https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-495-Conclusion-of-the-Anbu-Training-Part-1-/12558744/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-496-Racing-Through-the-Grass-Ninja-Village/12558746/
Chapter 495: Conclusion of the Anbu Training (Part 2)
Chapter 495: Conclusion of the Anbu Training (Part 2)
I'm Maroshi Ksuke, a Genin."
Despite being the oldest ninja present, Maroshi Ksuke didn't act superior and showed respect to Mu Yue as the team leader.
"Why are you still a Genin at your age, Pot Man?" Tobirama asked in surprise upon hearing Maroshi Ksuke's introduction.
Although Maito Dai became a Chunin at a late age, Maroshi Ksuke was significantly older.
Tobirama rarely encountered such cases, as most ninjas over 20 years old had at least become Chunin.
"That's not right, there must be some problem," said Obito, scratching his head in confusion.
"No problem," Maroshi reassured him. "After this mission, you'll definitely be promoted. After all, this is an S-class war mission. As long as you follow Teacher Mu Yue's instructions, you'll definitely complete it successfully."
Obito patted his chest, indicating that this mission would be a breeze with Mu Yue's guidance.
Maroshi smiled but remained silent. If he wanted a promotion, he could have become a jonin long ago. Recently, he had even turned down Hiruzen's offer to become a jonin.
"It doesn't matter to me anymore; I'm a ninja with no future. You, on the other hand, should focus on your own development," Maroshi said with a smile, offering friendly advice to Obito.
Although he didn't want a promotion for himself, he didn't want to see his helpful junior fall into the same situation as him.
Obito puffed out his chest proudly and said, "I'm already a Konoha jonin..."
"He's Uchiha Obito, and I'm Hatake Kakashi," Kakashi interrupted, finishing Obito's self-introduction for him.
Haku and Rin quickly followed with brief introductions as well.
Obito glared at Kakashi, annoyed that he kept cutting him off.
However, when Mu Yue started speaking, Obito could only silently note Kakashi's actions, planning to settle the score later.
"The first investigation we'll be conducting is..." Mu Yue repeated the mission details Hiruzen had given him to the team members, then took out the mission scroll for them to read.
The mission was actually quite straightforward—to weaken Iwagakure's forces in the Grass Country.
If the Grass Ninja Village was truly aiding Iwagakure, Mu Yue's team would need to strike them, making them pay a price for their actions and ensuring they couldn't continue helping Iwagakure.
Ideally, Mu Yue's team would defeat some Grass Ninja, capture the village leaders, and negotiate a peace treaty with compensation for damages, turning the Grass Ninja Village from an ally of Iwagakure into an ally of Konoha.
Even if the Grass Ninja Village was acting out of hatred and would only provide minimal assistance, it was still better than having them side with Iwagakure.
If the Grass Ninja Village was truly innocent and being framed, then Mu Yue's team would be a valuable asset on the battlefield, creating opportunities for Konoha's ninja forces.
The best-case scenario would be for them to arrive just as a battle between the two forces was taking place, allowing them to strike from the side and eliminate some of Iwagakure's stronger ninja.
Although the mission seemed focused on the Grass Ninja Village, it was actually aimed at Iwagakure, with the ultimate goal of gaining an advantage for Konoha in the war.
"Let's go." After explaining the mission, Mu Yue led the team out of Konoha, heading straight for the Grass Country.
They traveled throughout the day and stopped in the evening to rest and eat.
Even though ninjas were physically superior to ordinary people, they still needed three meals a day, and hunger could affect their combat abilities.
"I'll cook," offered Maroshi, who was a fairly good cook.
As the only genin in the team, it made sense for him to take on more of the chores.
Obito stared at Maroshi, wide-eyed. He had just shared a surefire strategy for success, and Maroshi was repaying him with this?
One of the best parts about being on a mission was getting to eat Mu Yue's cooking every meal. Back in Konoha, it wasn't easy to get an invitation to Mu Yue's place for a meal.
Although Mu Yue was always welcoming, Obito and the others felt too guilty to impose, considering how much Mu Yue already did for them.
Noticing Obito's gaze, Maroshi smiled and said, "Although I may be boasting, my cooking skills are passable."
Maroshi thought Obito was worried about his culinary skills.
Obito: ...
Obito wanted to say that if the food was only passable, they should let Mu Yue, the culinary god, take over.
But he couldn't bring himself to say it, as it would sound like he was ordering Mu Yue around, which seemed a bit disrespectful.
