Chapter 438: A Renowned Stronghold
Chapter 438: A Renowned Stronghold
"What does Clan Head Fugaku want with me?" Obito asked casually, stretching lazily in his chair.
Obito was not very familiar with Fugaku Uchiha. He had interacted more with the clan's eighth leader, an experience that left him with little desire to join the Police Force, despite their persistent invitations.
"It's nothing bad," his grandmother replied. "He mentioned something about a reward for you."
"Then I'll head over after I finish eating," Obito said, a hint of interest piqued by the mention of a reward.
While joining the Police Force was out of the question, he couldn't pass up a reward, especially from a clan known for their advanced Fire Release techniques.
"Will this be enough food?" His grandmother set the dishes on the table and looked at him with loving eyes.
"Yes, yes, I might not even be able to finish all of this," Obito replied hastily, fearing she would bring out more food.
There was a special kind of love in a grandmother's belief that you were never full, and if it weren't for Obito's breathing technique training strengthening his body, he might not have been able to eat so much.
After finishing his meal and washing the dishes, Obito made his way to Fugaku Uchiha's residence. However, he had forgotten that while he was free to do as he pleased when not on a mission, Fugaku, as the leader of the Police Force, had work to attend to.
Arriving early, Obito didn't find Fugaku at home but instead encountered Itachi Uchiha and Mikoto Uchiha.
"Are you here to play with Itachi?" Mikoto asked, unaware of Obito's purpose.
Obito shook his head. "My grandmother said that Clan Head Fugaku wanted to see me for something."
"He's probably still at work at the Police Force. It'll take him about half an hour to get back. Why don't you wait here, Obito? I can make you some tea," Mikoto offered, glancing at the time.
"Half an hour... I guess I can wait, but no need for tea, I'm not thirsty," Obito declined politely. Half an hour was a reasonable wait for a reward.
With time to kill, Obito decided to use this opportunity to guide Itachi towards a path of goodness.
"Itachi, you must strive to become a good person, not a bad one," Obito said suddenly as he stood next to Itachi, who was lost in thought in the courtyard.
Itachi looked at him quizzically. "What defines a good person and a bad person? Why must one become good?"
Obito scratched his head, feeling a bit flustered. "A good person is someone who often helps others, while a bad person bullies others. You should strive to be good because bad people are disliked."
"So, helping an elderly lady cross the street makes one a good person, and taking her lollipop makes one a bad person?" Itachi asked, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Sure, you can say that," Obito agreed, nodding. There was no doubt that he, who often helped the elderly, was a truly good person.
"Then what if someone helps an elderly lady cross the street and then takes her lollipop? Would that person be considered good or bad?" Itachi asked, combining the two scenarios in his mind and presenting a new dilemma.
"Umm..." Obito scratched his head, at a loss for words.
Calling that person good didn't seem right, as they had taken something that wasn't theirs. But then again, they had helped the elderly lady cross the street.
"Cough, cough, that scenario doesn't count. People generally don't do that," Obito coughed lightly, trying to dismiss it as an unrealistic situation. The truth was, he simply didn't know how to answer.
Itachi looked at him quietly, as if he really wanted to hear Obito's answer to this question.
Obito wouldn't have minded being seen as a knowledgeable elder by his clan's juniors, but he was truly stumped. The atmosphere became a bit awkward as he struggled for a response.
Finally, the silence was broken by the early return of Fugaku Uchiha.
"Obito, did you just return from the battlefield today?" Fugaku asked, a smile on his face as he greeted Obito.
Obito looked at him with grateful eyes, relieved to have the previous topic dropped. "Yes, after our last mission, everyone was injured, so Teacher Muzuki allowed us to return to Konoha to recuperate for a while."
"It was an intense battle, and it's important to rest and recover when you're injured. Your health is paramount," Fugaku said with a concerned expression.
This time, Obito and Stop had brought great honor to the Uchiha clan, and their genius was now known throughout Konoha.
"I'm fine," Obito replied. "It's the other team members who were more seriously injured.
Fugaku Uzuchiha nodded and led Obito to the living room.
"Mikoto, get the red scroll from the bedroom for me," Fugaku instructed Mikoto Uchiha, who was serving tea.
"Obito, you have excellent talent in Fire Release, and while hard work is essential, learning from the experiences of our ancestors can also be beneficial. I have some fire release cultivation techniques from the Uchiha clan heads throughout the ages. Take them and study them well."
