Chapter 387: The End of Anrokuzan
To test his idea, Mugetsu used a convenient excuse to adjust how they divided their time between investigation and training.
Starting on the third day, they trained throughout the day and investigated at night.
No one objected. Whether it was Mugetsu's three disciples or Naruto and Yamato, everyone followed his arrangements.
With the information they already had, completing both missions was only a matter of execution. Any further investigation was simply to ensure a safer finish and to minimize the impact of Anrokuzan's incident on Roran. Reducing investigation time was, on the surface, completely reasonable.
After another long night, Mugetsu glanced at the group's exhausted faces.
"You've all been training for a while. You must be tired. How about we get a midnight snack?" he suggested.
"A midnight snack? Are we going to eat ramen?" Naruto's fatigue vanished instantly, replaced by pure excitement.
If he could eat a steaming bowl of Ichiraku Ramen after hard training, that would be happiness itself.
To be honest, Naruto could accept instant ramen too, but eating instant ramen alone meant staring at the cup for a boring three minutes. Going out to eat together might take longer, but at least you could talk while waiting.
Yamato lifted his gaze to the sky. It was already deep into the night, and the stars were bright and clear.
"At this hour, I feel like only izakaya would still be open," he said honestly, then lowered his eyes.
It was an awkward truth, but a truth all the same. What ordinary ramen shop stayed open past midnight?
Yamato was happy to go to an izakaya with Mugetsu, but after thinking it over, he realized it was not appropriate. Naruto was not even an adult yet, and Kakashi's team was even farther from that age.
"Then it looks like you're in for a treat today, Big Brother Naruto," Obito said at once, already convinced he understood what Mugetsu was planning.
After all, this was Mugetsu. He would not overlook something even Yamato had noticed.
"We're not eating out," Mugetsu said. "I'll cook."
Before they even began training, Mugetsu had already prepared everything.
Obito wore an expression that said, of course. Kakashi and Rin, meanwhile, visibly perked up.
Mugetsu was their teacher, not their personal chef, and it had been a while since they had eaten his cooking.
Seeing how excited Kakashi's trio looked, Yamato asked with genuine curiosity, "Is Mugetsu senpai that good at cooking?"
He had originally wanted to help in the kitchen, since he was already learning Mugetsu's techniques and felt guilty just taking benefits. But Mugetsu had refused, telling him that if he wanted to help, he could wash the dishes afterward. Cooking, Mugetsu could handle alone.
"Not just good," Obito declared dramatically. "Teacher Mugetsu's cooking is like some kind of super high level ninjutsu was used on it. There's nothing in the entire shinobi world that compares."
Obito was exaggerating so hard that Yamato hesitated.
It was not that he thought Obito was lying, but there was definitely an idol filter involved, and the idol in question was the one holding the ladle.
Kakashi, however, spoke in a steady tone.
"Teacher's cooking skill is no less than his strength as a shinobi."
Kakashi even felt Mugetsu might earn more money, faster, by being a chef.
His cooking was so good it could cause hallucinations. Those feudal lords and nobles would pay an absurd price for a taste of something that unique.
Yamato's expression shifted in surprise. If it came from Kakashi, the credibility was high. Kakashi was rational and rarely exaggerated.
"I'm really looking forward to it," Naruto said, leaning forward and trying to peek toward the kitchen.
Then Obito suddenly asked, "By the way, who was the Fifth Hokage again?"
Obito wanted to become Hokage, but aiming for Fourth was unrealistic at his age. So he had set his sights on Fifth, and the person who became Fifth in the normal timeline would naturally be a rival.
"It's Granny Tsunade," Naruto answered.
Rin's mouth fell open slightly.
"Lady Tsunade actually became the Fifth Hokage?"
Rin did not think Tsunade lacked the ability. At this time, all three Sannin were popular candidates for Fourth, and no one in Konoha would find it strange if any of them took the hat.
But Rin had spent a lot of time around Tsunade recently, enough to be considered half a disciple. She knew very well that Tsunade had no interest in becoming Hokage.
Tsunade was lazy enough to avoid medical research when she could, let alone sit in the Hokage's office handling endless paperwork.
