Chapter 464: Obito's Reward for Promotion to Jonin
[Disciple Uchiha Obito has diligently cultivated and accumulated merits to be promoted to Jonin. Rewards received: Chakra +2400, Item Draw Scroll, Unknown Pokemon Egg (Only Uchiha Obito can hatch).]
On the way home, Mugetsu stopped by a clear stream and washed his hands, then immediately used the draw.
[Item Draw Scroll has been used. Reward received: Unknown Pokemon Egg.]
Mugetsu's eyes flickered with surprise when he saw the result.
He had not expected Obito's promotion rewards to include two Pokemon Eggs. More importantly, the one he drew was not locked like the system reward.
Mugetsu had assumed he would pull something tied to Obito's abilities.
"Then I'll give this one to Rin when she becomes a full Jonin," Mugetsu decided.
All the other disciples already had an egg. Rin was the only one without one, and that would be painfully awkward.
If the system did not provide it, Mugetsu had no solution. He could not exactly pull a Pokemon Egg out of thin air and hand it to Rin as a gift.
Now that he had two, one would definitely go to her.
Rin could already sign a contract with Shikkotsu Forest and summon Katsuyu, but a shinobi could never have too many good summons. A ninja could form contracts with more than one summon species.
Besides, compared to Katsuyu, Pokemon generally had stronger direct combat potential, which could help cover some of Rin's weaker points in battle.
The only one who truly lost out was Obito. Part of his reward was effectively turning into Rin's gift.
Still, Mugetsu suspected that if Obito knew the whole story, he might be happier than anyone. It would simply mean Rin had one more layer of protection.
When Mugetsu returned home, he found a letter from Minato in his mailbox.
He sat down in the living room, opened the envelope, and began to read.
"In this early winter, I heard about your deeds on the eastern coast battlefield, Mugetsu, and I was incredibly stirred. The enemies who invaded our land have finally been driven from our homeland. With this surge of passion, even the cold winter wind cannot diminish the warmth in my chest."
Mugetsu nodded slightly.
This was exactly the effect Hiruzen had aimed for with the village's deliberate promotion and publicity. Raise morale across every front.
"Since we parted in Roran, if I calculate the time, it has been over half a year since we last met. A few months ago, I returned to Konoha to rest, but unfortunately, you were on the eastern coast battlefield at that time."
The past half year had been one of Konoha's hardest stretches since the war began. The Hidden Mist had landed and invaded the homeland, the Fire Daimyo had applied pressure, and it was difficult for capable ninja to remain idle.
"Perhaps because Kumogakure and Sunagakure are fighting intensely, the Land of Hot Springs battlefield where I am stationed has not seen much conflict recently. In two or three months, I may return to Konoha again. I hope that by then, neither of us will be too busy, and we can finally meet."
Minato briefly described his current situation, along with a few developments on his battlefield.
Then the final paragraph made Mugetsu's expression turn faintly complicated.
"If you return to Konoha and have time, Mugetsu, please help look after Kushina. She is very fond of your cooking. After not tasting your dishes for so long, she has likely reached the point of dreaming about them."
Even while standing on a battlefield, Minato was still worrying about Kushina's everyday life.
Mugetsu put the letter away, tidied his home, then stepped out again and activated his Byakugan, scanning the streets to see if he could run into Kushina.
He had no way to contact her directly.
In the past, Kushina would send messages through ANBU, but Mugetsu could not be sure she would learn immediately that he had returned to Konoha. So he chose the simplest approach first: a convenient coincidence.
Because of the Nine Tails, Kushina's allowed range of movement was not large. With Mugetsu's Byakugan, if she was outside at all, he could find her.
If she did not appear today, then Mugetsu would have to take the roundabout route and ask Hiruzen whether there was any news about the "missing" Kushina.
It was inconvenient, but there was no other option. Publicly, Mugetsu was not supposed to know Kushina's identity as the Nine Tails jinchuriki.
Fortunately, luck was on his side.
Kushina was out shopping today. Judging by the movement of her lips, she even seemed to be humming quietly as she walked, her mood bright.
Mugetsu thought for a moment, then approached at an unhurried pace, acting as if he were simply taking a relaxed stroll after returning from the battlefield.
That was perfectly normal for a ninja.
