https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-494-The-Burst-of-the-Disciples-Gold-Coins-8k-Part-2-/12558743/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-495-Conclusion-of-the-Anbu-Training-Part-2-/12558745/
Chapter 495: Conclusion of the Anbu Training (Part 1)
Chapter 495: Conclusion of the Anbu Training (Part 1)
In the towering Hokage Building, within the confines of a high-level conference room, four Konoha elders were deep in discussion about the ongoing war in the Grass Country.
"It's sheer audacity for the Grass Ninja Village to interfere in Konoha's war," Danzo Shimura said, his face hardening with anger. "We should immediately mobilize our ninja forces to teach them a lesson they'll never forget!"
In his opinion, it was an act of sheer arrogance for a regular ninja village like the Grass Ninja Village to involve themselves in a war between the five great ninja villages. He believed that a strong show of force was necessary to put them in their place.
"Danzo, the intelligence from the front lines doesn't conclusively prove their involvement. It's only speculation," Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, shook his head in disagreement.
Taking aggressive action based on unconfirmed intelligence would make Konoha seem overly domineering, and the village's current situation did not permit such a move.
Hiruzen couldn't afford to deploy most of their ninja forces, leaving Konoha vulnerable to a potential large-scale attack from Kirigakure or other hostile ninja villages.
"It's only a matter of time before we have concrete evidence," Danzo insisted, maintaining his stance. "We need to show them that we mean business!"
"If Konoha doesn't act swiftly and decisively, today it's the Grass Ninja Village, but tomorrow it could be the Rain Ninja Village or the Taki Ninja Village challenging our authority. The prestige of being the foremost of the five great ninja villages will be lost," Danzo added, rapping his knuckles on the table to emphasize the gravity of the situation.
Hiruzen rubbed his temples, considering the situation.
While Danzo's concerns weren't entirely unfounded, he felt that his fellow elder was exaggerating the severity of the matter. Even if the Grass Ninja Village was indeed involved, it was likely that they had been enticed by promises of rewards or benefits from Iwagakure. Other ninja villages wouldn't casually provoke Konoha without a compelling reason.
"Then, Danzo, you can lead the Root members to attack the Grass Ninja Village," Hiruzen suggested calmly.
Danzo was left speechless. Many Root members were already occupied with intelligence-gathering duties on the battlefield, and only a handful remained in Konoha. If not for his cautious nature, he would have assigned at least one Root member to keep an eye on Yamato's daily life.
While the Grass Ninja Village wasn't one of the five great ninja villages, it was still a formidable force, comprising some of the strongest ninja villages outside the elite five. It wasn't a task that Danzo could undertake with just a handful of Root members.
"Bring Orochimaru back to Konoha," Danzo proposed after a moment's thought. "Send Mu Yue with me, and together, we'll lead the Root members to crush the Grass Ninja Village."
He was confident that with Orochimaru and Mu Yue by his side, even if they were surrounded by thousands of Grass Ninja, they could easily break through and emerge victorious.
"Bringing Orochimaru back?" Hiruzen questioned, finding the idea far-fetched. "And you want Mu Yue as your subordinate? Are you planning to conquer one of the five great ninja villages?"
"Why don't we assign this task to Minato Namikaze?" suggested Homura Mitokado, seeking a compromise. "He's already in the Grass Country and has the speed and capability to handle the situation."
He agreed more with Hiruzen's cautious approach, finding Danzo's proposal too radical and prone to causing unnecessary complications.
"Sending Minato to investigate would be a waste of time," Danzo objected. "He should be the one questioning the Grass Ninja Village's leader directly."
He felt that the other elders were being too soft in their handling of the situation. As the strongest of the five great ninja villages, Konoha shouldn't tolerate any challenges to their authority, be it from Kirigakure, Iwagakure, or even a lesser village like the Grass Ninja Village.
"Currently, our forces in the Grass Country have reached a delicate balance with those of Iwagakure," Hiruzen explained. "Minato's absence could disrupt that balance."
While he didn't agree with Danzo's aggressive approach, Hiruzen also didn't think that sending Minato on an investigative mission was a wise strategy.
"Mu Yue could handle it," Hiruzen suggested after a moment's thought. "Her second phase of Anbu training is coming to an end, and wrapping it up a little early won't be a problem."
Mu Yue had been leading the second phase of Anbu training, and he believed that bringing it to a close slightly ahead of schedule wouldn't cause any significant issues.