Rin could not even picture what Tsunade would look like as Hokage. Would she show up on time? Would the Hokage's office even have a Hokage before afternoon?
Worry crept onto Rin's face. She could only hope Konoha would survive the future, and that Tsunade could endure the workload.
"Granny Tsunade?" Obito scratched his head. "Isn't that Rin's medical ninjutsu teacher? I didn't expect the Fifth Hokage to be her."
Obito remembered Tsunade being from the same generation as the Toad Sage. For the Fifth Hokage, she sounded a bit too old.
"Rin, what's Granny Tsunade's strength like?" Obito asked.
Because Obito was calling Naruto "Big Brother," he subconsciously copied Naruto's way of addressing Tsunade, completely forgetting the time travel context.
Rin looked at him like she was seeing his future funeral.
"She can probably punch you so hard you won't be able to get up," she said, then added quickly, "Also, Obito, you really should not call Lady Tsunade 'Granny.'"
Mugetsu took his time in the kitchen. He was cooking for six people, and they were all shinobi who had just finished intense training.
While they waited, Naruto, Yamato, and Kakashi's trio kept talking, naturally learning more about each other.
Obito soon learned that Naruto had also been dead last in the Academy, both in theory and in ninjutsu.
"I knew you felt familiar!" Obito said, convinced he had discovered a great truth. "You're just like Guy!"
Kakashi's mouth twitched. Some people truly had no self awareness.
After hearing Kakashi's mission experiences, Yamato could not help sighing. It sounded like Kakashi had survived by pure stubbornness. C rank missions that should not involve shinobi somehow led Kakashi's team into fights with ninja of every level, and even the Chunin Exams had unexpected disasters.
Then the food finally arrived.
"Whoa, this is so fancy!" Naruto's eyes widened as dish after dish was carried out, each one fragrant and unfamiliar. "There are so many things I've never seen!"
Since Naruto and Yamato had never eaten Mugetsu's cooking before, half the dishes were local cuisine you could find in the shinobi world, so it was natural that the table looked full of unfamiliar food.
Many ingredients had been stored by Mugetsu inside scrolls, things that might not even exist in Roran.
Facing such a feast, everyone said a very ceremonial "Itadakimasu," then began.
Naruto grabbed a piece of tempura and bit in.
The crispy outer layer shattered under his teeth, and the shrimp inside was soft and unbelievably juicy. Naruto's eyes went wide. Before eating, he had never expected something as simple as tempura to taste like this.
Then the next moment hit him even harder.
Naruto suddenly felt dizzy. When he opened his eyes again, he was in a mysterious, magnificent blue world. Countless fish and shrimp swam around him.
Naruto reached out to touch them, only to freeze.
What he extended was a claw.
He had turned into a shrimp.
And then, like all shrimp with great responsibilities, he forgot every worry and swam freely through the ocean.
When Naruto finally came back to his senses, he was sitting at the table again. The ocean, the fish, the shrimp, all gone.
Naruto swallowed, then raised a thumb at Mugetsu.
"Big Brother Mugetsu… amazing."
He truly could not think of a better word.
Naruto remembered Obito boasting before dinner that Mugetsu's cooking would make you see forests, oceans, and volcanoes.
It was not a metaphor.
Yamato took a bite of his own food, then stared at Mugetsu in shock. For a moment, he had genuinely thought he had been caught in genjutsu.
Obito's exaggeration had been completely accurate, which only made it more unbelievable.
"Hurry up and eat," Mugetsu reminded them.
Only then did Naruto and Yamato notice how intense Obito, Kakashi, and Rin were. Their chopsticks were moving so fast they almost blurred.
Seeing the dishes vanish at an alarming speed, Naruto and Yamato immediately entered combat mode and started devouring everything in sight.
When the feast ended, Naruto leaned back, still craving more.
"That was the best midnight snack I've ever had," he said, regretful. "If I get another chance, I can definitely eat more."
"You went to so much trouble, Mugetsu senpai," Yamato said quietly.
Mugetsu had helped them with their mission, taught them powerful secret techniques, and now personally cooked food like this. Meeting him felt less like luck and more like a blessing.
Mugetsu only smiled, saying nothing. To him, these were small favors.
The next day, with the schedule changed, Naruto and the others began training early in the morning.
