Chapter 507: Might Guy for the Fourth Hokage? (8k Two-in-One)

Chapter 507: Might Guy for the Fourth Hokage? (8k Two-in-One)



Meeting with Kushina was no easy feat.

In the past, Mu Yue would typically arrange a meeting through the Anbu who delivered meals, asking them to convey a message and set a time.

However, Mu Yue now held a rather unique position within the Anbu, so the process could be more straightforward, and he didn't need to wait for a fixed time to make an appointment.

Upon reaching the agreed-upon location, Mu Yue spotted Kushina standing under a large tree.

Seemingly intent on competing with Mu Yue, aside from their first meeting where he had arrived earlier, Kushina had been the first to arrive every other time.

Although he didn't know what Kushina looked like, when Karin saw that splash of vibrant red, she had a feeling that this person was the Kushina Uzumaki that Mu Yue had spoken of.

"Kushina, good afternoon," Mu Yue said with a smile as he approached and greeted her.

Kushina was about to respond when her attention was drawn to Karin standing beside Mu Yue.

Kushina stroked her chin and scrutinized Karin carefully, forming some speculations in her mind.

If Mu Yue was bringing someone to meet her, there were only two possibilities: the person was either closely related to Mu Yue or connected to her in some way.

Karin remained silent, observing Kushina. Even without exchanging words, she could clearly sense the difference in their personalities.

After taking a good look at Karin, Kushina turned her gaze to Mu Yue.

"Karin Uzumaki, a survivor of the Uzumaki clan."

"Mu Yue, so you really do like red hair. I thought..."

They spoke simultaneously—Mu Yue introducing Karin and Kushina voicing her inner speculation.

"What did you think?" Mu Yue feigned confusion and looked at Kushina.

The first time he met Minato and Kushina, he had praised Kushina's hair to gain favor, and now it seemed that Kushina had misunderstood his relationship with Karin.

"Ahaha, it's nothing." Kushina laughed it off, realizing her mistake.

"Hello, I'm Kushina Uzumaki." Kushina then introduced herself with a serious expression and looked at Karin.

Since the Uzumaki clan's destruction, Karin was only the second Uzumaki clan member she had come across.

The other was Mito Uzumaki, who had also lived in Konoha, but she had passed away, so Kushina was delighted to meet another member of the Uzumaki clan, especially one her age.

"Nice to meet you, Kushina," Karin said, introducing herself formally, despite Mu Yue having already done so.

It had been a long time since she had met someone from her clan, and Karin couldn't help but feel excited.

As members of the Uzumaki clan, they reminisced about their childhoods and the Uzumaki country.

As they chatted, they realized that their homes in the Uzumaki country were just a few streets apart.

If not for Kushina being sent to Konoha and the destruction of the Uzumaki country, they might have been classmates in the Uzumaki country's school, walking to and from school together.

The conversation took a somber turn as they reflected on these possibilities.

Even the usually lively Kushina couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness as she recalled the demise of her family and country.

Thinking about her parents, relatives, and neighbors—all of whom had perished in the war that ravaged her country—it was difficult for her to maintain a cheerful mood.

"I understand your excitement at meeting someone from your clan, but don't forget about me completely," Mu Yue said, steering the conversation in a different direction and drawing their attention back to him.

"Hehe, I got a little carried away," Kushina said, scratching her head in explanation.

Then, as if remembering something, she asked, "By the way, how did you two meet? Weren't you on a mission, Mu Yue?"

Kushina could tell whether Mu Yue was in the village or not by whether he prepared a meal for her. If she didn't receive a meal from him, it usually meant he was away on a mission.

"We met during a mission in the Grass Country," Mu Yue replied succinctly.

"That's it?" Kushina widened her eyes, feeling that this explanation was too simplistic, as if he were describing a casual outing.

"Well, I encountered some danger in the Grass Ninja Village, and Mu Yue-san rescued me," Karin added. "Seeing that I was struggling, he brought me back to Konoha."

She was deeply grateful to Mu Yue, who had helped her immensely, both in the Grass Ninja Village and in Konoha.

In Karin's eyes, Mu Yue was undoubtedly one of the kindest people she had ever met.

"That's more like it," Kushina nodded, satisfied that Karin's story, though brief, was enough to paint a picture of a heroic rescue.

She imagined a scenario where Karin, due to her Uzumaki bloodline, was kidnapped, and Mu Yue swooped in to save her...

