When Mizuki arrived at the Moonlight Gale Ward of Konoha Hospital, the surrounding security wasn't particularly tight. Most people had grown familiar with this frequently seen ninja over the past few weeks.
Watching the busy medical-nin rushing in and out of the ward, Mizuki could tell that Moonlight Gale's condition wasn't good.
"How is he?" Mizuki asked one of the passing nurses.
"The patient's vitals have stabilized for now," she replied, not pausing her work, "but there's no sign of consciousness returning. We're barely keeping his organs from failing."
"Still can't use mind-reading techniques?"
"Without improvement in his condition, it's too dangerous. There's not much more we can do."
It seemed clear—without drastic measures, reviving Moonlight Gale would be nearly impossible.
"When will Yamanaka Inoichi-san arrive?" Mizuki asked with a sigh.
"He was here just a moment ago, might've stepped out for a quick meal. He should be back soon."
"Understood. When he returns, please let me know. I'll rest outside for a bit."
Truthfully, Mizuki was exhausted. With the Chūnin Exams approaching, his anxiety was mounting. He couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't prepared… that he hadn't done enough.
Sitting on a bench in the corridor, Mizuki dozed off in the silence. Just a few days ago, Karin had been resting here—now it was his turn to collapse from fatigue. He noticed that with most of the foreign shinobi gone, the hospital had become noticeably quieter.
As he began to nod off, Mizuki sensed someone approaching. He looked up to see the very person he'd been waiting for—Yamanaka Inoichi.
"Long time no see, Inoichi-san," Mizuki greeted, standing.
"We saw each other just the other day, didn't we?" Inoichi replied politely. "Thanks for keeping an eye on Ino these past few days."
"Not at all. Ino helped me more than I helped her."
"You're too modest. So, what did you need to see me about?"
"It's about Moonlight Gale," Mizuki said seriously. "Could we speak somewhere more private?"
…
On the hospital rooftop, Mizuki and Inoichi stood by the railing, looking down at the steady flow of people below.
"So? This is about Gekkō?" Inoichi asked.
Mizuki nodded, lowering his voice. "There's something I'd like to say—off the record. If it ever comes back to me, I'll deny I said it."
"Hm?" Inoichi's interest was piqued by Mizuki's uncharacteristically serious tone.
"Three days ago, I submitted a report to the Third Hokage… and overheard a troubling conversation. It seems there's pressure from the village elders to extract intel from Gale's mind as soon as possible."
Inoichi's gaze sharpened. "Even if it kills him?"
Mizuki answered bluntly, "Yes. I doubt you were informed. But I'm sure you're under pressure too."
Inoichi didn't respond, but his silence confirmed Mizuki's suspicions.
"As someone who served beside him, I was relieved when he survived. But now… watching him die at the hands of his own comrades? It's unbearable."
"So you're here to ask if I can help?"
"Yes. I want to try—no, I have to try. Even if we can't fully save him, I won't let them treat him like a broken tool to be discarded."
Inoichi tightened his grip on the railing.
"How?" he asked after a long pause.
Looks like he's not just another bureaucrat. There might be hope after all.
"I'm not trying to pry into the Yamanaka clan's techniques," Mizuki said. "But I need to know—what exactly is the danger if we try to use mind-reading jutsu on him in his state?"
Inoichi hesitated, then nodded. "The main problem lies in the nature of the spirit. The human mind isn't a monolith—it's a composite of different fragments, almost like sub-personalities. People often act out of character—buying things they don't need, going places they didn't plan to, saying things they later regret. Those aren't random—they're glimpses of those hidden facets."
"That's… deeper than I expected," Mizuki admitted. It was abstract, philosophical—hard to quantify, but not hard to believe.
"So, you're saying everyone has a touch of dissociation?"
"Not quite. Schizophrenia occurs when those personalities reject each other and break cohesion. Normal people suppress conflicting parts of themselves. Those suppressed facets still contribute to the soul as a whole. That cohesion is what makes a person who they are."
"Huh. You make it sound like chakra itself." Mizuki chuckled bitterly. "Even low-level organisms can synchronize and refine it. I suppose a soul's the same—composite, but unified."
Inoichi continued, "When the Yamanaka Clan uses mind-reading techniques on healthy individuals, there's mental backlash, but it's manageable. Gale's different. His mind has retreated into a deep, defensive state after his physical and mental trauma. If we force entry and try to extract intel now, his fragmented consciousness won't hold. His mind will shatter, and death will follow shortly after."
"So it's that fragile…" Mizuki muttered.
"Yes. If his condition doesn't improve, we might as well be dissecting a living corpse. Even a freshly dead brain can be read, but this is… different. It's dangerous."
"And we're out of time," Mizuki said, more to himself than to Inoichi.
"Exactly. The higher-ups are losing patience."
Watching the bustling village below, Mizuki sighed. He couldn't act too overtly. His record was already tarnished—he couldn't afford another mark against him. But for Moonlight Gale…
"Inoichi-san. The danger you mentioned… I might be able to do something about it."
"…What?" Inoichi stared at him, surprised.
Was Mizuki, a former Chūnin with a checkered past, claiming he could do something the head of the Yamanaka Clan couldn't?