https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-467-Can-the-Uchiha-Clan-Regain-its-Glory-/12558644/
Chapter 466: Little Tsunade and Lord Mu Yue
Chapter 466: Little Tsunade and Lord Mu Yue
Mu Yue secretly made his way to the Root base, as Danzo Shimura had instructed.
He had to admit that Hiruzen Sarutobi was more considerate; for their meeting, Hiruzen chose to visit Mu Yue at his home after work, while Danzo still carried himself with the air of a leader, expecting Mu Yue to come to him at the Root base.
Of course, Danzo may have been concerned about the potential impact on Hiruzen if he were to find out about Mu Yue's ongoing connection with Root.
Mu Yue could understand this, but it didn't stop him from thinking less of Danzo.
"Lord Danzo," Mu Yue said respectfully as he entered the Root base, his attitude and expression impeccable, leaving no room for criticism.
Danzo Shimura, seated in his office chair, nodded slightly in satisfaction. From Mu Yue's demeanor, he could tell that Mu Yue remained loyal to Root and Konoha.
"You handled the situation on the Eastern Front excellently, displaying the might that a Konoha ninja should possess," Danzo praised.
Danzo rarely complimented others because he believed that criticism was a better motivator. However, Mu Yue's performance in this mission was flawless, leaving Danzo with nothing to criticize.
More importantly, Mu Yue had embarrassed Hiruzen Sarutobi during the high-level meeting, and this was the primary reason for Danzo's praise.
Ever since the war began, Danzo had been frustrated by Hiruzen's decisions, and now he finally had a chance to vent his anger and show Hiruzen the value of his judgment.
"That is what I ought to do as a Root ninja and a Konoha ninja. We must show no mercy to those who dare wage war against Konoha," Mu Yue replied in a deep voice.
If he were facing Hiruzen, Mu Yue would have been more modest, downplaying his achievements and emphasizing the contributions of the group and the overall commander. But with Danzo, Mu Yue knew he had to give a more hawkish response—a strategy he called "tailoring his words to the listener."
"Indeed, we must not show weakness when dealing with enemies. If I didn't have to oversee the overall situation, I would have personally gone to the battlefield to teach those Kirigakure ninjas a lesson!" Danzo said, highly satisfied with Mu Yue's reply. The look in his eyes as he gazed at Mu Yue was filled with appreciation.
If he weren't already in his prime, Danzo might have considered grooming Mu Yue as his successor.
In Danzo's opinion, grooming a successor while still in good health could lead to problems. Why would he want to share his power with someone else when he was still capable?
Danzo then signaled to a Root ninja beside him, and the ninja quickly brought over several scrolls and placed them on Danzo's desk.
"I heard that you are interested in sealing techniques. These scrolls contain a wealth of knowledge about the Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques, as well as advanced sealing jutsu. They are one of your rewards for your recent mission," Danzo explained.
While he was delighted to have reaped the benefits of Hiruzen's training of Mu Yue for free, Danzo was concerned that Mu Yue might have been subtly influenced by Hiruzen to side with him. Thus, he decided to offer Mu Yue a substantial reward.
After all, Mu Yue was no ordinary Root member; he was a powerful ninja who had proven his worth on the battlefield. Even if Mu Yue were to sever ties with Root, Danzo wouldn't be able to do much about it.
However, Danzo didn't think such a scenario was likely. If Mu Yue were to suddenly and inexplicably distance himself, it would likely be because he had developed some sort of ambition. In the interest of Konoha's security, Danzo would then conduct a thorough investigation into Mu Yue's affairs.
"Thank you, Lord Danzo," Mu Yue said, his expression filled with gratitude.
The sealing techniques Mu Yue had learned from Kushina Uzumaki were the most orthodox Uzumaki sealing jutsu. Danzo's offer, though generous, was a bit late.
Nevertheless, Danzo had indeed cultivated a wide range of sealing techniques, and there were probably some things in the scrolls that Mu Yue hadn't come across before.
"Previously, I witnessed the Wind Release jutsu you demonstrated for Hiruzen. While it was decent, you still have a way to go before becoming a true master of Wind Release. This is a record of my own experiences in cultivating Wind Release, and it is another reward for your mission," Danzo said as he placed a blue scroll on the desk.
Upon hearing that it was Danzo's personal experiences in Wind Release cultivation, Mu Yue's eyes widened in surprise, and his gratitude was evident.
"I've watched you grow up since you were a child, and even when you first joined Root, I knew you would become a valuable ninja for Konoha," Danzo continued, reminiscing about Mu Yue's early days in Root.