"I'll help," Mu Yue said, nodding.
"I'll go gather some ingredients," Kakashi said, not wanting to freeload.
"Me too," Obito chimed in, eager to find some of his favorite foods nearby.
In the end, all of Mu Yue's disciples went to gather ingredients, while Mu Yue and Maroshi prepared the cooking area, and Nara Suzaku and Shino Aburame kept watch over the surroundings.
Technically, they were still within the borders of the Fire Country, so they were unlikely to encounter enemy ninja. However, as experienced jonin, they wouldn't give their enemies any opportunities.
Kakashi caught several fresh fish, and Haku brought back various types of mushrooms. None of the disciples returned empty-handed.
As they prepared the ingredients together, Maroshi noticed Mu Yue's exceptional skills and gradually ceded control to him, going from helping Mu Yue to assisting him.
Obito nodded in satisfaction, watching this unfold. It was best to lie low and let Mu Yue carry the team to success. Sometimes, doing too much could backfire.
Soon, a steaming pot of fish soup was ready, filling the air with a mouthwatering aroma.
Even the usually silent Shino was moved, silently picking up a bowl to join the line for the soup.
As they drank the delicious soup, Maroshi felt as though he were underwater, experiencing a sense of freedom unlike anything a human could feel.
"After eating Teacher Mu Yue's cooking, I doubt anyone would want to eat anyone else's," Maroshi marveled.
He finally understood why Obito had looked at him that way earlier; he must have wanted to eat Mu Yue's cooking but felt too awkward to say so.
"Indeed," Nara Suzaku agreed.
This was an unexpected bonus; he hadn't expected Mu Yue, a powerful young ninja, to also be a culinary master.
Obito and the others didn't respond, fully immersed in the delicious meal. With their experience, they knew that chatting while eating Mu Yue's food was a bad idea, as the food would disappear faster than they could talk.
Only after finishing his meal did Obito say with a satisfied expression, "Of course, Teacher Mu Yue's cooking is unparalleled!"
"Awesome," Shino said succinctly.
After dinner, they continued their journey toward the Grass Country.
...
Yokokawa Tsuto frowned as he looked at the massive box, which continued to devour the corpses of ninja but showed no signs of opening. "How much chakra does this Bliss Box need to absorb before it opens?" he muttered to himself.
In order to open the Bliss Box, Yokokawa had not only offered up all the collected ninja corpses as sacrifices but also ordered the Grass Ninja to channel their chakra into it. Yet, after several months, the box still showed no signs of opening.
His plan hinged on the success of opening the Bliss Box; otherwise, all his efforts would be for naught.
There was no middle ground or option to give up, as giving up would mean failure.
Their collaboration with Iwagakure was not something that could be easily ended, as Iwagakure was not an easy village to deal with.
"Don't expect it to directly rule the world, but at least don't let the chakra it absorbs go to waste." Yokokawa Nu still didn't believe that the box could grant wishes.
His expectations for the Bliss Box were simple. Even if it couldn't directly grant wishes, as long as it could infuse the absorbed chakra into him, that would be enough.
With such a massive amount of chakra, coupled with his own ninjutsu prowess, Yokokawa Nu believed that the Grass Ninja Village could produce a "true god" among ninjas.
"If it can really grant wishes, what would you wish for?" Yokokawa Nu asked, curious about Muchang's answer.
Muchang was a child prodigy of the Grass Ninja Village, and Yokokawa Nu had always groomed him to be the next leader of the Grass Fruit faction.
"I wish for the Grass Ninja Village to rule over the ninja world." Muchang replied without hesitation.
"Don't you want to wish for immortality or to become the strongest?" Yokokawa Nu inquired further.
There was no doubt about the importance of strength to a ninja; without it, every mission would be a walk on the razor's edge between life and death.
And when it came to lifespan, who wouldn't want to live forever if given the choice? Yokokawa Nu believed that given the opportunity, most people would wish for one of these two things.
Muchang looked at him strangely, "But you said yourself that the Bliss Box couldn't possibly grant those kinds of wishes, right?"
"That's because I don't believe it, but you do." Yokokawa Nu said with a smile.
Muchang thought for a moment, then looked at Yokokawa Nu seriously and said, "Even if the Bliss Box could grant any wish, I would still wish for what I said before."
"There will always be endless wars in the ninja world. If a single power could rule over the entire ninja world, then maybe those wars would disappear, and my son could live in a world without conflict."
