Chapter 101: Reasoning
Inside a quiet room, Mizuki withdrew his right hand after completing a sealing technique. He looked at his clone—the imitation Jinchūriki—sitting across from him.
"The chakra has been replenished," Mizuki said. "But your body is still fatigued. Don't overexert yourself for now."
"Understood," the clone nodded. "Your side of the mission went a lot more smoothly than mine. Things got completely out of hand over here."
Mizuki quietly processed the memories that had just flooded his mind. He was shocked by the scale of the butterfly effect caused by a few unexpected changes.
"People's intentions are always the deciding factor in how events unfold. I only made a few moderately important interventions, and yet the results are this drastic. Who knows what the world will look like three years from now…"
"Three years is still far off," the clone replied. "But starting now, things likely won't be as peaceful as before."
"Mm," Mizuki nodded. "You're clear on what comes next, right?"
"Yes. The groundwork is complete. Now it's time to turn our spoils of war and research results into real strength."
"Of course. These next three years are crucial. Only strength matters in this world. I'll take care of the rest. If there are any developments, I'll notify you right away." With everything planned, they were ready to take the first step.
…
After gathering the necessary intel, Mizuki chatted briefly with Ebisu. Though they weren't particularly close, they interacted regularly as colleagues, and basic courtesy was still required.
After parting with Ebisu, Mizuki checked the time and decided to return home to wash up and change. He had been through an exhausting day and a large-scale battle—covered in dust and grime, he looked like a mess.
Once he was cleaned up and presentable, Mizuki made his way toward the Hokage's office. He didn't want to keep the acting advisors waiting—it would be rude, especially since they already didn't think highly of him. Koharu Utatane, in particular, had been displeased with Mizuki ever since the incident with Naruto stealing the Scroll of Seals. Who knew if she'd find fault with him again now?
Mizuki thought for a while but couldn't recall having done anything wrong lately. The only things that might have drawn attention were the universal serum, the Soul Gathering Formation, and his clone Jinchūriki. But none of those should be a major issue. The formation had already been submitted as research material long ago. The serum had been publicly used before. As for the clone, while unique, there were plenty of bizarre clone techniques in the ninja world—Mizuki's technique wasn't wildly beyond the norm. Even things like Dead Soul Jutsu or the later Transmigration Jutsu far surpassed it in strange and powerful effects. Some techniques could even mimic Kekkei Genkai like the Sharingan. It was all unbelievable.
Thinking this through, Mizuki felt more at ease.
"Seems like this is just a routine inquiry. Shouldn't be anything serious…"
Having finally integrated into Konoha's mainstream ranks, Mizuki didn't want any further complications. The world's power structure was about to change drastically. Without a reliable organization backing him, survival would be tough. Not everyone could be like Sasuke Uchiha, with a protagonist's halo—forming squads like "Team Hebi" or "Team Taka" and running wild. Just look at how many lone Jinchūriki were hunted down and killed. If someone like Kakuzu put a bounty on you, you were finished.
As he arrived at the Hokage building, he was surprised to find Kakashi waiting for him. Mizuki's heart sank.
"Now what kind of mess is this?"
"What's going on?" Mizuki asked.
For Kakashi to be waiting for him, something must have happened while he was gone.
Kakashi replied, "Later on, don't speak carelessly about anything unrelated to you—especially don't offer opinions."
"Mm?" Mizuki was startled. "It's already that serious? The day's not even over yet."
Kakashi's message was clear: Konoha was leaderless. The two advisors, while holding power for now, couldn't maintain control for long. Their authority was neither legitimate nor recognized. The village urgently needed a new Hokage to lead.
"But with my current status, I don't think I'm even in a position to comment on that, right?" Mizuki asked.
Kakashi nodded. "Not just you—even I don't have much say. But people's opinions matter more than you think."
That much was true. Even small players could sway the judgments of those in power. Choosing sides too early wasn't wise. At any rate, Mizuki wasn't yet clinging to any powerful patrons, so he wasn't worried about those political games—yet.
When Mizuki followed Kakashi into the Hokage's office, he found several people already there.
"The two advisors, Danzo Shimura, some of the more respected jōnin, and several ANBU standing by. But this time… no more Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, to act as the benevolent elder."
"Chūnin Mizuki, reporting for duty…" Mizuki saluted the elders.
"Come forward," said the more composed of the two, Homura Mitokado. "There are a few matters we need to ask you about…"
"Yes, sir," Mizuki said, stepping forward to await their questions.
Koharu Utatane was the first to speak: "During the battle against Orochimaru, the Third Hokage used a very powerful stimulant. Was it provided by you?"
"Are they trying to blame me? For giving him that serum?" Mizuki clenched his fists internally. He knew that, even without the serum, the Third would have still used Reaper Death Seal and died. But the others didn't know that. They might believe that if he hadn't used Mizuki's serum, he could have survived and Konoha wouldn't have lost its Hokage. But such an absurd claim couldn't be said outright in public. Any explanation Mizuki gave would only seem like an excuse—and before he knew it, he might end up bearing the blame for Sarutobi's death.
"No. I never directly gave the Third Hokage any of my serums," Mizuki said flatly. "The only ones I distributed them to were Hayate Gekkō and Yamashiro Aoba. The portion the Third Hokage used was part of what Aoba had leftover."
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