Mu Yue's face showed a nostalgic smile, but his heart remained unmoved.
Danzo was easy to understand. By offering rewards and reminiscing about the past, he was trying to reinforce his image as a great leader in Mu Yue's mind, especially since Mu Yue's strength and status in Konoha had been steadily rising.
After all, Mu Yue was no ordinary Root member anymore. Not only had his strength increased, but he also rarely saw Danzo throughout the year. Even if Danzo wanted to manipulate him, the opportunities to do so were scarce.
"Strength is important, but strategy and planning are equally crucial. Mu Yue, whenever you encounter difficulties, don't forget about Root, and don't forget about me," Danzo said, downplaying Mu Yue's strategic capabilities and implying that he should rely more on Root.
Mu Yue could only nod in agreement.
After playing along with Danzo's charade, Mu Yue returned home and took a shower before starting to browse through the sealing technique scrolls that Danzo had given him.
At this point, Danzo and Root were more of an asset to Mu Yue.
He only needed to indulge Danzo occasionally, and in return, he could benefit from Root's influence and resources.
If Danzo ever lost his mind and tried to harm Mu Yue, the latter wouldn't hesitate to cut ties. He was no longer the middling jonin instructor he used to be; he was now one of the strongest ninjas of Konoha's new generation, a blazing sun to rival the Yellow Flash.
...
The next day,
Having promised to guide Asuma in his training, Mu Yue sent his shadow clone to the Southern Forest while his main body went to meet Asuma at the agreed-upon location.
Asuma had arrived early, and Mu Yue, who had left ten minutes ahead of time, was surprised to find that Asuma was already at the training field when he arrived.
"Good morning, Teacher Mu Yue!" Asuma waved and greeted Mu Yue as he ran towards him.
"Morning," Mu Yue replied with a smile, and then proceeded to appraise Asuma.
Name: Asuma Sarutobi
Chakra: 4800
Skills: Wind-attribute Chakra Nature Transformation (Skilled: 2200/3000), Fire-attribute Chakra Nature Transformation (Skilled: 1700/3000), Wind Release: Breath of Wind (Beginner: 497/500)...
By the standards of a Chunin, Asuma's stats were impressive. However, due to various circumstances and opportunities, Asuma had fallen behind his peers like Kakashi.
"Teacher Mu Yue, I knew that one day you would become famous in the ninja world. As expected, as soon as you got the chance to showcase your abilities, you rose to fame," Asuma said proudly.
Humble, gentle, an excellent teacher, immensely powerful, and incredibly gifted... Asuma could go on and on about Mu Yue's virtues.
"I say you should be the Hokage, Mu Yue-sensei. You'd definitely surpass all the previous Hokage and become the greatest Hokage in Konoha's history," Asuma boldly proclaimed.
Mu Yue smiled at Asuma's boldness, knowing that he hadn't changed a bit—still prone to saying things that would send his old man's blood pressure soaring.
"You can say that to me casually, but don't you dare say it in front of the Third Hokage," Mu Yue cautioned.
"But it's the truth! That old geezer has so many bad habits. If he had any sense, he would've stepped down and passed the torch by now," Asuma grumbled, his nose scrunching up at the mention of Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Alright, let's not get sidetracked. Today, we're here to train," Mu Yue steered the conversation back on track.
Asuma nodded, falling silent.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Mu Yue performed the necessary hand seals and created a shadow clone.
"Now, fight this clone of mine with all your might. I want to see your current level of strength," Mu Yue instructed.
Only through assessment combined with actual combat could he draw the perfect conclusion and devise an appropriate training plan.
Asuma held nothing back, utilizing his skills to the fullest as he fought Mu Yue's shadow clone.
He was well aware of Mu Yue's formidable strength, and even a clone of his would be challenging to injure.
After the battle concluded, Mu Yue allowed Asuma to rest while he took the time to devise a training plan for Asuma's future development.
"The current focus of your training will be on Wind Release: Breath of Wind. Master the 'constant' aspect of this technique, and then we'll work on improving your Wind-attribute chakra nature transformation..." Mu Yue explained as he handed the training plan to Asuma.
Mu Yue believed that in the early stages, a ninja should specialize in one nature transformation and strive to master it.
Of course, this didn't apply to super geniuses. With exceptional talent, one could progress at a steady pace by developing multiple nature transformations simultaneously.
Aside from Asuma, Mu Yue also arranged a special training session for Yahiko.
Although Yahiko hadn't been promoted directly to jonin like Obito, he had been granted an opportunity to become one. All he needed to do was pass an evaluation.
Unlike Maito Gai and Obito, Yahiko's theoretical knowledge was quite solid, but his combat abilities needed improvement.
