When Mokgetsu and the others returned to Konoha, it was noon.
"I'll handle the mission debriefing. You've all worked hard this time. Take a day off and sleep well at home," Mokgetsu said with a smile.
This time, he didn't suggest continuing their training because the mission had been too taxing for the three students.
"I'm really exhausted," Obito said, stretching as fatigue washed over him.
After a major battle and camping out in the wild, rushing on, Obito was thoroughly exhausted both physically and mentally.
He planned to sleep before regaling Nohara Rin with tales of his heroic defeat of a Jonin.
Since it was still early, even if he slept the entire afternoon, he could still visit Nohara Rin in the evening.
"But we've gained a lot," Might Guy said, flashing a big white-toothed smile with his thumbs up.
Kakashi nodded. The mission was indeed tiring and dangerous, but they also gained a lot.
Kakashi and Obito went straight home to sleep, while Might Guy still had the energy to train, but Mokgetsu insisted he go home and rest as well.
Watching his students leave, Mokgetsu headed to the Hokage Building.
This time, Mokgetsu bypassed the mission hall and registration to report directly at the Hokage Office.
After all, bringing back a Jonin's body would boost his standing in Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind.
Knock knock!
Mokgetsu knocked on the door of the Hokage Office.
"Enter," Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice came from inside.
"Third Hokage, sir," Mokgetsu greeted respectfully.
"My squad encountered unexpected trouble on a recent mission, meeting a Hidden Cloud Jonin in the Land of Rivers," Mokgetsu said directly.
"The Land of Rivers, huh. With Hidden Sand at war with Hidden Cloud, it's not surprising to find Hidden Cloud Ninja there," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, stroking his beard.
"Although the Third Kazekage is missing, the Hidden Sand Village is still one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, not easy to deal with. Perhaps Hidden Sand is concentrating its forces to push Hidden Cloud out of the Land of Wind. If so, the war will escalate even further."
Hidden Sand certainly doesn't want to fight on their home turf, because the people of the Land of Wind live in the few oases in the desert. If war destroys those oases, it would be a massive loss.
And since Hidden Cloud initiated the war, they won't back down easily. With Hidden Sand stepping up, Hidden Cloud will also deploy more forces.
"One Jonin, one Chunin, right? Let's upgrade it to an A-level mission. Apart from the standard commission, the village can provide a bonus of 350,000 ryo," Sarutobi Hiruzen said after thinking for a moment.
It's not only due to the lack of Chunin; the last reward near an S-level mission was partly because Mokgetsu brought back some valuable intelligence.
Mokgetsu nodded. The original mission pay was 50,000 ryo, so combined, it's around 400,000 ryo. Each person could get over 100,000 ryo, which isn't bad.
"Mokgetsu, you've raised two monster students who have records of two A-level missions and one B-level mission even before graduating," the Third Hokage commented, exhaling smoke with a chuckle.
This record would be impressive even for Genin who graduated years ago, as A-level missions aren't something ordinary Genin come across.
"Their effort and strength are deserving of such a record, and they contributed immensely during the mission," Mokgetsu said seriously.
"They indeed are excellent," Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, recalling the performances of Might Guy and Obito during summer training.
"Although this summer's training also saw improvements, it was much less compared to when you led it. The students said the training instructor was far from your level. If all Ninja Academy instructors were as outstanding as you, Mokgetsu, I wouldn't have to worry,"
Sarutobi Hiruzen mentioned the summer training.
"I'll lead it again for the first holiday of the new school year," Mokgetsu said after thinking for a moment.
Even though his strength was increasing, he wasn't giving up on the Ninja Academy.
Because at the Academy, he could quickly practice various ninjutsu, and practicing repeatedly increased proficiency. With enough chakra, strength could also increase swiftly.
After reporting, Mokgetsu soon left the Hokage Building, preparing to head to the Southern Border Forest to train Shisui and Nohara Rin.
Although Obito and the others were resting, he still had two students training with his Shadow Clone.
[Disciples Might Guy, Uchiha Obito, and Hatake Kakashi worked hard to complete the mission and received a growth reward of Chakra +1380, with an additional reward of Chakra +690 led by the teacher himself]
The mission's profit surprised Mokgetsu; he thought it would only be a few hundred because this mission was different than before. Before, they'd encounter enemies during the mission and then defeat them.
This time, after completing the mission and taking the disciples to see the desert, they encountered enemies. Strictly speaking, the mission was already completed at that time.
"Is it because the time between encountering the enemy and completing the mission was short, or can you just seek out enemy ninjas before handing over the mission?" Mokgetsu wondered.
If it's the latter, he should take on a C-class mission and then go around seeking fights with enemy ninjas.
The total Chakra gain for the three disciples from the mission was 2,070, more than Obito's instant increase when activating the Sharingan by 70 points.
