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Chapter 383: The True and False Fourth Hokage
Chapter 383: The True and False Fourth Hokage
Upon realizing something was amiss, Obito recalled what Naruto had said about Mu Yue being the Fourth Hokage, and how Yamato mentioned they were acting under the Fifth Hokage's orders.
"Then, what happened to the Fourth Hokage when you left?" Obito asked Yamato and Naruto, clinging to a faint hope.
So far, a new Hokage was usually appointed only after the previous one had passed away. This wasn't because the Hokages wanted to hold on to their positions until death, but because of various unforeseen circumstances—the First died prematurely, and the Second fell during the Cloud Ninja Coup d'etat.
Thus, the existence of a new Hokage did not necessarily imply that the previous one had perished.
Obito thought that perhaps Mu Yue didn't want to hold on to power forever and instead chose to pass on the torch to the next generation, which would explain the quick succession of the Fifth Hokage.
Kakashi looked at Obito, opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately closed it again.
As perceptive as he was, how could he not have noticed the implication? The revelation was simply too shocking, and asking more questions would only add to his companions' grief.
Kakashi wished this was all just a dream—a bizarre and horrible nightmare. How could Mu Yue, a powerhouse whose strength was unfathomable, have died before him?
Mu Yue had mastered numerous breathing chakra modes and possessed both offensive and defensive capabilities with her Complete Body Control. She had a keen understanding of the seven chakra nature transformations and had even developed her own Kekkei Genkai, the Ice Release. Her repertoire of advanced ninjutsu and taijutsu was endless. How could such a formidable warrior have met their end?
However, Kakashi was well aware that death came for everyone, even the mighty. The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, was a powerhouse who shook the ninja world and created countless forbidden jutsu, yet he, too, fell during the Cloud ninja coup.
Naruto scratched his head and glanced at Yamato beside him. Even he knew that it wasn't appropriate to discuss someone's future death in front of them.
Yamato was also in a dilemma. He feared that whatever he said might alter history and bring about unknown consequences in the future.
If his words led to a positive change, such as the Fourth Hokage surviving and Konoha becoming even stronger, then it would be a good thing. But Yamato couldn't be sure if this unexpected twist would be beneficial or detrimental. What if his words changed history, and when he returned to the past, Konoha had already perished? Yamato would be devastated.
However, not answering was, in itself, an answer.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Don't tell me ninja from Konoha don't know about the Hokage?" Obito persisted, his voice shaking as he clenched his fists tightly.
He refused to believe that Mu Yue could be dead. She was the omnipotent Mu Yue, a sage.
The surge of negative emotions caused Obito to unconsciously activate his Sharingan, and his eyes quickly turned bloodshot. The two tomoe symbols spun rapidly, soon transforming into three tomoe, which continued to whirl at incredible speed. But just as the three tomoe were about to merge, they suddenly lost momentum and dispersed, leaving the three tomoe pattern as the Sharingan deactivated.
"Obito, don't ask anymore," Mu Yue said gently, placing his palm on Obito's shoulder and giving him a faint smile.
"Future ninja have their own trials, and their future is theirs to shape. Our future still lies in our hands."
Based on Naruto and Yamato's reactions and the information they had revealed, Mu Yue surmised that they weren't from the future of their world but rather from the original Naruto storyline's future.
By now, Mu Yue had already made a name for himself in Konoha. Even if he hadn't been able to defeat Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu, his death, along with the deaths and corruption of his disciples, would have been significant. As a root ninja, Yamato should have recognized the name "Mu Yue."
His training program for the root operatives had received the joint approval of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura. If not for the war that had depleted Konoha's forces, the second phase of training would have already been in the works.
His current strength meant that his death would have been anything but ordinary. Given three more years to develop, he might have even had the power to take on an entire ninja village single-handedly.
Unless he went up against a fully-powered Uchiha Madara with the Rinnegan, Mu Yue couldn't fathom how he could have suffered such a crushing defeat.
But if Madara could have returned to his peak, he wouldn't have needed to go through the trouble of his resurrection plan or manipulating Obito into darkness. So, that possibility didn't hold.
However, Mu Yue didn't jump to the conclusion that Naruto and Yamato were definitely from the original timeline. The world of ninja was too complex, and the leaders of the three great nations were ancient and cunning. The Sage of the Six Paths might have passed away, but his chakra lingered in the world.
If Mu Yue had failed, his opponents might not have been limited to Madara and Black Zetsu.
The warmth from Mu Yue's palm soothed Obito's emotions somewhat, but his expression remained pained and confused.
