https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-373-Don-t-Make-Predictions-Before-a-Mission/12558492/
Chapter 372: Astonishing Results that Surprised the Third Hokage and Danzo
Chapter 372: Astonishing Results that Surprised the Third Hokage and Danzo
"It's already December. Time flies so fast. I can't believe it's time for another winter break, it feels like our special training during the holidays just happened recently." Koichi Tetsuo sighed.
"Yeah, the final exams are just three weeks away. I haven't been feeling very confident with my studies lately. I hope I don't mess up during the exams," Kazumi Izumo said with a hint of worry on her face.
"You two are at it again," Anko Mitarashi interrupted as she entered the classroom. "Complaining about your studies every day, yet you always score perfect or near-perfect marks. Aside from Itachi, who could possibly outperform you?"
Naive as she once was, she had believed them countless times before, only to be met with the lonely sorrow of low scores.
"You don't understand, Anko. For someone who has gotten a perfect score, even a slight drop to 95 is considered a step backward," Koichi shook his head.
"Moreover, once you've reached the pinnacle, there's no longer any joy in seeing your scores improve. I hope you never have to experience this kind of pain, Anko," Tetsuo added, his fist clenching in determination.
"I truly envy you, Anko. You still have so much room for improvement, whether it's in theory or actual combat. Unlike us, you've never taken first place," Kazumi chimed in, twisting the knife further.
This time, Anko couldn't hold back. The fact that she always placed second in practical exams was a constant thorn in her side, as Itachi seemed like an insurmountable mountain standing in her way.
Bang! Bang!
Anko, unable to take it anymore, used the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside them and threw a punch.
Koichi and Kazumi tried to dodge, but Anko's speed was too fast for them, and they couldn't escape her furious fist.
After releasing her pent-up frustration, Anko instantly felt much better, a smile returning to her face.
"Anko, you're a girl. You shouldn't be so quick to resort to violence, especially since we were just stating the truth," Koichi admonished her.
Although teasing Anko was fun, getting punched once for it wasn't worth it. He needed to get more out of her to make it a fair trade.
Knowing she couldn't win the argument, Anko simply waved her tiny fists around.
Kazumi and Koichi immediately swallowed the words they were about to say.
"The weather is nice today," Kazumi commented, changing the subject.
"Indeed, it's a pleasant surprise to have such sunny weather in December," Koichi agreed.
The two of them had quickly switched to using their weather-altering jutsu cards, forcing a change in topic.
"I wonder who our special training instructor will be during the break. If it's not Teacher Mu Yue, I might as well refuse to participate," Koichi suddenly remembered the issue of the holiday training instructor.
Only graduates were required to attend the holiday special training. Outstanding students like them from the lower grades had the option to decline.
"Same here. If Teacher Mu Yue isn't teaching, I might as well spend the entire break having fun. At least that way, I'll enjoy myself," Anko agreed.
While a month of training would undoubtedly lead to improvement, Anko felt that the small gain wasn't worth giving up the joy of a fun-filled vacation.
"I'm afraid it's unlikely," Kazumi said, maintaining a pessimistic attitude.
"Why? How do you know if Teacher Mu Yue hasn't said anything yet?" Anko asked, puzzled.
"Because the second-semester holiday training coincides with the start of the graduate internship program," Kazumi explained.
"Since last year, the school has been selecting a batch of outstanding graduates for internships, giving them a head start in getting accustomed to the life of a ninja. Last year, Teacher Mu Yue was busy mentoring interns and couldn't take on the holiday training," he elaborated.
The holiday special training was designed to enhance the graduates' capabilities, and the interns were the cream of the crop among them. If Kazumi were in charge of the Ninja Academy's upper management, he, too, would have Mu Yue instruct the most promising students.
"Why don't we ask Teacher Mu Yue to let us become intern ninjas as well?" Koichi suggested, thinking he had found a solution.
"We've beaten fourth-grade students before. There's no reason they can intern, and we can't," he argued, convinced that his idea was flawless. In the world of ninjas, strength was the ultimate currency. If one was strong enough, they could even request to graduate early without completing the full year.
"Everyone, open your books and let's begin the lesson," Mu Yue said as she entered the classroom.
The trio quickly straightened up, took out their textbooks, and used eye signals to agree to approach Mu Yue together after school.
Time always flew by when they were engrossed in Mu Yue's lessons. Before they knew it, the bell signaling the end of the school day rang.
"Goodbye, everyone, and see you tomorrow," Mu Yue's shadow clone said with a gentle smile before leaving the classroom.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had initially intended to find a substitute teacher for Mu Yue, but she had declined, opting to teach using her shadow clone instead.
