Ame Free Information Center...
The light rain continued, pattering softly against the canopy outside the window.
Inside the warm, dry room, Mizukuma lay on a spacious bed, clutching his forehead as he struggled to open his eyes.
He blinked up at an unfamiliar ceiling.
Inhaled—a scent both familiar and strange.
He reached out—his left side felt odd, like a cluster of peaks; his right side, oddly flat like a plain.
Frowning, Mizukuma took in the strange new sensations, his mind full of confusion.
Something's not right! I clearly remember finishing the last class with the kids and returning to the office with Kohei. So how the hell did I end up in a place like this? And when did I fall asleep?
Could this be some dumb prank by that guy Kohei?
Or… was I kidnapped by enemy village ninja?
Being a ninja with solid theoretical knowledge, Mizukuma didn't panic. He kept still, narrowing his eyes and sharpening his hearing to quietly gather intel.
It was a good habit—if he'd really been taken by the enemy, pretending to be unconscious would likely lead to more relaxed surveillance than if he were awake.
He focused on his breathing and checked his body.
Hmm! No signs of being tied up. These guys are really underestimating me. They don't even take a Special Jōnin seriously.
He tuned in.
Two soft, slow breaths—one to the left, one to the right. Definitely asleep. Heh, what kind of amateur kidnapping is this?
Suddenly, Mizukuma's brows twitched. His heart tensed.
No, this isn't them being careless—why the hell does my body feel so weak? Especially my legs, they're completely limp! And my chakra—why is it so drained?!
Damn it! Those bastards must've drugged me with something weird to suppress my body! How sneaky!
Grinding his teeth, Mizukuma mentally hurled insults at the female ancestors of his kidnappers.
No choice—I have to save myself!
With that, he made up his mind. While the enemy was still asleep, he had to make his move!
No hesitation.
He tensed his abdomen slightly, aiming to slip free from between the two captors, then quickly put some distance between them and finish the fight with ninjutsu.
After all, close-quarters Taijutsu wasn't his thing!
But reality rarely matched expectations.
What was supposed to be a cool, clean kip-up into a Body Flicker turned into a slow groan as he sat up clutching his waist—then overdid it and tumbled headfirst off the bed.
"Damn it! Take this—Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Swish swish swish—four hand seals in a second. As chakra built in his mouth, Mizukuma finally got a good look at the two naked "kidnappers"!
Oh hell no!
It was Miss Meiya and Miss Yukiko!
A tidal wave of memories slammed into his head. No time to sort through them. He jerked his head up and blasted a whirlwind at the ceiling.
"Whoosh!" A fierce gust tore through the room.
Instantly, it looked like a parking lot hit by a tornado—blankets, underwear, everything flying everywhere.
The ruckus woke the two naked women on the bed...
Only then did Mizukuma realize—he was naked too.
As the wind settled, Mizukuma, Meiya, and Yukiko sat frozen, eyes locked.
His face turned beet red. He scrambled to cover himself and scratched his head awkwardly.
"Um… Miss Meiya, Miss Yukiko, I can explain."
"Still calling us 'Miss'? Did you forget what you said last night?"
Hot-headed Meiya wasn't even trying to get dressed. She stood with her hands on her hips, her chest bouncing so much it nearly knocked Mizukuma out.
"What did I say?" he asked, completely lost.
He hadn't had enough time to piece together his memories yet.
"Mizukuma!!" Thinking he was trying to deny everything, Meiya shrieked and lunged, grabbing his ear.
"Ow ow ow! Meiya, take it easy! Let me think first!"
His ear stretched long, his panicked face twisted in pain—but his eyes were still glued to Meiya's chest.
She noticed, grabbed the blanket, and threw it over her chest.
No way she was letting this guy get another look after what he'd already done.
With the view blocked, her scattered thoughts slowly came back together, and the memories of last night began to surface...
"Wait, let me think this through."
Ignoring his bare backside, Mizukuma started muttering to himself, counting on his fingers.
"Yesterday, that bastard Kohei dragged me by the neck all through the village and dumped me at Meiya's place.
I thought I'd already lost every shred of dignity, so I drank a ton. Then Meiya told me someone wanted to marry me.
Hmm… I remember being really happy. Then Meiya said that person was her—and I think I got even happier."
As he muttered, Meiya, who had been listening closely, suddenly cut in.
"Yeah! You were so happy you hugged..." Her voice trailed off, her cheeks turning red.
"You hugged me, said you wanted to marry me, and promised you'd... you'd treat me well."
At her words, Mizukuma nodded with a blank expression and continued recalling.