"Wait a minute," Kushina said, a strong sense of deja vu washing over her. "This sounds just like what happened between me and Minato!"

Initially, her relationship with Minato hadn't been great. She had found him odd and annoying, and she resented the fact that he seemed to be competing with her for the position of Hokage.

It was only after she was kidnapped by Kumo and Minato rescued her that she got to know the real Minato, and their relationship began to change for the better.

"Could it be that the world is just a giant version of Minato and me?" Kushina wondered, considering Mu Yue's resemblance to Minato and Karin's Uzumaki heritage.

She studied the two of them more closely but quickly dismissed the idea, as they didn't seem to be particularly close, not even like friends.

"Let's talk some more and see what Karin is like," Kushina decided, wanting to get to know Karin better.

Mu Yue had never had a girlfriend, and if it weren't for the lack of suitable candidates, Kushina would have tried to set him up with someone long ago.

If Karin turned out to have a pleasant personality, Kushina thought she might try to play matchmaker for the two of them.

...

As mealtime approached, Obito finally finished his training and left the Southern Border Forest with Kakashi to return home.

"I'm home!" Obito called out eagerly even before he reached the front door.

"Oh, it's Obito," his grandmother replied with a warm smile as she walked towards the door.

"Grandma, how are you feeling lately?" Obito asked as he entered the house and joined his grandmother in the living room.

"I'm not senile yet, you know," she said with a laugh, assuring him that she was doing well. "You've only been gone for a short while, so there shouldn't be any noticeable changes."

The last time Obito had been away for an extended period was during the battle on the East Coast, when he had only returned to Konoha once in over six months.

Obito scratched his head sheepishly, knowing that his grandmother was just teasing him. As long as she remained healthy, he didn't mind her playful jabs.

"Grandma, where's Little Fire Dragon? Did he go out to play?" Obito asked, thinking of the summoning creature he kept at home.

He had high hopes for Little Fire Dragon and wanted it to become stronger than Jiraiya's toads one day.

"Little Fire Dragon is right there," his grandmother said, pointing to a spot near them.

"Little Fire Dragon, why are you sleeping at this hour? Wake up!" Obito called out.

It was understandable to take a nap during the day, but it was already dinnertime, and Obito had reason to suspect that Little Fire Dragon had been slacking off in his absence.

Hearing Obito's voice, Little Fire Dragon shook its body and waddled towards him. It had been eating a bit too much lately, and all the extra food was making it drowsy.

"Is this Little Fire Dragon?" Obito looked at the creature's round little belly and couldn't help but doubt his eyes.

He remembered leaving it as a small dragon, but now, after just one mission, it had turned into a chubby little dragon.

"Roar!" Little Fire Dragon let out an unhappy growl.

How dare it be insulted as a dragon! If it wasn't a dragon, then who was?

Obito twitched his lips and grabbed Little Fire Dragon by the scruff of its neck, lifting it up to eye level.

"Little Fire Dragon, did you slack off at all while I was gone? How did you get so chubby all of a sudden?" Obito asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

Little Fire Dragon shook its head. It might have taken a little break during the rainy days, but it hadn't completely neglected its training.

The real reason for its plump state was the excellent meals provided by Obito's grandmother.

Obito couldn't tell if Little Fire Dragon was telling the truth, so after a moment's thought, he said, "Never mind what happened before. From now on, you need to increase your training and go on a diet."

Little Fire Dragon already lacked a formidable presence, and with its round belly, it had even less intimidation factor.

"Fire Dragon!" Little Fire Dragon shook its head in disagreement, feeling that its current state was just fine and that there was no need to lose weight.

"Are you saying that's not enough, and we need to increase the training intensity?" Obito guessed.

Little Fire Dragon: ...

If it weren't for the fact that it couldn't breathe fire as well as Obito, it would have spat a fireball at him right then and there for treating it unfairly, just because it couldn't speak human language!

"What do you think of this training plan?" Obito asked, presenting a training schedule he had crafted for Little Fire Dragon based on Mu Yue's previous training regimen.

Little Fire Dragon turned its head away, refusing to speak until it had a translator. It wasn't about to give Obito any more opportunities to accuse it of things it hadn't done.

On the other side, Solo, the creature that Little Fire Dragon had been longing to see, was enjoying a delicious dinner prepared by Itachi.

Among all the ninja beasts, Solo stood out for its exceptional intelligence and unique genjutsu abilities. As a result, Itachi hadn't sent Solo to live with anyone else; instead, he provided ample food and money, allowing Solo to live independently.

