Chapter 478: A Mission Concerning Konoha's Future, Two Chapters in One
It was the first day of the second phase of ANBU training.
When Mugetsu arrived at the training ground, all forty ANBU and Root shinobi selected for the program were already assembled, waiting for class to begin.
As usual, Mugetsu stepped forward and used Appraisal to scan everyone.
Several shinobi also studied him with open curiosity.
Mugetsu had only been appointed as a squad leader a few days ago, and he had no prior experience serving in ANBU. Even so, he was already someone everyone in ANBU knew well, and that was before his reputation on the battlefield truly spread.
Part of it was because the fifteen ANBU who had trained under him before spoke highly of him. The other part was even simpler.
Mugetsu was the creator of the Darkness Breathing Technique.
Because Darkness Breathing was practical and easy to pick up, Hiruzen was eager for every ANBU shinobi to learn it. Unfortunately, since no one in ANBU could honestly claim they had mastered Darkness Breathing, its spread was slow. Only a few talented shinobi had truly learned it.
Still, Hiruzen's continued push ensured one thing.
Every ANBU member remembered the name Mugetsu.
"I'm Mugetsu," he said, voice calm and clear. "I'm in charge of this training."
He swept his gaze across the group.
"Today's training will be split into two groups. Those who participated in the previous training, move to the right and form a new line. Everyone else, stay where you are."
Both Hiruzen and Danzo had been promoting Darkness Breathing, so most of the shinobi present had at least touched it. But for many, their proficiency was so low it barely counted as learning at all.
As for those who had already reached mastery, or even proficiency, Mugetsu had no intention of dragging them through beginner material again just to match the newcomers.
Everyone here was ANBU or Root. They moved instantly, splitting into two neat teams.
Coincidentally, each side ended up with exactly twenty people.
"Shadow Clone Technique."
Mugetsu formed hand seals and created a shadow clone. He instructed it to lead the veteran group to a slightly more distant area, far enough that the two teams would not interfere with each other.
Last time, Mugetsu barely taught on the first day because he spent most of it fighting practice bouts against everyone to establish authority.
This time, there was no need.
Even if his fame did not match Hokage candidates like the Sannin, he was still a powerful Konoha shinobi whose name was known across the shinobi world. No one in ANBU could pretend they did not know what he was capable of.
"You all know about the Darkness Breathing Technique, right?" Mugetsu asked.
This was not something he guessed from Appraisal. It was written directly in the information ANBU provided him.
Every shinobi nodded.
"Then I'll skip the basic introduction and go straight into the detailed content."
No one objected.
Mugetsu began the lesson immediately, starting with the most basic breathing posture.
"Maintaining a specific posture while you breathe will help you familiarize yourselves with the rhythm faster," Mugetsu said, demonstrating as he spoke. "That rhythm is one of the core elements of Darkness Breathing."
Both ANBU and Root listened closely.
Two hours later, they had to admit the rumors circulating inside ANBU were not exaggerated. Mugetsu was an outstanding teacher.
As one ANBU shinobi watched him correct postures and breathing cadence with effortless precision, he could not help but sigh inwardly.
So this is why the others praise Squad Leader Mugetsu so highly.
When Hiruzen first tried to promote Darkness Breathing in ANBU, he selected a few of the best practitioners to teach the rest. But after being taught by Mugetsu, the difference was painful.
Mugetsu explained concepts simply and clearly. More importantly, when they practiced, he could point out the real problem immediately, then guide them to fix it on the spot.
In just two hours, many of them had resolved questions that had confused them for weeks.
"Fifteen minute break," Mugetsu announced.
He left a shadow clone behind and headed to the other group.
Even though a shadow clone carried the same understanding of Darkness Breathing as the original, it did not carry Mugetsu's teaching skill buff.
Mugetsu planned to teach in a balanced rotation, two hours or half a day per group, then switch, ensuring both sides benefited equally from the buff.
After the break, Mugetsu's main body began guiding the veteran group.
While the shadow clone led the veteran group earlier, it did not begin teaching Darkness Burning. It simply had them practice Darkness Breathing and warm up, preparing them for Mugetsu's instruction.
When Mugetsu finally faced them, he did not waste time on buildup.
"Next, you'll learn an advanced technique of Darkness Breathing," he said. "Darkness Burning Technique."
Unlike a Breathing Technique Chakra Mode, Darkness Burning did not require extremely high proficiency. Even shinobi who were not yet at the proficient level could succeed, though it would be more difficult.
The shinobi below were caught off guard. They came expecting to deepen their Darkness Breathing, not to be handed an advanced secret technique.