While the shadow clone didn't possess the skill-enhancing abilities of the original, Mu Yue's extensive ninja knowledge and teaching prowess far surpassed those of an ordinary teacher.
"Teacher Mu Yue, wait!" Anko, Koichi, and Kazumi quickly ran out of the classroom to stop her.
"Teacher Mu Yue, we want to become intern ninjas too!" Anko blurted out, getting straight to the point. She then looked at Mu Yue expectantly, her eyes shining with hope.
"Internship, huh..." Mu Yue mused, a thoughtful expression on her face.
The trio had decent talent, and having been under her tutelage for some time, their abilities far surpassed those of ordinary fourth-grade students, especially Anko. With her skills, she could even place well in the fourth-grade practical exams.
"I'll add your names to the list, and the final decision will be announced at the end of the term," Mu Yue replied.
"Yay! Teacher Mu Yue is the best!" Anko cheered, raising her hand.
Koichi and Kazumi also looked pleased. "To be able to participate in an internship as second-grade students, we'll be making history!"
Indeed, the intern ninja program had only been proposed by Mu Yue the previous year.
......
In a remote training ground, both Root and Anbu ninjas stood straight as arrows, their eyes fixed forward, all of them appearing battle-ready.
Today was the last day of their training, which meant it was also exam day.
Of course, they would have taken the exam seriously regardless, but they wouldn't have been as tense as they were now.
The reason for their heightened state of alertness was the presence of Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo Shimura, who were observing from the sidelines.
With the highest-ranking leaders watching their every move, they naturally wanted to put on an impressive display.
"Sarutobi Shinji versus Shimoyama Tokuro," Mu Yue glanced at the list and announced the names of the first combatants.
The best way to showcase a ninja's abilities was through combat, but considering they were all elite ninjas, Mu Yue didn't restrict the battles to a specific format or arena.
Upon hearing his name, Sarutobi Shinji immediately stepped out of the line, and Shimoyama Tokuro quickly followed suit.
Following the traditional hand seal of the Leaf, the two stood facing each other, silently awaiting the referee's signal.
"Begin!" Mu Yue shouted as she saw they were both ready.
As soon as Mu Yue's voice fell, the two ninjas burst forth, their chakra blazing as they sought to gain the upper hand.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In an attempt to seize the initiative, both ninjas employed the Multi-Explosion Technique, a skill derived from the Body Flicker Technique, to boost their speed.
"They're fortunate to have you, Mu Yue, as their trainer. The Body Flicker Technique is indeed an excellent choice for instantaneous movement," Hiruzen remarked, stroking his beard with a smile.
As the Hokage, he couldn't possibly be aware of the abilities of every ninja in the Anbu, but Sarutobi Shinji, being a member of the Sarutobi clan and a high-ranking ninja in the Anbu, was someone he knew a little more about.
"Danzo, don't you forget that there has never been a ninja named Mu Yue in Root." Hiruzen Sarutobi replied without changing his expression.
He was reminding Danzo not to lay a finger on Mu Yue again. Because Mu Yue was cultivated by Danzo in violation of the rules, Hiruzen directly denied that Mu Yue was a member of Root and had all records erased.
Hiruzen glanced at Mu Yue out of the corner of his eye and saw that she looked conflicted and a little guilty.
"If only I could have discovered Mu Yue earlier." Hiruzen sighed inwardly.
Given Mu Yue's personality, it was impossible for her to have no feelings for Root after being there for so long.
Hiruzen didn't look down on Danzo; he just felt that Danzo was not suitable for Mu Yue and would only lead her astray.
"Hmph." Danzo coldly snorted but didn't say anything further. On this matter, he was indeed in the wrong.
However, Danzo didn't actually want to bring Mu Yue back to Root. He felt that it was good for her to be outside, as she could still carry out missions for him while also gaining resources and growing stronger under Hiruzen.
He said this only to tell Hiruzen that it was the right decision to let Root develop and grow stronger.
Seeing that the two men no longer argued, Mu Yue heaved a sigh of relief and turned her attention back to the ongoing battle.
At this moment, she could only think that life was like a play, and one needed good acting skills to survive in a foreign world.
She had to play the role of a genius ninja who embodied the Will of Fire and was the beloved disciple of the Third Hokage, while also being the most loyal ninja in Danzo's eyes.
Bang!
In the end, Sarutobi Shinji, who had the advantage in both Shunshin no Jutsu and chakra control, was slightly faster. He punched Shimoyama Tokuro, sending him flying back several meters.
