Chapter 403: The Tempting Inheritance of the Ninja Sect

"I can teach you ninjutsu, but can you first answer me: what is a ninja?" Mu Yue looked at the crowd and asked with a smile.

The ninja in the crowd exchanged glances—there were too many answers to this question. You could say a ninja is someone who graduated from ninja school, or that being a ninja is a profession, or even that a ninja is someone who uses ninjutsu.

But they felt that a question from a powerhouse like Mu Yue must be profound, not so simple.

"A ninja is someone who can endure everything." Seeing no one reply, Yahiko was the first to offer his answer.

Mu Yue smiled and nodded without commenting.

"A ninja is someone who can use chakra to perform ninjutsu." Chikaya quickly followed up.

He really couldn't think of a profound insight, so he might as well speak early and leave an impression on Mu Yue.

The others quickly realized this too, and one by one they spoke their own answers.

"A ninja is a profession, an identity."

"Someone who has learned ninjutsu counts as a ninja."

Over a hundred ninja scrambled to answer, making the scene very noisy.

Mu Yue pressed his palm slightly downward to signal everyone to quiet down.

In less than a minute, the venue returned to its previous quiet atmosphere.

It wasn't that Mu Yue, having been a teacher for so long, had unmatched crowd control—it was that the destruction caused by his ninjutsu was still visible nearby, so everyone was very polite to him.

"Broadly speaking, none of you are wrong. A ninja can be a profession, or it can refer to someone who can use ninjutsu." As Mu Yue spoke, he used Earth Release to clean up the traces of the battle.

"But do you know what ninja were like in the beginning? Where did the word 'ninja' come from? And what are the responsibilities of a ninja?"

"Ninja came from the Sage of Six Paths founding the Ninja Sect!" Chikaya immediately answered.

On the day he arrived, Mu Yue happened to be teaching about the Sage of Six Paths founding the Ninja Sect, so he remembered it clearly.

"The Sage of Six Paths? Isn't that a myth?" someone from the crowd asked in confusion.

Not everyone believed the Sage of Six Paths was real; some thought he was just a legend.

"The Sage of Six Paths is real!" Mu Yue affirmed this first.

"The real Sage of Six Paths didn't have the power to create the world like in the stories. He is the progenitor of ninja, the founder of the Ninja Sect."

Many myths about the Sage of Six Paths circulate in the ninja world, and one quite widespread is that he created the world itself—this myth holds that the Sage of Six Paths created the ninja world.

This is also why some ninja think the Sage of Six Paths isn't real—no matter how powerful ninjutsu training becomes, one could never create a world.

However, to Mu Yue, who was familiar with the story, this myth wasn't completely baseless.

Back then, Kaguya planting the Divine Tree caused massive destruction to the ninja world, and it was the Sage of Six Paths traveling around repairing the land that led to the present ninja world.

"The first ninja referred to the people of the Ninja Sect. The main responsibility of ninja during the Ninja Sect era was to maintain peace and create a peaceful world." After talking about the Sage of Six Paths, Mu Yue immediately began describing the responsibilities of ancient ninja.

Yahiko's eyes widened. Having never attended school, he had no idea ninja had such an origin.

At that moment, he felt immense joy, because they were doing exactly what those first ninja did—walking the same path.

"Since a ninja's responsibility is to maintain peace, why are there so many ninja wars now?" Nagato couldn't help but ask, questioning.

He hadn't wanted to speak, because Yahiko really liked Mu Yue and wanted to recruit him, but he genuinely felt that ninja were unworthy of being called peacemakers.

This wasn't just because Nagato's parents died at the hands of ninja—Yahiko and Konan were also war orphans, all of them having lost their parents due to ninja wars.

"That's why I said 'during the Ninja Sect era.'" Mu Yue replied calmly. "After the Ninja Sect vanished, ninja changed. Present-day ninja are, as you first said, people who can use ninjutsu, a profession."

As he spoke, Mu Yue's expression turned serious and earnest. "Ninja today have strayed too far from their original purpose. Having inherited the teachings of the Ninja Sect, I simply cannot bear to see peacekeepers become the warmongers of today. Therefore, I have decided to revive the Ninja Sect and learn from the first ninja!"

