https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-464-Obito-s-Promotion-to-Jonin-Rewards/12558641/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-466-Little-Tsunade-and-Lord-Mu-Yue/12558643/
Chapter 465: Candidate for Fire Shadow
Chapter 465: Candidate for Fire Shadow
Today, Obito woke up early as he had recently become a Jonin, and according to Kakashi's experience, Mu Yue would be presenting him with a Jonin gift.
Obito was eagerly anticipating this gift, hoping for a powerful summoning beast of his own.
However, he also felt a twinge of worry. Mu Yue had previously mentioned that she didn't have any ninja beast eggs on hand, which meant that his Jonin gift might not be a beast egg but something else instead.
While Obito would be delighted with any gift from Mu Yue, he knew he'd feel a little disappointed if Kakashi had something that he didn't.
As he watched Mu Yue approach, Obito's eyes shone with anticipation.
But as she drew near, his heart sank a little as her hands were empty. He glanced from side to side, trying to discern if she had hidden an egg on her person, though he knew it would be challenging given the substantial size of the ninja beast eggs she had given out before.
Sensing Obito's disappointment, Mu Yue willed a ninja beast egg to appear in her hand, summoning it from the system's backpack. A large egg materialized out of thin air.
"Obito, congratulations on becoming a Jonin," Mu Yue said with a warm smile, offering the egg, which only Obito could hatch, to him.
Obito's initial disappointment vanished, replaced by indescribable joy.
"Teacher Mu Yue, thank you for the gift. I'll definitely hatch this ninja beast and train it to become the strongest summoning beast!" Obito exclaimed, his fist clenched with excitement.
Despite his previous claims of indifference and mild interest, those words had been spoken in anger, and they didn't reflect his true feelings.
Protagonists in ninja novels often had fierce and handsome summoning beasts—usually mighty tigers, lions, or flying dragons—and Obito yearned for such a majestic and powerful companion as well.
"Mmm, I believe you will," Mu Yue nodded, smiling gently.
[You have gifted your disciple a Pokemon egg, and your disciple is deeply grateful, rewarding you with a Critical Hit—Water Release: Heavenly Tears (Proficiency Level).]
Along with the reward notification, Mu Yue's mind was filled with a wealth of training experiences related to Heavenly Tears.
She had come across this technique briefly during her classes before, but only twice, so her proficiency was still at the introductory level. Now, with this reward, she instantly achieved proficiency.
Unlike Water Dragon Bullet and other Water Release techniques, Heavenly Tears was a pinpoint Water Release technique that emphasized speed and penetration. Its thin needle-like form also made it difficult to detect.
Obito couldn't help but beam with delight as he cradled the precious ninja beast egg in his arms, his imagination running wild with thoughts of the formidable ninja beast that would hatch from it.
Even as Kakashi and Tobirama arrived, Obito remained engrossed with his new egg.
Kakashi, who had obtained his ninja beast egg much earlier and had already hatched it, strolled past Obito nonchalantly.
"Kakashi, how did you know I'd been promoted to Jonin?" Obito blurted out, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.
Kakashi: ...
Who asked you?
"Becoming a Jonin isn't that unusual. Look at Tobirama; he became a Jonin at eight years old. Now that's something worth talking about," Kakashi retorted bluntly.
Due to the difficulty of the One-Mind One-Sword technique, Kakashi hadn't made much progress lately. He had intended to focus solely on his training and ignore other matters, but since Obito seemed intent on making himself unhappy, Kakashi saw no reason to hold back.
"Well, Tobirama..." Obito trailed off, at a loss for words momentarily.
Technically, he was among the youngest Jonin in Konoha at ten years old, but Tobirama's achievement at eight was indeed more impressive.
"If you have too much free time, you should train more. Otherwise, you'll be knocked out in the first round of the next inter-disciple tournament again. And Tobirama has also mastered the Fire Nature Chakra Mode," Kakashi added before entering a meditative state to begin his training.
He wasn't just saying these things to rile up Obito; Tobirama's breakthrough had genuinely put him under pressure.
Kakashi didn't feel confident that he could defeat any of his disciples in the next tournament.
Might Guy was an opponent he knew he couldn't beat, and he wasn't sure about his chances against either Tobirama or Obito.
Of the two, he felt he had a slightly better chance against Obito.
