Chapter 108: On the Road
This so-called "important mission" wasn't anything of great urgency—it was more about appearances. From the composition of the personnel, it was obvious that Konoha had no intention of making a grand show.
"A way to preserve Suna's pride, I suppose."
Konoha had gone to great lengths to appease this unruly younger sibling. Even after taking such a hit, they still swallowed their grievances. But it was no surprise that the truce between Konoha and Suna came so quickly. The leaders of both Hidden Villages had been killed by the same person, and both were made fools of in the eyes of the entire shinobi world. Suna at least could save face—no one had high expectations of them to begin with. Being on the losing end of a rebellion against the far stronger Konoha wasn't something anyone would hold against them. And being double-crossed by Orochimaru only made them look like victims.
Mizuki looked around at the group. He had expected the journey to be dull, but not this dull. Hyūga Hiashi was naturally stern and composed. As the head of a clan, he maintained decorum on missions, and his status was worlds apart from Mizuki's. There was no casual conversation to be had, only the occasional instruction to his attendant, Hyūga Ke. The rest of the group received nothing more than formal silence.
Yūhi Kurenai was no better. Mizuki barely knew her. Their only interactions had been when Asuma was around. With just the two of them now, there was hardly anything to talk about. Another reason Mizuki didn't want to interact with her? She was a genjutsu specialist. And Mizuki, though best known for his sealing jutsu and chakra control, also had considerable skill in genjutsu. Because of that, he knew all too well how dangerous genjutsu-type ninja could be—especially ones who caught you off guard. Having someone like that near you was like sitting on a landmine.
"I suppose this is the genjutsu-user's version of 'rivals make uneasy company.'"
Genjutsu ninja had a unique air about them—a habit or aura they couldn't fully conceal. To most shinobi, it went unnoticed. But to another skilled user, it stood out like a sore thumb.
As for the two Sand ninja prisoners? There was even less to say. While the two villages had already agreed to peace, it had only been a day since they were trying to kill each other. You didn't go from battlefield enemies to best friends overnight. And they were just kids, nearly ten years younger than Mizuki. No common ground there.
Then there was Gaara—with sand perpetually clinging to him. Mizuki had no desire to engage with a "dirty" kid who never bathed or slept. Despite having no odor, something about Gaara just made Mizuki instinctively avoid him. Even if the boy would one day become the Kazekage.
Temari might've been pretty, but her fashion sense left much to be desired. Her hair was weird, and her outfit too rustic. As the child of the Kazekage, couldn't she bother to dress up? It felt like wasted potential to Mizuki.
"This silence is killing me. I should've brought some reports to read—or at least a couple of shinobi novels to pass the time."
The group traveled in silence the entire day. Only when they stopped to camp by a riverside did the tension lighten slightly. They pitched three tents and sat around a campfire to eat.
For the first time all day, Mizuki felt somewhat relaxed. While he wasn't a gourmand, eating was always a pleasant affair—especially when it was delicious food he liked.
Etiquette had no place out here. Mizuki whipped out the massive lunchbox Chie had prepared and ignored the strange looks from the others. He opened it, revealing steaming sushi, and started eating heartily.
"You brought such a bulky lunchbox on a mission? Isn't that a bit inappropriate?" Kurenai, who had been eyeing it since lunch, finally voiced her thoughts. "You've got a mission to complete—this could affect your combat ability."
"Huh?" Mizuki blinked. "Combat ability? I just need to keep an eye on those two, right?" He gestured toward Temari and Gaara with his chopsticks, then took another bite.
Truthfully, Mizuki didn't have the status to join this mission under normal circumstances. Diplomatic duties were above a chūnin's pay grade. If not for special reasons, they wouldn't have brought him. Normally, a jōnin like Hiashi would've sufficed.
And Kurenai wasn't wrong—she had a reputation for being a serious-minded kunoichi. A genjutsu specialist with a strong sense of discipline. And a heavy drinker too, which probably explained her friendship with Anko.
