Below the Hokage Building, Kakashi announced, "Dismissed!"
"Yeah, finally time for breakfast!" Naruto cheered, "I'm going to eat Ichiraku Ramen. Sakura, you annoying Sasuke, want to come? Kakashi-sensei's treat."
Kakashi: "…"
When did I say I was paying?
"Um, I have something to do. I'll be going first." Kakashi used the Body Flicker Technique and disappeared, leaving only a few leaves stirred up by the wind, drifting forlornly in the air.
Naruto pouted, "Tch, cheapskate won't even treat us to ramen."
Just then, Mizuki's voice came from nearby, "Naruto, I haven't had breakfast either. If you want ramen, I'll treat you."
"Really? Master, you're so generous! I want three bowls."
Mizuki smiled, "Sure, even thirty bowls if you want. Sakura and Sasuke, are you coming too?"
Sakura quickly said, "Sorry, I'm on a diet. I'm skipping breakfast."
She politely declined, but in her heart she thought: Naruto calls him master, so that Sexy Jutsu must have been invented by him and taught to Naruto. This kind of person is definitely shady. If he's treating, I absolutely can't go.
Sasuke, "I'll go. I have some questions about training to ask you."
Sakura was shocked, "Sasuke-kun, you're consulting him — Mizuki-sensei — about training?"
Sasuke said, "Yeah, just like Naruto, I'm also his disciple. Is it strange for a disciple to ask his master questions?"
Sakura's eyes widened, "You're also his disciple? Does that mean you also learned… learned…"
What he learned, she found hard to say aloud.
Mizuki could tell that Sakura had some issue with him. But none of that mattered.
"Naruto and Sasuke are both coming, so Sakura, you should come too. Eating breakfast won't affect your diet."
Sakura only wanted to be with Sasuke. If he was going, of course she wanted to go too.
She immediately seized the opportunity, "If those two are going, of course I'll go too. After all, we're teammates in the same squad and should stick together. But I won't eat the ramen — dieting requires persistence."
Mizuki waved his hand grandly, "Good, let's go!"
❊❊❊❊❊
Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen stood behind the window, watching Mizuki lead the three brats of Team 7 away. His expression was grim.
"He's already realized I'm moving against him. He acts cautiously, not leaving the slightest opening. As Hokage, I must act within the rules. If he doesn't make a mistake, I can't do anything to him. Ordinary methods won't work against him."
Hiruzen left the Hokage Building and came to a sewer entrance. After entering, he twisted and turned through the passages. In the darkness, his footsteps echoed.
Finally, he arrived at an underground space filled with pipes. This was where the Root base was located. Danzō had been waiting for some time.
"Hiruzen, you haven't come here in a long time. Today is truly rare." Danzō leaned on his cane, his tone flat.
Hiruzen didn't waste words, "Ninja Academy assistant instructor, Chūnin Mizuki, is suspected of killing comrades and showing signs of defection. Send someone to deal with him."
Danzō looked at him twice, asking curiously, "There are quite a few in the village suspected of defection, but you've always been indecisive, never acting rashly without evidence. Yet this time you've come to me for this Mizuki. That's not your style. So what's special about him?"
Hiruzen snorted coldly, as if dissatisfied with his suspicion, but ultimately explained.
"Mizuki has gotten very close to Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. I've already moved against him, but he's neutralized everything."
Danzō's eyes narrowed, his voice turning cold, "Hiruzen, you're too lenient. Someone with defection tendencies approaching the Jinchūriki — why didn't you come to me sooner? Don't you know how important the Jinchūriki is? This village doesn't belong to you alone."
Hiruzen remained expressionless, "It's not too late now."
With that, he turned and left.
Danzō looked at his back, "After dealing with Mizuki, the Jinchūriki and that Uchiha brat must be sent to Root. They've very likely already been influenced by him, seeds of disloyalty planted in their hearts. Only I can train them to become tools absolutely loyal to Konoha."
Hiruzen's footsteps halted, but he didn't turn around, "Danzō, you have no say in matters concerning the Jinchūriki. Sasuke represents the village's debt to Itachi. Root's training methods will not be used on them."
Danzō said loudly, "Hiruzen, this time you must listen to me."
Hiruzen continued walking away without answering. The meaning was clear — he disagreed.
Danzō said angrily, "Hiruzen, you'll regret this."
Hiruzen stopped again, then turned around and said coldly, "Danzō, remember this — I am the Hokage."
With those words, he walked away, soon disappearing.
After Hiruzen left, Danzō's twisted expression returned to calm, his eyes resuming their indifference. He gently lifted his cane. When it touched the ground, a Root ninja wearing an intricately patterned mask appeared before him, kneeling.
"Ninja Academy assistant instructor, Chūnin Mizuki — bring me his file."
"Yes, Danzō-sama!"
❊❊❊❊❊
At Ichiraku Ramen, Mizuki brought the three members of Team 7 inside.
"Teuchi-ojisan, I want three bowls of tonkotsu ramen, three large bowls!" Naruto wasn't polite at all, shouting as soon as he entered.
Mizuki looked at the other two, "What do you two want? Go ahead and order."
Sasuke, "I'll have a bowl of pork rib noodles."
Sakura appeared hesitant, "I… I'm on a diet, maybe I shouldn't."
Mizuki waved his hand, "You're already here — have a bowl. You're not paying anyway. Besides, haven't you heard? Skipping breakfast will make you gain more weight."
