When Mizuki and Kakashi returned to the inn where they were staying, several Genin were still awake, loudly discussing what they had seen earlier that day. For these young kids, every journey outside was a new adventure. It was rare for them to travel this far. Customs and traditions could surprisingly vary from place to place, even within just a few miles in the ninja world, a truth even more pronounced here. The extraordinary powers at work had shaped countless breathtaking landscapes. And with chakra—this force that turned dreams into reality—each corner of the ninja world developed its own unique culture.
This mission to the Land of Water was also a rare opportunity for training. If the mission's difficulty rating was extremely high, the level of risk involved was negligible. As future pillars of Konoha, developing their strength and mental fortitude through missions was crucial. Yet, gaining an appropriate reputation was no less important; completing advanced-level missions served as a key benchmark. Their participation also served the purpose of enhancing their credentials.
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei, we did quite a lot today!" Naruto Uzumaki, always the liveliest one, couldn't help but show off a bit upon seeing Mizuki and Kakashi return. He exaggeratedly recounted everything they had experienced along the way, including the good deed of helping the street orphans.
Most of Kakashi's face, hidden beneath his mask, curled into a smile as he encouragingly said, "Gaining exposure and firsthand experience is extremely important for ninjas. You all did very well."
Around Konoha village, it was rare to encounter such a small town with a deeply corrupted atmosphere. Traditional ninjas usually only visited places like this when gathering intelligence, otherwise unwilling to linger where one's willpower could easily erode.
"All right, time's getting late," Mizuki suggested. "We have an early start tomorrow, so everyone should get some rest now."
"Kakashi, I'll take tonight's watch duty, and you can handle the daytime shift tomorrow."
"Huh? Why? Are you resting during the day tomorrow?" Kakashi asked in confusion. "Can't we each take half a day as usual?"
"The open sea is different," Mizuki replied with a bitter smile. "My summoned beasts can't keep up with the boat's speed… You can't count on me for daylight vigil on water."
"Oh, right," Kakashi immediately understood. "Then I'll go rest too."
Although Mizuki himself possessed formidable sensory abilities—an accurate perception range unmatched by many—they still had limits. On the vast ocean, what distance couldn't be swallowed? On land, techniques like the Sealing Technique or Summoning Jutsu could be used to strengthen barriers and enhance sensory capabilities. But what did one have on the ocean surface? There was essentially nowhere to anchor one's efforts. Could drifting jellyfish really keep pace with moving ships? They might assist in battle, but for reconnaissance while traveling? Not reliable.
In the quiet night, Mizuki looked down over the recovering, tranquil town below. Other than the occasional late traveler or staggering drunkard occasionally falling onto the roadside, there were practically no pedestrians left wandering around.
During the day, most of the homeless wanderers and beggars gathered inside ruined huts—looks like abandoned temples. These places once housed ethereal goddess worshipped by people, but now only pitiful souls in tattered clothes found temporary shelter within.
So this is where Jiraiya discovered Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko? Seeds left to grow wild in such soil will inevitably blossom into flowers of "evil." As long as the muck that breeds filth still exists, a great villain who denies this world and possesses the strength to change it will surely arise again someday!
Putting aside these worries, Mizuki had considered long ago whether he might also find truly useful talents among these people, just like Orochimaru did. In the end though, he gave up on the idea. Time was simply too pressing—three years wasn't enough unless they were extraordinary individuals fated by destiny itself. To rise from [Zero] to a level where they could actually benefit him would be extremely difficult. Rather than waste time, better to make some deals with Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi, or focus efforts on the twelve genin of Konoha instead. Mizuki didn't believe there was any wild-born destined child waiting for him to discover and mold according to his own plans—that was a luxury only Jiraiya could afford.
Sighing deeply while standing high above, Mizuki felt his future path narrowing further. He raised his head, gazing at the unfamiliar stars overhead in this strange world.
This world indeed had its own astrology and constellation beliefs, mostly tied to fate and divination. Yet Mizuki believed not even one single dot of punctuation in those ideas. When even the moon was artificial, talking about relations between star signs and fate was nothing but a joke. Mizuki would rather think that what people called fate was manipulated by certain existing forces—otherwise, what was the meaning behind his very own transmigration?
...
Across the rippling sea, a quite sizable passenger ship was sailing toward the Land of Water. Its movement sent waves spreading outward. Occasionally seabirds unknown to anyone would suddenly dive into the water, then reappear with carp caught firmly in their beaks, gulping them down moments later. Nearby, several genin pointed excitedly at these rare beautiful sights.
"You doing okay now?" Kakashi asked, leaning beside Mizuki against the ship's rail.
"Just rested the whole morning, I'm fine," Mizuki replied, brushing away his hair strands messed by the sea breeze—seemed like his hair had grown out longer again.
"We've still got nearly a day and a half left, nothing dangerous should happen."
"Don't get careless, Kakashi," Mizuki yawned lazily, enjoying the pleasant sea wind. "You, me, and especially these genin—we're just not built for sea battles. If we really encountered someone like Kisame Hoshigaki again, things could get seriously problematic."
Especially Mizuki himself—relying entirely on Fire Attribute Ninjutsu made fighting in this environment practically suicidal.
Kakashi also wasn't skilled in Water Release-style combat. Just think about how close he came to death when Zabuza Momochi nearly killed him with a water prison jutsu. As for the genin... Well, no need even discussing them—none of them had even the slightest grasp of Water Release techniques.
Kakashi pulled down his forehead protector, [Sharingan] flashing beneath, his tone shifting sharply. "Let's hope you're wrong... Hmm, wait — there really are ninja approaching."
"No way! Already?"
"They're coming from the Land of Water. Probably shinobi from Kiri assigned as our escort."
"That would be best." Mizuki added cautiously, "Though not every greeting comes without a hidden blade."
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