Naruto: Mizuki The Savior

Chapter 40: Kagura Mind's Eye

On the morning of the second day of the Chunin Exams, Mizuki woke up early—not out of diligence, but because duty called.

His role as a reserve operative was akin to a floating brick in the great wall of Konoha—wherever a gap appeared, he was shoved in to fill it. Simply put, he was a glorified errand boy. Anyone who needed extra hands could requisition him as needed.

Still, Mizuki had mentally prepared himself for this reality. But when he arrived at his assignment and saw the task at hand, he was baffled.

"Carrying stretchers? Seriously? You need a Chunin for this? Couldn't you just grab a few interns? Or some random laborers off the street?"

Frustrated, he turned to the one giving orders and voiced his complaint.

"Isn't Anko Mitarashi the proctor for the second exam? Why are you the one in charge?" Mizuki grumbled.

Kakashi Hatake, unfazed by Mizuki's irritation, explained coolly, "Anko had an… unexpected incident. I'm temporarily assisting with the second exam's logistics."

"An unexpected incident?" Mizuki feigned ignorance. "Are you talking about that big commotion in the Forest of Death? Man, this year's candidates are terrifying. Even we, as veterans, have to admit their strength is intimidating."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, unconvinced that Mizuki actually believed Genin could cause such large-scale destruction. "Let's just say it was the candidates."

He added, "But Anko really was injured, and it's hard to say just how much that… incident is related to what's happening now."

Mizuki shrugged. "Not my problem." It wasn't a lie—Orochimaru had been the one responsible, after all.

"With everything going on, shouldn't you be more concerned about your students? There are a lot of dangerous figures out there."

"As a ninja, danger is unavoidable," Kakashi replied matter-of-factly. "I trust they'll make it through."

"Yeah, they'll pass. Whether or not they'll be unscathed is another matter," Mizuki remarked dryly.

Kakashi didn't linger on the discussion. "Let's get to the point. Most Jonin are away on missions, and I need to assist the Anbu in tracking certain individuals. The Forest of Death is no place for ordinary personnel, so we need strong Chunin like you to retrieve candidates—alive or dead."

"How many are still unaccounted for?" Mizuki asked.

"Including those still participating in the exam, only half remain."

"That fast?" Mizuki frowned.

"Impatient fighters tend to wrap things up quickly," Kakashi said.

It was true—this year's exam was filled with exceptionally strong candidates.

"Alright, so 'carrying stretchers' really means retrieving the wounded and collecting bodies?" Mizuki clarified.

"Exactly. But your main task is to protect the medics. If you can lend a hand with recovery, do so. That's all." Kakashi turned to leave.

"You're dumping this whole mess on me, aren't you?" Mizuki complained. "I'm a wounded man, you know!"

Just as he was grumbling, he noticed a familiar face.

Kakashi also spotted the figure slumped on a hospital bench, half-dozing.

"You know her?" Kakashi asked.

"No, of course not," Mizuki replied. "I just remember seeing her during the first exam. That hair stands out, don't you think?"

Kakashi nodded. "Bright red, just like Kushina Uzumaki. Hard not to notice." He glanced at Mizuki. "Wait, don't tell me you have a thing for young girls?"

Mizuki recoiled. "What?! No way! I have a fiancée! I may not be able to beat you in a fight, but at least I have a love life, unlike you."

Kakashi smirked. "I'm a Jonin."

"I have a fiancée."

"I'm more famous, better looking, and richer."

"I have a fiancée."

"Alright, alright," Kakashi relented, raising his hands in surrender. "That Grass-nin was rescued last night. Her team was nearby when things went down, but they were so weak they didn't even see their attacker before being taken out. Two of them were gravely injured—barely clinging to life. They'll likely never be ninja again. But this girl? Completely unharmed. She opened her team's scroll alone and got extracted. Talk about lucky."

"Of course, she's a girl with the 'Strong Luck' trait." Mizuki thought. Even in mortal danger, Karin always managed to survive.

Mizuki turned back to Kakashi. "Should we really be prioritizing enemy ninja for medical treatment?"

Kakashi sighed. "We don't have much choice. Normally, their fate wouldn't concern us, but the incident in the forest was too big to cover up. If other villages accuse us of failing to protect participants, it'll be a diplomatic headache. The exams must continue, but we'll try to rescue as many as we can without interfering with active fights. If they were attacked by another candidate, we'll just document the evidence."

Mizuki nodded, understanding the rationale.

"I'm off. If you run into trouble, head to the central tower—there are stationed ninja there." With that, Kakashi left.

Mizuki studied Karin for a moment. Before he could say anything, she stirred, quickly noticing his presence.

"Looks like she's mastered the Kagura Mind's Eye quite well," he mused.

"Fancy meeting you again," Mizuki greeted. "Didn't think you'd make it out in one piece. Not bad."

Karin blinked in recognition. "Mizuki-sensei?" She hesitated before addressing him as an examiner, unsure of his true stance.

"No need for formalities. I'm no longer proctoring the exam," Mizuki replied. "Good to see you're fine. Get some rest."

"But, Mizuki-senpai…" Karin hesitated, then sighed. "My teammates are gravely injured, but I came out unscathed. If I return to Kusagakure alone…" She trailed off, unwilling to voice her concerns about the consequences she might face.

"Just remember what I told you—and what I gave you," Mizuki said cryptically. "Protect yourself as best you can."

"Yes, senpai," Karin murmured, eyes reddening slightly. Having spent her life as a human healing battery, covered in bite marks from those who used her abilities, even a small kindness felt overwhelming.

"I have work to do. I'll check on the injured at the hospital before heading out. Don't overthink things—just follow your heart."

Meanwhile, as Mizuki played the role of a bodyguard-turned-stretcher-bearer in the Forest of Death, the Chunin Exams experienced a subtle shift.

With Kabuto Yakushi's quiet intervention, certain events began to align once more with the intended course of some unseen force.

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