https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-478-A-Mission-Concerning-Konoha-s-Future-Part-2-/12558700/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-480-Mizuke-s-Stop-Water-Pokemon-Hatches/12558709/
Chapter 479: Mu Yue vs. Minato, Konoha's New Era Ultimate Battle!
Chapter 479: Mu Yue vs. Minato, Konoha's New Era Ultimate Battle!
In Konoha Village, Training Field No. 22.
Two golden figures stood opposite each other, smiling as they gazed at their opponent.
Not far from them, several shadows watched with eager anticipation.
"Who do you think will win?" Obito couldn't help but turn to Kakashi and the others, curiosity getting the better of him.
Both Mu Yue and Minato Namikaze were their teachers, along with Kakashi and Rin Nohara. In the eyes of many Konoha ninjas, Minato and Mu Yue were among the strongest of the village's new generation. Obito was intrigued by the predictions of the other disciples regarding the outcome of this battle.
As a devout believer in Mu Yue, Obito naturally sided with her.
He firmly believed that the all-powerful Mu Yue would never lose in a one-on-one fight, even though Obito had once witnessed Minato slaughtering jonin with ease.
"If it's just a practice match, I think Teacher Mu Yue will win," Kakashi replied after some thought.
As a disciple of both masters, Kakashi was well aware of their strengths. While Minato was undoubtedly strong, his prowess lay primarily in his superhuman speed. Without the Flying Thunder God Technique, Minato was still formidable but lacked the brilliance that earned him the moniker of Konoha's Yellow Flash.
On the other hand, Mu Yue's strength was all-encompassing. Even if she lost one breathing technique, a nature transformation, or a secret art, it wouldn't significantly impact her overall abilities. Mu Yue had too many tricks up her sleeve.
She had mastered seven chakra nature transformations, excelling in numerous Earth Release ninjutsu. Additionally, she had developed powerful secret arts, including breathing techniques and Armament Haki.
Kakashi, having once considered Mu Yue as an imaginary enemy, realized that he couldn't find any weaknesses in her. Even with knowledge of her secrets, he couldn't establish an advantage in a fight.
"Only absolute power can hope to overcome Teacher Mu Yue," Kakashi thought to himself.
In his opinion, only ninjas with incredibly powerful raw strength, like the Third Hokage, Third Tsuchikage, and Third Raikage, stood a chance against Mu Yue.
"What if it's not just a practice match?" Obito didn't think there would be much difference between a practice bout and a real battle.
"If it's not a practice match, there might not be a clear outcome," Kakashi replied. "Teacher Minato intends to leave, and even Teacher Mu Yue might not be able to stop him."
Unless Minato and Mu Yue fought to the death, it would be challenging for either of them to kill the other, especially with Minato's mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Upon further contemplation, Obito realized the truth in Kakashi's words.
"I think it'll be Teacher Mu Yue," replied Genma, recalling his knowledge of Minato.
While the two were comparable in reputation and achievements, Mu Yue's modest personality led Genma to believe that her true strength couldn't be measured by her fame and deeds alone.
"Although they seem similar, I'd definitely choose Teacher Mu Yue!" Might Guy exclaimed, flashing a broad grin and giving Mu Yue a thumbs-up.
"I think Teacher Mu Yue will win," added Rin after some thought.
Rin's reasoning was straightforward. She believed that Minato would struggle to inflict significant damage on Mu Yue due to her Armament Haki.
Not only had Mu Yue mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, but she also possessed the extremely powerful Lightning Breath Chakra Mode, which granted her incredible speed that might even surpass Minato's.
In Rin's eyes, Mu Yue was a more well-rounded version of Minato, and she naturally favored Mu Yue's chances of victory.
"It seems we all share similar thoughts," Obito said, "but Teacher Minato is also quite remarkable. Let's not cheer for Teacher Mu Yue during the match; let's just observe." He added this last part to prevent any potential embarrassment for Minato.
Kakashi gave Obito a bewildered look. "Normally, people don't cheer during practice matches."
After all, Mu Yue and Minato were good friends, and it would be awkward if someone started cheering during their friendly spar.
"What if someone does?" Obito asked, a hint of defiance in his tone.
