Chapter 25: Unwilling to Walk Alone
Chapter 25: Unwilling to Walk Alone
As the weather grew hotter, Konoha remained as bustling as ever—if not even more so. With the Chunin Exams approaching, a steady stream of unfamiliar faces flooded the village, making the streets livelier than usual.
That morning, Mizuki spent hours accompanying Kochou as she inspected potential storefronts for her flower shop.
To Mizuki, they all seemed the same—as long as the location wasn't too remote, anything should sell well in a prosperous village like Konoha.
He wasn't exactly an expert in real estate, so his only real input was based on personal preference.
After ruling out places too close to potential battlegrounds—especially areas that might suffer collateral damage during Orochimaru's invasion—they settled on a shop near the Konoha Hospital along the main road.
As for Pain's invasion three years later… Mizuki didn't even bother worrying about it.
"If I can't prevent Konoha's destruction by then," he thought, "I might as well go into hiding and live in seclusion. The fate of the ninja world won't have much to do with me anymore."
"Kochou, let's rent the place for two months first. If business goes well, we'll buy it later. No need to rush into purchasing—what if it doesn't work out?"
Mizuki wasn't actually concerned about business failing. He was simply waiting for Konoha's destruction to lower real estate prices, making it a better investment.
But to his surprise, Kochou stood firm—her usual gentle, accommodating nature replaced with unexpected determination.
"I think this place is perfect," she insisted. "The owner is looking to sell quickly, so the price is fair. If we buy it now, we can renovate and set up the shop exactly the way we want."
"Hmm?"
Mizuki raised an eyebrow.
He had grown accustomed to Kochou being meek and agreeable, always deferential to his decisions.
But it seemed he had overlooked something—Kochou wasn't just a timid woman who blindly followed him.
She was a kunoichi—capable and decisive in her own right.
Maybe she obeyed him because he was her fiancé, but in truth, she had her own will.
He had been so focused on scheming and maneuvering for survival that he failed to appreciate what was right beside him.
"Alright, then. It's your decision," Mizuki said with a smile.
He wasn't the type to insist on absolute control—not over things that didn't matter much.
In the end, all his planning and scheming boiled down to one simple goal—ensuring a comfortable life with more choices for himself and those around him.
As he watched Kochou haggle aggressively with the seller, he realized:
She was far more decisive than he was.
He lacked the patience and skill to handle business negotiations.
In both his past life and this one, he had never been a true elite—just a mediocre worker.
His greatest advantage was his knowledge.
If he hadn't inherited memories of the future, he wouldn't stand a chance in this world.
Compared to the truly talented people of this era, he was nothing special.
"I need to start building a reliable network," he realized.
One person thinking alone was too inefficient.
Growth required mentors, peers, and subordinates.
Only through experience and status could he develop real insight—mere plotting and scheming wasn't enough.
"Mizuki, are you mad?"
As they left the shop, Kochou looked worried.
"You seem upset because I didn't listen to you."
Mizuki blinked in surprise, then laughed.
"I'm not mad at all."
"Really? You looked so serious… I thought you were angry."
"Sorry for making you worry. I was just lost in thought."
"What were you thinking about? Can I help?"
"Not right now," Mizuki said. "But let's go check on your flowers. I haven't visited your forest cottage in a while."
"Really? You want to go?" Kochou brightened up. "But… can you handle the trip? You're still recovering."
"I'm fine. Let's go now—better to finish before it gets too hot."
The small wooden house was just as Mizuki remembered—a simple space with traditional tatami mats, old furniture, and a modest interior.
But now, the surrounding garden had been transformed.
Vibrant rows of flowers lined the house, still budding, but already beautiful.
Sitting inside, Mizuki accepted a cup of water from Kochou and drank it in one gulp.
"This cup is so old," he remarked. "Since we'll be coming here often, we should replace the tableware."
"Okay," Kochou agreed easily.
But Mizuki doubted she'd actually do it.
She was too frugal, too used to making do with little.
"Are you tired?" she asked.
"A little hungry."
"All we have is bento. It's not fancy…"
"That's fine. Your cooking is always great."
After their simple meal, Kochou tended to her flowers, while Mizuki relaxed, enjoying the rare peace.
Once the heat eased, Mizuki finally spoke.
"Kochou, I want to take you somewhere."
"Okay!" she said cheerfully, trusting him completely.
As they walked along a shaded forest path, Kochou's smile faded.
"Mizuki, is this… that place?" she asked uneasily.
"That's right."
"But you swore you'd never get involved with Orochimaru again!"
"I won't," Mizuki reassured her.
"The Cursed Seal is sealed away. We destroyed everything related to Orochimaru, remember?"
"Then why are we here?" Kochou demanded. "Promise me you won't do anything dangerous!"
"Relax. I never plan on contacting Orochimaru again."
That monster had no loyalty or mercy.
Mizuki wasn't naïve enough to trust him.
Besides, his current strength was nowhere near enough to survive Orochimaru's interests.
"I've never actually been inside this place before. Since I have time now, I figured I'd check it out."
Kochou hesitated, then sighed.
"Fine… but I'm coming with you."
After disarming the traps, they entered a small, abandoned facility.
"See? Nothing dangerous."
But Kochou's eyes landed on a specific device—a liquid-filled containment pod.
"This is…?"
"Familiar, isn't it?"
It resembled the Cursed Seal infusion system Mizuki had used before.
"It's the activation formula for the Cursed Seal," Mizuki explained. "Even an amateur could use this to replicate the process."
Kochou's frown deepened.
"I don't like this place."
"Then let's destroy it," Mizuki said casually. "It's useless now—just takes up space."
Kochou looked puzzled.
"What for?"
Instead of answering, Mizuki unsealed a storage scroll, revealing rows of test tubes, cultivation samples, and strange biological specimens.
"You're moving all your experiments here?"
"Yep. It's safer than my house," Mizuki said. "And honestly… I don't want to sleep next to a bunch of weird insects."
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