Chapter 626: Mugetsu, the Second Wood Release Ninja!
"He actually refused..." Ōnoki fell into deep thought as he read the message from Kitsuchi.
As the one who had planned the scheme, Ōnoki naturally understood the importance of the Shinobi Sect and Sōsuke. That was why he had offered what he considered excellent terms.
Ōnoki had considered the possibility that Sōsuke might refuse, but he had not expected him to reject the proposal so decisively. According to the report, Sōsuke had practically refused every condition.
"Is there something I'm not seeing?" Ōnoki frowned.
Sōsuke's reaction exceeded his expectations.
Under normal circumstances, Sōsuke should have been in great need of Iwagakure's power right now.
Most people in the Ninja World had only noticed Danzo Shimura's death, but only Iwagakure, which viewed the Land of Rain as a strategic step in its plan, had noticed another matter. Hanzō, the legendary Demigod of the Ninja World, had also died.
In Ōnoki's estimation, Hanzō's death was most likely related to Danzo Shimura and Konoha.
If Sōsuke had killed Hanzō, then Amegakure should not have continued to cooperate amicably with Sōsuke.
There was also the possibility of a coup, but given Sōsuke's previous actions, Ōnoki felt that the probability was extremely low. Amegakure's current atmosphere also did not look like it had undergone a coup.
So, having lost Hanzō, a powerful teammate, and having offended Konoha, why had Sōsuke rejected Iwagakure's goodwill so decisively? Ōnoki could not understand it.
Was Sōsuke not worried about Konoha's Ninja Force invading the Land of Rain?
Konoha would not even need to exert itself. It only had to send the Ninja Force stationed in the Land of Grass, which was there to deter Iwagakure, to attack the Land of Rain, and it could easily break through the border defenses.
"Or is he holding out for better terms?" Ōnoki could not decide for a moment.
Sōsuke was different from Hanzō. Sōsuke had appeared suddenly and risen to fame in the Ninja World. Ōnoki was not confident that he fully understood Sōsuke's character.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door of the Tsuchikage's office.
"Sandaime, these are the latest battle reports regarding Kumogakure and Konoha." After receiving Ōnoki's permission, an Anbu swiftly opened the door and reported.
Ōnoki nodded slightly. The Anbu placed the intelligence report on Ōnoki's desk, then immediately left.
"Is Kumogakure testing Konoha's strength this time?" Ōnoki was somewhat surprised after reading through the report.
Kumogakure seemed rather serious this time. They had first launched a surprise attack on the northern Land of Fire, sending numerous small teams to wreak havoc there. Then, they had immediately sent a Ninja Force to engage the Konoha Ninja Force stationed in the Land of Hot Springs.
Ōnoki took out a map of the Ninja World and realized that if Kumogakure's forces in the Land of Hot Springs defeated Konoha's force, then the northern Land of Fire would become Kumogakure's playground, allowing them to come and go as they pleased.
"If Kumogakure succeeds, Iwagakure will have more room to maneuver." Ōnoki stroked his goatee.
Jiraiya had been obstructing Iwagakure's advance in the Land of Grass.
If the northern Land of Fire fell, then the Konoha Ninja Force in the Land of Grass would also be greatly affected. It could easily become vulnerable to attacks from both front and rear.
At that time, Iwagakure could either push through the Land of Fire's defenses or sail with a large force to the Land of Hot Springs and strike Kumogakure from behind.
Ninja Villages had no absolute enemies, only absolute interests. If stepping on Kumogakure offered a higher chance of success, Ōnoki would not hesitate to give Kumogakure a kick.
However, for now, Ōnoki still leaned toward dealing with Konoha. After all, Konoha had been living far too comfortably, emerging victorious in the previous two great wars.
"We can try offering better terms first." Ōnoki began writing new orders for Kitsuchi.
If they could pull the Shinobi Sect to their side, they had to at least make the attempt.
...
Land of Fire, Konoha.
Minato looked at the familiar giant wooden gates, let out a soft breath of relief, and smiled.
Even a Ninja like him felt pressure on the battlefield.
At Minato's own request, Ino-Shika-Cho led most of the Ninja Force to support Orochimaru, while Minato returned to Konoha with the wounded from the force.
The higher-ups' approval had been within Minato's expectations. Because he had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, Konoha's higher-ups had long assigned him various S-rank missions as a battlefield firefighter.
If Konoha were to choose the busiest Jonin during the war, he would certainly be among them.
