Chapter 125: Old Habits Die Hard
With Sarutobi Asuma and Might Guy quickly dispatched, the rescue mission was set into motion without much time for preparation. The two of them immediately departed to support Hiashi Hyuga, Gaara, and the others, who were now teetering on the edge of defeat.
Once the two had left, attention in the Hokage's office turned back to Shimura Danzō.
"Danzō, I think you understand that there are certain lines that must not be crossed," Mitokado Homura warned, his tone sharp. "The Hokage is the foundation of Konoha's stability. Even if most of the ANBU were once trained under you, that doesn't give you the right to command them now. And don't bother trying to deflect responsibility again—we won't accept it."
Beside him, Koharu Utatane cut in bluntly, "We recognize your influence, but your behavior has exceeded all boundaries. We won't stand idly by. Until the Fifth Hokage is officially chosen, you'd best restrain yourself. The Hokage must be the true leader. No one wants to inherit a system where the entire special forces division is secretly loyal to someone else. You're undermining the very principles of this village—the same ones you always claimed to protect."
All three of them were former teammates under the Second Hokage, and long-standing comrades-in-arms. They knew each other far too well.
"Fine. I'll concede," Danzō said, his tone calm. "I'll leave behind a clean Konoha for the next Hokage. That much, I can promise."
Since Danzō had taken a significant step back, Homura and Koharu no longer pushed the issue. They had reached the limit of what could be accomplished through force of will alone. Had they doubted Danzō's loyalty to the village itself, he likely wouldn't have backed down at all.
'A clean Konoha?' Mizuki, who had been silently listening this entire time, couldn't help but sense the blood in those words.
Ninjas, after all, evolved from assassins and intelligence gatherers. Spies between hidden villages were a common occurrence—some known, some hidden, some double agents. Whenever a regime wanted to "clean house," these people were the first to go.
'If I hadn't "washed my hands clean" in time, someone like me, suspicious without direct evidence, would've likely been erased already—either by "accident" or through some mysterious disappearance.'
The clone Mizuki was silently grateful to have avoided that fate… though he was still unaware that his real body had a massive mess waiting to be cleaned up.
With higher-level matters settled, the focus returned to operational assignments.
"Kakashi, your student Uzumaki Naruto needs your protection," Homura stated.
"But isn't Lord Jiraiya already mentoring him?" Kakashi asked, puzzled. "If he's there, I doubt I'm needed."
"Jiraiya may be the leading candidate for the Fifth Hokage," Homura replied. "Even if he doesn't take the title, he may be called away on other missions. He can't always protect Naruto. When Naruto is left in the village, you'll be his covert guardian. And—" he paused for emphasis, "—you have another important job: keep an eye on Uchiha Sasuke."
That caught both Kakashi and Mizuki off guard.
"Sasuke?" Kakashi echoed. "Is it really that serious?"
Sasuke again. For many Konoha shinobi, no matter how powerful a threat appeared, nothing could match the anxiety caused by the name Orochimaru. And since Sasuke had recently been in close contact with him, extra caution was warranted.
"Sasuke wouldn't be a concern if he didn't intend to defect," Danzō interjected. "But we can't guarantee he won't. If Orochimaru were to get his hands on the Sharingan he desires so badly, we'd never recover."
Danzō knew firsthand how terrifying the Mangekyō Sharingan could be. The memory of Shisui Uchiha's Kotoamatsukami, an ultimate genjutsu, still haunted him. He had no desire to live through something like that again.
"I understand… but I still believe Sasuke won't betray the village."
Mizuki couldn't help but feel that Kakashi was being overly optimistic. Not everyone, after experiencing personal trauma like Obito and Rin, could return from the brink. Sasuke, only twelve, lacked the maturity to make such complex judgments.
"Whether he will or won't—that's for the village to decide," Koharu said coldly. "You just do your job."
Kakashi nodded, choosing not to argue further.
"Now, on to you, Mizuki," Homura said, turning with a curious gleam in his eye. "We didn't have time to dig into your matter two days ago, but now it's clear your 'clone' is no simple technique."
A clone with independent action, clear logic, and the ability to transmit intel. Unlike normal shadow clones with strict time limits or the fragile ones that vanished on contact, Mizuki's version was far more advanced. Once someone took a closer look, its value became immediately apparent.
