https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-566-Intelligence-and-Mu-Yue-s-Worth/12558849/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-568-The-Most-Heinous-Incident-in-History/12558851/
Chapter 567: Counterattack Plan
Chapter 567: Counterattack Plan
As Mu Yue approached the Grass Country, she used Konoha's special communication methods to get in touch with the ninja squad of the Grass Country.
Out of caution, Mu Yue did not disclose the specific number of troops in the reinforcement squad to the Grass Ninja Squad but instead, went straight to discussing their plan to assemble.
Jiraiya was delighted to hear about the incoming support but declined Mu Yue's request to join forces, informing her of their current situation.
After regrouping, Jiraiya's ninja squad still numbered six hundred and seventy.
Suspecting that there might still be unexposed spies within his ranks, Jiraiya decided to split his large force into smaller teams to hinder the Rock Ninja Squad.
After two attempts to root out the spies, Jiraiya confirmed their presence but was unable to pinpoint who they were and how many there might be.
Jiraiya believed that they shouldn't assemble until the spies were found, or else they would be doomed to repeat their past failure.
"Commander Mu Yue, how should we respond?" Nara Suzaku asked Mu Yue.
Before posing the question to Mu Yue, Nara Suzaku had already racked his brains for a solution but couldn't come up with anything satisfactory.
The best and most direct approach would be to uncover the spies, but Jiraiya's ninja squad was stronger and boasted more exceptional talents than the reinforcement squad.
If Jiraiya's squad hadn't been able to identify the spies, sending in the reinforcements might not make much difference.
Mu Yue paused, deep in thought, before responding.
While it wouldn't be difficult for her to weed out the White Zetsu hiding among the troops, it would certainly be time-consuming to screen each individual.
Mu Yue contemplated turning the tables on the White Zetsu and using them to deceive the Rock Ninja Squad.
Since the White Zetsu could act as spies for the Rock Ninja Squad, it stood to reason that they had also infiltrated the Rock Ninja Squad.
In that case, she could feed false information to the White Zetsu, who would then pass it on to the Rock Ninja Squad, leading them astray.
"Currently, only the vanguard of the reinforcement squad has arrived, consisting of fifty ninjas. They can assemble with you to discuss the upcoming battle," Mu Yue said after some thought.
"Reply to them accordingly," she added. "Also, include the news that I'm with this vanguard."
Nara Suzaku and the other ninjas discussing the matter looked at Mu Yue with confusion, unsure why she had chosen to respond in this manner.
Without identifying the spies first, any assembly would only expose their own intelligence and lead to another setback.
Although Mu Yue had intentionally provided false information about only having fifty ninjas, they couldn't fathom how that would help.
Once they truly assembled and failed to uncover the spies, wouldn't their cover be blown anyway?
"Commander Mu Yue, do you plan to lead these fifty ninjas to help Jiraiya-sama uncover the spies?" Nara Suzaku asked, trying to make sense of Mu Yue's decision.
Only with this explanation could Mu Yue's response be justified.
Mu Yue nodded in agreement. "That's right. I possess a perception ability that allows me to sense others' goodwill and malice towards me. Although those with ill intentions may not necessarily be spies, it will significantly narrow down the search."
There was no way Mu Yue would voluntarily disclose the existence of the Appraisal Technique, as its effects were too heaven-defying.
However, Mu Yue did have a ninjutsu that could sense good and evil, and the Kenbunshoku Haki could be developed in that direction.
But at the moment, her Kenbunshoku Haki had only recently reached the Proficiency level, and her proficiency was still quite low, so she didn't have that ability yet.
Nara Suzaku's eyes widened in surprise, unaware that Mu Yue possessed such an ability.
The ability to discern goodwill and malice was indeed an excellent skill for identifying spies, especially for someone like Mu Yue, who had a stellar reputation.
If someone were a comrade, why would they harbor ill will towards Mu Yue, who was known for her kindness and benevolence?
On the other hand, if they were enemy spies, they would undoubtedly loathe Mu Yue, a renowned genius and powerful ninja, and wish her dead. Thus, sensing their malice would be a telltale sign.
"In that case, leading a small group to join them first does seem more appropriate," agreed Mimura Leaf.
This way, they could avoid exposing the reinforcement squad's intelligence while swiftly aiding the Grass Country ninja squad in escaping their predicament.
Moreover, fifty ninjas were still a considerable force, capable of handling most situations.