After being busy for so long, it would be too much if he was not even allowed a short rest. Besides, his return to Konoha was not purely for rest. He also had important business.
Minato first went to the Hokage Building to report the mission status to Hiruzen.
"The large number of Kumogakure small teams in the northwest and north-central areas were only meant to draw our attention. After we successfully intercepted the elite team led by the AB Combo, they quickly retreated..."
Although the intelligence had already been reported once, debriefing after returning was a separate matter and a necessary procedure.
After listening, Hiruzen took a sip of tea and said with a chuckle, "Thanks to your swift action, Minato. Otherwise, the force in the Land of Hot Springs might have suffered a setback."
Konoha had many renowned powerhouses, but at present, the two who satisfied Hiruzen the most and reassured him the most were also among the youngest: Mugetsu and Minato.
Their only problem might be that they were too young and lacked a bit of experience.
"It was mainly because Shikaku discovered it in time," Minato replied modestly.
After reporting the mission, Minato did not linger and quickly left the Hokage's office.
"After the war ends, what position would be best for Minato?" Hiruzen fell into thought as he watched Minato leave.
Among Jiraiya's generation, those who were qualified were either slacking off or not acknowledged by Hiruzen. Because of that, Hiruzen had now completely given up on his own disciples and intended to choose between Minato and Mugetsu.
However, Mugetsu and Minato were still too young. Hiruzen did not plan to pass on the position too early. He intended to train them for a few more years first.
After returning home, Minato first tidied up his house, then knocked on Mugetsu's door.
"Not home? Then I'll go find Kushina first." Seeing that there was no response after a long while, Minato decided to visit his girlfriend, whom he had not seen in some time.
After all, it was still daytime. It was normal for Mugetsu not to be home.
Finding Kushina went smoothly. At that moment, Kushina happened to be in her room studying Sealing Techniques.
"Minato, you're back!" When she saw her boyfriend, Kushina's face bloomed with a joyful smile.
"The Ninja World seems even more chaotic lately. Even the atmosphere in the village has changed a little. I thought you'd be even busier."
As she spoke, Kushina threw herself at Minato and gave him a big hug.
"I should have been, but I applied for a short leave, so I can stay in Konoha for a little while," Minato said with a smile, gently stroking Kushina's bright red hair.
Under normal circumstances, he would either be sent to the Land of Hot Springs to support Orochimaru or return to the Land of Grass to continue investigating Iwagakure's movements.
"Hehe, you missed me that much?" Kushina could not help placing her hands on her hips, a smug smile spreading across her face.
Her boyfriend had taken leave to rest. What else could it be for if not for her, his beautiful girlfriend?
"Uh, actually, it's because I need to learn a Ninjutsu from Mugetsu," Minato said honestly.
Kushina's smile froze. Her eyes widened as she stared at Minato in disbelief.
What was this?
Was her charm inferior to the Ninjutsu Mugetsu taught?
Kushina puffed out her cheeks and looked at Minato in dissatisfaction. Could he not have said that he needed to learn Ninjutsu from Mugetsu and also really wanted to see her?
"My speed is enough, but against some Ninja with special abilities, my power is still lacking," Minato explained.
In fact, Minato had already discovered this problem on the Iwagakure battlefield. His Rasengan had not been able to break through Rōshi's lava armor while Rōshi was in Lava Release Chakra Mode.
However, Rōshi was a Jinchuriki capable of fully transforming into a Tailed Beast. Such opponents were rare, so Minato had not paid too much attention to it at the time.
This time, during his battle with the AB Combo, his Rasengan had been blocked again, which made Minato reflect seriously.
If that attack had succeeded, the outcome of the battle would have been very different.
"By making up for this weakness, I'll be able to protect the village better, and also... you," Minato said sincerely.
When Kushina went to the battlefield, she would either face a Jinchuriki or a top-tier powerhouse.
If the opponent was a Jinchuriki capable of fully transforming into a Tailed Beast, or a powerhouse like the Third Raikage, Minato would feel helpless.
The enemy could not harm him, but he also could not deal effective damage to the enemy.
Kushina's slight irritation vanished completely, and her face gradually turned the same color as her hair.
"Why are you suddenly saying something so cheesy? Protecting me so seriously and everything."
After saying that, Kushina could not help waving her small pink fist and giving Minato a light punch to the chest.
She had been startled, thinking that her position in Minato's heart had lost to Mugetsu.
But in the end, it was still for her.
With his extremely quick reactions, Minato immediately condensed Chakra in his chest and steadily endured the punch.
