Chapter 658: Byakugan Evolution
Chapter 658: Byakugan Evolution
"So Hanzo is also dead. A major change has quietly occurred in the Rain Country," Mizuhoto Monen said as he put down the documents and adjusted his glasses.
Compared to Danzo Shimura, whose death spread quickly throughout the ninja world, Hanzo's passing, a demigod of the ninja world, went almost unnoticed. The news was only circulated within the Amegakure Village and barely spread throughout the Rain Country.
Mizuhoto Monen found this suspicious. Even if Hanzo's death was overshadowed by the great ninja village war, the death of a ninja of his caliber should have caused more of a stir.
"It seems that the Amegakure Village itself has encountered problems," Chojirou Kamizuru analyzed.
"Hanzo's reputation declined after his defeat in the Second Great Ninja War, and he was driven back when he tried to assassinate Son Ryouka. Additionally, Son Ryouka's reputation in the Rain Country is significant, so it's not surprising that there's internal strife within the Amegakure Village."
She believed this was a coup, and most likely orchestrated by Son Ryouka, as Hanzo's death had further strengthened the cooperation between the Shinshu and the Amegakure Village.
Chojirou Kamizuru had reason to believe that Son Ryouka was now the de facto leader of the Amegakure Village.
"Whether the Amegakure Village has experienced a coup or not is not the main point. The key issue is that the Amegakure Village and the Shinshu can now be considered as one entity," Enma said, steering the conversation back on track.
"If we want to take action against the Shinshu, we must consider the strength of the Amegakure Village."
His investigation into the Amegakure Village was for the sake of the Shinshu and Danzo Shimura. The core of the issue remained with Son Ryouka and the Shinshu.
"Multiple pieces of evidence indicate that Son Ryouka is the one who killed Danzo Shimura, and this is beyond doubt," Enma said, glancing at Yu Sheng Mu Yue as he spoke.
Yu Sheng Mu Yue nodded in agreement, confirming Enma's statement as an eyewitness to the event.
Enma continued, "As our Konoha's Fire Lord Advisor, even if Danzo Shimura made mistakes, it should be up to Konoha to punish him. Son Ryouka directly killed Danzo Shimura, which is a provocation against Konoha!"
"We must not ignore such a ninja force and must take measures to punish them!"
Mizuhoto Monen and Chojirou Kamizuru both nodded in agreement.
Danzo Shimura's secret assassination activities were indeed wrong, but Konoha was the number one ninja village. For a small ninja force from a minor country to dare kill a high-ranking member of Konoha was asking for trouble.
It was only because Son Ryouka's strength was formidable, and he had consolidated the ninja forces of the Rain Country, that his personal strength and influence ranked just below the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Otherwise, there would be no need for a high council meeting; the team to eliminate Son Ryouka would have already been dispatched.
"However, Konoha is currently in a critical period, and the timing and methods of punishment require careful consideration," Enma said, his tone shifting to a less aggressive one.
In truth, he didn't want to start a war. If Son Ryouka was willing to offer his life in exchange, Enma would be willing to let bygones be bygones.
It wasn't that Son Ryouka's leadership posed a threat to Konoha.
Konoha had suffered minimal damage in the recent great war, and eliminating a small country, even the strongest one, would not be a significant challenge for Konoha.
Enma's real concern was the other four great ninja villages.
Nominally, they were allies, bound by a treaty.
But this so-called alliance was as fragile as paper in the face of self-interest. If everything went smoothly, it would be fine, but if Konoha showed any weakness during its campaign against the Rain Country, the alliance might not hold.
"Why don't we try to resolve the issue through negotiation first?" Mizuhoto Monen suggested, understanding Enma's thoughts.
He realized that Enma wanted to play it safe and keep a low profile.
Ideally, they should avoid any major moves until Yu Sheng Mu Yue became the second God of Shinobi.
"First, we issue a stern condemnation to show our stance, and then we state our demands."
Enma thought for a moment and nodded, "If we can resolve the issue through negotiation, that would be the best outcome."
Negotiation meant no need for action, and thus, no exposure of weaknesses.
"What do you think, Yu Sheng Mu Yue?" Enma asked, trying to involve Yu Sheng Mu Yue more.
He was pleased with Yu Sheng Mu Yue's first council meeting. If he didn't understand something, he could observe and learn without speaking.