On lazy days, it could feast on the Inuzuka family's specially made dog food, and when it craved something hot, it could use its genjutsu to transform into a human and buy itself a tasty treat.

"How's the solitary life treating you?" Itachi asked, removing his apron as he finished preparing the meal.

"It was exciting at first, but I started missing you after a while," Solo replied thoughtfully, looking up at Itachi.

For Solo, the atmosphere of the Southern Border Forest was more appealing.

Although the training was rigorous, the downtime spent chatting and playing pranks with the others was fun. Without the entertainment of tricking Obito, Solo's life had become much duller.

"Once you get stronger, I'll take you with me on missions," Itachi said soothingly, stroking the fiery red hair on Solo's head.

As the ninja beasts were still very young and their strength was undeveloped, none of the disciples had brought their beasts with them, not even Kakashi, whose beast had hatched the earliest.

After all, they were about to embark on a high-level war mission, where the likelihood of encountering powerful enemies was extremely high.

After dinner, Itachi took Solo for a half-hour walk around the Uchiha clan grounds.

Upon returning Solo home, Itachi left to attend the Uchiha clan meeting, which was held regularly.

Due to Obito's dislike of such gatherings and Itachi's previous actions that had earned him a degree of respect within the Uchiha clan, Itachi chose not to invite Obito along.

"Itachi, it's been a while. Were you away on a mission again?" Itachi encountered Uchiha Inabi on his way to the South Shrine.

Itachi nodded in confirmation.

"Recently, I've come across a dilemma regarding Fire Release jutsu. Do you have some time later to discuss it?" Uchiha Inabi inquired.

Despite Itachi being significantly younger, Uchiha Inabi, a pure-blooded Uchiha known for his strength, did not hesitate to seek guidance from Itachi. After all, Itachi was a formidable warrior capable of defeating him in an instant.

"Let's talk after the clan meeting," Itachi agreed.

Aside from his personality, Itachi had another consideration in mind.

He believed that he needed to cultivate companions within the Uchiha clan who shared his ideals, so they could work together to bring about change.

Uchiha Inabi was one of the more prominent figures among the younger generation of Uchiha, well-respected by his peers. He was a suitable candidate for what Itachi had in mind.

However, the primary reason Itachi chose Uchiha Inabi was that he currently aligned with neither the hawkish nor the dovish factions; he was simply a Uchiha with a strong sense of clan honor.

Uchiha Inabi agreed with the hawkish elders' proposals solely because he believed they would enhance the Uchiha clan's strength. Once Itachi clarified the potential consequences, Uchiha Inabi decisively supported Itachi's stance.

"Then I'll trouble you, Itachi," Uchiha Inabi said with a smile.

The two of them, with Itachi in the lead and Uchiha Inabi following behind, entered the South Shrine.

As soon as Itachi stepped into the shrine, numerous Uchiha clan members greeted him.

For the Uchiha clan, defeating a clan elder was far more tangible than battlefield rumors, so Itachi's reputation within the clan had soared after the tournament.

Itachi responded to each greeting individually—a habit he had picked up from Mu Yue.

To further increase his favorability among the clan, Itachi had obtained a list of all Uchiha ninja from Fugaku and memorized their names and faces to ensure he didn't miss anyone.

Uchiha Sadaaki, noticing this, became even more intrigued by Itachi.

A powerful genius was one thing, but a genius who also knew how to win people's hearts and minds was truly formidable.

"As expected of Mirror's descendant, could he possibly accomplish what Mirror couldn't?" Uchiha Sadaaki wondered, but ultimately shook his head in disbelief.

Even if Itachi surpassed Uchiha Mirror, he felt it was unrealistic.

In Uchiha Sadaaki's opinion, unless Konoha underwent a major upheaval, the Uchiha clan's aspirations of becoming Hokage or even attaining a high-ranking position in the village were mere pipe dreams.

As the meeting commenced, Uchiha Sadaaki set aside his musings and, after a moment's contemplation, spoke up.

"To restore the Uchiha clan to its former glory, we must gain greater influence in Konoha. The most important thing is to have a Uchiha as the next Hokage!"

"During the Warring States period, the Uchiha clan was on par with the Senju clan. Now, the Senju clan has already produced two Hokage, while we Uchiha have yet to have a single one. I believe this is unacceptable."

"No matter how difficult it is to go from nothing to something, we Uchiha must do our utmost to attain the position of Hokage!"

