The sun was already high, not far from noon, and Mizuki, who hadn't slept much the night before, was still catching up on his rest. Physical fatigue was secondary, but mental exhaustion required psychological peace to soothe.
Mizuki, deep in his sleep, was suddenly awakened by a knock at the door. He groggily got up, opened the door, and asked impatiently, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Mizuki," a familiar voice replied.
"It's Chie Tsubaki." Mizuki opened the door and let her in. "What are you doing here? Isn't it work time?"
"It's already noon, and I'm taking the afternoon off." Chie Tsubaki said, looking worried. "Mizuki, I'm worried about you. I heard this morning that you instigated Iruka's students and shot at Iruka. Is that true?"
"Word spreads fast. Did you hear this?"
"Did you really do it? Mizuki, did you get caught? Were you injured?"
"Don't worry, I'm fine." Mizuki reassured her, though his internal thoughts betrayed him, and his love IQ was clearly off the charts.
"Really? You're not leaving Konoha, are you?"
"Why would I? Stop overthinking it. It's all over now." Mizuki smiled, stroking Chie Tsubaki's hair gently.
"He looks quite handsome, but his vest is so old-fashioned. The ponytail is cute, but it doesn't quite match his small face." Mizuki couldn't help but think to himself, his mind wandering as he relaxed.
"Is everything really over?"
"Of course it is. When have I ever lied to you?" Mizuki reassured her. He hadn't lied about anything, including the things related to Orochimaru. But his emotional IQ? Still questionable.
"Wait here. I'll go clean up," Mizuki said before heading off to wash up.
When he returned, he found the room tidied up, and Chie Tsubaki was waiting for him.
"I'm hungry. Let's go out and eat something."
"Ah, that's too much of a waste. I'll cook for you," Chie Tsubaki offered.
"There are no ingredients. Let's go out. I want ramen."
Mizuki had long wanted to visit Yile Ramen, the legendary ramen shop that had been around since the first episode of Naruto. Despite having visited in the past, there was something different about experiencing it firsthand. Mizuki was also curious to see the kinds of people who had a more substantial presence in Konoha than himself—Ramen Uncle and Iris. It was a mixture of idolizing and witnessing history.
Before today, Mizuki had been somewhat nervous about meeting Chie Tsubaki. If anyone knew him best, it was his fiancée. There was a high chance of being exposed or suspected, and he had little preparation for that. But now, most things had changed, and it seemed perfectly natural for things to shift. As long as he wasn't suspected immediately, the chances of being suspected in the future would decrease.
...
At Yile Ramen, Mizuki buried himself in eating the delicious tonkotsu ramen. It tasted amazing, but he couldn't help but look at Uncle Ramen with a puzzled expression. "I didn't hear that this guy is a chatterbox. It's a shame he's not a ninja. Isn't he the one who invented the ninja world's ultimate ninjutsu: the Mouth Escape?" Mizuki had already finished two bowls.
"By the way, this little brother doesn't come here often. I don't remember you. Have you ever been here before? Were you dissatisfied with our ramen? My secret recipe is a family heirloom that's been passed down for thousands of years. It's only passed down to sons, not daughters or son-in-laws, and it's famous across the entire Fire Country."
"Thousands of years? You can't be the legendary Sage of the Six Paths, right? Who's eaten this legendary cuisine?" Mizuki asked with a smirk, raising an eyebrow. "If what you say is true, it's a shame you're letting it slip away." Mizuki pointed at the busy Iris in the shop with his chopsticks.
"My little brother clearly doesn't believe me. Let me tell you..." Uncle Ramen began again, but Mizuki quickly interrupted.
"Uncle, your ramen is truly good," Mizuki said, cutting him off.
Uncle Ramen beamed, "I knew it! My ramen is the best in the world. You're a good-looking guy, my brother, and you love my ramen. Want to consider marrying my family? Iris here is a true heir to my legacy. If you agree, I might consider passing the secret recipe to you."
"You didn't pass it on to your son-in-law, did you? Your ancestors would be rolling in their graves." Mizuki, already uncomfortable, couldn't stay much longer. "By the way, have you noticed the soft girl next to me? And why is Iris still unmarried? Are you just throwing her to anyone?"
"Check out," Mizuki said quickly, grabbing Chie Tsubaki's arm.
"Welcome back any time!" Uncle Ramen called out as they rushed out of the restaurant.
"I'm not sure I'll be back next time. Feels like this world has too many movie clichés," Mizuki muttered, not looking back.
...
Outside Yile Ramen, Chie Tsubaki asked, "What's next for you? Iruka's at Konoha Hospital now. Do you want to visit him?"
