Chance Encounter

The early bird doesn't always get the worm. Mizuki had gotten up early, but instead of finding something good, he'd landed himself in a bit of trouble. Babysitting was hardly the sort of thing a man in his twenties should be doing. He was tall, and his body still looked somewhat frail from the toll his injuries had taken, but he seemed full of energy.

Having decided to take a proper break, Mizuki went alone to Kage Rock to get some fresh air while it was still early and the weather hadn't gotten too hot. Since coming to this world, this was his first time taking in Konoha Village from this vantage point.

From here, Konoha was astonishingly large for a village, looking more like a vast city. It was hard to find many settlements of this size that were more prosperous. The whole village fanned outward from Kage Rock, its neat rows of distinctive buildings stretching into the distance. There was none of the pollution from his previous life, and the greenery was astonishingly lush. Living in such a gardenlike, pleasant place must have been wonderful.

The village seemed to be in a transitional phase, moving from steampunk toward the electric age. As a result, it was filled with things that looked out of place on their own, but fit together without clashing, giving the village a strange cultural charm.

Mizuki was leisurely admiring the peaceful, prosperous village, which he might never see again in just over a month, when a man who always gave off an untrustworthy air walked over.

"Is that Kabuto Yakushi? What's he doing here? Is he looking for me?"

Though they'd run into each other unexpectedly, Mizuki wasn't afraid.

"Even if I'd probably lose in a straight fight, running into Kabuto without any preparation is unwise. But if we do fight, I can still get away if things go badly."

Kabuto was already powerful, but he was nowhere near the strength and audacity he'd later show when taking on the world alone. Besides, Mizuki might not dare snarl at Orochimaru, but he wasn't afraid of Kabuto. In fact, it might be better to fight him and come away with a few minor injuries—then he'd have an excuse to prove his loyalty to the village.

That said, as Kabuto drew closer, Mizuki became wary. He couldn't afford to let carelessness lead to disaster. He'd finally cleared his name and was about to become a righteous hero and mentor to his first love. Getting killed here would be a terrible waste.

Kabuto stopped about ten paces away and adjusted his glasses with a smile. "Mizuki, I've had a hard time finding you lately. I heard you were badly injured. I'm relieved to see you're all right."

"Give me a break, Kabuto," Mizuki said bluntly. "Has nobody ever told you your smile is too fake?"

Kabuto didn't take offense. The Mizuki he remembered was all bark and no bite, an ambitious man with little talent.

"I really don't understand why Lord Orochimaru took an interest in such a useless fellow."

Despite thinking that, Kabuto put on his trademark fake spy smile and said, "That's not fair, senior. However you look at it, I went to a lot of trouble to find you."

"Spit it out. What do you want?"

"It's nothing major. Lord Orochimaru has issued a mission to kill Sasuke Uchiha. I'd like you to help me assassinate the target. All you have to do is make a little noise at Konoha Hospital to draw the Anbu's attention."

"Why should I help you?" Mizuki refused. "It has nothing to do with me, and I'd get nothing out of it."

"Come on, senior. If we complete the mission and earn Lord Orochimaru's favor, you might be rewarded. Haven't you already received power from him?"

"Don't come to me to be your scapegoat and draw attention. As for that power you gave me, I'm not blessed enough to enjoy it." Mizuki raised his voice. "I know where I stand with Orochimaru. Don't spout nonsense at me. If you really want something from me, offer me something worthwhile. Don't make empty promises like a con artist, and don't offer me some power that'll kill me as soon as I use it. I'm telling you this, but if you think it's necessary, you can pass it on to Orochimaru too."

Only then did Kabuto realize something was wrong.

"Are you planning to betray Lord Orochimaru?" Kabuto dropped the "senior."

"Don't talk as if I'm one of you," Mizuki said disdainfully. "You, his trusted right-hand man, must know perfectly well how little Orochimaru cares about me. I only ever mentioned the possibility of joining him; I never actually did. And Orochimaru has probably never taken me seriously, either. So I've never been his subordinate, and there's nothing for me to betray. I certainly don't have to follow your orders. If you want to recruit me, make a sincere offer. Anything can be bought in this world, as long as you can pay the price."

That made the situation clear.

"It's been a while, senior. You've really made me look at you differently." Kabuto gave up on trying to fool Mizuki. "I didn't expect that after a serious injury, your IQ would improve so much."

"Lying in a hospital bed with nothing to do left me with plenty of time to think. Once I spent a while pondering the things I hadn't understood before, they started to make sense." Mizuki was just making things up.

"In that case, I have no choice. To prevent any leaks, I can't let you go. What a pity." Kabuto took out a scalpel and prepared to attack.

"Then try it. Honestly, this place is out in the open. I'm curious how you'll silence me without anyone noticing."

He sounded confident, but this kind of chance encounter was a serious disadvantage for Mizuki. The terrain atop Kage Rock didn't suit his strengths. In a dense forest, where he could use his tactical advantages in genjutsu, Sealing Jutsu, barriers, and summoning, fighting Kabuto would be a good way to test himself. For now, he could only hope Kabuto would be wary of attracting attention and retreat if he couldn't finish Mizuki off quickly.

Neither Mizuki's nor Kabuto's fighting style was suited to making a lot of noise. Armed with a short, deadly scalpel, Kabuto pressed the attack. Mizuki, wielding a massive Fuma Shuriken, kept retreating as he fought, refusing to meet Kabuto head-on. He focused on parrying and avoiding close combat, stalling for time. Kabuto's Chakra Scalpel and Mystical Palm Technique could do terrible damage to the body; one mistake could turn the tables, and it wasn't worth the risk.

There wasn't much finesse to close-quarters combat. Kabuto was talented, but Mizuki was an experienced Chunin. If one side wanted to stall, it was nearly impossible to decide the winner in a short time. Using ninjutsu would make too much noise, putting Kabuto, a spy operating in suspicious circumstances, at a severe disadvantage.