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Chapter 360: Minato's Return
Chapter 360: Minato's Return
After considering the pros and cons, Mu Yue began to draft a reply to Danzo Shimura.
The opening required no substantive content; he simply had to express his loyalty and make Danzo feel that Mu Yue still considered him the leader and saw himself as a loyal member of the Root Organization.
After pledging his allegiance, Mu Yue proceeded to explain his predicament, not from his own perspective of facing challenges, but rather, from Danzo's perspective. He wrote about his concerns that if he, as the vice-principal of the Ninja Academy, secretly went to the Root Organization for special training and was discovered by Hiruzen Sarutobi, the blame would fall on Danzo as the leader of the Root.
Mu Yue proposed that he could provide training to the Root Organization, but only with Hiruzen's knowledge and consent. He reasoned that if he were to secretly train and enhance the Root's strength without Hiruzen's awareness, the consequences might not be severe, but the Root's mark on his body would be reactivated. This would cause Hiruzen to subconsciously view him as Danzo's man, which was not the outcome Mu Yue desired.
Mu Yue's goal was to be seen as a steadfast supporter of the Fire Shadow by Hiruzen and as a loyal and reliable member of the Root Organization by Danzo.
With this dual allegiance, Mu Yue would have greater freedom of action in Konoha, as long as he did not infringe upon certain interests. Whatever he chose to do, he would receive assistance as long as it did not conflict with those interests.
This part of the message was indeed tricky, as Danzo was not an easy person to negotiate with. Mu Yue chose not to emphasize his own difficulties but instead framed it from the perspective of potential negative consequences for Danzo.
He then fabricated some information about Obito to reduce Danzo's hostility towards him and concluded the letter with another expression of loyalty.
After reviewing his letter, Mu Yue nodded in satisfaction. He had studied interpersonal relationships and politics diligently after passing the civil service exam, and now he found himself applying those skills in the world of Naruto.
Upon finishing the letter, Mu Yue used the Root Organization's secret communication method to notify a member to come and retrieve his reply.
After taking care of dinner, Mu Yue spent two hours studying sealing techniques, an hour developing Wind Release: Breath of Wind, and another two hours on the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Before going to bed, he glanced at the panel and noticed that the sealing technique taught by Kushina had increased in proficiency, but he still hadn't made a breakthrough with the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Without dwelling on it, Mu Yue closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep. He was determined to stick to his plan of studying for a month, no matter what.
The next morning, as Mu Yue was preparing breakfast, someone knocked on the door.
He activated his Byakugan to identify the visitor and a smile appeared on his face.
Although he already knew who it was, Mu Yue walked to the door and opened it, feigning surprise. "Minato, you're back? Is the war over?"
The visitor was indeed Minato Namikaze, who had previously left on an important war mission.
"Not yet," Minato explained with a smile. "There's been an incident with the Eight-Tails jinchuriki in Kumogakure, but the situation on the front lines is favorable now. My assigned task is complete, so I returned."
Kumogakure was already fighting on two fronts, and with the death of the Eight-Tails jinchuriki, they had lost a significant force, forcing them to retract their forces to ensure the safety of their homeland.
Hearing Minato's words, Mu Yue recalled some of the Naruto storyline. He remembered that this incident was caused by Orochimaru, who had released the seal of the Eight-Tails jinchuriki, separating the tailed beast from its host. This caused the Eight-Tails to rampage uncontrollably, and Orochimaru ultimately obtained a sample of the Eight-Tails' horn, leaving Kumogakure to deal with the aftermath.
"It's perfect timing, I'm making breakfast. Come in and have some; you must not have eaten yet on your way back." Mu Yue smiled and invited Minato in.
Mu Yue felt that Minato's arrival was opportune. If even Minato, a master of the Flying Thunder God Technique, couldn't help him make a breakthrough, then it would prove that he truly had no spatial talent.
"Indeed, I haven't eaten yet. I apologize for the inconvenience." Minato smiled sheepishly as he stepped into Mu Yue's home.
However, Minato's arrival at this time was not a mere coincidence but a deliberate choice.
On his journey back, Minato had calculated the timing so that he would arrive at Konoha just in time for breakfast at Mu Yue's home.
Having spent a long time on the battlefield, Minato often dreamed of joining Kushina and Mu Yue for meals. He missed them both dearly.
"You can relax today, Minato. Breakfast isn't that troublesome." Mu Yue stopped Minato, who was about to head to the kitchen, and gestured for him to sit and wait for the food.