If Mu Yue led a squad of elite ninja to investigate the Grass Ninja Village and confirmed their collusion with Iwagakure, they could take immediate action. Even if Konoha's intelligence turned out to be incorrect and the Grass Ninja Village had no involvement in the war, Mu Yue's elite squad could still serve as a surprise attack force against Iwagakure.
"Mu Yue will lead a squad of Jonin to investigate the Grass Ninja Village," Hiruzen stated his decision. "If they find any irregularities, they are to take immediate action against the Grass Ninja Village. Alternatively, they can provide support to Jiraiya's forces and help turn the tide in our favor."
Danzo was about to object, but when he heard that Hiruzen had chosen someone who was loyal to him, he quickly changed his tune.
"Compared to Minato, Mu Yue is indeed better suited for this task," Danzo agreed.
He trusted that Mu Yue, a ninja who had inherited the will of his Root, would successfully accomplish the mission.
"Indeed, Mu Yue is an excellent choice," Homura stroked his goatee in approval.
Compared to Minato, who bore the weight of crucial missions, Mu Yue, one of Konoha's rising stars, was a more fitting option for this task.
Moreover, among the new generation of Konoha's strongest ninja, Mu Yue's abilities were on par with Minato's.
With the other elders in agreement about Mu Yue, Koharu Utatane followed suit.
As for the specific members of the squad, Hiruzen saw no need to consult the others. There wasn't much to discuss, as Konoha didn't have many Jonin available in the village at the moment.
As Hiruzen's messenger ninja reached Mu Yue, she was in the midst of a lecture.
"Mu Yue-sama, the Third Hokage has an important mission for you," the messenger ninja said. "Please head to the Hokage's office immediately. Your training can be concluded early."
"Understood," Mu Yue replied. She quickly turned to her Anbu trainees and announced the end of the training session before departing with the messenger ninja toward the Hokage Building.
Knock. Knock.
Upon arriving at the Hokage's office, Mu Yue didn't rush inside. Instead, she knocked politely on the door.
"Come in," Hiruzen's voice invited her in.
Mu Yue pushed the door open and stepped into the office. "Third Hokage-sama, what is the important task that requires my attention?" she asked directly.
Since Hiruzen had deemed it necessary to end her training session early, she knew that the word "important" wasn't an exaggeration. Moreover, given the current circumstances, she believed that the task must be related to the ongoing war.
"It's a mission concerning the battlefield in the Grass Country," Hiruzen explained succinctly. "I need you to lead a team to the Grass Ninja Village and investigate whether they are aiding Iwagakure in their attacks on Konoha's ninja forces."
Hiruzen didn't beat around the bush, providing a concise overview of the mission before handing Mu Yue a scroll containing the detailed mission briefing.
"In recent months, Iwagakure has been sending reinforcements to intensify their assaults on our defensive forces in the Grass Country," Hiruzen continued, his expression grave. "Our intelligence ninja have discovered that some 'Iwagakure ninja' may actually be Grass Ninja in disguise.
Our defensive forces in the Grass Country play a crucial role in protecting Konoha. If that line of defense falls, the war could once again reach the Fire Country, and even the gates of Konoha itself." Hiruzen emphasized the significance of the mission, his face stern.
While Konoha was currently engaged in multiple battles on different fronts, the only village that had successfully invaded the Fire Country was Kirigakure. All other enemies had been kept at bay, confined to the neighboring small countries.
"Although Maroshi Ksuke is a Genin, you can definitely consider him a Jonin. He has the qualifications and the strength to become a Jonin, but due to some past experiences, he chooses not to accept the promotion and remains a Genin," Hiruzen explained.
While their true strengths would be evident during the mission, it was important to clarify their ranks beforehand.
Otherwise, it might seem puzzling to include a Genin in such a crucial mission.
"I haven't specifically sent anyone to notify your disciples. The rest of the team will be waiting for you at Training Field 16," Hiruzen added.
"I will complete the mission as soon as possible and get to the bottom of the truth," Mu Yue replied without hesitation, expressing her work ethic succinctly before heading towards the Southern Forest to inform her disciples.
[Under your guidance, the ninjas in the special training have improved in Dark Chanting and chakra nature transformation, resulting in an increase in their overall strength.]
[Rewards obtained: Chakra +1800, Breathing Technique Scroll x2, Chakra Nature Transformation Scroll x1]
As Mu Yue traveled, she glanced at the system notifications.
