestrated by Fuhua Nu Tao alone; there were bound to be other officials from the Snow Country involved.
Then there was the matter of assessing the damage inflicted on Fuhua City during the battle and making the necessary repairs. Ironically, Mu Yue, their savior, was also the one responsible for the most extensive damage to the city, thanks to his liberal use of large-scale ninjutsu throughout the fight.
However, everyone, including Fuhua Zao Xue, chose to overlook this fact, acknowledging that Mu Yue's powerful ninjutsu had been necessary to defeat the Snow Ninjas. Ultimately, the blame lay with the Snow Ninjas, not Mu Yue.
Another item on the agenda was the recognition of Mu Yue and his team's achievements. After much deliberation among the Snow Country's high-ranking officials, it was decided that Mu Yue would be bestowed the title of 'Ice and Snow Hero,' while Obito and the other two would be named 'Ice and Snow Warriors.'
There were many benefits that came with these titles. The Ice and Snow Hero could enjoy the treatment of a high noble in the Snow Country and receive various rewards, including wealth and items.
Since the original task was to protect Fuhua Xiaoxue until the end of the Snow God Festival, Fuhua Zao Xue decided to hold the ceremony for bestowing the titles on the same day as the festival, expressing his gratitude and importance toward Mu Yue and his team.
With the Snow Country's issues resolved, Mu Yue and his disciples continued to cultivate and wait for the arrival of the Snow God Festival.
While the environment of the Snow Country was a bit harsh for ordinary people, it was an excellent place for ninjas to train.
Due to its proximity to the sea and frequent snowfall, it was especially convenient for practicing Water Release ninjutsu. Additionally, the cold temperatures made Fire Release ninjutsu more challenging to perform, providing an opportunity to improve in that area as well. The harsh weather also served to toughen the disciples' bodies.
"Teacher Mu Yue, aren't bloodline limits rare? Why do all the ninjas in the Snow Country know Ice Release?" Deidara asked curiously during a break.
This was common knowledge among ninjas, so Deidara was aware of it.
"Because it's not really a bloodline limit," Mu Yue replied directly, not beating around the bush.
The so-called Ice Release of the Snow Ninjas was a fake, and could be considered either Water Release or a Snow Secret Technique. In essence, it was a water-attribute chakra nature transformation, and they might not even be able to use it outside of the Snow Country.
"Huh? But there's ice, and I think I heard someone mention Ice Release," Deidara said, a bit puzzled.
He never thought there could be fake bloodline limits.
"No one can stop you from naming your jutsu whatever you want. You could yell 'Water Release' and then shoot out a Fire Release jutsu if you wanted to," Mu Yue explained gently.
It was obvious that the small ninja village lacked knowledge and experience, so they simply called it Ice Release because it looked like it.
"Then wouldn't that catch the opponent off guard in battle?" Deidara's eyes lit up. Usually, he didn't have the habit of shouting out the names of his jutsu, but he thought he could change that.
If he shouted 'Water Dragon Bullet' and then spat out a Fire Dragon, it might achieve unexpected results.
"So, Teacher Mu Yue, was that jutsu of yours Ice Release?" Deidara asked, remembering the massive ice ball that still hadn't melted to that day.
Hearing this, Kakashi, who was cultivating nearby, turned to look at them.
Mu Yue nodded, "Yes, I did use Ice Release, but it's not very strong since I only recently mastered it."
Although his Ice Release wasn't very powerful, only reaching the halfway point of the Proficient level, bringing it to light would further showcase his genius, and it would also enhance his apparent strength.
As for why he suddenly knew Ice Release, it was simple—he could just say that he observed the Snow Ninjas' fake Ice Release techniques and then comprehended the real thing, especially since he already had a strong water and wind nature transformation.
Moreover, others had no choice but to take his word for it, as Ice Release was different from Sharingan, which could be 'hot-swapped' by killing a Uchiha; one had to either be born with it or cultivate it themselves.
"It doesn't seem that strong," Deidara commented, recalling the awe-inspiring scene from that day.
However, Mu Yue's mention of recently mastering it prompted Deidara to fill in the blanks, leading him to believe that Mu Yue might have observed the Snow Ninjas' techniques and then figured out Ice Release on his own.
While it sounded far-fetched, Deidara felt that it was something Mu Yue, the immortal sage, would do.
"It's probably because of the environment here, and the technique that actually defeated the enemies was Water Release," Kakashi said thoughtfully.
Although the massive ice ball was impressive, in Kakashi's opinion, it was the Super Great Water Collision Technique that played the biggest role, with the Ice Age Colliding Wave serving as the finishing move.
Mu Yue nodded in agreement with Kakashi's analysis. The Snow Ninjas' fake Ice Release techniques benefited from the Snow Country's environment, and Mu Yue's genuine Ice Release was even more effective, like a fish in water.
"It doesn't matter. Teacher Mu Yue's Ice Release will eventually become as strong as his other jutsu," Deidara waved his hand, indicating that minor details were unimportant.
"I can't wait for tomorrow. It's my first time attending a festival in another country, and I'll be there as a hero," Deidara said, grinning as he thought about the next day's events.
Although the princess wasn't what he had imagined, and the task wasn't exactly what he had wanted to do, the outcome was what he desired.
Saving the princess, saving the country, and becoming a hero—Deidara's only regret was that he would only receive the title of Ice and Snow Warrior, not Ice and Snow Hero, but he was content as long as Mu Yue got that title.
(End of Chapter)
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