Chapter 423: Malicious Intent Hidden in the Shadows
Chapter 423: Malicious Intent Hidden in the Shadows
"I just have some doubts that I wish to clarify with you, Mu Yue." Orochimaru stood up, a faint smile playing on his lips as he spoke.
In front of so many people, Orochimaru wouldn't directly bring up the subject of Root with Mu Yue, but he did have some genuine questions for him.
Mu Yue nodded and followed Orochimaru to a secluded spot away from the camp.
"Danzo must have already briefed you on what you need to do here," Orochimaru said, stopping beside a large tree and turning to face Mu Yue.
The relationship between Orochimaru and Danzo Shimura was rather complicated.
In name, Orochimaru could even be considered one of Danzo's subordinates, as he held a position within Root.
However, in reality, Orochimaru and Danzo were equals; they were more like partners.
They had multiple collaborations, including human experiments researching Hashirama's cells and the development of forbidden jutsu.
But their most important collaboration at the moment was the position of the Fourth Hokage.
Although Danzo aspired to become the Fourth Hokage himself, he wasn't foolish. Given the current situation, it was almost impossible for him to attain that position.
Danzo had control over the Wood Release ninja, but they were still too young and inexperienced. He also hadn't acquired the Rinnegan or the Ninshu teachings.
For Danzo, becoming the Hokage would be the ideal outcome, but if that path was blocked, he only had one other choice—his partner, Orochimaru.
The other two popular candidates for Hokage didn't have a close relationship with Danzo, and if either of them became Hokage, it might threaten Danzo's existing influence in Konoha.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, was different. He and Danzo had a deep cooperative relationship, and the extent of their activities was enough to ruin both of their reputations in Konoha if exposed.
In other words, they were in the same boat, and neither dared to easily betray the other because they each held too much incriminating evidence.
So, Danzo could wholeheartedly support Orochimaru's bid to become the Fourth Hokage without worry.
Once Orochimaru rose to power, Danzo was confident that their partnership would grant him even greater influence than he currently held.
After all, if Orochimaru dared to claim himself as the true Hokage, Danzo had the means to make him regret it.
"I will do my best to assist Lord Orochimaru in achieving military glory," Mu Yue replied calmly.
"To have the assistance of such an exceptional ninja as yourself, Mu Yue, we should expect significant gains this time," Orochimaru praised without hesitation.
"But I must say, it's quite unexpected to find a genius like yourself within Root," Orochimaru added, his eyes narrowing curiously as he studied Mu Yue.
It wasn't that Orochimaru looked down on Root; it was simply the truth. Root had talented individuals, but no true geniuses.
This was because Hiruzen Sarutobi would never allow a true genius to be part of Root; Orochimaru could see that Hiruzen had been consciously controlling Root's overall strength.
"Lord Orochimaru, you flatter me," Mu Yue said, returning the compliment. "When it comes to geniuses, you, as one of the Sannin, are the true genius."
Mu Yue had always been self-aware. Aside from his sealing techniques, most of his abilities were acquired through his system rather than his own cultivation.
His ability to develop the Kaen Ryudan, an advanced Fire Release technique, wasn't due to any innate talent with fire, but because the system had granted him perfect-level Fire Chakra Nature Transformation and a large number of proficient-level Fire Release techniques. Mu Yue's memory was filled with countless methods for cultivating Fire Release.
The same was true for his breathing techniques; Mu Yue's proficiency in this area allowed him to develop new breathing methods with relative ease if he was willing to put in the time and effort.
"I don't see it that way," Orochimaru shook his head. "At the very least, you've surpassed me in the development of Bloodline Limits. After all, I was never able to successfully cultivate one."
Orochimaru was willing to spend a lot of time researching various ninjutsu and kinjutsu, and he had, of course, studied Bloodline Limits, especially Wood Release, which had consumed a significant amount of his time.
However, rather than saying that Orochimaru was researching Wood Release, it would be more accurate to say that he was studying the immense vitality within Hashirama's cells.
Orochimaru coveted the vast vitality within Hashirama's cells more than the power of Wood Release itself, as the average ninja's lifespan was simply too fragile.
"Mu Yue, may I have the honor of witnessing your Ice Release ability?" Orochimaru asked, his interest piqued.
