Chapter 489

"Let's pool our intelligence," Mu Yue said once the team members had gathered.

"Our group scouted the guard strength of the building where the Kusagakure leader's office is located. I don't know if the Kusagakure leader is overly confident in his own strength or what, but there aren't many ninja guards there." Nara Suzaku spoke first.

Actually, their group mainly collected intel using Aburame Shiki's secret technique, but since Shiki isn't one for talking, Nara Suzaku acted as his mouthpiece to help him deliver the report.

Then Nara Suzaku handed Mu Yue a rough sketch of the Kusagakure office building's layout.

Mu Yue took it and glanced at it; not only was the structure of the Kusagakure office building mapped out, but the functions of many rooms were also marked.

It was clear that Sarutobi Hiruzen meant business with Kusagakure—the teammates he had chosen for Mu Yue all had some unique skill and couldn't be considered ordinary jonin.

Ryūhi had never dared to underestimate a powerhouse from a major ninja village like Mu Yue; such existences were almost impossible for small villages to cultivate.

Obito scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed.

"If that's the case, we could start trying to infiltrate the Anbu tonight."

"You don't need to go that far. Konoha doesn't lack ninja who can carry out missions," Mu Yue refused.

Conversely, instead of releasing the intel, Mu Yue both guided Kakashi and the others to gradually uncover the truth on one hand, and made contact with Kusa no Hana, the political rival of Kusa no Mi, on the other.

"Even though the number of ninja in the office building isn't large, we don't know their strength. My idea is to look for the Anbu base—there might be classified documents we need," Nara Suzaku said.

He guessed that that Uzumaki refugee was probably the mother of Karin from the original story.

"A refugee from the Uzumaki clan," Maruboshi Kosuke said with surprise.

"Lord Mu Yue, all of this is the result of Yokokawa Tsutomu and his Kusa no Mi acting arbitrarily. Many ninja in Kusagakure are innocent. Kusa no Hana had no idea he was secretly doing such vile and evil things," Ryūhi said rapidly.

If we're going to cut them down, we'll do it after we've used them.

Not to mention whether Mu Yue had the ability to gather evidence—during wartime, Konoha didn't really need such solid proof; an excuse was often enough.

The others also approved of Mu Yue's decision, agreeing that if the mission went smoothly, they could appropriately help the Uzumaki clan members.

Although the culprit, the Kusagakure leader, was dead, the Kusagakure actions had caused adverse consequences for Konoha that still demanded compensation.

"Yokokawa, I should have fought you tooth and nail for that position back then," Ryūhi thought regretfully.

"Hmm, well done," Mu Yue nodded in affirmation.

The entire Kakashi team wore expressions as usual—unless Mu Yue finished the mission on the very first day, it was hard for them to be shocked, because Mu Yue had already stunned them too many times before.

For Kusagakure, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were no pushovers, and Mu Yue's first famous feat on the Eastern Front battlefield was killing four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen plus a renowned Ice Release user in a single battle.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Ryūhi asked in a low voice, holding up a kunai.

No matter how deep the friendship between the Uzumaki clan and Konoha had once been, if Mu Yue would abandon a mission for someone he had never met, that would prove him a very unqualified ninja—or even more severely, an unqualified comrade; such behavior would be too irresponsible toward his teammates.

That said, weakening was certainly inevitable; most of Kusa no Mi's high-ranking members would probably have to die.

He wasn't troubled by the decline of a faction, but worried about the future of Kusagakure.

"Maybe he wants to get his hands on the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques?" Nara Suzaku believed the Kusagakure leader was definitely up to no good.

He had obtained a massive amount of information about Kusagakure from Mujō's mind—when Iwagakure and Kusagakure reached their agreement, Mujō had even been present.

After Kakashi and the others left, Mu Yue continued making his own moves.

He vaguely had a guess that Yokokawa Tsutomu had done something that infringed on Konoha's interests.

They would kill the Kusagakure leader who had turned into a monster, thereby "saving" Kusagakure.

As it developed, more and more residents and village ninja appeared, making Kusagakure increasingly prosperous.

"You are too modest, sir. Not to mention Kusagakure or the Land of Grass—is there a ninja in the entire shinobi world who doesn't know the name of Retsuyō Mu Yue?" Ryūhi took a deep breath and flattered him.

