https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-628-The-Upper-Echelons-Join-the-Battle/12566281/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-630-Yamato-s-Windfall-and-a-New-Perfect-Skill/12566288/
Chapter 629: Increasing Trust
Chapter 629: Increasing Trust
"Assemble the troops and head south." After clearing the area of Konoha ninjas, Kaji Yagura began leading the ninja forces to a new location.
Ever since they entered the Fire Country, they hadn't bothered much with concealment, as Yagura predicted that Konoha would surely gather their ninja forces to deal with them as quickly as possible.
After all, their position was right next to the Konoha and Land of Hot Water ninja forces. A quick strike could put the Konoha ninjas currently engaged with the Cloud ninjas in a difficult situation.
Of course, Yagura had no intention of doing so. Such an action would be too beneficial to the Cloud ninjas, and having the three great ninja villages gathered in one small country could easily lead to unforeseen complications.
During the march, Yagura called over his two deputy commanders.
"Shinatsuki, when you reach this area, take your troops and leave. Disperse your forces and operate in this area near the sea and river forest." Yagura pointed to a location on the map as he spoke to Kirigakure Shinatsuki.
Since their goal was to harass and wear down the Konoha ninja forces, Yagura decided to split their forces into three main groups. Each group would then further divide and engage in guerrilla warfare, playing a game of hide-and-seek with Konoha.
Yagura then turned to the other deputy commander and said, "Kawasaki, you and your team will be positioned here."
Both Kirigakure Shinatsuki and Momochi Kawasaki nodded to indicate their understanding.
"Without Motsuki Samukoku holding us back this time, we'll definitely be able to redeem ourselves!" Yagura's lips curved slightly upward, and he was quite pleased with his current teammates.
The last time, he was truly speechless. For some strange reason, five of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were gone, and then Samukoku had essentially sacrificed himself, resulting in the loss of two high-end combat powers.
As they reached each destination, a third of the ninjas would leave, and when Yagura finally arrived at his designated spot, the rapid march of the Mist ninjas came to an end.
Yagura quickly organized his forces and, as planned, began to disband the main groups. He then led an elite squad to hunt down small teams from Konoha.
As expected, Konoha's actions aligned with Yagura's predictions. Not long after they left, a thousand-strong force arrived in the northeastern part of the Fire Country.
However, something unexpected happened that took Yagura by surprise. Before he could make his move, the Mist ninja forces took the initiative and repeatedly obtained intelligence on the Konoha ninja forces as if they had installed hidden cameras on them.
This development astonished Yagura. They were in the Fire Country, where Konoha had the advantage of fighting on their home turf. Yet, the Mist ninja forces were winning the intelligence war. When had the Mist ninja forces become so formidable?
This prompted Yagura to consider changing his tactics.
With such a significant intelligence advantage, there was no need for guerrilla warfare. They could use the information to their benefit and strike the Konoha ninjas when they least expected it.
However, Yagura was now a seasoned commander, and he didn't act rashly. Instead, he sought guidance from the high-ranking members of the Mist Village, who were far away in the Water Country.
The response from the Mist Village leaders was simple: Attack! Seize this opportunity to deal a heavy blow to Konoha.
With his orders in hand, Yagura began to utilize the intelligence to set up an ambush.
Yagura kept his forces stationary and ordered the other two teams to leave behind a portion of their ninjas for diversion before converging their troops near his location to set up an ambush.
Meanwhile, Yagura himself frequently took action to draw attention and incite hostility.
"To dare to be so rampant in the Fire Country, they must be relying on something," Mito Menen thought calmly, unperturbed by Yagura's bold displays of strength as he sought out and killed Konoha ninjas. Instead, he focused on devising a counterstrategy while gathering accurate intelligence through his informants.
"If they want to play guerrilla warfare, then I'll capture the king first," Menen said, having quickly deduced the intentions of the Mist ninja forces. With that, he swiftly devised a plan of attack.
Currently, the Mist ninja forces were primarily active in three distinct areas.
Menen divided his forces into two large teams. He led one team himself to surround and suppress the area where Yagura was located, while the other team was tasked with doing the same in the area closest to Yagura's position.
In this way, even if something unexpected happened, the ninjas' mobility would allow them to support each other promptly. This arrangement also made it more difficult for Yagura to escape.
Although the plan was set, Menen didn't act impulsively. The critical aspect of this strategy was to kill Yagura, so confirming Yagura's precise location was of utmost importance. A mistake in this regard would result in Konoha's ninja forces being led around by the nose.
Menen waited patiently until his intelligence ninjas obtained definite information before putting his plan into action.
