https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-480-Mizuke-s-Stop-Water-Pokemon-Hatches/12558709/
Chapter 481: Mu Yue, Born in the Wrong Era
Chapter 481: Mu Yue, Born in the Wrong Era
"What a cute little fox," Yahiko Rin remarked as she gazed at Itachi, who was cradling a dark gray fox in his arms. She found Itachi's newly hatched Pokemon even more adorable than Kakashi's Rockruff.
The little fox had dark gray fur, with reddish-brown fur on its lower legs, around its eyes, and in a flame-like tuft on its head, creating a striking contrast.
Rin felt an urge to reach out and touch the reddish-brown tuft on the little fox's head.
Obito's expression remained unchanged. He would only feel envy again if the Pokemon displayed formidable strength.
"What's the best food for a fox Pokemon?" Itachi asked, looking down at the Zorua in his arms thoughtfully.
Itachi didn't have any particular preferences when it came to Pokemon types.
This Pokemon egg had been given to him by Mu Yue, and he intended to care for and train it well, regardless of what hatched from it.
"You can buy special dog food from the Inuzuka clan. Foxes belong to the canine family too, but it's still best to look up some information," Kakashi suggested.
Kakashi had gone to great lengths to research and consult with the Inuzuka clan's ninjas to learn how to properly raise his Rockruff.
At that moment, the newly hatched Zorua curiously observed its surroundings. It turned to Itachi and felt an instant sense of familiarity.
"Are you talking about me, a fox?" Zorua asked curiously.
Having just hatched, Zorua was still quite bewildered by everything.
"Of course, who else could it be?" Obito replied matter-of-factly, not seeing any issue with the statement and thinking that Itachi's Pokemon didn't seem very intelligent.
Itachi and Kakashi exchanged a glance, both surprised by what they had just witnessed.
While there were many talking Pokemon in the ninja world, it was rare to find one that could speak immediately after hatching.
And Zorua's fluency in speech made it even more unusual.
"Wait, it's not actually talking," Kakashi realized, noticing a crucial detail. Zorua hadn't even opened its mouth.
"Then why can't it be about you? Look at us, what's the difference?" Zorua said as it leaped down from Itachi's arms.
A reddish-brown light flashed, and in the next instant, Obito saw another version of himself.
"Look, we're the same. If I'm a fox, then you're a fox too," Zorua argued convincingly.
Obito was bewildered. What was going on? Was this Pokemon trying to trick him?
"Transformation technique?" Itachi mused, deep in thought.
Zorua's transformation technique seemed unusual. Itachi had sensed a hint of Yin-attribute chakra when Zorua used it.
"It's an illusion," Itachi said as he quickly dispelled the genjutsu. The other Obito that he had seen vanished, returning to the small, adorable fox in his arms.
"To be able to use ninja techniques and possess unknown communication abilities right after hatching... As expected, the Pokemon eggs given by Teacher Mu Yue are extraordinary," Kakashi thought to himself.
Setting aside the common trait of emitting a white light upon hatching, each of their Pokemon had unique characteristics.
Kakashi's Lycanroc had a stone around its neck from the moment it hatched and could manipulate Earth-attribute chakra without any instruction.
Might Guy's Riolu possessed unusual stamina and endurance. Despite being newly born, Riolu trained alongside Might Guy with intense exercises every day and showed no signs of discomfort, instead displaying robust health.
"Wait, how are you able to speak?" Obito finally realized that he had been conversing with a Pokemon that had just hatched.
And this little fox had even attempted to deceive him.
"Then why can you speak?" Zorua countered.
"Because I'm a human, of course," Obito replied without hesitation.
"I can speak, so that means I'm a human too," Zorua concluded.
Obito's CPU raced, and he felt a hint of overload.
"That's enough, drop the act," Itachi said, feeling that he had observed enough.
Hearing Itachi's words, Zorua obediently canceled the genjutsu and jumped back into Itachi's arms.
...
In the evening, at Kushina's strong suggestion, Mu Yue and the others booked a small restaurant within a barrier, where Mu Yue prepared a luxurious dinner.
Due to her agreement with Tsunade, Mu Yue also invited her and Shizune to join them.
Just as Mu Yue was about to finish cooking all the dishes, Sarutobi Hiruzen happened to pass by and joined them as well.
"Are you sure you just happened to pass by? I have a feeling you used a jutsu to spy on us," Kushina said suspiciously.
"As the busy Hokage, how could I possibly have the time for such things?" Sarutobi Hiruzen replied earnestly.
He didn't need to use the Telescope Technique; he could simply ask the ANBU for information. After all, they were monitoring Kushina around the clock.
Kushina didn't quite believe Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, but beside him, Namikaze Minato kept vouching for the Hokage, so she decided not to press the matter further.
"Tsunade, I heard you've been looking for some medical ninja techniques and sealing techniques lately. Are you encountering any problems? Do you need my help?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, turning to Tsunade, who was waiting for the meal to be served.
In Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind, Tsunade was the most suitable ninja to become the Hokage after Jiraiya, aside from himself.
As the granddaughter of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, Tsunade had the biggest advantage in vying for the position, an advantage that no one else could match.
If Sarutobi Hiruzen valued identity and bloodline, then Tsunade would undoubtedly be his first choice for the next Hokage, as her lineage and status were simply too noble.
However, Sarutobi Hiruzen valued comprehensive abilities, so his preferred candidate was still Jiraiya.