The surrounding ninja stared at Mu Yue in bewilderment. They had just come to learn some ninjutsu, never expecting something so explosive—he wanted to rebuild the Ninja Sect.

Though most of them had no idea what the Ninja Sect was, after Mu Yue's introduction that the Sage of Six Paths was its first leader, the legitimacy of the Ninja Sect was through the roof.

The Amegakure jōnin noticed something different from ordinary ninja; what he focused on was the inheritance of the Ninja Sect.

"Could it be that he obtained an ancient Ninja Sect inheritance by chance, and that's why he's so powerful?" the Amegakure jōnin speculated inwardly.

With Mu Yue's strength, he would be considered a strong ninja even in the entire ninja world, let alone in a small country like the Land of Rain. It didn't make sense that he had remained unknown all this time.

So the Amegakure jōnin concluded that the truth was that Mu Yue had obtained the inheritance and then devoted himself to training in secret until recently, when he finally emerged.

Nagato said nothing more; Mu Yue's reply was satisfactory to him. The ninja of today were not worthy to be paired with peace.

"Uncle Sōsuke, what you said makes perfect sense. We ninja should learn from the predecessors of Ninshu and create a peaceful world without war," Yahiko said with a look of agreement.

"So, Uncle Sōsuke, please join our Akatsuki, and let's fight for peace together!" Yahiko extended a second invitation to Mu Yue.

The surrounding ninja all looked at Yahiko with surprise, thinking that this kid had a truly peculiar way of thinking.

Although Akatsuki had some fame in the Land of Rain, they didn't think an organization of Akatsuki's level could attract Mu Yue.

With the strength Mu Yue had demonstrated so far, he could raise his arm and call out to create an even stronger ninja organization in the Land of Rain than one of this scale.

"The current Akatsuki is not enough." Mu Yue shook his head and refused.

Now was not the time to join Akatsuki, unless he was planning to take Yahiko as a disciple.

Yahiko was a bit disappointed, but he still hadn't given up in his heart, because he felt that as long as he kept working hard, Mu Yue, who shared the same goal, would eventually acknowledge him and his Akatsuki.

"The Six Paths Sage once traveled the ninja world and established Ninshu. As the inheritor of Ninshu, I will first travel the Land of Rain. If you agree with my thoughts, travel with me, and I will impart the ninja knowledge I possess to those who earn my recognition." Mu Yue swept his gaze across the crowd and said.

There were nearly two hundred ninja here; Mu Yue would be satisfied if only seventy remained in the end.

Even achieving the number seventy would be based on the fact that Mu Yue had already filtered them once.

"We are willing to follow you." Chi Changye immediately pulled Kuroda to the front and said.

In his eyes, this was purely an opportunity; a teacher this strong, if missed, would never be encountered again.

The other rogue ninja also expressed their desire to restore Ninshu with Mu Yue.

However, most of them were not aiming to become ninja who protected peace, but rather to learn powerful ninjutsu from Mu Yue.

Except for ninja like the Rain ninja who wanted to probe Mu Yue's information, basically all the ninja who had come to Ozu Village chose to travel the Land of Rain with Mu Yue.

Yahiko also decided to join this journey; he wanted to let Mu Yue see his determination.

"Then what about Akatsuki?" Konan asked helplessly.

"Let them come along too; maybe they can learn some ninjutsu from Uncle Sōsuke," Yahiko replied after thinking it over.

Konan had nothing to say; Yahiko had clearly made up his mind.

And so Mu Yue began his journey through the Land of Rain with a ninja squad of nearly two hundred.

Due to the large number of people, the chaotic Land of Rain suddenly became well-ordered in terms of public safety; not a single bandit appeared before Mu Yue and the others.

On the first day, Mu Yue didn't talk about anything related to ninja knowledge; he told the story of the Six Paths Sage traveling the ninja world. No one left the group.

On the second day, Mu Yue still didn't talk about anything related to ninja knowledge; he spoke about Ninshu ninja maintaining peace.

On the third day, Mu Yue still didn't teach ninjutsu, and gradually some ninja left the group.