"The Darkness Burning Technique consumes chakra to significantly enhance strength and speed," Mugetsu explained. "Think of it as temporarily amplifying the effects of Darkness Breathing."
Anticipation spread through the group.
Darkness Breathing alone already boosted explosive power. An amplification on top of that was a power up stacked on a power up.
With only a few sentences, Mugetsu lit a fire in the veterans. They wanted to learn it immediately and feel the difference firsthand.
"Push your breathing to its limit," Mugetsu said, eyes steady. "But do not let it become chaotic."
Then he began formal instruction.
Even though he had only developed Darkness Burning recently, its essence was a weakened version of a Chakra Mode, and Mugetsu explained it as smoothly as he explained Darkness Breathing itself.
Shinji, listening closely, felt a chill of admiration.
Darkness Breathing was already strong. With Darkness Burning added, it truly felt like a secret technique that could let a shinobi clan establish itself in the shinobi world.
If Darkness Breathing and Darkness Burning were passed down as family techniques, and their development continued smoothly, then in a hundred years there might be another powerful clan like the Mugetsu clan.
Hiten, too, felt relief settle in his chest.
Thankfully I was chosen again. Otherwise I would have missed out badly.
By common sense, even if he had not participated in training, Hiruzen, who was promoting Darkness Breathing, would have offered an opportunity to learn Darkness Burning.
But the standards and requirements would be unpredictable, and learning without Mugetsu's guidance would be far harder.
When the day's class ended, rewards appeared on the panel.
[System: Completed a mid level lecture.]
[System: Evaluation: S.]
[System: Rewards: Breathing Technique Understanding improved; Darkness Breathing Technique +48; Basic Breathing +22; Thunder Breathing +11.]
Mugetsu focused on the first reward.
Breathing Technique Understanding improved.
That was exactly what he was grinding for.
It only appeared with an S rank evaluation in a mid level class, and it improved his grasp of the essence of Breathing Techniques.
After quickly organizing the new knowledge in his mind, Mugetsu headed toward Tsunade's house.
One class reward was not enough to drastically raise his Breathing Technique level. If he wanted to develop the Yang Release Breathing he envisioned, he would need to keep collecting rewards.
…
Root base.
"What did Mugetsu teach today?" Danzo asked the Root shinobi who had just finished training. "Was there any difference between what Root and ANBU learned, and how well did he teach?"
Danzo was dissatisfied with this training.
Not because of Mugetsu.
Because of Hiruzen.
Hiruzen had arranged twenty five ANBU participants this time, while Root was still only allowed to send fifteen, just like last time.
Danzo could not tolerate such blatant double standards. The moment he received the detailed arrangement documents, he went straight to the Hokage office.
Angry enough to overlook details he usually never missed, he walked in without knocking and was immediately reprimanded. After that, Hiruzen kept pressing him on minor issues, each one small, each one irritating, until Danzo's mood turned even darker.
The worst part was that even after Danzo confronted him, Hiruzen still refused to increase Root's numbers.
And Hiruzen's reason left Danzo no clean argument.
"Root is subordinate to ANBU. If ANBU only has twenty five participants, why should Root be equal to ANBU?" Hiruzen said.
What could Danzo say after that.
He left with a muttered, "You'll regret this," and slammed the door.
The Root shinobi answered carefully, addressing each question in order.
"Lord Mugetsu taught Darkness Breathing and its advanced technique, Darkness Burning, today. There was no difference in content between Root and ANBU. Lord Mugetsu's teaching was excellent, as always."
Danzo nodded slightly. He asked a few more detailed questions to confirm everything was stable, then dismissed him.
As he sat alone, Danzo recalled the anger he had swallowed in front of Hiruzen, and a curse rose in his mind.
Hiruzen, you have changed. It was the right decision not to tell you about the Wood Release shinobi.
Before, Danzo had considered revealing the existence of the Wood Release shinobi to ensure he received the best possible training.
In Konoha, Wood Release was special. Many believed no bloodline limit could compare to it, and that the strongest ninjutsu in the world was Wood Release ninjutsu.
There was a reason for that belief.
From Konoha's founding until now, only one Wood Release shinobi had ever existed in the village's history.
The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi.
That single example fueled endless speculation. Perhaps any Wood Release user could reach the God of Shinobi's height.
Even more rational people were distorted by Hashirama's terrifying power. They thought that even if someone could not equal him, they should at least reach half of his level, or two thirds.
Now, Danzo had abandoned the thought completely.
If Hiruzen learned of the Wood Release shinobi, he would seize him from Root and never return him.
Danzo would never allow that.
Not because he only wanted to strengthen Root, but because he believed this was for Konoha.
