https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-667-The-Dispute-within-the-Leaf-Shinshu/12937960/
Chapter 666: Orochimaru's Revelation
Chapter 666: Orochimaru's Revelation
"The power of Divine Might is truly formidable," Zhi Shui remarked with a knowing expression.
In his mind, Deidara would undoubtedly win if he didn't make any significant mistakes.
Deidara's Trifoliate Sharingan was incredibly practical, and even with just Ethereal Divine Light, it surpassed many so-called powerful secret techniques.
"It's amazing. You've truly become the best," Haruno Rin praised sincerely.
Although only four disciples participated in the ranking battle, each of them was renowned as a super genius.
In Haruno Rin's opinion, achieving first place in their team's ranking battle was only slightly easier than winning the Shinai Youth Martial Arts Tournament.
The Shinai Youth Martial Arts Tournament was a grand event for the entire ninja world, and Nagato, who won the tournament, was known as the strongest genius in the ninja world. The value of their ranking battle's first place was evident.
"Haha, it's not bad. After all, I've put in a lot of effort," Deidara boasted with a smug smile.
Receiving praise from Haruno Rin made Deidara feel even more proud.
No matter how hard the training had been, at this moment, Deidara felt it was all worth it.
It was incredibly satisfying to beat Kakashi and receive compliments from Haruno Rin, a double delight.
"But don't get too complacent after winning. Kakashi and the others are working just as hard as you," Haruno Rin reminded him.
In Haruno Rin's eyes, none of Yu Sheng Mu Yue's disciples slacked off.
There were many factors contributing to Deidara's victory, not just his hard work.
"Of course, I won't give up the title of the strongest easily. Now, they are the challengers!" Deidara declared confidently.
He was no longer the inferior Fire Style Ninja he once was; as a prestigious user of Space-Time Dojutsu, Deidara was confident he could dominate the ranking battles for a long time.
"Now I have more than enough chakra. Once I learn Hiraishin, who can stand against me?" Deidara imagined himself using Hiraishin and Divine Might to effortlessly toy with Kakashi.
Fire Style? He wasn't proficient in it, and everyone knew that Deidara was a Space-Time Ninja.
"Although you didn't win, your battle was impressive. Keep up the good work," Haruno Rin congratulated Deidara and then went to encourage Kakashi.
Kakashi brushed off the dust from his clothes and said, "I need to work harder. After all, Deidara has become the best."
Deidara scowled upon hearing this, annoyed that Kakashi was implying he was the best.
However, considering Kakashi was the loser, Deidara didn't take offense.
It was understandable for Kakashi to say such things after losing, and Deidara wasn't a petty person. He would find an opportunity to get back at him later.
"Hehe, Teacher Yu Sheng Mu Yue, I should be ready to learn the Hiraishin technique now, right?" Deidara asked with a mischievous smile.
Although both were Space-Time Ninjutsu, Hiraishin and Divine Might had their unique strengths, and both were powerful abilities.
Deidara had trained with Uzumaki Naruto and understood the advantages of Hiraishin.
In a sense, Hiraishin was also an offensive and defensive ninjutsu.
It allowed for instant retreat to avoid damage and swift teleportation for close-range kills.
"Yes, if you're not afraid of the exhaustion, you can start learning it today," Yu Sheng Mu Yue agreed.
Even if Deidara hadn't asked, Yu Sheng Mu Yue would have taught him Hiraishin.
However, considering Deidara's intense training schedule and recent battles, Yu Sheng Mu Yue hadn't taught it immediately, planning to wait until after their one-month vacation.
Learning Hiraishin was challenging, and if Deidara started now, a relaxed vacation would be impossible.
"The word 'difficult' doesn't exist in my dictionary. Teacher Yu Sheng Mu Yue, please teach me today!" Deidara declared with determination.
Hiraishin was a highly sought-after technique.
Currently, only two people in the ninja world could use Hiraishin: the invincible Yu Sheng Mu Yue and Uzumaki Naruto, who would become the Fourth Hokage in the original timeline.
This indicated that mastering Hiraishin was no easy feat.
Seeing Deidara's eagerness to improve, Kakashi couldn't sit idle. After recovering his stamina, he began his training.
Despite his words of disdain, Kakashi knew that defeating Deidara would be a challenging task.
The other disciples also continued their training, except for Zhi Shui, who was pulled aside by Yu Sheng Mu Yue's shadow clone to discuss Uchiha matters.
