Now wasn't the time to talk about things too far into the future. Mizuki still had precious time to use wisely. For now, he'd managed to temporarily suppress the trouble with Sasuke Uchiha. As for other matters, it was better to leave them for Kakashi Hatake to worry about. Handling his own issues was already hard enough for Mizuki.
Tomorrow was just around the corner, and plenty of things needed handling. Besides, Lady Tsunade was still waiting for an explanation regarding Karin. Mizuki knew this probably wasn't about pursuing the matter to its full extent. So much time had passed, and so many changes had occurred. Some things were no longer worth worrying about. Jiraiya had left the village years ago chasing after the Child of the Prophecy, and Asuma Sarutobi, who had always been at odds with the Third, had once stormed out in a fit of disagreement to become a Guardian Shinobi. Those kinds of incidents seemed far more reckless than anything Mizuki had done. Both men came from powerful connections—one being the Third's son and the other his disciple—yet Mizuki himself was a properly vetted Jonin of Konoha. It was clear he belonged among the "insiders," so there shouldn't be any major concerns. Right now, the key was simply coming up with a reasonable explanation that could quiet everyone down.
『Ah! If only I hadn't been so careless back then!』
Mizuki couldn't help but feel slightly regretful over what he did several months ago. He'd painstakingly gone through the Forest of Death, but besides a minor confrontation with Orochimaru, everything else had been meaningless. In hindsight, it had yielded practically nothing and nearly ended in disaster. The only silver lining had been meeting Karin. However, considering the dangers and his abilities at the time, taking a calculated risk with possible escape routes wasn't completely unjustified—it just turned into a major headache now that Karin had exposed it.
After parting ways with Kakashi Hatake, Mizuki looked at the sky and thought it was probably about time. Then, he headed straight to the Hokage Office, knocked on the door to the Hokage's chamber, waited briefly, but heard no reply.
"She should be in by now."
Mizuki didn't know whether Hokages got days off or not. He'd never made a serious effort to investigate the Hokage's whereabouts before, so he wasn't sure. But by all rights, this should have been regular working hours. And these were particularly busy times too.
Just as Mizuki hesitated about whether to leave, movement came from around the nearby corner. To his surprise, Lady Tsunade appeared, clearly tipsy. Behind her followed Shizune, holding onto the pet pig Tonton, wearing a helpless expression while trying to reason with the Fifth Hokage, who had abandoned her duties early in the morning for drinks.
"Oh? Isn't that Mizuki? What brings you here?"
Tsunade noticed him waiting by the door as she approached. Under the influence of alcohol, her face showed a slight flush, and her unfocused eyes betrayed how much she'd already had to drink.
"Didn't you tell me last week to come with a report? That's why I'm here."
Mizuki caught the strong smell of alcohol and couldn't help thinking maybe today wasn't the best timing.
"Of all times, why now? This couldn't be worse timing."
"Alright then," Tsunade said, opening the door and stepping inside. Shizune and Mizuki followed her into the office.
Noticing something seemed off, Mizuki quietly asked Shizune, "What's going on with Lady Tsunade today?"
Shizune replied softly, "She woke up in a bad mood this morning..."
"A bad mood?" Mizuki asked puzzledly. There shouldn't be any particularly troubling matters recently, right? She wouldn't start drinking this early unless it was something really serious.
"Lately things just haven't been going smoothly. Actions arranged by Lady Tsunade keep drawing criticism from the elders..."
"I see," Mizuki nodded. Ever since returning, Lady Tsunade had been pushing for a more aggressive diplomatic approach, striving to improve unfavorable external conditions. Yet to Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, her approach seemed insufficiently cautious. Meanwhile Danzo Shimura was carrying out his own secret operations behind the scenes. When actions within the village could not be unified, it placed Tsunade—nominally the village leader—in an awkward position. Still...
"One would expect Lady Tsunade to have anticipated this kind of situation. Why is she reacting so strongly today?"
"Some unusual things have happened recently regarding intelligence about Orochimaru's whereabouts and how to respond. Something unpleasant must have happened this morning..."
Just then, Tsunade—who seemingly overheard their whispering—snapped, "Don't talk nonsense, Shizune!"
"Yes, ma'am," Shizune quickly replied, then gave Mizuki an apologetic grin while scratching his head.
Although he hadn't heard everything clearly, Mizuki basically got the gist. It appeared that Orochimaru's base had probably been located. As for handling it, knowing Danzo Shimura's Root faction style, he'd surely want to destroy it immediately. The stance of Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane was unclear, though it probably wasn't supportive either. Tsunade's position would likely be more complex. Torn between her duties as Hokage and feelings toward a former comrade-in-arms, there was no way she could feel good.
Though unaware of further details, since nobody intended to inform him, these matters would most likely be handed to Anbu ninjas for processing.
Looking somewhat exhausted, Tsunade sat down in her chair, poured herself a cup of cold tea, took a sip, and let out a long breath. Seeming somewhat recovered, she spoke to Mizuki:
"You're here to submit your report now, which means you've already figured out what lies you'll tell?"
Hearing this, Mizuki's lips twitched slightly, instantly feeling awful all over.
"Even if she's drunk, she shouldn't just say such painful truths outright!"
This was exactly why dealing with drunk people was such a hassle. Her opening line alone made Mizuki incredibly uncomfortable.
Still, at this point, Mizuki could only reluctantly hand over the prepared report. Tsunade accepted it and casually flipped through its pages. Mizuki silently waited for her to finish reading.
Tsunade expressionlessly finished reading Mizuki's report. She seemed to have found something interesting, so she turned it around and read it again from the beginning. Although Mizuki had no idea what she was thinking, just watching the twitch in her eyebrows was already nerve-wracking enough.
Usually, Tonton, the cute pet who was supposed to liven up the atmosphere with his cuteness, remained unusually silent at this moment, causing Mizuki to break into a cold sweat.
At last, Tsunade set the report down after having finished reading it. She then pressed both hands against her temples, took a long sip from her teacup with her left hand, while her right fingers drummed an uneasy rhythm on the table—each tap echoing the pounding of Mizuki's heart.
"Hey, Mizuki," she finally spoke. "In this report, I read about an outstanding ninja from Konoha—a teacher willing to risk everything for the safety of the village and its Genin, yet remaining humble and unwilling to seek recognition. This noble ninja also quietly became the pillar of support for a lonely young girl. Surprisingly enough, this person also bears the name Mizuki. Could that possibly be you?"
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