Walking down the street, Mizuki's expression remained calm. Inside, though, his anger was already burning.
"To think they'd stoop to such underhanded tactics."
Ayame mixing up vinegar and soy sauce wouldn't normally be worth noting. At most, Teuchi would call out a few words, and the other customers wouldn't care. Everyone makes mistakes.
Others wouldn't notice anything unusual — who would think they'd be targeted for murder in their own village?
But Mizuki was different. He was a transmigrator, and the Third Hokage had always wanted him dead. That made him extremely vigilant. He wouldn't overlook any disturbance, nor did he dare to — the slightest mistake could mean death.
Sensing something was wrong, he didn't make a fuss. Instead, he quietly activated his Tai Chi energy. Just then, a rat happened to pass by on the beam overhead. It was struck down by his force and fell right into the bowl.
Immediately after, Mizuki "watched" the rat using Echolocation. After it escaped outside and scurried into the sewer, it began to stagger, then bled from its nose and mouth before dying.
The whole process took less than 10 seconds — one could imagine just how toxic the poison in that ramen was.
"Damn, that's vicious!" Mizuki felt a lingering fear. He'd nearly reached his final chapter, "Brother Rat, rest in peace. I'll avenge you with my own hands."
A cold murderous intent flashed in his eyes. He had made up his mind — he must kill Hiruzen with his own hands.
In the following days, Mizuki became even more cautious. He was careful with everything he ate and drank, keeping his Echolocation constantly active. He didn't even dare sleep deeply, afraid he'd go to bed one night and wake up on a mortuary slab the next morning.
It was torturous, but there was no choice — one careless moment and he'd fall into their trap.
He'd already encountered poisoned food and drink several times. Those guys would disguise themselves in various ways, infiltrate the kitchen, and slip poison in during the brief moment dishes were being served.
If not for keeping his Echolocation constantly active, Mizuki didn't know how many times he would have been poisoned.
Seeing that eating out was too risky, he simply cooked at home. The seasonings were poisoned. Even the damn tap water was poisoned.
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In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen's expression was grim. He had confirmed it — Mizuki had noticed.
"Danzō's people have tried to poison him five times these past few days. All failed through various coincidences."
A rat falling into the ramen bowl. A server suddenly slipping while carrying dishes. Poison pills accidentally dropped on the ground. The kitchen catching fire and burning all the seasonings. The water tap breaking.
Once or twice would be one thing, but every single time? Clearly, these weren't coincidences.
"Danzō, that worthless fool. The people he sends are worthless too. Can't even play the part of Ayame properly — mixing up vinegar and soy sauce, letting Mizuki spot the flaw immediately."
Hiruzen had to admire Mizuki's vigilance — noticing such a small detail.
"Ah!" With a sigh, he summoned an ANBU member, "Go fetch Danzō. I'll meet him on the roof."
After giving the order, Hiruzen went up to the roof, hands clasped behind his back, gazing up at the Hokage Rock with its carvings of past Hokages.
Soon, Danzō arrived. On the rooftop, only the two of them.
"Danzō, cease your operations for now. The Chūnin Exams are about to begin, and I've received word that ninja from various villages will be arriving soon. We must be on high alert for Orochimaru's Konoha Crush Plan. Root's personnel will temporarily fall under my direct command. Leave Mizuki alone for now."
Hearing this, Danzō almost laughed.
How can that work? Root under your direct command — you're trying to seize the last bit of power I have left.
"Hiruzen, I'll lead Root to the border to monitor Sunagakure's movements. You hold down the fort in Konoha, and leave Sunagakure to me."
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, "Danzō, I'm not discussing this with you. Twelve years ago during the Nine-Tails incident, you withdrew Root's forces and didn't participate in fighting the Nine-Tails. I didn't blame you. This time, I won't let you do as you please."
Danzō was furious, but there was nothing he could do.
Who told him he wasn't the Hokage?
"What about Mizuki? How will you kill him? What if Orochimaru attacks and Mizuki isn't dead? He could turn against us…"
Hiruzen, "It's all because of Root's blunder that made Mizuki even more vigilant. Originally, he would have died that night at Ichiraku Ramen."
Danzō snorted coldly and said nothing. He knew he was in the wrong and inwardly cursed the Root ninja who had disguised himself as Ayame.
"I'll handle Mizuki myself. You don't need to worry about it. Until the Chūnin Exams are over, stay home and don't go out unnecessarily." Hiruzen turned around, his eyes cold, "Danzō, I know you still have contact with Orochimaru, but this concerns Konoha's survival. I hope you won't make a mistake."
Danzō said, "Hiruzen, what do you mean by that? Haven't I done all this for Konoha's sake?"
Hiruzen gave a cold laugh and turned to leave. When he reached the stairway, he paused.
"Danzō, when you get back, notify all Root members to assemble at the Hokage Building tomorrow morning to receive my orders. Also, you are not fit to be Hokage!"
With that, Hiruzen went downstairs.
Danzō watched his disappearing back, his heart filled with rage.
I'm not fit to be Hokage? Hiruzen, how dare you say that? Look at how weak Konoha has become under your incompetent leadership all these years! Even killing a single Chūnin requires such hesitation.
A person like that is fundamentally unfit to be Hokage!