"I have a task for you," Yu Sheng Mu Yue said directly.
Zhi Shui didn't ask about the task but nodded and listened attentively.
"Create a list of Uchiha clan members who have good personalities and strong abilities. If possible, try to include younger members as well," Yu Sheng Mu Yue continued.
"Recently, there have been many high-quality missions in the village, and the war has resulted in the loss of some ninjas. Therefore, Konoha needs more capable ninjas to carry out these missions.
I plan to propose a suggestion at the high council meeting to release the Uchiha Jonin from the Police Force and form new teams with the remaining members from the war."
In Yu Sheng Mu Yue's opinion, the Uchiha problem had become increasingly severe due to various reasons, one of which was the Uchiha's reluctance to change. They were content with just the Police Force.
The most interaction a Uchiha ninja had with non-Uchiha ninjas was during the Jonin Academy.
Undoubtedly, this was unhealthy, almost like a village within a village, isolating themselves from the rest.
Yu Sheng Mu Yue's current goal was to gradually break this situation and bring Uchiha ninjas together with ordinary Konoha ninjas.
Zhi Shui quickly understood Yu Sheng Mu Yue's intention and his eyes lit up.
Apparently, Yu Sheng Mu Yue wanted to expand the impact of the Police Force reform and further sever the Uchiha's connection with the Police Force.
"I'll carefully investigate and select the best candidates," Zhi Shui nodded seriously.
"Additionally, when you and Deidara attend Uchiha clan gatherings, you can share your experiences of executing missions and fighting alongside your teammates," Yu Sheng Mu Yue added.
The Uchiha clan's eventual downfall was partly due to their own shortcomings.
Some Uchiha were extremely exclusive, as if their minds were stuck in the Warring States period, while others, although not exclusive, were indifferent to matters outside the clan.
Currently, Zhi Shui and Deidara were popular among the Uchiha clan and represented the new generation of Uchiha. Yu Sheng Mu Yue hoped they could set a positive example and inspire other Uchiha to become more open-minded.
After discussing Uchiha matters with Zhi Shui, Yu Sheng Mu Yue's shadow clone went to the Fire Lord Advisor's office in the Shadow Lord Building.
As one of the four high-ranking officials, he naturally had his own office in the building.
Technically, the Fire Lord Advisor was also required to be present in the office.
However, Yu Sheng Mu Yue's situation was similar to the previous Fire Lord Advisor, Uchiha Danzo, who was also the leader of the Root Clan, while Yu Sheng Mu Yue was the captain of the Training Team.
Due to the unique nature of their work, they didn't need to be in the office every day.
Of course, they couldn't be absent all the time, and most of the time, they still needed to be present in the office, at least leaving a Shadow Clone or something.
Mu Yue had just settled into his office when a knock sounded on the door.
"Come in," Mu Yue said.
With Mu Yue's permission, Orochimaru pushed the door open and entered his office.
"Orochimaru, why are you here?" Mu Yue asked.
Although Orochimaru wasn't part of the high council, he held a high position in Konoha, and usually, he would have his documents signed by Enma, without needing to involve Mu Yue.
"You're the captain of the Training Team now, right?" Orochimaru said.
Mu Yue nodded in affirmation.
"Before the Root Clan was disbanded, I held a position there and left some personal belongings at the Root Clan base. Now that it's become the Training Team's base, I'd like to retrieve my belongings," Orochimaru explained.
The Training Team shared the same level of confidentiality as the Anbu, and even Orochimaru couldn't enter such a sensitive area without permission.
"I'm not in a hurry, though. Whenever you have time, you can take me there to get my things," Orochimaru continued.
He did have items at the Root Clan base, but retrieving them was just an excuse; his primary purpose was to test Mu Yue.
Otherwise, he could have directly approached Enma, and it would have been a simple matter.
"Let's go now. I'm quite free at the moment," Mu Yue said after some thought.
He had probably guessed Orochimaru's intentions.
"Then I'll trouble you, Mu Yue."
The two of them left the Fire Lord Building together and headed towards the Training Team base.
"If not for you, Mu Yue, the Mist Village's night raid would have caused us heavy losses."
Along the way, Orochimaru reminisced about their time together on the Eastern Coast Battlefield, fighting against the Mist Village, and reflected on their different paths after their separation.
"Looking back, it's truly unbelievable. In just a few years, you've risen to become a Konoha high council member, while I don't seem to have made any significant progress," Orochimaru said.
