He Still Has to Thank Us!

Leaving the Sealed Archive, Sahara Mizu recalled the figure he had just seen and couldn't help but feel a twinge of emotion.

Like so many classmates who had gone their separate ways after graduation, although Sahara Mizu and Namikaze Minato had been in the same class at the Ninja Academy, they had lost contact after graduating.

Or perhaps, they were never meant to have much contact in the first place.

Unlike Sahara Mizu, who had maintained only middling grades at the Academy to conceal his identity, Namikaze Minato had displayed talent far beyond the ordinary from a very young age.

Before even graduating from the Academy, he had been taken under the wing of Jiraiya, the Hokage's personal disciple. Uzumaki Kushina, whose extraordinary background was obvious to any discerning eye, had unknowingly become a close friend of his. And at barely over ten years old, he already possessed the formidable strength to take down two Cloud Village spies head-on.

If the Ninja World had web novels, many would probably be shouting "How terrifying!" and "Protagonist template!"

Even Sahara Mizu had once thought about latching onto the golden thigh of the Child of the Era, at least to become a supporting character used to set the stage, or even to connect with Konoha's highest echelons.

But unfortunately.

The background character he played had no ticket into the genius club.

Among the people Namikaze Minato frequently associated with, the youngest were two or three years older than him, and the oldest were seven or eight years his senior. All were rising stars renowned throughout Konoha for their strength and talent among the younger generation.

Akimichi Choza, Nara Shikaku, Uchiha Fugaku.

Clearly, from a very young age, Namikaze Minato had been consciously paving his path to becoming Hokage.

This was the road Minato had set for himself.

'So, what road should I take?'

Sahara Mizu had been pondering this question ever since leaving the Sealed Archive.

Until now, survival remained the first hurdle he had to face, and acquiring Heart Points was naturally the top priority.

But from morning until now, Sahara Mizu had walked past colleagues he knew well, neighbors he had known for years, and even the big-chested older sister at the breakfast stall he had coveted for ages.

Above everyone's heads, there was nothing but blank space.

This phenomenon involuntarily made him think of the specific phrase he had seen on the panel last night.

"Bond Level Increased"

Sahara Mizu gently rubbed his chin, his brow slightly furrowed.

"So, I need... people with a 'closer' relationship to me?"

"It looks like I'll have to drag out the situation with Mist Village even longer."

"But that's fine."

Sahara Mizu muttered, a slip of paper silently appearing between his fingers.

It was the intelligence he was preparing to send to Mist Village.

It detailed in full the S-Rank Mission that Tsunade's Team was currently executing.

"Assassination of the Third Raikage."

In addition, it recorded several key supply stops along their route.

Although Konoha's sealing jutsu was secure enough for most people, under these "Six Eyes," which could decipher the flow and composition of chakra, the intelligence hidden in the sealed cabinet was still completely exposed.

This way, he could at least buy himself another three months of development time.

Just as he was thinking this, he saw someone up ahead waving in his direction:

"Hey--!"

"Sahara-kun! Come help me carry the lunch boxes for your Intelligence Division!"

"The delivery cart's wheel broke."

"Coming!"

The paper in Sahara Mizu's hand vanished abruptly, and he turned to respond.

But as he looked back and saw the person's face, his steps involuntarily faltered.

The rich computational power of his "External Brain" instantly recalled the face of the person opposite him, but his brow furrowed slightly.

If he remembered correctly, this should be Mr. Kojima from the first-floor logistics office?

But that guy seemed to have a bit of a cleanliness obsession.

Observing the behavioral traits of strangers was an elective for ninjas, but a required course for spies.

Catching a glimpse of the faint mud stains on the hem of the other's pants and the heavy dust on the soles of his shoes, and comparing them with the image in his memory, Sahara Mizu instinctively grew a bit suspicious.

With just a trace of doubt, he didn't hesitate to activate his "Six Eyes" and turned to look at the man.

Under this vision, all chakra flow was laid bare before him.

Lucky.

Beneath the shell constructed of chakra was a body completely inconsistent with its appearance—this was the reaction of a special Transformation Jutsu.

So, a fellow traveler, huh?

And here I thought it was another Anbu coming to test me.

Sahara Mizu's body finally relaxed a little at the sight, his smile even turning much more genuine.

"Sahara-kun?"

Mr. Kojima seemed to notice his pause, asking with a hint of puzzlement, his knuckles naturally brushing against the other side of his pant leg.

"Hmm, and you are...?"

Sahara Mizu looked at him with some confusion.

"It's me, Kojima! Kojima Kenta!" He grumbled as if a little put out, but the hand at his trouser seam loosened by half. "I've been delivering lunch to your office all week—you don't really not remember me, do you?"

"Huh? Really? Sorry, sorry." Sahara Mizu scratched his head shyly like an ordinary young man, clearly a bit embarrassed as he smiled.

"I've been working so much overtime lately that my head's a mess. Your logistics division can't be that busy, right?"

"Pfft, don't even mention it! We left later than you guys last night..."

Probably to ease the earlier awkwardness, he took the initiative to steer the conversation, chatting lightly with this Mr. Kojima about small office topics as they each carried their lunch boxes toward the end of the hallway.

Inside, he was pondering the other's intentions.

Was he trying to fish information out of me? Or attempting to sneak into the Intelligence Division alongside me? Or perhaps...

Years of life as an undercover agent had cultivated in him a habit of suspicion and paranoia, making him instinctively alert to any abnormal behavior from those around him.

But then again, it was only natural.

After all, he was a spy too.

Just as he was still considering this, a deafening blast suddenly erupted from the wall behind him.

"BOOM—!"

The sturdy outer wall of the Hokage Building was blown open by a specialized Explosive Ninjutsu, revealing a massive gap five or six meters wide. The hot wind from the explosion sent rubble flying, clattering against the corridor floor.

At the same time, several suicide operatives charged recklessly into the breach, hurling themselves without hesitation toward a certain spot on the third floor in a desperate assault.

But barely had these men rushed inside when over a dozen Anbu in full uniform and Konoha Ninja in combat gear emerged from all directions, intercepting and encircling them.

The moment he noticed this, Sahara Mizu turned to look at his companion walking beside him and immediately understood their goal.

—Once you saw through the other's identity as a spy, it was easy to deduce his intention to exploit the chaos and break into some key department.

It seemed the people who wanted the intel he held weren't limited to just the Mist Village, were they?

Sahara Mizu's gaze deepened.

In that case...

"Sahara-kun!"

Sure enough, before he could even speak, the Mr. Kojima beside him had already dropped his lunch box, urging him in an urgent tone, throwing himself forward: "Quick! Let's go stop those bastards too!"

But Sahara Mizu, unexpectedly, shielded his own lunch box and reached out to stop him, saying calmly:

"Don't worry."

"That side only has the Confidential Storage Room, and the Hokage himself is guarding it from above. They won't get in!"

As he spoke, Sahara Mizu flashed him an utterly confident smile.

(ω＜)☆

"Huh?!"

That single sentence instantly froze 'Mr. Kojima's' steps, which had been ready to spring into action, and even the kunai he'd been about to use to take him hostage stayed pressed inside his pouch, unmoving.

Above... was the weak point?

In that moment, he stared at Sahara Mizu's back, a gleam lighting up in his eyes.