"Negotiation sounds good," Yu Sheng Mu Yue replied.
He felt that the position of Fire Lord Advisor was well-deserved, with significant authority and the ability to observe others discussing strategies against him and his forces.
Chojirou Kamizuru nodded, indicating that the high council had reached a consensus. Konoha would negotiate with the Shinshu.
Their demand was simple: Son Ryouka must die.
After the meeting, Yu Sheng Mu Yue returned to his home in the main city.
As soon as he opened the door, there was a commotion next door at the Uzumaki Naruto residence, and several figures rushed out.
"Yu Sheng Mu Yue, you're done with the meeting!" Deidara greeted Yu Sheng Mu Yue as they rushed into the house.
"Finally, it's over! Shizune, bring the groceries you bought inside quickly," Tsunade said as she entered the house and sat down on the sofa without hesitation.
She had intended to go to Yu Sheng Mu Yue's house directly after buying groceries, but Uzumaki Naruto had stopped her, saying it was inappropriate to intrude into someone's home.
This led to everyone gathering at Uzumaki Naruto's house.
"Impressive, Yu Sheng Mu Yue. A Fire Lord Advisor at the age of twenty-two. We must celebrate with a few drinks tonight," Jiraiya said with a smile as he entered the house.
Seeing his disciples and friends at the door, Yu Sheng Mu Yue welcomed them all into the house with a smile.
However, Yu Sheng Mu Yue was surprised to see Orochimaru arrive, completing the trio of legendary ninjas.
"Excuse me, Yu Sheng Mu Yue," Orochimaru said softly as he entered.
He had initially come to test whether Yu Sheng Mu Yue, having inherited the Root Clan, was aware of his secret collaboration with Danzo Shimura. Seeing the crowd, he wanted to leave, but Jiraiya insisted he stay.
"Yu Sheng Mu Yue, why don't we go out for dinner tonight?"
"After scanning the room, Uzumaki Naruto spoke up."
"There are five of Mu Yue's disciples here, plus the others, that's eleven people. Add Mu Yue himself, and it's a total of twelve."
"There's no need. I've even bought the ingredients, so why go to a restaurant?" Mu Yue shook his head and smiled.
Cooking for twelve people, especially ninjas with large appetites, would be exhausting for an ordinary person, but he wasn't ordinary.
After saying this, Mu Yue walked straight into the kitchen, followed by Uzumaki Naruto.
Tsunade found this strange, "Why is Naruto going into the kitchen? He looks so familiar with it."
"It's because we're neighbors, so we often eat and cook together," Kushina Uzumaki, sitting next to Tsunade, explained matter-of-factly.
After controlling the Nine-Tails' training, she wasn't sure about the details, but before that, they had frequently dined together.
"What kind of neighbors eat together? You must be relatives," Tsunade scoffed.
"Hehe, maybe we are. Maybe Mu Yue and Naruto are actually related," Kushina said nonchalantly.
Initially, Kushina had wondered if Mu Yue was Naruto's long-lost brother, but she stopped caring later.
Even relatives might not have such a good relationship, so why bother worrying about it?
"The war has ended once again. Orochimaru, do you still cling to your idea?" Jiraiya casually asked.
At the end of the Second Shinobi World War, Orochimaru had said something that left a deep impression on Jiraiya.
Orochimaru had declared his intention to learn all ninjutsu, overcome human mortality, and understand all the truths of the world.
"Of course, this is my only dream," Orochimaru replied calmly.
His experiences had taught him the fragility of human life, and he despised such weakness.
"What about you? Are you still going to stir up trouble?"
"What do you mean by stirring up trouble? This is a matter of great importance for the future of the Shinobi World!" Jiraiya argued seriously.
According to the prophecy of the Great Toad Sage, his disciple would bring about significant changes in the Shinobi World, and he, as the guide of this transformation, held a crucial responsibility.
Although Jiraiya suspected that Nagato might be the child of the prophecy, he couldn't be entirely sure.
Regardless, Jiraiya enjoyed his nomadic lifestyle across the Shinobi World, so he continued his travels at the same pace as before.
"Hehe," Orochimaru let out a mocking laugh. He didn't believe in prophecies.
If prophecies were destined to come true, wouldn't it mean that everything in this world was predetermined, rendering efforts and actions meaningless? Why would Jiraiya bother to act then?