"But... but..." Obito stammered, his thoughts jumbled as he struggled to articulate his thoughts.
Mu Yue's words were reassuring, but he didn't want the future that Naruto and Yamato had spoken of.
A future without Teacher Mu Yue was unimaginable to Obito.
Kakashi lowered his gaze, no longer able to maintain his calm facade.
He was a sensible person, and he knew that if someone from the past learned about the future, history would likely change. For those from the future, this change would be unknown and uncontrollable. Therefore, the best way to avoid causing trouble for others was to ask no further questions.
But this time, Kakashi couldn't control himself. Tonight, he would secretly seek out Naruto and Yamato to get a clear understanding of what happened to Mu Yue. He would strive to change this future where Mu Yue died.
Kakashi didn't know what impact his actions would have on the future, but he knew that if he had this chance and didn't take it, he would spend the rest of his life filled with regret when Mu Yue eventually passed away.
He needed to find out not just about Mu Yue but also about Obito and Nohara Rin. If Mu Yue's class ended with only him surviving, it would be better if they all perished together.
"Just as Teacher Mu Yue said, our future is something we can decide for ourselves," Nohara Rin offered a gentle smile in an attempt to comfort Obito.
In truth, she also felt conflicted. Given Yamato and Naruto's behavior, she feared that she might die on one of the coming days.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't afraid of death at all. Occasionally, the thought of death—the idea that her consciousness would cease to exist and she would no longer be able to think—filled her with dread.
But she was alive now, and instead of dwelling on the possibility of death, she chose to focus on comforting her troubled friend.
"As expected of Lord Minato," Yamato said, looking at Mu Yue with respect.
If he had encountered ninja who had traveled from the future and they were evasive about their knowledge of him, he wouldn't have been able to rest easy without answers.
"Lord Minato?" Deidara, Kakashi, and Rin all looked at Yamato with confused expressions.
Kakashi frowned. Hadn't he already introduced Mu Yue? Although he had mixed in some false information.
"Did I say something wrong?" Yamato asked, confused as he saw the three staring at him.
He frantically reflected on his words but couldn't find anything wrong with them; they were perfectly normal.
Although he was older than the current Fourth Hokage, the other party was, after all, the future Fourth Hokage, and his current strength was much stronger than his. Calling him "Lord" was only natural.
"Are you blind or deaf, calling our Teacher Mu Yue 'Lord Minato'?" Deidara's words were sharp, his negative emotions from earlier still lingering.
Deidara's words stabbed at Yamato like a sharp sword.
Being called out by Kakashi and now Deidara, Yamato began to doubt himself. He turned to Naruto beside him and asked, "Am I really that clueless?"
"It seems Captain Yamato, you've never realized it," Naruto replied honestly.
Naruto's words pierced Yamato's heart, and his self-esteem took a hit. He had always thought of himself as someone with a dignified air.
"You're missing the point. Why are you calling Teacher Mu Yue 'Lord Minato'?" Kakashi asked sternly.
He felt that things might be taking a turn; the future might not be as he had imagined.
Deidara and Kakashi's words left Yamato bewildered. Wasn't the name Mu Yue used to deceive him because he was seen as an enemy at the time?
"Because he is Lord Minato," Yamato couldn't process all the information at once.
"Although Lord Minato and Teacher Mu Yue look alike, you can't assume they are the same person," Deidara retorted. He only saw them as close brothers.
Kakashi's mind raced. He realized they might have misunderstood something. Mu Yue didn't seem to be the future Fourth Hokage; Yamato and Naruto had likely mistaken him for someone else—someone who greatly resembled Minato Namikaze.
"So the Fourth Hokage's full name is Minato Namikaze?" Kakashi asked, his eyes darting.
Yamato nodded subconsciously.
Kakashi's expression turned to one of shock after getting confirmation.
Good news: Teacher Mu Yue might not be dead. Bad news: Lord Minato might be.
"Huh? The Fourth Hokage is Lord Minato?" Deidara was at a loss for what to feel.
He didn't know how to process this information. If Lord Minato died, he would be heartbroken.
Yamato was, after all, the captain of the ANBU. Seeing Kakashi and Deidara's reactions, he immediately suspected he might have mistaken Mu Yue for someone else, but he was still puzzled and dared not be certain.
The blond-haired man before them looked identical to the one on the stone tablet, possessed incredible strength, and skillfully used the Flying Thunder God technique. He perfectly fit the profile of the Fourth Hokage. Yamato was truly stumped.
Even Yamato was confused, let alone Naruto, who was completely lost in the conversation.