Once Jiraiya's side acknowledged the plan and agreed on a rendezvous point, Mu Yue summoned the ninjas she had preselected.
"From now on, we are the vanguard of the reinforcement squad, but the main body of the reinforcement force has not yet arrived in the Grass Country. Keep that in mind," Mu Yue reminded the assembled fifty ninjas.
"Besides me, no matter who brings up the topic of the reinforcement squad, you must not divulge any accurate information.
After imparting these instructions, Mu Yue led the ninjas toward the agreed-upon rendezvous point.
To ensure the remaining support team had sufficient combat strength, Mu Yue brought along his five disciples and 45 other ninjas, mostly composed of mid and low-level ninjas, while leaving most of the high-level ninjas and special jonin in the support team.
As they neared the designated location, Mu Yue first used his Byakugan to sense their surroundings and then carefully scrutinized their environment with his White Eye, ensuring no potential threats were afoot before proceeding with the meeting.
As a precaution, Mu Yue kept his White Eye open, maintaining a constant state of vigilance.
With the Yang Seal, Mu Yue now had an abundance of chakra, so the minor chakra consumption of the White Eye was of little concern.
Jiraiya, along with Minato Namikaze, and his other two disciples, were already waiting at the specified location.
Spotting Mu Yue and his troops approaching, Jiraiya hurried forward and spoke, "This time, the Rock Ninja are acting very strangely. Their intelligence capabilities are ridiculously strong; I have no idea how many spies there might be within our forces."
To ensure a smooth rendezvous with Mu Yue, Jiraiya had taken great care to keep a low profile, informing only a select few and bringing along only his three disciples.
Jiraiya no longer trusted the clan ninjas; if a high-level ninja from the Sarutobi clan could betray them, it wouldn't be surprising if other families had traitors as well.
However, he had absolute faith in his own disciples, having known them since they were young and confident that they were loyal.
"I've looked over the battlefield intelligence, and there are indeed many questionable points," Mu Yue nodded, then turned to the fifty ninjas behind him.
"Except for Kakashi Hatake, Obito Uchiha, and others, the rest of you will disperse and be on guard around the perimeter!"
Mu Yue dispatched all the ninjas except for his disciples to maintain a vigilant watch in the surrounding area.
Although his Byakugan afforded him excellent perception, it was still prudent to have extra eyes and ears.
"Jiraiya-sensei, are you and Minato-sensei alright?" Obito couldn't help but ask, concerned for their well-being.
Minato smiled and shook his head, indicating that he was unharmed.
"Don't joke around," Jiraiya replied, playfully smacking Obito's head. "I'm one of the Sannin; a minor challenge like this won't hurt me. And it's Sage Mode Jiraiya, not 'Jiraiya-sensei'!"
"Yes, Jiraiya-sensei," Obito nodded, unfazed by the rebuke.
In his heart, there were only the Sage of the Six Paths and the Mu Yue Sage.
Jiraiya: ...
"Sigh, we're so pitiful, Dekai. Even though we're in the same unit as Minato, we're like non-existent. Didn't we also help with the training before?" Sorupin sighed.
"Sorupin-senpai, Dekai-senpai, are you injured? I can provide treatment," Rin Nohara offered gently.
"Hehe, no need," Dekai chuckled, waving away the offer. He was merely venting about how they were often overlooked due to their lack of prominence.
Ignoring the mischievous Obito, Jiraiya turned his attention to Mu Yue.
It was a standard precaution to have subordinates maintain a perimeter, but Mu Yue sending almost his entire force to do so indicated that he likely had something important to discuss.
After appraising everyone on Jiraiya's side, Mu Yue spoke, "In fact, the entire support team has already arrived, consisting of 500 ninjas, including fifteen jonin and fifteen special jonin, besides myself..."
Mu Yue began by divulging some basic information about the support team.
"Huh? Weren't we told that only the vanguard had arrived?"
Dekai was bewildered, never expecting their intelligence exchange to be misleading.
"They were probably concerned about spies obtaining information," Minato analyzed.
Indeed, he had found it odd when he first received the intelligence.
Currently, the Rock Ninja far outnumbered the Grass Ninja in the Land of Grass, so sending a small elite squad of fifty rushing to their aid wouldn't significantly impact the battle unless each of those fifty possessed abilities akin to Mu Yue's.
"In that case, Mu Yue, do you intend to capture the spies?" Jiraiya inquired.
