Naruto: Mizuki The Savior

Chapter 256: Speculation

At dusk, Mizuki—rarely this free—decided to personally prepare dinner. After carefully finishing all the dishes, he sat back and waited for Kozue to return so they could eat together.

He had thought about going out for a walk. How was the Four Seasons Flower Shop doing? Had Karin adjusted to life in Konoha? And what of his teaching career at the ninja academy? It looked like it was time to say goodbye to that chapter—maybe he should drop by and greet his former colleagues.

In the end, Mizuki went nowhere.

A day without worries was rare. Ever since reincarnating, he'd been running nonstop, pushed by circumstances and pressure. Just for today, he allowed himself some indulgence. It was his first time cooking a full meal since being reborn.

Ninjas were versatile—cooking included. Missions often led to all sorts of situations, and survival skills were essential. Especially for Konoha shinobi with proper education, culinary ability was just part of the training. Though Mizuki had never actually cooked before, with his sharp memory and delicate chakra control, his first real attempt—guided by recipe books—turned out surprisingly well.

As lanterns lit up the village and night fell, he finally heard the door open.

Kozue, still in her flak jacket, had returned.

"Huh? Mizuki, you're back?" she smiled warmly, "Why didn't you turn on the lights? It's already dark."

"I was waiting to surprise you."

Though in truth… Mizuki had simply forgotten.

Recently, his body had been changing. His eyesight had sharpened to the point where dim light made little difference. Combined with his excellent sensory skills, he hadn't even noticed the room was dark—something a normal person might struggle with.

Kozue stepped in and shut the door behind her.

"Then I'm turning on the lights." The room instantly brightened. "You already made dinner? If you were hungry, you could've eaten first."

"Let's eat together. I spent a lot of time on these dishes."

Thankfully, in this world, things like candlelit dinners weren't exactly popular—especially among ninjas, who prized efficiency. Romantic gestures were often seen as a waste of time. Still, there were exceptions. Take Asuma for instance—he gave Kurenai flowers for three years before fathering Mirai.

---

Sitting down to eat together, the couple chatted more than they ate. After days apart, conversation flowed endlessly.

"Hey, Mizuki… what do you think about Karin? Do you think she really has potential?"

"Hm? What?" Mizuki blinked, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, I spaced out."

He hadn't noticed before, but Kozue had become surprisingly chatty. She still acted the same in public, but at home, she was increasingly expressive, often sharing village gossip and expecting Mizuki to comment. More than once, he'd found his mind wandering mid-conversation.

Kozue frowned, annoyed.

"You didn't just bring her to Konoha to ignore her, right? She's talented—you can't just let her waste away in a flower shop!"

"Did Lady Tsunade say something?"

"Not directly. But her assistant, Shizune, did stop by twice. She suggested that Karin try out for the medical-nin program. If she's truly talented, it could be a great opportunity!"

"Shizune… medical-nin…?"

That got Mizuki thinking. Why would Tsunade pay so much attention to a distant, almost unrelated girl? She'd always been hesitant about taking Sakura as a disciple. Could it be that she already had someone else in mind?

If so, Karin might be the reason. But even so—what difference would another student make?

Mizuki couldn't fully understand the mindset of a native ninja like Tsunade. But he didn't intend to interfere. It was best to let things unfold naturally. Nothing had happened yet, and speculation without facts would be pointless. He'd deal with it if and when the time came.

"What's wrong?" Kozue immediately noticed something was off. She knew him too well.

"Nothing," Mizuki said, shaking his head. "If they're suggesting it, she should try. I'll teach her a bit too. Can't have her walking into medical-nin training with no clue at all."

"That's a relief," Kozue nodded. "I'm not much help there. I can handle basic ninjutsu and a little sealing, but medical techniques? That's beyond me."

"It's fine. I'll take care of the rest."

Even though Mizuki suspected Tsunade's intentions, guesses meant little. He would just give Karin some foundational guidance and let her choose her own path.

"That's wonderful," Kozue said with a smile. She truly liked the red-haired girl and was happy she'd found a direction. "But it's a shame—I'll need to hire someone new at the shop. Talented girls like her are hard to come by."

"Don't worry," Mizuki chuckled. "In Konoha, you'll always find flower girls with two legs and a smile."

---

After dinner, they happily cleaned up together. Mizuki rolled up his sleeves and helped with the dishes.

"Oh, by the way," he asked casually, "what happened to the cash I had in the drawer?"

"Those coins? I gathered them up and brought them to the shop. We needed them for change."

"And if I need money?"

"Just come to the shop and grab some. It's not far, after all."

"Fair enough," Mizuki breathed a sigh of relief. So Kozue wasn't overly controlling—yet.

"By the way," he added, glancing around, "why are some of my books missing?"

"You mean those out-of-date fashion magazines?" Kozue replied. "I tossed them."

"Tossed them? Why? They were still fun to read…"

Kozue's hand suddenly paused mid-wash.

"Mizuki… are you unhappy with me? Those girls in the magazines—they are beautiful. Don't tell me you miss them?"

"Eh?" Mizuki froze, stunned by the unexpected question.

Ah, so this was a trap all along…

He laughed awkwardly. "Honestly? I'd already grown tired of them. No big deal."

Truthfully, he barely read them. Back when he first reincarnated, he'd bought a bunch to learn about this world. Most of it had faded from memory.

He hadn't realized Kozue had such a side to her.

No wonder those "harem-building" protagonists in other reincarnation stories were all fiction.

In the real world? No chance.

Women with logic and emotion don't tolerate that kind of nonsense.

To be continued...

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