Chapter 465: Hokage Selection

Today, Obito woke up very early, because he had already become a Jonin, and according to Kakashi and their experience, Muzuki would give him a Jonin gift.

Obito was very much looking forward to this; he also wanted a Nin-Beast with great potential.

At the same time, Obito was a little worried. Muzuki had said before that he temporarily had no Nin-Beast Eggs, which meant that Obito’s Jonin gift might not be a Nin-Beast Egg, but possibly some other gift.

Although Obito would be very happy with any gift from Muzuki, if Kakashi had something he didn’t, Obito would still feel a little upset inside.

Looking at Muzuki approaching, Obito cast an expectant gaze.

When Obito saw Muzuki walk towards him empty-handed, Obito felt a little uneasy.

He looked left and right, but Muzuki didn’t seem to be hiding a Nin-Beast Egg on him. After all, the Nin-Beast Eggs Muzuki had given out before were not small, and it would be quite difficult to hide them on his person.

Seeing that Obito seemed a little disappointed, Muzuki, with a thought, took the Nin-Beast Egg from the system backpack, and a large egg appeared out of thin air in Muzuki’s hand.

“Obito, congratulations on becoming a Jonin.” Muzuki showed a gentle smile and handed the Pokémon Egg, which only Obito could hatch, to Obito.

The look of disappointment on Obito’s face faded, replaced by an indescribable expression of joy.

“Teacher Muzuki, thank you for your gift! I will definitely hatch this Nin-Beast and train him to be the strongest Nin-Beast!” Obito said excitedly, clenching his fists.

Although he had previously said things like “nothing special” and “not really fond of Nin-Beasts,” these were just words spoken in a fit of pique and not Obito’s true feelings.

The protagonists of Ninja novels usually have a fierce and cool Nin-Beast, typically a fierce tiger, a majestic lion, or a flying dragon. Obito also wanted to have a cool and fierce Nin-Beast like a novel’s protagonist.

“Yes, I believe you.” Muzuki nodded with a smile.

【You gifted a Pokémon Egg to your disciple. Due to your disciple’s immense gratitude, you received a great critical reward: Water Release: Heavenly Tear (Mastery Level)】

Along with the reward information that popped up, a large amount of cultivation experience related to Heavenly Tear appeared in Muzuki’s mind.

Actually, Muzuki had come across Heavenly Tear twice before during class, but his proficiency was still at the beginner level. Now, it had directly reached mastery, which was quite good.

Unlike Water Release Ninjutsu such as Water Dragon Bullet, Heavenly Tear is a Water Release technique that focuses on a single point to break through a surface, emphasizing speed and high penetration. Moreover, its needle-like size makes it difficult to detect.

Hugging the hard-won Nin-Beast Egg in his arms, Obito couldn’t help but grin foolishly, imagining what kind of tall and mighty Nin-Beast would hatch from his Nin-Beast Egg.

Obito was still happily hugging the Nin-Beast Egg even when Kakashi and Shisui arrived.

Kakashi walked past Obito with a nonchalant expression; he had obtained his Nin-Beast Egg much earlier than Obito, and his Nin-Beast had already hatched.

“Kakashi, how did you know I got promoted to Jonin?” Obito couldn’t help but ask when he saw Kakashi.

Kakashi: …

Who asked you?

“Getting promoted to Jonin isn’t anything special. Look at Shisui; he became a Jonin at eight years old. Now that’s something worth talking about.” Kakashi retorted unceremoniously.

Because the No Thought Strike was too difficult, Kakashi hadn’t made much progress. He originally wanted to focus on his cultivation and ignore other matters, but since Obito wanted to bring trouble upon himself, Kakashi wouldn’t be polite.

“Uh, Shisui…” Obito was speechless, a bit unsure how to retort for a moment.

Logically speaking, becoming a Jonin at ten years old in Konoha was already among the youngest, but compared to Shisui’s eight years old, it was indeed a bit lacking.

“If you’re too idle, then cultivate more. Otherwise, you won’t make it past the second round in the next internal battle. Shisui has also mastered Flame Breathing Chakra Mode.” Kakashi said, then entered his cultivation state.

He wasn’t entirely saying this to anger Obito; Shisui’s breakthrough had indeed put significant pressure on him.

Kakashi believed that if the disciple internal battle started immediately, he wouldn’t be 100% confident in defeating any of them.

Might Guy was an opponent he definitely couldn’t beat, and Kakashi wasn’t very confident against Shisui and Obito as opponents either.

Among them, Kakashi felt his chances of winning against Obito were higher than against Shisui.

Obito was speechless, holding the egg. Kakashi had said all the good and bad things, and he couldn’t even refute anything.

“So now Shisui knows one more Armament Haki than I do.” Obito held the egg with his right hand and scratched his head with his left.

