Chapter 103: Human Hearts
Mizuki's words clearly left the two advisors and Danzo a little embarrassed. In terms of chakra control, few could rival Mizuki's current level—even those slightly below were exceedingly rare. This wasn't so much due to natural talent as it was the result of focused training and relentless effort.
Why were there so few ninja in the world with such precise chakra control? Because, frankly, most didn't need it.
It's like wanting to look at a distant mountain. A simple telescope would suffice—who would bother building a high-powered observatory just for that?
The same logic applied to the ninja world. Outside of a few research-driven ninja like Orochimaru, Tsunade, or Kabuto—who had specific needs—most shinobi had no reason to pursue extremely refined chakra control. Even if they could pull off flashy displays like Mizuki, what practical purpose would it serve? It wasn't going to win them any battles. Better to study a few powerful jutsu—at least the benefits were more obvious. Plus, the deeper one went into chakra control, the harder it became to improve. With no guidance, the path quickly became a dead end. Even Sakura, whose control far exceeded Naruto's in early days, got utterly outclassed until she studied under Tsunade.
And besides, those with natural talent in chakra control usually learned everything quickly anyway. Once they hit a certain level, shifting focus to more useful skills was only natural.
Only geniuses—or people like Mizuki, who genuinely needed fine control for their personal power system—bothered taking it to this level. Mizuki's approach made it sound like he had no weaknesses, but in truth, it meant he lacked any clear strengths. If he didn't maximize his one real advantage—his intelligence—he probably wouldn't have a future at all.
Things got a little awkward. Danzo stopped staring at Mizuki and fell silent, deep in thought. Koharu didn't ask more questions either. The advisors clearly weren't fully aligned with Danzo on this issue. Ideally, the moderates would retain control. Failing that, they at least didn't want Danzo's power to grow further. Politically, the situation was tricky. Forcibly seizing a ninja's private techniques or research was a major taboo in all ninja villages. Unless someone had already crossed the line—like the Uchiha clan planning rebellion—most wouldn't dare touch their secrets. Even Danzo, as powerful as he was, only dared to do such things in the shadows.
Among the most likely to oppose such seizures were the kekkei genkai clans and elite jōnin—the very people in this room. Most valuable jutsu came from these elite shinobi through years of blood and sweat. If this kind of theft became normalized, they'd be the ones who suffered the most.
In the ninja world, apart from basic jutsu taught in schools, everything else came through hard work or personal apprenticeship.
Stealing someone's secret jutsu was the fastest way to earn a blood feud. The rule was clear: it's up to the ninja whether to teach their jutsu—but no one else had the right to take it by force.
To ease the tension, Homura finally spoke. "Is there no alternative? If it's really that impractical, let's drop it for now…"
"It's simply not feasible with current technology," Mizuki replied. "The cost is too high. Honestly, this was just a byproduct of another jutsu experiment…"
He wasn't exactly lying. The best ninja experiments often led to unexpected results. The universal serum was no exception.
"Very well," Homura said, effectively ending the matter. The others didn't object. Until someone could uncover the serum's true potential, it wasn't worth the trouble—especially not in this fragile political climate. Too much risk of creating enemies.
"Next, we have intel we need you to confirm," Homura continued. "You were one of the few to witness the Third Hokage's battle with Orochimaru. The village needs details to validate our reports."
"So they're not going to ask about the clone-tailed beast experiment?" Mizuki thought with relief. Apparently, the "fake jinchūriki" was still flying under the radar. That was good—less attention meant fewer headaches.
Mizuki proceeded to recount what he saw—mixing real memories with his knowledge of the original storyline—to paint a picture for the elders. Some of his revelations genuinely shocked the room.
"He really said he's changed bodies more than once?" Koharu asked, eyes narrowing.
"Yes. I can confirm that," Mizuki replied.
The room fell silent. Koharu glanced at Danzo, who merely shook his head.
Until now, intel had only confirmed that Orochimaru had used some kind of technique to restore his youth. But clearly, it wasn't a last-minute thing. That meant the Reaper Death Seal, which the Third Hokage had sacrificed his life to use, might not keep Orochimaru sealed forever. Sooner or later, he'd regain most of his strength.
That was a sobering thought.
Homura turned to Mizuki again. "About Orochimaru's subordinates—their unusual states. Any intel there?"
"Not specific information," Mizuki answered, "but based on what I saw and their behavior, I'd guess it's related to the same cursed seal Orochimaru gave Anko and Uchiha Sasuke. The effect seems to vary, but it's likely the same underlying technique."
This matched what the village had suspected. They just lacked anyone who could truly understand Orochimaru's cursed seals. Mizuki's confirmation, though, added weight to the theory.
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