Chapter 245: Battle Victory
When Jiraiya and the others returned to camp, the Jonin immediately gathered around to ask about the outcome of the battle.
"The fight with the Jinchuriki was a minor victory. The Five Tails' Jinchuriki was severely injured, while the Four Tails' Jinchuriki remained unscathed," Jiraiya reported plainly, not exaggerating his results.
"But overall, we achieved a great victory," he added with a smile, knowing it was important to keep morale high.
The Jonin visibly relaxed. As long as the top-tier battle hadn't ended in disaster, their earlier advantage would not be erased.
The good news that Jiraiya's team had gained the upper hand against the Jinchuriki spread quickly throughout the Konoha camp. Excitement filled the air; many felt as though they could finally see the dawn of victory in the war.
The fact that the enemy had deployed two Jinchuriki and still failed to suppress Konoha gave the younger Ninja—especially Genin and new Chunin—a sense of pride and hope. To them, Konoha seemed unstoppable.
However, the veteran Chunin and Jonin were far less optimistic. They knew that neither Iwagakure nor Konoha had revealed their full power.
So far, only Jiraiya of the Sannin had entered the battlefield. No other top-tier figures had been dispatched.
Iwagakure had indeed sent two Jinchuriki, but beyond them, their elite forces were limited—aside from the Explosion Release Jonin, Hanto, few high-level Ninja had appeared.
Mugetsu, who was familiar with the underlying situation, immediately sensed something more. The military strength Iwagakure had shown so far was likely a diversion.
Placing himself in Onoki's perspective, Mugetsu could see the strategy clearly.
By sending two Jinchuriki, Iwagakure appeared to be going all in. To outsiders, it looked like a show of great commitment to the war. But in reality, Iwagakure still had a hidden reserve—tens of thousands of Ninja, including elite units led by Kitsuchi.
If this battle failed, Onoki could still manipulate the situation. Other Ninja Villages would overestimate Konoha's strength and hesitate to act, allowing Iwagakure to preserve its forces. For example, Kumogakure, currently at war with Konoha, might lower its guard against Iwagakure and focus more power on Konoha.
If the plan succeeded, however, it would prove that Konoha was weakening. Onoki could then march an army straight into the Land of Fire and seize the title of the strongest Hidden Village—winning glory, funding, and influence from the Daimyo.
It was a no-lose strategy. Even if the Jinchuriki failed, they couldn't be captured easily.
"Mugetsu-sensei, are you hurt?" Obito asked the moment he spotted his teacher.
Though he didn't know how strong the Jinchuriki truly were, the destructive power of the Tailed Beast Ball had shaken him deeply. Just seeing that explosion from afar had been enough to terrify him.
Kakashi and Might Guy also looked at Mugetsu, concern written on their faces.
"Do I look injured?" Mugetsu asked with a faint smile.
"No," Obito answered honestly. Aside from a bit of dust, Mugetsu's clothes were perfectly intact.
"It could be an internal injury," Obito muttered, scratching his head.
"I'm fine," Mugetsu assured him, patting Obito's head. "Come with me—I'll heal you first."
Besides Might Guy's bruised fist, both Kakashi and Obito had sustained minor injuries, though none were serious.
Mugetsu led them to a secluded area and began treating them with Medical Ninjutsu.
For now, he couldn't reveal this skill publicly. His powerful Ninjutsu could be justified as training results, but Medical Ninjutsu was different—neither Hiruzen Sarutobi nor Danzo had ever taught him that. Suddenly displaying mastery over the Mystical Palm Technique would only invite suspicion.
"Mugetsu-sensei, which is stronger—the Jinchuriki or the Raikage candidate?" Obito asked curiously.
"It's hard to compare," Mugetsu replied after thinking for a moment. "But in terms of overall power, the Jinchuriki currently have the upper hand."
In truth, if the Fourth Raikage A fought the Five Tails' Jinchuriki one-on-one, the outcome would be difficult to predict.
The Five Tails specialized in Taijutsu, but the Raikage's sheer speed might make it impossible for him to land a clean hit with a Tailed Beast Ball. The Raikage had speed, while the Jinchuriki had endurance and greater Chakra reserves.
At this stage, Minato still lacked a powerful offensive Ninjutsu capable of matching a Tailed Beast. In direct combat against a Jinchuriki, he was slightly weaker. However, when fighting other Ninja, Minato's efficiency and adaptability made him far deadlier.
"I wonder when I'll be as strong as you, Mugetsu-sensei," Obito said, his eyes full of admiration.
"Then start training now!" Might Guy shouted energetically. "A hot-blooded youth must use every second to grow stronger!" He immediately dropped into a handstand and began running laps.
Obito laughed but his voice grew softer. "I just feel… if the three of us were as strong as you, Sensei, maybe we could end this war. Maybe fewer people would die."