But since Jiraiya didn't want the position, Sarutobi Hiruzen could only turn his attention back to Tsunade.
Upon hearing signs of Tsunade's recovery, Sarutobi Hiruzen paid close attention.
"There's no need to trouble the Third Hokage, who is always so busy," Tsunade refused, her tone laced with sarcasm.
Despite their master-apprentice relationship, Tsunade currently found Sarutobi Hiruzen annoying.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed softly and chose not to press the matter further.
If this had been in the Hokage's office, he might have persisted and probed further, thick-skinned as he was. But this was Mu Yue's celebration banquet, and Tsunade, with her fiery temper, would not hold back, which might be considered impolite to Mu Yue.
"Tsunade doesn't seem to have let go of the past, and she doesn't seem interested in the position of Hokage. Will we have to wait for the newer generation of ninjas to grow up?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's face betrayed a hint of loneliness.
In the vast Konoha, with so many talented ninjas and renowned powerful figures, he couldn't find a suitable candidate for the Hokage position.
Sarutobi Hiruzen subconsciously looked towards Mu Yue and Namikaze Minato.
When it came to the new generation of Konoha ninjas, Mu Yue and Namikaze Minato were indisputable figures, just like the Sannin during the Second World War. They were the most brilliant talents of this era.
Sometimes, Sarutobi Hiruzen wondered to himself that if either Mu Yue or Namikaze Minato had been contemporaries with Jiraiya, he wouldn't have to worry at all. Both Mu Yue and Namikaze Minato were well-suited to become Hokage.
But there was no 'what if'. Mu Yue and Namikaze Minato, these two similar talents, were born in the same era, and they shared the same problem—a lack of experience.
If Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to promote either Mu Yue or Namikaze Minato as Hokage, he would have to remain in office for at least another seven to ten years to help them build their resumes.
While the Hokage had unlimited power in Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already served for several decades. He had enjoyed his time in the spotlight for long enough and even felt a bit tired.
If there was a suitable candidate, Sarutobi Hiruzen would have considered stepping down after the war.
In his retirement, he could go fishing by the river, give speeches and guidance to students at the Ninja Academy, and be free from the mountains of paperwork and the need to ponder the state of the ninja world in the middle of the night. The only pleasure he might miss was not being able to say to Danzo Shimura, "I am the Hokage."
Just the thought of retirement made Sarutobi Hiruzen feel that it was the true life.
"Let's eat first." The silence was broken by Mu Yue, who brought dish after dish of mouthwatering cuisine to the table.
At that moment, the atmosphere among those seated at the table became extremely harmonious. Kakashi and Obito refrained from arguing, Tsunade's mood improved, Sarutobi Hiruzen's chaotic thoughts were suppressed, and everyone's attention was captured by the enticing dishes before them.
"I'm starting."
After an unnecessary ceremony, everyone began to immerse themselves in the meal.
No one spoke, for fear that their favorite dish would disappear in the brief silence.
"This roast chicken is truly a delicacy of the mortal world." Sarutobi Hiruzen wiped his mouth with a napkin, still savoring the exquisite taste he had just experienced.
"Your taste isn't bad." Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen praise her favorite dish, Tsunade looked at him slightly more favorably.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was left speechless, feeling that his attempt at flattery had backfired, but at least he had gained a little favor.
"Granny Tsunade, Uncle Hokage, you think so too, right?" Obito chimed in, giving a thumbs-up. He also liked the roast chicken.
Yahiko Rin and Shizune looked at Obito in astonishment. How dare he?
Kakashi and Itachi, sitting on either side of Obito, quietly shifted their positions to avoid being implicated.
"You little brat, what did you just call me?" Tsunade rubbed her fingers, preparing to strike.
The last person who dared to call her 'aunt' was long forgotten, and now Obito had the audacity to call her 'granny'.
Realizing what he had just said, Obito broke out in a cold sweat.
Obito had hardly interacted with Tsunade, and he had inherited the term 'Granny Tsunade' from Uzumaki Naruto, so it had just slipped out.
Obito looked at Mu Yue with pleading eyes, hoping that the Immortal Mu Yue could save him from this precarious situation.
Mu Yue nodded slightly and said to Tsunade, "He's still a child."
"And?" Tsunade asked, raising an eyebrow.
"But you should still give him some face and let it go," Mu Yue added.
Obito's face turned green. This wasn't right. Wasn't the child supposed to be forgiven for his ignorance?
Tsunade grinned maliciously and walked towards Obito. Obito wanted to escape, but he was caught by the back of his neck and dragged out, only to be thrown back in.
"For Mu Yue's sake, I'll let you off today. If you dare to speak out of turn again, I'll show you what an iron fist is." Tsunade waved her pink fists as a warning.
Tsunade was in a good mood that day, and if it had been any other time, Obito would have definitely received a punch.
"Naruto, you've really gotten me into trouble," Obito quickly nodded, inwardly cursing Uzumaki Naruto.
The people seated at the table couldn't help but find the situation amusing, and Kakashi even laughed out loud.
The evening meal ended on a pleasant and relaxed note.
The next day, in the evening.
After having dinner at Tsunade's house, Mu Yue went to the training ground in the South Border Forest. He had promised to guide Yamato that evening, and the duration would depend on the progress of the lesson.
PS: This chapter is 3.4k, and there will be another 5k chapter coming in a few hours, around three or four in the morning.
(End of Chapter)
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