Initially prepared to take action, Kakashi was stunned. After some thought, he finally followed behind Mutsuki.
If it wasn't luck, he was curious how Obito managed it.
Then Mutsuki led Kakashi to track Obito.
With the Byakugan plus memories trained by the Root, Mutsuki's concealment was excellent. Obito didn't notice he was being followed at all, focused solely on finding the target of the mission.
"Light yellow fur, twenty centimeters tall..." Obito muttered the mission target's information while scanning around.
Obito even opened the lids of trash cans to see if the dog was inside.
Seeing Obito's actions, Kakashi was somewhat speechless. What kind of dog would hide in a trash can?
"Isn't that little Obito? What are you looking for?"
Suddenly, a smiling old man stopped Obito and asked, "Are you looking for a light yellow little dog, about this size?" Obito gestured and replied, "Yes, exactly."
"I haven't seen any light yellow dogs around lately, but I remember that guy, Ueki, likes to wander around. Let me take you to him and ask," the old man said.
"Thank you so much, sir," Obito expressed his gratitude sincerely.
Then, the old man led Obito to find the person named Ueki.
"Light yellow little dog? I think I saw one in the eastern part of the main city, but I can't recall exactly where," the man named Ueki pondered and replied.
"You're getting old and forgetful. That's almost the same as saying nothing," the old man grumbled, considering the large size of the eastern part of the main city.
"Hehe, it's okay, grandpa. You've narrowed it down from all of Konoha to just the east side, which reduces the area significantly," Obito said, thanking the old man again.
Obito then headed to the eastern part of Konoha's main city. Because his searching behavior was too conspicuous, he was stopped by another old person. And so, with the guidance of one elderly person after another, Obito quickly found the dog's location and immediately activated his Breathing Technique to capture it.
"How about that? Do you still think it's just luck?" Mutsuki turned to Kakashi and asked.
"No, this is a victory of intel" Kakashi replied to Mutsuki without being stubborn.
He had gathered intelligence from passersby before, but most weren't as helpful as the kind-hearted elderly people Obito encountered. Many just brushed him off with a casual response, and some didn't even bother to acknowledge him.
The old people Obito encountered were eager to lead him to the target of the mission. They either helped him inquire or connected him with their networks, displaying remarkable enthusiasm.
"But under the same conditions, I could do better," Kakashi remarked.
Obito could have completed the task in a shorter time, but due to his occasional random actions, it took nearly an hour to finish.
Kakashi even saw Obito helping an elderly woman down the steps while doing the mission.
If Kakashi had the same intelligence advantage as Obito, he could compress the mission time to under forty minutes.
"Obito's ability to alter your conditions is his strength," Mutsuki shook his head.
Forcing a level playing field is unfair. Kakashi couldn't possibly have the same popularity, so the notion of leveling the playing field doesn't apply.
"And why think about competing on the same terms instead of using your own strengths to compensate for your teammates' weaknesses? Obito may be slow, but he has an intelligence advantage. By working together with him, combining your action with Obito's intelligence, wouldn't the efficiency of the mission increase?" Mutsuki continued.
Kakashi remained silent, but based on his experience with missions, Mutsuki wasn't wrong.
Then Mutsuki led the three of them back to the Hokage Tower to complete the mission.
"So fast, you've already finished the third mission," the registrar exclaimed in surprise.
[Disciple Might Guy diligently completed the commissioned task, gaining Chakra +10, with an additional reward of Chakra +5 led by the sensei in person.]
[Disciple Uchiha Obito diligently completed the commissioned task, gaining Chakra +10, with an additional reward of Chakra +5 led by the sensei in person.]
"This time it's fifteen points again. It seems that rewards at the same level can vary due to different difficulty levels," Mutsuki thought to himself.
"How about it, Kakashi, are you convinced now? Haha, I, Uchiha Obito, am the Task King of Konoha!" Obito said triumphantly, hands on hips and laughing.
"You're so proud after just a few D-rank missions. Anyone would think you've been doing S-rank missions," for some reason, Kakashi felt a bit annoyed seeing Obito's smug expression.
"I haven't done them yet. How do you know I wouldn't handle S-rank missions?" Obito was very confident in himself.
"Obito is amazing today!" Guy praised, giving a thumbs-up.
Finding something once might be luck, but three times in a row? That couldn't be explained by luck alone; it was pure skill.
"Today's the first day of missions, so I'll treat everyone to barbecue," Mutsuki announced.
After completing three consecutive missions, plus some miscellaneous time, it was now time for lunch. So Mutsuki didn't take on any more tasks and instead prepared to take the students out for a meal.
"Yay!" Obito cheered.
