Chapter 679: The Sixth Ninja Power?
Chapter 679: The Sixth Ninja Power?
Rain Country, Six Paths City.
Unlike when they left, as Yu Sheng Mu Yue had not informed the Shinshu of his exact return time, there was no welcoming party of Shinshu ninjas when they arrived back in Six Paths City.
However, news of their return spread quickly after they entered the city, and a group of Shinshu ninjas had gathered by the time they reached the Shinshu headquarters.
"Welcome back, Son Ryouka-sensei!" the Shinshu ninjas exclaimed excitedly.
Although they were all aware of their leader's formidable strength, it was impossible not to feel anxious when facing the Third Hokage, a legend at the pinnacle of the ninja world.
Therefore, seeing Son Ryouka return unharmed filled the Shinshu ninjas with genuine joy.
In theory, idolizing someone like this was not a good behavior, but this person was Son Ryouka, the founder of the new Shinshu.
In the eyes of many Shinshu ninjas, Son Ryouka was akin to the Six Paths Sage of the new era, and they couldn't generalize him.
"I told you I'd be back soon," Yu Sheng Mu Yue said with a faint smile.
Kaku listened with a smile, never expecting that Son Ryouka's words about his strength were all true, without a single comforting or morale-boosting lie.
Sometimes, the truth sounded more outrageous than a lie.
No one asked about the outcome of the battle, as all the Shinshu ninjas tacitly avoided the topic, only celebrating the leader's safe return.
It wasn't until Yu Sheng Mu Yue returned to his office to work that some ninjas who had accompanied Changmen Laozi began to subtly inquire about the result of the fight.
From the perspective of reputation and prestige, it wasn't shameful for Son Ryouka to lose to Monkey Fly Hashirama, a veteran who had dominated the ninja world for decades.
However, losing was never a good thing, and their leader had been forced to fight for the sake of Shinshu. Now that he had returned safely, they naturally wouldn't want to deliberately hurt his feelings.
"We won," the accompanying ninjas replied concisely.
If Son Ryouka had won by a narrow margin, they might have avoided discussing the battle results altogether, considering the need to maintain good relations between the two sides.
But Son Ryouka's victory was so overwhelming, almost a crushing win, and since he hadn't specifically asked them to keep the challenge a secret, there was no reason not to share the news.
Monkey Fly Hashirama and the Leaf Village could lose face; if they had the ability, they could come back for another fight.
The Shinshu ninjas hadn't forgotten that the Leaf Village's initial demand was for Son Ryouka to commit suicide. Clearly, they wanted their leader's life but never expected him to be so strong, and their plan backfired, resulting in their own defeat.
"We won? Son Ryouka-sensei defeated the Third Hokage?" Many Shinshu ninjas showed expressions of surprise, asking uncertainly.
They thought it would be good enough if Son Ryouka could manage a close loss and return safely, but they never expected such a pleasant surprise.
"Not only did we win, but we won easily. Monkey Fly Hashirama was no match for Son Ryouka," Kaku explained.
The Shinshu ninjas were all stunned, realizing that it wasn't even a narrow victory but a decisive win.
The accompanying ninjas secretly nodded in agreement, as they had been shocked by the outcome at the scene. They couldn't be the only ones surprised.
"An easy victory! Son Ryouka-sensei is so strong!" Even Yihen showed a surprised expression.
He believed that Son Ryouka could defeat Monkey Fly Hashirama, but he never expected it to be so effortless.
"Did the Leaf Village just stand by and do nothing after the Third Hokage lost?" Yihen asked, puzzled.
He thought the Leaf Village was targeting Son Ryouka, and according to his speculation, they should have been willing to go to any lengths to kill him.
Had he guessed wrong?
"Of course not. They tried to interfere with the battle but failed," Kaku shook his head disdainfully.
If not for Son Ryouka holding back, those Leaf ninjas would have been killed.
"Let's disperse. There's no need to worry about the Leaf Village anymore. With Son Ryouka here, the sky won't fall."
Kaku was now completely unconcerned about the Leaf Village.
With the strength Son Ryouka had displayed, even the Five Great Shinobi Villages would have to think twice before taking action against Shinshu, considering the potential retaliation from Son Ryouka.
The Shinshu ninjas, overjoyed with the good news, left happily.
Their greatest hope was for Son Ryouka's safe return, but they never expected him to not only come back but also bring such a huge surprise.
The more the Shinshu ninjas thought about it, the happier they became, unconsciously quickening their steps as they left.
They couldn't wait to share this joyous news with their companions who hadn't been able to come for various reasons.
Soon, the news spread throughout the Shinshu ninjas in Six Paths City, except for those on missions.
As time passed, various rumors began to circulate within the city.
This caught the attention of the Iwagakure ninjas.
"What's going on here? Son Ryouka is actually alive, what is the Leaf Village up to?"
Inside a stone dome in Six Paths City, built in the style of the Land of Earth, a Stone Shadow Jonin expressed his confusion to his comrades.
