As night gradually fell, the streets of Konoha grew quieter, no longer as lively as they had been during the day. But in Konoha, which had enjoyed a long period of peace, nightfall didn't mark the end of the day. The bustling night markets had plenty of people coming and going, and patrol ninjas could be seen from time to time in the streets and alleys.
After a busy day, Mizuki walked home, occasionally greeting familiar ninjas he ran into.
"The security measures still look as they always have, but there are clearly more unfamiliar faces than usual. Looks like they're ready."
If he really wanted to steal the Scroll of Sealing and defect, the odds were ridiculously slim. Quietly observing the situation, Mizuki headed straight for his home. Where did I slip up? Kabuto Yakushi knew that he was in contact with Orochimaru, but that didn't necessarily mean he knew of Mizuki's plan to steal the Scroll of Sealing. Besides, the original Mizuki hadn't understood Kabuto's true abilities at all; he'd only thought of him as Orochimaru's spy and contact in Konoha. How could a fairly capable Chunin tell a Genin who'd failed the Chunin Ninja Exams several times about something that would determine the rest of his life?
Then was it Danzo? That seemed unlikely. Orochimaru and Danzo had certainly been in contact. Before Orochimaru defected, he'd had many experimental subjects and all kinds of forbidden jutsu; that wouldn't have been possible without the support of someone high up. Aside from the Hokage, the only person with the power to provide that kind of support was Shimura Danzo, who controlled the Anbu within the Anbu—the Root. But Orochimaru and Danzo had only used each other to get what they wanted. There was no trust between them, and Orochimaru was unlikely to expose himself to Danzo. Kabuto Yakushi was enough as a contact. Hm? No, that wasn't right. Orochimaru hadn't even taken Mizuki seriously. He might have forgotten him entirely. The Cursed Seal he'd given Mizuki was barely even a prototype, and activating it required a potion with terrible side effects. That said it all.
Could he have been placed under surveillance because he'd concealed something during the mission to recover the classified document? Or had his attempts to get close to the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki drawn attention and exposed him? After thinking it over, both seemed unlikely. He wasn't Anbu, and he hadn't committed any confirmed act of treason; he wasn't important enough to warrant attention. From the original story, it was clear that after the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha and was sealed inside Naruto Uzumaki, Danzo had tried to bring the Nine-Tails under his control, only for the Third Hokage to refuse. That suggested Naruto was under the Third Hokage's watch, so it was inevitable that Mizuki's approach would draw attention. That meant the most likely explanation was that the Hokage had arranged it—to test Mizuki, who was under suspicion, while using the opportunity to let the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki obtain the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.
"The Telescope Technique, huh? What a perverted jutsu. I didn't say anything that could get me in trouble on Kage Rock, so I should be fine. But the Third Hokage really is a master of his craft, after all those years in power. He's got everything arranged perfectly. He went to all that trouble just so Naruto could get the Scroll of Sealing. Heh. If that really is the Scroll of Sealing, that is."
Mizuki had spent a long time debating whether to try to gain something extra from tonight's operation. The Scroll of Sealing was an incredible opportunity. The jutsu inside were unbelievably powerful. Naruto Uzumaki had gone from a hopeless loser to a star just by learning the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, after all. And the scroll also contained all kinds of forbidden jutsu invented by the Second: Flying Raijin Jutsu, Summoning: Rashomon, and even techniques that blurred the line between life and death, such as Impure World Reincarnation and Dead Demon Consuming Seal. Even if it didn't contain those, the other jutsu were still on a completely different level from common-or-garden elemental techniques. But was tonight's operation really worth the Third Hokage using the real scroll as a prop? Hardly anyone had seen the Scroll of Sealing, so making a fake wouldn't be difficult. Besides, the Third Hokage could keep every risk under control.
Looking at it that way, the risk was enormous and the chance of gaining anything was tiny. After weighing it for a long time, Mizuki had no choice but to give up. Even if he got his hands on the real Scroll of Sealing, he didn't have Orochimaru's ability to turn its contents into strength of his own. It simply wasn't worth it.
Even so, Mizuki had still made some preparations. The final outcome was hard to predict, but he could at least try to guide how things unfolded.
At that thought, Mizuki remembered something. His connection to Orochimaru was the last thing he wanted exposed, but at least one person in Konoha knew about it. She didn't know the details, but she knew a fair amount. That person was his fiancée, Tsubaki Chie.
Looks like the original Mizuki really did love her. He even told her something that could decide whether he lived or died. I guess they really were a match.
When he returned home and opened the door, he checked the room and was surprised to find it spotless and neatly arranged. Everything had been cleaned and put in its place.
"Little Tsubaki must have come by to tidy up. What a thoughtful girl. In that respect, the original Mizuki was a winner in life. Compared with my previous life, where I'd made it to thirty without even getting a girlfriend, this guy was much younger than me and already had a beautiful, gentle fiancée. If I were him, I'd be satisfied. People never stop envying others for having what they don't."