Fugaku turned to Obito with a smile.
"Cultivation techniques?" Obito was a little disappointed; he had hoped for advanced Fire Release jutsu.
He felt that cultivation techniques weren't as useful as advanced jutsu because he was the worst at studying and researching. He was sure he wouldn't be able to make much sense of them on his own.
"Is there a Fire Release jutsu you wish to learn, Obito?" Fugaku asked, noticing his expression. Given Obito's recent performance, Fugaku was determined to do his best to support the young man's growth.
Fugaku Uzuchiha truly saw the hope of the Uchiha clan's revival in Obito.
It was challenging for a member of the Uchiha clan to become Hokage.
First and foremost, one needed unparalleled strength. While the Sharingan gave the Uchiha clan a significant advantage over other ninjas, this level of advantage was insignificant among those with the potential to become Hokage. Every ninja with a chance to wear the title was a true genius.
After talent and power, one's identity played a crucial role. Having an association with the Hokage, such as being their disciple, grandchild, or bodyguard, increased the likelihood of becoming Hokage oneself.
Lastly, fame was essential. The role of Hokage would not be bestowed upon an unknown ninja. Greater renown and prestige enhanced one's chances of becoming the village leader.
In terms of strength, there was no doubt that Obito, with his natural talent, would become a powerhouse on par with the Sannin.
Additionally, Obito's mentors after graduation were Might Guy, a direct disciple of Jiraiya, and Yu Sheng Muyu, the vice-principal of the Ninja Academy and a powerful Fire Release user. His affiliations were impeccable.
In terms of fame, Obito, as a young Chunin, had already made a name for himself in Konoha, surpassing what was expected of his age.
At just ten years old, Obito had made significant progress in the three critical areas for becoming Hokage, and it was no wonder that Fugaku Uzuchiha saw great potential in him.
"I want to learn all the advanced Fire Release jutsu," Obito replied with a cheeky smile.
He never turned down jutsu; having them and not using them was better than not having them at all.
"Then come back tomorrow evening, and I'll look through the clan's records to see if we have any Fire Release jutsu suitable for you," Fugaku said after a moment's thought. He wasn't being stingy; he was just concerned that Obito might bite off more than he could chew.
"Hehe, thanks, Clan Head Fugaku," Obito said with a scratch of his head and a smile.
"That's what being part of a clan is all about. Just keep working hard and growing stronger," Fugaku said with a smile as he handed Obito the scroll that Mikoto had retrieved.
Although Obito wasn't particularly interested in cultivation techniques, he happily accepted the free gift.
Having accomplished his goal, Obito didn't linger, fearing that Itachi would ask another brain-stumping question.
"Itachi, you should learn from Obito," Fugaku said, his voice full of expectation as he watched Obito's departing figure and ruffled Itachi's hair.
In addition to Obito, Kakashi's performance had also been outstanding. If his son, Itachi, could follow in their footsteps, it would truly be a golden age of revival for the Uchiha clan.
"Learn from Obito...?" Itachi trailed off, deep in thought as he recalled his recent conversation with Obito. If he had a choice, he would still prefer to learn from Kakashi. Obito didn't seem very smart.
...
In the Tsuchikage's office in Iwagakure, the village hidden among rocks, Onoki frowned as he put down a document. "First, there was the Yellow Flash, who could hold his own against A and B, and now there's Yu Sheng Muyu, who defeated the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and killed Mizuki Han. Konoha's talent pool is truly enviable."
Iwagakure had done an excellent job of rebuilding and developing its ninja forces. The village could now easily assemble an army of over ten thousand ninjas.
On the surface, Iwagakure appeared to be thriving. However, only Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, knew of a significant concern lurking beneath the village's prosperity.
Iwagakure faced a generational gap among its top-tier shinobi. Among the vast ninja forces, only the young ninja, Kitora, showed potential to become a top-tier shinobi and satisfy Onoki's high standards. The rest of the younger generation lacked the qualities necessary to reach the pinnacle of power.
While Iwagakure still had shinobi like Oonoki, he knew that if the village remained in its current state in twenty or so years, they would be at a severe disadvantage when it came to their top-tier fighting force.
Oonoki couldn't help but envy Konoha. Since the establishment of the shinobi villages, Konoha had produced too many geniuses, even though they had a smaller number of ninjas than Iwagakure.