Mokgetsu glanced at his own status board.
[Name: Habu Mokgetsu]
[Chakra: 43,000]
The massive amount of Chakra from intensive training and missions has directly brought Mokgetsu's Chakra to 43,000 points.
Mokgetsu felt a little more secure in his heart. Until today, it's been almost ten months since he crossed into the Naruto World. With the 43,000 Chakra and his batch of Perfect Level, Master Level skills, as long as he acts cautiously, his life is assured.
"Mokgetsu, good afternoon, back from a mission?" A lively voice stopped Mokgetsu.
Mokgetsu turned around and saw Kushina waving at him with a delighted smile.
"Yeah, I just finished the mission handover. Are you out shopping?" Mokgetsu responded with a smile.
"Yeah, I'm bored to death lately. Minato isn't around, and I can't eat your food either," Kushina sighed.
Now, she mostly stays in a house with powerful Fuinjutsu set up on the Uzumaki steps. Occasionally, she can go out for a stroll but not too far, as there is a large barrier outside suppressing the Tailed Beast Chakra, restricting her within its range.
At first, Kushina was fine because Minato would visit her every day, training Fuinjutsu with her and bringing along food made by Mokgetsu.
But now, with Minato out on a mission and Mokgetsu also occasionally leaving the village, Kushina feels life getting increasingly tasteless.
"How about I rent a kitchen now and cook you something to eat? I haven't had lunch either," Mokgetsu suggested after some thought.
He didn't suggest Kushina come to his house. If she could just go to his place for a meal, Minato wouldn't have to bring meals all the time.
"Haha, Mokgetsu, can you read minds? I was just thinking about the taste of your cooking," Kushina chuckled aloud.
"Then I'll trouble you," Kushina candidly accepted Mokgetsu's offer, being straightforward by nature.
Mokgetsu rented a kitchen from a restaurant that didn't seem to have much business.
The owner initially didn't want to agree. Even though there were no customers, lending his kitchen to a customer wasn't something he wanted to do.
However, the amount that Kushina offered, in addition to the headbands worn by Mokgetsu and Kushina, eventually swayed the owner.
Smelling the aroma of Mokgetsu's cooking, the owner swallowed his saliva, constantly reassuring himself that it just smelled amazing but probably tasted ordinary.
Watching Kushina wolf down the food, the owner knew it definitely wasn't lacking in flavor.
"Ninja sir, could you fry me a dish too? I can pay 500 Ryo." Finally unable to resist, the owner asked the strange request in his own restaurant.
Mokgetsu shook his head, refusing the owner. His culinary skills weren't meant for making money.
"How about I let you use the kitchen for free this time?" Seeing Kushina enjoy her meal so much, the owner couldn't resist the temptation.
Whether it was because she hadn't eaten his food in a while or she just had a good appetite that day, the four dishes Mokgetsu made were quickly devoured by Kushina.
"No need for free use. Just let me borrow the kitchen in the future when you're not busy," Mokgetsu replied.
If Kushina needed more to eat, he would make more, maybe prepare some for the owner too.
"Alright!" The owner finally gave in, curious about how such delicious cooking really tasted.
Mokgetsu made a few more simple home-cooked dishes and shared a plate with the owner.
Upon tasting the first bite, the owner's first thought was that he was unworthy of running a restaurant. When he came back to his senses, the plate was already empty.
Initially motivated by money, the owner now only wished Mokgetsu would visit more, so he could sneak some bites.
"Ah, alive again," Kushina sighed contentedly after finishing her meal.
"While I wasn't here, did any other girls visit Minato at his house?" Kushina suddenly asked cautiously.
"Doesn't seem like it," Mokgetsu recalled.
Relieved, Kushina explained, "Minato's popularity is overwhelming, always surrounded by a crowd of kunoichi."
"Kushina, you should have more confidence in yourself. Even on missions, Minato leaves a note reminding me not to forget about Kushina's meals," Mokgetsu smiled.
"Ah, does that mean he thinks I only know how to eat?" Kushina playfully complained, but her face lit up with an unstoppable smile.
After some casual chatting, Kushina asked about Mokgetsu's progress with his Fuinjutsu training.
"Currently, I've mastered both the Five-Finger Seal and Contract Seal. The Five Elements Seal seems a bit lacking but should be mastered in about a month," Mokgetsu said.
"You're faster than I imagined. Seems like you've been training hard," Kushina expressed slight surprise at Mokgetsu's progress.
"I couldn't let down Teacher Kushina's guidance," Mokgetsu joked.
"In that case, I'll teach you an even more powerful Fuinjutsu than the Five Elements Seal, the top-tier seal of the Uzumaki Clan, the Four Symbols Seal!" Kushina announced proudly, assuming a teacher-like demeanor.