https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-625-The-Battle-with-the-AB-Combo/12558915/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-627-You-Remind-Me-of-the-Fourth-Hokage/12562566/
Chapter 626: Mu Yue, the Second Mokuton Ninja!
Chapter 626: Mu Yue, the Second Mokuton Ninja!
"He actually refused..." Oonoki pondered upon reading the message sent by Huang Tu.
As the mastermind behind the plan, he was well aware of the significance of the Ninja Sect and Sou Yuuke. Thus, Oonoki had offered what he believed were attractive terms.
Oonoki had anticipated that Sou Yuuke might refuse, but he was surprised by the outright rejection, as the response indicated a dismissal of nearly all the proposed conditions.
"Is there something I don't know about?" Oonoki frowned.
Sou Yuuke's reaction was beyond his expectations.
Normally, Sou Yuuke should be seeking the power of the Rock Ninja Village at this time.
While most of the ninja world was focused on the death of Danzo Shimura, only the Rock Ninja Village, which considered the Rain Country as a strategic step, noticed the death of the legendary ninja, Hanzo.
In Oonoki's estimation, Hanzo's death was likely related to Danzo Shimura and the Leaf Village.
If Sou Yuuke had killed Hanzo, the Rain Ninja Village would not continue their friendly cooperation with him.
Although there was a possibility of a coup conspiracy, given Sou Yuuke's previous performance, Oonoki thought this probability was slim, and the Rain Ninja Village did not seem to have undergone a coup.
So, why would Sou Yuuke, who had lost the powerful ally Hanzo and offended the Leaf Village, bluntly reject the Rock Ninja Village's goodwill? Oonoki was perplexed.
Didn't Sou Yuuke worry about Leaf Ninja infiltrating the Rain Country?
They didn't need to exert much effort; simply sending the ninja team from the Grass Country, originally meant to guard against the Rock Ninja Village, to attack the Rain Country would easily break through their border defenses.
"Or is he waiting for a better offer?" Oonoki couldn't quite figure it out.
Unlike Hanzo, Sou Yuuke had suddenly risen to fame in the ninja world, and Oonoki wasn't sure how to grasp his character.
Just then, there was a knock on the door of the Tsuchikage's office.
"Third Tsuchikage, this is the latest battle report from the Cloud Ninja Village and the Leaf Village." The member of the Anbu received Oonoki's nod and quickly opened the door to report.
Oonoki nodded slightly, and the Anbu member placed the intelligence on Oonoki's desk before leaving immediately.
"Is the Cloud Ninja Village trying to test the Leaf Village's strength this time?" Oonoki was surprised after reading the report.
The Cloud Ninja Village seemed to be getting serious this time. They first launched a surprise attack on the northern part of the Fire Country, dividing their forces into multiple squads to create chaos. Then, they immediately dispatched their ninja forces to engage the Leaf ninja forces stationed in the Hot Springs Country.
Oonoki took out the ninja world map and realized that if the Cloud ninja forces in the Hot Springs Country could defeat the Leaf forces, the northern part of the Fire Country would become a playground for the Cloud Ninja Village to come and go as they pleased.
"If the Cloud Ninja Village succeeds, the Rock Ninja Village will have more room to maneuver." Oonoki stroked his goat beard.
Jiraiya had been obstructing the Rock Ninja forces' advancement in the Grass Country.
If the northern Fire Country fell, the Leaf ninja forces in the Grass Country would also be greatly affected and easily caught between two fronts.
At that time, the Rock Ninja Village could either strike the Fire Country's defense line or lead a large force by ship to the Hot Springs Country and attack the Cloud Ninja Village from behind.
There were no absolute enemies in the ninja villages, only absolute interests. If the chances of success were higher with the Cloud Ninja Village, Oonoki would not hesitate to give them a boost.
However, for now, Oonoki was still inclined to deal with the Leaf Village, as they had been living comfortably for too long, emerging as the ultimate victors in the last two Great Ninja Wars.
"We can try offering better conditions first." Oonoki began writing new orders for Huang Tu.
It was still worth trying to bring the Ninja Sect to their side.
Later, they could station their joint ninja forces in the Rain Country, and even if they did nothing, it would still tie up the Leaf Village's energy.
...
Fire Country, Leaf Village.
Looking at the familiar massive wooden gate, Minato Namikaze felt a sense of relief, and a smile appeared on his face.