In the past, when Obito faced enemies on missions, killing them hadn't affected him much—it had always been kill or be killed.
But seeing so many unfamiliar faces fall on the battlefield, Obito's heart felt uneasy.
In just a few short hours, he had come to completely hate war itself.
His quiet words made Kakashi glance sideways at him. He hadn't expected Obito to say something so profound.
"If you want to end the war, my strength alone isn't enough," Mugetsu said, looking up at the night sky. "You need to become stronger."
For the Ninja World to truly know peace, there were only two paths. Either everyone would fight until they were too broken to continue and be forced to retreat, or someone—like Senju Hashirama—would appear with such overwhelming power that no one dared to rebel.
But even Hashirama's strength had limits. There was always another shadow—Uchiha Madara, Black Zetsu, and even the sealed Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
"To achieve lasting peace, even that kind of power might not be enough," Mugetsu murmured softly. Then he smiled, gentle yet firm. "But as long as you keep working hard, you'll get there one day."
Encouraged by his teacher's words, Obito threw himself into training alongside Might Guy, both of them moving with renewed determination.
Naturally, Kakashi couldn't just stand by while his teammates trained, so he joined in as well, quietly pushing himself to keep up.
That night, because of their hard-won victory and the timely arrival of new provisions, the Konoha camp broke into celebration. Laughter echoed across the tents as Ninja gathered for a feast.
Mugetsu, ever the cook, decided to contribute. He prepared several large pots of food, filling the air with a mouthwatering aroma that spread through the camp.
"Is it just me, or is this food so good it feels like I'm under a Genjutsu?" one Konoha Ninja exclaimed after tasting it.
"Same here! I thought maybe it just tasted better because we won today," another added, laughing.
"You're lucky," Jiraiya said with a booming laugh. "This was cooked by Mugetsu himself. Not many people get to eat his cooking!"
He was in an excellent mood. If not for being on the battlefield, he probably would've celebrated with sake.
Minato, on the other hand, said nothing. He ate quietly but quickly, as if making up for lost time. Since coming to the front lines, he hadn't tasted Mugetsu's cooking once—and he often dreamed of returning to Konoha to eat at Mugetsu's house again.
"Minato, there's no need to eat so fast," Jiraiya said, noticing that his student had already emptied two bowls of rice and half the dishes on the table.
But before he could say more, Jiraiya himself joined the feast, laughing and eating heartily.
After dinner, the group sat together, sharing stories and laughter.
Mugetsu turned to Minato and said, "Kushina misses you very much. My student, Obito, happens to have a camera. Why don't we have him take a few photos for you to bring back?"
Minato's eyes brightened. "That's… actually a great idea. Thank you, Mugetsu."
"Leave it to me!" Obito said eagerly, holding up the camera. "I'll make sure you look as handsome as Mugetsu-sensei!"
"Thank you, Obito," Minato replied with a warm smile before standing straight, posing seriously for the photo.
"Why aren't you smiling? You look better when you smile," Obito asked, tilting his head. He was puzzled—Minato usually smiled all the time, just like Mugetsu.
Forcing the corners of his mouth upward, Minato did his best to comply.
"Haha! I didn't know you had such a humorous side, Minato!" Jiraiya burst out laughing when he saw his student's awkward smile. He ran over beside Obito and took several photos himself.
Minato looked stiff—like someone forcing himself to smile after being told to.
"He's probably taking it too seriously," Dekai commented from the side. "If you try to smile on command, it always ends up looking unnatural."
"That hateful old white-haired man," Obito muttered under his breath, glaring at Jiraiya. "What a cruel joke."
"You're still young, you don't get it," Jiraiya said with a grin. "This is how you capture the joy of the moment."
"I'm not young!" Obito protested. "I've already completed two A-rank missions—and today, I even saved several comrades on the battlefield!"
"A-rank missions? Hah! I've done over twenty S-rank missions!" Jiraiya said proudly, puffing up his chest.
"Seriously?!" Obito's eyes widened in awe. "That's incredible!"
"Of course! I'm Jiraiya of the Sannin—the great Toad Sage himself!" Jiraiya declared, dramatically posing as if expecting applause.
Minato could only give a helpless smile as he watched his teacher boast and Obito stare in admiration.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Obito quickly snapped another picture—this time catching Minato's natural, genuine smile.
"What toad?" Obito suddenly asked, looking confused.
"You brat! It's Toad Sage, not 'what toad!'" Jiraiya shouted, glaring in mock anger.
Watching the legendary Sannin and Obito argue like children comparing who had more snacks—or bragging about who had the cooler title—Kakashi couldn't help but sigh.
He had always imagined the Sannin as awe-inspiring and composed figures, the kind of people who radiated dignity and authority. But the reality before him… was far from that.
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