"Mugetsu, long time no see. I actually ran into you!" When Mugetsu was about ten meters away, Kushina spotted the familiar blond figure and immediately beamed, waving as she called out.
"Long time no see," Mugetsu replied with perfectly timed surprise, then walked over.
Kushina jogged up, gave his shoulder a friendly pat, and lifted her chin with a triumphant look.
"A few days ago, I saw the newspaper talking about your achievements. I figured you would be back in Konoha soon. I thought, if I go out more often, I might run into you. And look, it worked!"
She planted her hands on her hips, smug as could be.
"Aren't I amazing? If Minato were here, he probably would not even think that far ahead."
"Amazing," Mugetsu nodded sincerely. It was not easy for her to connect the dots that quickly.
Then Kushina gave him a thumbs up, her expression turning serious for a moment.
"You're also pretty amazing, Mugetsu. I did not realize you were that strong. You even killed a jinchuriki. That honestly scared me."
As the Nine Tails jinchuriki, Kushina understood the terror of a tailed beast better than anyone.
Even for her, becoming a jinchuriki had been difficult. Fighting a complete tailed beast was the kind of danger that could erase you from the world in a heartbeat.
Before this, Mugetsu had left three main impressions on her.
First, he was an excellent teacher, recognized by Hiruzen for his contributions to education.
Second, he was a kind friend who made unbelievable food.
Third, he was a sealing technique genius, talented enough that even she respected him.
Kushina had once worried, truly worried, that Mugetsu might not survive this chaotic era. Every time she taught him sealing techniques, she had been serious to the point of harshness, hoping he would gain enough skill to handle a crisis.
But recently, Mugetsu had given her an entirely new impression.
A powerful shinobi who could dominate a battlefield.
"Your reputation even feels bigger than Minato's right now," Kushina complained, half amused, half incredulous. "If I had not read the newspaper ANBU brought me, I would have thought there was some other ninja with the same name. People keep calling you Raging Sun Mugetsu."
The title had a smooth ring to it, so most people did not bother with anything else. In Konoha, it was usually just the title and his name.
Mugetsu and Kushina chatted as they walked, and without noticing, they arrived in front of the restaurant where he had once cooked for her.
"This place is still open," Kushina said, staring up at the sign. Old memories rose in her mind.
Back then, she had only recently become the Nine Tails jinchuriki. She had also run into Mugetsu while out walking, and he had chosen a struggling restaurant, borrowed its kitchen, and cooked for her.
Kushina remembered it clearly.
At that time, the Nine Tails chakra had made her irritable, and Minato had been away on a mission, which made her mood even worse.
It was that meal, that absurdly delicious food, that had made her forget her anxiety for a while.
"And it looks like business is good now," Mugetsu said, glancing around.
Compared to the old deserted atmosphere, the restaurant was lively. Every table was full.
Kushina started to turn away. With business this good, they would not be lending out kitchens. Besides, she did not want to disturb anyone.
"Lord Mugetsu!" the owner suddenly shouted, eyes lighting up as he spotted him.
The moment he called out, the entire restaurant turned to look.
Mugetsu's reputation in Konoha was massive now. Even ordinary civilians had heard the stories and knew a powerful ninja named Hayate Mugetsu had risen within the Leaf.
Several ninja eating inside immediately followed suit, respectful and loud.
"Lord Mugetsu."
Mugetsu had played a huge role on the eastern coast battlefield. Their ability to remain safe behind the lines was built on the efforts of shinobi like him. Their respect was real.
Mugetsu smiled and acknowledged them one by one.
The owner hurried over, gratitude written all over his face.
"Thank you. Truly, thank you. If I had not tasted your cooking back then and understood the depth of that craft, my restaurant would have gone under."
He had once traded a temporary kitchen loan for a taste of Mugetsu's food. Even now, he could not forget it.
Many people praised his cooking these days, but the owner still believed he had not reached even a tiny fraction of Mugetsu's level.
"There's no need to thank me," Mugetsu replied, shaking his head. "This is your own effort."
A chef's skill does not magically improve the hands of the person eating it. The owner had grown because he had pushed himself.
"You're too modest," the owner said quickly.
His eyes shifted to Kushina standing quietly beside Mugetsu, then he asked on his own initiative, "Do you still need to borrow a kitchen? I can lend it anytime."
