Chapter 351: Flying Thunder God Jutsu
Chapter 351: Flying Thunder God Jutsu
"It's truly amazing," Obito exclaimed as he stood at the entrance of Konoha, gazing up at the scorching sun overhead. "In the Land of Snow, it's a winter wonderland, yet here, not a flake of snow in sight."
Although Mu Yue had briefly explained the principle behind it, Obito struggled to fully grasp the concept. To him, it was simply the awe-inspiring work of nature.
"Yes, it'll be a while before it snows in Konoha, and even then, it won't be as abundant as in the Land of Snow," Yahiko nodded in agreement.
"It's a good thing you brought your camera, Obito. Such breathtaking snowscapes are definitely worth capturing," she added.
"Hehe," Obito replied, a proud smile spreading across his face. He had made it a habit to bring his camera along whenever he went on missions.
Initially, Obito may have wanted to share the sights he saw with Yahiko, but now he had grown fond of the idea of documenting the diverse landscapes of the ninja world.
"Alright, everyone, let's take the day off tomorrow for rest. We'll resume our regular training the day after," Mu Yue announced, as was her custom.
In truth, this mission hadn't been overly challenging for Obito and the others, as Mu Yue had been the primary force behind their success. Nonetheless, the journey back had been a long and arduous one, so a day of rest was much-needed.
The three disciples nodded their understanding.
Mu Yue then made her way to the Hokage's office to report on the completion of the mission.
As they had stayed in the Land of Snow until the conclusion of the Snow God Festival to resolve the coup d'etat, Fuuka Hayayuki had sent word to Konoha about the change in plans and offered additional compensation.
However, Mu Yue still needed to provide a formal report, as protocol dictated.
As Mu Yue walked away, Obito glanced sidelong at Kakashi.
Despite the fatigue from their hurried return journey, Obito wasn't inclined to rest. He wanted to practice the breathing technique to perfect his incomplete fire-natured chakra mode more quickly.
Ideally, for Obito, Kakashi would take the opportunity to rest, giving him a day to train and gain ground on his rival.
With Kakashi lagging behind, he was confident that he could surpass him soon and decisively defeat him in front of Yahiko.
"Ah, my body is feeling a bit weary. I think I'll take a well-deserved rest," Obito said, rolling his eyes and stretching lazily.
Based on his experience, Obito knew that seeing others around him resting would usually dampen his motivation to train. He hoped to trigger Kakashi's lazy tendencies.
"After all, we rushed back on foot. A good night's sleep will surely make us feel refreshed," Yahiko added gently, a soft smile on her face.
Mu Yue didn't like wasting time on their return journeys, often pushing her disciples to travel expeditiously, using the opportunity for physical training.
"I think Yahiko makes a lot of sense. We should definitely get some rest," Obito said, silently giving Yahiko several mental thumbs-up.
Indeed, he hoped Kakashi would sleep for a whole week.
"It's not that bad," Kakashi shook his head, not feeling particularly exhausted.
Compared to the hellish breathing technique training, Kakashi found their current routine rather pleasant. During that period, he could easily fall asleep standing up.
Hearing this, Obito's expression turned solemn. Kakashi's words implied that he intended to train.
"I was thinking of resting precisely because I'm concerned about another rigorous training session tomorrow. Rest is essential for effective training," Obito continued to extol the virtues of rest.
Kakashi furrowed his brow in thought. There was some truth to what Obito was saying.
"It seems this mission has taught you a thing or two, Obito. It's rare to see you consider so many factors," Yahiko remarked, a hand covering her mouth as she chuckled softly.
"It's only because Yahiko hasn't noticed it before. I, Uchiha Obito, am someone who not only enjoys thinking but is also adept at it," Obito boasted, puffing out his chest proudly.
Kakashi: ...
Kakashi could tolerate Obito's claim of enjoying thinking, given his peculiar train of thought at times. However, saying that he was adept at thinking was taking it too far, especially considering his dismal performance in exams.
Yahiko let out a soft laugh, indulging Obito with a few compliments. Indeed, Obito had performed admirably during this mission.
"Maybe," Kakashi conceded, deciding not to argue with Obito. "As Mu Yue also mentioned, it's important to balance training with rest."
By doing so, he could bring this meaningless debate to a close while also maintaining his lead in terms of strength.
