If Mizuki had to summarize his life over the past few days in a single phrase, "unable to take care of himself" would probably cover all the bitterness and joy he'd experienced. Living a life where clothes were handed to him and meals served on a plate, where someone poured water when he was thirsty and gave him leg massages when he was tired, his comfort level was truly enviable. The first two parts of daily life—eating and drinking—could indeed be described as living like a god. But after all, ninjas aren't actual immortals; eventually, they still have to deal with the other two aspects of life—"relieving" and "excreting." In just a few short days, Mizuki felt like he'd lost every shred of dignity and sense of embarrassment he'd ever had. Even though it was his fiancée looking after him, the experience was something you really couldn't explain clearly to outsiders.
"It seems memory and experience really aren't the same thing—even possession and assimilation differ."
Just like his predecessor's ninja experience: although he already knew everything about it in theory, could someone who can't swim truly learn how to swim just by reading ten thousand swimming manuals? Obviously not.
If this was just entertainment like anime or fiction, anything goes—as long as it's entertaining, that's fine. But in real life, everything needs logical self-consistency. A regular office worker suddenly becoming a combat genius isn't something anyone can easily pull off. For ordinary people, it's best to humbly grind for experience points and steadily improve your skill proficiency. When life and death are at stake, there's little room for unrealistic fantasies. Besides, in this era, he wasn't even the chosen one.
Before sacrificing himself heroically, nobody remembered him like the selfless heroes of old. Likewise, during battles, Mizuki didn't have time to recall the combat experience of his predecessor. He felt none of the nervousness of a rookie on the battlefield, nor did he possess the hardened instincts of a true veteran. Everything relied purely on instinctive desires to seek advantage and avoid harm, gradually awakening his body's inherent fighting reflexes and experiences until he could finally understand them fully. Only through repeated attempts in the water could he test the skills outlined in the manual, slowly learning how to swim. Only through actual combat could he verify various fighting styles stored in his memories before making them his own.
"The gap between body and mind indeed must be bridged through practice and the passage of time—this definitely cannot afford any negligence," Mizuki sighed inwardly.
"Tsubaki, do you think I should consider changing careers?" Mizuki suddenly blurted out while chewing an orange Tsubaki had offered him.
"Huh?" Chiharu Tsubaki was completely taken aback.
"Look, being a ninja is such a dangerous job. This time, I nearly didn't come back alive. Just thinking about my injuries—no idea how much it'll cost to fully recover. These past few days alone, all those medicinal herbs for recovery, plus all this fruit, fish, and meat—how expensive has it been? And the pay we get barely covers basic costs."
"It's okay. I have money—I can support you."
"How much can you possibly have? With you taking so many days off work to take care of me at the hospital, most of your salary has probably been deducted already. How will that be enough?"
"I still have quite a bit saved up," Chiharu Tsubaki hesitated slightly before confessing. "I've been saving a lot, actually—intending to use it after we get married."
Mizuki was left speechless. This girl had already mastered all the traditional wife skills and was practically ready to evolve to the next stage.
"That's not a good idea, using your money all the time," Mizuki continued. "It seems like working in the entertainment industry has been really profitable lately. Going straight into stardom might be too rushed. How about we become comedic performers and do magic acts together? I think you and I could make a great comedy duo. Using Ninjutsu to fool ordinary people would be extremely easy. Once we accumulate enough experience, we'll make movies and earn big money. What do you think?"
"But... but..." Tsubaki looked unwilling but didn't know how to argue back. "I still think it's better not to. How about we open a flower shop instead? I actually have quite a bit of experience growing things~"
"Selling stuff, huh? That could actually work," Mizuki had already drifted off in thought somewhere else. "Should we discuss this with Iruka? Maybe get the students from the Ninja Academy to buy our products? Hmm? No, that won't work. Parents will definitely complain. Then how about we add more training subjects and purchase supplies wholesale from me? Shooting wooden Kunai targets is too easy anyway. What if we change it to hitting flowers instead? Now *that* would be a real challenge. Perfect! Cheating the village for funds is much easier than tricking parents. If Iruka disagrees, we can give him a share—just twenty percent profit, plus some personal favors. I'm sure we can convince him. Tsubaki, this is totally feasible!"
"But..." Tsubaki tried objecting again, shocked by Mizuki's wild imagination. "Wouldn't it be bad if we got caught?"
Mizuki was just about to continue persuading when suddenly a coughing sound came from the doorway.
"Third Hokage, why are you here?" Mizuki awkwardly greeted, realizing his fund-fraud scheme probably wouldn't even start now. Why hadn't Tsubaki closed the door? So careless!
"Third Hokage~" Tsubaki quickly rose to greet him.
"Don't worry, I heard that Mizuki's injuries were improving, so I stopped by casually to check," the Third Hokage kindly said. "Though it seems like I overheard something rather significant."