Even a ninja like him felt the pressure on the battlefield.
Due to Minato's request, Team Minato had left with most of the ninja forces to support Orochimaru, while he returned to the Leaf Village with the injured members of his team.
The consent of the higher-ups was within Minato's expectations, as they often assigned him various S-rank missions because of his proficiency in the Flying Thunder God Technique.
If the Leaf Village were to select the busiest Jonin in war, Minato would undoubtedly be on the list.
After such a long period of busyness, it would be unreasonable to refuse a short break, and his return to the Leaf Village wasn't merely for rest; he had important business to attend to.
Minato first went to the Hokage Building to report the mission's progress to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"The large number of Cloud ninja squads in the northwest were just a distraction to draw our attention, and after we successfully ambushed the elite squad led by the AB combination, they quickly withdrew..."
Although he had reported the intelligence once before, the debriefing after returning was another matter, and it was a necessary procedure.
The only issue with them was perhaps their youth and relative lack of experience.
"It was mostly thanks to Shikaku's timely discovery," Minato humbly replied.
After debriefing, Minato didn't linger and soon left the Hokage's office.
"I should consider assigning him a suitable position after the war settles down," Hiruzen murmured, watching Minato's retreating figure with a thoughtful expression.
Jiraiya's generation, who were eligible for the role, were either slacking off or didn't meet Hiruzen's approval. Now, Hiruzen had completely given up on his own disciples and intended to choose between Minato and Mu Yue.
Due to their youth, Hiruzen didn't plan to pass on the mantle too soon and wanted to groom them for a few years.
Upon returning home,
Minato first tidied up the house before knocking on Mu Yue's door.
"Not at home, huh? I'll go look for Kushina then." Seeing no response after a long while, Minato decided to visit his girlfriend, whom he hadn't seen for a while.
After all, it was daytime, and it was normal for Mu Yue to be out.
Finding Kushina was smooth, as she was in her room studying sealing techniques at that moment.
"Minato, you're back!" Kushina exclaimed with a delighted smile upon seeing her boyfriend.
"The ninja world seems to be in greater turmoil recently, and the atmosphere in the village has changed somewhat. I thought you'd be busier."
As she spoke, Kushina threw herself at Minato, giving him a tight embrace.
"It should have been that way, but I requested a short leave, so I can stay in Konoha for a while," Minato said, gently caressing Kushina's vibrant red hair.
Normally, he would either be sent to support Orochimaru in the Land of Hot Water or return to the Grass Country to continue the investigation of Iwagakure.
"Hehe, did you miss me that much?" Kushina couldn't help but place her hands on her waist, a proud smile spreading across her face.
Her boyfriend was taking a break, and who else could be the reason if not for her, his beautiful girlfriend?
"Well, actually, it's also because I want to learn a technique from Mu Yue," Minato honestly replied.
Kushina's smile froze, and her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Minato.
What was this about? Was her charm less appealing than the jutsu Mu Yue could teach? Kushina puffed up her cheeks, her face filled with displeasure as she glared at Minato. Couldn't he have said that he wanted to learn jutsu from Mu Yue and that he missed her as well?
"My speed is sufficient, but when facing ninjas with special abilities, my strength falls short," Minato explained.
In fact, Minato had noticed this issue during his battle with the elderly Purple in the Iwagakure war zone. His Spiraling Sphere couldn't break through Purple's Lava Armor while he was in his unique Lava Release Chakra Mode.
However, Purple was an extremely rare case as a complete jinchuriki capable of full-tailed beast transformation. Thus, Minato didn't pay much attention to it at the time.
But when his Spiraling Sphere was blocked again during the battle with the AB combination, Minato reflected deeply on this issue.
If that attack had succeeded, the outcome of the battle would have been vastly different.
"By making up for this shortcoming, I can better protect the village and... you," Minato said sincerely, his expression earnest.
When Kushina went into battle, her opponents were either jinchuriki or top-tier powerful ninjas.
If her opponent were a complete jinchuriki or a strong ninja like the Third Raikage, Minato knew he would be helpless.
He couldn't harm his enemies, nor could he effectively protect Kushina from them.
Kushina's little pout vanished, and her face gradually softened, her expression matching her pink hair, "Why are you suddenly saying such cheesy things? Talking about protecting me and all."
As she finished speaking, Kushina playfully swung her small, pink-gloved fist at Minato's chest.