Obito, still clutching his egg, was left speechless. Kakashi had said everything that could be said, leaving him with no room for rebuttal.
"Now Tobirama has one more Secret Technique than me," Obito muttered, his right hand still holding the egg while his left hand scratched his head.
While Obito's Fire Nature was slightly stronger, it wasn't enough to make up for the gap created by a Secret Technique.
The only consolation for Obito was that Tobirama's chakra was currently limited. If he used the Fire Nature Chakra Mode during a fight, he wouldn't have much chakra left for his Secret Technique.
If Tobirama chose to use his Secret Technique first, the subsequent Fire Nature jutsu would be less powerful.
Reluctantly, Obito placed the ninja beast egg in a safe spot and began his training.
It was truly frustrating to consistently rank last in the tournaments; it wasn't just a matter of pride, but the punishments were also hard to bear.
Obito trained nonstop until 5:30 in the afternoon.
At 6:00 p.m., just as Mu Yue finished preparing dinner, there was a knock on his door.
Without opening the door immediately, Mu Yue activated his Byakugan to see who was at the door. To his surprise, it was Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Mu Yue opened the door at a normal speed and feigned astonishment at seeing the Third Hokage, as if he couldn't quite believe that the busy leader of Konoha had appeared at his doorstep.
"Please come in, Third Hokage," Mu Yue said, quickly inviting Hiruzen in after recovering from his initial surprise.
Hiruzen smiled apologetically and said, "I'm sorry for disturbing your dinner. It seems I've caught you just in time."
"Not at all. Have you eaten yet, Third Hokage?" Mu Yue asked, employing a classic opening line.
"No, I've been dealing with various matters lately. I just left the Hokage Tower," Hiruzen shook his head.
"If you had the time, I'm sure you would have invited me to the Hokage Tower for a chat by now," Hiruzen joked, subtly expressing his appreciation for Mu Yue.
"You flatter me, Third Hokage. Orochimaru is the true hero of the Eastern Front," Mu Yue replied sincerely.
Hiruzen's words were kind, but Mu Yue couldn't take all the credit. The highest-ranking commander deserved the most recognition.
"If you don't mind my humble cooking, please join me for dinner. I'm somewhat of a culinary enthusiast," Mu Yue offered.
"Then I shall look forward to sampling your culinary skills," Hiruzen agreed with a smile.
One of the reasons he had chosen to visit Mu Yue personally was to strengthen their bond.
While Hiruzen had indeed been busy during the war, the shinobi world didn't constantly wage wars, and the life of a Hokage could be rather leisurely during times of peace.
Hiruzen nonchalantly took the first bite of the stir-fried meat, but his expression changed as he savored the flavor.
With Hiruzen's extensive vocabulary, he struggled to find words to describe the delectable taste. For a fleeting moment, he felt like a wild beast galloping across the vast grasslands, relishing the freedom that enveloped his heart.
When he snapped back to reality, he looked at Mu Yue with altered eyes.
If not for his formidable ninjutsu prowess, Hiruzen would have thought he had fallen under an illusion.
However, he was certain that he hadn't been subjected to any ninjutsu, and the surreal experience he had just gone through was purely due to the extraordinary deliciousness of the food.
"Mu Yue, you're too modest. This is far beyond 'having some knowledge.' It's unparalleled in the shinobi world," Hiruzen marveled as he reminisced about the indescribable taste.
He retracted his previous statement; even someone as well-versed in gourmet cuisine as Hiruzen had never tasted anything like this. A single dish could evoke such an incredible sensation.
"You flatter me, Third Hokage. The shinobi world is vast, and the term 'unparalleled' is an exaggeration," Mu Yue replied humbly.
"If only you could balance out Jiraiya. He could learn a thing or two from you," Hiruzen said with a helpless smile, as his hand involuntarily reached for another dish on the plate.
From then on, Hiruzen was immersed in a culinary wonderland, forgetting about everything else until he finished the meal.
Only after he was done eating did he remember his original purpose for coming here.
"This setting is quite nice for a chat. If we were in the Hokage's office, I wouldn't even have a place to sit," Hiruzen joked.
"Relax, Mu Yue. I didn't come here to discuss anything important. Just treat me as an ordinary elder, and let's have a casual conversation," Hiruzen said, intending to put Mu Yue at ease.
Mu Yue's expression softened, seemingly touched by Hiruzen's words.
