"Finally back." Obito sighed as he looked at Konoha's tall wooden walls.
It was only when he went out on missions that he realized how comfortable it was to have a soft big bed to sleep in.
Obito felt he had discovered the essence of humanity. When he was training in Konoha, he thought about going out on missions, and when he was on missions, he wanted to finish quickly and return. Maybe that's just how people are.
"I can't wait to start training again," Guy said excitedly.
Having experienced the chaotic battles on the battlefield, his combat abilities had improved, and he had gained some insights when sparring with Dekai. Guy couldn't wait to continue enriching himself through training.
Kakashi, who had originally planned to take a day off to rest, couldn't sit still after hearing Guy's words.
If he rested, it would be like stopping in the middle of a run while Guy continued running.
"Yumi-sensei, are you going to the Southern Border Forest later?" Kakashi asked.
If Mutsuki was going to the Southern Border Forest, Kakashi would go there to train. If not, he would train at home until midnight.
"Yeah, I'll go. If you want to train, you can come along. I'll guide you as usual," Mutsuki nodded with a smile.
"Of course, if you want to rest, you can take a day off, and we'll resume normal training tomorrow."
After such a major event, they should have taken a few extra days off, but while Kakashi and the others stayed at the camp, Mutsuki considered the location and reduced the training load, effectively giving them a few days of rest.
"Thank you, Yumi-sensei." With confirmation that Mutsuki would go to the Southern Border Forest, Kakashi prepared to head there for training.
Watching the two come back and immediately start vigorous training, while Obito, who only wanted to develop the photos and brief Rin on the mission, felt out of place.
As Obito had expected, Guy and Kakashi headed straight for the Southern Border Forest.
Obito sighed and created a Shadow Clone to go to the main city area of Konoha to develop the photos, while he himself went to the Southern Border Forest for training.
Coming back together, if he didn't go to train, wouldn't that make him seem like the laziest one?
...
After parting ways with his disciples, Mutsuki went directly to the Hokage Building, straight to the Hokage's office to report on the mission to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Even though Jiraiya should have already relayed all the intelligence, Mutsuki still had to report because it was his responsibility.
Knock, knock!
Mutsuki knocked on the wooden door of the Hokage's office.
"Come in," Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice came from inside the office.
With Sarutobi Hiruzen's permission, Mutsuki opened the door and entered the Hokage's office.
Looking up and seeing Mutsuki, Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled. He took off his pipe and exhaled a puff of white smoke, saying:
"Mutsuki, are you here to report on the mission?"
"Yeah, Third-sama. This time, we encountered unexpected circumstances during the mission. As soon as we arrived at the camp, we were attacked by a large force of Hidden Rock Ninja, and then..." Mutsuki began explaining the specifics of the mission.
"Mutsuki, I don't know what to say about your team. Every time I assign you a C-Rank mission, there's always an unexpected twist. You never fail to surprise me," Sarutobi Hiruzen joked.
Four consecutive C-Rank missions encountering unexpected situations, and the fourth one coinciding with a major battle outbreak—it couldn't get any more intense.
Sarutobi Hiruzen felt that if it weren't for Mutsuki's exceptional strength, a regular Jonin leading the team might have suffered heavy casualties by now.
"Maybe it's just my bad luck," Mutsuki self-deprecated.
He hadn't expected such events to unfold during the fourth mission. After all, he had prepared diligently to complete the C-Rank mission steadily, but fate had something bigger in store for him.
"Perhaps it's Konoha's good fortune that allowed you to catch this wave of battles," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a smile.
"Defeating Gari of the Hidden Rock Explosion Corps, using Water Release to block attacks from the Four-Tails Jinchuriki in battle... No wonder Danzo looked so displeased when I said you were leaving. Turns out I was taking away his elite," he chuckled.
When Jiraiya's intelligence reports came back, Sarutobi Hiruzen was very surprised. He knew from before that Mutsuki had killed Jonin twice during missions, indicating he was stronger than an average Jonin. But Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't expected Mutsuki to be so much stronger.
During the conflict with Hidden Rock, Gari, renowned for his proficiency in Explosion Release and Hardening Jutsu, had performed exceptionally well. He had repeatedly defeated Konoha's smaller teams during skirmishes, making ordinary Jonin no match for him. Even during the more intense stages of the war, Gari's performance remained outstanding.
While Minato and Jiraiya could handle him, they were needed to deal with more formidable opponents like the Jinchuriki. Originally, Sarutobi Hiruzen had planned to dispatch an elite team to address this issue. However, he encountered Mutsuki on the battlefield instead, leading to a situation fraught with uncertainty.
Although it was just a written description, Sarutobi Hiruzen could see the excellence Mutsuki displayed in this war, a fact further validated by the separate letter from Jiraiya.
Sarutobi Hiruzen rarely saw Jiraiya place such emphasis on a person, especially with a letter specifically highlighting Mutsuki's strength and potential.
