https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-436-Lightning-Release-Sword-Technique-That-Rivals-the-Golden-Skyline/12558567/
Chapter 435: Promotion
Chapter 435: Promotion
The disciples exchanged glances, each trying to discern the thoughts of the others.
"I'll be heading back as well," Kakashi said after a moment of silence.
He required too much time to recover, and if there were sudden developments on the battlefield, he might become a burden if he wasn't fully healed. Kakashi felt it was better to return to Konoha to rest and recover in a more comfortable environment. That way, he could get back to the battlefield and resume his duties sooner.
"Huh? You're leaving too, Kakashi?" Obito scratched his head, looking perplexed.
He wanted to stay on the battlefield, but if Kakashi returned to Konoha, there was little point in him remaining. Obito had wanted to compete with Kakashi, to outshine him in battle. But with Kakashi gone, who would he measure himself against?
Even if he performed exceptionally well, Kakashi could always claim that he could have done better.
"I need to rest for three weeks," Kakashi explained calmly. "It will be more comfortable to recuperate in Konoha. Staying on the battlefield restricts my movements."
Given the choice, it was clear that returning to Konoha was the better option. War was no trivial matter.
"Teacher Mu Yue, what about Rin? Is she going back?" Obito asked, turning to Mu Yue.
Since Kakashi had decided to leave the battlefield, Obito's interest in staying had diminished significantly. After all, with his current strength, his presence wouldn't make much of a difference in ending the war. Obito's decision now hinged on what Nohara Rin would choose to do. If she decided to stay, he would remain on the battlefield to protect her. Otherwise, he would accompany her back to Konoha.
"I'll ask her shortly," Mu Yue replied.
Due to gender considerations, Nohara Rin was resting in a separate tent from Obito and the others. Mu Yue had come to ask them first since there were more disciples gathered here.
"If Rin is going back, then I'll head back too," Obito nodded.
If Nohara Rin left, there would be little point in him staying on the battlefield.
Kakashi glanced at Obito, feeling a bit exasperated by his lack of initiative.
"I want to stay on the battlefield," Genma spoke up after a moment of deep thought.
For a long time, he had been the leader among the disciples, but after Obito and the others gained real combat experience during their internships, Genma found himself silently surpassed.
Genma was not content with this turn of events. He didn't want to keep losing to his fellow disciples, and he wanted to reclaim the title of Mu Yue's strongest disciple.
Thus, Genma hoped to use this war to hone his skills and make up for his lack of real combat experience.
Once the ten-day rest period was over, Genma intended to ask Mu Yue to assign him missions proactively.
Aside from improving himself, Genma had another motive. He wanted to complete more war missions to boost his credentials.
Currently, he was only a Chunin, a genius Chunin, but still a Chunin. At this level, he couldn't make much of a splash in the Uchiha clan. Genma wanted his words to carry more weight after the clan meeting, so he needed to advance his ninja rank. And the battlefield was the perfect place to make a name for himself.
"Very well," Mu Yue nodded in agreement.
Aside from Might Guy, who was forced to return to Konoha due to his injuries, Mu Yue wouldn't stand in the way of anyone who wished to remain on the battlefield.
As for Might Guy, Mu Yue was concerned that if a fight broke out, Guy might push himself too far with his injured body, leading to irreparable consequences.
While the Eight Inner Gates was a powerful technique, it was also extremely dangerous. And Guy's use of Rock Lee's Rock Breathing style only added to the risk.
Under normal circumstances, breathing techniques wouldn't harm the body, but in extreme cases of over-exertion, it could be just as perilous.
Mu Yue then made his way to Nohara Rin's tent and posed the same question to her.
"Are Kakashi and the others leaving?" Nohara Rin asked, not immediately answering Mu Yue's question.
After Mu Yue truthfully conveyed their intentions, Nohara Rin pondered for a moment before giving her response, "I want to go back to Konoha."
Nohara Rin's reasoning was straightforward. Kakashi's injuries were severe enough to require an extended recovery period, and she thought that perhaps her healing skills could aid in his recuperation. Additionally, she wanted to take this opportunity to organize her recent insights and learn new knowledge from Tsunade.
After consulting with all his disciples, Mu Yue didn't immediately send them back. He planned to let them rest for a few more days before using a shadow clone to escort them home.
After all, they had just come off the battlefield with serious injuries, and if they left now, they would need to be carried the entire way. It was best to wait until they had regained some mobility before setting off.
Mu Yue didn't linger long with his disciples and soon departed to carry out the task assigned to him by Orochimaru.
Yamashiro Aoba had examined the memories of the deceased Mizuho Kaguya and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, exposing Kirigakure's arrangements. Even if Kirigakure reacted swiftly, it wouldn't be able to adjust everything instantly.
Mu Yue's mission was to beat Kirigakure to the punch and overturn everything they hadn't had time to modify.
However, during this battle, Mu Yue hadn't utilized his true area of expertise. Instead, he had transformed into Mizuho Kaguya and used Ice Release jutsu.
"Ice Release: Ice Storm Fist!"
With a wave of his hand, Mu Yue created a massive ice bird that sped towards a group of Kirigakure shinobi nearby, freezing them in place.
"Ice Release: Ice Beam!"
