As Mizuki looked at the four Kiri ninja accompanying Kakashi, he realized the first opening act had come to an end.
To be honest, Mizuki held such petty provocations in contempt. But for Kirigakure, desperate to reclaim its place among the Five Great Ninja Villages, demonstrating strength was of utmost importance. Without impressive power, how could they compete for the limited resources left in the ninja world? Without a reputation, no missions would come knocking—maintaining the Mist Village itself would become problematic.
Seeing Ao's unusually styled appearance, Mizuki forced himself to suppress his discomfort and greeted him briefly. What surprised Mizuki was that the other side seemed to recognize him.
"Jonin Ao? Long have I heard of you," Ao stepped forward and shook Mizuki's hand.
Mizuki was about to politely respond when suddenly a soft yet firm surge of chakra came from the other's palm toward him.
"What?" Mizuki was momentarily taken aback but immediately understood—he was being tested too. However, if this technique could actually harm him, that would truly be strange.
[*Internal monologue*] [Gentle Fist], if that's what this was, then it'd make sense. Using The Fourth Mizukage's [Coral Palm] and the [Byakugan]'s perception to create something like 'Dragon Strike' or 'Falling Dragon Technique?' Artificial imitations weren't supposed to work like this.
In the face of Mizuki's astonishing chakra manipulation skills, unless Mizuki intentionally held back, even Neji Hyuga's Gentle Fist might struggle to damage Mizuki's meridians. How could something like this—using water attribute chakra to simulate an imitation—possibly affect him?
After a brief probe and seeing Mizuki remain unfazed, Ao instantly understood that this sneak attack had no real effect on him.
Releasing their handshake, Ao spoke earnestly, "Truly living up to your reputation. You are indeed a powerful ninja capable of confronting tailed beasts head-on without yielding."
"Ao Jonin, that little trick truly impressed me. Your trophies must've brought you quite some benefits."
"Oh? Seems like you know much about me. Didn't expect me to have some fame already."
More than just fame—under the strict control of the Hyuga Clan and bound by the [Caged Bird Seal], he still managed to obtain a [Byakugan]. That wasn't something just anyone could achieve.
"I see." Anyway, mutual flattery served no purpose—it wouldn't benefit their alliance either. "From now on, we'll temporarily travel together. Sorry for interrupting; we need to prepare the rest chamber."
After speaking, Ao led his subordinates away to find the captain for arrangements.
Once the Mist ninja had gone and only the Konoha group remained, Kakashi asked, "That Ao—you mean he's the legendary one who stole the [Byakugan] from the Hyuga main house on the battlefield? At first, when he introduced himself, I didn't realize it immediately. Didn't expect it to be him."
"Hyuga main house? Byakugan?" Hearing something related to herself, Hinata Hyuga couldn't help but speak up.
Mizuki glanced at the shocked Hinata and gave a nod. "That's the one and only Ao. You've felt his power firsthand."
"He really is tough to deal with—and he wasn't even holding back completely. At least he never used the Byakugan during combat."
"You didn't even use your Sharingan either."
Mizuki replied, "That guy still isn't as strong as you. In a real fight, he wouldn't stand a chance against you."
The difference in strength was clear enough. And in terms of potential, Kakashi—who could wield the Mangekyo Sharingan—wasn't someone Ao, with only the Byakugan, could possibly rival.
...
There were some unfamiliar ninja on the ship now. They weren't exactly enemies, but their presence definitely made things more tense than before.
Kiri's harsh ninja selection process meant that those who survived tended to be skilled killers—cunning and ruthless enough, yet generally short on vision and refinement. Ao, however, was one of the rare exceptions within Kiri's ranks—a capable jonin with extensive combat experience, though rigidly traditional, stubbornly inflexible, and overly concerned with appearances. This much was already evident from how he interacted with Kakashi and Mizuki. Testing Kakashi aggressively was one thing, but trying to subtly humiliate Mizuki behind a calm façade bordered on underhanded tactics. If Mizuki had been just slightly less patient, Ao would've already been crushed into paste—one Byakugan and an "artificial" imitation of the Gentle Fist technique hardly impressed him.
Fortunately, although Mizuki was technically a team leader himself, he only held the rank of deputy. All the real responsibilities fell to Kakashi Hatake, while Mizuki simply needed to keep an eye on the genin and make sure nothing went wrong.
By that evening, the passenger ship had traveled quite far. After a full day of excitement, the initial thrill of this long journey had pretty much faded away, and everyone's energy had noticeably dropped. No one was talking loudly anymore. The one comforting thing for Mizuki was that—at least so far—no one had gotten seasick.
After dinner, they all gathered at the bow, facing the sea breeze and watching night slowly descend over the water, shrouding everything in mist.
"Mizuki, this must be your first time traveling this far too, right?" Kakashi asked.
"Yeah. Truth is, I haven't had many chances to travel far these past few years. This is even my first visit to the Land of Water. I can't compare with you when it comes to experiences or knowledge."
"It's true I've traveled a lot," Kakashi chuckled. "But calling me knowledgeable might be going too far."
"You've been to the Land of Water several times already. What impressions do you have?"
"Hmm." Kakashi thought for a moment before replying, "The biggest impression this country gives me is that there are more ninja here who ignore the established rules of being a shinobi."
"Rules?" Shino Aburame was the first to react to that word, his tone showing slight sensitivity. Several other young genin also perked up with interest.
Seeing the eager expressions on the younger ninja's faces, Kakashi continued, "You must all know about the Ninja Handbook—the set of customary rules we're supposed to follow. For example, avoiding harming civilians during battles, or not attacking ordinary people unless absolutely necessary. These guidelines form a vital part of our ninja career."
"Eh? There's actually something like that?" Naruto Uzumaki, always somewhat clueless about such matters, unintentionally revealed his lack of knowledge.
"Mizuki, you jerk! How did you let him graduate from the Ninja Academy anyway?"
"That's something you should ask the Third and Iruka," Mizuki said innocently. "Didn't you catch me during the Scroll of Seals incident?"
"Oh yeah, seems like that's right."
Kakashi Hatake replied with a wry smile, then turned his head helplessly toward Naruto Uzumaki and said, "The [Ninja Handbook] is basically our code of conduct. Every major ninja village has one, though they might differ slightly. But the main ideas are pretty much the same. Naruto, you should take the time to read it when we get back. Otherwise, if you make too many mistakes, your evaluation score will drop. You might end up not becoming Hokage after all."
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