CHAPTER 54

Early the next morning, Mizuki arrived at the flower shop, tidied the place, and handed over instructions to Haruno Sakura to manage things in his absence. After that, he headed straight to the Hokage Building.

It was still early—too early for most of the building's usual bustle—only a few administrative staff were already at work. Mizuki made his way through the quiet halls and knocked on the door of the Third Hokage's office.

"Come in," came the familiar voice.

Mizuki stepped inside, bowed politely, and said, "Lord Third, I'm here."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up from his desk. "Mizuki. You're early."

"You work harder and earlier than me, Lord Third," Mizuki said with a half-smile. "May I ask why you summoned me?"

"It's not an order—just something I want to ask." Hiruzen lit his pipe and exhaled a slow puff of smoke. "Do you remember the potion you administered to Moonlight Gai and Yamashiro Aoba during the mission to the Land of Waves?"

"Yes," Mizuki answered immediately.

"Did something happen that I'm unaware of?"

"No, nothing dangerous," Mizuki replied, relieved. "Just unexpected developments in the potion's effects."

"I see. Then let's hear it," Hiruzen said, clearly interested.

Mizuki nodded, mentally deciding to keep the more radical aspects of the potion a secret. Some truths were too dangerous to speak aloud—especially without the power to defend them.

"There haven't been major breakthroughs in refining the formula," Mizuki explained, "but we've made progress in understanding its effects. On the battlefield, it serves as a potent healing agent and chakra stimulant. As long as the user maintains enough stamina and chakra reserves, most side effects can be mitigated with standard medical ninjutsu."

"And the downside?" Hiruzen asked calmly.

"There's significant cellular strain. Overuse will lead to accelerated aging and a reduced lifespan. The side effects are cumulative—and so far, we haven't discovered a way to restore vitality after it's lost."

"Are the side effects minimal in the short term?"

"Yes. Based on the data from Aoba and Gai, it's safe for limited emergency use."

Hiruzen exhaled thoughtfully. "That's reassuring. But the village ran some tests on the sample Aoba submitted. The results were… poor."

"I assume you didn't test on actual shinobi?" Mizuki said bluntly. "Or was it non-human trials?"

Hiruzen's expression darkened slightly. "Are you saying you tested it on shinobi?"

"You misunderstand. I only noticed that the potion's performance in animal trials differed wildly from what we observed in actual usage. That made me suspect chakra played a role in stabilizing the effects. Testing on ninja like Aoba confirmed that suspicion."

"I see." Hiruzen leaned back, tapping his pipe. "Aoba, Moonlight, and even you—three shinobi survived the treatment, while lab animals didn't. Chakra compatibility might be the key."

"How's the production capability?" Hiruzen asked next.

"Extremely limited," Mizuki replied. "Production is costly, time-consuming, and resource-intensive. It's not viable for mass use. At best, it's a last-resort trump card."

"Who else currently holds doses?"

"Besides Gai and Aoba, only myself and my fiancée, Tsubaki, have access."

"Tsubaki... from the Sealing Corps?"

"Yes, sir."

"Understood. That's enough for now. Keep this quiet—for the time being."

"I understand, Lord Third." Mizuki bowed and exited the office.

As the door closed, Hiruzen opened a hidden drawer in his desk and retrieved a sealed vial of the potion—a glowing green liquid taken from Aoba's batch. He examined it silently.

"I hope we never have to use this... but if the time comes, better to be prepared."

He stored it securely in a reinforced scroll pouch.

---

Outside the Hokage's Tower, Mizuki didn't dwell on the conversation. He figured if they wanted more, they'd have to pay him. He wasn't about to give away his alchemy secrets—not when even Orochimaru would struggle to replicate them without the original data. By then, Mizuki thought smugly, I'd be too strong to worry about him anyway.

On his way back to the flower shop, Mizuki bought a few skewers of dango for breakfast. He ate them shamelessly while walking, not bothering to keep up appearances.

When he arrived, he noticed someone new inside the shop.

"You here to buy flowers?" Mizuki asked, frowning.

It was Yamanaka Ino.

"Mizuki-sensei! I'm here to work," Ino said cheerfully.

"We don't need extra hands." Mizuki flatly refused. "One helper is already enough of a headache. Two girls arguing in the shop? No thanks. Besides, doesn't your family own a flower shop? Why work here?"

"I noticed this place hadn't opened in days," Ino countered. "Clearly, it needed help."

"I overslept. Is that a crime? Besides, someone is here now."

"You mean Sakura? She's not even an employee. She's just here to learn ninjutsu!"

"You don't understand. Sometimes work helps build character. You ever heard of root training? Perseverance, willpower. You've gotta believe in your teacher's methods."

"Mizuki-sensei, please don't be mad," Sakura interjected, trying to defuse the tension. "Ino meant well."

"I'm not angry. I just can't afford to hire anyone right now. You're welcome to come back next month when we've stabilized."

"I don't want money. I'm just here to help."

"No such thing. If you work, you get paid."

"Huh?" Ino blinked, caught off guard. "You're hiring me?"

"Didn't I just say that? If your ears don't work, maybe you shouldn't be working."

"I—wait, you really mean it?"

"What, you changed your mind now? Get to work already or go home."

Ino brightened instantly and ran off to start organizing flowers.

"I'll leave you two to it," Mizuki said. "I'm going out for a walk. I'll check back later." He stretched, relishing the freedom.

As soon as he left, Ino flashed a victory sign at Sakura.

"Told you I could do it."

Sakura sighed. "You being here might actually make things harder…"

"I'm not here for you. I just couldn't let you lose too badly. That'd make me look bad."

"Whatever you say. Just make sure everything's in order. Mizuki-sensei's checking homework later."