Early the next morning, Mizuki and Tsubaki prepared and ate breakfast together for the first time in a long while.
"This is surprisingly rich, Tsubaki," Mizuki said with satisfaction, chewing slowly. "Still as delicious as ever."
"As long as you like it," she replied, smiling modestly.
"But... isn't this a bit much for breakfast?" he asked, glancing at the spread. Especially the assorted sushi—his favorite—something he hadn't eaten this much of in ages.
"Today is special," she said softly. "You checked your ninja tools three times last night. And this morning, you're geared up with every piece of equipment you own. I've never seen you this cautious about a mission."
"You caught that, huh?" Mizuki gave a sheepish smile, glancing away. It was pointless trying to hide things from someone like Tsubaki. "I just didn't want to worry you. But since you've noticed... let's both be extra careful today, alright?"
"Mhm. You too," she replied, her voice warm.
The streets of Konoha buzzed like it was a festival. From inside the meeting room, the chatter and footsteps outside could still be heard.
Mizuki sat in the corner, quietly counting on his fingers before scanning the room.
"All familiar faces… Looks like this really is Konoha's core team," he thought.
To his left sat Ibiki Morino, as stoic as ever. Mizuki thought he looked fine when expressionless, but the moment Ibiki showed any emotion, the scars across his face made him look even more intimidating.
"Ibiki," Mizuki said, casually, "why were you assigned to the outer perimeter? With your interrogation skills and battle ability, wouldn't it make more sense for you to stay inside the venue?"
"Because I might scare the children," a teasing voice cut in before Ibiki could answer.
Anko Mitarashi, wearing her usual mesh top and trench coat, sauntered in grinning.
Mizuki sighed. "That's supposed to be a joke? Ibiki, do you actually find this funny?"
Ibiki didn't respond. Only the corner of his scarred mouth twitched—whether it was amusement or pain, Mizuki couldn't tell.
"Konoha's sense of humor is seriously a problem," Mizuki muttered, turning to the right. "Right, Iruka?"
Iruka Umino, seated stiffly beside him, smiled awkwardly. "Well… I guess I'm one of the people you think doesn't have a sense of humor either."
"Wait, really? I've said that to you before?" Mizuki raised an eyebrow.
Iruka nodded solemnly.
"…That explains a lot." Mizuki sighed theatrically. "Guess we'll be bachelors forever. People like Anko ruin the comedy curve. Good looks, great body, absolutely wasted on someone who makes jokes like that."
Before Mizuki could say anything more, a sharp thunk cut the air—a bamboo skewer embedded itself in the table in front of him, quivering slightly.
He blinked. "Whoa—!"
"I thought I heard something interesting just now," Anko said, eyes narrowing, smile turning sharp. "Was it you, Mizuki?"
"Me? No way," Mizuki said innocently, turning to Ibiki and Iruka. "Did anyone say anything here? I sure didn't."
Ibiki didn't flinch. Iruka gave another nervous chuckle.
"See? No one heard anything," Mizuki said with exaggerated calm.
Anko stared at them all, unimpressed. "I used to think you two—Ibiki, Iruka—were decent guys. But after spending too much time around Mizuki, looks like you've picked up his bad habits."
"'Bad habits'? You make it sound like I'm a virus," Mizuki said dryly. "Watch it, or people might think you care what I say."
Before Anko could retort, a calm, authoritative voice cut through the tension.
"Is everyone here?"
The room immediately stood at attention. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, had arrived, wearing his formal flak vest and traditional robes with a rare sternness in his posture. He carried the weight of experience as he swept his eyes over the gathered shinobi.
"Be seated," he said, and they complied.
"The Chūnin Exams' third stage is about to begin. As you know, this event holds both strategic and diplomatic importance. Many noble clans and feudal lords will be in attendance. I trust you've all read the mission details—your roles are essential."
He paused. "Any questions?"
Mizuki raised a hand. "Lord Hokage, my team leader—Hatake Kakashi—hasn't returned yet. What are the orders in that case?"
Hiruzen nodded. "Kakashi has reported in. He'll arrive before the matches begin. Until then, coordinate with the other jōnin instructors. There are enough of you present to maintain control."
"Understood," Mizuki said, nodding. In the original manga, it was Kakashi and Kai—uh, Gai—who handled most of the visible jōnin roles during the preliminaries. But now, it feels like there's a push for extra security. I wonder how short-staffed we really are.
After a moment's silence, Hiruzen added, "If there's nothing else, take your positions. Let's begin."
Outside the arena, Mizuki stood at one of the entrance checkpoints, watching the crowd shuffle in. It looked like a parade of every oddity the Shinobi World could muster—countless hair colors, skin tones, clan tattoos, strange eyes, and hairstyles that defied gravity.
"Honestly, with all this, even thick eyebrows aren't so weird anymore…"
He glanced to his side, where Might Guy stood ramrod straight, arms folded, his green jumpsuit practically shining in the morning light.
As if sensing the gaze, Guy turned, flashed a thumbs-up, and gave a dazzling smile, teeth gleaming.
Mizuki quickly looked away, eyes squinting. "Blinding. Just looking at him feels like losing a little sanity…"
"You can't deal with that kind of guy. Too much passion. Too much energy. Too much muscle. And worst of all—he's actually strong."
They inspected the crowds carefully—looking for suspicious movement or disguised intruders. But with nobles around and civilians watching, the guards couldn't act too aggressively. Mostly, they ended up catching petty thieves trying to sneak past with fake tickets.
"You can guard against a thousand thieves once, but not one thief a thousand times." Mizuki frowned. "This setup's too passive. A few ANBU mixed in can't cover a venue this size. There just aren't enough shinobi for a population this big."
As the opening ceremony neared, the genin candidates began arriving. First to appear was Dosu Kinuta, walking alone.
Mizuki noted the somber look in the boy's eyes.
"Alone. He must know he's being sacrificed. His teammates, Zaku and Kin… already killed and turned into offerings for Orochimaru's Edo Tensei. Poor guy probably doesn't even know he's already outlived his welcome."
Mizuki exhaled through his nose. "This world's cruel. I hope the kid gets one clean moment before the curtains fall."