And Mugetsu officially began his test.
"Today we won't practice taijutsu," Mugetsu said before the lesson started. "I'll teach you Yang Release Breathing."
His gaze settled on Naruto.
"This will be very difficult. Naruto, try to be as serious as possible."
The reward was not given just because Mugetsu taught. It also depended on whether the students actually learned. Since Yang Release Breathing was still under development, Mugetsu emphasized the difficulty.
Naruto nodded firmly.
"I'll study seriously."
Whether it was defeating the Akatsuki or bringing Sasuke back, he needed strength. He was serious about training.
And Mugetsu had been so good to him that Naruto did not want to disappoint him.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Naruto formed hand signs quickly, chakra surging as dozens of shadow clones popped into existence.
He knew he was not a genius. If one brain was not enough, then he would use dozens.
"Before learning Yang Release Breathing, you must first understand two concepts," Mugetsu began. "Yang Release chakra nature transformation, and breathing itself."
Mugetsu knew Naruto's foundation was weak, so he started from the basics, explaining Yang Release chakra first.
Dozens of Naruto clones listened intently. Naruto truly did not understand Yang Release. The only time he had even heard about it was when Yamato mentioned it briefly while learning Wind Release chakra nature transformation.
After around forty minutes, Mugetsu paused to let Naruto digest.
Naruto dispelled his shadow clones to organize the flood of memories. When Mugetsu resumed, Naruto created dozens more clones and continued.
By the end of the morning, Naruto had successfully grasped Yang Release chakra nature transformation and Basic Breathing.
Mugetsu had to admit, Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu was frighteningly effective. Naruto's learning speed became extremely fast.
But this kind of cheat was only possible for Naruto.
The strain on the body and mind was enormous. An ordinary person might not even withstand training with a few shadow clones, let alone dozens. It could genuinely cause problems.
In the afternoon, Mugetsu began teaching his still developing Yang Release Breathing.
Because it was not fully developed, he spent most of his time explaining theory.
"When using Yang Release Breathing, physical energy will be enhanced," Mugetsu explained. "Techniques tied to Yang Release chakra nature transformation will become stronger. To maximize its power, the final stage is integrating Yang Release Breathing into other techniques."
Even without obtaining the localized Sun Breathing, Mugetsu could still speculate about its effects based on existing Breathing Techniques.
Sun Breathing and Flame Breathing were both fire based, yet in the original Demon Slayer, Sun Breathing was far stronger. Based on how the system localized skills, the flames of Sun Breathing would likely be much stronger than the flames of Flame Breathing.
To achieve that in the shinobi world, Yang Release chakra nature transformation or natural energy was probably involved. Sun Breathing flames could be Yang Release plus fire, or fire infused with natural energy, or even both. Those two were not mutually exclusive.
Mugetsu had not yet studied senjutsu or natural energy in depth, so he began by experimenting with Yang Release.
For development purposes, the biggest difference between Yang Release Breathing and other Breathing Techniques was its potential.
Right now, Yang Release Breathing was weak. In early stage effectiveness, it was only slightly stronger than Basic Breathing, but the difficulty compared to Basic Breathing was like the gap between earth and sky.
Yet Yang Release Breathing had many possible paths. If cultivated to a profound level, it could make physical energy incredibly strong, enough that healing without hand signs might become possible rather than a dream.
At the same time, Yang Release Breathing could potentially fuse with other suitable Breathing Techniques, just as Mugetsu imagined, possibly helping it evolve into Sun Breathing.
Besides teaching Naruto, Mugetsu also taught Yamato some Water Release.
With Yamato's chakra reserves, learning powerful Water Release ninjutsu might not be much worse than relying purely on Wood Release in actual combat.
Of course, Wood Release had unique functions, like suppressing tailed beast chakra. No amount of Water Release training could replace that.
[Lecture Completed]
[Evaluation: S]
[Reward: Yang Release chakra nature transformation +9, Basic Breathing +12, Yang Release Breathing +2, Water Release chakra nature transformation +1]
As the rewards settled, related training memories surfaced inside Mugetsu's mind.
A slight smile appeared on his face.
This was a pleasant surprise.