Kakashi ignored Obito and turned his attention to the impending battle.
"Even though this is just a practice match, I hope you'll give it your all, Minato. Don't hold back because you're worried about injuring me," Mu Yue said.
While Minato was still growing and improving, he had already mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, making him a speed-specialized ninja. If Mu Yue could effortlessly counter Minato's speed, there wouldn't be any speed-type ninja in the current ninja world that she couldn't handle.
"Even without you saying it, I would still go all out," Minato replied with a smile. "After all, you, Mu Yue, have even killed a jinchuriki."
"And Kushina is watching, too," he added.
Although Kushina couldn't be at the scene in person, her persistent requests, coupled with Hiruzen Sarutobi's interest in the battle between Mu Yue and Minato, had granted her the right to watch the fight alongside the Third Hokage in his office.
The Hokage's office was within the barrier, ensuring that Kushina wouldn't be affected by the Nine-Tails' chakra.
At that moment, Kushina was complaining to Hiruzen, a look of dissatisfaction on her face.
"Why can I only see the images but not hear any sound?"
Kushina watched as Mu Yue and Minato's mouths moved, clearly speaking to each other, and she desperately wanted to know what they were saying, especially if they were talking about her.
"This technique can only achieve so much at such a distance," Hiruzen explained.
It was already remarkable to maintain surveillance over such a far distance, and Kushina was asking for too much.
"Fine, I'll just have to make do with this, then," Kushina conceded as she saw the two stop talking, signaling the likely start of their formal battle. She decided to stop fretting over the lack of audio.
Hiruzen sighed softly and turned his full attention to the crystal ball, focusing on the figures of Minato and Mu Yue within.
If it weren't for Kushina's unique situation, he would have liked to send her out of the office so he could concentrate on the battle without her constant chatter.
"Begin!"
As soon as Kakashi, the guest referee, finished his announcement, Mu Yue and Minato immediately began forming hand seals.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
As if they had planned it, they simultaneously unleashed the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet jutsu, spewing massive flames from their mouths.
However, the moment the fireballs collided, the sea of flames on Mu Yue's side rapidly advanced towards Minato, engulfing the fire breath he exhaled.
Even without using the Flame Breathing, Mu Yue, a perfect Fire Attribute Chakra Nature Transformation user, was too strong for Minato's Fire Style to counter, even if she was holding back.
"Is Minato's Fire Style that weak? He doesn't seem like a match for Mu Yue at all," Kushina remarked, watching as Minato was overwhelmed.
Even she knew that same-attribute confrontations were the best way to gauge one's ninjutsu prowess.
"It's not that Minato's Fire Style is weak, it's that Mu Yue's Fire Style is too strong," Hiruzen corrected.
He paid close attention to his extraordinarily gifted great-grand disciple.
Minato's ninjutsu had always been impressive; he picked up advanced techniques quickly. But compared to his innate talent for the Flying Thunder God Technique, his achievements in ninjutsu seemed ordinary.
The reason Minato appeared so outclassed was mainly because his opponent was Mu Yue.
In Hiruzen's opinion, Mu Yue was a ninjutsu prodigy capable of inheriting his mantle and perhaps even surpassing him one day.
"Minato is just probing for information. The key to determining the winner lies in whether Mu Yue can counter Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique," Hiruzen analyzed.
In his estimation, the odds were about even. While Mu Yue had a plethora of tricks up her sleeve, Minato's highly-skilled use of the Flying Thunder God Technique could counter most ninjas.
As Hiruzen predicted, the quick-thinking Minato immediately withdrew, producing a Flying Thunder God Kunai from his ninja tool pouch.
Mu Yue, equally decisive, gave chase without hesitation.
The two, who had been engaged in a ninjutsu standoff, suddenly vanished from their original positions.
Clang!
A crisp sound of metal clashing rang out as they reappeared, their kunai already locked in combat.
Sensing the vibrations transmitted through his hand, Minato narrowed his eyes and, following the force pushing against his kunai, swiftly withdrew to the rear.
From this initial exchange, he could tell that Mu Yue possessed considerable strength, whether from some chakra technique or her natural physical prowess.