'So they've noticed after all…' Mizuki thought with resignation. He'd known from the start that this wouldn't stay a secret forever. But to be completely exposed so quickly still caught him off guard.
"You're too kind," Mizuki replied modestly. "It's just a basic variation of the Shadow Clone Technique."
"Basic?" Koharu said sharply. "Don't be modest. If I'm not mistaken, your clone has a flesh-and-blood body, doesn't it?"
"Yes." There was no hiding it—it was plain for all to see.
"Then whose body did you use to create it?" she asked, more seriously.
This was the most dangerous question. Any suggestion of human experimentation would put him in the same camp as Orochimaru. If that suspicion took hold, Mizuki would be done for.
"It's not from any experiment," Mizuki answered firmly. "It's a clone created using my own cells."
Modifying one's own body wasn't unusual among ninja. Orochimaru's soft-body technique was an example. So was Dosu and Zaku from the Sound Village. And of course, Sasori had discarded his human body entirely. Compared to that, Mizuki's self-cloning wasn't anything radical—it was merely experimenting on himself, which others had no right to criticize.
"And how did you manage that?" Danzō asked, clearly intrigued. The idea that Mizuki alone had cracked something so advanced was… worth investigating.
The question cut deep, similar to when Danzō tried to get the recipe for Mizuki's universal healing potion. Unwilling to expose his method, Mizuki fell silent.
"You'd rather suffer suspicion than explain?" Koharu frowned. "Then what about the principle behind it? Can you at least share that?"
"…That I can explain—partially." Mizuki surprised everyone by agreeing to reveal a bit.
'I can't give away everything, but offering crumbs should throw them off for a while.'
"It's based on sealing techniques. I developed it by combining Sealing Arts and the Concealed Clone Technique."
Who would've guessed this prototype Jinchūriki clone—still weaker than the original—was born from knowledge of Jinchūriki mechanics? With no precedent in the ninja world, even if someone tried copying Mizuki's explanation, without his knowledge and creativity, they'd get nowhere. Not to mention, his healing potion was still the linchpin of the entire process.
"Sealing and Clone Techniques…" Danzō muttered, his gaze thoughtful.
…
After leaving the office, Mizuki and Kakashi walked home together. It was still early morning, the quietest time of day. Occasional ANBU patrols passed by, but no one bothered them—especially with Kakashi, a former ANBU squad leader, by his side.
"That was a close call," Kakashi said. "Still, your technique is impressive. Can it be taught?"
"Teach it? Maybe—but the requirements are extremely high. You might be able to use it. Shikamaru too, someday. But most people? Not a chance."
"Your techniques are always like this, huh?" Kakashi smiled wryly. "Ridiculously powerful but impossible to learn. Just once, couldn't you come up with something simple and useful?"
Kakashi wasn't trying to steal Mizuki's techniques—he had over a thousand jutsu already. But he still couldn't help lamenting the complexity. The Sharingan drained his chakra, and even basic training left him exhausted.
"There are a few simple ones," Mizuki replied. Breath Suppression, for example, required high chakra control and basic sealing proficiency. Kakashi might just qualify—but Mizuki wasn't about to give it away for free. Teaching Sakura had already been a significant trade. If Kakashi wanted another, he'd have to offer something worthwhile—perhaps a secret jutsu from the Fourth Hokage's legacy?
"We'll talk about that another time." Kakashi waved it off. "As for Naruto, I'm not too worried. He may be clumsy, but he's not dumb. With Jiraiya mentoring him, I can breathe easy."
Mizuki nodded. "He's got the blood of the Fourth Hokage and the Uzumaki clan. His talent is undeniable."
"The real issue is Sasuke," Kakashi said. "Any ideas?"
"…That's a tough one," Mizuki sighed. "Cursed seals, jutsu, those can be dealt with given time. But the problem lies in his heart."
"Yeah. Hatred's a hard thing to fix."
Kakashi, who had experienced his own emotional turmoil, understood all too well.
"The key isn't you, Kakashi," Mizuki warned. "It's Naruto."
"I know. But I'm not sure how exactly Naruto and Sakura can help. And if they mess it up…"
"They might drive him away even faster," Mizuki said grimly.
In the original timeline, Sasuke's defection was a product of his envy and resentment toward Naruto. If they didn't interfere soon, things were bound to repeat. Changing a man's heart? That was harder than moving mountains.
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