The Boundaries of Personality

"What exactly is this medicine? Could it be very dangerous?" Tsubaki really thought this stuff was too dangerous.

"Of course there's some danger. To ordinary people, it's deadly poison, but for a ninja, as long as it isn't used in excessive amounts, it's actually not that dangerous. As long as you don't abuse it, it's relatively safe."

After Mizuki repeatedly tried to reassure her, Tsubaki finally agreed to help.

"That's great, Tsubaki. Thank you." Mizuki was happy, too. With a reliable assistant, everything would be much easier.

"Mm. Mizuki, will the village be unhappy about you doing these experiments?"

"Of course they'll be unhappy. A laboratory isn't exactly a harmonious, friendly place. There's always going to be some bloodshed and unpleasantness. That's why I'm doing this in an underground base where nobody goes. As long as the village doesn't see it, it'll be fine." Mizuki explained, "It's not like I'm doing anything truly evil. I developed all of this myself, so it's no big deal. But it's best to keep it private." A ninja's profession exposed them to far more darkness than most people could imagine. Mizuki hadn't harmed any innocent people, much less conducted cruel human experiments. What he was doing might well be more civilized than the things Danzo did in the village.

Next, Mizuki carefully went over some precautions and the things he needed Tsubaki's help with. Then he rearranged the underground base and set up some traps and genjutsu barriers to conceal the entrance before they left.

They stopped briefly at the little cabin in the hills behind the village. After sorting out their things, they prepared to return to the village.

On the way, Tsubaki kept starting to ask something, then stopping herself. Mizuki couldn't help asking, "Is there something you want to say? We're almost home."

"Where did those strange creatures come from? What are they, exactly?"

"Heh, you couldn't resist asking after all," Mizuki said with a smile. "I grew one of them from my hair. The others were made from blood shed by other ninjas during missions. I collected it and used it to make them." He made no attempt to hide anything and told Tsubaki everything.

"But are they alive? Is it really okay for us to do this?"

"They were originally just puddles of blood. How could they be alive? Their original owners are all alive and well. I just put other people's unwanted leftovers to use."

"I see. As long as nothing's wrong, that's good."

I'm reassuring Tsubaki, but only I know what the truth is. Mizuki couldn't help feeling helpless.

That was right. It wasn't really a question of whether those things were alive or not. They were merely chunks of meat that still possessed some vitality. They had no thoughts, no spirit, no soul, and no sense of self. They didn't even qualify as complete living beings, and they would immediately perish without the medicine and nutrient solution. But they couldn't stay that way forever. The clone made from his hair cells, the earliest one he'd grown, would soon be nearly fully formed. It would soon have all the organs and tissues it needed, and before long, it would develop a fully functioning brain. It would think, learn, and grow. They couldn't stay in nutrient solution forever. When that day came, could he still treat them as disposable tools? Toying with intelligent life was something he absolutely couldn't accept.

These were no longer questions of being a ninja. People needed principles. Once those principles were broken, there could be no more principles at all. In this world, which was anything but peaceful, only people with exceptionally strong minds could hold on to their principles amid war and killing. Only then could they preserve their sense of self and avoid falling into the abyss of corruption.

The importance of staying true to oneself and never forgetting one's original intentions was self-evident. The real world influenced everyone constantly. A person's personality was shaped by their environment, relationships, morality, laws, outlook on life, and worldview. These things set the boundaries of one's personality. They were both restraints and protection. Once someone broke through those restraints, they lost their direction. A will free of all restraints could no longer escape the lure of limitless freedom. It could only gradually lose its original character and head toward destruction. It was like Itachi Uchiha: his love for his younger brother had always preserved his final boundary. Orochimaru, on the other hand, had shattered everything without hesitation in his boundless pursuit of knowledge.

As far as Mizuki was concerned, not taking the lives of innocent people was a crucial principle. First, he had to determine whether they were human lives; then he could judge whether they were innocent according to his own moral standards.

At present, by his own understanding, those chunks of meat were undoubtedly not complete organisms, so the question of whether they were people didn't even arise. But if one day they met his definition of human beings, would he still be able to use and squander their lives without a second thought? Even if he was their creator, he would consider that an unforgivable sin.

So even though he could confidently reassure Tsubaki now, he still had to think carefully about how to use the experimental subjects and what to do with them in the future.

"Tsubaki, you can try this green medicine in the garden, too. You can use it for seed cultivation, layering, grafting, and so on. It should improve the nursery's efficiency and yield. You can also try using this silver medicine alongside it and see what happens. Just use the classification and comparison method I taught you, and record the data and results. Show them to me again after a while."