"It seems Mu Yue's taijutsu is also not to be underestimated," Minato mused, preparing to employ his most favored tactic.
Whoosh!!
As he retreated, Minato threw two kunai—one at Mu Yue and the other towards his rear.
At that moment, Mu Yue had already entered the Transparent World state. Despite Minato's superhuman reflexes and speed, his actions were seen through.
Whoosh!!
Mu Yue swiftly drew several shuriken from her ninja tool pouch and threw them.
The gleaming shuriken deflected the incoming Flying Thunder God Kunai and continued on a strange trajectory towards Minato.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
After throwing the shuriken, Mu Yue formed a single hand seal and exhaled a barrage of fireballs, layering multiple levels of attacks that enveloped Minato from various angles.
Just as the shuriken was about to close in on Minato within half a meter...
Whoosh!
In the next instant, Minato vanished from his original spot, having discreetly released the Flying Thunder God Kunai in his hand before using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Boom!!
The shuriken and fireballs struck the ground where Minato had been standing, and flames and smoke engulfed the small area.
Mu Yue also moved, her Transparent World ability allowing her to see that Minato had teleported to the spot where he had thrown the Flying Thunder God Kunai.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Jade!"
As she ran, Mu Yue swiftly formed the necessary hand seals, sending transparent air currents towards Minato's landing point. Just as Minato had escaped one danger, he now faced Mu Yue's Wind Style attack.
Whoosh!
This time, Minato wasted no time, throwing a Flying Thunder God Kunai at Mu Yue before immediately using the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport to the kunai he had deflected earlier.
That kunai had been quite close to Mu Yue, but she had created a safe distance by running a short way.
But Mu Yue had anticipated this.
Whoosh!
As Minato threw his Flying Thunder God Kunai, Mu Yue also hurled one of her own.
Minato's superhuman reflexes and perception immediately detected Mu Yue's action, and he calmly tossed the kunai in his hand into the air before using the Flying Thunder God Technique again to teleport.
Mu Yue observed all of this but still used the Flying Thunder God Technique to arrive at the spot where Minato had been standing.
Whoosh!
Minato, holding a blue chakra sphere, suddenly appeared above Mu Yue and brought it down towards her back.
As if she had eyes on the back of her head, Mu Yue spun around in an instant and smashed her Rasengan into the descending chakra sphere.
Boom!!
The collision of the two chakra spheres created a dazzling explosion that enveloped them both, the rising smoke obscuring their figures.
"That's so cool! When will I ever get to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique?" Obito exclaimed, his eyes wide as he watched Mu Yue and Minato's lightning-fast exchanges.
Minato's movements had been too swift for Obito to keep track of his position.
Obito dared not imagine what Rin's expression would be if he were one of the combatants instead.
"If we're just talking about the Flying Thunder God Technique, Minato-sensei definitely has the upper hand," Kakashi admitted, his eyes dazzled by Minato's unrestrained display of his signature ability.
No wonder Minato had been able to kill jounin so effortlessly, Kakashi thought. He felt that if he hadn't unlocked the Transparent World, he would likely have been taken out by Minato in an instant as well.
As people looked closely at Mu Yue standing in her original position, they noticed that her clothes were only stained with dust and mud, and there were no signs of injury on her body.
Obviously, Mu Yue had emerged victorious from the previous exchange.
"It looks like Minato can only be second best. Even he couldn't withstand that," Kushina thought to herself, already conceding that Minato had lost.
In truth, Kushina didn't really mind who won or lost, as Minato was her boyfriend, and Mu Yue was her good friend. Whichever way the battle went, she would be happy for the winner.
Kushina was mainly curious about the outcome and which of the two was truly the stronger and most powerful of the new generation in Konoha.
"In that case, Mu Yue is undoubtedly the strongest of the new generation. We should prepare a grand feast to celebrate," Kushina imagined, and she couldn't help but swallow her saliva at the thought.
Although she felt a little bad for Minato, Kushina thought that it was good that he had lost.
Hiruzen gave Kushina a look, his face turning dark as he thought about how she was already planning a celebration for Mu Yue when Minato hadn't actually lost yet.
"But how grand will this feast be?" Hiruzen recalled the delicious meal he had tasted that night.