"Asuma has been training diligently lately. He's made progress in Wind Release and Fire Release ninjutsu," Hiruzen said, as if he truly intended to talk about mundane family matters, bringing up Asuma's training.
"That boy has always been diligent. Although he may seem rebellious and disrespectful towards me at times, deep down, he yearns for my acknowledgment," Hiruzen continued, and Mu Yue chimed in, helping to facilitate a better relationship between father and son.
Hiruzen heaved a soft sigh. After serving as the Hokage for so many years, shouldn't he be able to discern his son's thoughts? However, Hiruzen sometimes worried that Asuma would become complacent and lower his standards.
Hiruzen and Mu Yue went on to discuss various topics, ranging from Asuma's training and the ninja school's affairs to the battlefield situation and the state of the shinobi world.
"Mu Yue, who do you think is the most qualified to become the Fourth Hokage?" Hiruzen asked abruptly.
Although Mu Yue was born in Root, according to Hiruzen's observations, he believed that Mu Yue preferred the life of a ninja school teacher or an ordinary ninja. Still, Hiruzen was aware that Root ninjas underwent unique training.
He couldn't rule out the possibility of Danzo Shimura influencing Mu Yue to support Orochimaru's bid for the Hokage position.
Before Mu Yue had left for the Eastern Front, Hiruzen hadn't been concerned about this, but now, with Mu Yue's influence in Konoha rivaling that of Minato, he felt it necessary to address the issue.
"I think Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade are all qualified to become the Fourth Hokage," Mu Yue replied, seemingly torn between the options.
Ideally, Mu Yue would have deflected the question with a response like, "It's a weighty matter, and I'm not qualified to comment." However, since Hiruzen had framed the conversation as a casual chat, Mu Yue couldn't refuse so bluntly.
Hearing Mu Yue's answer, Hiruzen almost laughed out loud. He had asked about a single ninja, and Mu Yue had rattled off the names of his three disciples.
Nevertheless, Hiruzen had achieved his goal. With Mu Yue's political savvy, he felt assured that Danzo wouldn't be able to manipulate Mu Yue into blindly supporting Orochimaru.
"What qualities do you think make them qualified?" Hiruzen probed further, hoping to discern Mu Yue's inclinations.
As long as Mu Yue didn't beat around the bush, Hiruzen would be able to infer his leanings from his response.
"Jiraiya is powerful, and he has made remarkable contributions to Konoha on the battlefield. He's also kind-hearted..." Mu Yue seamlessly praised the three legendary ninjas.
Mu Yue had no intention of meddling in the succession race for the Hokage position. Whoever Hiruzen chose, be it Jiraiya, Tsunade, or Orochimaru, was fine with him, as Mu Yue was primarily focused on accumulating more rewards to enhance his strength.
Regardless of who became the Fourth Hokage, it wouldn't negatively impact Mu Yue. He shared a good relationship with all three candidates.
Tsunade was both a friend and a mentor to Mu Yue, Jiraiya viewed Mu Yue as an exceptional ninja akin to Minato, Orochimaru wanted to nurture Mu Yue as a confidant, and Minato was a close friend.
Thus, any of them becoming the Hokage would only bring benefits to Mu Yue. Even if Danzo Shimura were to become the Hokage, in his eyes, Mu Yue would still be a valuable subordinate.
"They do have those strengths, but they also have their fair share of shortcomings," Hiruzen said, unsure if Mu Yue was genuinely undecided or afraid of offending someone by voicing his preference. He couldn't discern any bias in Mu Yue's response.
Mu Yue didn't respond to this, as it was reasonable for Hiruzen, as a teacher, to point out the flaws of his former students. After all, Mu Yue, as a rising star, shouldn't criticize ninjas who had made their mark on the Second Great Ninja War.
Hiruzen dropped the topic of the Hokage succession and shifted the conversation to his training, sharing insights on his experience with combining ninjutsu.
"If you have the time, Mu Yue, I'd appreciate it if you could spare some time to guide Asuma. He respects you a great deal," Hiruzen said before taking his leave.
"I'll visit him tomorrow to assess his training progress," Mu Yue nodded in agreement.
Although there might not be a direct reward, Asuma was like a half-disciple to Mu Yue, and he would try to teach him whenever he had the time.
However, Mu Yue was surprised to receive a message from Root soon after Hiruzen's departure.
(End of Chapter)
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