Chapter 147: Ripples in Still Water
After exchanging memories with his clone, Mizuki had been deep in thought for a long time.
In the eyes of Sakura and Sasuke, Mizuki's absent-mindedness was painfully obvious.
Ever since they arrived at the training ground, he hadn't said a single word, only staring into space for hours.
Even when the two of them disobeyed instructions and arrived early to practice, Mizuki showed no reaction.
Out of respect, they practiced very quietly, not daring to disturb him.
It wasn't until noon, when Tsubaki arrived with lunch, that Mizuki finally snapped out of it.
"Why didn't you come back to eat?" Tsubaki asked, noticing his pale face. Mizuki's physical condition had never been great, and neglecting his meals worried her.
"It's nothing important. I just got caught up thinking about some things," Mizuki replied casually.
He hadn't meant to skip meals — he had simply gotten lost in thought and wandered here.
"Come on, eat first. Whatever you're worrying about, it can wait till after lunch."
Tsubaki passed him the bento with a frown. "You look so absent-minded you're scaring people."
"Is that so..." Mizuki chuckled, glancing at Sakura and Sasuke.
"They seem fine with it. Probably used to me spacing out by now."
"If it's serious, let's talk about it later," Tsubaki said softly. She knew today's topic was significant.
"If there's anything I can do to help, don't hesitate to ask."
"Don't worry, I know how to protect myself." Mizuki gave her a reassuring smile.
"Good."
She then added, "By the way, someone from the Hyuga clan came to find you this morning."
"The Hyuga?" Mizuki was a little surprised.
So soon?
Hyuga Hiashi didn't seem like someone who would act impatiently without reason.
This must mean something important had come up.
"When did you get so close with a big clan like the Hyuga?" Tsubaki teased.
"You only went on one mission together—and it even failed."
Thinking of her own run-ins with trouble recently, she was a little worried for Mizuki.
"Relax, it's nothing bad," Mizuki reassured her.
If it were urgent, they would've tracked me down by now.
Given what I'm holding, Hiashi wouldn't give up that easily. But since no one is hounding me, it probably isn't urgent.
"Alright then, I have errands to run this afternoon."
"Take care," Mizuki said, watching her leave.
He was about to drift off again when Sasuke seized the opportunity to approach.
"Mizuki-sensei, look at this!"
Sasuke swiftly formed hand seals and raised his right hand.
With a sharp chirping sound, Chidori crackled to life in his palm.
"What am I looking at?" Mizuki asked lazily.
He'd seen Chidori countless times.
If he had lightning affinity, he'd probably have developed something like Chidori Stream by now.
Unfortunately, fire affinity was too common, and Mizuki didn't have many impressive fire techniques to reference — especially not anything on the level of Amaterasu.
Before Mizuki could grow bored, Sasuke clenched his jaw, and with a visible surge of effort, the lightning began to arc across his entire right arm.
"Now that's interesting," Mizuki's interest piqued.
So he's already started on the foundation of Chidori Stream... Impressive. Truly a genius.
"And?" Sasuke asked eagerly, looking for Mizuki's evaluation.
"Offense and defense combined—not bad at all," Mizuki praised.
"But..."
Before Mizuki could finish, the unstable Chidori surged uncontrollably and fizzled out.
Sasuke's expression turned awkward.
"It's not complete yet," he admitted.
"This idea came to you just yesterday?" Mizuki asked.
"I've been working on it for days," Sasuke said.
"Ever since you mentioned Chidori."
Mizuki nodded thoughtfully.
Reasonable. It took Naruto several days just to learn Rasengan.
Seeing Sasuke still waiting anxiously for judgment, Mizuki said,
"All great techniques start with a spark of inspiration. What you have is promising. If you polish it, it'll at least rival a typical chūnin's jutsu."
"Only chūnin level?" Sasuke muttered, disappointed.
"Don't be discouraged," Mizuki said kindly.
"A single technique's power depends on the user's level.
A jōnin can crush dozens of genin with just the basics.
The better you get, the stronger your jutsu will become."
"But even reaching this stage is already extremely difficult. I'm hitting my limit... And—"
Sasuke pulled up his sleeve to reveal his forearm, covered in burn marks and scorched wounds from uncontrolled electricity.