In Danzo's mind, only Root could produce the strongest Wood Release shinobi. If the Wood Release shinobi fell under Hiruzen's soft hands, his true potential would never be unearthed, and that would be a loss for all of Konoha.
"It's time to check his training."
Danzo, accompanied by two trusted Root subordinates, traveled to a secret location near Konoha.
The Wood Release shinobi Danzo held was the only successful subject of Orochimaru's Hashirama cell experiments. Because of an unexpected factor, Orochimaru believed all subjects had failed, and Danzo acquired him by chance.
Keeping the boy outside the village was not only to hide him from Hiruzen, but also to hide him from Orochimaru. Danzo did not want Orochimaru discovering the truth and demanding the subject back.
Danzo doubted Orochimaru would remember every experimental subject's face, but caution was safer than arrogance.
"Danzo sama," Yamato greeted, bowing with respect.
"Perform your strongest Wood Release for me," Danzo ordered, nodding faintly.
Danzo could not use Wood Release himself, but he had access to Wood Release data left behind by Hashirama.
His primary focus in teaching Yamato was chakra control and assassination techniques.
Yamato formed hand seals seriously. He gathered chakra, transformed it into Wood Release chakra, and activated the technique.
A tender sprout burst through the ground, quickly growing into a tree slightly taller than Danzo.
When the technique ended, Yamato looked at Danzo with expectation shining in his eyes.
Danzo's brow furrowed.
"This is no different from before," Danzo said coldly. "Yamato, have you not been training diligently?"
Danzo had assigned multiple Root shinobi to watch Yamato, with daily reports on his actions and whether suspicious figures approached the area.
The reports said Yamato trained according to plan every day.
Yet seeing the result, Danzo felt Yamato might be acting, going through the motions instead of truly dedicating himself.
Yamato's hands dropped to his sides, clutching the hem of his clothes. His voice tightened.
"No, I haven't been lazy, Danzo sama. If you look closely, it's actually five centimeters taller than before."
He had practiced not long ago. He was certain he had improved since Danzo's last visit.
Until Danzo spoke, Yamato had expected praise.
Danzo's voice sharpened.
"Yamato, you are the elite among the elite of Root. Your goal is to surpass Root's most perfect creation, Mugetsu. In two weeks, you have only achieved this. Are you worthy of the resources and expectations I have placed on you?"
Danzo had witnessed Hashirama conjure forests with a casual wave. Compared to that, five centimeters meant nothing.
To Danzo, this was not progress.
It was proof of insufficient effort.
"I… I…" Yamato tried to speak again, but under Danzo's stern gaze, he lowered his head.
"Danzo sama, I'm sorry."
He felt he had trained diligently, but Danzo had saved him. If Danzo said he had not trained diligently, then perhaps Yamato had been lazy without realizing it.
"It's good you understand," Danzo said. "As long as you follow my arrangements, you will become the strongest shinobi in Root. No, the strongest in Konoha, and even the entire shinobi world."
Danzo's familiar habit surfaced without effort, painting the largest possible future.
Yamato nodded blankly.
He did not truly understand what it meant to be the strongest in Root or the strongest in the world, but he believed Danzo's words were correct, and that he should obey.
Danzo's tone softened.
"But I also understand your hard work. You haven't eaten yet, have you? I brought you food."
Danzo patted Yamato's head and had his subordinate bring forward two meals.
Yamato's dim eyes brightened.
"Yes. Thank you, Danzo sama!"
As Yamato ate, Danzo became noticeably gentler. He stopped the harsh criticism and instead asked about Yamato's life, his rest, his routine.
When dinner ended, Danzo patted Yamato's shoulder.
"No matter what, Yamato, train diligently. Not for me, but for yourself, for Root, and for Konoha."
Yamato nodded heavily.
"I won't let you down, Danzo sama."
Danzo smiled kindly, patted Yamato's head once more, then turned and walked back toward Konoha with his subordinates.
After a certain distance, the warmth vanished from Danzo's face, replaced by his usual coldness.
Danzo understood how to train loyalty better than anyone.
Even an adult shinobi could be shaped into unwavering devotion within five years.
A child under ten was even simpler.
"Even a Wood Release shinobi needs time to accumulate power?" Danzo pondered.
Yamato's growth was slower than he had imagined. The boy was talented, but not as extraordinary as Danzo envisioned when he first obtained him.
Two possibilities formed in Danzo's mind.
The best solution would be to use Edo Tensei on Hashirama and have the First Hokage teach Yamato directly.
Hashirama was not only the God of Shinobi, but the strongest Wood Release user in history. There was no teacher more suitable.
