Chapter 77: A Sense of Danger
Kakashi was taken aback by Mizuki's words, somewhat surprised. "I didn't expect you to think so highly of Sakura. But for now, I can't think of a better mentor for her."
"After the Chunin Exams, everyone will be busy. If I have time, I'll help out."
After today, the situation in Konoha would drastically change. Promises made now would be too early. Until Tsunade returned to take up the mantle of the Fifth Hokage, Konoha would be in its most troublesome phase, with barely any time to take on extra responsibilities. Once Tsunade came back, Sakura would have a reliable mentor to look up to, so there was no need for her to cling to Mizuki, who couldn't offer long-term guidance.
Seeing Mizuki leave some room for possibility, Kakashi didn't press the issue. "Alright, thanks in advance."
"Sure, no problem. Let's just watch and see what kind of progress your prized pupil, Sasuke, has made."
Kakashi replied confidently, "If that Sand ninja fights at the same level as in the preliminaries, there's nothing to worry about."
He glanced at Sasuke, who was already raring to go.
"Kakashi, you're too optimistic," Mizuki warned. "You came late, so you might not know, but the Sand ninja Kankuro forfeited earlier. Those three Sand genin are behaving quite suspiciously."
"Oh? What do you mean?" Kakashi asked.
"That Gaara is extremely dangerous. Not just to the genin, but to everyone. His two teammates seem more afraid of him than of Konoha's ninjas. Do you get what I'm saying? Those three aren't just some distraction to confuse us..."
For Sand ninjas with ulterior motives, this kind of behavior was clearly problematic—and a big problem at that.
"What kind of danger are we talking about?" Kakashi pressed further.
"You weren't here for the first match, but Naruto's Nine-Tails chakra leaked out."
"Oh, I heard about that... wait, are you saying—" Kakashi's eyes widened as he grasped the implication.
Mizuki looked down at Gaara, already impatiently stepping into the arena. "You get what I mean now. There's a reason why this match was delayed instead of just declaring Sasuke forfeited. If my guess is correct, we're in big trouble."
"If it's really a Jinchuriki..." Kakashi said with concern, "there's not enough time to summon a sealing team."
"Let's hope it's just paranoia," Mizuki replied with little conviction.
"The only bit of luck is that Orochimaru didn't fully trust the Sand Village and killed the Fourth Kazekage ahead of time, taking out a major threat."
"Good thing Jiraiya-sama is still in the village," Kakashi added. "Even in the worst-case scenario, we won't be helpless."
With that, Kakashi called out to Sasuke. "Sasuke, be careful..."
Sasuke gave a confident smirk. "Got it, I'll win!" He leapt down into the arena.
Mizuki shook his head. Sasuke, having recently learned how to use Lightning Release: Chidori, was overflowing with confidence. He wasn't likely to take the match seriously, even though Gaara was not an opponent to underestimate.
Kakashi sighed. "I originally wanted to tell him to concede if things went wrong..."
Smiling wryly, Mizuki said, "Maybe it won't be that bad. Jinchuriki are indeed troublesome, but that's when they're fully transformed. Gaara doesn't seem capable of controlling his power that well. In his human form, he shouldn't be too terrifying."
"Let's hope it's as you say," Kakashi replied.
Suddenly, Might Guy appeared beside them. "Oh! My eternal rival Kakashi! Have you been ignoring me on purpose to gain a psychological advantage before our next showdown?"
Seeing the two eternal rivals together, Mizuki could only shake his head. "You two catch up. I'll go check on things in the back."
As Mizuki walked down the corridor, he noticed the silhouette of Hiashi Hyuga leaving a nearby room.
"Looks like Neji's over there. I might as well check on him," Mizuki thought.
Reaching the door, Mizuki knocked lightly on the slightly open door.
Neji turned around at the sound. "Mizuki-sensei?"
"Deep in thought? What's on your mind?" Mizuki entered with a smile. They had spent some time together back during the Forest of Death phase, so they were somewhat familiar with each other.
"Just reflecting," Neji replied, his tone calm and reserved.
"How's your injury? Need help? My medical skills are decent enough to fool amateurs," Mizuki joked.
"Thank you, but the medical ninja already treated me," Neji replied politely.
"Good to hear," Mizuki said. "It's a shame you didn't advance. You're one of Konoha's most talented genin."
Neji looked down. "I'm sorry for disappointing everyone."
"No need to apologize. After all, Naruto isn't exactly an average opponent. You'll understand the reasons someday," Mizuki said. As someone who knew the truth, he understood that the Nine-Tails power was beyond ordinary measures.
Neji hesitated, then asked, "Mizuki-sensei, do you think I'm a genius?"
Mizuki couldn't help but chuckle. "If you're not a genius, then no one is."
"Let's put it this way: among all of Konoha's genin, none could beat you one-on-one before reaching Jonin level."
"But... why did I lose to Naruto?" Neji questioned, still struggling to comprehend the loss.
"Naruto is special. He doesn't fit into conventional measurements of strength. You'll understand it better in time," Mizuki reassured him.
Neji seemed to ponder Mizuki's words. The bitterness of defeat still lingered, but his attitude had noticeably softened. Perhaps learning the truth about his father's fate had started to change his perspective.
"Alright, I have some other tasks to handle. Take care of yourself."
Watching Mizuki leave, Neji couldn't help but feel puzzled. "Why was Mizuki-sensei dressed like he was heading to a battlefield? And why did I feel an ominous presence?"
Just as Mizuki rounded a corner, he noticed Hinata standing hesitantly near the door with some medicine in hand.
"Mizuki-sensei..." Hinata greeted him shyly.
"Go on in. Neji's waiting for you," Mizuki said with a gentle smile. He knew Neji must have already sensed Hinata's presence with his Byakugan.
Leaving them to their moment, Mizuki turned another corner and, without looking, called out, "All set?"
A figure stepped out from the shadows. "Of course."
It was one of Mizuki's most trusted allies, prepared to carry out whatever plan lay ahead. Mizuki took a deep breath, knowing that things were about to escalate dramatically.
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