Actually, Mu Yue didn't need Ryūhi to do the former—something like that he could obtain any time he wanted. Mu Yue wanted to test Ryūhi's character.

After all, there would be more opportunities to train disciples in the future, and even if he opened the Box of Bliss, he might not be able to study anything useful from it.

"So that makes Kusagakure highly suspicious. It's very likely they sent some of their more elite ninja to the battlefield to support Iwagakure, which led to the shortage of manpower in Kusagakure and the heavy mission pressure," Nara Suzaku analyzed.

Maruboshi Kosuke nodded inwardly, gaining some fondness for Mu Yue.

But Mu Yue couldn't very well say these things directly, because it would be hard to explain the secret technique he had for viewing memories.

Finally, when the Kusagakure leader, transformed into a monster, went on a killing spree, Mu Yue and the others, acting as agents of justice, could make their entrance.

【】

The other teams sounded too professional, and their gains were numerous and significant.

Upon hearing Muyue's words, Nara Suzaku's face lit up, thinking to himself: as expected of a ninja on par with the Yellow Flash, able to obtain such important information alone on the very first day.

"Who I am isn't important. What matters is whether you know what your Kusagakure ninja have done," Muyue said with a faint smile, turning to look at the entering Ryuhi.

He still remembered the simplicity and poverty of Kusagakure when it was first built in his childhood. Back then, not to mention the suburbs, there were hardly any good-looking houses even in the main urban area—everything was focused on practicality.

"If only it could keep developing like this," Ryuhi sighed as he looked at the bustling commercial street in the main urban area.

In the end, the result would surely be that Kusagakure signs a treaty with Konoha, paying reparations and sending troops to help Konoha.

When Muyue presented the evidence before Grass Flower, he believed that Grass Flower, being a conservative faction, would do its utmost to minimize Kusagakure's losses.

The reason Muyue didn't disclose all the information was primarily because he had a better solution.

Ryuhi slowly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, having already cursed Yokokawa Tsutomu countless times in his heart.

Although he wished he could cut Yokokawa Tsutomu into a thousand pieces, Ryuhi's mind hadn't completely shut down. Since Muyue could sit in the living room with a peaceful expression, that meant there was still room for negotiation.

Obito looked at Kakashi, who was speaking eloquently, then at Muyue, who wore an expression of approval, and was completely bewildered.

Through his Byakugan observation, the chakra inside the Pleasure Box had accumulated to a certain level. With a little more effort from Yokokawa Tsutomu, the box would be opened.

Muyue had to admit that Yokokawa Tsutomu's efforts had bought him a little more time.

The Kusagakure leader, eager to open the box, wouldn't let chakra delivered to his doorstep slip away. So now, Karin's mother should be under surveillance by Kusagakure shinobi, making it truly difficult to approach her casually.

After exchanging information, Muyue and the others first had dinner. The teams that wished to continue their operations received Muyue's approval and set off on new missions.

But adding what Kakashi had said, Kusagakure became highly suspicious. It couldn't all be a coincidence, could it?

In the evening, after dinner, Ryuhi first took a stroll in the main urban area of Kusagakure.

"The Uzumaki Clan was an ally of Konoha. Although the Uzumaki Clan has now perished, we cannot ignore the past friendship between Uzumaki and Konoha. As for the survivor of the Uzumaki Clan, we should help her as much as possible without affecting the mission," Muyue finally said.

If Muyue disclosed the information, the course of events would be that Muyue and his team would raid the place, tie up the Kusagakure higher-ups, and kill some to establish authority. In the process, they might be forced to take out more Kusagakure shinobi due to conflicts.

"As soon as you give the order, Lord Muyue, I will immediately gather my comrades of Grass Flower and confront Yokokawa Tsutomu to get to the bottom of this. I will never allow such a malicious person to continue serving as the leader of Kusagakure," Ryuhi said, his words as if he had become Muyue's subordinate, standing on the same side as Muyue.

And Grass Flower could take advantage of Grass Fruit's weakness to rise to power as the leader of Kusagakure, changing the village's current radical policies.

Of course, what was more meaningful to Muyue was that he could use Satori to train his disciple, and also take the opportunity to study the Pleasure Box and the Satori inside it.

"What you need to do is find solid evidence of the collaboration between Iwagakure and Kusagakure, and then be ready to become the leader of Kusagakure at any time," Muyue instructed.