"Sure," Mizuki replied casually, feeling unusually relaxed after the strange conversation with Ramen Uncle.
"Mizuki," Chie Tsubaki asked as they walked, "Do you think I should change my hairstyle? I really think my middle-parted hair isn't very suited for my image."
Chie Tsubaki froze, a little hurt. "Mizuki, are you saying Iris from the ramen shop is prettier than me? Are you going to be a door-to-door son-in-law now? Do you dislike me?"
"No! How could you think that?" Mizuki quickly reassured her, looking at Chie Tsubaki's teary eyes. He realized that it wasn't just the hairstyle—it was his own emotional ignorance. "I just thought the middle-part style doesn't suit my image anymore." He quickly changed the subject. "Let's visit Iruka."
...
At Konoha Hospital, Iruka, in a hospital gown, stood by the window enjoying the afternoon sun. The spring weather always made him feel drowsy.
As he was about to lay back down, he heard a knock.
"Come in, the door's unlocked," he called.
Chie Tsubaki walked in, holding a bouquet of carnations.
"Iruka, I'm sorry. Mizuki has caused you trouble. But it wasn't just me..."
And just then, Mizuki walked in.
"It's you," Iruka said, surprised. "Are you okay?"
"What do you think happened to me?" Mizuki replied casually, acting as though nothing was out of the ordinary.
"I still don't understand, Mizuki. Why did you do this? Was it just to get back at me?"
Chie Tsubaki, looking guilty, said, "Sorry, Iruka."
Mizuki stopped her and said, "It's good to see you so energetic." He avoided giving too much away.
"Where's that Nine-Tails boy? Didn't he come to visit? He doesn't even feel guilty about attacking you like this?"
"Naruto just left to register as a ninja. He might be at a photo studio now," Iruka replied.
"Really?" Mizuki asked, bored.
"The technology here still seems a bit behind, but it's amazing that they can transplant organs like eyes. And gene and cloning technology are impressive too. This world's tech tree is all over the place."
"By the way, Iris at Yile Ramen seems to be looking for a husband. Do you want to try your luck?"
"Stop talking nonsense," Iruka snapped, "You still haven't answered my question."
Mizuki smirked. "To prevent the ninja world from being destroyed, to maintain peace, and to uphold the justice of love and truth... of course, all of that is nonsense."
Iruka could no longer complain. Chie Tsubaki simply shook her head, feeling the weight of the conversation.
"I guess you're really not the brightest, Iruka," Mizuki said, no longer teasing. "Despite knowing you for years, you still don't understand me."
"Why do you have to go to these extremes to explain things? Why not just talk about it clearly?"
"Iruka, as a ninja school teacher, you've done well, but that's all. Don't try to impose your naive ideas on your students. When they graduate, they need to find their own way and become independent ninjas. They don't need your protection anymore."
"Mizuki, I know you're stronger than me, but could you have told me all of this beforehand? Using dangerous methods like this is reckless. What if something goes wrong with Naruto or the Book of Seals?"
"Sometimes words aren't enough to get the point across. Actions are the most convincing form of communication." Mizuki dismissed Iruka's concerns. "By tonight, you'll understand. But will you believe that Naruto is ready to become your opponent?"
"I understand. But why involve Naruto in such danger? There had to be a better way."
"I wish you a speedy recovery, Iruka. Let's go, Chie Tsubaki." Mizuki said, turning to leave. "The news of the sealed book has spread, but the rest is still under wraps. That's the best outcome."
"But Mizuki..." Chie Tsubaki said, puzzled, before placing the carnations in a vase and following him out.
"Are we still friends, Mizuki?" Iruka called from behind.
Mizuki didn't respond, and Chie Tsubaki bowed apologetically to Iruka before quickly following him.
...
"Mizuki, you've changed."
"Is it for the better or worse?"
"I don't know. But it's not as full of worries as before."
"Oh, I made you worry before? I'm sorry, Chie Tsubaki."
"It's okay. As long as you stay by my side," Chie Tsubaki said, holding his arm.
Mizuki sighed. "My brother will eventually get to abuse his powers one day."
"Though, it seems I'm not cut out for mouth escape. Even though it feels unreasonable, this road won't work."
Mizuki reflected on the situation. The competition for the position of savior was too intense. Nagato, Obito, and Uchiha Madara had already claimed their places. Not to mention Naruto and Sasuke, whose destinies had already been set.
"To live better, strength and influence are what I need to build confidence and persuade others."
In a world where the morality of heroes and villains intertwined, the fight for world peace was never easy, especially in a world full of hot-blooded comic-book heroes.