Chapter 539: Nagato's Pokémon Hatches
"There's no doubt about it. Obito lost this time. Aside from being slightly weaker in taijutsu, Nagato has almost no weaknesses. He's incredibly difficult to deal with," Kakashi said, shaking his head.
Nagato's performance gave Kakashi the feeling of an unfathomable abyss. This was no longer a matter of whether someone was a genius or not. This was already the strength of a true Ninja World powerhouse, one who simply lacked the battle record to prove it.
Kakashi even felt that Reiki, the one they had encountered on the Hidden Mist battlefield, might not be able to defeat the current Nagato.
Bansho Tenin and Shinra Tensei offered both offense and defense, and Nagato could even absorb Ninjutsu. If his taijutsu were ever fully refined as well, then he would truly have no weaknesses at all.
"Yes, both Obito and Charizard already did their best," Rin said, nodding in agreement.
"I just feel like Obito completely ignored what I told him before," she added with a helpless smile.
She had specifically reminded him not to push himself too hard, yet he still fought with everything he had.
Still, Rin could understand him. He really had created an opportunity to win during the fight. He just failed to seize it.
When there's even a sliver of a chance to win, who would calmly accept defeat?
"When you heal him later, you can tell him, 'I'm really disappointed in you.' Obito would probably take those words to heart for a very long time," Kakashi said after thinking for a moment.
Although Obito had never said it outright, his behavior was too obvious. In Kakashi's eyes, Obito might as well have written [I like Rin] across his face.
Rin waved her hand immediately.
"How could I say something like that? Obito still got second place. If I said that, it would hurt him way too much."
She was actually planning to comfort him later and tell him not to be discouraged, and that he should keep working hard to surpass Nagato in the future.
Kakashi did not continue the topic. He had only been joking anyway. If Rin really said that, Obito would probably sink into depression for at least half a month.
Kakashi could already imagine what Obito would look like then.
He would definitely stare blankly into space and mutter the same thing over and over.
"I'm so stupid. If I was only going to get second place anyway, then I should have…"
"Since Nagato already has this level of strength, could he become the leader of the future evil Akatsuki?" Kakashi wondered as he looked toward Kakuzu on the high platform.
According to the future intelligence Yamato's group had brought back, Kakuzu would become one of the members of the future evil Akatsuki. In that future, he and his partner Hidan would kill Asuma.
In Kakashi's view, for an organization made entirely of S rank rogue ninja, the leader had to possess overwhelming strength. Otherwise, there was no way they could keep a group of criminals like that under control.
After all, S rank rogue ninja were never easy to manage. Without absolute strength suppressing them, such an organization would fall apart in just a few days, much less grow into something terrifying.
Nagato, at such a young age, already possessed the strength of a true Ninja World powerhouse. If he continued to grow, then reaching the very peak of the Ninja World was almost inevitable. In that case, twenty years from now, it would not be strange at all if he could suppress a group of S rank rogue ninja by force.
"Deidara, Sasori, Itachi, Kisame, Kakuzu, Hidan..." Kakashi's expression turned thoughtful.
The Shinobi Sect had not only current Akatsuki members like Nagato and Yahiko, but also someone like Kakuzu, who would later become part of the future evil Akatsuki.
That made Kakashi feel as though the Shinobi Sect might one day degenerate into the future Akatsuki.
"Still not enough information," Kakashi thought, suppressing those ideas for the moment.
In truth, he had already met several future Akatsuki members.
For example, Kisame was still just a Hidden Mist ninja who had not defected yet. And Itachi was still only a child who had barely begun training.
But right now, nothing about them revealed anything unusual. They all appeared completely normal.
"As expected of someone with the Sage's Eyes. His growth rate is simply too fast," Hanzō thought in amazement as he watched Nagato.
During the ambush against the Shinobi Sect, Nagato had only burst out for a short moment. Compared to then, his current self was undoubtedly a complete powerhouse.
The ability to absorb Ninjutsu and repel attacks was not invincible, but it was undeniably terrifying in actual battle.
"Since the tournament is over, I won't stay any longer. There are still many matters in Amegakure that require my attention," Hanzō said with a serious expression.
The competition was finally over. He did not want to remain here for another second.
Mugetsu gave him mental pressure, while Kakuzu gave him practical pressure. He had not slept well for several days. In his dreams, either Mugetsu was lecturing him while calling his name, or Kakuzu was arguing with him about money.
"Important matters should come first. In that case, senior, please return and handle your affairs," Mugetsu said. Seeing that Hanzō was already on the verge of losing control, he did not insist on making him stay.
After all, Hanzō had brought a lot of attention to the Martial Arts Tournament and also contributed to the Shinobi Sect's profits. It would be a bit too much to keep squeezing him.
"Come visit often. The Shinobi Sect and the Rain Ninja are one family," Kakuzu said at parting, even changing from his usual aggressive tone and waving him off warmly.
Hanzō's mouth twitched.