"Ah, is that really true?" Sakura exclaimed.
Mizuki nodded, "Of course it is. This is my advice to you as an adult. Dieting isn't about skipping meals — it requires the right approach. So go ahead and order something."
{T/N: This is scientifically proven. When you drastically reduce calorie intake, your body adapts by lowering your metabolic rate to conserve energy. This means you burn fewer calories at rest. When you resume normal or high-calorie eating (such as on a "cheat day"), your slower metabolism can lead to greater fat storage and potential weight regain — often called the "rebound effect". The most effective approach for sustainable weight loss is maintaining a moderate calorie deficit while increasing physical activity through exercise, rather than extreme restriction followed by overindulgence.}
Sakura's stomach growled at just the right moment. She didn't stand on ceremony and ordered a bowl.
Soon the noodles were ready, and all four began eating. Mizuki asked about Sasuke's training progress.
"How's the tree climbing and water walking coming along?"
Sasuke, "I've already completed tree climbing. Water walking — I can only do it on still water, not on flowing water yet."
Naruto leaned over, "What are you guys talking about? Tree climbing and water walking? Mizuki-sensei, you're teaching Sasuke but not me — that's not fair. We're both your students."
Mizuki smiled, "It's a method to improve chakra control. You don't need it."
Naruto's eyes lit up, "Mizuki-sensei, do you have anything else you can teach me? Like ninjutsu or secret techniques?"
Mizuki said, "No rush. I'll teach you later. You just graduated, so focus on adapting to ninja life first."
Each student only had three teaching return opportunities per month. He'd have to wait until next month to teach Naruto anything else. He didn't have much to offer, so he had to be frugal.
The three of them — master and students — were chatting enthusiastically, while Sakura couldn't get a word in. Finally, everyone had eaten their fill and prepared to leave.
"Sakura, wait a moment." Mizuki kept only her behind.
Sakura wanted to chase after Sasuke, but Mizuki had just treated her to a bowl of noodles. If she just left now, it would be disrespectful.
"Mizuki-sensei, is there something else?"
Mizuki, "Do you like Sasuke very much?"
Sakura's face flushed red as she stammered, "S-Sensei, why… why are you asking this?"
Mizuki spoke bluntly, "Give up. You two aren't suitable for each other."
Sakura's face went pale.
"As a member of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke's potential is beyond what you can compare to. In the future, he's destined to stand at the pinnacle of the ninja world, while you're just an ordinary civilian child. The one who can stand beside Sasuke will either be a Daimyō's princess or a powerful female ninja renowned throughout the land. Besides, he carries a blood feud. If you follow him, you'll only drag him down. Haven't you noticed? In his heart, there's only hatred — there's no place for you."
In Sakura's mind, the three words "no place for you" echoed endlessly.
Mizuki inwardly chanted "forgive me." These words were too harsh a blow for a young girl like her.
Sakura's face grew even paler. She bit her lip and said firmly, "No, I'll work hard. I'll become stronger and make sure I don't drag him down."
Mizuki shook his head, "It's too difficult. You have no Kekkei Genkai, no family secret techniques, not even a single decent ninjutsu. No matter how hard you try, it won't help."
His words completely shattered Sakura's hope. She turned her head toward Sasuke's retreating figure in the distance, her eyes filled with despair.
But then Mizuki changed his tone.
"However, there is a way."
A glimmer of light appeared in Sakura's despairing eyes. She looked up at him and asked anxiously, "Mizuki-sensei, what method?"
Mizuki smiled, "It's simple. Become my student, and I can make you stronger."
Sakura's first thought was: You're just a Chūnin, a useless assistant instructor at the Ninja Academy — not even as good as Iruka-sensei. How can you make me stronger?
"What's wrong? Don't believe me? You think my abilities are too low — that I'm not qualified to be your teacher?"
Sakura remained silent, which confirmed it.
Mizuki wasn't offended. He smiled, "You may not trust me, but you trust Sasuke's judgment, right? Of course, you could choose not to trust him — but in that case, you and he would truly have no chance at all."
Hearing this, Sakura said hurriedly, "No, I trust Sasuke-kun. But I don't know anything about you. Taking you as a teacher so rashly wouldn't be appropriate."
Mizuki snorted inwardly. This girl wouldn't make a move without seeing the bait.
"What's your chakra nature?"
Sakura looked puzzled, "What's a chakra nature?"
After Mizuki explained, he took out a chakra paper, "Test it."
Sakura took the paper and injected chakra into it. The next moment, the paper became wet and then crumbled.
"Earth and water chakra natures — perfect." Mizuki took out the Earth-Style Wall scroll that Hiruzen had given him, "Become my student, and this Earth-Style Wall training scroll will be my gift for accepting you as my disciple."
Sakura's breathing quickened, her eyes fixed on the scroll. She wanted it badly.
But she still hesitated.
'From today's events, it seems the Third Hokage has some opinion of him. If I become his student, will I be affected?'
She was weighing her options.
Mizuki didn't rush her. Having come this far, if Sakura still didn't agree, he wouldn't force her. There were so many people in Konoha — he didn't have to have her as a student.
Sakura's heart struggled. But soon, she glanced in the direction Sasuke had left, and her eyes became resolute. Mizuki's combination of threats and enticements had finally worked.
"Sensei!"
❊❊❊❊❊
T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
If you want to enjoy a large catalog of good novels with excellent translations: MrBlackWing
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)