Tsubaki could only smile nervously. Mizuki gritted his teeth and forced himself to speak up: "You must've misunderstood, sir. I've been busy eating this whole time—haven't said a word!"
"Is that right? Haha." The Third Hokage didn't press further and instead said, "From what I heard from Ibiki and Aoba after your last mission, there was an intelligence mistake from the village that caused you extra hardship."
"You're worrying too much," Mizuki modestly replied. "Ninjas are born for situations like this. Dealing with surprises and finishing the mission is exactly what we're here for."
"Hmm," the Third Hokage gave no definite response to that statement. "The village won't abandon its own ninja. This time, both of you went through a lot—especially you, Mizuki. Is there anything the village can help you with?"
"There isn't really anything urgent," Mizuki humbly said. "But my recent research on sealing techniques and summoning has hit a bottleneck. I was wondering if the village has any info or tips on those subjects?"
"We should be fine concerning summoned beasts. Although each family's summoned beasts are usually closely guarded secrets, their practical applications are mostly similar without anything particularly unique. The village will provide some information on that for you."
"That'd be great, thank you!"
"Sealing Techniques are a bit more complicated. Except for some Kinjutsu, common Sealing Techniques have already been widely spread. The remaining materials about seal arrays and Barrier Techniques are generally considered advanced and require multiple users to perform simultaneously. Do you need them?"
"Yes, yes please, Third Hokage. I don't need anything too advanced, just basic instructional materials will do."
"Fine then, I'll have them sent over to you later. These aren't particularly urgent. Hopefully they prove useful for you. This is all the assistance our village can offer."
"You're too kind. You've already helped tremendously. I'm deeply grateful."
"Alright then, I'll take my leave now. You should also hurry up and recover. The village desperately needs capable hands right now."
"I understand. Please take care on your way out."
As the Third Hokage departed, Mizuki exhaled in relief.
"Tsubaki, next time remember to lock the door properly."
"Alright."
The Third Hokage's visit was like a small interlude—something that gave Mizuki a taste of nervous excitement. For Mizuki, the biggest gain wasn't those Ninjutsu documents or anything like that. Most importantly, the Third had clarified the village's attitude—no longer holding past actions against him. In a sense, this marked the final success of his months-long effort to clear his name. Confirming his allegiance was a major matter. Even if something unexpected happened in the future—for example, if he eventually turned against Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi, and opposing sides began spreading negative rumors claiming he was a spy—the village wouldn't easily believe enemy words anymore. At least, there wouldn't be investigations and surveillance overtly or covertly like before. It was truly a case of "waiting out the storm to see the moon."
"Tsubaki, my hair's grown too long. Give me a trim."
"Okay."
"Give me that wild nobleman hairstyle, one that even the strongest wind can't mess up~"
"What kind is that?" Tsubaki completely failed to follow Mizuki's weird ideas.
"Forget it then. Shoulder-length straight hair, with bangs in front."
"Got it."
"Afterward, I also want chocolate fondue with lots of ice cream."
"I don't know how to make that."
"Then switch to a big bowl of seafood udon noodles, no onions or cilantro, extra garlic."
Suddenly came a loud 'bang' sound, followed by chakra-infused smoke filling the room, as a tall figure appeared inside.
"What an idiot! Are Ninja always such impolite people? Didn't you see we locked the door already? Making such a huge commotion bursting in suddenly." Mizuki felt annoyed inwardly. "I'd love to meet whoever's bold enough to crash on a couple's private chat."
As the smoke cleared, it turned out to be Ibiki Morino who appeared. Facing that scar-covered terrifying face, Mizuki's furious complaints quickly sank into a throatful of hesitation.
"Well well, isn't this Captain Ibiki? What brings you here on such short notice?"
"I've completed my mission. I'm not a captain anymore," Ibiki replied quite seriously. "Regarding the upcoming arrangements for the Chunin Exams, due to your unexpected serious injury, your original duties have changed. All of your patrol and guard duties have been canceled. Instead, you'll serve as an assistant examiner for the first written test, and serve as roving backup at the Forest of Death."
The third stage will take place one month after the second one. You should be fully recovered by then. For now, you're temporarily assigned as an overt member of the venue security team. Assist Kakashi Hatake. I'll give you specific instructions later. Take a look at this arrangement here."
Mizuki took the mission slip and glanced at it before saying, "So basically you want me to slack off during the first and second stages. Didn't expect you to be so kind despite that scary face—thanks, Ibiki!"
"This isn't meant for you to slack off," Ibiki Morino twitched his eyebrows slightly. "Forget it, it's basically the same thing anyway. Rest well." With that said, Ibiki opened the door and left.
"What kind of people are these? Coming in without manners and leaving without even closing the door—it's truly disgraceful. What do you think, Tsubaki?"
"They wouldn't do something like that."
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