Yokokawa Nu was taken aback. He had expected Muchang to say something about the loyalty of the Grass Ninja Village, but this was not what he had anticipated.
Yokokawa Nu laughed and patted Muchang's shoulder, "It seems that you really love your child. But don't spoil him too much. When it comes to training, be strict when necessary. I'm looking forward to seeing another genius emerge from the Grass Ninja Village."
Yokokawa Nu didn't mind that Muchang's wish was driven by personal motives. After all, it was impossible for someone to be completely selfless.
Take himself, for example. Although he hadn't said it out loud, Yokokawa Nu wanted to strengthen his own power in addition to seeking the rise of the Grass Ninja Village.
He yearned to become a top-tier powerhouse, the kind of ninja whose presence alone would bring prestige to his village.
However, as the leader, he couldn't openly express such desires, as it might undermine the unity of the village.
"Leader, someone from the Grass Flower faction is looking for you..." Just then, a Grass Ninja from the ANBU interrupted Yokokawa Nu's conversation with Muchang, whispering into his ear.
"You stay here and keep an eye on the box. Don't let anything happen to it." Yokokawa Nu instructed Muchang and then left the underground base, heading towards the Grass Ninja administrative building.
In the office of the Grass Ninja leader, Yokokawa Nu pushed open the door and saw the leader of the Grass Flower faction sitting in the only chair in the room.
As Yokokawa Nu entered, the Grass Flower leader was about to speak up but was interrupted.
"I am the leader here." Yokokawa Nu reminded him.
Although the other man was a faction leader, Yokokawa Nu was now the leader of the entire Grass Ninja Village, outranking him.
"What? You want me to get another chair for the office?" the Grass Flower leader asked in response, clearly unhappy.
"If your faction can save some funds, I'll get another chair for the office." Yokokawa Nu smiled and sat back in his leader's chair.
The Grass Flower leader rolled his eyes at Yokokawa Nu's response.
The Grass Ninja standing at the door silently gave Yokokawa Nu a thumbs-up. No wonder he was the leader; with just a few words, he had defused the tense atmosphere.
"Yokokawa, where have all the ninjas in the village gone? I've noticed that there seem to be fewer ninjas around lately." The Grass Flower leader brought up the reason for his visit.
Yokokawa Nu's expression remained unchanged, "With so many missions happening every day, how am I supposed to remember them all? If you want to know, go check the records yourself."
Yokokawa Nu had already falsified the mission records, and there was no way the Grass Flower faction could uncover the truth.
The Grass Flower leader stared intently into Yokokawa Nu's eyes, as if trying to detect any signs of deception, but Yokokawa Nu met his gaze without flinching, appearing honest and forthright.
"With the recent influx of war refugees into the village, we should deploy more ninjas to maintain peace and order in the village and the surrounding areas." The Grass Flower leader eventually looked away and made his suggestion.
As Yokokawa Nu was now the leader of the Grass Ninja Village, the other man couldn't question him too much, as it would undermine the leader's authority.
"Yes, the influx of refugees is indeed a problem. I will make the necessary arrangements." Yokokawa Nu nodded in agreement.
"Yokokawa, don't forget that the survival of the Grass Country relies on maintaining a delicate balance and staying neutral. Don't do anything reckless," the Grass Flower leader reminded him before leaving.
Despite their differences in opinion about the village's development, both the Grass Fruit and Grass Flower factions were part of the Grass Ninja Village, and they were not enemies.
"What? Do you want me to join your Grass Flower faction? I'm the leader of the Grass Fruit faction." Yokokawa Nu joked in response.
"If we don't take risks, how can we change the status quo? The major ninja villages won't just sit by and let us develop undisturbed."
The Grass Flower leader, Ryuhi, turned and left the leader's office to investigate the mission records.
They were old rivals, and Ryuhi knew that it would take more than a few words to change Yokokawa Nu's mind.
As Ryuhi left, Yokokawa Nu took out the plan and carefully reviewed it to ensure that there were no loopholes that could lead to unexpected problems.
Aside from the unpredictable Bliss Box, he wanted to make sure that the rest of the plan proceeded without a hitch.
PS: I encountered some issues and wasn't able to update as planned.
Then, out of concern, I did some research online and came across symptoms similar to glaucoma, which scared me.
Tomorrow, I'll cancel all my plans and get a thorough check-up. I really hope it's not glaucoma...
I hope the information I found online is exaggerated and not an accurate representation.
(End of Chapter)
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