Chapter 129: The Changing Hearts of People
Though the overall order in Konoha was returning to normal, the unrest from recent turmoil—after years of peace—meant some degree of chaos was inevitable. Outwardly, the village during the day seemed much the same as before, but there were clearly more patrol ninjas around, both openly and in secret.
And with the Hokage position still vacant and public sentiment still unsettled, all sorts of rumors had started to spread.
This very morning, as Mizuki passed by street vendors gossiping away, he heard at least five different theories about who would become the Fifth Hokage. Besides Tsunade and Jiraiya, even names like Sarutobi Asuma and the well-known Hatake Kakashi were mentioned. Interestingly, Might Guy—despite his strength—wasn't part of the speculation, likely because few could accept a man with a comedian's vibe becoming Hokage.
Walking silently through the alleys and streets of the village, Mizuki watched early risers go about their routines. During these special times, change occurred constantly. Ninja weren't just tools of war—their abilities were immensely helpful in construction and rebuilding. But one reason why the hidden villages remained as they were—military structures rather than civilian powerhouses—was due to their relationship with the Daimyō. Every great nation had a ninja village that they simultaneously depended on and feared. If a village like Konoha began fully applying its ninja strength to benefit civilian infrastructure, it would quickly become self-sufficient and possibly independent. Such an outcome was unacceptable to the Daimyō, who relied on a delicate balance of military and political power.
This dynamic was exactly why Sarutobi Asuma once had a falling out with his father, the Third Hokage. The ideological divide led him to leave the village and join the Twelve Guardian Ninja, who served the Daimyō. In many ways, the Daimyō and the Hokage represented two opposing centers of power—the abstract idea of national unity and the tangible strength of ninja might. If those forces couldn't align, conflict was inevitable.
"Hey, you over there! Want to chat for a bit?" a familiar voice called out. Mizuki, who had been wandering aimlessly due to sleeplessness, turned to find a familiar face.
"Isn't that Special Jōnin Mitarashi Anko?" Mizuki asked, surprised to see her out so early. She didn't strike him as the type to enjoy early mornings. "What's the occasion?"
Anko was one of those naturally sociable people—perhaps a little too much so. Though they'd been on missions together before, Mizuki had always felt that she missed social cues and didn't understand that he preferred not to interact too much.
"Well, I just got back from a mission. I heard about Kurenai getting hurt, so I figured I'd go visit. Want to come along?" she offered cheerfully.
"I'm also recovering from injuries and just got out of the hospital yesterday. I'd rather not go back so soon," Mizuki quickly declined. Even if he were to visit, he'd prefer to go alone rather than with her.
"Don't be so cold, we're comrades after all."
Her inability to read the atmosphere was exactly why Mizuki found her hard to deal with.
"Sorry, I have plans…" It wasn't a lie, not with Tsubaki on the way to bring him breakfast.
"Really?" Anko asked suspiciously.
Right on cue, a familiar voice called out, "Mizuki, sorry I'm late!" It was Tsubaki, arriving with breakfast.
"See? I wasn't lying," Mizuki smiled, relieved.
Despite her casual demeanor, Anko wasn't a fool. She had an uncanny intuition. Mizuki recalled how she had almost discovered the cursed seal on his body during a previous close encounter. It took every ounce of his cunning to cover it up. For someone hiding secrets, it was best to avoid someone like Anko altogether.
…
As they watched Anko walk away, Mizuki said to Tsubaki with a smile, "Thanks. I didn't expect you to pull that off so smoothly. You're getting good at lying."
"I just didn't want to see you stuck in that awkward situation. Besides, who's going to call me out on it?" she said, brushing it off. Between an engaged couple, no one would care.
"Do you really hate dealing with her that much?"
"Would you want me to get along with her?" Mizuki asked back, sensing a trap in the question.
Tsubaki giggled, "That's not what I meant. It just seems like you have this preconceived judgment about people nowadays."