While speed in completing the mission was important, stability took precedence over haste.
Observing Menen's movements through the intelligence he had gathered, Yagura couldn't help but express his disappointment. "Why isn't it Hanyu Moetsu or Orochimaru who came instead?"
If it had been Moetsu or Orochimaru, then he could have truly avenged his previous humiliation.
...
On Monday, Yamato and Moetsu visited the Ninja Academy together.
It was the first day of school, and even Hiruzen Sarutobi made time to deliver a speech at the enrollment ceremony.
As Mu Yue entered the venue for the enrollment ceremony, she took out a small gift box and handed it to Yamato.
"This is an enrollment gift for you. These shuriken are forged by me. You can open it and see if you like them," Mu Yue said with a gentle smile.
"That's too much, Teacher Mu. You're usually so busy, yet you still took the time to forge shuriken for me," Yamato said, feeling overwhelmed.
In fact, even if Mu Yue had bought them from a store, Yamato would have cherished them, as she had already done so much for him.
Of course, he was even happier to receive the handmade shuriken, a thoughtful gift that made him feel indebted to her.
[You gave your disciple handmade shuriken. The disciple is extremely grateful, rewarding you with a Critical Hit bonus, and you've gained the Ninjutsu – Transcription Seal (Mastery Level)]
"This is a good ninjutsu, very versatile," Mu Yue thought to herself, nodding at the reward that popped up.
The Transcription Seal was a useful technique, but Mu Yue wasn't sure if she could use it with her Sharingan, obtained through transformation.
If she could, it might come in handy at a critical moment and play an unexpected role.
After giving the gift, Mu Yue and Yamato followed the crowd into the venue for the enrollment ceremony.
The first speaker was still the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the principal of the Ninja Academy and the Fire Shadow of Konoha.
"Where the leaves of the tree flutter, the fire burns eternal. You are the future of Konoha, its budding leaves…”
Hiruzen Sarutobi's passionate speech about the Will of Fire stirred the hearts of the new students, making them feel like the pillars of Konoha, eager to fight for their village immediately.
After a burst of enthusiastic applause, the host continued, "Next, let's welcome Vice Principal Mu Yue to give a speech."
As Mu Yue walked onto the stage, thunderous applause erupted.
In a school full of Chunin-level teachers, Mu Yue had become a living legend. Teachers who had interacted with her in the past often shared those experiences, like a badge of honor.
For example, the teachers who used to share an office with Mu Yue, such as Yuki Ike, often told others about how Mu Yue had helped him with his classes and how he treated her to meals.
Because Mu Yue had cultivated good relationships with many people, most could only speak of her strong capabilities and kind personality, which had a positive effect on her reputation.
"Hello, teachers and students..." Mu Yue began her speech, which she had prepared in advance, as this wasn't her first enrollment ceremony.
When she finished, the audience burst into applause once more.
"It feels like Teacher Mu is even more popular than the Hokage," Yamato thought as he observed the expressions of the people in the venue.
It was hard for him to judge the students, but regarding the teachers, Yamato felt that they seemed even more excited when Mu Yue was speaking.
Soon, the enrollment ceremony came to a quiet end, and Yamato made his way to his assigned class.
"Finally, it's over," Yamato sighed in relief as he walked back to his classroom.
It wasn't that he found the ceremony boring, but he wasn't used to being around so many people.
Ever since he was taken in by Danzo Shimura, he hadn't been in a place with so many people at once.
"Class 1-1," Yamato confirmed and entered the classroom, taking a seat in the front row on the right, closest to the door.
Soon enough, the classroom was filled with students.
Then, as the bell rang, a Chunin-level teacher walked in.
"Next, we'll have self-introductions. You can tell us your names, dreams, and so on," the teacher said, standing at the podium.
"Is there anyone who wants to go first?"
The students remained silent, looking at each other, and no one stood up.
The teacher's expression didn't change. He knew that at their age, it took courage to volunteer to introduce themselves in a strange environment.
"I'm Yamato, and my dream is to become a ninja like the First Hokage, capable of protecting everything I want to protect," Yamato said as he stood up.
Clap! Clap!
"Well said."
The teacher led the applause, even though he thought it was an impossible dream. Still, it was an admirable aspiration for a student at the Ninja Academy.
The other students joined in the applause as well.
Some looked at Yamato with pure, shining eyes, thinking he was very brave.
Others showed disdain, believing he was just dreaming.
Even these six-year-olds knew that Hashirama Senju was the greatest ninja in Konoha, perhaps even in the entire ninja world, an unattainable figure.
With someone taking the lead, the rest of the students followed suit, introducing themselves one by one.
