CHAPTER 53

Afternoon edged into evening, and as dinner time approached, the day drew to a quiet close.

Mizuki reviewed Haruno Sakura's training progress. It was roughly in line with his expectations—her chakra control was indeed precise, but still lacked depth in application.

(I won't say I fully understand her potential yet… but she has a solid foundation. Starting tomorrow, we can move on to more practical training.)

"If you have time tonight, do some more chakra control practice at home. Like this—"

Mizuki extended his right hand. A shimmering orb of chakra formed in his palm. He calmly manipulated it, shaping it into various abstract figures—an outline of a running horse, the snarling face of a tiger, and fleeting symbols that resembled animals mid-motion.

"That's just the start."

He opened his palm fully. Chakra blades extended from each fingertip, flickering faintly with the motion of his hand.

"And finally—this."

Mizuki pressed his hands together, then slowly pulled them apart. Between his palms stretched a single, glowing chakra thread that danced gently in the air, swaying like a spider's silk.

Sakura stared, eyes wide.

"Can chakra… really do all that?" She'd always been proud of her control, even praised by Kakashi for it—but now it felt childish in comparison.

"It's not actually that difficult. You just need enough control and practice. If circumstances allow, I'll teach you more advanced things later. For now, just treat these as extra training when you have free time. This is the foundation. Eventually, you'll see how far a ninja can go."

(She hasn't seen what's coming in a few years... That era, when power levels skyrocketed—when the kind of ninjutsu that once existed only in legends became real. When monsters called Jinchūriki would change the fate of nations.)

"This is all just… the basics?" Sakura asked softly. "Then what's considered advanced ninjutsu?"

"There are plenty of jutsu out there—but not all of them are good for you. You're not like Naruto—you don't have a chakra reservoir like his, and you're not a genius like Sasuke, with the Sharingan and all that. Your greatest strength is chakra control. That's your path forward. Everything else depends on it."

"I understand. Thank you, Mizuki-sensei."

"You're welcome. Now go—your friends are waiting." Mizuki tilted his head toward the corner of the shop, where a familiar blonde girl was pretending not to watch. Yamanaka Ino peeked around a display with exaggerated nonchalance.

"Huh? That's Ino. What's she doing here?" Sakura blinked, then smiled. "I'll head out. See you tomorrow."

"Take care."

Once Sakura left, Mizuki glanced toward the previously empty corner.

"She's gone now. You can come out already. How long were you watching?"

A ripple shimmered through the air as a genjutsu dissolved. His fiancée, Tsubaki, stepped into view.

"I didn't want to interrupt your teaching," she said.

"You could've just walked in. Sneaking around like that—what were you planning?"

Tsubaki didn't answer right away. Instead, she gently took Mizuki's arm and started walking toward the exit with him.

"You looked like you were enjoying yourself. I haven't seen you so lively in a while."

Mizuki blinked. "Was I? I'm just returning a favor to Kakashi. That's all."

"But you never taught me ninjutsu so seriously," she teased.

"Huh? Wait—that's different!" Mizuki panicked slightly. "You're already a Chūnin. I can't be spoon-feeding you like a Genin! I tailor my lessons based on the student's aptitude, okay? Let's not dwell on that—here."

He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a flower with a pink hue, handing it to her.

Tsubaki accepted it with a small laugh. Seeing her smile, Mizuki felt himself relax.

"…This isn't a rose. It's a camellia."

"Eh? But it's red and has thorns and everything—don't they look the same?"

He scratched his head awkwardly, still not getting it.

"But I still like it," Tsubaki said gently.

"Well… that's good, then," Mizuki muttered, wiping away a bead of cold sweat.

---

Meanwhile, outside, Sakura walked side-by-side with Ino. The atmosphere was oddly quiet.

"Why're you being so quiet?" Sakura asked. "Did you come looking for me?"

"I—" Ino hesitated. "I heard you were working at a flower shop nearby, and I wondered if it was the one Mr. Mizuki opened. So I came to check."

"Thanks. That's sweet of you." Sakura smiled.

"But aren't you in the third round of the Chūnin Exams? I heard the proctors assigned special training for Genin who advanced. Why're you working at a flower shop? Doesn't your sensei care about you?" Ino frowned. "I mean—Naruto's gotten stronger, Sasuke too—but you're part of the same team. He shouldn't leave you behind."

"You've got it wrong, Ino." Sakura shook her head. "Kakashi-sensei was busy, so I asked Mizuki-sensei for guidance. Working in the shop is just something I do in my spare time."

"That's good, then. But still—everyone else is being trained by an elite jōnin, and you…" Ino trailed off, clearly uncertain. "I just don't want the person who beat me to fall behind in front of everyone."

Sakura gave her a gentle smile. "You're worrying too much. Mizuki-sensei might be a bit… unusual, but he knows a lot. After just a couple days, I've realized how big the gap is between a Genin and a Chūnin. The amount of knowledge—it's overwhelming. No wonder the Chūnin Exams are so hard."

(Too bad Sakura doesn't realize yet that Mizuki's idea of a "knowledgeable ninja" might not be the best benchmark…)

"Really? Then I'm relieved," Ino said. "But don't think one win means you're better than me! I'm still going to beat you next time."

Sakura laughed. "It's because you got injured so badly that I had a chance. But as Kakashi-sensei says—luck is a part of strength."

"You won't always be lucky. Next time, I'm taking you down."

"Then I'll just have to be even stronger than you, so I don't need luck."

"Tch. So stubborn."

They walked a few steps in silence.

"…So, is Mizuki-sensei treating you well?" Ino asked cautiously.

"Don't worry," Sakura said with a small smile. "He's kind of rude sometimes, but… surprisingly, he's a good person."

"Yeah, I guess. He's still a doofus who can't tell the difference between a rose, a camellia, and whatever else—but he's weirdly easy to talk to."

Unbeknownst to them, Mizuki—still trying to maintain the dignity of a proper sensei—had already been outed as a clueless romantic with terrible flower knowledge.