"…Huh?" Mizuki blinked. He had never discussed this with Tsubaki, but when he thought about it, she wasn't wrong. Ever since inheriting memories from his previous life, Mizuki always approached people with preassigned labels—Naruto, Sasuke, Anko… He hadn't truly gotten to know them in this life, yet already made up his mind about who they were.
People weren't exactly the same as their original versions. Kakashi, for example, was deeply emotional, even if his social skills were lacking. Iruka wasn't a weakling either; becoming an Academy instructor wasn't easy. And as for Danzo—while he wasn't well-liked, many ninja still acknowledged that his actions came from a place of dedication to Konoha.
In truth, Danzo's greatest flaw wasn't his ambition. It wasn't even his thirst for power. It was that he overestimated himself. His intentions to "save" Konoha and reshape the ninja world were grand—but his capabilities didn't match. Danzo's idealism, untempered by wisdom, led him astray. He wasn't evil per se, just misguided.
"If you're not a god, don't try to act like a messiah."
Because of this, Mizuki had always steered clear of Danzo. Until he fully understood techniques like Kotoamatsukami, he wasn't about to meet someone who could forcibly rewrite his mind. Mizuki knew not to stand too close to a crumbling wall.
"Mizuki, are you spacing out again?" Tsubaki nudged him, snapping him from his thoughts.
"Sorry, I was just thinking about something you said… You're right. I've been looking at people with too many assumptions lately."
"Not that I'm criticizing you," Tsubaki added gently. "I just noticed that when you talk to others, it seems forced—like with Iruka. You always look uncomfortable."
That stung a little. But it was true. Only someone as close as Tsubaki could see through it.
She smiled again. "But you've gotten better. You're more relaxed now—more like how you used to be when we were kids. It's just… your thoughts seem heavier, and you're always inventing weird things."
"As long as you're okay with it." Mizuki chuckled. "Was I really that bad before?"
"You were hard to figure out," she said honestly.
"That makes me wonder how I managed to convince you to marry me."
"Maybe because we're both kind of awkward," she said, squeezing his hand.
They let the subject go, and Mizuki asked, "Want to walk around today? I think we both could use the break."
"We could… but wasn't Anko trying to find you for something?"
"I know." Mizuki frowned. Anko might have sensed something about the curse mark again. Her intuition was dangerous. If she confronted him now, Mizuki didn't have a solid excuse. And with her background as Orochimaru's former student—and a loose connection to Danzo—she was someone he absolutely didn't want to draw attention from right now. Not until Tsunade came back and secured the political situation.
Seeing he understood, Tsubaki didn't press further. She trusted Mizuki's judgment.
"We should visit the hospital later, just not right now," Mizuki said. "People are still resting."
More importantly, Mizuki needed to talk to Hatake Kakashi.
He had done a lot of thinking last night. With Orochimaru seriously wounded, he likely wouldn't wait long for Sasuke. Even if he tried, he'd be forced to make a move before his body gave out. The situation had already diverged slightly from the original timeline. Tsunade hadn't returned yet. If Orochimaru didn't meet her to heal himself—or failed to resolve her hemophobia—things might spiral unpredictably.
Sasuke cannot be left alone. If he didn't leave with Orochimaru, then Mizuki would need another plan to help him grow stronger. Otherwise, Sasuke's internal torment would grow uncontrollably. And once he snapped… well, an unstable Uchiha with a Sharingan was a ticking time bomb.
Besides, another major threat loomed—Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame. In the original timeline, they infiltrated Konoha while Jiraiya was away with Naruto. Without timely intervention, Kakashi had been severely injured by Tsukuyomi.
Now, Mizuki couldn't find a reason for Itachi to abandon his mission. In fact, with Sasori's defeat and Deidara captured, "Akatsuki" might even send more members. And if Jiraiya wasn't around, Konoha would rely on its strongest left: Kakashi, Guy, and Asuma.
Which meant it was time to have a serious conversation with them—before it was too late.
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