"I owe my current strength to Danzo-sama," Mutsuki nodded in acknowledgment, carrying himself with the demeanor of a Root elite.
He didn't like Danzo, but using Danzo as a shield worked surprisingly well.
"You defeated Gari, killed many Hidden Rock Ninja, and rescued many village comrades. Your impact on the battlefield is enough to upgrade this mission to an S-Rank Mission," Sarutobi Hiruzen recited Mutsuki's accomplishments in this mission one by one.
This time was somewhat different from before. Previously, it was just encountering hostile Ninja during missions in times of war, engaging in combat and defeating enemies. This time, Mutsuki directly played a major role on the battlefield, prompting the mission's direct upgrade to the highest level.
"Furthermore, the battle where you and Jiraiya's team repelled the Jinchuriki counts as another S-Rank Mission," Sarutobi Hiruzen continued.
This was at Jiraiya's request, as he felt that Mutsuki's significant contributions deserved more than just one S-Rank Mission. Mutsuki's performance in the battle against the Jinchuriki fully justified the recognition of an S-Rank Mission.
After reviewing the reports, Sarutobi Hiruzen agreed without hesitation. However, this S-Rank Mission was credited solely to Mutsuki individually, not the entire team. The upgrade from C-Rank to S-Rank was for the entire team.
"For the supply mission, the original reward was 100,000 ryo. The village additionally rewards 1,150,000 ryo, totaling 1,250,000 ryo. The reward for repelling the Jinchuriki in the S-Rank Mission is 1,200,000 ryo," Sarutobi Hiruzen stated the rewards for Mutsuki's mission.
"Thank you, Third-sama," Mutsuki smiled and thanked him. S-Rank Mission commissions typically exceed 1,000,000 ryou.
However, this was before taxes. In Konoha, the more one earns, the higher the taxes. If it were a team effort, the final amount each team member received wouldn't be overly extravagant.
"Besides the commission fee, you can select any ten Ninjutsu from the Ninjutsu Hall," Sarutobi Hiruzen continued.
The Ninjutsu Hall is where Konoha stores Ninjutsu ranging from D-rank to A-rank, containing most of Konoha's Ninjutsu. However, A-rank Ninjutsu are relatively scarce, with the majority being B-rank and C-rank.
Sarutobi Hiruzen considered Jiraiya's comment about Mutsuki's strong Ninjutsu foundation when giving this special reward.
"If Mutsuki can quickly convert these rewards into combat strength, there will be more development opportunities in the future."
"In addition, I will personally teach you two additional Ninjutsu: Water Release: Great Waterfall Jutsu and Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a smile, stroking his beard as if expressing confidence in Mutsuki.
Mutsuki's expression was complex, seemingly surprised at Sarutobi Hiruzen's generosity with so many rewards at once, followed by deep gratitude.
"Third-sama, I will never forget your great kindness," Mutsuki said sincerely, deeply moved.
While much of it might have been an act, Sarutobi Hiruzen had indeed been exceptionally generous this time—allowing Mutsuki to choose ten Ninjutsu of his preference and personally teaching him two A-rank Ninjutsu, one of which he had developed himself.
Mutsuki felt that if it were another Konoha ninja born and bred, their innermost feelings might already lean towards being willing to die for comrades.
"As Hokage, watching you younger generations grow up is the greatest reward for me," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a kind smile.
Listening to these familiar words, for a moment, Mutsuki even suspected Sarutobi Hiruzen had some sort of system rewarding Konoha's prosperity with stronger individuals.
However, he quickly dismissed the idea. If that were the case, Sarutobi Hiruzen would have dealt with Danzo long ago and made efforts to appease the Uchiha clan.
Danzo talked about working for Konoha, but his actions of internal conflict without strengthening overall strength made him a cancer.
Various thoughts raced through his mind, but Mutsuki didn't dwell on them. He continued to listen to Sarutobi Hiruzen and speak with him.
Whether Konoha was strong or not wasn't his concern. Mutsuki never cared about Konoha. Instead, he cared about his disciples, the students he taught, and the friends he helped.
As a time-traveler who prided himself on having a good moral compass, he didn't have much affection for Konoha as a military base and had a very negative impression of this world.
The productivity has indeed developed, yet the feudal aristocrats and landlords still swagger over the people, which is simply outrageous.
He alone can't change much now, but he believes that as his strength grows and his disciples gain more knowledge and power, they can make this troubled world a little better.
"If there are no unexpected circumstances, I am usually at home after 7 PM. If you have any questions, you can come find me between 7 PM and 8 PM," Sarutobi Hiruzen said after handing the Ninjutsu scrolls to Mutsuki.
When he mentioned additional teachings, it naturally meant he would personally instruct.
"I'll take care of the procedures for the Ninjutsu Hall. You can use the certificate to choose your Ninjutsu when the time comes."
"I will practice diligently and not disappoint your expectations," Mutsuki said earnestly.
He had used the Shuriken Shadow Clone once; now, he needed to practice the Great Waterfall Jutsu on his own.
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