"My name is Narita Kohhei, and my dream is to become the Hokage and protect the village."
"My father is a teacher at this school, so my dream is to become a respected teacher like Teacher Mu Yue."
"My name is Hinata Oriko, and my dream is..."
With the students' cooperation, the self-introduction segment quickly concluded, and they proceeded to the formal lesson.
"Today's lesson is about one of the most important aspects of being a ninja—chakra," the jonin teacher began.
Yamato listened for half a minute before his expression turned bored.
He had already learned this content, not just from Mu Yue but also from Danzo Shimura.
After ten minutes, Yamato found himself thinking about what to have for dinner.
It wasn't that he didn't want to listen, but the jonin teacher was covering very basic material. It was like asking a student who had already learned calculus to go back to the most fundamental addition of one plus one and five plus four—who could bear to sit through that?
"Yamato, if you want to become a ninja like the First Hokage, you need to pay attention in class," a voice whispered from behind him, urging him to focus.
Yamato turned his head slightly to see a girl with pure white eyes.
"I've already learned this material," Yamato explained. Although he didn't recognize her, he didn't want to be seen as a bad student.
After all, he was Mu Yue's disciple, and he didn't want to tarnish her reputation.
"Yamato, come up here and summarize what I just taught," the jonin teacher said, calling him out.
Although Yamato had made a good impression with his self-introduction, sitting in the front row and blatantly chatting with his classmates warranted a stern response.
Yamato scratched his head, stood up, and said, "There are seven types of chakra nature: fire, wind, water, earth, lightning, yin, and yang. Water-style chakra counters fire-style chakra..."
Since he hadn't been paying attention, Yamato simply recited what he already knew—the characteristics of different chakra natures, their mutual strengthening and countering relationships, and how combining two natures could create a kekkei genkai, a unique chakra nature.
"Stop, that's enough," the jonin teacher interrupted, feeling a bit overwhelmed by Yamato's detailed explanation.
"Yamato, you're very diligent. Everyone else can ask him if there's anything you don't understand."
Seeing Yamato's exceptional performance, the jonin teacher quietly let his behavior slide.
There was no need to discipline this student further; it would be better to let him soar.
The students around Yamato stared at him in astonishment. While they had seen him daydreaming and chatting with the student behind him, they couldn't deny his impressive knowledge.
Although he averted a crisis, Yamato didn't continue chatting with his classmate. Instead, he maintained a serious expression and pretended to listen intently.
After all, he had undergone professional training in Root, and controlling his facial expressions was second nature to him.
During the break, several students approached Yamato to strike up conversations.
"Yamato, you're so amazing! How do you know so much? You know more than even the teacher!"
"Yamato, you're so brave for volunteering to go first during self-introductions."
Yamato was taken aback when he found himself surrounded by seven or eight students. He had never been in the center of such attention before.
"I know these things because I have a good teacher, and I'm not as brave as you think," Yamato replied earnestly to each of them.
"Hey, is this what they call humility?" one of the kids joked.
Instantly, laughter broke out, spreading from one student to another until the entire group, including Yamato, wore smiles on their faces.
Although they laughed, Yamato could sense that it wasn't out of mockery.
And so, in just one morning, Yamato made eight new friends.
The first class in the afternoon was Physical Education, taught by the jonin teacher, who instructed them on throwing kunai.
Once again, Yamato's peers were astonished as he consistently hit the bullseye.
During free time, many students who had chatted with Yamato earlier sought him out to ask questions, and he patiently answered each one.
At the end of the day, Yamato hadn't learned much academically, but he felt an unexpected sense of joy.
It was an unfamiliar feeling, as he had often been confined to remote locations by Danzo Shimura, studying various ninja techniques in isolation.
Life had become freer since Mu Yue became his teacher, but due to various restrictions, the only people he could interact with were Mu Yue and her other disciples.
As Yamato reflected, he realized that Mu Yue had sent him to the Ninja Academy to "play" and experience life as a student, something he couldn't have learned from Kakashi and the others because he was so far behind in his training.
"So, this is why Teacher Mu Yue wanted me to stay for at least a year," Yamato realized, understanding her intention.
Meanwhile, on Mu Yue's system panel, a new notification appeared.
[Your disciple, Yamato, has increased his trust in you. Current trust level: 4]
PS: Double update today, totaling 8.2k words. Please consider voting with your monthly tickets!
I finally finished writing at 4:30 AM, and thankfully, I don't have to work tomorrow—or rather, today, since it's already so late.
I'll strive for another double update tomorrow as well!
(End of Chapter)
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