He could perceive the recent abnormalities in Kusagakure, but Yokokawa Tsutomu had hidden things well, and he hadn't been able to investigate the cause.

Because the shinobi guarding the Pleasure Box had now become Muyue's shadow clone, and the real Mujo had been hidden away by him.

But if this was something that could be done as a side task, then the cost-effectiveness would be high—after all, since they were already here.

For that box capable of absorbing chakra, the Uzumaki Clan with their powerful chakra could be said to be the best nourishment.

If Muyue really wanted to make a move, the time they had spent talking would have been enough for Muyue to kill him several times over.

The most orthodox Konoha sealing technique is actually the Uzumaki Sealing Technique, because Konoha's sealing techniques were developed on the basis of the Uzumaki Sealing Technique. Back then, the Uzumaki clan head personally came to Konoha to teach the sealers the Uzumaki Sealing Technique.

"I will complete it as soon as possible, Lord Muyue," Ryuhi assured.

Strictly speaking, Muyue had already completed the investigation mission today. Next, he could move on to the next step: beating up the Kusagakure shinobi.

Ryuhi, in a bad mood, had no heart for walking anymore. He sighed and walked back home.

If Ryuhi chose to privately communicate with Yokokawa Tsutomu and reveal Muyue's presence in Kusagakure, then Muyue would replace him with a smarter person to become the leader of Kusagakure.

So their team had gathered that much intel—why didn't he know?

Hearing Muyue's words, Ryuhi breathed a sigh of relief.

To commemorate this friendship, the Konoha shinobi uniform bears the emblem of the Uzumaki Clan.

With such a good worker to exploit, how could Muyue kill him?

If it were a direct assault on Kusagakure, there would be no need for all that flashy maneuvering—just locate the office building, infiltrate, and start fighting. But they first needed to confirm whether Kusagakure had actually initiated cooperation with Iwagakure.

At this time and place—the Land of Grass—the only person he could think of was Karin's mother.

Although Obito was puzzled inside, he knew this was not the time to ask questions.

"Additionally, our team discovered a refugee who is highly likely a survivor of the Uzumaki clan. She was almost driven away by the Grass shinobi, but for some unknown purpose the Grass leader forcibly kept her. To avoid exposure, we did not make contact with them." Kakashi continued.

This was practically the worst-case scenario. If Konoha's shinobi forces weren't temporarily tied up, they might not have needed Muyue to come—the Konoha shinobi forces in the Land of Grass would have razed Kusagakure Village long ago.

Although he was much older than Muyue, trying to pull seniority with a powerhouse of the ninja world who had no connection to him would be practically asking for death.

It was only the first day, and the Grass Village office building had almost been completely investigated.

"If only they could avoid being drawn into the conflicts of the great shinobi villages, Grass shinobi could keep maneuvering and developing, and one day they might become strong. So why do more people agree with Grass Seed?"

Compared to directly releasing the intelligence, the second plan was clearly smoother and better served Konoha's interests.

He was the oldest shinobi on this mission, and he was very clear about the relationship between the Uzumaki and Konoha.

Because asking at this time would make him seem not very bright, and also like he was slacking off, not knowing what his own team had done.

He couldn't exactly say he was a ninjutsu genius who had grasped the Yamanaka clan's secret technique after just one look at Yamanaka Inoichi.

Of course, this wasn't the main reason Muyue didn't release the intelligence. Even without mentioning the intelligence in his mind, Muyue, who had obtained Impermanence's memories, could easily find evidence of Grass shinobi collaborating with Iwagakure.

Because Ryūhi was first and foremost a shinobi of Kusagakure Village, and only then the leader of Grass Flower.

"Blazing Sun Muyue?!" After clearly seeing Muyue's face, Ryūhi's pupils suddenly contracted sharply, and his heart shook violently.

If it weren't for the fact that the Box of Bliss seemed close to being opened, Muyue definitely wouldn't bother waiting; he would just go through the normal process and complete the mission.

"Our team was the first to investigate the main city area of Kusagakure Village. We found that recently all Grass shinobi seem very busy, with a high mission intensity."

Muyue's handling method was both humane and did not violate Konoha's rules.

Nara Suzaku's thinking was similar to his. The Anbu, as the most secretive department in a shinobi village, would almost certainly be involved in such covert major affairs.