"Who knows? Maybe it's as the rumors say, Son Ryouka defeated Monkey Fly Hashirama and returned safely," the bulky Stone Shadow Jonin frowned.
Son Ryouka's successful return disrupted their plans.
Originally, their plan was to take advantage of the Leaf Village's intention to kill Son Ryouka, put pressure on Shinshu, and make Shinshu become a secret agent for Stone Shadow Village.
It wasn't for the sake of the Leaf Village, but to plan for the next fifty years.
Since they couldn't defeat the Leaf Village, which was second only to the God of the Ninja, they would have to endure and let the Leaf Village thrive for fifty years.
"Brother Hikage, what do you think is the credibility of this news?"
The Stone Shadow Jonin who spoke first looked at Hikage, who was sitting in the main seat at the conference table, and asked.
"It's highly likely to be true," Hikage said after a moment of contemplation.
"Since even the common people in Six Paths City know about it, it's only a matter of time before the news spreads throughout the ninja world.
If this is false information, it will inevitably further deepen the conflict between Shinshu and the Leaf Village, increasing the possibility of the Leaf Village sending troops against Shinshu. Only a fool without a brain would act on impulse without considering the consequences, and Son Ryouka is obviously not such a fool.
It's only possible that Son Ryouka isn't afraid of causing conflict with the Leaf Village, so he must have defeated Monkey Fly Hashirama, and it wasn't a simple victory."
"This is not good news for us. We must quickly mobilize our forces to investigate carefully and then report back to the village," Hikage said with a serious expression.
In the past, Stone Shadow Village valued Son Ryouka to a great extent because of his personal strength.
Now, Stone Shadow Village wished that Son Ryouka would die sooner.
Because they realized that as long as Son Ryouka was alive, Stone Shadow Village would never be able to control Shinshu.
Even though Orochimaru had already offered considerable benefits, Son Ryouka's attitude remained resolute, agreeing only to economic cooperation and refusing further discussions.
Son Ryouka's determination, coupled with the conflict between Shinshu and the Leaf Village, led Orochimaru to change his strategy.
Son Ryouka was very strong, but Shinshu also had the top-tier genius Changmen, who might even surpass Son Ryouka if he reached his full potential.
However, Orochimaru also knew that as long as Son Ryouka was alive, not even ordinary Shinshu ninjas, let alone Changmen, would ever turn to Stone Shadow Village.
Therefore, Son Ryouka's death was crucial, and only a Son Ryouka who died at the hands of the Leaf Village would be a good partner for Stone Shadow Village.
"Yes!" The Stone Shadow ninjas nodded in agreement.
Verifying the information was faster than Hikage had imagined, as the Shinshu ninjas didn't treat it as a secret.
Shinshu's attitude made Hikage believe in the information even more.
So, he quickly compiled the collected intelligence, added some of his personal thoughts, and sent it back to Stone Shadow Village.
Orochimaru attached great importance to the layout in the Rain Country, and upon learning that important intelligence had arrived from the Rain Country, he immediately put aside other relatively unimportant matters.
"Hmm?" Upon seeing that Son Ryouka had defeated Monkey Fly Hashirama, a question mark appeared in Orochimaru's mind.
He carefully examined the information and confirmed that it was indeed the important intelligence sent from Stone Shadow Village in the Rain Country, not a prank by someone else.
Orochimaru continued to read the intelligence with a solemn expression, carefully going through each word.
"Son Ryouka actually has such strength," Orochimaru's fingers tapped the table rapidly, and his expression became somewhat unpleasant.
When he saw this piece of intelligence, Orochimaru's first thought wasn't about controlling Shinshu, but rather regretting that Son Ryouka hadn't agreed to his plan to surround and kill Yu Sheng Mu Yue.
If Son Ryouka had joined, even if the Third Mizukage had betrayed them, they should still have been able to kill Yu Sheng Mu Yue.
However, not only did Son Ryouka refuse to participate in the encirclement plan, but he also didn't die as expected, disrupting Stone Shadow Village's plans.
"It would have been better if Monkey Fly Hashirama had died," Orochimaru sighed.
If Monkey Fly Hashirama had died, it would have been another excellent opportunity to stir up trouble.
But Orochimaru was certain that Monkey Fly Hashirama was still alive; otherwise, the Leaf Village wouldn't have remained inactive.
Orochimaru was truly speechless. Either Son Ryouka or Monkey Fly Hashirama dying would have benefited Stone Shadow Village, yet neither of them had perished.
Currently, Orochimaru was unable to act due to the disrupted plans of Shinshu, and he couldn't do anything to the Leaf Village either.
"Shinshu, the Leaf Village..."
Orochimaru fell into deep thought.
The Leaf Village was brimming with talented individuals and had acquired a vast amount of wealth and resources through war. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it was bound to flourish even more.
With the formidable Son Ryouka stationed there and its advantageous geographical location, Shinshu's development potential was evident.
"No, we must confirm the details of the battle," Orochimaru felt that Stone Shadow Village still needed to take action.
