The disciples exchanged glances, trying to discern each other's thoughts from their expressions.
"I'll head back too." After a moment of silence, Kakashi said.
He needed a long time to recover. If there was a sudden change on the battlefield and he hadn't fully recovered by then, he could become a burden.
Kakashi believed that instead of staying on the tense battlefield, it was better to return to Konoha to recuperate. A good environment would allow for a quicker recovery, so he could fully heal and return to the battlefield to carry out missions.
"Huh? Kakashi, you're going back too." Obito scratched his head with both hands.
He wanted to stay on the battlefield, but if Kakashi was returning to Konoha, staying there lost its meaning for him.
Because he wanted to compete with Kakashi on the battlefield, to outperform him.
If Kakashi left, who would he compete with?
No matter how well he performed, Kakashi could always say that he could do better.
"I need three weeks to recuperate. It's more comfortable to go back to Konoha. Recovering on the battlefield even limits my movements." Kakashi replied calmly.
Given a choice, going back to Konoha was definitely better. War wasn't a game.
"Teacher Mokgetsu, is Rin going back too?" Obito thought for a moment and asked Mokgetsu.
Since Kakashi didn't plan to stay on the battlefield, Obito lost most of his interest in it. After all, with his current strength, he couldn't end the war; his presence didn't make a huge difference.
Obito was planning to decide whether to leave based on Nohara Rin's choice. If she decided to stay, he'd stay on the battlefield to protect her. If she returned to Konoha, he'd choose to go back too.
"I'll ask her in a bit." Mokgetsu replied.
Nohara Rin was resting in a different tent due to gender reasons. Since there were more disciples on this side, Mokgetsu came to ask about Obito and the others first.
"If Rin is going back too, then I'll go back." Obito nodded.
If Rin also left, there really wouldn't be much point in him staying on the battlefield.
Kakashi glanced at Obito, somewhat speechless. This was just too indecisive.
"I want to stay on the battlefield." After some deep contemplation, Shisui expressed his thought.
He had long been the leader among the disciples, but after interning, Obito and the others rapidly advanced through various real combat experiences, quietly surpassing him.
Shisui was unwilling. He didn't want to keep losing in the inner disputes among disciples; he wanted to reclaim the title of Mokgetsu's strongest disciple.
Thus, Shisui wanted to use this war to hone himself and make up for the lack of real combat experience.
After the ten-day recuperation period, Shisui would actively request Mokgetsu to go out on missions.
Besides honing his own skills, Shisui had another idea: to complete more war missions and increase his credentials.
Currently, he was only a Chunin—a genius Chunin was still just a Chunin. In the Uchiha clan, a Chunin couldn't stir up much, so to have more weight in clan meetings, he needed to elevate his Ninja Level, and the battlefield was the right place to achieve feats.
"No problem." Mokgetsu nodded in agreement.
Except for the forced return of Might Guy to Konoha, Mokgetsu wouldn't stop others from staying on the battlefield.
As for Might Guy, Mokgetsu was mainly worried about the necessity of battles causing him to fight with an injured body, leading to irreparable aftereffects.
Though the Eight Gates were powerful, they were also very dangerous, and Might Guy would add the Breath of Rock on top of it.
In normal situations, the Breathing Technique wouldn't harm the body, but in extreme cases, overexerting power was highly risky too.
Then Mokgetsu went over to Nohara Rin to ask her the same question.
"Are Kakashi and the others going back?" Nohara Rin didn't immediately answer Mokgetsu's question but first inquired about Kakashi and the others.
After Mokgetsu truthfully told her, Nohara Rin thought for a short while and gave her answer, "I'll go back to Konoha."
Nohara Rin's thinking was straightforward. If Kakashi needed such a long time to recover, he must be seriously hurt. Going back with him might allow her to help Kakashi recover better through her treatment, and she could also use this time to sort out her recent gains and learn new knowledge from Tsunade.
After asking all the disciples, Mokgetsu didn't immediately arrange for them to return. He planned to let them rest for a few days before sending them back with Shadow Clones.
After all, they had just come off the battlefield with grievous injuries. If they set off now, they'd have to be carried all the way back. They needed to at least regain some mobility first.
Mokgetsu didn't linger too long with the disciples. He soon went to complete the task assigned to him by Orochimaru.
Yamanaka Inoichi checked the memories of the deceased Minazuki Kan and the five members of the Seven-Swords Ninja, and the setup of the Hidden Mist was basically exposed. Even if the Hidden Mist reacted swiftly, it's impossible for them to complete all adjustments instantly.
Mokgetsu and the others' task was to compete with the Hidden Mist for speed, overturning all the places they couldn't adjust in time.
However, during this battle, Mokgetsu didn't use his truly adept methods much; instead, he transformed into Minazuki Kan and used Ice Release.
"Ice Release: Pheasant Beak!"
Mokgetsu waved his hand and created a giant ice bird that flew out swiftly, heading towards a location not far from him, freezing all the Hidden Mist ninjas in its path.
The Ice Release he was displaying now wasn't his own mastery level with a proficiency of one thousand points, but rather Minazuki Kan's master level with a proficiency of three thousand six hundred points.