Mu Yue fired off an Ice Beam to freeze the Kirigakure shinobi who had dodged the ice bird's attack.
Although he had transformed into Mizuho Kaguya, Mu Yue refrained from using the other man's Ice Release jutsu. After all, without the Sharingan, it would be beyond the realm of possibility for him to directly copy jutsu solely based on talent.
"What powerful Ice Release! How could there be such a formidable Ice Release user among the Konoha ninjas!" The Kirigakure ninjas who had been ambushed were stunned.
There was no rule that kekkei genkai were exclusive to specific ninja villages. For example, both Sunagakure and Kumogakure had Magnet Release users. However, they had never heard of an Ice Release user outside of Kirigakure, and certainly not one so powerful.
As some of the Kirigakure ninjas watched their companions being swiftly frozen, they swallowed nervously. "How is it possible that this guy's Ice Release is even stronger than Lord Houzuki's?"
In a sense, what he said was not wrong. Mu Yue's chakra was far greater than Mizuho Kaguya's, so even with the same level of proficiency in nature transformation, Mu Yue's jutsu would be more powerful.
Indeed, Ice Release was quite effective at decimating these weaker opponents, and Mu Yue quickly froze all the Kirigakure shinobi in his area.
However, when Mu Yue moved on to the next location, he failed to catch any more Kirigakure shinobi, as they had rapidly retreated.
"Kaguya Houzuki, huh? Quite an interesting opponent," Orochimaru mused, a slight smile playing on his lips as he reviewed the results of the battle.
Although Kaguya Houzuki had reacted swiftly, this was still a successful operation that dealt a significant blow to Kirigakure's forces on the eastern border of the Fire Country.
Unless there was external interference, Kaguya Houzuki's forces would inevitably weaken while Orochimaru's forces grew stronger. It was only a matter of time before Orochimaru emerged victorious.
The other jonin in the conference room also wore excited expressions. A victory like this would bring them no small amount of benefits.
"From now on, Mu Yue will serve as the deputy commander of the unit," Orochimaru announced Mu Yue's new position within the unit as the meeting drew to a close.
This was the decision conveyed by the Konoha higher-ups.
However, this did not mean that Nara Yukimaru's position as deputy commander would be revoked. Instead, they would both hold the position of deputy commander.
Having multiple deputies for a single commander was a common practice in Konoha.
"Congratulations, Mu Yue," said one of the jonin who knew Mu Yue, offering their congratulations.
The position of ninja unit commander, although temporary during times of war, carried significant weight and indicated that Mu Yue was highly regarded by the Konoha higher-ups.
Mu Yue responded with a humble smile, his expression unperturbed.
In his opinion, this was not a particularly important matter. It merely signaled that he wouldn't be able to return to Konoha anytime soon.
At the very least, he would have to wait for Kirigakure to retreat before he could return to Konoha with the ninja unit.
Before becoming deputy commander, Mu Yue had actually held no position within the unit. The reason he was able to attend Orochimaru's small meetings was multifaceted and differed from the other members, who held important positions within the ninja unit.
Mu Yue believed that there were two reasons for this change in his position. Firstly, he had made great contributions, and secondly, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expectations of him had changed.
Initially, Hiruzen Sarutobi had likely intended to recall Mu Yue from the battlefield once the situation improved. However, Hiruzen's current expectation was for Mu Yue to resolve the issue with Kirigakure.
Orochimaru called out to Mu Yue, just as he had before, and the two took a stroll near the camp.
However, this time, Orochimaru did not engage in small talk with Mu Yue. Instead, he informed Mu Yue of the rewards bestowed by the Konoha higher-ups for their recent skirmish.
"If your three disciples pass the assessment, they will become the youngest jonin in Konoha's history," Orochimaru said with a faint smile, looking at Mu Yue.
Konoha's requirements for becoming a jonin were exceedingly strict. No matter how talented one was, no one had ever become a jonin at the age of ten.
Some people had the strength but lacked the achievements, and a very small number met both criteria but fell short in other aspects.
Mu Yue's eyes flickered with curiosity, wondering if his disciples would receive a burst of rewards upon becoming jonin, just as they had when they became genin and chunin.
"Based on my understanding of the assessment, your three disciples should have no problem passing, Mu Yue," Orochimaru said, assuming that Mu Yue was worried about his disciples' ability to pass the jonin exams.
Both Obito and Kakashi had the strength to hold off one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and Might Guy's explosive power allowed him to take on three at once. Their passage of the jonin exams was all but assured.
"You're overestimating them, Orochimaru. Only one of them should be able to pass the exam," Mu Yue said with a smile as he shook his head.
While there were no concerns about Obito, Kakashi, and Might Guy's strength, promotion to jonin considered more than just raw power.
When it came to the other aspects of the jonin exams, Obito and Might Guy might not necessarily fare better than experienced chunin.
The only one who could confidently pass the jonin assessment was Kakashi. Kakashi was a true all-rounder, a jack-of-all-trades. His only weakness was his lack of endurance in prolonged battles.
PS: There will be another chapter later, but it will be quite late, probably around 2:30 to 3:00 AM. It's recommended to read it tomorrow instead, as staying up late is not good for your health.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