"You can't be so casual," she said disapprovingly. "Even if it seems safe, we should still stay on guard. What if they run off? They're valuable leverage."
"Are you two planning to run?" Mizuki asked the Sand siblings directly.
Temari gave an awkward shake of her head. Gaara didn't even respond.
"See? They said they won't."
The alliance had just been restored. Neither side wanted to ruin it. Temari and Gaara likely received orders not to cause any trouble.
And it wasn't like any outside forces would interfere. It had only been a day since Orochimaru's attack. Most villages didn't even understand what happened yet, let alone had time to plan sabotage. Bandits and rogue ninja? None in sight—for now.
Kurenai fell silent. Though her rank was higher than Mizuki's, she wasn't in charge of this mission. Hiashi hadn't spoken, so she couldn't press the issue.
"And anyway, this food was made by Chie—with love," Mizuki added with a smirk. "Don't you ever make lunch for Asuma?"
Kurenai blushed slightly, stammering, "W-Why would I do that? What's that got to do with him?"
"Still pretending? It's been obvious for a while now." Mizuki smirked internally.
"Asuma's bought flowers from my shop several times. If they weren't for you… who else?"
Such coy relationships always amused Mizuki. But with the Sand ninja brought up, he had another question.
"By the way, how did your brother Kankurō escape? Wasn't he seriously injured?"
"He was picked up by our instructor, Baki, during the retreat," Temari answered.
"I see…" Mizuki mumbled. "I wonder how Gekkō Hayate is doing."
Every day that passed lowered the chance of Hayate waking up. If he didn't recover soon, it would likely be too late.
"If only Lady Tsunade were here," Kurenai said. "She could probably save him."
"By the way, is Asuma okay? He looked pretty banged up yesterday."
"It's all external injuries. He'll recover soon," she replied honestly.
"That's good…" Mizuki said, popping the last piece of sushi into his mouth.
"Finally done… it worked. I've diverted the conversation long enough to eat in peace."
He cleaned up and leaned against a tree to rest while everyone else finished.
"Everyone's eating dry rations. Even Hiashi's gnawing on biscuits. No wonder Kurenai's annoyed with me—but it's not a big deal…"
Weird ninja habits were common. Mizuki enjoying good food wasn't strange. Compared to Sasori and Deidara's "art," he was downright normal.
Soon, everyone else finished their meals.
A polite cough broke the silence.
"Hm? That was Hiashi?"
The stern Hyūga patriarch actually had something to say.
"I've never had a chance to properly thank you and Kurenai for mentoring Hinata. I'm grateful."
"Grateful? For Hinata? And me?" Mizuki was stunned.
If he meant Iruka during the Academy days, that made sense. Mizuki had only worked with her briefly. Still, he bowed politely as Hiashi continued.
"I saw you speaking with Neji after the Chūnin Exams. I assumed you were close."
"Not really," Mizuki replied. "We were on a mission together recently and chatted a bit, that's all."
"What do you think of him?"
"He's a true genius."
Hiashi nodded. "I appreciate your insights."
"So they were keeping tabs on me, huh? I guess that conversation with Neji drew attention. Still, these clan types are always wary."
After that, Hiashi and Kurenai began discussing Hinata. Mizuki, knowing he had nothing to contribute, simply listened.
"So much for being cold. He does care about his daughter after all. Clan heads really have it tough…"
Later that night, after a long day of travel, everyone turned in early. Hiashi had his own tent. Mizuki shared with Hyūga Ke and Gaara. The last tent was for Kurenai and Temari.
Ever-cautious, Mizuki set up traps and sensory barriers before finally lying down.
…
In the stillness of the night, broken only by the croaking of frogs and the rustling of insects, Mizuki was suddenly jolted awake by a disturbance. He sat upright at once.
The motion caught Gaara's attention. The redhead stared at him silently.
"What is it?" Hyūga Ke asked groggily.
"Someone's coming," Mizuki said grimly. "Two of them…"
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