Obito's face lit up with joy, as if he could already envision Kakashi lying defeated at his feet.
"The reason I surpassed you wasn't because I have better natural talent," Obito began, his imagination running wild. "It was simply because I chose to train during the time you spent resting."
"Obito, why are you suddenly so cheerful?" Yahiko asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.
Kakashi, too, eyed Obito curiously, wondering what had triggered his sudden, rather lewd-looking smile.
Realizing he might be giving off the wrong impression, Obito quickly composed himself, though the corners of his mouth stubbornly refused to relax.
"Cough, cough," Obito cleared his throat. "I was just imagining the look on Fuuka and Hayayuki's faces when they open their presents and find nothing but exam papers inside."
Yahiko gently pressed her fingers to her forehead, a helpless smile playing on her lips. "After all that talk about wanting to protect the princesses, and now you're doing this to Hayayuki, the true princess."
Obito's actions left Yahiko at a loss for words.
A mischievous smile played on Obito's lips, but he refrained from saying more, lest Kakashi catch on to his schemes.
To further mislead Kakashi, Obito deliberately set off first, heading in the direction of the Uchiha clan's compound.
Yahiko had been contemplating whether to train for a bit, but seeing that both Obito and Kakashi were opting to rest, she decided to head home and get some much-needed rest herself.
As the disciples went their separate ways, Mu Yue swiftly concluded her mission report.
"Mu Yue, you did an excellent job," Hiruzen Sarutobi praised, setting down his pipe. "In the letter from the Land of Snow's daimyo, they had nothing but high praise for you. It's rare for a ninja to receive such accolades from a daimyo."
Even the daimyo of a minor country held a significant amount of power and influence, and there weren't many daimyo in the ninja world. Moreover, the Land of Snow rarely issued missions to Konoha, so Mu Yue's accomplishments had effectively raised Konoha's profile in the Land of Snow and expanded their market reach.
Mu Yue acknowledged the compliment with a nod, recognizing her significant contribution.
Indeed, she had been instrumental in single-handedly crushing Fuuka Hayayuki's plot to usurp the throne.
"In light of your exceptional performance, I'd like to offer you a special reward," Hiruzen said after a moment's thought. "Name any jutsu you desire, regardless of rank, and it shall be yours."
While the jutsu library housed many advanced jutsu, some of the more precious A-rank and S-rank jutsu were not among them.
"I would like to learn the Flying Thunder God Jutsu," Mu Yue replied after some consideration.
Despite already possessing a diverse array of jutsu, including some with immense destructive power, there were still a few jutsu that Mu Yue coveted but had not yet acquired, and the Flying Thunder God Jutsu was one of them.
His hesitation wasn't due to the technique being overly powerful, but rather its complexity. Hiruzen doubted Mu Yue's ability to master it, for even he, a genius in ninjutsu, had failed to grasp its intricacies.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was unique among ninjutsu, requiring a special spatial-temporal talent. Only two individuals in Konoha's history had possessed this talent and successfully learned the technique: its creator, Tobirama Senju, and his student, Minato Namikaze.
While Mu Yue had proven herself a genius in many respects, spatial-temporal talent was an enigmatic trait.
"Are you sure about the Flying Thunder God Technique, Mu Yue? It is indeed a proud creation of the Second Hokage, and while Minato has also mastered it, to this day, only the Second and Minato have successfully done so," Hiruzen cautioned.
In Hiruzen's eyes, the challenge of the technique wasn't the issue; it came down to luck and whether one possessed the necessary spatial-temporal talent.
He was concerned that Mu Yue's proximity to Minato might lead her to misjudge the difficulty, especially since she was a genius and might assume she could master it as well.
"Thank you for your reminder, Third Hokage, but I am certain about the Flying Thunder God Technique," Mu Yue affirmed.
She herself wasn't sure if she could master it, but the potential payoff was enormous. Mu Yue had kept several ninjutsu proficiency scrolls in reserve, and if she could master the technique, she could instantly raise its proficiency to the Proficient level.
If she failed, well, there was no loss to speak of.
Hiruzen took a long draw from his pipe, blowing out a thick cloud of smoke, recognizing that Mu Yue had made up her mind.
"I will have your reward sent to you," he said, no longer attempting to dissuade her.
He understood that a genius like Mu Yue wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to try, and he himself had once spent a significant amount of time attempting to learn the technique, only to give up when he saw no progress.