"I'm the one most suited to be Hokage. Only I can lead the village back to its peak. Only I am the Land of Fire's hope." Danzō's ambition, provoked by those words, swelled even further.
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Leaving the Hokage Building and walking back to Root headquarters, his heart was filled with resentment. By the time he returned to the base, he had made his decision.
"Mizuki has no loyalty to Konoha whatsoever. What's more, his strength is considerable — he already surpasses half the Jōnin. Keeping such a person around poses too great a danger. With the Chūnin Exams approaching and Orochimaru's Konoha Crush Plan to deal with, Hiruzen has probably given up on killing him. At most, he'll send Mizuki on a long-term mission outside the village before the exams. But that's not foolproof!"
A gleam flashed in Danzō's eyes.
"Since we can't kill him, there's only one option left — control him. After the Chūnin Exams, when Orochimaru kills Hiruzen, I can manipulate him to continue damaging Konoha, then personally eliminate him myself. That way, my reputation in the village will reach its peak, and my succession as Fifth Hokage will be certain."
He raised his hand to cover his right eye wrapped in bandages, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. This eye would finally serve its purpose.
He waved over a Root ninja and ordered, "Go. Invite Mizuki to come see me here!"
"Yes!" The Root ninja vanished in a body flicker.
❊❊❊❊❊
At the same time, in the Hokage Building, Hiruzen entered the mission hall and ordered, "Bring me the recent mission request forms."
Iruka immediately brought the forms over.
Hiruzen flipped through them and locked onto one mission: Escort a merchant caravan to the Land of Tea (C-Rank Mission).
"Iruka, save this mission for Mizuki. Notify him to come accept it. He departs tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Lord Third!" Iruka responded, watching the Hokage's retreating back, his heart full of worry.
He guessed this was yet another scheme targeting Mizuki. Unfortunately, he was just an ordinary Chūnin with no voice in such matters. All he could do was watch as his friend's life hung in the balance.
Hiruzen returned to his office, wrote a note, and rolled it up. He placed it in a thin bamboo tube, sealed it with a stopper, and walked to the windowsill.
A crow looked at him sideways.
Hiruzen tied the bamboo tube to the crow's leg, "Go!"
The crow cawed twice, spread its wings, and flew off into the distance.
❊❊❊❊❊
At that moment, Mizuki was at Training Ground No. 8, practicing the Demonic Illusion: Hell Technique.
His practice subject was a squirrel in a tree. The poor creature was pawing at a pinecone, trying to extract the pine nuts.
Suddenly, its vision blurred. The pinecone transformed into a snake that instantly wrapped around it, tightening more and more.
The squirrel struggled frantically, squeaking in terror, but to no avail. It felt its body being crushed, breathing becoming harder and harder, on the verge of suffocation.
Suddenly, the scene changed. The snake was gone. The pinecone was still a pinecone. But the little squirrel's eyes were already glazed over, unable to stand steady. With a thump, it fell to the ground.
Caught in Mizuki's Genjutsu, it had been scared unconscious.
"Amitabha, little squirrel, I'm sorry!" Mizuki felt guilty.
It was innocent!
"As compensation, I've decided to give you lots and lots of good food!"
Mizuki leaped into the tree and picked a whole bunch of pinecones, piling them around the little squirrel.
Thinking about how the squirrel would be beside itself with joy when it woke up and saw all these pinecones, much of his guilt faded.
"Still not proficient enough. Time to find the next practice target!" He looked around and soon locked onto another squirrel not far away.
As his gaze locked on, that little squirrel also looked toward Mizuki, its eyes full of resistance and terror.
Don't come over here!
"Hehe, don't worry, I'll be very gentle!"
Just as he was about to act, a masked ninja appeared, leaping over in a few bounds to stand before him.
"A Root ninja?" Mizuki frowned, wondering what this ninja wanted, appearing so brazenly before him.
"Mizuki, Lord Danzō requests your presence. Come with me."
Mizuki curled his lip, "Not interested."
The Root ninja was stunned, "Lord Danzō summons you, and you dare refuse?"
Mizuki picked at his ear, mocking him, "I'm not a Root ninja. Why should I listen to Danzō? Anyway, I get annoyed just seeing you Root types. Scram, and don't interrupt my training."
The Root ninja bristled with anger but didn't dare make a move. Instead, he began to threaten, "Does Lord Danzō have to come find you himself?"
Mizuki said coldly, "I told you to scram. Don't you understand?"
The next moment, his eyes fixed on the Root ninja. The Genjutsu activated.
Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu ▻ Demonic Illusion: Hell Technique
In an instant, the Root ninja fell into terror — eyes wide, body rigid. But after only one second, he broke free from the Genjutsu's control.
"Mizuki, you dare use Genjutsu to attack a village ninja — do you know what kind of offense this is?"
Mizuki chuckled, "I was just sparring with you. I didn't hurt you, so what's the problem? Of course, if you keep standing here running your mouth, I don't mind letting you experience the thrill of being killed by yourself."
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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 20 chapters ahead of this novel for just $2 or enjoy a large catalog of good novels with excellent translations: MrBlackWing (you know where to search)
I'm currently translating another project (for $1.5) where the main character travels through various worlds, like Highschool of the Dead, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, Darwin's Game, and many more, building a massive harem. It will have smut chapters (+18) and spicy images of the female characters. Check it out if you're interested! :)
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)