Mu Yue's strength was formidable; even alone, he could enhance the safety of their small force.
However, Jiraiya suspected that Mu Yue's intentions went beyond mere protection.
Had he not seen Mu Yue among the so-called vanguard, Jiraiya would have refused the rendezvous, fearing potential complications.
If a person who incites hatred had this ability, then using it to identify spies might not be very effective.
But if the person with this ability was Mu Yue, Jiraiya believed he would be spot on.
Mu Yue was kind and an excellent cook; under normal circumstances, for a ninja from the same village to harbor ill will towards Konoha would be unthinkable, and Jiraiya dared not imagine how deep-seated that hatred would have to be for someone to feel that way towards Mu Yue, known for his benevolence.
While it was impossible for everyone to like Mu Yue, those who didn't probably wouldn't go as far as to harbor 'malice.' At most, they would be indifferent.
"It's all thanks to Sage Mu Yue," Obito praised in his heart.
Jiraiya could only fight a little, but Mu Yue seemed to be omnipotent.
"My idea is to first use my ability to find the spies and then turn the tables on them by feeding them false information, thereby creating a situation favorable to Konoha," Mu Yue said as he pushed his glasses up with his right hand, explaining his plan.
"In that case, the four hundred and fifty hidden ninjas will become a secret weapon!" Jiraiya laughed and patted Mu Yue's shoulder, guessing Mu Yue's thoughts.
He had to admit that Mu Yue's plan was well-considered, even better than his own, and he was a veteran commander.
Of course, it was also because Mu Yue had the crucial ability to turn the tide.
"What do you think we should do next? Should we investigate each small force separately or gather all the troops?" Jiraiya asked after some thought.
Hiruzen's orders did not include integrating the support team directly into the Konoha forces in the Grass Country, so Mu Yue was currently a commander of the same rank as Jiraiya, and they had to discuss and decide together; neither had the authority to command the other.
"Let's gather all the troops. Investigating each small group separately would be too slow, and it would increase the risk of exposing our plan," Mu Yue replied after some thought.
If they investigated each small group separately, they would still need to gather everyone eventually, and Mu Yue was concerned that there might be new White Zetsu during this process. In that case, the cautious Mu Yue might opt to screen everyone again.
Therefore, Mu Yue felt it was better to assemble the entire team from the start, conduct the screening, and then proceed with the plan.
The faster they acted, the less time they gave the enemy to think.
"Good." Jiraiya agreed, finding Mu Yue's reasoning sound.
When their discussion was almost finished, Mu Yue called back the subordinates responsible for the surveillance and headed towards Jiraiya's small force with him.
"I'm sorry, it looks like you'll have to take care of Kushina by yourself for now, Minato, until the war is over," Mu Yue said to Minato Namikaze on the way.
It hadn't been long since Minato had sent him that letter, and then Hiruzen's orders had come down.
Minato smiled awkwardly and said, "I hope so. Lately, there have been too many unexpected events."
He had written that letter because he had a premonition about the war with Iwagakure, but the actual developments had exceeded his expectations.
If it weren't for Mu Yue's ability to sense malice, Minato estimated that the Konoha forces in the Grass Country would have been on the defensive for a long time, even with reinforcements.
"If the spy was the reason for the defeat of the Konoha forces in the Grass Country...
Then, wouldn't the Rock Ninja view Mu Yue, with his special perception ability, as a thorn in their side? Could that be why he was surrounded and killed by many powerful Rock Ninja?" Kakashi thought.
Kakashi had never been a high-ranking member of a ninja squad, but he had seen his fair share of battlefields in recent years.
The spy incident that caused the Konoha forces in the Grass Country to fail without any sign must have been a significant event.
"When we get there, don't talk too much," Kakashi reminded Obito.
Following Mu Yue, they now knew a lot of confidential information.
Obito's face darkened. "Kakashi, you underestimate me too much. I'm not the kind of person who blabs about everything."
"Hehe," Kakashi smiled faintly without saying a word.
Obito reddened. If the timing had been right, he would have liked to have a match with Kakashi.
"Just you wait and see!" Obito muttered.
To prove to Kakashi that he could keep a secret, Obito decided that when they arrived, he wouldn't talk to any ninja who wasn't his friend. That way, there was no way he could leak any information.
Kakashi nodded inwardly, observing Obito's reaction.
PS: There will be another chapter later, probably around three o'clock.
(End of Chapter)
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