The ninja who left felt that Mu Yue simply didn't want to teach ninjutsu, so they weren't willing to waste time there.

Starting from the fourth day, the number of ninja leaving gradually increased. Because of the spread of Mu Yue's deeds, some new ninja also joined the group, but not many.

On the fifth day, Mu Yue and the others passed through a village whose bridge was broken. Mu Yue used Earth Release to build a sturdy and wide stone bridge for the villagers, who were very grateful and gave them some food.

A full week passed, and Mu Yue still hadn't taught any ninjutsu. Even more ninja left the group, and the number was still rising.

"Lord Sōsuke, even if you don't teach ninjutsu, you could first talk about some other ninja knowledge. Otherwise, more people will leave," Chi Changye reminded him.

He felt that Mu Yue could talk about some small tricks to stabilize the people's hearts; right now there was no hope of learning ninjutsu at all.

In fact, Chi Changye thought Mu Yue should also be able to think of this, after all, Mu Yue's performance had always exuded an air of profound mystery.

"It's their freedom to leave." Mu Yue smiled and politely declined Chi Changye's kindness.

Chi Changye couldn't quite figure out what Mu Yue was thinking, attracting so many people only to let them leave freely.

Unable to figure it out, Chi Changye couldn't be bothered to think about it anymore. In any case, he wouldn't leave, because he believed Mu Yue would definitely teach ninjutsu.

It wasn't a baseless guess; it was a conclusion drawn from staying by Mu Yue's side.

Mu Yue truly was putting into practice the Ninshu ninja's responsibility he spoke of, mediating conflicts within the team and helping villagers in need.

So Chi Changye believed that Mu Yue would eventually fulfill his promise.

Some regretted wasting a week listening to Mu Yue talk about history, while others were glad they had joined the group. Yahiko was one of those who were glad.

After following Muyue for over a week, Yahiko felt that their Akatsuki organization indeed had far too many shortcomings.

They had only driven off the rogue ninja for the village, whereas Muyue used his own power to solve many troubles for the villagers.

Moreover, Muyue didn't simply rely on ninja power; if it was knowledge he possessed, he would choose to solve the villagers' difficulties with that knowledge and pass it on to them.

As for the villagers he had helped, Muyue did not leave his own name, but instead said he was a ninja of the Ninja Sect.

Because of Muyue's actions, wherever they passed, they left the name of the Ninja Sect behind, and the term "Ninja Sect" gradually spread throughout the Rain Country.

After Muyue had traveled through the Rain Country for half a month, most of the onlooking ninja had left. Of the remaining ninja, some had come to agree with Muyue's ideals, and others simply did not want to give up due to sunk costs.

Those who agreed with Muyue's ideals acted alongside him, and even the other ninja listened attentively when Muyue gave lectures.

Having realized his own severe inadequacies, Yahiko frequently asked Muyue all kinds of questions.

To Yahiko's delight, Muyue was able to answer almost everything, and his answers were reasoned and well-founded.

Nagato began to feel some goodwill toward Muyue because Muyue was truly taking action, not just speaking empty words.

Konan also rather liked Muyue. His smile was very warm, and noticing she liked origami, he gave her a paper crane.

By the twentieth day of Muyue's journey through the ninja world, only seventy-two ninja remained following him. A little under half were the ninja Muyue had previously selected, a portion were the Akatsuki organization ninja led by Yahiko, and the rest were ninja who had come because of the legend of the Ninja Teacher and been screened out.

After conducting one final check to ensure there were no problems, Muyue officially began the lessons.

Since the seventy-two ninja were of mixed strength—the weakest being ordinary genin—Muyue started by teaching chakra control, still beginning with tree climbing and water walking.

Those who had mastered these techniques were allowed to train freely, while Muyue would teach them again when he had free time.

In Konoha, the largest group Muyue had ever trained was close to seven hundred students, so teaching seventy-two was very easy, and he could ensure everyone received attention.

Many of the ninja were extremely excited; after enduring so long, they had finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel.

These twenty days had not been a pleasure trip for them—it was practically a harsh training retreat.

