Naruto: Becoming Mizukage

**Three Days Later…**

Mizuki Ryosuke lay in a hospital bed in Kirigakure, his body bandaged, seemingly half-dead. But it was all an act. 

For three days, Ryosuke had been pretending to be gravely injured following the battle with "Gravel" Duff, the Jōnin from Iwagakure who led an invasion team into the village outskirts. 

His deception was perfect, carefully maintaining the image of a ninja who had barely survived a brutal encounter.

Ryosuke had always been known in the village for his prudence and care, traits that made his survival against such an opponent seem almost miraculous. 

The villagers speculated among themselves, believing the official story: Ryosuke had been sent on a reconnaissance mission with his team when they encountered an elite group of Rock Shinobi, including Gravel Duff. 

Despite overwhelming odds, Ryosuke had somehow killed the enemy Jōnin, though at a terrible cost.

Kirigakure's leadership had received intelligence about strange activity deep within the mountains several days ago. Suspecting enemy activity, they dispatched Ryosuke's squad for reconnaissance, led by the cautious Chūnin himself. 

The ninja team model, popularized by the Second Mizukage, divided teams into elite and ordinary squads. Ryosuke's team was an ordinary one—a single Chūnin leading three Genin—while the enemy was an elite team led by a Jōnin with three Chūnin under him. The odds were never in Ryosuke's favour.

Yet, somehow, against all expectations, Ryosuke had returned, having slain the Jōnin and barely survived to tell the tale. The story spread like wildfire through Kirigakure, enhancing Ryosuke's reputation. 

Although Ryosuke stayed quiet, bedridden, and feigning exhaustion, his fame grew. The village was bustling with whispers of his incredible victory.

Over the past two days, a steady stream of visitors came to check on him. Ryosuke, ever the tactician, managed to keep up the facade. His eyes fluttered open weakly when well-wishers entered, his breaths shallow, his responses brief. 

He gave the perfect performance of a ninja who had pushed himself to the edge of death and still managed to return.

As the last visitor of the day left, Ryosuke let out a small sigh of relief.

 Maintaining his fake injuries had been exhausting in its own way. His body was fine; his real battle wounds had been minimal thanks to his mastery of the Water Clone technique and strategic thinking. 

But deception required precision, and Mizuki Ryosuke was a master of it. He played his role flawlessly, knowing that suspicions could easily be raised if he acted too healthy too soon.

Suddenly, a loud knock broke the silence in his hospital room. The harshness of the sound indicated impatience from whoever was on the other side. 

Before he could respond, the door swung open, revealing three masked figures. Their masks identified them immediately—they were from Kirigakure's Anbu, the village's secretive and elite operatives. Ryosuke had anticipated this moment.

"Mizuki Ryosuke, on orders from the Mizukage, we are here to investigate the details of your team's encounter with Iwa Shinobi in the mountains," said the leader of the group, his tone flat and emotionless.

Ryosuke nodded, maintaining his neutral expression. "Understood," he replied. 

Despite his calm demeanour, he knew the seriousness of the situation. The Anbu were known for their thoroughness. Any inconsistency in his story could lead to further investigations, and Ryosuke didn't want more attention on his activities than necessary.

One of the Anbu with a dog-faced mask spoke next, his voice gentler than the others. "We only need some basic information. This is a routine inquiry, nothing more."

Ryosuke offered a small nod of acknowledgement, playing his role as the cooperative yet weary ninja. He glanced briefly at the dog-faced Anbu, recognizing him as a fellow member of the Mizuki clan, though neither would acknowledge the connection openly.

"Please describe the mission in detail," said another Anbu member wearing a purple mask. 

"Don't leave anything out."

Ryosuke took a deep breath and began recounting the events, carefully sticking to the story he had crafted. "Three days ago, as ordered, I led my team to the designated location in the mountains. We began searching for signs of enemy presence. With the help of Takeda Yoichi, our team's sensor, we detected suspicious activity."

As he spoke, Ryosuke allowed his expression to darken, a calculated shift to convey the gravity of the situation. 

Takeda Yoichi had indeed been a skilled sensor, but he was now dead—another unfortunate casualty of the mission.

"We engaged an Iwa Shinobi we believed to be a lone scout," Ryosuke continued. 

"But then, their reinforcements arrived—three Chūnin and a Jōnin. Realizing the danger, I ordered my team to retreat and report back to the village while I engaged the Jōnin to buy them time."

The Anbu listened in silence, their masked faces betraying no emotion. They exchanged brief glances as Ryosuke recounted the key moment.

"It was a difficult battle," Ryosuke added, letting his voice sound strained as though recalling a traumatic memory. 

"But I was fortunate. I managed to kill the Jōnin after a prolonged fight, though I'm not sure what happened to my teammates after that."

The room remained silent for a moment after Ryosuke finished his account. The Anbu were clearly processing his story. Finally, the leader of the group spoke.

"How did you manage to kill the Iwa Jōnin Shinobi?" he asked, suspicion lacing his words. 

"According to your profile, your odds of winning against someone of that rank should have been minimal."

Ryosuke had anticipated this question. He hesitated briefly, allowing a pause that hinted at reluctance. Then, with a resigned sigh, he raised his hand and let small crystals of ice form on his fingers.

"Ice Release," the dog-faced Anbu murmured, a note of surprise in his voice. He exchanged quick looks with his companions. 

"You've awakened the Ice Release bloodline limit?"

Ryosuke nodded, his expression measured. "It's only recently developed. I didn't have full control of it during the battle, but it was enough to tip the scales in my favour."

The Anbu leader, his suspicion partially quelled, pressed further. "Why didn't you report this development to the village earlier?"

Ryosuke had already crafted an answer for this question as well. "I was still coming to terms with it myself," he said, his voice steady. "I wanted to be sure before making an official report."

The Anbu accepted his explanation without further protest. Ryosuke's display of Ice Release was enough to justify his victory over the Jōnin. With such a rare and powerful bloodline ability, defeating an elite shinobi became plausible.

But the Anbu weren't done yet. The purple-masked Anbu stepped forward, his tone softer now. 

"Two of your teammates didn't make it back. They were killed in the battle."

Ryosuke lowered his gaze, allowing an expression of pain to cross his face. He remained silent for a moment, before muttering, 

"It's the fate of shinobi…"

The room grew heavy with the weight of his words. Even the Anbu, hardened as they were, seemed to recognize the loss. After a brief silence, the leader of the Anbu nodded.

"That's all for now," he said. "Thank you for your cooperation. We'll be in touch if we need anything further."

The three masked figures exited the room, leaving Ryosuke alone once more. 

As soon as the door closed, his expression shifted from one of grief to calm indifference. He had played his part perfectly. The Anbu were satisfied, and his story would hold.

In reality, Ryosuke had expected this interrogation. The mission had been too significant to go without scrutiny. His decision to reveal his Ice Release abilities had been calculated. 

It was a small concession, one that raised his standing in the village but didn't expose his true strength. His other secrets remained hidden, safely locked away for now.

As he lay back in his hospital bed, Ryosuke's mind shifted to other matters. The presence of an Iwa Shinobi team so close to Kirigakure was troubling. What had been their true objective?

Ryosuke knew he needed to distance himself from the events of the past few days. The longer he stayed under the village's watchful eyes, the more dangerous his position became. He had survived this battle, but the war was far from over.

[TN: For some Reason, the Mizuki Clan has Ice Release instead of the Yuki Clan. Just thought it would be better to mention this now. Also this seems to be an Alternate Universe story so be warned!]