"Then, the two of us ended up in bed. Sometime past midnight, I think Yukiko shook me awake."
At the mention of her name, Yukiko let out a soft squeak and covered her face with her hands.
"After Yukiko woke me up, I pulled her into bed too, and then..."
"Then Meiya, you woke up too, and the three of us..."
As he spoke, Mizukuma's face grew increasingly serious.
Seeing his expression, both women felt a heavy sense of dread.
Even though it had been their first time, they'd heard enough from other girls to know—when a man looked this serious, it usually meant he was about to bail.
A wave of sorrow washed over their hearts.
By the time Mizukuma finished, his expression had turned grave—made even more intense by his naturally anxious face.
Suddenly, a loud thud snapped them out of their thoughts.
Mizukuma had dropped into a full dogeza, slamming his knees to the ground.
"Meiya! Yukiko! What happened last night—it was my fault!"
Hearing that, Meiya and Yukiko's despair only deepened. Not only was the man before them shameless enough to grovel to escape responsibility, but just thinking about their future—it was over. Their bodies were no longer theirs. Were they really going to end up like low-tier geisha, selling themselves to survive?
Hatred surged in their hearts. Just as they were ready to end it all...
Mizukuma's serious voice rang out again.
"So... please marry me!"
The weight of his words hit like a thunderclap. In an instant, the two women were pulled from hell—no, lifted straight to heaven.
Pure happiness wrapped around them, and tears streamed down their faces, brimming with joy.
"I do!" they cried in unison.
Only then did Mizukuma lift his head. His severe expression melted away, and a wide smile spread across his face.
...
At the gates of Amegakure, Reiji stood in a raincoat, luggage slung over his back, chatting idly with the gatekeeper.
"Kohei-kun, why haven't you left yet?" the gatekeeper asked.
Reiji smiled, tipped his chin toward the village. "Waiting for someone."
The gatekeeper smirked and leaned in. "A woman?"
"Yup!" Reiji nodded. "Not just a woman—a total knockout. Killer curves. Want me to introduce her to you?"
Hearing that, the gatekeeper instinctively swallowed and stiffly shook his head.
"Nah, keep her for yourself."
"Oh, she's not just any girl—she's my future wife. Gorgeous, really.
I'll be gone for three years, and I'm worried she'll be bullied while I'm away.
I don't have anyone in the village I can rely on. Since we met by chance, I was hoping you could help me look out for her."
That got the gatekeeper's attention.
"Ahem... well, that's no problem. We're all from the same village. Helping each other's the right thing to do."
"Exactly!" Reiji gave a thumbs up. "You've got great awareness, comrade!"
"You don't need to go overboard. If she gets bullied, just console her for me. If she's cold, bring her something warm.
When I get back, I'll reward you handsomely!"
As he spoke, Reiji's eyes lit up. He pointed toward the village. "Look—here she comes!"
The gatekeeper, filled with excitement, followed Reiji's gaze...
Only to see Mizukuma charging toward them at full speed, his face weathered, and a pervy grin plastered on it.
The moment he recognized him, the gatekeeper turned pale. A glob of phlegm caught in his throat—he nearly choked to death on the spot.
"This... this is the beauty you were talking about?!"
Reiji waved at Mizukuma and nodded enthusiastically.
"Well? Just your type, right? You've got to take good care of him for me~"
The gatekeeper, realizing what was happening, shot Reiji a vicious glare and stormed back into the guardroom without a word.
By then, Mizukuma had arrived. He glanced at the gatekeeper with a puzzled look as the man disappeared into the room.
"What's with him?" Mizukuma asked curiously, pointing in the guard's direction.
"Oh, nothing. He's training his Byakugan."
"Byakugan? You can train a Kekkei Genkai?"
"Who knows, anything's possible these days."
Reiji brushed past the topic casually, then leaned closer and whispered,
"Sensei, how was last night? Enjoy yourself?"
Mizukuma's expression instantly melted into a blissful, dopey grin.
"You have no idea! Meiya was amazing! And Yukiko... not bad either!"
Seeing Mizukuma's goofy, satisfied look, Reiji knew the mission had been a success.
And just as he'd predicted, this guy was owning up to everything like a real man.
Reiji cleared his throat, cutting off Mizukuma's fantasies.
"Sensei, now that you've got a wife, stop going to the red light district. Start saving up—get yourself a bigger place."
"No way! Enlightenment and conviction—those things require regular practice!" Mizukuma declared, clenching his fist with righteous flair.
"Heh~" Reiji rolled his eyes.
Like hell I set you up with some meek little pushover.
