Chapter 146: Fortune and Misfortune Are Intertwined
Babysitting was something Mizuki could occasionally tolerate, but honestly, it was boring. Combined with the fact that he hadn't slept much the night before, he soon found himself dozing off while leaning against a tree trunk.
Half-asleep, Mizuki sensed someone approaching and instinctively opened his eyes.
"Oh, it's you two. Finished training already?"
It was Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura who had walked over.
Sasuke shook his head.
"We're just taking a break. Kakashi-sensei isn't around?"
"Kakashi's away on a mission. For the next couple of days, if you need anything, you can come to me."
"I understand." Sasuke nodded. "I'll be relying on you then, Mizuki-sensei."
"No need to be polite."
Despite appearances, Mizuki wasn't wasting his time under the trees. Natural energy—or what those who knew about Sage Mode called it—was something Mizuki had been trying to sense for a while now. But despite repeated attempts in environments rich with life like this forest, he hadn't sensed anything yet. He even began to doubt its existence until Sasuke's cursed seal chakra outbreak allowed him to extract some components containing natural energy. Only then did Mizuki fully believe it was real.
However, knowing it existed was one thing; actually sensing and using it was another matter entirely.
…
The brutal summer heat made prolonged outdoor training grueling. Even so, Mizuki didn't call for a break. These children were blessed by fate—if left alone, perhaps they'd stumble upon some new technique or sudden breakthrough.
(At least that's how Mizuki justified his own laziness.)
"If Kakashi hadn't asked me, I'd definitely be slacking off right now."
He owed Kakashi a lot—especially if he soon achieved jōnin promotion thanks to Kakashi's efforts. It wouldn't do to slack off now.
By midday, thoroughly exhausted, Sasuke and Sakura finally stopped. They found a shady spot under a large tree to eat lunch.
"Mizuki-sensei, I brought plenty of food! I made it myself. Would you like some?" Sakura asked enthusiastically.
"No thanks," Mizuki quickly declined. "I'm not a bachelor like Kakashi. My fiancée prepares my lunches."
He had a good excuse. The real reason? Sakura's notorious, deadly cooking skills. Mizuki had no intention of risking his life.
"Then, Sasuke-kun, would you like some?" Sakura turned her hopeful gaze on Sasuke.
"…Sure," Sasuke agreed with a slight nod. Living alone, he wasn't picky about homemade food.
Sakura was overjoyed and handed him a large portion, watching nervously as Sasuke tasted it.
"…Hmm?" Sasuke's face twitched slightly at the strange taste. He frowned but forced himself to chew and swallow.
Mizuki watched the whole exchange with great interest. Sakura visibly relaxed when Sasuke swallowed, though he still looked troubled.
"Looks like before becoming Tsunade's apprentice, Sakura's cooking, while bad, hasn't yet reached the 'black hole of death' level."
"Is it good, Sasuke-kun?"
"…Terrible," Sasuke replied bluntly.
Sakura's face instantly fell.
"But I added lots of healthy ingredients…"
"So much for medical ninjutsu talent correlating with cooking skills," Mizuki mused.
Then Sasuke turned to Mizuki.
"Mizuki-sensei, about the chakra control training you mentioned—what exactly should I focus on?"
"That's pretty basic stuff. Kakashi should've taught you, right?"
"Are there any faster methods?"
"You're asking if there's a shortcut?" Mizuki chuckled. "If there was, I'd be using it myself."
Chakra control was a skill that ultimately came down to practice. Unlike physical strength, which could sometimes be enhanced with drugs or surgery, chakra control had no quick fixes.
Hearing this, Sasuke lowered his head in frustration.
"Isn't there any way to quickly get stronger?"
There were methods, of course—enhancements of Chidori like Chidori Stream, Chidori Sharp Spear, and eventually even Kirin. But given Sasuke's current strength and bodily limitations, it was too soon.
Aside from experience, age, and his still-immature body heavily restricted his growth.
"Mizuki-sensei, can't you help Sasuke somehow?" Sakura pleaded.
"What could I possibly teach Sasuke?" Mizuki asked rhetorically. "What jutsu of mine could he even learn?"
Besides summoning jutsu, almost all of Mizuki's techniques required extraordinary chakra control. Normal jutsu? Sasuke would dismiss them as beneath him.
Moreover, Mizuki had no obligation to teach Sasuke anything. He wasn't Sasuke's mentor, only helping due to Kakashi's request—and partly his own sense of duty.
Hearing Mizuki's answer, Sakura lowered her head in disappointment, feeling ashamed of her unreasonable request.
…
As the babysitting day ended, Mizuki felt relieved. Other than enduring the heat, he hadn't expended much energy.
(Though he had spent the time quietly trying—and failing—to sense natural energy.)
"Come later tomorrow morning," Mizuki instructed as Sasuke and Sakura prepared to leave. "I've got something to do in the morning. And you two need rest after today's training anyway."
"Understood," they both answered and left.
"Not sure if they'll actually listen though," Mizuki thought. "Anyway, tomorrow's more important..."
Hurrying home, Mizuki found his fiancée Tsubaki waiting for him.
"You're late."
"Kakashi's request—couldn't slack off." Mizuki explained. "Had to make sure Sasuke didn't get hurt. Wouldn't want to hand Kakashi back a battered student."
Tsubaki nodded.
"I've arranged everything for tomorrow's meeting."
"Good. Any suspicious activity lately?"
"None. It's been quiet since our last phantom setup failed."
"Silent acknowledgment then," Mizuki thought. If he hadn't made a fuss, neither would the other party.
"Perfect. We're ready then."
…
The next morning, Mizuki and Tsubaki headed to their secret hideout near the rear forest. Today, oddly enough, there were two "Tsubakis."
"No one followed you?" one of them asked.
"Of course. And you?"
"No one here would notice much anyway. This place is still pretty secure."
"Good. But why the disguise?"
"Your image isn't exactly suited to being seen outside right now," Mizuki's clone, disguised as Tsubaki, answered. "And you're using the same method."
Tsubaki nodded. Only by hiding under family barrier protections, using disguised appearances, and suppressing chakra signatures could they avoid attention.
"Alright, let's exchange memories."
…
After a long session of memory sharing, Mizuki opened the small cabin's window, staring quietly at the budding flowers outside.
"Well? Thoughts?" asked the clone.
Mizuki exhaled slowly.
"We're the same person. You think it; I understand it."
"But still, what a discovery…" Mizuki muttered.
"Are you still planning to pursue Sage Mode?" the clone asked.
"Of course." Mizuki's eyes hardened. "Always waiting for perfect conditions is just cowardice. Sasuke dares to risk everything to seek power from Orochimaru. Why should I hesitate? Time's running out."
"Right. The jōnin promotion test is near. Then comes village politics... and we'll need more hands."
"Exactly. Once we master Sage chakra, the next step is solving the memory-linking issue between clones. We can't keep relying on self-cloning. Those valuable variant clones can't just sit around as disposable bombs."
"Got it. But… you're really gambling here. If you fail, there's no coming back."
Mizuki looked up at the morning sky.
"No more retreat. We've already come this far."
"Besides," he added grimly, "the previous failures were fools. We'll do it properly."
The clone smirked.
"Next time we meet, let's see if you're right... It won't be long now."
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