Orochimaru wasn't particularly fascinated by Ice Release, but he was intrigued by Mu Yue, who had cultivated it.
Mu Yue nodded in agreement and gathered chakra in his palm, transforming it into ice-attribute chakra before releasing it.
"Blizzard Beam!"
A blue-white beam shot out, instantly freezing a small area beside Orochimaru.
Crack! Crack!
Orochimaru lightly clapped his hands together. "I very much look forward to seeing your performance on the battlefield, Mu Yue."
Orochimaru recalled Mu Yue's information, noting that he was proficient in ninjutsu of the five basic nature transformations and could combine various techniques to increase their power. Even his newly learned Ice Release was already at such a high level. Orochimaru was curious to see the might of Mu Yue's favored techniques.
...
To help his disciples get used to operating without their teacher, Mu Yue quickly assigned them a B-rank mission to investigate a village where a team of three Kiri shinobi was suspected to be lurking.
As his original body was free, Mu Yue decided to go on this mission himself instead of sending a shadow clone, leaving his shadow clone back at the camp.
Of course, to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, Mu Yue left his shadow clone with the Hiraishin Kunai, ensuring that he could be quickly informed and rush back if an emergency arose.
"There are six villages in total. Should we split up? Two people per group, that way we'll be faster," Obito suggested after Kakashi finished explaining the mission.
Splitting into four groups would speed things up, but even Obito didn't dare to be that reckless on the battlefield. It would be fine for him, Kakashi, and Gengetsu, but Rin wouldn't be able to handle it if she encountered enemies on her own.
"That's not safe. If we want to finish the mission quickly, we'll just have to work faster," Kakashi rejected Obito's proposal.
Kakashi would have agreed if Mu Yue had been there, as his Hiraishin technique would allow him to provide quick support. But they didn't have that luxury now.
At the moment, they didn't even have a sensor ninja, so if one of them encountered enemies, it would be difficult to know immediately.
While the ability to see through objects in his Transparent World was somewhat similar to the Byakugan, its range was far inferior, and it couldn't be used as a sensory technique.
Additionally, Kakashi's stamina didn't allow him to use his Transparent World as a sensory technique in battle; it was his trump card.
"Safety is the top priority on the battlefield," Rin agreed.
"We can use shadow clones," Gengetsu suggested. "Obito and I can each create a shadow clone to investigate the villages outside, which should improve our efficiency."
Since it was a war-based B-rank mission, they were bound to encounter enemies, and using Shadow Clones for information gathering was a wise strategy.
Obito, feeling that Itachi had helped him save face, happily patted Itachi's shoulder, thinking that it was necessary to form a united front with Itachi against Kakashi. He acknowledged that Itachi possessed something he lacked.
Subsequently, Itachi and Obito each created a Shadow Clone and sent them to investigate the other villages, while their original bodies accompanied Kakashi and Rin in their search.
Faced with the official ninja of their own country's Great Ninja Village, the villagers naturally held nothing back and revealed everything they knew about the suspicious individuals they had seen in the past few days.
As Kakashi's team was investigating the second village, a memory of battling the Kirigakure ninja flashed through Itachi's mind.
"They're in Denka Village," Itachi quickly explained. "It's probably a team led by a Jonin, along with two Chunin. Obito's Shadow Clone is still buying us time."
His Shadow Clone had canceled itself to convey this information to his original body.
Although they were skilled, the notion of two Shadow Clones defeating a Jonin team was far-fetched; their original bodies would need to join the fight.
"Let's hurry!" Kakashi immediately ordered, taking the lead and dashing off.
However, a team of this caliber was no challenge for them at all.
Anyone on their team, except for Rin, had the capability to take on a Jonin head-on.
While Rin might not be able to defeat a Jonin in a show of brute force, she could hold her own and had powerful supportive abilities.
In other words, their team's actual combat strength was equivalent to three Jonin and a special Jonin-level medical ninja.
Upon realizing that they had been fighting against Shadow Clones, the Kirigakure ninja immediately attempted to retreat. But Kakashi, pushing his Lightning Breath to its limits, was too fast. He appeared in front of the three Kirigakure ninja like a bolt of lightning.
