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Shusaku had worked late into the night treating the three severely injured ninjas.
After a brief rest, he checked on their recovery.
When they had first arrived, they were barely clinging to life. Now that they had passed the most critical phase, Shusaku could finally relax.
Returning to his office, he prepared the day's lecture materials. As he passed the classroom, he glanced inside—only to find Midorima missing.
"Where's Midorima? Not here yet?" he asked his assistant curiously.
Sure, the kid had exhausted his chakra yesterday, and he might not have fully recovered, but that didn't mean he couldn't even walk, right?
"Sir, Midorima asked for leave yesterday. Said the Mizukage ordered him on a mission. Don't you remember?" the assistant explained.
"Did… did I?" Shusaku stared blankly. "You're not lying to me, are you?"
"You approved it yourself."
"Nonsense! If I'd approved it, I'd remember!"
"..." The assistant rolled his eyes.
'If not you, then who? Me?'
Shusaku smacked his lips. "It was really me?"
The assistant nodded solemnly.
"Well then…" Shusaku smoothed the few remaining strands of hair on his head. "You teach the class this morning."
"Huh?" The assistant glanced at the students inside. "And… what about you?"
"I'm going to see the Mizukage. Midorima's thesis is still with me—I need to get His Lordship to take a look."
As Shusaku walked away, the assistant sighed, throwing up his hands in resignation.
---
Outside Kirigakure.
Kirigakure's geographical isolation, surrounded by vast seas, cut it off from other nations and hidden villages.
Leaving the village usually meant a two-day boat ride.
This was Midorima's first time stepping outside Kirigakure. He had imagined sailing across roaring waves, reaching the distant shores of the Land of Fire or Lightning.
Instead, Mei Terumī informed him their destination wasn't some far-off land—it was eastern Mizu no Kuni, a place they could reach on foot.
"This intel comes straight from Kirigakure's Sensor Division. It's reliable." Mei burned the mission scroll after reading it.
To be fair, Mei was undeniably beautiful.
The saying '"eyes are the windows to the soul"' fit her perfectly.
Her emerald-green eyes were bright and clear, often carrying a faint smile that brought an inexplicable sense of calm. Though her bangs frequently covered her right eye.
Her rosy cheeks, soft pink lips, and pearly white teeth made her look like a carefully crafted work of art—especially compared to the jagged, shark-like teeth common among Kirigakure ninjas.
A girl like her had been labeled the "village flower" since birth.
Looks, talent, and—most importantly—a determination and sense of responsibility most lacked. She was practically the perfect idol.
Which was why Midorima found it so bizarre that "marriage" had become her biggest hang-up, to the point of auditory hallucinations.
He had only meant to warn her about her "fate of lacking men", but Mei took it as a challenge and demanded an explanation. In the end, he had to make up some excuse.
The whole ordeal taught him a lesson: Stay low-key. Always.
"Laying low and powering up" was a strategy that never went out of style.
"Our captain is 'Akizuki'. He was stationed outside the village, so to save time, we're meeting him there. The Sensor Unit will update us on the rogue ninja's latest hideout once we regroup." Mei explained.
"Let's hope this captain's reliable. That rogue ninja's no pushover." Midorima had faced him before—he was strong.
Neither he nor Mei stood much of a chance alone.
"Anbu are elite, handpicked ninjas." Mei said, though inwardly, she resented their involvement.
This was her graduation exam. That rogue ninja had killed her comrades. Why should the Anbu take over?
Besides, not every Anbu was trustworthy.
As they spoke, Mei suddenly veered into the forest. Midorima followed, realizing she was searching for the rendezvous point.
Mizu no Kuni's island was mountainous, its forests dense.
"This island has many mountains, so there's plenty of woodland. Some ninjas train their taijutsu in remote areas like this." Mei explained.
Not every Kirigakure ninja specialized in water release—some used earth or wind, preferring secluded training grounds.
"Why's this part of the forest all charred? Did some idiot use fire release here?" Midorima stared at the blackened hundred-square-meter patch in disbelief.
'"Burn down a mountain, sit in prison till you're forgotten"' wasn't just a joke.
Mei, unusually, stayed silent.
Midorima glanced at her—her cheeks were flushed.
"What? Never seen a pretty girl before?" She shot him a glare.
"Wait… 'You' did this??" Midorima broke into a cold sweat. "You're insane! This is at least five years in jail!"
"I know how to put out fires!" Mei muttered, knowing she was in the wrong. "Anyway, we'll wait for 'Akizuki' here."
"..."
Midorima looked at the scorched ground. Though new grass was sprouting, the blackened earth was still visible.
"You're kidding. This is your 'handiwork'?" He facepalmed.
"He didn't specify a location—just told us to find a 'conspicuous' spot. Is there anywhere more obvious than this?" Mei retorted.
Midorima sighed. She wasn't wrong. "But why wouldn't this 'Akizuki' pick a fixed location? Is this place really that easy to find?"
"Who knows? Maybe he's just weird like that." Mei shrugged.
'A masochist?'
Fine if he had his quirks, as long as he didn't "tremble" mid-battle.
They waited through lunch and dinner, but no one came. Even Midorima began doubting Mei's intel. Glancing at her, he saw her pacing impatiently.
Then—a shadow flashed across the sky, landing swiftly before them.
"Who's there?!"
Midorima instantly drew a kunai, ready to throw. Mei's hands flew into a seal.
Tension spiked.
"Kirigakure Sensor Division…" The ninja eyed them coldly. "Apologies. There's been a change in your mission."
"What do you mean?" Mei demanded.
"Your captain left for the target location four hours ago."
Midorima thought he misheard—but the sensor ninja's expression was dead serious.
"Why weren't we notified?!" Midorima gritted his teeth, barely containing his anger. "Don't tell me you couldn't find us."
A captain wasn't just a leader—they held critical intel.
For this mission, only the captain knew the rogue ninja's exact location. The plan was to share it after regrouping.
Now, "Akizuki" had ghosted them, leaving them clueless about their next move.
'What kind of joke is this?!'
Mei was fuming but forced herself to stay calm. "A misunderstanding? Maybe he couldn't contact us?"
Such was the life of a ninja—hierarchy was absolute.
In a squad, the captain's word was law. They couldn't defy orders—only beg for an explanation.
"Your captain forbade me from notifying you earlier."
"Why?!" Midorima was baffled.
This wasn't how things worked in 'Naruto'.
Shouldn't a squad move together to complete a mission?
"His exact words: 'Two failures who couldn't even pass their graduation exam would only slow him down.'"
"Failures?!" Mei's rage exploded. "This was the Mizukage's order! How dare he disobey?!"
"He didn't disobey. But he told me to relay this: 'Go home. This mission's beyond you. And don't you dare blame me.'"
"Not blame him?!" Mei suddenly grabbed the sensor ninja's collar, her eyes burning. "Then who? YOU?!"
The sensor ninja's gaze turned sharp, a sneer forming.
"Let go, you brats! A couple of dropout kids have no right to bark at me! You're not even worth my time!"
"You—!" Mei's face flushed crimson, her ears burning.
'This bastard… How dare he—!'
Midorima grabbed her wrist, stopping her from escalating.