"Huh? What do you mean? Isn't this guy the Fourth Hokage?" Naruto asked, perplexed.
"We don't currently have a Fourth Hokage, but if your Fourth Hokage is Lord Minato, then you've mistaken him for someone else. The person in front of you is Teacher Mu Yue," Deidara explained.
Naruto was baffled. In his eyes, Mu Yue was the Fourth Hokage from the stone tablet. He looked at Yamato for clarification, but Yamato himself wasn't entirely sure and couldn't offer any help.
"You two must have mistaken me for someone else. My full name is Yu Sheng Moyue, and Minato is a close friend of mine," Mu Yue introduced himself.
"Oh..." Yamato was stunned. He had indeed mistaken Mu Yue for someone else.
He couldn't understand how someone who looked exactly like the Fourth Hokage and was so skilled with the Flying Thunder God technique couldn't be the Fourth Hokage.
Logically, if Konoha had a powerful ninja who resembled the Fourth Hokage, he should be well-known too. But Yamato had truly never heard of the name Yu Sheng Moyue.
"In your world, how is the Dark Calling Breath going for the elephant predecessor?" Mu Yue suddenly asked Yamato.
"The elephant?" Yamato thought for a moment before answering.
"The elephant" was the code name for Tobi, a senior and capable member of the ANBU who was skilled in lightning release sealing techniques. Yamato had no idea about his Dark Breath technique.
Mu Yue was almost certain that Yamato and Naruto were from the original Naruto world who had traveled through time.
Even if he failed and died, and the plot returned to the original trajectory, it was unlikely that all traces of his existence would be erased. That would be too much work and serve no purpose.
"Then, Brother Mu Yue, do you know where Centipede is?" Naruto suddenly remembered his mission and quickly asked.
"I don't know the ninja you're talking about," Mu Yue shook his head.
The current situation was vastly different from the original anime plot. Acting blindly would only make things worse, so Mu Yue didn't directly reveal any spoilers.
Yamato covered his forehead. He realized that apart from Mu Yue's name, Kakashi had lied about everything else.
"But Little Kakashi Teacher said..." Naruto wanted to say something more, but Kakashi cut him off.
"I said that to buy us time. We came to Lou Lan because of the queen's investigation mission, and of course, we don't know where the ninja you're talking about is," Kakashi explained.
"What should we do now, Captain Yamato? We need to find that guy to go back," Naruto said, looking troubled.
He didn't quite understand why they had traveled through time, but he knew that the one who created the problem should solve it. Finding the Centipede, who had caused all this, was the key to resolving the issue.
"We can only look for him in Lou Lan for now. We all traveled through time here, so he should be here too," Yamato suggested.
He didn't have a better idea at the moment, as the concept of time travel was too bizarre.
"If you don't mind, our squad can help with the search, as long as it doesn't interfere with our mission," Mu Yue offered with a gentle smile.
The difference between their mission and Naruto's was that they had to conduct an investigation first, akin to a prerequisite quest.
"That would be a great help, thank you." Yamato nodded in gratitude towards Mu Yue.
Seeing Mu Yue's gentle and helpful demeanor, Yamato secretly lamented, knowing that such a talented ninja might perish in the upcoming war.
The fact that he had no recollection of Mu Yue at all led Yamato to believe that Mu Yue must have died early, possibly even before Namikaze Minato became the Fourth Hokage, perishing in the midst of the Third Great Ninja War.
"If we make it back, I'll ask Kakashi-senpai about him." Yamato thought to himself. Since Mu Yue was Kakashi's teacher as well, Kakashi should know quite a bit about him.
"Thank you so much, Brother Mu Yue!" Naruto also smiled and expressed his gratitude.
Even though Mu Yue wasn't the Fourth Hokage, Naruto still felt a strong affinity towards him and found him very approachable.
Mu Yue then informed Yamato and Naruto about the location of their squad's lodgings before the two teams parted ways—Mu Yue's team set out to investigate An Lushan, while Naruto and Yamato continued their search for Centipede throughout Lou Lan.
Indeed, there were still many unanswered questions in Kakashi's mind. The resemblance between Mu Yue and Minato, coupled with the Flying Thunder God Technique, made it understandable that Yamato and his team mistook Mu Yue for someone else.
However, there were just too many inconsistencies. Why were Yamato and Naruto unaware of the name Yu Sheng Moyue? And what happened to Minato, Obito, Rin, and Asuma?
Obito desperately wanted to unravel all these mysteries, but Naruto's situation was indeed urgent, and failing to return would spell disaster. Thus, Obito could only suppress his curiosity for the time being and planned to discuss these matters with Naruto and Yamato later that night.