If prophecies could be changed, Orochimaru believed it was more likely that the Great Toad Sage was orchestrating events to steer the future toward his desired outcome.
Regardless of the possibility, Orochimaru thought Jiraiya was foolish to waste so much time on a single prophecy.
"I'm not in the mood to argue with a boring person like you. Tsunade, what are your plans from now on?" Jiraiya turned to Tsunade and asked.
"Travel the world and win money at casinos?"
"Let's talk about it later. I want to stay in Konoha for another four years," Tsunade shook her head in response.
She had indeed wanted to visit casinos worldwide, but to be honest, she still wanted to. However, before she left, she needed to collect all her debts; otherwise, it would be a significant loss.
"You..."
"Why should I care about your opinion!" Jiraiya was about to retort, but Tsunade cut him off.
Seeing Tsunade's fierce gaze, Jiraiya wisely closed his mouth. Others might pretend, but Tsunade was genuinely ready to strike, and she didn't hold back.
"You're still as foolish as ever," Orochimaru couldn't help but reminisce about their childhood training days together, a slight smile forming on his lips.
"Why don't we ask Teacher Mu Yue if we can go upstairs? I feel like we're disturbing Tsunade-sama and the others here," Haruno Rin suggested.
Kakashi and the others nodded in agreement.
While Tsunade and Jiraiya were manageable, Orochimaru's aura was genuinely intimidating, preventing them from relaxing.
After receiving Mu Yue's approval, Haruno Rin and the others headed upstairs.
"So, Cold Face Uncle is like this in private too. I thought he was only serious on the battlefield," Deidara scratched his head.
With Jiraiya and Tsunade as examples, Deidara had assumed that Orochimaru, one of the Three Legendary Sannin, was also a fake serious person. He never expected Orochimaru to be genuinely serious, his personality matching the legends perfectly.
"You already know he's a serious person, yet you still give him a nickname," Kakashi said, exasperated.
"You really should change that habit. If you don't, I'll definitely vote against you when you run for Hokage. I can't imagine what Konoha will become under your leadership."
Kakashi imagined Deidara sitting in the Hokage's office and suddenly calling for the White Feather Assistant. He wouldn't be able to keep a straight face.
"Why should I listen to you? I don't need your vote!" Deidara asserted his stance.
Kakashi was already trying to boss him around before becoming Hokage. If he did become Hokage, Deidara was determined to win the position of the Fifth Hokage from Kakashi.
"Their relationship is still as good as ever," Shizune said enviously.
She had spent some time studying under Mu Yue and was familiar with Kakashi and the others.
Shizune envied their relationship. She rarely had playmates her age, and only when Haruno Rin came to learn from Tsunade did she have a friend her age.
"Yes, it's almost enviable how close they are," Haruno Rin covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
"No way!" x2
Deidara and Kakashi denied in unison.
"Don't copy me!" x2
"Hmph!" x2
This harmonious denial in triplicate added a cheerful vibe to the atmosphere.
"It's as if the Sharingan had copied the movements precisely," said Shisui, the Sharingan expert.
"As expected of my dear friend!" Maito Gai, for some reason, felt a surge of enthusiasm and gave Kakashi a thumbs up.
"Why would you use the Sharingan for something like this?"
"This isn't really something to be praised for, is it?"
After a while of laughter and conversation, the aroma from the first floor grew stronger, and the atmosphere on the second floor changed as well.
"I can't wait for this feast!" Deidara licked his dry lips, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
During the two months of fighting alongside Yu Sheng Mu Yue, Mu Yue would occasionally cook a meal himself.
But the conditions on the battlefield couldn't compare to those in Konoha, so he was eagerly looking forward to this feast.
The disciples nodded in agreement, and Maito Gai even went as far as to say, "Only youth and Mu Yue-sensei's feast are worth cherishing!"
"This aroma... it's Squirrel Mandarin Fish!"
"I can sense the essence of Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs."
Deidara became more excited with each whiff, and with these scents, he could already identify the dishes.
"Let's go downstairs for dinner."
Deidara suppressed the urge to use his Divine Might to directly pass through the floor and rushed downstairs at full speed.
The other disciples also restrained their strength; with their current abilities, if they didn't hold back a little, they might accidentally tear down Mu Yue's house in their haste.
"Wood Style: Furniture Technique!"
