Chapter 616: Receiving Rewards
Chapter 616: Receiving Rewards
Name: Uchiha Shizui
Life Mission: Uchiha and Konoha
Main Objective: Resolve the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha, integrating the Uchiha into Konoha
Mission Progress: 46.8%
Danzo Shimura's death directly caused Shizui's life mission progress to become the highest among all disciples, not only reaching a settlement node but also nearing the next one.
However, when Mu Yue thought of all the things Danzo had done in the original story, it seemed reasonable.
Even on his deathbed, Danzo had warned him to be cautious of the Uchiha, reminding him of their innate evil nature. His attitude towards the Uchiha clan was clear.
Mu Yue looked at the settlement rewards that popped up.
Disciple Uchiha Shizui's strength improvement promoted the reform of the police force. A small step forward in resolving the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha, gaining progress reward—Chakra +1600, Self-selected Scroll Fragment Draw·S+ (Proficiency Level), Yin Attribute Ninjutsu Proficiency Scroll
The rewards were similar to the 40% settlement rewards of the other disciples, except for the Ninjutsu Proficiency Scroll attribute. The other rewards were identical.
However, it was embarrassing that the last time, three disciples had just barely gathered three fragments, and this time, only Shizui had settled, so the fragments were temporarily useless.
Mu Yue closed the reward information and opened Obito's life mission.
Name: Uchiha Obito
Life Mission: It's not that only those who become Hokage can be recognized by everyone, but rather, those who are recognized by everyone can become Hokage
Main Objective: Become the Hokage of Konoha Ninja Village
Mission Progress: 44.5%
Obito's life mission progress wasn't as dramatic as Shizui's, but it was still decent. After all, the life mission was challenging, and it wasn't easy to make any progress.
...
After receiving Nagato's notification, Yahiko rushed to the Amegakure as fast as he could.
"Could something have happened? Why did he suddenly call me over?" Yahiko wondered.
As the matter was complicated, Nagato hadn't explained the reason when he contacted the Ninja Sect, only asking Yahiko to come as soon as possible.
However, looking at the peaceful Amegakure, Yahiko felt that it probably wasn't a big deal.
Upon learning of Yahiko's arrival, Nagato quickly located him using his perception abilities.
"Nagato, where's Sensei Souyuu? Why did you suddenly ask me to come here?" Yahiko asked, seeing that only Nagato was present.
"Sensei is handling the affairs of Amegakure," Nagato replied.
Yahiko looked at Nagato, confused. He had been invited to watch the Chunin Exams, so why was he helping with Amegakure's affairs? Was Amegakure so busy that they couldn't handle it themselves?
Nagato didn't beat around the bush and led Yahiko to an uninhabited place to explain, "Hanzo is dead. Now, Sensei Souyuu is the true leader of Amegakure."
Yahiko was stunned, looking at Nagato with a bewildered expression.
Things were getting more and more outrageous. How could Nagato and Souyuu have taken over Amegakure so quickly after leaving?
Moreover, Amegakure didn't seem to have undergone a coup. It looked quite peaceful.
"Actually, this invitation was a plot by Danzo Shimura..." Nagato began to explain the ins and outs of the situation to Yahiko.
"I see," Yahiko sighed. "No wonder Sensei Souyuu only brought you."
In such a dangerous situation, if one's strength was insufficient, they wouldn't be able to help Souyuu and would only become a burden.
"Yahiko, I'm sorry. That night, I shouldn't have persuaded you, causing you to miss the last chance to meet Hanzo," Nagato said guiltily.
They had estimated that this trip to Amegakure would be risky, but Mu Yue had easily taken care of their enemies.
With Yahiko there, Nagato could have protected him without Mu Yue's help.
"It's fine. After all, you were also considering my safety. There's no need to apologize," Yahiko said with a smile, shaking his head.
"Moreover, I now have an answer in my heart."
Although it was a pity that he couldn't communicate with Hanzo, Yahiko's previous doubts had been cleared up after learning the reasons for Hanzo's death and Souyuu becoming the leader of Amegakure.
"At least, in his last moments, he was the true Hanzo of the Rain Country, the demi-god." Yahiko showed a relieved expression.
Hanzo wasn't someone who always put the peace of the Rain Country first. He had wavered and had his personal desires.