"You're busy. We won't trouble you," Mugetsu declined politely.
It was peak dining hour. Borrowing the main kitchen would delay service and invite complaints. Konoha had plenty of places to cook, and Mugetsu did not need to force this.
"No trouble at all," the owner said earnestly. "I have a small kitchen in the back that I rarely use. I normally keep it for experimenting with dishes. I also just brought in a fresh batch of ingredients today."
Mugetsu glanced at Kushina from the corner of his eye.
She looked like she wanted to speak, then stopped herself, her expression betraying far too much hope for someone who claimed she was not thinking about food.
"Then we'll accept your kindness," Mugetsu said, nodding. "Thank you."
Since it would not affect the restaurant's business, refusing would be unnecessary. And Kushina was clearly eager.
The owner led them to the small kitchen, then left them alone.
Mugetsu quickly scanned the ingredients and decided what to make.
Kushina felt awkward about eating without contributing, so she stepped in as his assistant.
As she watched the ingredients transform under Mugetsu's hands into finished dishes filled with color, aroma, and flavor, she practically had to fight to keep her mouth from watering.
"Braised pork belly, squirrel mandarin fish…" Kushina stared at the plates as if they were priceless treasure.
She had even dreamed of braised pork with preserved vegetables yesterday.
Mugetsu did not make her wait long.
Once the timing was right, he set everything down, and the two of them began to eat in the small kitchen.
"I'm eating," Kushina said with a hint of ceremony, even though the setting was far from formal.
She picked up a piece of braised pork and took a bite.
Pure happiness spread across her face instantly, uncontrollable.
For a brief moment, Kushina felt as if she had stepped into a world with no burdens at all, a refreshing warmth surging through her chest.
If she could have spoken in poetry, she would have. Instead, her eyes said everything.
Then she took one bite from each dish, savoring them, before unleashing her true eating power.
The plates started disappearing at an alarming speed.
"Mmm. Mmm. It's too delicious!" Kushina almost teared up. "Compared to your cooking, the food ANBU buys for me is practically a punishment."
Sometimes she wondered why there was no long distance teleportation technique in the world. If there were, even if Mugetsu was on a battlefield, she could still appear, eat, then vanish.
Of course, she only let herself think it. On a battlefield, how could she possibly drag Mugetsu into cooking?
"It's a pity Minato isn't here," Kushina said, thinking of him far away in the Land of Hot Springs. "He hasn't had your cooking in a long time either."
Even with how happy she was now, Kushina believed the happiest moments were when all three of them ate together and talked.
"You two really are in sync," Mugetsu teased lightly.
Then he continued, smiling, "Minato sent me a letter. He specifically told me that if I returned to Konoha and had time, I should make you a meal. He said you must be dreaming about it after going so long without."
Kushina froze.
Her cheeks flushed, and she looked suddenly flustered.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she protested, voice rising a bit. "Why does he make it sound like I only think about food? I think Minato was the one dreaming about it."
The truth was, she had dreamed about it yesterday.
Now she felt like a child whose secret wish had been caught in the open.
"Perhaps," Mugetsu said with an innocent smile, and did not push it further.
Kushina coughed once, then changed the subject at lightning speed.
"Let's take a walk. We need to digest. And I'm going to test you. I want to see if you've been studying sealing techniques properly."
Mugetsu nodded.
They walked together to a small pavilion in a park, and Kushina asked several questions that leaned into more advanced sealing knowledge.
Mugetsu's performance exceeded her expectations.
He answered each question calmly, with the confidence of someone who had been immersed in it for far longer than two years.
"You must be exhausted normally," Kushina said, sincerely impressed. "Training, fighting, and still spending so much time on sealing techniques."
"It's fine," Mugetsu replied.
He did spend a lot of time on sealing techniques.
What Kushina did not know was that his training in other areas was not quite as time consuming as she imagined. Much of it had been pushed forward by the system itself.
Kushina then taught him a bit more, adding details and principles that sharpened his foundation.
She had a feeling that soon, she would not be able to teach him much longer.
Mugetsu had talent, and more than that, he had discipline.
When they finally parted ways, Mugetsu told Kushina that if she wanted a hot meal, she could simply send a ninja to notify him directly.
The next morning, Mugetsu went to the southern border forest.
Obito was already there, standing in place with an expectant look on his face.
.....
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