"You Grass shinobi already dare to directly join Iwagakure in attacking Konoha's shinobi forces, and yet you worry about whether any Grass shinobi might offend me?" Muyue's smile remained warm, but his words made Ryūhi's body uncontrollably shiver with cold.

"Moreover, when our team later went to the suburbs, we found that the Grass shinobi seemed somewhat short-handed. Facing thousands of refugees, they only sent a few Grass shinobi to manage them." Kakashi reported seriously.

"Your caution is correct. Since the Grass leader personally ordered that Uzumaki refugee to be kept, he must have some scheme." Muyue said after thinking for a moment.

"It seems I'm not completely unknown in the Land of Grass. At least you didn't call me Yellow Flash." Muyue joked amiably.

If Ryūhi, believing they had no evidence, still chose to help them find concrete evidence to bring down Hengchuan Nu, that would mean Ryūhi's mind was still clear, and he might be useful later.

He genuinely thought that in such a chaotic situation, a more conservative approach should be taken—using diplomatic means to maneuver with the neighboring great powers to preserve strength, then continuously accumulate and wait for an opportunity.

Ryūhi's hand holding the kunai trembled slightly. Fine sweat rapidly secreted from his forehead as his mind frantically analyzed the information contained in Muyue's words just now.

Probably because Namikaze Minato became famous early, Muyue had often been mistaken for him in the past. Previously, Yecang had mistaken him for Minato.

For the famous Blazing Sun Muyue to come personally, Hengchuan Nu's actions were certainly no small matter.

"On my end, I found the Anbu's base and also uncovered some internal Grass shinobi intelligence." After stating his attitude toward the Uzumaki, Muyue revealed a little of what he had obtained.

As for the powerful sealing jutsu of the Uzumaki clan, not only ordinary shinobi villages like Kusagakure, but even the great shinobi villages at the level of the Five Great Shinobi Villages coveted it. Only Konoha, which had formed an alliance with the Uzumaki, could maintain a normal attitude. The Uzumaki clan's catastrophic annihilation was largely due to their sealing jutsu.

After entering his home, Ryūhi quickly reached into his ninja tool pouch and warily looked at the unfamiliar blond man sitting on the sofa in his living room.

Ryūhi thought about the current situation in Kusagakure Village, and his previously good mood turned bad again.

Since Konoha had chosen to support him, the leader of Grass Flower, to become the chief, then Kusagakure Village would not suffer total annihilation.

But the Grass leader, who had come this far, would certainly not give up easily. He would do everything possible to turn the tables, gambling that the Box of Bliss could make him stronger.

Based on the existing intelligence, Muyue could basically confirm the Grass leader's goal: he probably intended to feed Karin's mother to the Box of Bliss.

Or perhaps the Kakashi who had been following them all along was a Shadow Clone, and the real Kakashi had long gone off alone to gather intelligence.

"Could it be that some blind Grass shinobi offended you, Lord Muyue? What's his name? I'll immediately send someone to arrest him for investigation." Ryūhi continued.

The guard force at the office building alone wasn't enough to deduce much—after all, there weren't many people, but they might all be elites.

Kusagakure Village was far safer than the battlefield. In Kusagakure, Muyue had absolute confidence there would be no failure.

Even that Uzumaki clan member he hadn't yet met, Muyue could guarantee their safety.

The Grass leader's wish would come true—opening the box would indeed make him stronger, but the cost would be becoming a monster that killed indiscriminately.

Ryūhi's subtext was very simple: their side could take care of Hengchuan Nu, and he hoped Konoha would be magnanimous and not hold grudges. In exchange, Grass Village would become Konoha's little brother and do things for Konoha.

……

Obito suddenly felt that it wasn't bad not being the team leader, as that way he wouldn't have to give a report, making it a little less embarrassing.

At that time, no Grass shinobi would think such compensation was inappropriate. They had indeed done bad things to Leaf, and then Leaf ninjas had saved them, so giving the money was completely reasonable, and helping to strike at Rock was also a proper atonement.

In Longfei's view, this was already a pretty good outcome — at least it wasn't Liyang Muyue storming into the Grass shinobi office building, killing all the Grass shinobi higher-ups, and then launching an indiscriminate attack on the entire Grass village.

PS: It seems my recovery is going okay — at least I won't have eye problems after writing for an hour or two. Next, I'll try to write more, aiming to restore 8k updates.