This sentiment wasn't a premeditated rhetorical technique; it was a genuine expression of his feelings.
Orochimaru had been the commander on the Eastern Coast Battlefield, leading over a thousand Konoha ninjas in battle against the Mist Village.
At that time, Mu Yue wasn't as famous, and even his appointment as deputy commander was a special promotion by Orochimaru after his outstanding performance.
Now, Mu Yue was the undisputed choice for the next Fire Lord, serving as the Fire Lord Advisor while also heading the unique Training Team.
Orochimaru, having given up on the Fire Lord position, was also concerned about his experimental issues.
"With your abilities, Orochimaru, as long as you don't cause problems related to principles, progress is just a matter of time," Mu Yue replied with a faint smile.
Orochimaru maintained a calm demeanor, but his mind was racing as he pondered Mu Yue's previous statement.
"Principle issues... You know about them?"
Orochimaru probed further, but Mu Yue's responses didn't align with his expectations, leaving him uncertain again.
Upon reaching the Training Team base, Mu Yue led Orochimaru to the laboratory.
"These should be your personal belongings, Orochimaru. You can check them, and if anything is missing, I'll arrange for ninjas to investigate and find them," Mu Yue said.
Orochimaru looked around and said, "No problem. It's pretty much as I remember it."
"Since there's no issue with your personal belongings, let's talk about something else. For example, your unauthorized human experiments with Danzo," Mu Yue said calmly, as if asking if Orochimaru wanted some water.
If it were the previous Mu Yue, he might have put on a show and argued with Orochimaru, but with his current strength, there was no need for such complications.
When Orochimaru first heard this, his pupils constricted slightly, but they soon returned to normal.
"You know, Mu Yue. So, what do you plan to do? Report me to Enma and have me imprisoned forever?" Orochimaru asked calmly.
Knowing that Mu Yue was aware, he actually felt more at ease.
This indicated that there was a possibility of cooperation between them; otherwise, Mu Yue would have already taken legal action against him.
"There's no need for such trivial talk. You know that if I had that intention, you wouldn't be standing here talking to me," Mu Yue replied.
"So, Mu Yue, do you want to cooperate with Danzo and me?"
At this moment, Orochimaru wished Mu Yue wasn't so exceptional; his research might not be enticing enough for Mu Yue.
The ultimate goal of the Mito Cell research was merely to replicate the life force and Wood Style powers of Senju Hashirama, but Mu Yue could potentially become the next Senju Hashirama on his own, and he might not be interested in the Mito Cell research.
"We can discuss cooperation, but I have some requirements," Mu Yue said.
Regarding Orochimaru, Mu Yue had some reservations; he was too disruptive and had incredible vitality.
Orochimaru played a significant role in triggering the Fourth Shinobi World War.
If Orochimaru hadn't brought the Summoning of the Dead out of Konoha, Dou wouldn't have become the Dream Master.
Mu Yue, if he wanted to kill Orochimaru, had the capability to do so, but there was no need for that.
Currently, Orochimaru wasn't as cold-blooded as he would become in the future, and they didn't have any substantial conflicts of interest, so Mu Yue was more inclined towards cooperative reform.
Orochimaru, in essence, just wanted to achieve longevity, so Mu Yue could provide some assistance and help him avoid detours.
During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Orochimaru could have changed his ways without anyone's persuasion, and Mu Yue believed he could still control Orochimaru.
"What are your requirements?" Orochimaru asked curiously.
As long as it didn't affect his plan for longevity, Orochimaru didn't mind. He would even support Mu Yue's path to becoming the Fire Lord.
"Your experiments must be known to me, and you cannot capture civilians as test subjects."
Resources shouldn't be wasted, and while Madara and Itachi's training wasn't complete, Mito Cell research was crucial.
"Only these two?"
Orochimaru was surprised, as he had expected more stringent conditions from Mu Yue.
With these conditions, Mu Yue was an even better cooperation partner than Danzo, both promising and hassle-free.
"For now, just these two," Mu Yue nodded.
He didn't want to interfere too much in Orochimaru's affairs and had only one request: to not cause trouble and focus on research.
If Orochimaru could remain quiet and dedicated to his research, his future contributions to Konoha might even surpass those of Jiraiya.
Mu Yue could easily eliminate a Three Great Ninja-level ninja like Orochimaru, but finding a brilliant scientific talent was a challenging task.
(End of Chapter)
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