However, a thought lingered in Hiruzen's mind: if Mu Yue truly possessed the spatial-temporal talent, then Konoha would gain another Yellow Flash.
"Third Hokage, have you ever tried to fuse your chakra natures and create a new bloodline limit?" Mu Yue steered the conversation toward chakra nature transformation.
"I dabbled with the idea for a while," Hiruzen admitted, "but fusing two chakra natures to create an entirely new one is incredibly difficult. It requires a certain degree of opportunity."
He was a master of all five basic natures, and while he knew that combining two chakra natures could result in a bloodline limit, his many attempts had yielded no success. Additionally, combination ninjutsu was powerful in its own right, so he had ultimately chosen to focus on that path.
Hiruzen didn't regret his decision, as his current strength was a testament to his choices. There were many ninjas in the ninja world with bloodline limits, but few could claim to be stronger than he.
"Could it be, Mu Yue...?" Hiruzen's eyes widened in surprise as a sudden realization struck him, and he stared at Mu Yue intently.
If his suspicions were correct, then their previous estimates of Mu Yue's future potential would need to be re-evaluated.
Mu Yue didn't keep him in suspense for long. A dazzling blue-white light radiated from her hand, and soon, an ice block formed in her palm.
"Ice Release," Hiruzen murmured, his eyes fixed on the ice block as he named the bloodline limit.
Hiruzen felt a surge of emotions. Bloodline limits, unlike ninjutsu, could be passed down through generations. If Mu Yue's children and grandchildren weren't lacking, there was a chance a new ninja clan could emerge.
"In the Land of Snow, there exists a type of Snow Ninjutsu that resembles Ice Release but isn't the same," Mu Yue began, sharing the story she had fabricated about her bloodline limit's development.
She had no concerns about being suspected, as there was no evidence to the contrary.
In the world of Naruto, it was impossible for anyone to know about her System, and there were only two explanations for her ability to use Ice Release: she was a spy from Kirigakure, or she had developed it herself.
However, the first option was implausible, as Mu Yue was a loyal Konoha shinobi whose parents had died as ninjas in the war, and she had even been a member of the Root Organization. Thus, the only remaining conclusion was that she had developed Ice Release herself.
"If we could organize ninjas in the village who possess water and wind chakra natures to study the Snow Ninjutsu of the Land of Snow, perhaps we could increase the number of Ice Release ninjas in the village," Mu Yue suggested.
In reality, this was unlikely to be successful, as if it were that easy to develop a bloodline limit, the Snow ninja village would have done so themselves. Nonetheless, Mu Yue played her part, acting as if she had genuinely developed it herself.
"You underestimate yourself, Mu Yue," Hiruzen said with a smile. "Those Snow Ninjutsu might have played a role, but they weren't the decisive factor. Your natural talent was what truly enabled you to develop Ice Release."
Hiruzen's extensive experience told him that Mu Yue's idea wouldn't bear fruit. It would be a waste of time for Konoha ninjas to learn Snow Ninjutsu, which depended heavily on the environment of the Land of Snow for its full power. If developing bloodline limits were that simple, he would have done so long ago.
However, he appreciated Mu Yue's intention to strengthen the village, and her impressive growth from a mere pawn made this endeavor a profitable one.
After Hiruzen's explanation, Mu Yue feigned an expression of enlightenment.
Once the formalities were complete, Mu Yue created a shadow clone to return home, while her main body headed toward the Southern Border Forest.
At that moment, Obito and Kakashi stood face to face in the Southern Border Forest, their gazes locked.
"Kakashi, didn't you say something about the importance of balancing training with rest?" Obito asked, unable to resist taking a jab at his rival.
"And didn't you say that resting after feeling tired would make subsequent training more effective?" Kakashi countered, refusing to back down.
A tense silence hung in the air as the two glared at each other.
Obito felt a surge of frustration, realizing that his earlier actions had inadvertently led to this situation. He could have been training with Rin, but now, he was stuck with Kakashi.
Kakashi, however, wasted no time, quickly settling into a meditative stance and beginning his training. Obito, seeing this, followed suit and started his own regimen.
"You despicable, loathsome Kakashi," Obito muttered under his breath as he trained. "If I surpass you, I swear I'll challenge you to a fight every day!"
(End of Chapter)
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