"This technique is too dangerous," Sakura exclaimed, rushing to heal him.
"A shinobi's life is built on danger," Sasuke replied calmly.
"Getting hurt is normal."
Sakura flinched, unsure how to argue.
"Relax, Sakura. It's only superficial injuries," Mizuki said.
Then he turned back to Sasuke:
"I can't give you a definitive answer for how to master it.
You and I have very different fighting styles."
While both Mizuki and Sasuke trained in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, Mizuki's entire foundation revolved around extreme chakra control, setting him apart from most.
He knew about techniques like Chidori Stream, Chidori Spear, and Kirin, but he had no idea how Sasuke had eventually refined them.
Probably through intense, painful training under Orochimaru and Kabuto's guidance.
"I see... Thank you anyway, Mizuki-sensei."
Although a bit disappointed, Sasuke still bowed politely.
"No need.
Even if I can't teach you new techniques, I can still offer guidance.
If you ever want to talk, come find me."
Sometimes, just offering a little advice was enough to push a genius down the right path.
…
The sky darkened, and Mizuki finally returned home.
Sasuke's relentless training had dragged the day longer than expected.
If it weren't for nightfall, Mizuki suspected Sasuke might have trained until he collapsed.
As he approached his house, Mizuki noticed a familiar face — Hyuga Ko.
"Waiting for me?"
Hyuga Ko handed over a scroll.
"From the clan head."
"Thanks. You must have made several trips today."
"Three, actually." Ko gave a rare smile.
"Don't worry about it."
After a few polite exchanges, Mizuki returned inside, carefully locking the door.
He unrolled the scroll from Hiashi and began to read.
Finally...
This was information Mizuki had requested:
Ancient myths, folklore, early Konoha history — especially anything related to the Second Hokage Tobirama and Jiraiya.
Tobirama, a genius Mizuki deeply admired, was a true revolutionary.
He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with figures like Uchiha Madara and Hashirama, having fundamentally reshaped the shinobi world.
Yet among all the legendary figures, Mizuki found Jiraiya the most mysterious.
No surname. No family records.
Before becoming Sarutobi Hiruzen's student, Jiraiya's existence was a complete blank.
Later, he was somehow chosen by Mount Myoboku and became the renowned Toad Sage, raising generation after generation of pivotal figures:
Minato Namikaze, Naruto Uzumaki, Nagato...
His fingerprints were everywhere.
And yet, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, when countless famous ninja were summoned via Edo Tensei, Jiraiya's body was never retrieved.
Why?
Was it merely because his body sank deep into the ocean?
Or... had Mount Myoboku deliberately intervened?
The more Mizuki learned about the world, the more suspicious it seemed.
Tonight, with the Hyuga's intelligence backing him, he could finally piece together some answers.
…
Deep into the night, Mizuki finally closed the scrolls, ready to rest.
Suddenly—
The alarm of a triggered trap echoed faintly through his senses.
Visitors, at this hour?
After carefully sensing the intruders, Mizuki relaxed.
Four... must be the Sound Four.
What a joke.
In the original timeline, the Sound Four easily abducted Sasuke because Konoha was weakened and negligent months after the Chunin Exams.
Now?
After multiple attacks, with no Hokage and the village on high alert?
Good luck trying to sneak in.
Even a jōnin would be questioned walking around late at night now, let alone suspicious outsiders.
The Sound Four, even at their best with cursed seal transformations, were each weaker than an average jōnin.
Their tricks were annoying, but not enough to challenge Konoha's defenses.
Mizuki smirked to himself.
They'll either get caught or flee. Either way, not my problem.
As expected, the night passed peacefully.
The next morning, Mizuki stretched lazily.
No alarms, no summons.
Clearly, the Sound Four had been handled swiftly.
Maybe they were driven out.
Maybe they were captured.
Maybe they were quietly eliminated.
Either way, Mizuki didn't care.
"Not everyone's story deserves my attention."
He had his own challenges to focus on.
Sage Mode.
It was time.
"From the very start, my path was never wrong.
Even if it was stumbled upon by accident at first, now I walk it with clear eyes.
Natural energy—
Show me the true direction this world intends for us."
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