Chapter 21: Pledge of Allegiance

When Mizuki opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in a white hospital room.

"I'm alive… It's finally over."

He took a moment to steady his mind, then lifted his right hand. His arm, pale and thin, was completely different from its previously strong and muscular form.

"Just moving my fingers feels exhausting… Looks like I'll be resting for a long time. Wait, is that… Kochou?"

Beside his bed, curled up and asleep, was his fiancée Kochou Chihiro.

Mizuki reached out, gently running his fingers through her hair. "It feels good to be alive."

Before setting out on this mission, Mizuki had known it would be dangerous, but he hadn't expected to get this badly injured. He had prepared thoroughly, but even with all his precautions, he had nearly not made it back.

"Konoha's reputation and power are no longer enough to keep potential enemies in check."

Ever since the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha had been in decline. The once-unstoppable White Fang, Sakumo Hatake, had perished in disgrace. The legendary Orochimaru had turned traitor. Jiraiya and Tsunade had left the village, and the Fourth Hokage had died fighting the Nine-Tails. Now, only the aging Hiruzen Sarutobi remained to hold everything together.

With rich land and resources, but a diminished military force, Konoha was losing its grip. The other villages were testing its strength, exploiting rogue ninja like Suigetsu Hozuki and Zabuza Momochi as tools.

It was no wonder that, not long from now, the Hidden Sand Village would be swayed by Orochimaru, leading to the invasion during the Chunin Exams.

"When money and power are at stake, alliances mean nothing."

Mizuki was pulled from his thoughts as Kochou stirred, awakened by his touch.

"Mizuki, you're awake?"

She immediately sat up, her voice trembling with relief.

"Kochou, you must be exhausted," Mizuki said weakly. "I'm fine now."

"I thought… I thought you'd never wake up again!" She threw her arms around him, crying against his chest. "When they brought you back, you looked dead. I thought I'd lost you forever!"

"I really put her through hell," Mizuki thought, feeling guilty.

"She must have been terrified."

"Hey, hey… I'm alright now," Mizuki soothed her, but his weak body protested under the pressure. "But if you keep squeezing me like that, I actually will be in trouble."

"A-Ah! Sorry!" Kochou quickly pulled away, wiping her tears.

Mizuki smiled softly. "Help me sit up? My whole body feels stiff."

"You've been asleep for a whole week," Kochou explained as she helped him into a sitting position. "Hayate and Aoba brought you back first. Ibiki and the others only returned yesterday."

"Are they alright?" Mizuki asked immediately.

"They're fine. They even visited you yesterday."

Mizuki sighed in relief. "Looks like the green serum worked better than I expected."

"My stomach feels like it's eating itself. Can you cut me some fruit?"

"You haven't eaten in a week, of course you're starving!" Kochou picked up a knife and started peeling an apple. "Here, don't move—I'll feed you."

"Alright, but if it's not sweet, I'm complaining."

Hokage's Office

In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat across from Ibiki Morino.

"I've read your mission report," the Third Hokage said. "You've done well, Ibiki."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage. What about Kakashi? When is he expected to return?"

"Within half a month. No more than a month at most."

Ibiki nodded. "Hayate and Aoba returned early to escort Mizuki. The rest of us stayed until Kakashi and his team recovered, then completed the handover and came back. Everything should be fine."

"Good," Hiruzen acknowledged. He tapped his desk thoughtfully. "I see in your report that Uchiha Sasuke has awakened the Sharingan?"

"Yes, confirmed."

"Hmm… Awakening the Sharingan at twelve years old makes him a rare talent, even among the Uchiha," Hiruzen mused. Then his face darkened slightly.

"Ibiki, your report also mentions an anomaly with the Nine-Tails. Explain."

"We didn't witness it firsthand," Ibiki admitted. "By the time we arrived, the battle was already over. But according to Kakashi, it was just Naruto's emotions triggering a small leak of Nine-Tails chakra. Nothing dangerous."

Hiruzen let out a long breath, relief evident on his face. "Then this mission has served its purpose."

He leaned forward, his expression turning serious. "I need you to give me your official opinion as the head of Konoha's Interrogation Department."

Ibiki straightened up immediately. "What do you need, Lord Hokage?"

"It's about Hayate, Aoba… and Mizuki."

Ibiki frowned slightly. "Are their injuries more severe than expected?"

"No," Hiruzen shook his head. "Listen to me carefully."

He flipped open a report and pointed to a photograph. The image showed Mizuki, Hayate, and Aoba after their battle—wounded and exhausted, especially Mizuki, whose appearance was almost unrecognizable from the blood and scars.

"This photograph shows how desperate the situation was," Hiruzen continued. "According to Hayate and Aoba, they were completely outmatched—until Mizuki used some kind of experimental serum."

He folded his hands. "This 'serum' allowed them to recover from fatal injuries and fight on, even turning the tide of battle. But Mizuki took a higher dose than both of them combined—allowing him to kill one opponent, heavily injure another, and hold out until Hayate and Aoba could finish the job."

Ibiki listened carefully, his expression unreadable.

"Later, when the serum's effects wore off, Mizuki collapsed from exhaustion. But before that, he was fighting far beyond normal human limits—almost impossible to believe."

Hiruzen sighed. "We analyzed a sample of the serum from Aoba. The results were… disturbing. While it does promote healing, the side effects are horrific. Most test subjects suffered grotesque mutations. If they were human, they'd probably wish for death."

"So Mizuki's team was just lucky?" Ibiki asked.

"Yes. The serum seems unrefined—an accident that worked in their favor this time. Until the side effects are resolved, it's too dangerous to distribute."

"Should we confiscate the remaining samples from Hayate?"

"No," Hiruzen said firmly. "Leave things as they are. And as for Mizuki… we say nothing. He knows his own creation best. He won't misuse it."

"I understand," Ibiki acknowledged. "But, Lord Hokage… what do you really want to ask me?"

Hiruzen's sharp eyes met Ibiki's.

"Mizuki," he said gravely. "After everything, do you believe he can be trusted?"

Ibiki was silent for a moment, then answered without hesitation.

"Yes, Lord Hokage. Mizuki is loyal to Konoha."

After all, nothing speaks louder than bleeding for your village.

Hiruzen nodded slowly, his decision made.

"Then as of today," he said, "all surveillance and investigations on Mizuki are officially terminated."

"Understood."

Konoha Hospital – Mizuki's Room

That evening, as Kochou watched over Mizuki, a knock came at the door.

"Come in," she said.

The door creaked open, revealing Iruka Umino.

"Iruka?" Kochou blinked. "You didn't have to come all this way."

Iruka smiled. "How could I not? Mizuki helped me so much in the past. I just wanted to check in."

"He woke up today," Kochou told him, relieved. "He's already complaining about hospital food and planning to turn the room into a kitchen."

Iruka chuckled. "That sounds like him. I'm glad he's okay."

He glanced at Mizuki's sleeping face. "I won't stay long—just tell him I dropped by."

"I will," Kochou promised.

Iruka smiled. "Then I'll be going. Take care."

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