Chapter 64: Humanity is the Betrayer

Mizuki was never particularly fond of ramen—not because it tasted bad, but because it reminded him too much of instant cup noodles. In his past life, he had eaten so many cup noodles that he had developed a psychological aversion to them. If he weren't starving, ramen wouldn't have even crossed his mind.

Squeezed together on the long bench of Ichiraku Ramen, Mizuki didn't find the experience particularly enjoyable, especially since he was sitting next to Naruto. The kid's eating habits were atrocious—his wild slurping flung broth everywhere, splashing onto Mizuki's clothes.

Looking at the towering stack of empty bowls beside Naruto, Mizuki finally understood how the boy maintained such incredible stamina. His sheer appetite was inhuman.

Wiping the soup off his face with a hand, Mizuki turned to Naruto and said, "I thought Ebisu was training you, but it turns out you've got Jiraiya-sama himself as a teacher. That's quite the stroke of luck."

"Huh? So that pervy old man is actually some big deal?" Naruto asked, still speaking without a shred of respect.

Jiraiya's face darkened. "I told you before, brat! I am Jiraiya of Mount Myoboku, the Toad Sage! Not some pervy old man!"

"It's all the same!" Naruto waved him off dismissively. "You're still a pervy sage."

Mizuki chuckled. "Naruto, Jiraiya-sama was the teacher of the Fourth Hokage. Many shinobi would give anything to be trained by him."

"For real?" Naruto blinked in surprise. "This pervy sage actually taught the Fourth Hokage? I mean, I knew he was better than Ebisu-sensei, but is he even stronger than Kakashi-sensei?"

"You're just now realizing how amazing I am, huh?" Jiraiya grinned smugly, his nose practically in the air. "This Toad Sage is no joke, brat!"

Naruto chugged the last of his ramen broth, slammed his bowl down, and pointed at Jiraiya.

"Alright, then! Since you're so great, hurry up and teach me some awesome jutsu! Stop wasting time peeping all day! I'll see you tomorrow morning, and you better not run away, pervy sage!"

With that, Naruto darted out the door, making a beeline for home.

Jiraiya sighed, watching the boy disappear. "Brat didn't even pay… And after eating so much, too."

Turning to Mizuki, he raised an eyebrow. "So, Mizuki, what do you need from me?"

Mizuki smiled. "You saw through me, huh, Jiraiya-sama?"

"It wasn't hard. Speak."

"I wanted to ask about Sage Mode."

Jiraiya's expression immediately turned serious. "Sage Mode, huh? You're quite the curious one… That's not something just anyone can know about."

"There are no true secrets in the shinobi world," Mizuki replied. "If someone wants to learn something badly enough, they'll find a way."

Jiraiya crossed his arms. "Regardless of where you heard about it, Sage Mode isn't something you should be meddling with."

"I understand," Mizuki nodded. "To train in Sage Mode, you need a massive chakra reserve, and I don't meet that requirement."

Jiraiya studied him for a moment before smirking. "You really have done your research."

"How many people in the world have actually mastered Sage Mode?" Mizuki asked.

Jiraiya's smirk faded slightly. "To my knowledge? Just me."

"That few?" Mizuki muttered, surprised.

"There was Orochimaru," Jiraiya added. "He tried to learn it, but… it seems he failed."

Mizuki frowned. "That's still a very small number…"

"Not surprising," Jiraiya replied. "Sage Mode is extremely dangerous. Without a summoning contract with one of the great sage clans, you can't even sense natural energy." He paused, then asked, "You know about natural energy, right?"

Mizuki nodded. "If only you and Orochimaru attempted Sage Mode, then why are there multiple sage clans? Shouldn't there be more human sages?"

Jiraiya scratched his head. "That… I don't have an answer for."

Mizuki's mind raced. "Natural energy should be accessible to everyone. Why is it that only summons like the Toads, Snakes, and Slugs have sage practitioners, but almost no humans do?"

Jiraiya chuckled. "Who knows? Maybe the world just doesn't like humans."

Mizuki's eyes narrowed.

Doesn't like humans?

It sounded like a joke, but… what if it wasn't?

If the shinobi world truly had a will of its own—what if it resented humanity?

Could that be the reason humans struggle to master Sage Mode?

The thought sent a chill down his spine.

Mizuki turned to Jiraiya. "Lord Jiraiya, humanity has produced one great sage, hasn't it? The legendary Sage of Six Paths?"

Jiraiya nodded. "Yeah. He was the one who established the balance of yin, yang, and the five elements in the world. The father of all shinobi."

Mizuki smiled faintly. A hero? The first 'Child of Prophecy'? The original 'Savior'?

The Sage of Six Paths defeated the invader, Kaguya Otsutsuki, and sealed the God Tree—the entity that threatened to consume the world. He brought order to chaos.

No wonder…

In this world, where humans were seen as traitors, the Sage of Six Paths was one of the rare exceptions.

The world accepted him.

And not just him—his descendants, the clans of Indra and Asura, the Senju and Uchiha, the Uzumaki and Hyuga…

The shinobi world favored those who carried his bloodline.

Only they could build the great shinobi villages. Only they were destined to lead. Only they could harness natural energy and master Sage Mode.

It wasn't about talent or hard work.

It was bloodline.

Other shinobi weren't weak because they lacked skill—they were simply not born worthy in the eyes of the world.

Mizuki clenched his fists.

Humanity… isn't the chosen race of this world. We're nothing more than betrayers.

For thousands of years, people worshipped the God Tree, unknowingly feeding its growth. Their faith nourished its roots, helping it bear the Chakra Fruit.

In a way, humans welcomed the destruction Kaguya brought.

And the world?

It remembers.

That's why it denies humans the power of Sage Mode.

That's why the only people it favors are the descendants of the Sage of Six Paths.

Only they are allowed to stand at the top.

Jiraiya's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Well, if you ever want to try, there's always Mount Myoboku. But I don't recommend it—unless you want to turn into stone."

Mizuki forced a smile. "I'll pass for now, Jiraiya-sama."

The white-haired sage patted him on the back. "Smart choice, kid."

Mizuki's mind was still racing.

There's something deeply wrong with this world.

And now, he was beginning to understand why.

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