"Hey, Kakashi, are you up for a challenge to see who can eat more meat later?" Guy challenged. With Obito winning three tasks in a row today, Guy wanted a win too.
Kakashi felt a bit speechless. Ever since joining Mutsuki's team, it seemed like he was either being challenged or on the path to being challenged, even during mealtime.
But when it came time to actually eat barbecue, Kakashi finally found a moment of peace because everyone was devouring the barbecue Mutsuki had grilled.
At first, Kakashi felt a bit awkward and embarrassed because typically everyone would grill their own meat separately.
After reluctantly eating the slice of barbecue that Mutsuki forcefully placed in his bowl, Kakashi silently accepted Mutsuki's kindness.
Kakashi was deeply puzzled. They were all using the same grill and seasonings, and he hadn't seen Mutsuki bring out any special sauce, yet Mutsuki's barbecue was much tastier than theirs. It didn't seem like ordinary food.
Due to special circumstances, Kakashi had been cooking for himself from a young age. He considered himself a decent cook, but when it came to Mutsuki's cooking, he genuinely felt baffled.
"Could it be the control of the heat, ensuring that every part is cooked just right?" Kakashi speculated in his mind.
If he didn't know that there wasn't any Ninjutsu to enhance the taste of food, he would have suspected that Mutsuki was using such Ninjutsu.
After eating their fill, the four of them didn't immediately get up to leave but instead started chatting.
"Yumi-sensei, you're like my Six Paths Sage!" Obito expressed his gratitude and admiration for Mutsuki using a metaphor.
"More like the Barbecue Sage," Mutsuki chuckled and lightly tapped Obito's head.
"Hehe, speaking of which, does everyone have any Ninja they particularly admire?" Obito scratched his head and initiated the topic with a smile.
"When it comes to admiration, it's definitely only my father and Yumi-sensei." Guy declared with great enthusiasm.
Kakashi didn't participate in this topic. He no longer had any Ninja he admired or longed for.
"If we're talking about admiration, I also have a Ninja I greatly admire." Mutsuki smiled and spoke up.
"Wow, I'm really curious about the Ninja Yumi-sensei admires," Obito exclaimed, his eyes instantly brightening.
For these disciples, Mutsuki was a figure both familiar and mysterious. Although initially just a Chunin sensei, Mutsuki's mastery of various Ninjutsu and forbidden techniques made his strength unfathomable. He even instructed them not to reveal their master-disciple relationship outside, a fact even someone as blunt as Obito could discern, indicating that Mutsuki was not ordinary.
Given the mysterious and formidable nature of Yumi-sensei, Obito was very curious about the Ninja he admired.
Guy also appeared attentive, just as curious as Obito.
Kakashi didn't have much interest; he felt it would likely be the Sannin or the Hokages.
"He is the formidable Ninja known as Konoha's White Fang, who once earned great merits for Konoha and instilled fear on the battlefield, he is an extremely excellent Konoha Ninja," Mutsuki spoke with eyes shining, full of longing.
"Is it the legendary Konoha's White Fang? I think I've heard of him too; he's an incredibly powerful Ninja," Obito excitedly discussed.
"I've heard of him too, a very strong Ninja, but it seems he sacrificed himself later," Guy said.
The reputation of White Fang was still prominent in Konoha; even students like them had heard of his fame.
Kakashi looked at Mutsuki with surprise in his eyes; he hadn't expected such an outstanding Ninja like Mutsuki to admire his father, who had died by suicide.
Although Kakashi hadn't spent much time with Mutsuki, he couldn't help but admit that Mutsuki was excellent in every aspect, much stronger than his previous mentor. Hearing Guy's words, Kakashi recalled some memories, clenched his fists, and silently left the barbecue restaurant.
"Hey, Kakashi, where are you going? Had too much to eat and need the restroom?" Obito asked puzzled, wondering why Kakashi suddenly left while they were having a good conversation. Kakashi didn't answer Obito's question and walked away without looking back.
"I've already paid for the meal. You guys can stay here for a while or go for a walk. Gather at Training Ground 22 at one thirty in the afternoon. I'll go check on Kakashi," Mutsuki said as he got up.
"This Kakashi is really inexplicable; his mood is more unpredictable than the girls in the class," Obito couldn't help but comment. Guy was also puzzled, unsure of what had happened. Leaving the barbecue restaurant, Kakashi walked aimlessly and eventually reached the riverbank, sitting by the shore and staring blankly at the river.
"Having accomplished outstanding feats... If that's really the case, then why was he condemned to suicide by those people..." Kakashi muttered.
"Ninjas must abide by the rules and prioritize missions above all else, that's what qualifies as a competent ninja."
"Is that really what you think?" Kakashi suddenly heard Mutsuki's voice from behind.
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