The gap between the two was far greater than the difference from beginner to master level.
"Ice Release: Ice Beam!"
For those who dodged the ice bird's attack, Mokgetsu followed up with an Ice Beam, freezing them.
Although he transformed into Minazuki Kan, Mokgetsu tried not to use the other's Ice Release Ninjutsu. He didn't have the Sharingan, and directly copying Ninjutsu purely by talent was somewhat beyond reason.
"Such strong Ice Release, how could a Konoha Ninja possess such powerful Ice Release!" The Hidden Mist ninjas who were ambushed were dumbfounded.
There's no exclusivity of bloodline limits to each ninja village—for instance, Magnet Release ninjas exist in both Hidden Sand and Hidden Cloud—but they hadn't heard of an Ice Release ninja outside of Hidden Mist, especially one so powerful.
One Hidden Mist ninja, watching his rapidly frozen companions, swallowed hard and said, "How does it feel like this person's Ice Release is even stronger than Lord Kan's?"
In a way, he wasn't wrong, because Mokgetsu had more chakra than Minazuki Kan, and even with the same proficiency in nature transformation, Mokgetsu would use it more powerfully.
Ice Release is indeed quite effective for overpowering weaker opponents, and Mokgetsu quickly froze all the Hidden Mist he was responsible for.
When Mokgetsu moved to the next location, he couldn't catch the Hidden Mist as they had rapidly pulled back.
"Karatachi Yagura, huh? Quite a formidable opponent." Orochimaru's mouth curved into a slight smile after coordinating everyone's results.
Although Karatachi Yagura reacted swiftly, it was still a successful operation, effectively striking the Hidden Mist's forces on the East Coast of the Land of Fire.
If no external forces interfere going forward, the balance of power will inevitably lead to Karatachi Yagura's defeat, and Orochimaru's victory is only a matter of time.
Other Jonin in the meeting room also showed excited expressions, as winning the battle was quite beneficial for them too.
"In the future, Mokgetsu-kun will serve as the deputy commander of the squad." Orochimaru announced Mokgetsu's new position in the squad as the meeting was about to conclude.
This was a decision from Konoha's higher-ups.
However, this doesn't mean removing Nara Shikaku from his deputy commander position; rather, both would serve as deputy commanders.
This is quite common in Konoha, having one principal position with multiple deputies.
"Congratulations, Jonin Mokgetsu." A Jonin who knew Mokgetsu offered him congratulations.
Even though the ninja squad commander is a temporary wartime position, it holds an unusual status, indicating that Mokgetsu is valued by Konoha's higher-ups.
Mokgetsu smiled modestly in response, without any internal emotional waves.
To him, this wasn't an important matter, only signaling that he wouldn't be returning to Konoha anytime soon.
At least he had to wait for the Hidden Mist to retreat before he could possibly return to Konoha with the ninja squad.
Before becoming deputy commander, Mokgetsu actually held no position. He was able to attend Orochimaru's informal meetings for multiple reasons, unlike others in key positions in the ninja squad.
Mokgetsu believed the change in position was due to two reasons: one was his great merits, and the other was Sarutobi Hiruzen's change in thinking.
Initially, Sarutobi Hiruzen might have intended to call him back to Konoha once the battlefield situation improved, but now Hiruzen wanted him to resolve the Hidden Mist issue.
Orochimaru, as he did before, called Mokgetsu over, taking a stroll near the camp with him.
This time, however, Orochimaru didn't discuss personal matters but informed Mokgetsu of the rewards from Konoha's higher-ups for the recent skirmish.
"If your three disciples pass the examination, they could become the youngest Jonin in Konoha's history," Orochimaru said, glancing at Mokgetsu with a slight smile.
Konoha's requirements for Jonin are very strict. No matter how talented, there's never been someone promoted to Jonin at the age of ten.
Some people have the strength but lack the merit, while very few fulfill both conditions but lack in other aspects.
Mokgetsu's eyes sparkled, curious about whether the reward would trigger when his disciples became Jonin—the rewards existed for Genin and Chunin, so logically, they should also exist for Jonin.
"From my understanding of the examination, Mokgetsu-kun, your three disciples shouldn't have much difficulty passing," Orochimaru said, assuming Mokgetsu was worried about his disciples failing the examination.
Obito and Kakashi both possess the strength to hold their own against a member of the Seven-Swords Ninja. Might Guy, when he bursts, can take on three at once, so passing the exam is almost a certainty.
"Orochimaru-kun, you overestimate them; there should only be one among them who can pass the exam," Mokgetsu said, smiling and shaking his head.
While there's no need to worry about Obito and the others in terms of strength, passing the Jonin exam isn't just about strength.
In terms of other examination content, Obito and Might Guy might not necessarily match the experience of seasoned Chunin.
The only one who can steadily pass the Jonin examination is Kakashi. Kakashi is an all-rounder, excelling in every aspect but lacking endurance in battles.
PS: There will be another chapter later on, but it will be quite late, possibly around two thirty to three o'clock. It is advised to read it tomorrow, as staying up late isn't good.