The night had fallen quietly over Konohagakure, and the once-busy streets began to empty. The daytime bustle faded into silence, though peace didn't mean inactivity. Even under the starry sky, the Hidden Leaf didn't sleep completely. The lantern-lit night market still buzzed in some quarters, and ANBU and Chūnin patrols flickered in and out of alleys and rooftops like passing shadows.
Mizuki walked down a quiet street, nodding at the occasional familiar shinobi. After a day of maintaining appearances, he finally had a moment to think.
"They're still pretending everything is normal… But I've counted at least four unfamiliar patrols. Clearly, they're prepared for something."
Trying to steal the Scroll of Seals and defect—it was a foolish plan in hindsight. His chances were always slim. As he approached his residence, his thoughts churned.
"Where did the leak happen?" he wondered. "Kabuto knows I'm connected to Orochimaru, but does he know my plan to take the Scroll? The original Mizuki had no clue about Kabuto's real strength. To him, Kabuto was just a go-between—an errand boy. He never suspected he was a double agent working under Orochimaru and spying for others. A Chūnin like Mizuki wouldn't be privy to the depths of such plans…"
Was it Kabuto who betrayed him? Doubtful.
A more likely scenario was surveillance by Konoha's higher-ups. Orochimaru had once been a prized asset of the village—his defection had exposed a truth few dared speak: someone had supported his forbidden experiments from within. Danzo Shimura. As head of Root, Danzo had both the resources and the ambition to fund a project like Orochimaru's. There was no question that before the defection, he had offered tacit approval, or even direct aid.
But Danzo and Orochimaru? That was no friendship. Just two opportunists using each other. Kabuto alone was enough as a contact.
"Or maybe Orochimaru never saw me as useful from the start. Maybe even the cursed seal he gave me was an afterthought—a semi-finished prototype that needs activation serum to work. An expendable pawn."
Could it have been his suspicious behavior around Naruto that gave him away? Perhaps. The Nine-Tails had been sealed inside Naruto by the Fourth Hokage, and ever since, the boy was watched closely—especially by Hiruzen Sarutobi. Danzo had once tried to seize control of the Jinchūriki, but the Third Hokage denied him. Naturally, anyone getting too close to Naruto might raise a red flag.
"Maybe this is a test. A trap set up by the Hokage. A way to expose me."
Mizuki let out a low chuckle as he reached his door.
"Using the Scroll of Seals as bait… That's exactly the kind of subtle manipulation the Third is known for."
He stepped inside and looked around. The house was spotless.
"Tsubaki must have cleaned up. She really is a proper fiancée. It's strange—my predecessor really did love her. Maybe that's why he told her things that could've endangered them both."
He sighed, lying back on the bed.
"Mizuki may have been a loser in ambition, but in some ways, he was winning in life. A gentle woman. A stable life. Things I never had in my previous world. And yet… he still wasn't satisfied."
He closed his eyes, whispering to himself.
"I'll give the best performance of my two lifetimes. In my old world, a lack of ambition meant obscurity. Here, a lack of ambition means death."
The night deepened.
Suddenly, a knock at the window jolted Mizuki awake.
"Iruka?" he asked, sitting up.
Iruka looked frantic. "Bad news—Naruto stole the Scroll of Seals! The Hokage's issued a general alert. All available shinobi are to search for him immediately!"
"I understand. Let's split up—it'll be faster that way. I'll check the eastern sector."
As Iruka disappeared into the night, Mizuki frowned. "That's not right. Iruka got the news before me… Maybe because I backed off earlier? Timing is off, but it's not a total loss."
After a final check of his gear, Mizuki stepped into the shadows.
"No sign of surveillance… Either I'm not being watched, or whoever's watching is beyond my sensory perception. Either way, I'll play along."
Mizuki arrived at the forest cabin just ahead of schedule. Crouching in the foliage, he observed Naruto practicing shadow clones with reckless energy.
"He has the chakra reserves, the drive… even talent. If only he had better guidance, he could've become a ninja far sooner."
Soon, Iruka appeared, calling out for Naruto.
The boy beamed. "Iruka-sensei! You found me quick! I just learned a super-strong technique!"
"You idiot!" Iruka yelled. "Why would you steal the Scroll of Seals!?"
"I failed the exam, and Mizuki-sensei said if I learn a powerful jutsu, even you'll acknowledge me! I just wanted to be a real ninja…"
Iruka's expression changed. "Mizuki told you that?"
Naruto nodded.
"Get out of here, Naruto. Now."
From the shadows, Mizuki emerged, his voice slick with false warmth.
"Well, well. What a touching reunion."
He threw a shuriken toward Iruka, who barely dodged. Mizuki stood atop a branch, smiling coldly.
"You're always so sentimental, Iruka. That's why you're weak."
The fight began. Kunai clashed in bursts of speed and steel. Mizuki clearly had the advantage—his strikes were sharper, more ruthless.
"Close combat's always been a strength. But even with this body's memories, I can't fully control Mizuki's strength yet. There's a dissonance—this isn't my original body. And Iruka… he's not weak. Not completely."
As the battle raged, Mizuki weighed his options.
"If I go too far, the Third might step in. His crystal ball technique is surely watching. I need to be theatrical, not suicidal. Let's move to phase two…"