The small misunderstanding was resolved, and the atmosphere between the two became even sweeter as they enjoyed their daily time together as a couple.
At 5:30 PM, Minato went to Mugetsu's house again.
To his surprise, Mugetsu was still not home. Minato checked Mugetsu's doorstep every ten minutes until 6:30 PM, but Mugetsu still did not appear.
This surprised Minato, but he did not rush to the Third Hokage to ask whether Mugetsu was on a mission. Instead, he calmly took out a book and read while waiting.
It was only after 10 PM that Minato finally heard movement next door, so he walked over.
Mugetsu had just entered and had not yet closed the door. Seeing Minato approaching, he smiled and invited him inside.
Minato did not stand on ceremony and walked straight in.
"The Training Squad has only recently gotten on track, so I've been a little busy and have been working late. Did you return to Konoha today, Minato?" Mugetsu asked as he poured tea for him.
Since he spent very little time at home, he had specially set up a small kitchen at the Training Squad base just for cooking.
"Yes, I arrived at noon today," Minato said softly, thanking him with a nod.
"Do you need something from me?" Mugetsu asked directly.
"Yes, but you've been busy until so late..." Minato considered coming back tomorrow instead. He had only come over because he wanted to know why Mugetsu had returned so late.
"It's fine. The actual work hours aren't that long, so I'm not tired."
Since Mugetsu said so, Minato no longer hesitated and stated his purpose.
"Mugetsu, I've completed the Constant State training for the Basic Breathing Technique you taught me. I'd like to learn its advanced secret techniques."
"You have three choices: Wind Release Breathing, Flame Breathing, and Yang Release Breathing," Mugetsu said after thinking for a moment.
Although Minato rarely used Wind Release or Fire Release Ninjutsu in battle, his proficiency in Nature Transformation was actually quite high, far above that of an average Jonin.
"Flame Breathing has all the enhancements of Basic Breathing and can also strengthen the power of Fire Release..."
Minato listened attentively as Mugetsu explained the Breathing Techniques.
"So Obito and the others were able to cast techniques quickly without hand seals because of the Breathing Technique." Minato showed a surprised expression when he heard about the effects of Breathing Technique Chakra Mode.
"Mugetsu, what do you think about me practicing Wind Release Breathing?" Minato asked after thinking it over.
Fire Release did not quite fit his current combat style.
As for Yang Release Breathing Chakra Mode, while it looked powerful, with its no-hand-seal healing and effects similar to the Akimichi Clan's secret techniques, it still did not suit Minato.
After all, most people could not even touch him, so no-hand-seal healing would not be very useful.
If he could use instant Wind Release, it would bring new changes to Minato's combat ability.
Wind Release's attack power was considered strong among the five basic nature transformations. Wind blades sharp enough could cut through all kinds of hard materials.
"That's fine." Mugetsu nodded in approval.
Among the existing Breathing Techniques, Wind Release Breathing did suit Minato better.
Then, at Mugetsu's firm insistence, the two went to the nearest Training Ground and began training.
"Given the current situation in the Ninja World, you won't have much time in Konoha. On the other hand, after this period of busyness passes, I should be much more relaxed," Mugetsu explained.
Minato had gone through a lot to teach him the Flying Thunder God Technique before, so Mugetsu did not mind spending time teaching Minato.
They trained until 1 AM. Since it was already so late and they had just finished training, Mugetsu even made a late-night snack.
"It really is great to have a friend like Mugetsu." After returning home, Minato could not help sighing with emotion.
After finishing the late-night snack, Mugetsu did not immediately rest. He studied Sealing Techniques for half an hour before washing up and going to bed.
Studying Sealing Techniques and Breathing Techniques had already become his habit. If he did not study them at night, it felt as if something was missing.
"It's about time. I can properly demonstrate Wood Release now," Mugetsu thought as he lay in bed.
It had been some time since he requested the Wood Release data. As Konoha's strongest genius, it was time for him to make a move.
The next morning, after finishing his Kenbunshoku Haki class, Mugetsu went to the Hokage Building.
Then, putting on an excited expression, Mugetsu opened the door to the Hokage's office without knocking.
"Hmm?" Hiruzen looked toward the door with some displeasure after seeing someone enter without knocking.
When he saw that it was Mugetsu, he found it a little strange. Surely Mugetsu had not become like Danzo Shimura and stopped liking knocks after inheriting Root's legacy, had he?
"Sandaime-sama, I seem to have successfully developed Wood Release!"
.....
https://discord.gg/KvMN2CFsMR
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]