Chapter 207: Crafting Behind Closed Doors
Thanks to Hiashi Hyuga's influence, Mizuki—who had just become a jōnin—was now unexpectedly chosen as a team instructor. This sort of fast-tracked appointment was only possible under a rare confluence of coincidences and special circumstances.
While Neji and Hinata continued practicing their Gentle Fist techniques, Mizuki gave Hiashi a polite farewell and left. He didn't interact with Hinata, now technically his subordinate—there would be plenty of time for that starting tomorrow.
Leaving the Hyuga compound, Mizuki returned home. As a married man, showing up for dinner unless on a mission was now part of his daily routine.
Enjoying a peaceful domestic life before his upcoming assignment, Mizuki sat comfortably, enjoying delicious food he didn't need to prepare himself. The once-daily worries about what to eat and where to find it were now distant memories. Chihaya had naturally taken over managing household affairs.
"Chihaya, is your work still going smoothly?" Mizuki asked, casually.
"It's fine," she nodded. "A little more tiring than usual, though. Time's tight."
"That's good. If anything's wrong, just tell me."
Female ninja occupied a unique space in the shinobi world. Not many remained active on the battlefield past a certain age. Many chose to marry and retire from frontline missions when they reached childbearing age. The shinobi world was still male-dominated—even though there were a few well-known kunoichi, and even female Kage like Tsunade, Mei, and eventually Kurotsuchi—it didn't change the broader social structure.
Chihaya, who wasn't a combat-type ninja, had an easier time of it. But for someone like Kurenai, once married and with a child, asking her to leave her baby and go on dangerous missions would be unreasonable.
"By the way, Mizuki…" Chihaya said, hesitating a little.
"What is it?"
That was fast. He'd just asked, and now there was already a problem?
"That girl Karin—what do you plan to do with her?" Chihaya asked. "She used to be a ninja, right? Isn't it a bit wasteful to let her just do civilian work? Isn't it a shame to keep someone like her as just a helper?"
"Karin?" Mizuki chuckled. "You sure know a lot about her. Haven't known her long, have you? Feeling sympathetic?"
"She's quite pitiful. A good kid—wandering alone, finally safe in Konoha. She's got real talent; seems a shame to waste it."
"Talent? What did you notice?"
"Her sensing ability. It's incredible," Chihaya said. "She never gets lost. Even when running deliveries, she always finds people quickly. I even tried sneaking up on her once—never succeeded. She always noticed me coming from far off."
"Sharp eyes, as always. You're right—Karin does have remarkable potential."
"Wait, so you knew all along?"
Chihaya blinked in surprise. "No wonder you convinced her to come to Konoha. She really is a rare gem."
"More than that," Mizuki said seriously, "Karin isn't someone to pity. She's just… in a slump right now."
Karin had risen to a position of responsibility under Orochimaru, managing one of his hidden bases with impressive skill. She was decisive, ruthless when necessary, and knew when to cut losses and walk away. That level of sharp instinct hadn't disappeared—it was merely buried under her current sense of confusion and vulnerability.
"Then why haven't you arranged anything for her yet?" Chihaya asked. "You don't trust her?"
Mizuki shook his head.
"It's not that. I'm technically just her guardian. Any formal decisions are up to Lady Tsunade. I can give input, but Karin's fate isn't mine to dictate."
After all, Karin was an outsider—someone who didn't grow up in Konoha's system. Integrating her was complicated. Her Uzumaki bloodline alone made her a sensitive case. If anything went wrong, Mizuki might not be able to cover for it.
"She doesn't exactly fit the mold for a Konoha genin," Mizuki added. "Her presence could cause tension."
"Then… what's the real obstacle?"
Keeping Karin's lineage a secret was natural. She didn't use the "Uzumaki" surname, and it was unclear whether her bloodline came from her mother or father. There was no way to confirm now.
"Forget the complications for now," Mizuki said. "If you have time, teach her the basics—chakra control, beginner jutsu. Don't interfere too much with her growth. She's got a strong bloodline—she'll find her own path."
"Bloodline?" Chihaya was startled. "So Tsunade-sama does have a plan for her…"
Mizuki nodded.
"Lady Tsunade will handle it. We just need to support her for now. If you're free, try giving her a primer in sealing techniques—that'll be more useful for her than basic taijutsu."
After all, not every Uzumaki was destined to be the Child of Prophecy like Naruto or a god-tier threat like Nagato. For most, learning sealing techniques was the best path.
…
The next morning, Mizuki arrived early at the mission rendezvous point. He'd led genin teams before, but this was his first time also being responsible for their training during a mission.
Finding a quiet spot, Mizuki set up a simple illusion barrier and began his daily routine of sensing natural energy.
His training had been interrupted by internal injuries, but now that he'd recovered, he could resume. And these past few days, something felt… different. His sensitivity to nature energy had improved noticeably.
But no matter how much he trained, the breakthrough he needed still eluded him:
How to sense nature energy without relying on Tailed Beast chakra.
"This isn't just about practice," Mizuki thought to himself.
"There must be some deeper principle I haven't grasped yet."
His power had clearly reached a bottleneck.
Sage Mode was reliable—but not enough.
Even being a "pseudo-Jinchuriki" wasn't enough.
And his artificial Jinchuriki project had also stalled.
"Not everyone can build an entire power system from scratch. The limits of crafting in isolation… are finally catching up to me."
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