If he continued like this, he should be able to complete the preliminary development of Yang Release Breathing within a month.
In a good mood, Mugetsu prepared another lavish dinner to reward his students.
Before the dishes were served, everyone chatted and laughed.
Once the dishes hit the table, no one spoke.
After learning their lesson the first time, Naruto and Yamato understood a simple truth. You could talk before the meal, and you could talk after the meal.
During the meal, you fought for your life.
After dinner and a short rest, it was time for the investigation.
Mugetsu sent a shadow clone to follow Kakashi's team, while his main body continued researching the Ryumyaku.
A week passed in this routine.
By then, Obito and the others had gathered enough evidence. That night, they suggested it was time to capture Anrokuzan.
"This guy not only imprisons innocent civilians in an underground factory to make puppets day and night," Obito said, anger tight in his voice, "he also conducts human experiments. How does he smile at civilians without feeling sick?"
During the investigation, they had uncovered multiple disappearances connected to Anrokuzan. With Mugetsu's Byakugan, they quickly located Anrokuzan's underground factory and exposed his crimes.
"This time, we absolutely won't let this despicable guy escape," Naruto said, clenching his fists.
He was already itching to treat Anrokuzan to a Rasengan.
Kakashi nodded.
"We should release this evidence. Forget protecting Anrokuzan's reputation. Those civilians would probably want to execute him on the spot."
Mugetsu thought for a moment, then spoke.
"Then we move tomorrow. I'll contact the Queen later and have her arrange a meeting with Anrokuzan tomorrow."
Anrokuzan was a puppeteer. His combat power depended on his puppets. If they fought him inside his stronghold, he would have endless backups.
If the Queen arranged a meeting outside, Anrokuzan could only use the puppets stored in his scrolls, which would weaken him to a degree.
Even if the enemy's strength was not particularly high, Mugetsu followed the principle of using full strength to catch even a rabbit. He wanted no accidents.
"Keep these kunai safe," Mugetsu said, taking out two Flying Thunder God kunai and handing them to Naruto and Yamato. "If there's danger, I can appear at your side instantly."
This was not only to protect Naruto and Yamato.
It was also to protect Anrokuzan.
If Anrokuzan died, Naruto and Yamato would return immediately. Mugetsu would not allow that. He intended to seal Anrokuzan first.
Naruto had not yet learned Yang Release Breathing, and they had not met Jiraiya. It was not time for Naruto to go back.
Mugetsu's plan was calm, reliable, and reasonable. No one objected.
Since it was close to bedtime, they separated and returned to their rooms.
…
When Anrokuzan heard that the Queen had invited him to discuss development issues in western Roran, his first thought was simple.
Did she finally come to her senses and decide to cooperate again?
After all, poor Roran did not have much worth developing besides the Ryumyaku.
Anrokuzan was in an excellent mood.
He had even been preparing to assassinate the Queen and support Princess Sara on the throne.
According to the information he had, Sara possessed the same ability as the Queen, the power to control the Ryumyaku.
Compared to the cautious Queen, naive Sara would be far easier to control. She might even help him count the money if he sold her.
But Anrokuzan's true goal was never ruling Roran.
He only wanted to absorb the Ryumyaku's power. Once that goal was achieved, everything else was meaningless.
Western Roran was the least developed area, wide open spaces dotted with abandoned houses.
Led by Roran soldiers, Anrokuzan found the Queen conducting an inspection.
He forced a smile.
"Your Majesty, I have a development idea for this area. I believe someone as intelligent as you can guess what it is."
Since he was aiming for cooperation, Anrokuzan did not say the word Ryumyaku directly. He only hinted.
Even when the Queen gave no reaction, he continued.
"Even though it's all Roran, the environment here in the west is far worse than other places. We should develop this area, even if it requires a small price."
At that moment, the handkerchief on the Queen's person suddenly fell.
Whoosh.
The four Roran soldiers beside Anrokuzan drew their swords and attacked.
The result shocked them.
It was as if they were not cutting a man, but striking steel. Their blades tore through Anrokuzan's clothing, yet could not penetrate even an inch deeper.
Anrokuzan's expression darkened.
A few ordinary people dared to attack him?