However, Hanzo's choices in life made Yahiko feel that he lived up to his name, and his previous admiration for Hanzo wasn't misplaced.
Nagato showed an expression of agreement. This time, he indeed had a much better impression of Hanzo.
Then, Nagato took Yahiko to see Hanzo's memorial portrait.
Yahiko felt that Hanzo didn't look like he had died in battle. Instead, he looked like he had passed away peacefully.
There was no hint of resentment or hatred on Hanzo's face. On the contrary, he seemed somewhat relaxed and happy?
Upon learning that the Ninja Sect and Amegakure would deepen their exchanges, Yahiko immediately signed up with Souyuu.
Now that the Rain Country had regained peace, the next focus was to strengthen their power. He wanted to work in Amegakure to let more Amegakure ninjas understand the true nature of the Ninja Sect.
...
Fire Country, Konoha.
Sarutobi was handling documents when he suddenly felt a dryness in his mouth and throat.
He continued to stare at the documents, put down his pen with his right hand, and reached for the teacup on his desk.
Crash!
For some reason, Sarutobi fumbled and failed to grasp the teacup firmly, causing it to fall to the ground and shatter, with tea spilling everywhere.
Sarutobi put down the documents and took a deep breath. He rubbed his heart.
"I haven't been overly exhausted lately. Why did this happen suddenly?" Sarutobi wondered, feeling a momentary heart palpitation.
Sarutobi furrowed his brows and asked the Anbu at the door to come in and clean up the mess while mopping the floor.
Losing a teacup was a minor matter to Sarutobi; it wasn't some precious antique.
The real reason for Sarutobi's displeasure was that he suddenly realized he was no longer young, as evidenced by his inability to hold a teacup steady.
Returning to the Hokage's office, Sarutobi stood in front of the large floor-to-ceiling window that offered a panoramic view of Konoha and took a deep breath.
"Everyone is so troublesome. Will I ever be able to retire peacefully?"
From the moment he had taken up the mantle of Hokage in a crisis, Sarutobi had been feeling weary.
If there was a suitable candidate, Sarutobi would not hesitate to pass on the position of Hokage once the ninja world stabilized.
He had stood at the pinnacle for long enough and didn't yearn for power.
Instead of spending his days toiling for Konoha, Sarutobi longed for a retirement where he could go fishing in his free time and help with his grandchildren's education.
Perhaps he could even rekindle his passion for education and raise his grandchildren to be outstanding ninjas like Mu Yue.
The next night.
Just as Sarutobi was about to fall asleep, he suddenly heard someone calling his name, and the voice sounded vaguely familiar.
Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly dressed and left his bedroom. Mu Yue wouldn't be looking for him at this time if it wasn't something important.
Asuma wanted to follow, but Sarutobi ruthlessly sent him back.
"Go back to sleep!" Sarutobi said sternly.
If it wasn't for the fact that he thought Mu Yue had an urgent matter, Sarutobi would have scolded Asuma for his impudent attitude.
"I won't if I don't want to," Asuma retorted unhappily, turning back to his bedroom.
It wasn't that he was afraid of Sarutobi, but since Mu Yue hadn't called for him, even if Sarutobi didn't allow it, he wouldn't listen.
Sarutobi quickly walked out of the house and saw Mu Yue in the courtyard, her face filled with grief.
Seeing her expression, Sarutobi's heart skipped a beat, and he felt that something was amiss.
In his impression, Mu Yue had always been an optimistic and strong person, and it must be a serious matter for her to show such an expression.
"Mu Yue, are you alright?" Sarutobi first asked about her condition, then continued, "Is it about the Jounin training? Don't worry, you can take as much leave as you need, there's no rush."
Sarutobi valued the Jounin training program, but compared to Mu Yue herself, a training program was obviously insignificant.
"Third Hokage, thank you for your concern, I'm fine." Mu Yue shook her head and replied, her eyes reddening as she continued, "It's Danzo-sama... he... he sacrificed himself..."
After finishing her sentence, Mu Yue lowered her head slightly, her face filled with pain.
Sarutobi stared at Mu Yue in disbelief, his piercing eyes fixed on her, "You're saying Danzo is dead?"
They had been drinking and chatting just a few days ago, and now he was being told that Danzo Shimura was dead. How could Sarutobi believe it?
If it had happened on the battlefield, it would be normal for a friend he drank and dined with yesterday to die today. But he hadn't sent Danzo Shimura to the battlefield.