She had been startled, thinking that her position in Minato's heart had been surpassed by Mu Yue.
But it turned out that he had said all that because of her.
Minato, with his quick reflexes, immediately gathered chakra in his chest, easily withstanding the punch.
The little misunderstanding was resolved, and the atmosphere between the couple became even sweeter as they engaged in their usual couple activities.
At 5:30 in the afternoon, Minato arrived at Mu Yue's house once more.
It was only past ten in the evening that Minato heard some noise from next door and walked over.
Mu Yue had just entered and not yet closed the door. Seeing Minato approach, Mu Yue smiled and invited him in.
Minato did not stand on ceremony and walked right in.
"The training team has just gotten on track recently, so it's been a bit busy. That's why I'm back so late. Did you return to Konoha today, Minato?" Mu Yue asked as he poured tea for Minato.
He spent little time at home, so he had set up a small kitchen at the training team base specifically for cooking.
"Yeah, I arrived at noon today." Minato nodded and quietly thanked Mu Yue.
"Did you come to see me for something, Minato?" Mu Yue asked directly.
"Yes, but since you've been busy till so late..." Minato thought of coming back tomorrow to find Mu Yue. He had only come over to see why Mu Yue was returning so late.
"It's fine. The actual working hours aren't that long, and it's not tiring."
Since Mu Yue said so, Minato did not stand on ceremony any longer and stated his purpose.
"I've already completed the foundational training of the basic breathing technique that you taught me. I want to learn about its advanced secret technique."
"There are three choices: Wind Breathing, Flame Breathing, and Yang Breathing," Mu Yue said after some thought.
Although Minato rarely used Wind and Fire-attribute ninjutsu in battle, his proficiency in nature transformation was actually quite high, far surpassing that of an average Jonin.
"Flame Breathing possesses all the enhancements of the basic breathing techniques and can strengthen Fire Release techniques..."
Minato listened intently with a serious expression as Mu Yue explained the breathing techniques.
"So, Obito and the others can cast hand seals so quickly because of the breathing technique Chakra Mode." Hearing about the effects of the breathing technique Chakra Mode, Minato showed a surprised expression.
"What do you think about me cultivating Wind Breathing?" Minato asked after some thought.
Fire Release didn't seem to fit Minato's current combat style.
As for Yang Breathing Chakra Mode, while it seemed powerful, offering instant healing and the Akimichi Clan's secret technique, it still didn't fit Minato.
Since most people couldn't touch Minato, the instant healing wouldn't be of much use.
If he could instantly cast Wind Release, however, it would bring a new change to Minato's combat abilities.
Wind Release had strong offensive power among the five basic natures, and sharp wind blades could cut through various hard substances.
"That's a good choice," Mu Yue acknowledged with a nod.
Indeed, out of the existing breathing techniques, Wind Breathing was the most suitable for Minato.
Then, at Mu Yue's strong request, they went to the nearest training ground and began cultivating.
"With the current situation in the ninja world, you won't have much time in Konoha. On the other hand, I'll be much more relaxed after this busy period," Mu Yue explained.
Previously, Minato had gone to great lengths to teach him the Flying Thunder God Technique, so Mu Yue didn't mind spending time on Minato.
They cultivated until 1 AM, and because it was so late and they had been training, Mu Yue made a late-night snack.
"It's so nice to have a friend like Mu Yue," Minato couldn't help but sigh with emotion after returning home.
After the late-night snack, Mu Yue did not rest immediately. He spent half an hour studying sealing techniques before washing up and going to bed.
Studying sealing techniques and breathing techniques had become his habit. It felt like something was missing if he didn't study them in the evening.
"It's about time to show off Wood Release a little," Mu Yue, who was lying in bed, thought.
It had been a while since he asked for the Wood Release information, and as Konoha's strongest genius, he should make some progress.
The next day, in the morning, after Mu Yue finished his class with Gengetsu, he went straight to the Hokage's office.
Then, Mu Yue made an excited expression and opened the door to the Hokage's office without knocking.
"Hmm?" Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly as he saw someone enter without knocking.
Seeing that it was Mu Yue, he felt puzzled. Could it be that after accepting Danzo's legacy, Mu Yue had also picked up his habit of not knocking on doors, just like Danzo Shimura?
"Third Hokage-sama, I think I've successfully developed Wood Release!"
(End of Chapter)
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