Since the original table wasn't big enough, Mu Yue simply used his Wood Style Chakra to create a new set of tables and chairs.
"What a convenient Bloodline Limit," Deidara marveled.
It was no wonder that Uchiha Sasuke couldn't defeat Senju Hashirama back then; this Wood Style was indeed formidable. Not only could it create giants, but it also provided a significant advantage in daily life.
Everyone sprang into action; those who were serving the dishes did so, while others took bowls and filled them with rice.
"Don't be shy, everyone, dig in!" Mu Yue said with a smile as he picked up a piece of Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs.
Without further ado, Uzumaki Naruto fully utilized his quick reflexes and swiftly grabbed two pieces of Cabbage-Stuffed Pork Belly, placing them in his bowl.
Tsunade and the others who had tasted Mu Yue's cooking before were going all out, eating with great enthusiasm.
"What are they doing? This is so exaggerated; is it really necessary?" Orochimaru looked at the afterimages of the chopsticks on the table, feeling perplexed.
The dishes indeed smelled fragrant and looked appealing, but they were still just food, not some miraculous elixir.
Orochimaru, with a calm expression, picked up a piece of Squirrel Mandarin Fish, the closest dish to him, and put a piece of fish into his mouth. His face instantly changed.
As the fish entered his mouth, a burst of sweet and sour flavors exploded within Orochimaru's mouth. The fish had a crispy exterior and tender interior, and as he chewed, the sweet and sour flavors permeating the fish provided Orochimaru with a unique experience.
The fish's exquisite taste and perfectly balanced sweet and sour flavors gave Orochimaru an unparalleled experience, even with just a small piece of fish.
In a daze, Orochimaru felt as if he had transformed into a carefree fish swimming in a river, enveloped in a cool and refreshing sensation, enjoying every moment.
When he snapped back to reality, Orochimaru looked at Mu Yue with incredulity.
As a master of illusions, he knew he hadn't fallen under a genjutsu, but what about that genuine feeling of delight?
"Mu Yue-kun, no wonder your cooking is so popular," Orochimaru marveled.
If cooking had levels, Mu Yue would undoubtedly be the god of cooking, the Senju Hashirama of the culinary world, far surpassing other chefs.
He had never imagined that a dish could give him such an experience.
"If you like it, have more," Mu Yue smiled and reminded him.
Orochimaru was clearly a novice; experienced diners knew that talking during meals was a waste of time, and every bite was precious.
Orochimaru then realized that the dishes on the table were rapidly disappearing, and some of the popular ones had already been emptied.
Orochimaru quickly picked up more food while feeling a sense of regret; he had wanted to try a bit of each dish.
After the meal, Orochimaru thought for a moment and asked, "Mu Yue, have you developed a cooking ninjutsu?"
Mu Yue's cooking was far superior to ordinary cuisine, and Orochimaru believed there must be a reason for this, beyond just a difference in experience.
"Everyone who has tasted Mu Yue's cooking has thought the same, but unfortunately, it's not the case. If you watch him cook, you'll understand; it's a skill that has reached the pinnacle," Jiraiya said, patting Orochimaru on the shoulder.
He had curiously observed Mu Yue's entire cooking process and found nothing particularly special, except for his apparent proficiency. But the taste was undeniably unique.
Jiraiya's understanding was that each step was executed to perfection, resulting in this divine cuisine.
"Next time, I'll take some food to the lab for research," Orochimaru thought to himself.
As for probing Mu Yue, it wasn't appropriate with so many people around.
If his secrets were exposed, he would have no place in Konoha, and his only two friends might even turn their backs on him.
After chatting for a while, everyone went their separate ways, while Mu Yue headed to his study to research sealing jutsu.
At eleven o'clock, Mu Yue prepared to sleep but suddenly felt a strange sensation around his eyes.
Without hesitation, Mu Yue used the Lightning God Technique to teleport to a mountain outside Konoha.
His chakra uncontrollably surged towards his eyes, intensifying the strange sensation.
Mu Yue keenly noticed something; the chakra flowing into his right eye seemed slightly more abundant.
As the sensation around his eyes reached its peak, Mu Yue's aura suddenly intensified, and a massive amount of chakra erupted from his eyes, flowing throughout his body.
The originally pure white right eye turned golden, with eight triangular patterns surrounding the pupil.
(End of Chapter)
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