Danzo dismissed the idea immediately.
Edo Tensei was forbidden. Hashirama was a founder of Konoha. If Danzo truly dared something like that, he would not survive the next day.
Danzo's thoughts locked onto the second option.
"If it were Mugetsu, Yamato's growth should accelerate," Danzo thought.
Mugetsu's teaching ability was so strong that Hiruzen had consistently refused Danzo's suggestion to send Mugetsu to the battlefield, fearing for his safety.
The battlefield performance of Mugetsu's disciples proved it. All five, including Rin, performed like geniuses.
"If Yamato enters Konoha, the risk increases," Danzo weighed the pros and cons.
Yamato had a legal identity in Konoha. Danzo arranged it long ago, meaning Yamato was registered as a real Konoha shinobi, not an unrecorded stray.
The risk Danzo meant was not danger to Yamato.
It was danger to Root.
If Yamato's Wood Release identity was exposed, Hiruzen would seize him.
"With a proper plan, it will be fine."
After careful consideration, Danzo decided to bring Yamato into Konoha.
After repeated probing, Danzo believed Mugetsu's loyalty was absolute.
With a loyal Mugetsu and Root's influence, it would be extremely difficult for anyone to discover Yamato's truth.
Danzo moved quickly.
The next day, he dispatched his most trusted subordinate to bring Yamato into Konoha.
That evening, Danzo summoned Mugetsu to the Root base.
"Danzo sama," Mugetsu greeted respectfully.
This time, before arriving, Mugetsu could not quite guess why Danzo called him.
Mugetsu already had an important public mission that consumed most of his time. There was little room for anything else.
However, before stepping inside, Mugetsu swept the Root base with his Byakugan.
That gave him a faint guess, though he was not fully certain.
Danzo looked at Mugetsu's familiar respect, unchanged for decades, and felt pleased.
"I have a very important mission to entrust to you," Danzo said, voice deep. "One that concerns the future of Konoha."
To Danzo, a second Wood Release user after Hashirama was no less important than a tailed beast.
"For Konoha's future, I am willing to give everything," Mugetsu replied without hesitation.
"I'll have a shadow clone apply to the Third Hokage immediately to cancel the training mission."
Mugetsu formed hand seals and split off a shadow clone. The clone rushed for the door, clearly intending to sprint straight to the Hokage building.
Danzo's eyelid twitched.
If Mugetsu suddenly told Hiruzen he would not carry out the mission, Hiruzen would investigate. And if an investigation reached Root, there would be consequences Root could not withstand.
"Mugetsu," Danzo said sharply. "Release your shadow clone and listen first. Do not be hasty."
While Danzo spoke, the clone had already run out of the office. If Danzo delayed another breath, it might have left the base entirely.
Mugetsu released the shadow clone, looking puzzled.
"Danzo sama, you said you had a mission concerning Konoha's future. If I don't end the training mission, I won't have time to carry out your mission."
Danzo's emotions became complicated.
Mugetsu's action was inconvenient, yet it also reassured him deeply.
He even used a shadow clone to go to Hiruzen after hearing just one sentence.
Danzo felt loyalty radiating from every movement Mugetsu made.
Danzo coughed lightly.
"Although this mission is very important, it does not require too much of your time at this stage," Danzo said. "You will proceed with your training mission as normal."
Mugetsu's expression shifted into understanding, and he stood obediently in place.
Danzo stopped being vague.
"Your mission is to instruct Root's Wood Release shinobi."
Mugetsu froze, eyes widening as if he had heard something impossible.
Danzo could not help showing a triumphant smile. No Konoha shinobi would hear that and remain calm.
"You are the most outstanding shinobi I have trained since Root was established," Danzo said, satisfied. "I believe you are capable of bearing the responsibility of instructing a Wood Release shinobi."
Danzo believed Mugetsu's loyalty would peak at this moment. He had entrusted something as important as a Wood Release user directly into Mugetsu's hands.
Mugetsu showed gratitude, while inwardly thinking Danzo's audacity truly knew no limits.
From Danzo's perspective, Mugetsu's current strength should have been credited to Hiruzen.
Yet Danzo could still say those words without hesitation.
Danzo stepped into the adjacent room and returned with Yamato.
"This is the one you will instruct," Danzo said. "His codename is Yamato."
Yamato had no personal name under Danzo, only a codename.
Part of that was because Danzo truly did not know Yamato's original name. More importantly, Danzo wanted Root to be Yamato's everything, and he wanted Yamato to treat the codename as his identity.
If Danzo wished, he could have assigned a name casually. He chose not to.
Danzo looked at Yamato.