After tidying up a little, he flopped onto the bed to rest. He'd used up too much mental energy today. He'd take a short nap and wait for things to begin.
"Soon I'll have to give the performance of a lifetime—across both my lives. In my previous life, I could get by in mediocrity without trying. In this life, if I don't try, I'll lose my life in the midst of mediocrity and regret. So I have to give it my all."
In the dead of night, a sudden noise came from outside. Mizuki jolted awake and sat up.
"Has it started?"
A figure appeared outside the window.
"Iruka? What's he doing here this late?"
It was Iruka. Looking anxious, he said, "Something terrible has happened! Naruto stole the Scroll of Sealing and ran off. Lord Hokage has ordered all available ninjas to search for him."
"I see. I understand. Go on ahead. It'll be more efficient if we split up. I'll be right there."
So things had changed slightly from the original story. Iruka had gotten the news before Mizuki. Was it because Mizuki had given up on stealing the Scroll of Sealing and hadn't been able to keep track of how things were progressing? It didn't matter. Things hadn't gone off the rails. After getting ready to leave, he discreetly looked around.
"I don't sense anyone watching me. Is that because nobody's here, or because they're so skilled that they're beyond my perception? It doesn't make much difference. Actually, it'd be better if someone were watching."
He checked his ninja tools, confirmed the direction, and quickly disappeared into the vast night.
After hurrying for a while, Mizuki soon arrived at the place he'd planned. He steadied his breathing, hid himself, and quietly waited for Iruka to arrive. Beside the small cabin some distance ahead, the blond Naruto Uzumaki was practicing a jutsu. He was working on the Shadow Clone Technique, and it didn't take long for him to get the hang of it.
"He's passionate, persistent, and exceptionally talented. Aside from his less-than-stellar brains, he was born to be a ninja."
Before long, a figure came sprinting from far away without bothering to hide. The moment he spotted Naruto in front of the cabin, he hurried over. It was Iruka, frantically searching for Naruto.
When Iruka found him, Naruto quickly put away the Scroll of Sealing, looking as pleased as if he were showing off a treasure. "Iruka-sensei, you found me so quickly! I just learned a powerful jutsu. Haha!"
"You idiot!" Iruka shouted furiously. "Why aren't you asleep in the middle of the night? What are you doing here with the Scroll of Sealing?"
Startled by Iruka's booming voice, Naruto gave an awkward laugh. "Well, I failed the exam, so I wanted to secretly learn one of the advanced jutsu in the Scroll of Sealing. Then I could surprise you, Iruka-sensei, and you'd let me become a ninja! I've learned a really powerful clone jutsu now!"
"Naruto, tell me honestly. Who told you about the Scroll of Sealing?" Iruka asked, sensing that something was wrong.
"It was Mizuki-sensei. He told me that if I learned an advanced jutsu even Iruka-sensei didn't know, you'd definitely let me take the makeup exam."
"Mizuki?" Iruka started. "Oh no! Naruto, get back!"
Hidden in the dark, Mizuki quietly watched the two of them finish talking. Then he hurriedly threw a shuriken. It spun in an arc toward Iruka. Mizuki stepped out of the shadows and stood on a tree branch, watching Iruka below scramble in confusion.
"Hey, Naruto-kun. Fancy seeing you again. How's your jutsu coming along? And Iruka, you don't look so good. Worried too much about your adorable student? You'll be old before your time."
He was certain the Third Hokage was watching. Mizuki had just used his senses to investigate and had indeed detected a faint trace of chakra spreading through the area. And that uncomfortable feeling of being watched... If he hadn't known in advance and deliberately searched for it, he would never have noticed this perverted spying technique. Now that the audience was in place, the actors had better put on a good show.
Naruto was so startled by the sudden turn of events that he couldn't make sense of what was happening.
"Um, Iruka-sensei, Mizuki-sensei, what's going on? This is a joke, right?"
Iruka knocked the shuriken aside and stepped in front of Naruto. "Naruto, don't believe Mizuki. Whatever you do, don't hand him the Scroll of Sealing!"
"The Scroll of Sealing? Iruka, you're still as naive as ever," Mizuki sneered. "This is the limit of your intelligence. Don't judge me by your shallow standards." As he spoke, he fired several kunai, then charged at Iruka, and the two of them clashed fiercely.
"Hand-to-hand combat is the best way to test a ninja's fundamentals. Sure enough, I'm stronger than Iruka. But this disconnect between me and this body doesn't look like it'll go away anytime soon." He'd inherited Mizuki's body and combat experience, but he still couldn't bring his full strength to bear. An ordinary person who'd lived in peacetime and barely exercised could never match Mizuki's years of ingrained ninja instincts.
In no time, Mizuki reached a grim conclusion. "Even if I have the upper hand right now, there's no guarantee I can completely overwhelm Iruka. In that case, it's time to use my backup plan. But I have to keep it within bounds so the Third Hokage doesn't think things are getting out of control and step in directly. Otherwise, I'll ruin everything. All right, let's begin."
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