"Okay." Tsubaki happily took the medicine. "With this, I can grow more flowers to sell. Maybe I'll even be able to cultivate a new variety that people love." Tsubaki was always enthusiastic about the things she liked.

"Just be careful. Don't lose them. These things are not only valuable but dangerous, too. It would be a problem if they fell into the hands of someone with bad intentions."

"I understand. I'll keep them safe," Tsubaki said solemnly.

"Hey, isn't that Mizuki?" A lazy voice suddenly came from behind them as they talked. "Looks like you've recovered. You're one lucky guy. You looked awful, but you still didn't die."

"Kakashi?" Mizuki was surprised, too. What a coincidence.

"Mizuki-sensei, you look so pale. Did you do something bad and get beaten up again?" It went without saying that this loudmouth was Naruto Uzumaki.

Sakura Haruno greeted them politely, while the arrogant Sasuke merely nodded.

"Sakura, what a polite, well-behaved girl. Sasuke seems to have improved quite a bit, too." Mizuki smiled and returned their greetings. "I heard you completed a super-difficult mission. Impressive, Kakashi."

"Don't ignore me! I'm awesome, too. I beat a super-powerful enemy!"

"Oh, Naruto-kun, you're here, too." Mizuki gave him an apologetic look. "I'm really sorry. You're so short that I didn't see you just now."

"You bastard! You did that on purpose! Just you wait—I'll show you!" Naruto said, about to come at him.

"Stop, Naruto!" Kakashi hurriedly held him back. "Mizuki-sensei was badly injured on a mission. He can't fight."

"Is that so?" Naruto Uzumaki looked unconvinced. "Him? That villain? Would someone like him really get hurt doing a good deed on a mission?"

"Genin education has really failed. There's no respect at all for a senior who's served Konoha. The Third Lord will have a headache over this. He should seriously consider teaching the new graduates some manners. It seems necessary to send them back to the Ninja Academy for another round of education."

"Back to the Ninja Academy?" Naruto was startled. "Surely not? The Third wouldn't be that unreasonable, would he?"

Ignoring Naruto, Mizuki walked along and asked Kakashi, "Why did you get back so late? You should've finished ages ago if nothing had gotten in the way."

"We wasted some time taking care of other matters in the Land of Waves. Besides, it was a good opportunity. The training the Genin got after the big battle was worthwhile."

"So being a team leader really is a headache, especially when you've got a bunch of problem kids."

"It's not too bad," Kakashi said nonchalantly. "You seem to have recovered well. Hayate and Aoba are all right, too, aren't they?"

"Mm, they've been fine for a while. They're busy, unlike me. They don't have time to wander around."

"Busy? That's true. It's already this late."

"I'd say you got back at just the right time. There isn't much time to prepare." Mizuki gestured behind him. "Want to take part?"

The three Genin had no idea what he meant, but Kakashi understood.

"Mm. It's worth giving it a try. There might be a pleasant surprise."

The group had unconsciously walked into the village while talking.

"Then I'll be going. See you." Kakashi and the others were busy heading off to report their mission.

"Mm. See you." Mizuki was still recovering from a serious illness, and after being busy all day, he was exhausted. It would be better to go home and rest early.

"Mizuki, who was that jonin?" Tsubaki hadn't recognized Hatake Kakashi.

"Hatake Kakashi, a Konoha jonin. He's a very capable and famous ninja." Mizuki didn't go into detail. "With his abilities, he might even become Hokage someday."

"He's that amazing?" Tsubaki clicked her tongue in surprise. "I never expected that gloomy, unremarkable-looking man to be such a powerful ninja."

Unremarkable-looking? Mizuki couldn't help sighing. Kakashi's ruined aura wasn't the mask's fault. He was wasting a handsome face.

"Enough about that. Let's go home early. You won't have to take time off tomorrow. I don't need you looking after me every second anymore."

Tsubaki agreed. "Okay. Take care."

When they got back to Mizuki's home, they had plenty of time for once, so the two of them put their hearts into making a big dinner to reward themselves for a busy day.

After eating his fill, Mizuki even helped Tsubaki clear the dishes for once.

"Tsubaki, even though I said I'd leave everything to you, I just wanted to ask something." Mizuki suddenly remembered something and turned to his fiancée beside him. "Have you decided who to hire to help out at the flower shop?"

"Eh?" Tsubaki looked completely innocent, as if she couldn't remember anything about it.

"Ah, I guess I expected too much of you." Had that capable, strong-willed woman only been a fleeting glimpse? The timid girl had apparently been hiding a scatterbrained side all along.