Chapter 189: Rumors and Whispers
Mizuki hadn't originally worried about Karin's situation. He didn't expect her to show up this early—and certainly not to just walk right into Konoha.
Chihiro was easy to talk to, but that didn't mean she lacked opinions. Just because she wasn't quick to anger didn't mean she wouldn't be unhappy.
Mizuki's plan was to let Karin contact him first, then speak to Chihiro and make arrangements. But now, without any warning, Karin had simply appeared in their home. No matter how you looked at it, this was bound to be trouble.
Mizuki was confident Chihiro would treat Karin kindly—she wasn't the petty or cold-hearted type, and taking care of a teenage girl wouldn't be hard. But the fact that he had hidden this from her—that was the real issue. For a couple about to get married, hiding something so big was sure to cause problems. Chihiro had asked him about it before, but Mizuki had brushed it aside, thinking it wasn't urgent. Now the girl he'd forgotten to mention was sitting right at their dinner table.
So it was no surprise that their rare lunch together, now shared with an unexpected guest, was awkward.
"Chihiro," Mizuki asked, "do you have anything you want to say?"
The three of them looked calm and composed, eating quietly—but Mizuki could feel the tension.
"No. You've already arranged everything, so let's go with your plan," Chihiro replied evenly.
"This… it's not something I can handle alone. I'll need your help."
She was clearly angry. Her overly calm tone was a bad sign.
Mizuki knew her well. Though she didn't often stand out, Chihiro was strong-willed and determined. In a world where female ninja often needed to appear strong to survive, she had something different—a steady, unshakable kind of strength. Mizuki had always believed that if given the right opportunity, Chihiro might outshine most ninja in Konoha. Her talent in chakra nature transformation alone was stunning.
As Mizuki struggled with what to say, Karin lifted her head from her plate, looking worried. "Am I causing you trouble?"
"No, it's not your fault," Chihiro said gently. "You're not the one causing trouble."
"I'm sorry, Chihiro. I won't hide anything from you again," Mizuki said, smiling sheepishly. "Can we just let this one slide?"
"Oh," she replied with a vague tone, then said, "Mizuki… I may not understand everything, but I'm not clueless."
"Understand what?" Mizuki asked, surprised by the sudden shift.
"You're in danger, Mizuki," Chihiro said seriously. "You've told me almost everything you're working on. You haven't lied—but that doesn't mean you've told me the whole truth."
"Danger?" The way she phrased it made Mizuki uneasy.
"What are you so afraid of? You've never said."
Chihiro looked directly into Mizuki's eyes. "You have so many research results and prototypes—each of them could be a world-breaking weapon. And you still say it's not enough?"
"…So you noticed," Mizuki muttered. "You've been patient for so long…"
He raised his hands, weaved a sign, and activated a small barrier. Karin, who had been nervously listening, instantly fell into a deep sleep and slumped onto the table.
"Konoha's more or less calmed down now. Everyone's watching their step, but short-term, there shouldn't be any major problems. Still, you haven't relaxed at all. Why?"
"Because the enemy is too strong, Chihiro. Way too strong. I'm not confident I can beat them…"
"Stronger than Orochimaru? Than Jiraiya-sama? Isn't Tsunade-sama back now?"
"The Sannin?" Mizuki laughed bitterly. "Stronger than the three of them combined."
"…There are people that strong in the ninja world?"
"If you can even call them people."
Chihiro sat stunned for a while, letting that sink in.
"If that's true… then yeah, that's terrifying."
"You believe me now?"
"You wouldn't lie to me," Chihiro said. "You might hide things, but you'd never lie."
That kind of trust gave Mizuki comfort—but also guilt.
"Mizuki… have you considered asking for help? Tsunade-sama isn't unreasonable."
"We do share some understanding. But how do I explain this? Would anyone believe me like you do?"
Even worse, where he got the information from was hard to explain. And now, with Karin's reckless appearance—and her big mouth—a lot of things were already exposed. Mizuki was going to need to do a lot of explaining, like why he was in the Forest of Death during the Chūnin Exams with no mission assigned.
Chihiro had no answer to that. Not everyone would take Mizuki at his word.
After a moment, she asked, "Is that girl part of your plan too?"
"Not really. She might've been useful earlier, but now… not so much."
"Well then," Chihiro sighed, "leave it to me. I'll take care of her."
Hearing that, Mizuki finally relaxed. There was no way he could handle all this alone.
…
Previously known mostly outside the village, Mizuki had now become very famous in Konoha. Unfortunately, it wasn't the kind of fame he wanted.
Until now, Mizuki's unremarkable appearance had allowed him to go unnoticed. But now, people pointed and whispered when he walked by.
A young jōnin about to be married, suddenly approached by a mysterious girl who called him by name—without the ability to explain publicly what really happened? Of course rumors were going to spread.
And spread they did.
Some claimed it was a long-lost family reunion. Others said it was a case of Mizuki seducing an underage girl. The most absurd version? That a long-lost illegitimate daughter had shown up looking for her father.
With gossip running rampant, Mizuki had no choice but to disappear for a while and let the chaos blow over.
At the Ninja Academy, Iruka Umino, the model teacher, sighed in exasperation at Mizuki lounging around.
"Mizuki, how long are you going to stay here? It's been all day. Aren't you getting married soon?"
"It's fine. Chihiro's handling everything. If I go out now, I'll only make it worse."
"But hiding in here forever isn't a solution."
"I like it here. The adults here know me. The kids are innocent and don't judge. It's peaceful."
"…Fine. You're still technically a teacher here anyway. But since you're here, how about teaching a class or two? We don't get many jōnin giving lectures."
"No way. I'm on vacation."
"Come on. You're not doing anything else. I already told the students. They're excited!"
"…Iruka, you've gone bad."
…
Elsewhere, in the Hokage's office, Tsunade held the final report from Karin's examination.
"Anything else?"
"That's all," Shizune replied. "But it's enough. Mizuki wasn't lying."
"I see." Tsunade already believed him—but having evidence in hand sealed it.
"Any other important matters today?"
"Yes," Shizune said. "We haven't received the usual report from Jiraiya-sama. And the ANBU team monitoring Orochimaru… might have run into some trouble."
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