"If those who left knew how skilled Lord Sōsuke is at teaching, they'd probably regret it so much they'd want to hit themselves." For those who stayed, the fruit of persistence was incomparably sweet.

【Lesson completed】

【Evaluation: S】

【Rewards obtained: Chakra Control +24, Water Nature Chakra Nature Transformation +1…】

Teaching chakra control was nothing special—but when Muyue began instructing on chakra nature transformations and ninjutsu, the remaining ninja once again felt grateful for their decision.

Muyue's performance was truly astonishing. He effortlessly handled nature transformations for all chakra natures, and even Nagato was surprised by this.

Nagato could only tell from the Rinnegan that Muyue's chakra was extraordinary; he never expected Muyue to be proficient in all seven chakra nature transformations. Nagato himself had only mastered six natures and had not mastered the Yin nature chakra transformation.

They thought this version of Muyue was already extraordinary enough, but it turned out he was also a sealing technique master, teaching them sealing techniques they had never encountered before.

This was the benefit of brushing lessons outside: Muyue could teach whatever he wanted and earn whatever rewards he liked.

Out of respect for Muyue, many ninja changed how they addressed him, calling him Teacher Sōsuke.

When Muyue and his group reached a village near the Rain Village, a squad of Rain ninja blocked their path.

"Lord Sōsuke, Lord Hanzō wishes to see you. Please come with us to the Rain Village," said the Rain Village jōnin respectfully.

This was the same jōnin who had previously gone to Kozu Village to investigate Muyue and had witnessed his strength.

Combined with the recent rumors about Muyue, as a citizen of Rain Country, he admired Muyue's actions.

"Only you may go alone," the Rain Village jōnin added.

Muyue's side had no shortage of ninja—including Muyue himself, they numbered seventy-three. Hanzō could not possibly allow so many non-village ninja into the Rain Village for no reason.

"Let me discuss it with my companions," Muyue replied without giving an immediate answer.

Personally, he felt it was worth going, because thanks to Kurosaki Ichigo having become a chūnin of the Rain Village, Muyue had obtained some intelligence about the village.

Moreover, given his own strength, if he wanted to leave, no one in the Rain Village could truly stop him.

However, Muyue knew his own capabilities—his followers were not so clear about them. To take their feelings into account, some discussion was necessary.

"I think Teacher Sōsuke shouldn't go. Maybe Hanzō is after the Ninja Sect heritage you carry," said Ike Chiya, also feeling that Hanzō had ill intentions.

Although Ike Chiya was also a citizen of Rain Country, his impression of Hanzō was only average.

Some of the ninjas nodded along. The wandering ninjas understood the principle that possessing a treasure brings disaster.

Yahiko retorted, "I personally don't think Hanzo is that kind of person. Even if you're a ninja from an enemy village, as long as he admires you as a junior, he'll let you live. There's no way such a Hanzo would be a petty schemer after Big Brother Sōsuke's Ninshu inheritance."

In contrast to Ike Shōya, Yahiko had a good impression of Hanzo and felt he was a true strong person.

Ike Shōya thought this was a very poor gamble. "What if you're wrong? Then Sōsuke-sensei would be in danger. Even if you're right, you don't gain anything."

Although Yahiko was much stronger than him, through their twenty days together Ike Shōya knew that Yahiko was a magnanimous person, so he wasn't worried about being held a grudge against for contradicting him.

Yahiko was momentarily speechless. Ike Shōya did have a point: Muzuki's solo trip to the Hidden Rain Village had costs that didn't match the potential gains.

Muzuki said with a chuckle, "I appreciate your concern, but you can trust me a bit more. It'll be fine."

Seeing that Muzuki had already decided to go to the Hidden Rain Village, Ike Shōya said no more.

He chose to trust Muzuki first. Since Muzuki said it would be fine, he believed Muzuki had the ability to handle any unexpected situations.

Then Muzuki followed the Rain ninjas to the Hidden Rain Village.

The architecture of the Hidden Rain Village was very different in style from Konoha.

The buildings of the Hidden Rain Village were primarily steel supplemented by stone. The entire village was covered in steel pipes of various sizes, likely due to the high rainfall in this area.