Although Obito’s Flame Breathing was still a bit stronger, it wasn’t strong enough to make up for the gap of an Armament Haki Secret Technique.

The only thing that made Obito relieved was that their Chakra was limited right now. If Shisui used Flame Breathing Chakra Mode in battle, it would be difficult for him to save Chakra for Armament Haki.

If Shisui used Armament Haki first, then the amount of Fire Release that could be released by Flame Breathing Chakra Mode later would decrease.

Obito could only reluctantly place the Nin-Beast Egg in a safe spot and then begin his cultivation.

Always being at the bottom of the internal battles was truly painful; it wasn’t just a matter of face, but the punishment was also difficult for Obito to accept.

Cultivation continued until 5:30 PM.

At 6:00 PM, just as Muzuki had finished preparing dinner and was about to eat, there was a sudden knock at his door.

Muzuki didn’t go directly to open the door. He activated his Byakugan and looked towards the entrance, discovering that the person knocking was none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Then, Muzuki walked to the door at a normal pace and opened it. Upon seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi, he feigned a surprised expression, as if astonished that the busy Sandaime would appear at his doorstep.

“Sandaime-sama, please come in.” Muzuki quickly invited Hiruzen Sarutobi inside after recovering from his feigned surprise.

Hiruzen Sarutobi saw the steaming dishes on the table and offered an apologetic smile, saying, “I’m so sorry, it seems I’ve interrupted your dinner, Muzuki.”

“Not at all. Sandaime-sama, have you eaten?” Muzuki played his classic opening card.

“Not yet. I’ve had a lot of matters to deal with recently. I just left the Hokage Building.” Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head.

“If I had time, I would have long since invited you, Muzuki, the great hero of the East Bank Battlefield, to the Hokage Building for a chat.” Hiruzen Sarutobi used a playful remark to highlight his regard for Muzuki.

“Not at all, Orochimaru-sama is the true hero of the East Bank Battlefield.” Muzuki said with a serious expression.

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s words sounded good, but he couldn’t accept all the credit. The greatest credit naturally belonged to the highest-ranking commander.

“If Sandaime-sama doesn’t mind, would you like to have dinner here? I know a thing or two about cooking.”

“Then I shall look forward to your cooking, Muzuki.” Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed with a chuckle.

There were several reasons why he chose to personally come to Muzuki’s house, one of which was to improve Muzuki’s perception of him.

Previously, Hiruzen Sarutobi’s image in Muzuki’s eyes was more of a good Hokage and a good teacher. Today, he wanted to set aside his status and act as Muzuki’s ordinary elder for once; eating together was a good way to start.

Of course, Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn’t agree to eat just because Muzuki knew a thing or two about cooking. As the Hokage of one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, what delicacies hadn’t he tasted?

Hiruzen Sarutobi was indeed very busy during wartime, but even the Ninja World didn’t have wars every year. During peacetime, the Hokage’s life was quite comfortable.

Unconcerned, Hiruzen Sarutobi’s expression changed after taking the first bite of the stir-fried meat.

With Hiruzen Sarutobi’s extensive vocabulary, he was momentarily at a loss for words to describe such deliciousness. In a trance, he felt as if he had become a wild beast running across a vast grassland, with an unrestrained sense of freedom enveloping his heart.

When he came back to his senses, Hiruzen Sarutobi’s gaze towards Muzuki had changed.

If it weren’t for his extremely terrifying Ninjutsu foundation, Hiruzen Sarutobi would have thought he was under a Genjutsu.

But he knew very well that he hadn’t been under any Ninjutsu just now; that immersive feeling was entirely an illusion caused by the food being too delicious.

“Muzuki, you really need to change your habit of being so humble. This isn’t just knowing ‘a thing or two’; it’s unparalleled.” Hiruzen Sarutobi savored the indescribable deliciousness and sighed.

He took back what he said earlier; Hiruzen Sarutobi had truly never tasted such a delicacy. A single dish could actually have such a miraculous effect.

“Sandaime-sama, you flatter me. The Ninja World is vast; the word ‘unparalleled’ is too exaggerated.” Muzuki said humbly.

“You, if only Jiraiya and you could balance each other out, it would be great.” Hiruzen Sarutobi showed a helpless smile, then unconsciously reached for the dish on another plate.

Next, Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to enter a world of delicious food, and he didn’t bring up any topics other than cooking until after he finished eating.

After dinner, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally remembered his purpose.

“It’s good to talk in this environment. If we were in the Hokage Office, there wouldn’t even be a place for you to sit, Muzuki.” Hiruzen Sarutobi said jokingly.

“Muzuki, relax. I’m not here to discuss anything major with you. Just treat me as an ordinary elder in your family, and we can chat casually.”

Muzuki’s expression softened considerably, seemingly touched by Hiruzen Sarutobi’s words.