It was unlikely that Iwagakure would surpass Konoha as the top ninja village, but Orochimaru was also unwilling to let Iwagakure fall too far behind Konoha.
As for Shinshu, Orochimaru dared not underestimate them now.
If Son Ryouka's strength approached or even reached the level of Senju Hashirama, then Shinshu had a high chance of becoming the sixth-largest ninja faction, and the Rain Country could potentially become the sixth-largest nation.
Of course, Orochimaru would never allow this to happen.
The pie in the ninja world was only so big, and with the emergence of a new major power, Iwagakure's share would inevitably shrink.
...
Land of Fire, Konoha.
The day after the Jonin meeting ended, Kakashi finished his morning training and went to buy breakfast at the marketplace. He saw that the Konoha Times had published a new issue, so he bought a copy.
The headline read, "From Jounin Teacher to Hokage Advisor."
Kakashi thought to himself that the Konoha Times had a knack for catchy titles. Even if he wasn't familiar with Yu Sheng Mu Yue and didn't know who the person in the article was, this title would still pique his interest.
The reason was simple: the difference in status between these two positions was too vast.
Being a Jounin teacher was a common profession that most ninjas were willing to take on and could easily attain.
Teachers' salaries were relatively lower compared to the mission rewards for taking on external tasks. While teachers didn't have a hectic schedule, it wasn't exactly a relaxed job either. Ninjas with ambition generally wouldn't choose to become teachers at the Ninja Academy.
However, being a Hokage Advisor was different. It was a high-ranking position that could influence the direction of Konoha, and only ninjas with exceptional strength and sufficient contributions could hold this role.
Kakashi walked to the breakfast shop, skillfully ordered his meal, and began eating while reading the newspaper.
"Yu Sheng Mu Yue, an eighteen-year-old young teacher who had just entered the Ninja Academy, sought advice from his seniors due to his lack of teaching experience. He then made improvements during actual teaching activities..."
The newspaper started by describing Mu Yue's achievements at the Ninja Academy. For instance, he proposed large-class teaching, which alleviated the issue of teacher shortages and their heavy workload at the time. He also established a supplementary and internship system, significantly improving the performance of the graduating Genin.
The most commendable aspect was the performance of Mu Yue's class, which was far ahead of all other classes. Even if one were to look back at the records from when the Ninja Academy was first established, they wouldn't find a class that could compare to Mu Yue's.
Not only was there no comparable class, but there wasn't even one that came close. Mu Yue's teaching skills were truly exceptional.
One might say that Mu Yue had a good eye for talent, as he had taught several genius disciples. However, for an entire class to be composed of outstanding students, there was no other explanation besides Mu Yue's exceptional ability.
Kakashi had graduated early, and by the time Mu Yue became a teacher at the Ninja Academy, he had already graduated for almost three years. He found Mu Yue's experiences at the academy quite interesting.
The Konoha Times didn't spend too much time on Mu Yue's time at the Ninja Academy and quickly moved on to the Third Great Shinobi War after detailing Mu Yue's various accomplishments.
"The Strongest Hero of Konoha in the Third Great Shinobi War," Kakashi could sense Monkey Fly Hashirama's support for Mu Yue just from this subheading, as he had even used the word "strongest."
However, given Mu Yue's achievements, using the word "strongest" was entirely justified.
On the battlefield of Kirigakure, Mu Yue first killed the renowned Kirigakure Ice Style ninja, Minazuki Kan, along with several other Sword Shinobi. Then, during a critical battle where Kirigakure launched a surprise attack, Mu Yue turned the tide by killing the Jinchuriki.
In the war against Iwagakure, Mu Yue used a countermeasure, taking advantage of Iwagakure's spy to set a trap and achieving a thousand-to-two-thousand victory.
During the second battle with Kirigakure, Mu Yue used Wood Style to capture over a thousand Kirigakure ninjas, laying the foundation for the final victory.
Mu Yue's accomplishments were so impressive that if any of these were attributed to a Konoha ninja, it would be enough for them to become famous. Reporting all of this together would create an explosive effect.
After finishing his breakfast, Kakashi could hear many people on the streets of Konoha discussing the article.
"No wonder Mu Yue became a Hokage Advisor at such a young age. It turns out he has achieved so much."
"Yes, it's hard to imagine how difficult things would have been for Konoha without Mu Yue as an Advisor."
Kakashi listened for a while and felt that the votes from ordinary ninjas and civilians might have an even greater impact than those of the Jonin.
After all, while there might be die-hard supporters of Orochimaru among the Jonin, the same might not be true for the much larger group of ordinary ninjas and civilians.
"I heard from a traveling merchant yesterday that outside, there are rumors that our Hokage was defeated by that Son Ryouka from Shinshu."
"These small ninja factions are so despicable, spreading such rumors to slander our Third Hokage-sama."
"Yes, they even claim to have defeated the Third Hokage-sama. How arrogant! Why don't they say they're the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths?"
Kakashi paused for a moment, then headed towards the Southern Forest after a brief moment of contemplation.
(End of Chapter)
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