Hanzo chose not to meet Muzuki in the leader's office of the Hidden Rain Village, but rather at a Rain ninja training ground.

The jōnin of the Hidden Rain Village reported, "Lord Hanzo, this is the one called the Ninja Master, Sōsuke."

Hanzo looked at Muzuki. Muzuki wore a black inner garment and a white robe over it, appearing very refined and easygoing.

At the same time, Muzuki was observing Hanzo. Hanzo wore a mask and a special combat uniform of the Hidden Rain Village.

When their eyes met, Hanzo suddenly burst out with his presence. An overwhelming pressure crashed toward Muzuki, even making the air feel heavier.

The Hidden Rain Village jōnin standing beside Muzuki was already frozen by Hanzo's terrifying presence, but Muzuki still wore a smile on his face.

The next moment, the Hidden Rain Village jōnin suddenly felt a chill down his back. An extremely terrifying pressure emanated from beside him. In response to Hanzo's provocation, Muzuki also released his presence.

The Hidden Rain Village jōnin's vision blurred. Sweat dripped into his eyes, but he couldn't wipe it away because he was caught between two terrifying presences and dared not move. He felt like a small boat that had strayed into raging waves, at risk of being capsized and destroyed at any moment.

Hanzo suddenly withdrew his presence and said indifferently to the Hidden Rain Village jōnin, "You may leave."

The Hidden Rain Village jōnin immediately relaxed and quickly nodded before leaving.

He had originally thought this was an easy mission; now he felt he might have nightmares tonight.

A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Hanzo's mouth. "You're pretty good."

Although he hadn't used his full strength just now, Muzuki's performance already qualified him as a strong person in the ninja world.

Muzuki said with a faint smile, "You're pretty good too."

Hanzo was slightly stunned. Since becoming the leader of the Hidden Rain Village, Muzuki was the first person to say something like that to him.

But Hanzo didn't mind too much. Muzuki looked about twenty-seven or so. Hanzo was very tolerant of young people who earned his recognition.

Hanzo recalled the recent rumors about Muzuki and said, "Some say you became strong because you obtained the Ninshu inheritance. Before meeting you, I couldn't be sure, but now I can confirm that even without the so-called inheritance, you would still be a strong person."

Having clashed presences with Muzuki, Hanzo could sense that Muzuki had his own convictions. Such a person could not be mediocre.

Muzuki replied, "Maybe. But I think this hypothetical is meaningless, because in reality I did obtain the Ninshu inheritance and I do have some strength."

"Indeed, it's meaningless." Hanzo found Muzuki a bit interesting.

"But I can give you a piece of advice: most people only believe what they want to believe. Many are interested in the Ninshu inheritance you hold; your bounty on the black market has already reached three hundred fifty thousand ryō."

Because the experience Muzuki crafted for his persona was too legendary, the legend of the Ninja Master Sōsuke had already spread beyond the Land of Rain into the wider ninja world.

When Muzuki and his shadow clones performed their act, nearly two hundred ninjas watched. They were all strong witnesses to the authenticity of the legend of the Ninja Master Sōsuke.

After all, the Ninshu inheritance was something Muzuki had proclaimed himself, and he had indeed demonstrated the level of a strong person in the ninja world.

Muzuki thanked Hanzo, "Thank you for the information, senior." His expression remained unchanged.

Three hundred fifty thousand ryō could fund three S-rank missions plus one A-rank mission in Konoha.

But compared to the Ninshu inheritance, it was still too little. Muzuki guessed the news hadn't spread widely yet, and not many believed it, otherwise his bounty would definitely surpass Asuma's.

Hanzo greatly admired Muzuki's mentality. In his view, the most important thing for a strong person was their conviction; losing conviction was no different from dying.

The two didn't chat any longer.

As the leader of Amegakure, Hanzō had matters to attend to. If Mùyuè planned to join the village and become a Rain ninja, they could have talked more—but as only a promising junior he had taken an interest in, Hanzō had already done more than enough.

Before leaving, Mùyuè cast another Appraisal Technique on Hanzō to ensure the information stored in his mind was correct.