Even though the training ended earlier than planned, the rewards were still triggered, although the base reward for chakra might be slightly lower.
Since Mu Yue had spent more time teaching Dark Chanting compared to nature transformation and ninjutsu during the training, the rewards for breathing techniques were higher.
Mu Yue then opened her panel to check the proficiency levels of her two bloodline limits.
[Skills: Ice Release (Proficient: 2720/3000) Wood Release (Proficient: 2050/3000)]
Mu Yue expected that Ice Release would reach the Master level through regular mission rewards and her self-cultivation. However, due to the change in plans, it fell slightly short of the required proficiency.
As for Wood Release, Mu Yue used the recently obtained Chakra Nature Transformation Scroll on it. A vast amount of Wood Release training experience flooded her mind, causing the proficiency to surge and surpass Ice Release, reaching the Master level.
[Skills: Wood Release (Master: 50/15000)]
Mu Yue's original plan was to use the enhancement rewards to bring Wood Release to the Master level, so it met her expectations despite having a lower initial proficiency.
As for the two Breathing Technique Scrolls, Mu Yue did not use them as she had already mastered the Yang Breathing Technique and its chakra mode through her own cultivation.
"Everyone except Yamato and Might Guy, stop your training. We have an urgent mission to attend to," Mu Yue announced as she arrived at the Southern Forest, addressing her disciples.
"A mission? What level?" Tobirama asked curiously.
He wasn't opposed to taking on missions; it had been several months since they returned from the battlefield to Konoha, and after a good rest, it was time to get active again.
"It's an S-class war mission."
Mu Yue's reply lit up Tobirama's eyes. The last time on the battlefield, he had been outshone by Shisui and Might Guy. Now that Might Guy wasn't going and Tobirama had mastered the Body Flicker Technique, becoming even stronger, this was his chance to shine.
"Is it a decapitation mission against the leader of an enemy ninja squad?" Tobirama couldn't help but ask.
Kakashi glanced at Mu Yue.
Although Tobirama often asked such questions in the past, Kakashi had to admit that this time, the mission might indeed be one of those high-profile missions that Tobirama fantasized about.
The urgency of the summons, the S-class war mission, and the leadership of Mu Yue, the strongest ninja of the new generation—the combination of these factors suggested that this was no ordinary task.
"No," Mu Yue denied. "There will be other ninjas involved in this mission as well. For now, let's head to Training Field 16 together, and I'll explain the details when the rest of the team arrives."
Rather than explaining twice, it was more efficient to provide a collective explanation once the squad was assembled.
Hearing Mu Yue's words, Tobirama swallowed his questions and hurried along with her towards Training Field 16.
When Mu Yue and her disciples arrived at the training field, they saw three figures standing there.
Although Mu Yue had never interacted with them before, their distinctive appearances made it easy for her to identify them.
The middle-aged man carrying an iron pot was undoubtedly Maroshi Ksuke, and the one dressed in black with sunglasses was most likely Aburame Shiki of the Aburame clan. The remaining one needed no introduction—it was Nara Suzaku.
[Name: Maroshi Ksuke]
[Chakra: 32,000]
[Skills: Water Attribute Chakra Nature Transformation (Master), Yin Attribute Chakra Nature Transformation (Master), Water Dragon Bullet Technique (Master)...]
[Name: Aburame Shiki]
[Chakra: 28,000]
[Skills: Insect Secret Technique (Master), Secret Technique: Parasitic Insects (Master)...]
[Name: Nara Suzaku]
[Chakra: 15,000]
[Skills: Shadow Secret Technique (Master)...]
Mu Yue used her Appraisal to examine each of their panels in detail. Maroshi Ksuke and Aburame Shiki's stats were among the elite Jonin, while Nara Suzaku, despite his unremarkable panel, possessed clan secret techniques that could be useful in critical situations.
"Captain Mu Yue, I'm Nara Suzaku, and I'll be joining you on this mission," Nara Suzaku greeted her first.
As a renowned strong ninja in the ninja world, Mu Yue was recognized by Nara Suzaku, a Jonin of Konoha.
Even if he didn't know Mu Yue personally, it was easy to guess her identity among the five people present, as everyone else besides Mu Yue was a young ninja like Kakashi and Tobirama.
"Aburame Shiki," Aburame Shiki introduced himself concisely, maintaining the traditional demeanor of the Aburame clan.
Maroshi Ksuke smiled amiably and said, "Greetings, Captain Mu Yue.
(End of Chapter)
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