Although Kakashi looked like a rookie ninja who had just graduated, his dramatic entrance left the Kirigakure Jonin hesitant to underestimate him.
Hearing the sounds of hurried footsteps approaching from behind, the Kirigakure Jonin's eyebrows furrowed. He couldn't afford to dwell on Kakashi's impressive display and immediately launched an offensive.
"Finish him quickly! There are more Konoha ninja on the way!" The Kirigakure Jonin threw a shuriken and ordered his two subordinates to attack Kakashi.
Although he was anxious, the Jonin's rich experience told him that now was not the time to panic. If he rushed in, misjudged Kakashi's strength, and was killed, his two subordinates would undoubtedly face the same fate.
On the contrary, if his subordinates could gather some information about Kakashi's abilities, he might still have a chance to turn the tables.
The two Kirigakure ninja rushed forward together. One used a Water Release jutsu, spitting out a torrent of water that surged towards Kakashi, while the other drew a longsword and slashed at him.
"Lightning Flash!"
Kakashi concentrated his breath to enhance his strength, transforming the chakra gathered in his legs into lightning-attribute chakra, and then unleashed it all at once. He brandished the White Fang in a forward slash.
Shush! Kakashi vanished from his original spot, and the Kirigakure ninja who had swung his sword at him exploded into a shower of blood. The shuriken and jutsu from the Kirigakure ninja only struck the empty ground where Kakashi had been standing.
"Such speed and slashes!" The Kirigakure Jonin's pupils contracted, surprised that Kakashi had managed to kill someone while dodging their attacks.
"Wait, that face... it's Konoha's number one genius, Kakashi Hatake!"
Seeing Kakashi's white hair and the lightning surrounding him, the Kirigakure Jonin finally recalled his name.
Before the battle, Kirigakure had distributed information about the geniuses of Konoha encountered during the Chunin Exams, highlighting their priority for elimination should they be encountered.
And Kakashi Hatake was the most dazzling genius among them, having defeated everyone to stand as the last one standing.
"This guy was still participating in the Chunin Exams last year, and now he's already this strong?" The Kirigakure Jonin was shocked.
At first, he thought Kakashi might be like Kagu Tsuchi, who only looked young but was actually short and baby-faced. But now, it was clear that Kakashi was a genuine young prodigy.
Without hesitation, the Kirigakure Jonin dashed to the side.
While he didn't rule out the possibility of victory, he didn't want to engage in a fight where the odds of survival were slim, especially with Kakashi's teammates on their way.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Claw!"
Several kunai imbued with flames flew swiftly towards the retreating Kirigakure Jonin, forcing him to stop.
The Jonin turned to see a boy who looked even younger than Kakashi, panting slightly as he maintained the kunai-throwing stance.
"The one from before," the Kirigakure Jonin muttered, thinking of Obito's face. "Am I encountering Konoha's genius team? Everyone on this team is a genius."
"Phantasmagoria Corpse Technique!"
Itachi showed no mercy as he activated his Mangekyo Sharingan and cast a genjutsu to fight the enemy.
At that moment, Kakashi delivered another ruthless blow, instantly killing another Kirigakure Chunin with a slash, and quickly rushed to Itachi's side to assist him.
By the time Obito and Rin arrived, the Kirigakure Jonin was already severely injured. Before Obito could make a move, Kakashi finished him off with a single strike.
"So close!" Obito grabbed his hair in frustration. If only he had been a little faster.
In truth, Obito could have been faster, but he was concerned about Rin traveling alone and didn't want to leave her too far behind.
"Mission accomplished. Let's head back," Kakashi said decisively.
Kakashi had been rushing at full speed and fighting with all his might, and his chakra and stamina were already half-depleted. So, he wanted to return as soon as possible to avoid encountering any more enemies, as they would be one fighter short.
Obito could only begrudgingly make his way back to the camp, feeling disappointed that he hadn't been able to showcase his skills.
This mission made Obito realize something—sometimes, speed truly mattered.
The disciples returned safely, and Mu Yue also left with them.
As Mu Yue departed, the hidden Zetsu appeared.
"His protective instincts are too strong. Even on a B-rank mission, he secretly provided protection," Zetsu said with a headache. This would make it inconvenient for them to carry out their plan.
(End of Chapter)
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