Seizing the opportunity, Sarutobi Shinji pressed forward without giving his opponent a chance to recover.
"Yami no Koho: Zenshin Kyokusu!" Seeing that he was at a disadvantage, Shimoyama Tokuro focused his breathing to the extreme while his body chakra erupted.
With the entry-level Yami no Koho, Shimoyama Tokuro's physical abilities temporarily increased, allowing him to block Sarutobi Shinji's offense.
"Yami no Koho: Zenshin Kyokusu!" Sarutobi Shinji also activated his focused breathing and refused to back down.
The situation returned to how it was before, and with his superior skills, Sarutobi Shinji only needed four minutes to defeat Shimoyama Tokuro.
"Is it that Shinji has a talent for Yami no Koho?" After watching the entire battle, Hiruzen Sarutobi fell into deep thought.
Sarutobi Shinji's performance didn't seem like he had only been training for two and a half months. Normally, with such a significant improvement, it would take at least a year.
Hiruzen had two guesses: one was that Sarutobi Shinji was particularly suited to cultivating Yami no Koho, and the other was that Yami no Koho was even stronger than he imagined.
"Could they have improved this much in just two and a half months?" Danzo was also surprised after watching the fight.
Shimoyama Tokuro was his subordinate, and as a new member who had just joined Root, Danzo was very clear about his abilities.
Although Shimoyama Tokuro only lasted four minutes, in Danzo's opinion, if the battle had taken place before his training, Shimoyama Tokuro would have been fortunate to last two and a half minutes.
"Is it because of the Shunshin no Jutsu and Yami no Koho?" Danzo thought that once the results were confirmed, he could have all Root members learn these two taijutsu.
"Toida Kenji against Minowa Ryota!" After the fight ended, Mu Yue quickly announced the names of the next pair of ninjas.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura both wore serious expressions as they watched the two ninjas about to fight.
Although this level of combat was like professional fighters watching children spar to them, they were eager to know if the two taijutsu played a role in this significant improvement or if it was an isolated case.
Noticing the gazes of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, Toida Kenji and Minowa Ryota exchanged a glance and felt the pressure.
As teammates who had trained together for two and a half months, they were well aware of each other's strengths.
In this situation, even Minowa Ryota, who knew he was not as strong as Toida Kenji, went all out. Even if he couldn't win, he wanted to put up a good fight.
Swoosh! Swoosh!!
Bang! Boom!
The two figures continuously flashed through the dense forest, and with the power of their breathing techniques, they knocked down one large tree after another.
Only when Minowa Ryota was completely out of strength did he reluctantly fall to the ground.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura remained silent as they continued to watch the battles. Three, four, five... After the first round of fights, they were both astonished.
This significant improvement was not an isolated case but was seen in every ninja who had undergone the training. However, those with better talents, like Toida Kenji and Sarutobi Shinji, showed even more considerable progress.
"Although it's only an A-rank difficulty, the actual improvement from this Yami no Koho is far beyond that of a typical A-rank taijutsu." Hiruzen Sarutobi realized that he had indeed underestimated this technique.
Such a substantial improvement across the board was not solely due to Mu Yue's excellent teaching abilities but also the exceptional effectiveness of the Shunshin no Jutsu and Yami no Koho.
"I must have all Root members learn these two taijutsu!" Danzo regretted his decision.
If he hadn't sent Mu Yue to the Ninja Academy, even if she had only trained Root members, it would have greatly increased Root's strength.
With Danzo's insight, this level of improvement couldn't be considered earth-shattering. Hiruzen Sarutobi's strength had increased even faster when he was younger, but if a group of people showed such progress, it would be astonishing.
"Mu Yue, you've really given me a big surprise. In less than three months, you've managed to achieve such remarkable results." Hiruzen Sarutobi praised with a kind smile.
"You flatter me, Sandaime-sama. Everyone trained very hard, and this level of improvement is only to be expected." Mu Yue replied humbly.
"You have a talent for developing techniques. I have some experience in developing ninjutsu from the Nidaime. If you're interested, I can send someone to deliver it to you." Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that Mu Yue's talent in developing techniques should also be nurtured.
Upon hearing this, Mu Yue immediately showed her delight and thanked Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Danzo, standing beside them, felt displeased. He had lost the right to openly recruit Mu Yue.
"Hiruzen, you're too late. No matter how hard you try to woo Mu Yue now, it's useless. He will always be a ninja of Root." Danzo consoled himself.
Hiruzen Sarutobi could gain Mu Yue's loyalty, but Mu Yue's heart would forever belong to Root.
(End of Chapter)
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