If not for the fact that he could not defeat Mugetsu, and Mugetsu held leverage over him, he would never have wanted to come here in the first place.
He pretended not to hear Kakuzu at all and quickly left with his guards and trusted subordinates. As for the ordinary Rain ninja, they could make their own way back.
"This Martial Arts Tournament was much more interesting than the Chunin Exams," the Fire Daimyo said with satisfaction, gently waving his fan after the event ended.
Konoha's grand Chunin Exams also invited him, but in terms of excitement, they were nowhere near the Youth Martial Arts Tournament.
Most of the contestants who reached the elimination rounds here could have dominated the Chunin Exams, even those who got eliminated in the first round.
The Fire Daimyo felt he could suggest to Konoha that they organize a similarly entertaining event in the future.
Of course, it would only be a suggestion. If Konoha refused, he could not force them.
The Daimyo and the ninja village were in a cooperative relationship, not one of ruler and servant.
"Indeed, indeed," the Rain Daimyo said with a broad smile.
He had been somewhat displeased before about the Shinobi Sect requesting land. Even if most of it was barren, it was still technically his land.
But now, all of that displeasure had vanished.
This time, the Shinobi Sect had brought him face in front of the Fire Daimyo. In comparison, losing some untaxable wasteland hardly mattered.
"This Shinobi Sect is quite formidable. If I have missions in the future, they seem reliable," some wealthy merchants and nobles thought after seeing the Shinobi Sect's strength.
Although Ninja Master Sōsuke had already become famous throughout the Ninja World, a ninja force could not survive on the strength of a single leader alone. One man could not accept every mission personally.
This tournament had clearly displayed the Shinobi Sect's potential as a growing ninja force.
Besides Nagato, both Yahiko and Konan had entered the elimination rounds, and Konan had even reached the second round. That alone surpassed many small hidden villages.
"The Shinobi Sect cannot be underestimated, but Konoha is even more worthy of vigilance. I must report everything from this tournament to Father," Kitsuchi thought.
Compared to Nagato's individual brilliance, he was more concerned with Konoha.
No matter how talented Nagato was, the Shinobi Sect was still only a ninja organization with fewer than two hundred people. It could not threaten Iwagakure on a large scale.
Konoha was different. Konoha was one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, just like Iwagakure.
Although Iwagakure did not have many fire style users, it had still sent quite a few young ninja to the tournament out of the mindset of not wanting others to get a prize they themselves could not use.
Many Iwagakure ninja had reached the elimination rounds.
In terms of total numbers reaching that stage, Iwagakure was not behind Konoha at all.
And yet, after the first round, more than half of Iwagakure's young ninja were gone. After the second round, every last one of them had been eliminated, while Konoha still had five competitors reach the quarterfinals.
That number was simply terrifying. Konoha alone had occupied five of the eight quarterfinal spots.
It had to be remembered that while the different villages had placed varying importance on the Youth Martial Arts Tournament, all of them had sent at least some promising young ninja.
Kitsuchi could not help but grow wary of Konoha after seeing that.
Even though Iwagakure had sent more competitors, it had been completely outclassed in results. There was no doubt about it. In the younger generation, Iwagakure had lost badly to Konoha.
As for the other villages, Kitsuchi could not make a fair comparison. They had sent too few people, especially Kumogakure and Sunagakure, which had barely participated at all.
...
The injured Obito was treated by Mugetsu and sent to the Shinobi Sect hospital, where he ended up sharing a room with Might Guy.
"Guy, sorry. I lost to Nagato too. I couldn't avenge you," Obito said with a sigh, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Nagato had simply been too strong. Obito had truly had the will, but not the power.
"Obito, do you think you fought seriously? Do you think you did your best?" Guy asked.
"Of course. I almost won."
Guy immediately flashed his bright smile and gave him a thumbs up.
"Then that's enough. As long as you truly fought and truly gave it everything you had, then even if you fail, you won't regret not trying hard enough someday in the future."
"Youth is always accompanied by failure. What matters is that we absorb lessons from each defeat and grow stronger because of it."
Obito unconsciously nodded, feeling that Guy's words made a lot of sense.
"By the way, Guy, where did you learn to say things like that? Those words really don't match your theory scores," Obito asked, rubbing his chin.
Guy was a fellow academic disaster on the same level as himself. His style really should not have sounded this profound.
"Because people who work hard improve quickly. Maybe without even noticing, Guy has already surpassed you in many ways," Kakashi's voice entered from outside the room.
Then the door opened, and Kakashi entered with the rest of the disciples.
"Kakashi, here you go again acting like you know everything. You only made the semifinals," Obito pouted.
Kakashi did not respond.
First, he currently could not refute Obito because of the punishment. Second, it was a fact that he had only reached the semifinals.
Still, Kakashi silently made a note of this in his mind, planning to pay Obito back later when the opportunity came.