"He is Mugetsu, the most perfect shinobi in Root, the one I mentioned to you before."
Danzo had told Yamato stories of Mugetsu's deeds, using Mugetsu as both pressure and motivation.
Yamato looked up blankly.
Mugetsu met his gaze and smiled gently.
So bright.
To Yamato, that smile felt like morning sun. Mugetsu's golden hair made the dim office seem brighter, warmer.
That warmth made Yamato instinctively feel close to Mugetsu, even though it was their first meeting.
Unfortunately, the light moved away immediately.
Danzo ordered a Root shinobi to take Yamato into the next room.
"This teaching must be kept secret," Danzo continued. "I will arrange for him to live in a remote area in the southern outskirts of Konoha. You can teach him at the nearest training ground. You decide the teaching time and the specific training projects."
Since Danzo was assigning Mugetsu as Yamato's instructor, he did not intend to interfere with the teaching itself. Mugetsu held true authority in that domain.
Danzo's job was secrecy.
He had to ensure Yamato's Wood Release identity never reached Hiruzen.
"I will not fail your trust, Danzo sama," Mugetsu said sincerely.
After discussing the details, Danzo gave Mugetsu a large amount of Wood Release data and training experience records, asking him to design the best program for Yamato.
Then came the benefits.
Danzo would not be stingy with someone as loyal as Mugetsu. He had no intention of letting Hiruzen or Orochimaru poach him.
First, Danzo said he would raise Mugetsu's authority inside Root to the level of a squad leader, and not an ordinary one.
A normal squad leader could only mobilize shinobi within their own squad.
Mugetsu, however, would be able to mobilize all Root shinobi below squad leader level.
Because Mugetsu was no longer officially part of Root, Danzo could not assign him formally on paper. Instead, Danzo issued it as a verbal command.
Danzo had it planned.
If Mugetsu ever wavered, that authority could be revoked with a single sentence.
Beyond that, there were payments, secret medicines, and ninjutsu.
Mugetsu weighed the value calmly and concluded the most meaningful reward was the Wood Release ninjutsu data itself. Root authority was largely superficial.
Mugetsu possessed Wood Release talent, but he had not learned a single Wood Release ninjutsu yet.
On his way home, Mugetsu recalled Yamato's stats from Appraisal.
[Name: Yamato]
[Chakra: 12000]
[Potential: S (Hashirama cells + basic talent)]
[Skills: Wood Release (Beginner: 420/500), Earth Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficient: 200/3000), Water Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficient)…]
Perhaps because he had not trained for long, Yamato's numbers were terrible outside of chakra and potential.
"If I had another disciple slot, he would be a good choice," Mugetsu thought.
To Danzo, Yamato was a useless child who had not grown into his power.
To Mugetsu, Yamato was an unpolished gem.
Because of the system's reward mechanism, the younger the disciple, the greater the benefit Mugetsu gained. Yamato's weakness was actually an advantage.
The only pity was that Mugetsu had no open disciple slots.
The system was strict to an absurd degree. Mugetsu had transmigrated for nearly three years and had only received a disciple slot once.
He did not even know if he would receive more in the future.
After returning home, Mugetsu had not studied Yang Release Breathing for long when Minato knocked on his door.
"I can confirm the sparring time now," Minato said, looking slightly embarrassed. "Tomorrow afternoon is completely free."
That day, Minato said he might be busy for a few days.
It ended up being almost two weeks.
"Sunday works for me too," Mugetsu replied after a moment, then handed the tea he had poured to Minato.
Training was not every day. It ran six days a week, with Sundays off.
"Alright," Minato said, taking a small sip. "You can decide the venue, Mugetsu."
Mugetsu nodded. "Minato, if you don't mind, I'll choose the place where I usually teach my disciples. My disciples will watch."
Watching powerful shinobi fight was beneficial for training. It gave a clear view of higher level strength, and it allowed them to learn styles and habits directly from real combat.
"That's fine," Minato said, his embarrassment deepening. "Most of them are my disciples too."
Minato had been back for more than ten days, yet he had only visited Obito and the others five or six times, not even half the days.
He felt the weight of it.
After the busy work settled, he decided he would properly fulfill his responsibilities as a teacher and stop letting Mugetsu carry everything alone.
"A fight with the Yellow Flash," Mugetsu said, letting a hint of teasing enter his tone, "that's exciting."
Minato's smile returned. "A fight with Raging Sun Mugetsu is just as exciting."
He truly was looking forward to it.
To keep things fair, Minato had not even discussed his ongoing ninjutsu development with Mugetsu. The technique inspired by the Tailed Beast Ball was in its final stage, only a step away from completion.
.....
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