“Asuma has been cultivating quite diligently recently, mastering many Wind Release and Fire Release Ninjutsu…”

Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to genuinely want to chat with Muzuki about everyday matters, bringing up Asuma’s cultivation.

“Asuma, that child has always been quite diligent. Although Asuma usually seems a bit rebellious and disrespectful towards you, Sandaime-sama, deep down, he has always wanted to gain your recognition.”

Muzuki continued along with Hiruzen Sarutobi’s words, and incidentally helped them reconcile their father-son relationship.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed slightly. He had been Hokage for so many years; couldn’t he see through his own son’s thoughts? But sometimes, Hiruzen Sarutobi was just worried that Asuma would become complacent and then lower his expectations for himself.

Next, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Muzuki talked a lot, from small matters like Asuma and Ninja Academy work, to large matters like the battlefield situation and the Ninja World’s state.

“Muzuki, which Ninja do you think is most qualified to become the Fourth Hokage?” Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly asked.

Muzuki was, after all, a Ninja who originated from Root. Although based on Hiruzen Sarutobi’s observations, Muzuki seemed to prefer the life of a Ninja Academy teacher and an ordinary Ninja, he knew something about the training Root Ninja underwent.

Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn’t rule out Danzo Shimura using this point to make Muzuki support Orochimaru to become Hokage.

Before Muzuki went to the East Bank Battlefield, Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn’t worried about this. However, the current Muzuki had clearly become a second Minato Namikaze, not only powerful himself but also having considerable influence in Konoha.

Coupled with the power of Danzo Shimura and Orochimaru themselves, Hiruzen Sarutobi was concerned that continued development would lead to things he didn’t want to see happen during the election of the Fourth Hokage.

Muzuki showed a thoughtful expression, seemingly carefully choosing his candidate.

“I think Orochimaru-sama, Jiraiya-sama, and Lady Tsunade are all qualified to be the Fourth Hokage.” Muzuki seemed to find it difficult to choose.

Actually, the best way to answer such a question would be to say it’s too important to comment on, but since Hiruzen Sarutobi had already said to just chat casually, Muzuki couldn’t politely decline in that manner.

Listening to Muzuki’s words, Hiruzen Sarutobi almost laughed in exasperation. He had asked which Ninja, and Muzuki rattled off three, mentioning all three of his disciples.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi had achieved his goal. Since Muzuki possessed this political wisdom, he shouldn’t be easily swayed by Danzo Shimura into blindly supporting Orochimaru.

“Then what qualities do they possess that make you, Muzuki, believe they are qualified to be the Fourth Hokage?” Hiruzen Sarutobi continued to ask.

As long as Muzuki didn’t talk nonsense, Hiruzen Sarutobi could sense a hint of Muzuki’s specific preference from his words.

“Jiraiya-sama is powerful, has achieved great merits for Konoha on the battlefield, and is kind-hearted…” Muzuki praised all three Sannin without changing his expression.

Muzuki didn’t want to get involved in the Hokage succession struggle. Whoever Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to be Hokage, let them be. Muzuki just wanted to earn more rewards and improve his strength.

Who became Hokage made little difference to Muzuki, as his relationships with all of them were good.

Tsunade and Muzuki were both teacher and friend, in Jiraiya’s eyes Muzuki was an excellent Ninja similar to Minato Namikaze, Orochimaru thought highly of Muzuki and wanted to cultivate him as a confidant, and Minato Namikaze was a very close friend of Muzuki.

No matter who became Hokage, it would not have a negative impact on Muzuki.

Even if Danzo Shimura became Hokage, it would only benefit Muzuki, because from Danzo Shimura’s perspective, Muzuki was still his capable subordinate.

“They have the strengths you mentioned, but they also have quite a few weaknesses.” Hiruzen Sarutobi didn’t know if Muzuki had no preference or was afraid of offending people by saying the wrong thing; he didn’t feel any leaning towards a particular person from Muzuki.

Muzuki didn’t respond to that statement. It was fine for Hiruzen Sarutobi, as their teacher, to say so, but how could he, a rising star, follow suit and comment on the seniors who had gained fame in the Ninja World during the Second Great Ninja War?

After that, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn’t bring up the topic of the Hokage again, instead shifting to discussing Muzuki’s cultivation and explaining his insights on cultivating Combination Ninjutsu.

“Muzuki, if you have time, please spare some to guide Asuma. That child only listens to you.” Hiruzen Sarutobi said before leaving.

“Tomorrow, I will go and examine his cultivation progress.” Muzuki nodded in response.

Although there was no reward, Asuma was considered half a disciple of Muzuki, and Muzuki would teach him as much as possible when he had time.

However, what Muzuki didn’t expect was that shortly after Hiruzen Sarutobi left, a message from Root arrived.