"We need to find a way to weaken Konoha first. We'll have to put our plans for Kumogakure on hold, even if an opportunity presents itself."
Oonoki believed that Konoha had become too strong, and if they didn't find a way to weaken them, it would be impossible to compete. If the stalemate continued, Konoha would always be the strongest.
"Ninsokuke, if their ideal is peace, then perhaps we can create conflict between Konoha and the Rain Country and pit the Ninja Sect against Konoha."
Upon reading Yellow Earth's report, Oonoki devised a plan to create an enemy for Konoha.
Although the Ninja Sect didn't possess much power, the few strong individuals within their ranks were not to be underestimated.
Needless to say, Ninsokuke, who could defeat Hanzo, was a top-tier shinobi. His solo combat capabilities were likely second only to Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails.
Kakuzu, who had traversed the black market for decades, was also a force to be reckoned with. Even if he couldn't defeat the Sannin, he wouldn't pale too much in comparison.
While Nagato wasn't well-known in the ninja world, according to Yellow Earth's report, he was no ordinary ninja. His strength was likely on par with Kakuzu, and his methods were extremely bizarre.
With these three powerful individuals, Oonoki believed that the Ninja Sect would be able to give Konoha a run for its money.
Sunagakure.
After completing her mission, Yecang browsed through the latest ninja world battle records.
"Konoha emerges victorious. Husheng Muzuki kills Mizukami Kang, Heizou Raiya..."
Seeing these somewhat familiar names, Yecang's mind quickly conjured up a golden figure.
"If it's him, then it's not surprising," Yecang mused.
Recalling the battle from a few months ago, Yecang couldn't help but marvel. While the difference in intelligence played a role, it was true that Muzuki had only needed a few moves to defeat her.
If Muzuki had intended to kill her, he could have done so easily.
Even then, Yecang had a premonition that she would hear about Muzuki again soon. Such a powerful individual couldn't remain unknown forever.
As she had expected, Muzuki's name spread throughout the ninja world a few months later, becoming renowned as a rising star among the strong ninjas.
"With the heavy losses they suffered at Konoha's hands, Kirigakure won't dare to cause trouble for Sunagakure for a while," Yecang thought.
Kirigakure had shown a keen interest in Sunagakure during its state of chaos, and Yecang was on high alert, maintaining a strong defense against them.
Currently, Sunagakure was in a precarious situation. The disappearance of the Third Kazekage had led to internal strife and infighting, depleting the village's strength. This was further exacerbated by a leak of information, which Kumogakure had exploited to their advantage.
Even Yecang, the hero of Sunagakure, believed that her village was currently the weakest among the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
"If it weren't for the civil war caused by the dispute over the Kazekage position, Sunagakure wouldn't have fallen to such a state."
Yecang despised those who put their personal desires for power above the well-being of the village, causing internal strife and weakening Sunagakure.
Kumogakure.
Upon seeing Muzuki's achievements and Konoha's success on the eastern front of the Fire Country, the Third Raikage assembled his think tank for a meeting.
Not only were the major ninja villages embroiled in a war, but the extraordinary results of this skirmish quickly spread throughout the entire ninja world. The smaller ninja villages and factions had also come to know about Konoha's new young powerhouse, Husheng Muzuki.
The ninjas on Konoha's various battlefields were greatly encouraged, believing that victory was assured with Muzuki at the forefront.
Meanwhile, the ninjas from the rival villages of Konoha were doing their best to gather intelligence on Muzuki.
While Konoha had publicized Muzuki's achievements, most ninjas only knew that he was powerful and didn't have specific details about his abilities.
Only the ninjas of Kirigakure, who were currently engaged in battle with Muzuki, had a substantial amount of information about him.
Through their encounters, they had learned that Muzuki excelled in Ice Release and was proficient in combination ninjutsu using fire and wind elements, as well as the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Those who knew about Muzuki's capabilities understood how formidable he truly was—a master of long-range combination ninjutsu and a deadly close-quarters combatant with the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Due to their rivalry, Kirigakure happily sold multiple copies of the intelligence they had on Muzuki.
PS: The weather has been unpredictable lately, alternating between warm and cold. Please take care to stay warm. Xiao Ju has fallen ill, and swallowing is painful, but thankfully, the dizziness isn't too severe. Translating 4,000 characters isn't a problem; it just takes a bit more time.
(End of Chapter)
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