Who in Konoha had the ability to kill a high-ranking member of the village so quietly?
Mu Yue silently nodded.
Sarutobi's body trembled slightly, and he took a step back.
In fact, the first time Mu Yue mentioned Danzo's death, Sarutobi had already believed it rationally.
Because it was Mu Yue who was saying it, and she was the representative of the young ninjas in Konoha, once a member of the Root Organization. She had no reason to lie about such news.
But the news was so shocking that Sarutobi subconsciously resisted and questioned it.
However, he was, after all, the Third Hokage, and self-deception was not something he should do.
Mu Yue quickly stepped forward to support Sarutobi.
Sarutobi shook his head to indicate that he didn't need help; he was just momentarily overwhelmed by the news, not because he was getting old.
"Where did he die, and has his body been brought back?" Sarutobi asked gravely.
Danzo Shimura couldn't have died in Konoha, or even in the Fire Country.
"In the Rain Country, his body is currently at the Root base," Mu Yue replied honestly.
"Apart from Danzo-sama, most of the Root ninjas also sacrificed their lives. Currently, only one member of the Root is left."
Although Mu Yue and Yamato could also be considered members of the Root, they were not officially listed as such.
Sarutobi remained silent, rubbing his furrowed brows.
At that moment, he had some speculations about Danzo's death.
Previously, Danzo had suggested that they should pay more attention to the Ninja Sect and the power of the Rain Country ninjas.
Now, Danzo had died in the Rain Country.
Sarutobi thought it was very likely that Danzo had acted on his own without Sarutobi's approval and ended up getting killed.
"Do you know how Danzo died? Why did he go to the Rain Country? And why did he die there?" Sarutobi asked directly as they walked.
Based on his understanding of Danzo, the Root ninja who was left behind at the base most likely didn't have much information.
Although Mu Yue was no longer officially a member of the Root, given the current situation, she probably knew a lot.
"I'm not sure why Danzo-sama went to the Rain Country. He didn't tell me the reason, only that there was something very important that he needed my help with, and that I shouldn't tell you about it, Third Hokage." Mu Yue looked at Sarutobi apologetically.
Danzo was very cautious, and the scroll he gave to Mu Yue only contained instructions for her to go to the Rain Country, without specifying what she needed to do.
Sarutobi's expression didn't change; this was very much like Danzo, and it sounded exactly like something he would do.
"The one who killed Danzo-sama was Sou Yuuke of the Rain Country." As Mu Yue spoke, her eyes reddened again, and her tone became self-reproaching.
"If I had arrived earlier, or if I had told you about this matter, Third Hokage, perhaps Danzo-sama wouldn't have died."
"When I arrived, Danzo-sama had already sustained serious injuries. Although I immediately used the Flying Thunder God Jutsu to rescue him, it was too late.
Danzo-sama's injuries were too severe, and my medical ninjutsu couldn't save him. I could only watch him die."
Sarutobi sighed deeply, as if he could see Mu Yue's relief when she rescued Danzo and her self-reproach and helplessness when she witnessed his death.
After all, Danzo had nurtured Mu Yue since she was young, and she couldn't possibly have no feelings for him.
"Mu Yue, this isn't your fault." Sarutobi placed his hand on Mu Yue's shoulder to comfort her.
He was deeply saddened by the death of his old friend, but objectively speaking, Danzo was at fault, and Mu Yue wasn't to blame for being late or having insufficient medical ninjutsu.
"But, if only I had been a little faster, or if my medical ninjutsu had been stronger, perhaps Danzo-sama wouldn't have..." Mu Yue remained immersed in her sad self-reproach.
"There isn't a single ninja who can excel in all abilities. If there were, he would surely be a mediocre ninja. This isn't your fault, you are already excellent enough." Sarutobi consoled her.
To be honest, Sarutobi thought that this was Danzo's fate.
Even if Mu Yue had been there herself, she wouldn't have been able to save him. Even if Mu Yue had notified him earlier, he wouldn't have been able to do anything at that time.
The solution didn't lie with Mu Yue, but with Danzo himself.
It was Danzo's own actions that led to his demise, and based on the current information, Sarutobi made this judgment.
As they talked, they arrived at the Root base, and Sarutobi saw his old friend lying on the freezing platform.
(End of Chapter)
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