Hiruzen felt that since he had taught Mu Yue ninjutsu, he shared some of the credit for her becoming the strongest of the new generation, and if there was going to be a celebration, he couldn't be absent.
Hiruzen quickly pushed down his thoughts and continued to watch the battle, realizing that Kushina had affected him. The outcome was still uncertain, and Minato might still turn things around.
"Being more likely to lose doesn't mean certain defeat."
"It's a good thing I didn't go to discuss ninjutsu progress with Mu Yue. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been fair to her," Minato thought to himself as he took a deep breath.
In the previous collision of chakra spheres, Mu Yue's sphere had clearly been more powerful than his, indicating that her development in that area surpassed his own.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Injured as he was, Minato didn't call for a halt to the battle. Instead, he threw several shuriken and continued to perform ninjutsu, believing that he still had a chance to win.
Under the influence of chakra, the shuriken Minato threw split into three, then six, and then twelve, turning into a pitch-black swarm of shuriken that flew toward Mu Yue like a thousand arrows.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Mu Yue also threw shuriken and performed the same ninjutsu, causing the shuriken to collide and create a shower of metal sparks that formed an unusual but beautiful sight in the sky.
Minato didn't expect this ninjutsu to trouble Mu Yue. His hope lay in the Flying Thunder God Kunai that had been submerged in Phoenix Flower.
With such a dense attack, Mu Yue shouldn't have been able to spot the single kunai he had left behind.
Minato threw other Flying Thunder God Kunai to distract and confuse Mu Yue while he quickly rushed toward the kunai that had been submerged in the Phoenix Flower.
Mu Yue, on the other hand, chased after Minato while her eyes darted rapidly, seemingly trying to memorize all of Minato's landing points.
Perhaps due to his injury, Minato and Mu Yue's distance continued to shorten.
Minato leaped over the scorched earth that had been bombarded by the Phoenix Flower, while Mu Yue pursued him at high speed, also passing through the same scorched area.
"Spiral Flash Super Ring Dance Howl, Third Style!"
Minato suddenly took out a flash bomb and a Flying Thunder God Kunai from his ninja tool pouch. He detonated the flash bomb and threw the kunai to the side, making Mu Yue mistake his intention to use the Flying Thunder God Technique to transfer to the side.
Bang!
The flash bomb exploded, and dazzling yellow lightning flashed, causing Mu Yue's vision to be filled with yellow.
As the sound of the kunai cutting through the air rang out, Minato silently appeared behind Mu Yue using the Flying Thunder God Technique and once again raised a dark blue chakra sphere.
"How did Sensei Minato get past me? Doesn't the Flying Thunder God Technique require a Flying Thunder God tool to move?" Obito asked, puzzled. He recalled that there hadn't been a Flying Thunder God Kunai where Mu Yue had been standing earlier.
Obito felt the urge to call out a warning to Mu Yue but stopped himself, remembering that this was just a practice match.
"When he left using the Flying Thunder God Technique at the end, Sensei Minato took the opportunity to leave behind a Flying Thunder God Kunai," Kakashi explained.
To learn from the battle between the two, Kakashi had been observing with his Transparent World, paying attention to the various details of their techniques.
However, Kakashi didn't know if Mu Yue had noticed, as those in the midst of battle were often oblivious to certain things, and he also didn't know if Mu Yue had activated her Transparent World at that time.
"Indeed, the Flying Thunder God Kunai left behind was a plot point," Sarutobi said with a nod of approval.
Because he had been observing from an all-encompassing perspective, Sarutobi had noticed the kunai from the beginning and was, therefore, unsure of the outcome.
A ninja's battle wasn't just a simple comparison of data. Even if a ninja was stronger in ninjutsu, they might not necessarily win against a weaker opponent. There were too many factors that could influence the outcome, and battle intelligence was one of the most significant.
Just as everyone was astonished by Minato's reversal using the Flying Thunder God Kunai, the situation was reversed once again.
As Minato appeared, Mu Yue thrust the hand holding the kunai backward. Before Minato's chakra sphere could touch her, the tip of Mu Yue's kunai was already pressed against Minato's chest, right over his heart.
(End of Chapter)
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