To withstand the Ryumyaku's power, he had long since transformed his body into a puppet. Ordinary blades were nothing more than a tickle.
"It seems I'll have to arrange an unfortunate assassination for the Queen," Anrokuzan thought coldly, "and then Princess Sara will succeed in this crisis."
He prepared to kill everyone here and push Sara onto the throne.
But before he could move, wooden bars erupted from the ground beneath him and bound him tightly.
The four soldiers immediately retreated.
At the same time, Naruto and the others, who had been hidden nearby, surged forward.
Naruto condensed a massive amount of chakra in his hand, compressing and rotating it until a high speed spinning chakra sphere formed.
Without hesitation, he drove the Rasengan into Anrokuzan's chest.
"Flash!"
Kakashi seized the opening as well. He concentrated Thunder Breathing to the limit, boosting his explosive power, then swung his lightning infused blade toward Anrokuzan's legs.
Anrokuzan frowned, trying to break the wooden restraints.
Only then did he realize the bars were far tougher than he expected.
Whoosh.
Kakashi's White Fang Short Blade cleanly severed Anrokuzan's legs.
Boom!
Naruto's Rasengan tore through clothing and chunks of Anrokuzan's body, exposing puppet components beneath.
Obito watched the damage and thought, almost incredulous, This is surprisingly easy.
Mugetsu walked over to the Queen and shook his head.
"Do not relax until the enemy is completely dealt with."
Even though the Queen had ended her cooperation with Anrokuzan, Anrokuzan had already absorbed a large amount of Ryumyaku power. He would not fall so easily.
Naruto's Rasengan had heavily damaged Anrokuzan, but it also shattered the wooden bars binding him.
Anrokuzan rolled away, pulled out a scroll, and activated the Ryumyaku chakra within his body.
A puppet emerged from the scroll, and under Anrokuzan's control, it rapidly broke apart into components that repaired his body.
In the blink of an eye, he looked even stronger than before.
"You're like a persistent ghost," Anrokuzan cursed while moving. "I didn't expect you to follow me here."
At first, Anrokuzan had assumed Naruto had traveled through time as well, so he had been extremely cautious in Roran, using aliases and the Transformation Technique. Only after a long time without Naruto appearing did he believe he was the only one who had traveled through time.
He had not expected Naruto to appear now of all times, and with several unfamiliar helpers.
Anrokuzan pulled out two more scrolls and released six tall puppets.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Obito highly concentrated Flame Breathing and spat out a massive fireball.
Rumble!
The explosion thundered, and one puppet was instantly destroyed.
"Rasengan!"
Naruto created a swarm of shadow clones. The clones and his main body attacked together, Rasengan flashing again and again as they destroyed two more puppets in rapid succession.
"Wood Release: Impaling Wood!"
Yamato calmly shaped wooden bars from his body and pierced through a puppet, destroying it.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
Kakashi finally condensed a large amount of Lightning Release chakra and spat out a lightning spear. It shot forward with frightening speed and penetration, destroying another puppet.
Rin swung the chakra short blade Naruto had given her and severed the chakra threads on one puppet, causing Anrokuzan to lose control of it.
In the opening exchange, all six puppets Anrokuzan had just summoned were defeated.
Anrokuzan's face turned grim.
Those were most of the puppets he carried with him. He had ten puppets total. Now, only three remained.
He did not hesitate.
He released the final three and then fled toward the location of his underground base.
Even if the puppets he carried were higher quality, the base held enough puppets to wear these shinobi down and kill them.
As long as he reached that place, he would be fine.
But Mugetsu's team had chosen this battlefield. If they did not prepare traps, it would be an insult to the word shinobi.
The moment Anrokuzan rushed forward, Kakashi silently detonated dozens of pre buried explosive tags.
Boom, boom, boom!
A violent chain of explosions erupted, a blinding flash swallowing Anrokuzan and the three puppets covering his retreat.
Seeing him consumed by such a powerful blast, the Queen finally relaxed.
She had originally planned to bring Sara along, hoping the experience would help her understand how wicked human hearts could be.
In the end, she abandoned that decision for safety.
Thick smoke from the explosions obscured Anrokuzan's figure completely.
Naruto and the others stared into the haze, tense and silent, unsure what condition he was in.
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