"As expected, he's truly a 'protagonist'." After another glance at Yamato and Naruto's panels, Mu Yue marveled inwardly.
Name: Uzumaki Naruto
Chakra: 22,000 (???)
Potential: SS+ (Six Paths Bloodline + Nine-Tails + Natural Talent)
Skills: Wind-Style Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficient), Rasengan, Spiral Shuriken...
Although Naruto's chakra amount seemed slightly less than Nagato's, who was smaller in stature, the detected chakra was only a surface indication. When fully unleashed, Naruto's available chakra far exceeded what the identification could reveal.
Moreover, Nagato was no ordinary member of the Uzumaki clan. To be chosen by Uchiha Madara for a Rinnegan transplant, he must possess something extraordinary.
Name: Yamato
Chakra: 110,000
Potential: S (Senju DNA + Natural Talent)
Skills: Wood Release (Proficient Level 30/15000), Earth-Style Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficient Level: 800/15000), Water-Style Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficient Level), Wood Release: Four-Pillar House...
Seeing Yamato's panel, Mu Yue could only attribute the S-rank potential to the influence of Senju DNA.
Based on Yamato's performance in the original story, it was evident that he couldn't compare to Minato or Sarutobi. Therefore, Mu Yue believed that Yamato's S-rank potential was solely due to the Senju cells boosting his capabilities.
Perhaps due to the influence of the Senju DNA, Yamato's chakra capacity stood out. However, other aspects were relatively average. Although he had achieved proficiency in Earth and Water Nature Transformations and Wood Release, his skill level was not particularly high, essentially making him a proficient goalkeeper.
After examining Naruto's panel, Mu Yue felt that only someone like the Sage of Six Paths, who was born with the Rinnegan, could possess a 3S potential.
Naruto already had a plethora of buffs—first, he was Ashura's chakra reincarnation, then a member of the Uzumaki clan, and finally, the Nine-Tails jinchuriki. Even with all these boosts, he only had an SS+ rating, showing how incredibly difficult it was to attain a 3S rating.
However, Mu Yue didn't set his expectations that high. He would be more than happy to use the fifth nomination spot on someone with an S-rank potential, and he'd be even more delighted if it were a double S.
While Mu Yue was willing to teach those with lower potential, his current environment didn't permit him to use his disciple slots on students with less promising prospects.
After parting ways with his disciples, Mu Yue continued his research on Lou Lan's dragon veins.
His Byakugan could easily see through the ground and detect the massive chakra hidden underground.
This chakra felt unique to Mu Yue, noticeably different from the chakra cultivated by ordinary ninjas.
However, Mu Yue didn't know how to control this chakra, so he could only find an abandoned underground base and get as close as possible to it before opening up the Insight World to perceive it.
"Later, we can interrogate An Lushan or request assistance from the Queen of Lou Lan," Mu Yue thought as evening approached.
An Lushan possessed a secret technique to absorb the power of the dragon veins, although it seemed to turn him into a monstrous being. Nonetheless, studying this technique could be valuable.
The Queen of Lou Lan, on the other hand, had the ability to control the dragon veins, which would be immensely helpful for his research.
When Mu Yue returned to the inn, Kakashi's team had just finished their investigation as well.
"Could the Queen have overthought this? Everyone seems to genuinely like him," Obito said, scratching his head.
Their investigation for the day yielded no useful results. Instead, they discovered that An Lushan was well-liked in Lou Lan, with the citizens praising his wisdom and kindness.
"And he even distributes gifts to the people. He doesn't seem like a bad person at all."
This situation was entirely different from their experience in the Land of Snow, where Fuha Shouro was unlikable, even before his eventual betrayal.
An Lushan, on the other hand, presented himself as a devoted servant of Lou Lan, and he was popular among the citizens.
"Our investigation is still too shallow. Everything we've seen is just the surface," Kakashi shook his head and murmured.
If there were a disguise mission, he could also act as a patriotic minister, but unless he could keep up the act for a lifetime, it wouldn't be his true nature.
At that moment, Obito noticed Mu Yue walking in, and he smiled and nodded at them as he approached.
Obito was about to discuss the mission with Mu Yue when he saw Naruto and Yamato entering as well.
PS: There was a bit of a family dispute today, which distracted me. So, today's update is a bit shorter at 6k words. Tomorrow, if all goes well, I'll continue with 8k, but if I need to take a day off, I'll post a single chapter ahead of time.
(End of Chapter)
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