Minato nodded and took a seat at the dining table, inhaling the delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen. A nostalgic expression appeared on his face.
It had indeed been a while since he had tasted Mu Yue's cooking, and even longer since he had shared a meal with Kushina at Mu Yue's home.
"Kushina..." As he thought of Kushina, the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, Minato sighed softly.
If he had a choice, he would not want her to be a jinchuriki. It was too dangerous, considering both the presence of the Nine-Tails within her and the animosity that enemy ninja villages held towards jinchuriki.
However, he knew he had no say in the matter. With his current level of insight, he understood why Kushina had become a jinchuriki upon arriving in Konoha. Her fate had been sealed from that moment on.
As time passed, Mu Yue brought out dish after dish, and Minato exclaimed, "What a feast!" as he looked at the grilled salmon and tamagoyaki on the plate.
Minato picked up a piece of grilled fish, popped it into his mouth, and washed it down with a mouthful of rice and miso soup, feeling warmth spread throughout his body. A happy smile appeared on his face.
This breakfast was specially prepared by Mu Yue, taking Minato's preferences into account. Personally, Mu Yue wasn't a fan of eating rice in the morning and preferred congee.
"Your cooking skills seem to have improved again, Mu Yue. I feel so much more refreshed after eating this meal," Minato commented sincerely after finishing his breakfast.
"It's probably because you haven't had my cooking in a while, Minato. If you eat here a few more times, you'll realize it's not that different from before," Mu Yue replied with a smile.
After they finished eating, the two chatted while cleaning up the dishes and bowls on the table.
As it was time for his classes, Mu Yue created several shadow clones—some headed to the Southern Forest to teach his students, while one went to the Ninja Academy to attend classes.
After finishing the chores, Mu Yue took the opportunity to share that he had been learning the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"I never realized how difficult the Flying Thunder God Technique was until I started practicing it myself," he said. "I've never encountered such a situation with any other ninjutsu. I've been studying it for a long time, but I don't feel like I've made any progress."
"The Flying Thunder God Technique, huh?" Minato thought for a moment. "While I didn't encounter any particular difficulties in learning it, Jiraiya-sensei did mention that it's an extraordinarily challenging technique. It's considered one of the most difficult ninjutsu in Konoha."
When Minato had learned the technique, he hadn't felt that it was significantly harder than other ninjutsu. He could only understand its difficulty through the experiences of others.
Just how powerful was it? Minato could wreak havoc on the battlefield with just the Flying Thunder God Technique and a certain number of kunai knives, without needing to use any other ninjutsu.
So, in battle, Minato rarely used other ninjutsu, not because he didn't know them, but because they were pointless. It would be absurd to teleport using the Flying Thunder God Technique, only to remain in place and perform hand seals for a Fire or Wind Release jutsu.
If Mu Yue could learn the Flying Thunder God Technique, even if he couldn't master it to Minato's level, his survival abilities on the battlefield would be greatly enhanced.
"Of course, I don't mind. In fact, I'm very much looking forward to it," Mu Yue replied with a smile. He had been waiting for Minato to make this offer.
Hearing Mu Yue's response, Minato didn't waste any time and immediately asked a few questions to gauge Mu Yue's progress in learning the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"In that case, let's start with the basics," Minato said, after a brief mental rehearsal.
"First, you should know that the Flying Thunder God Technique is a space-time ninjutsu. It allows you to teleport from one point to another by manipulating space-time, rather than simply increasing your speed to the extreme and covering the distance with rapid movement."
As he spoke, Minato demonstrated with a kunai knife.
He teleported a kunai knife to the kitchen and then used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport himself to the knife's location before reappearing beside Mu Yue in an instant.
Mu Yue nodded to indicate his understanding.
The beauty of the Flying Thunder God Technique was its ability to cover long distances instantly. Mu Yue's Thunder Breath, when used at full power, could match the speed of the Flying Thunder God Technique over short distances. However, as the distance increased, the Flying Thunder God Technique maintained its speed, while Mu Yue's technique consumed more chakra and took longer.
"Has Minato's teaching improved, or is it my comprehension that's lacking?" Mu Yue wondered, recalling his previous interactions with Kushina. He felt that Minato's explanation was clear.
"Great! Now, let's move on to how the Flying Thunder God Technique achieves space-time manipulation," Minato continued, seeing that Mu Yue understood.
"First, we need to sense the spatial coordinates. Then, we imprint the Flying Thunder God mark on a kunai or any object. Finally, we use chakra to teleport to the object with the Flying Thunder God mark."