To ensure that Yahiko could develop both his practical combat skills and medical abilities simultaneously, Mu Yue specially invited Tsunade to serve as a consultant for Yahiko's promotion to jonin training plan.
"I want dinner for the next three months, plus twenty new character cards for Ninja Slayer. Not one less!" Tsunade demanded, her stance unwavering.
It had been a long while since Tsunade had tasted Mu Yue's cooking, and the Ninja Slayer cards hadn't been updated in a long time either, due to Mu Yue's absence on the battlefield.
"First of all, I might not be able to stay in Konoha for the full three months. Secondly, twenty cards are a bit too much. There aren't even twenty Ninja Slayer cards in total if you combine all the existing ones," Mu Yue countered, his arguments reasonable.
Although creating a new character card was as simple as recalling his memories from his previous life, he couldn't make it seem too easy. The easier something was to obtain, the less it would be valued, so he had to maintain a sense of scarcity.
"Alright, you've got a point there. Then let's make it ten cards," Tsunade conceded after some thought.
After all, creating these cards required brainpower. One had to conceptualize skills based on the character's background and consider balance, which could be quite complex and time-consuming. Cranking out too many at once might result in shoddy work.
"But I won't compromise on dinner. If you happen to be away on a mission during these three months, you'll have to make up for the missed meals when you return," Tsunade added.
It had been too long since she had tasted his cooking, and she wanted to indulge herself thoroughly, enjoying his culinary delights every day without interruption.
"Tsunade-sama, your demands are getting a bit outrageous. In the past, you only asked for a few meals," Shizune couldn't help but interject.
She, too, missed Mu Yue's cooking, but she didn't want to trouble him unnecessarily. After all, Mu Yue now gave her the impression of being on par with the legendary Sannin.
It felt a bit excessive to go out of their way to trouble someone of his caliber just for the sake of a meal.
"That's because he used to come over and cook on his own initiative back then. It's been so long since I last tasted his cooking," Tsunade argued, as if the blame for this situation rested solely on Mu Yue's shoulders.
"How about five character cards, and we keep the number of dinners the same?" Mu Yue suggested, slashing the number of cards by half once again.
Mu Yue understood Tsunade's core objective, and as long as the number of dinners remained unchanged, there was room for negotiation.
"No way!" Tsunade crossed her arms, her expression resolute.
"In that case, I won't trouble you any further, Tsunade-sama." Mu Yue turned as if to leave.
Tsunade panicked, channeling chakra into her feet and using the Body Flicker Technique to appear in front of Mu Yue, grabbing his arm.
"You're being too stingy. How about seven cards, then?" Tsunade asked, her hand on her hip and a slight frown on her face.
Mu Yue merely smiled faintly and continued walking, unfazed. Tsunade then realized that Mu Yue possessed considerable strength, as she couldn't hold onto him with just one hand.
"Fine, fine! You win. Five cards it is, but tonight's dinner has to be extravagant. We're talking roast chicken, Beggar's Chicken, the works!" Tsunade relented, agreeing to Mu Yue's proposal.
However, to make up for it, she added a small request of her own.
"Then, I'll leave it in your capable hands, Tsunade-sama," Mu Yue stopped in his tracks, turned around, and smiled gently.
Tsunade waved her hand dismissively, "No need to call me Tsunade-sama. You're the one who should be addressed as Mu Yue-sama. From now on, just call me Little Tsu, alright?"
Tsunade felt like she had Mu Yue figured out. While she addressed him respectfully as Mu Yue-sama, her true feelings were quite the opposite.
As she reflected on her interactions with Mu Yue since they first met, she realized that he had been manipulating her all along.
Not only had she taught him a great deal of medical jutsu knowledge, but she had also taken on the role of mentoring Yahiko, treating him like her own disciple.
On top of that, she was assisting Mu Yue in perfecting the Yang Seal, spending time every day to research and refine it, all under the guise of having fun while slacking off.
Thinking about it this way, Tsunade felt that three months' worth of dinners wasn't nearly enough. She should be demanding breakfast, lunch, and dinner for at least the next five years!
"Tsunade-sama, those are kind words. You've always been the medical ninja I admire the most," Mu Yue said, creating a shadow clone to go buy ingredients while he spoke.
Mu Yue wasn't lying. Among the famous medical ninjas affiliated with the Hokage, Tsunade truly was the one he admired the most.
And Tsunade was just teasing him with her demands for formal addresses. If Mu Yue were to actually call her 'Little Tsu,' she would probably punch him in the next instant.
(End of Chapter)
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