Uchiha Sadaaki's passionate words instantly ignited the atmosphere in the South Shrine. The Uchiha ninja present were inspired by his speech, believing that if the Senju clan could do it, so could they.

If a Uchiha were to become the Hokage, it would make resolving the Uchiha issue much easier.

"Then how do we compete for the position of Hokage?" one of the Uchiha clan members asked.

Everyone knew that having a clan member as the Hokage would be beneficial, but the path to becoming Hokage was incredibly challenging.

Currently, the Three Ninjas of Konoha were at the peak of their power, and no ninja in their clan could match them.

"To become the Hokage, the most important things are contributions to Konoha and strength. I believe that Clan Head Uchiha Fugaku is the most qualified candidate," Uchiha Seishin suggested, putting Uchiha Fugaku forward.

Uchiha Seishin was merely spouting slogans to boost the clan's reputation; he had no intention of making Uchiha Fugaku the Hokage.

After all, if Fugaku failed, the embarrassment would be his alone, not Seishin's.

Uchiha Seishin was waiting for the right moment to step in, incite the Uchiha's emotions, and increase the influence of the hawkish faction.

Uchiha Seishin already had a rough idea of what he would say: that Uchiha Fugaku's failure was not due to a lack of ability, but because Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other higher-ups were biased against the Uchiha clan.

"Clan Head Fugaku is indeed the strongest ninja among us Uchiha. He should be the most promising candidate," one of the Uchiha responded, echoing Seishin's words.

Uchiha Fugaku was taken aback, not expecting Uchiha Seishin to suddenly put him forward like this.

As he looked at the expectant expressions on the faces of his clan members, Fugaku's expression turned hesitant.

Did he not know his own strength? Without having unlocked the Mangekyo Sharingan, he might not even be a match for Itachi and Shisui in a few years. How could he possibly compete with the Three Ninjas?

But as the clan head, outright admitting that he wasn't qualified to be Hokage would be a blow to the clan's morale, and Fugaku was unsure of what to do.

"The Third Hokage is still strong and healthy, and the next Hokage election is far off. Elder Seishin, why don't you tell us how we should assist Clan Head Fugaku in becoming Hokage so that we can start preparing," Itachi suggested, trying to ease the situation.

Itachi had once fought against Uchiha Fugaku, and while he wasn't weak, he didn't reach the level of the Three Ninjas.

In Itachi's opinion, Uchiha Fugaku might not even be a match for Might Guy in his Eight Gates Chakra Mode.

After all, Fugaku's Sharingan genjutsu would be ineffective against Guy.

Uchiha Seishin didn't believe that Uchiha Fugaku could become the Hokage, and he didn't think too deeply about it. He simply mentioned some of the things that Uchiha Izuna had done in the past.

After the meeting, Itachi kept his promise and guided Uchiha Inabi. He then went to Mu Moon's house and told her about what had happened at the clan meeting.

"If an Uchiha becomes the Hokage or a high-ranking official, it would undoubtedly benefit your plan. However, it's not realistic to expect that to happen in a short period," Mu Moon said, shaking her head.

Unless it was during the era of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, the Uchiha clan would face immense resistance.

"But this is actually an opportunity. You can use the excuse that the Uchiha clan monopolizing the Police Force will incite jealousy and affect the Hokage election to convince the Uchiha higher-ups to reform the Police Force," Mu Moon suggested.

In Mu Moon's plan, if the issues with the Police Force were thoroughly resolved, Itachi's life mission would progress by about forty percent.

The Police Force was one of the key reasons why the Uchiha clan ended up the way it did.

Senju Tobirama truly understood the Uchiha clan; who would have thought that this seemingly generous allocation of power to the Uchiha actually hid a deadly poison?

Itachi wore an expression of deep thought.

After considering Mu Moon's suggestion, he found that it was much better than his original plan.

The best part of Mu Moon's idea was to use the allure of power to entice the Uchiha clan to give up the Police Force, which was detrimental to their interests.

Suggesting that the Police Force was harmful to the Uchiha and that they should give it up would be seen as madness. However, if they were to sacrifice some of the Police Force's interests for the sake of the Hokage position, the perception would be completely different.

"It's truly wonderful to have a teacher like you," Itachi said sincerely.

Every time he met with Mu Moon, he felt that he had learned and gained a lot. Yet, each time, he realized that there was still so much more to learn from her.

...

Rain Country, Ninja Sect Headquarters.