"Obito, your fight just now was amazing. Not only did you force Nagato to reveal hidden abilities, but your taijutsu even surpassed his," Rin praised sincerely.
"Haha, it wasn't that amazing. Just average, I guess. I only got second place in the Martial Arts Tournament," Obito replied, while the corners of his mouth lifted without restraint.
He had already been comforted by Guy, and now Rin was praising him too. Instantly, every trace of gloom from his defeat vanished without a trace.
"You should start thinking about what Ninjutsu you want now. The Shinobi Sect will probably send someone to discuss it with you very soon," Shisui said.
Second place in the Youth Martial Arts Tournament earned the right to commission a custom Ninjutsu developed with the help of Ninja Master Sōsuke.
The Shinobi Sect moved quickly. Before Shisui and Kakashi had even gone to see Obito, someone from the Sect had already come to speak with him.
Because the tournament structure did not directly distinguish third place from fourth, both semifinal losers were only considered top four finishers.
But the prizes for third and fourth place were different. The solution offered by the Shinobi Sect was simple. Their own experts would evaluate the semifinalists and assign third and fourth based on that assessment.
If the contestants accepted the scoring, then the rewards would be distributed according to that evaluation.
If they refused, then another ranking match would be arranged so the two semifinal losers could fight again and settle third and fourth place directly.
According to the Shinobi Sect's evaluation, Might Guy ranked third and Shisui ranked fourth.
Shisui had trained with Guy for a long time and clearly understood the current gap between them, so he had no objections.
"A custom Ninjutsu, huh..." Obito muttered, his expression turning thoughtful.
"What do you guys think? If I ask for the strongest Fire Release in the entire Ninja World, would that work?" he suddenly asked after inspiration struck.
Since Fire Dragon Dance was currently recognized as the strongest Fire Release in the world, if his custom request was for a technique stronger than Fire Dragon Dance, then wouldn't that basically make his second place reward better than the first place reward?
Kakashi looked at him in silence, utterly speechless.
This was Ninja Master Sōsuke, a top tier powerhouse of the Ninja World, not some random old man from the village.
"I don't think that's a very good idea," Rin said bluntly.
In her opinion, the meaning of [custom] in this context referred to personalized details such as chakra nature, effect, special properties, whether it burned, exploded, spread, or pierced.
Simply requesting [the strongest] was a bit too abstract.
"Oh. I see," Obito said, scratching his head.
In truth, he just wanted a Ninjutsu with power on the same level as No Thought Strike or Golden Skyline. Nothing more than that.
...
Meanwhile, over in the Shinobi Sect's own quarters, the Shinobi Sect ninja were celebrating Nagato's victory.
"Nagato, I knew you could do it!" Yahiko laughed, slapping Nagato on the shoulder.
This was not mere politeness. He had always believed Nagato would defeat everyone and take first place.
In his eyes, Nagato was the strongest ninja under eighteen in the entire world. No one could surpass him.
Of course, when Nagato fought Might Guy, Yahiko had still broken out in a cold sweat.
Before the tournament began, he truly had not expected there to be a ninja like Guy in the world. A guy who could use no Ninjutsu at all, yet still crush the majority of shinobi through pure taijutsu alone.
"Nagato, you worked hard," Konan said, handing him a paper crane she had folded herself.
From Konan's point of view, Nagato had fought not only for himself, but also to protect the Shinobi Sect's honor and the Sect's interests.
"Nagato, that was so cool. You beat every ninja from the Five Great Nations," Kyūsuke said excitedly, pumping his fist.
For a group like the Shinobi Sect, which aimed to bring peace to the entire Ninja World, even one of their own surpassing the geniuses of the Five Great Villages felt like a huge victory.
"Thank you, everyone," Nagato said with a smile, accepting the origami crane and responding to the people around him.
The current Shinobi Sect held Nagato's dream.
And inside this place, there were already many people Nagato cared about deeply.
Seeing the Shinobi Sect getting stronger and stronger genuinely made him happy, and he was willing to give everything he had for its growth.
After the brief celebration ended, Nagato did not become arrogant or complacent. He maintained his normal training routine and headed to the training room Mugetsu had sealed with a barrier, planning to continue practicing Yang Release Breathing.
For Nagato, other than the Rinnegan itself, the most important form of training was still Yang Release Breathing.
Crack.
Just as he was training, Nagato suddenly heard a faint cracking sound.
Then, with his sharp perception, he noticed a change in the Pokémon Egg Mugetsu had given him.
For some reason, the originally plain white egg was now wrapped in a dazzling glow.
Nagato focused on it, but he still could not see through the thick white light.
So he simply stopped and watched it in silence.
After all, this Pokémon Egg was something Mugetsu had given him.
Nagato believed without question that it would never bring him harm.
TL: Check out my newly released fanfic on my second account "FicLord"
Crossover Anime World: Reborn as Abe no Seimei
I didn't know that there's a limit on how many books you can publish here in webnovel
.....
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