Yukiko might look delicate, but she's got her own mind. Otherwise, why would she sneak into your bed in the middle of the night?
And Meiya? She's a whole different level. Sure, she's not a ninja, but when it comes to married life, you really think you can measure that in combat strength?
At this rate, you'll probably be limping in and out of the house every day...
Thinking that, Reiji figured it was time to bring Mizukuma back down to earth.
"Sigh... two wives. You must be over the moon."
"Over the moon!" Mizukuma nodded hard.
Reiji let out a dramatic sigh, stood on tiptoe, and gave Mizukuma a grandfatherly pat on the shoulder.
"Poor me... Mikiko promised she'd marry me once I'm grown. But who knows when that'll be..."
As the master of humblebrags, Reiji's sarcastic tone made Mizukuma feel like he'd just swallowed a fly.
Mikiko... she really was on another level. No regular woman could even compare—not in looks, figure, or sheer allure.
Still, Mizukuma had a good attitude. He quickly bounced back and copied Reiji's tone.
"Heh... I've got two!"
Then he launched into a whole spiel about how great it was to enjoy the blessings of multiple wives—stuff no kid would understand.
Now it was Reiji's turn to feel like he'd been punched in the gut.
After all, what man doesn't dream of having it all? Three wives, four concubines, a house full of joy and harmony...
Just as Reiji was about to shoot back with a jab of his own, a cold-faced man appeared in the distance.
Reiji knew right away—that was the guy sent to urge him to depart.
With a sigh, Reiji calmly pulled a delicate hourglass from his pocket.
"Sensei, it's getting late. I have to go." Reiji looked down at the markings on the hourglass and sighed again.
Mizukuma was in the middle of bragging, his voice loud and full of pride, but he suddenly stopped. The cheerful expression on his face slowly faded.
The two of them fell into a long silence.
Then, Mizukuma scanned their surroundings warily. Without warning, he pulled out a palm-sized scroll from somewhere and stuffed it quickly into Reiji's raincoat.
"Use it carefully," Mizukuma whispered.
Hearing that, Reiji gave him a complicated look and nodded silently.
They stood there in silence again, eyes locked but saying nothing.
As the cold-faced man approached step by step, Reiji forced a faint smile. He reached into his coat, pulled out a brass-colored key, and pressed it into Mizukuma's hand.
"Sensei, I won't say any parting words.
This key means a lot to me—keep it safe for me.
Three years from now, when I return, make sure to give it back."
With that, he tightened the straps on his pack, turned, and strode into the pouring rain.
The downpour hammered down. Mizukuma stood alone at the village gate, staring blankly in the direction Reiji had gone, his eyes fixed on the fading silhouette until it vanished into the rain.
"Don't worry... I'll still be alive when you come back!" His voice cracked, choked, and was swallowed by the wind and rain.
The rain fell even harder, soaking Mizukuma's face—no one could tell if it was rain or tears.
...
Reiji walked alone along the road leading out of the village, heading toward the Land of Fire. A long sigh escaped his lips.
He knew Mizukuma. But he knew Hanzō of the Salamander even better.
Cautious. Calculating. Incredibly strong—but terrified of death.
Reiji understood that Hanzō of the Salamander trusted no one, not even his closest allies. Anyone who posed a threat to his position would be eliminated without hesitation.
Mizukuma, on the other hand, looked proper on the outside but was hopelessly lecherous. Still, beneath that older, jaded exterior was a heart that was gentle and unshakable.
Hanzō had pulled him out of a pile of corpses as a child, raised him, and passed on his ideals.
To protect the village. To protect the children. And when the time came, to entrust the mission of safeguarding the village to the next generation.
But Hanzō's decision to send children as spies shattered everything. It destroyed his ideals—and Mizukuma's blind loyalty.
Reiji feared Mizukuma might do something reckless now that his faith had been crushed. He feared that Hanzō, with his paranoid nature, would sense Mizukuma's shift and snuff him out—and with him, Reiji's only bond to Amegakure.
So Reiji planned it all. He selfishly exploited Mizukuma's feelings, used Meiya and Yukiko to bind him in chains called love and family.
And then, he handed over the key that symbolized his own freedom—entrusting it to Mizukuma, praying that he would survive until the day Reiji returned.
Love. Friendship. Reiji used both as shackles to anchor Mizukuma, all to ensure he could stay alive in a world where people devour each other.
And deep down, Reiji truly believed—so long as Mizukuma didn't do anything foolish, he'd make it.
After all, the reason he was promoted to Special Jōnin was his exceptional talent for teaching. As long as he stayed in the village, Reiji was sure—he'd survive.