The intensive training for the relocation to the eastern part of the Rain Country was nearing its end, and Mu Moon's shadow clone once again assigned tasks to the Ninja Sect ninjas, asking them to spread the word about the upcoming grand lecture.

To achieve a higher-level lecture reward, Mu Moon pulled out all the stops to generate positive publicity.

The Rain Ninja Village was Mu Moon's key target for promotion, and everyone from the Rain Ninja Leader, Hanzo, to the lower-ranking ninjas, knew that Mu Moon would be giving an unlimited week-long lecture in the near future.

Not only the Rain Ninjas who collaborated with the Ninja Sect, but also rogue ninjas or ninjas from other countries, were all welcome to attend without any prerequisites.

"That Ninja Master's lecture... I kind of want to go. I heard he's an amazing teacher," a Rain Ninja said.

"I want to go, but I'm also hesitant. Although we're partners, Leader Hanzo might not like them, and I might get punished for going," another Rain Ninja replied.

"That's a tough situation. Just disguise yourself with a Transformation Jutsu if you really want to go," a third ninja suggested.

"Good idea. I'll go in disguise on the first day to see what it's like. If it's not as great as they say or if he doesn't teach anything useful, I'll come back," the second ninja agreed.

Hanzo, who was patrolling the Rain Ninja Village, overheard his subordinates' conversation and sighed softly.

What kind of image did he have in their eyes now? Was he seen as a leader who was so humiliated after his defeat by Sou Yuuke that his subordinates were afraid of being punished just for attending a lecture?

What troubled Hanzo even more was that he himself had a similar thought fleeting across his mind.

The idea that his subordinates yearned for Sou Yuuke's teachings made him feel uncomfortable; they were his subordinates, after all.

However, upon further reflection, Hanzo could somewhat understand their sentiments. Even before Hanzo defeated Kakuzu and joined forces with him, Sou Yuuke was already renowned for his teaching abilities.

If he didn't possess true ability, he wouldn't have attracted so many ninjas to follow him.

"Maybe I should go and take a look as well," Hanzo thought to himself.

As he pondered, he realized that he didn't really know much about Sou Yuuke, whom he considered a formidable enemy.

What was Sou Yuuke's true purpose? Why did he create the Ninja Sect? What kind of person was he? Hanzo only had a vague sense of these things.

Kakashi, however, urged Obito not to underestimate others. In his opinion, Sou Yuuke was a formidable foe, akin to an enhanced version of Hanzo.

Yamato, on the other hand, was baffled by their conversation, as he had no knowledge of Hanzo or the Ninja Teacher. With his unique background, he felt like a novice in the ninja world, and even Obito could occasionally flex his intellectual superiority over him.

Danzo, oblivious to their banter, was lost in thought about the Uchiha clan's affairs during their break time.

"Teacher Mu Yue, are you going to attend the lecture? I think you should go and show them what a real Ninja Teacher can do." Obito hoped that Mu Yue would reclaim the title that was rightfully his.

Mu Yue smiled and shook his head, finding the idea of crashing someone else's lecture a bit frivolous and unnecessary.

"There are always people greater than you. Don't be so quick to assume that you're unparalleled," Mu Yue reminded his student.

While he appreciated his disciples' faith in him, he also wanted them to recognize that there were other talented individuals in the world.

"Teacher Mu Yue is a peerless immortal," Obito muttered, his conviction unwavering.

Even the mythical status of a "peerless immortal" couldn't shake Obito's unwavering faith in his teacher.

Root Organization.

"An unlimited lecture? Sou Yuuke, you are indeed a formidable threat." Danzo, upon receiving the intelligence report from Root, immediately recognized the potential danger this man posed.

It was Sou Yuuke's lectures that initially drew ninjas to him, eventually leading to the formation of the Ninja Sect.

Now, with this highly publicized lecture, Danzo was convinced that Sou Yuuke was aiming to expand and strengthen the Ninja Sect.

As the Rain Ninja Village shared a border with the Fire Country, Danzo couldn't allow a small country like Rain to become too powerful, as it would threaten Konoha's interests.

Danzo immediately dispatched Root squads to the Rain Country to reinforce the local Root forces.

He sensed that the Ninja Sect was planning something big in the Rain Country, and this might be his chance to obtain the Ninja Sect's legacy and the Rinnegan.

PS: In the anime, it was revealed that Hiruzen had awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan, but this occurred after he had lost his best friend in battle. Since the Third Ninja War hasn't reached that point yet, Hiruzen hasn't awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end