Minato's eyes were focused, and his words flowed effortlessly as he explained the technique.
Mu Yue could tell that Minato was being earnest in his teachings, but he still couldn't help feeling a bit lost.
He hadn't dropped his pen or spaced out, yet suddenly, he felt like he couldn't understand a word Minato was saying.
If Mu Yue had to describe Minato's teaching style, it would be like this: "You've already learned that one plus one equals two. Now, let's move on to calculus."
Mu Yue decided to retract his previous thoughts. Kushina had been right; Minato's explanation was clear, but the technique itself was just too advanced.
"Mu Yue, have you gained any insights into learning the Flying Thunder God Technique?" Minato asked eagerly, his eyes full of anticipation.
Seeing Minato's expectant expression, Mu Yue's emotions became complicated. He could tell that Minato was genuinely trying his best to teach, but the content itself was a challenge to follow.
However, there was another possibility—it might not be Minato's teaching style, but rather the inherent complexity of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"No, I haven't. Minato, could you explain it in more detail, especially the part about sensing spatial coordinates? I don't understand a lot about that," Mu Yue admitted, shaking his head.
Regardless of the reason, he hadn't gained any new insights, and his proficiency in the Flying Thunder God Technique remained stagnant.
"Alright, I'll slow down and be more thorough in my explanations," Minato said thoughtfully, determined to help Mu Yue understand.
Three hours later, Mu Yue still felt confused.
He could sense that Minato was trying his best to explain, but the technique's complexity was just too much for him to grasp. It felt like trying to learn advanced calculus after elementary school mathematics.
"Minato, I've been thinking about your imitation of the Tailed Beast Ball, and I have some ideas. Would you like to hear them?" Mu Yue decided to reciprocate Minato's efforts and share his thoughts on the Rasengan.
Even though he hadn't made any progress with the Flying Thunder God Technique, he didn't blame Minato; he felt the issue lay with himself.
"That would be wonderful!" Minato exclaimed, his face lighting up with joy.
Mu Yue extended his hand and began to gather chakra, forming a sphere of pure chakra in his palm.
Minato's eyes widened in surprise as he beheld the sphere of chakra in Mu Yue's hand, perfectly matching his own vision.
Mu Yue led Minato out of the house, and with a swift motion, he slammed the sphere into a nearby tree.
Bang!
The tree trembled, a dent forming in its trunk, but it didn't completely pierce through.
"The power is minimal, but it's almost perfect in terms of completion," Minato commented, assessing the damage.
Given the amount of chakra Mu Yue had used, the destruction caused by the jutsu was underwhelming. It was clear that the technique still needed further refinement.
"Indeed, it's missing a crucial step, but I'm out of ideas," Mu Yue admitted, brushing off the wood chips that had fallen on him.
He had followed the narrative's original concept for the Rasengan and was thus able to create an incomplete version.
After the demonstration, Mu Yue explained the process he had used to reach this stage.
Even though he had the talent for creating unique jutsu, he wouldn't take credit for Minato's Rasengan.
"So, that's what was missing! Mu Yue, you've been a tremendous help. I feel so enlightened now, and many of the development issues I had before have been resolved," Minato exclaimed, feeling a sense of enlightenment. He realized that while his explanation of the Flying Thunder God Technique hadn't helped Mu Yue, Mu Yue's insights into the Rasengan had greatly benefited him.
Thinking about how Mu Yue hadn't gained any insights from his Flying Thunder God Technique lecture, Minato felt a bit ashamed. He made a mental note to organize his thoughts and find a better way to explain the technique.
"If we succeed in developing this jutsu, we should name it—Mu Yue's Tree-Smashing Inspiration, the Jointly Developed Technique!" Minato suggested excitedly, already thinking of a name for the jutsu.
Hearing the bizarre and over-the-top name, Mu Yue's lips twitched, and he quickly interjected, "Let's decide on the name after the jutsu is complete, shall we?"
If the Rasengan were to be named something like that, it would be utterly ridiculous.
"You make a good point, Mu Yue," Minato said, making a mental note of the name as a backup option.
He quite liked the name, as it highlighted their joint efforts in developing the jutsu and captured the essence of their collaboration.
At noon, Minato didn't stay for lunch. He apologized and headed back to Konoha to find Kushina, taking his meal with him.
Before leaving, Minato mentioned that he would have some free time in the coming days and offered to discuss ninjutsu, the Flying Thunder God Technique, and Rasengan in the evenings.
(End of Chapter)
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