Chapter 193: Each Their Own Path
The sudden revelation left Sasuke completely stunned. He had no words left for Mizuki.
Patting the bewildered Uchiha Sasuke on the shoulder, Mizuki spoke gently:
"If you're pinning your hopes on others, I suggest you give up early. Good guidance is important, but it's not the most important thing. Your achievements will ultimately depend on you."
"On me… But what should I do?" Sasuke asked, despondent and aimless.
"Now's the time to use your talent. That Chidori of yours—have you completed its transformation?"
Chidori Stream had remarkable potential. Before Naruto and Sasuke were forcibly elevated by Yin-Yang chakra power-ups, Chidori's practicality even surpassed the Rasengan.
"No," Sasuke said regretfully. "I'm close, but my body can't take it."
He removed the bandages on his arm and hand, revealing deep scars.
"I only managed to get this far thanks to Sakura's help. But I've just about hit my limit."
"That's good," Mizuki nodded. "At least you're not foolish enough to trade long-term potential for short-term gains."
In terms of physical endurance, Sasuke was still far behind Naruto's Uzumaki body. And even medical ninjutsu had limits. Overuse of healing techniques could overstimulate the body, leading to serious complications—like Mizuki's own situation with life force depletion. Others could develop different kinds of long-term damage.
"So there's no other way? I just have to sit around and wait?" Sasuke gritted his teeth.
To him, even without Itachi's genjutsu stimulation, the sheer lack of progress already felt unbearable. And just waiting for his body to grow with age? That was torture.
The truth was, this problem had no easy fix. Only a true master of medical and chemical enhancement—like a proper collaboration between someone like Orochimaru and Kabuto—could bypass the limits of age and physiology. Tsunade and Danzo's "Root" might have been able to achieve similar effects if they worked together, but that was pure fantasy. Even if Tsunade was willing, handing Sasuke over to Danzo would be like feeding a lamb to a tiger.
"You're asking me, but I really don't know," Mizuki said honestly.
Sasuke's style spanned ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu—he was meant to be an all-rounder. To neglect any one of those areas would be a huge waste. Mizuki's own ninjutsu reserves were pitiful; he mostly relied on basic Fire Release techniques. His strongest jutsu was just Great Dragon Fire Technique.
As for taijutsu, Kakashi was a better fit as a mentor. Mizuki wouldn't overstep.
The only area where Mizuki might be helpful was genjutsu—but the Uchiha genjutsu style relied heavily on the Sharingan. That was Sasuke's own path to discover.
Without the protection of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke had no formal lineage to lean on. No family guidance, no orthodox training—he was a lone wolf, lost on the path to power. In Konoha, those who wanted to help him couldn't, and those who could didn't want to. Or worse—they had ulterior motives.
As a proud Uchiha, how could he stand the pitiful gazes of others? To them, he was just a walking shadow of the past—a relic of a once-great clan. Praise for him wasn't genuine; it was mostly nostalgia for what the Uchiha used to be. To carry the Uchiha legacy? He had a long way to go.
"But still, it all comes down to you," Mizuki said. "If you run into trouble, Kakashi will help. So will I—if I can. We won't keep anything from you."
As a fellow shinobi, Mizuki saw it as his responsibility to guide the next generation.
"Thank you, Mizuki-sensei." Sasuke gave a rare show of gratitude. "I always thought… that you didn't really like me."
"Heh." Mizuki chuckled. "You're not wrong. Honestly, I don't like you very much."
"…Huh?" Sasuke was stunned—his rare moment of sincerity had just backfired.
"You're wondering why I'm helping you, then?"
"Yeah." Sasuke nodded.
"The main reason? You're too arrogant, Sasuke."
"Arrogant?" Sasuke didn't quite understand how that label applied to him.
"When I say that, I don't mean you're disrespectful. I mean there's a deep-rooted pride in your bones."
Before they parted, Mizuki didn't mind tossing in a final lesson.
"Pride? Isn't that a good thing?"
"Of course. Pride and humility are just different traits—not inherently good or bad. A proud man doesn't bow to petty men, and a driven one doesn't cater to the timid. My feelings toward you are kind of like that. If I had to name it, I'd say our personalities just clash."
"'Clash'?"
"You don't need to understand. Just know this—despite our differences, as your teacher and your senior, I'm more dependable than you think."
"…Got it." Sasuke recognized the tone. Being able to read the room was a crucial ninja skill. "Is this what it means to be a jonin?"
"No, Sasuke," Mizuki smiled. "This is what it means to be an adult."
"Adult?" Sasuke recalled how Itachi once used that word. He seemed thoughtful.
"Anything else you want to ask?"
"No, that's all. Thank you again."
"Don't mention it. Talking to stubborn kids like you isn't too hard—just don't say anything wrong."
"Oh, and Mizuki-sensei… I heard you're getting married. Congratulations."
"Thanks. Keep at it. I know you have what it takes to surpass Itachi."
"…I'll try." With a respectful bow, Sasuke turned and walked away.
Watching him go, Mizuki felt a surge of reflection.
Looks like I was judging him too harshly…
Spending time with Sasuke, Mizuki began to realize how biased his previous views had been. Sasuke, raised in deception and pain, wasn't the heartless boy Mizuki had assumed.
Even in canon, after he defected, Sasuke didn't kill Naruto at the Valley of the End. His reason was that he didn't want to follow the path Itachi had laid out—but Mizuki suspected it was more that he simply couldn't bring himself to do it. Even under Orochimaru's training, he rarely harmed innocents. He claimed to be saving his killing intent for those who deserved it. It was a weak excuse—but one that hinted at a conscience.
Yes, Sasuke was decisive—far more ruthless than Naruto. But he wasn't the cold-blooded killer Mizuki once thought. If he had been, he might never have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
In the end, Sasuke was just another soul fighting to survive in the tides of fate.
As the large training ground emptied out, Mizuki suddenly spoke to the air.
"You can come out now. He's gone."
Sure enough, from a seemingly empty corner, Hatake Kakashi's figure appeared.
"Looks like I owe you again."
"What were you thinking?" Mizuki frowned. "You know there are things Sasuke shouldn't hear yet."
"Yeah… I misjudged. I thought if he realized how hopeless revenge was, he might give up."
"You what?" Mizuki was speechless.
"Sasuke's a genius. You were even more dazzling at his age—you were already a jonin. Would you have given up just because someone was stronger than you? Especially someone like Sasuke—descendant of the proud Uchiha?"
"I thought maybe, just maybe, he'd let go…"
"You were lucky, Kakashi," Mizuki said. "Obito's 'death' shocked you into awakening. Sasuke's still far from that."
"…I guess I caused trouble again." Kakashi sighed. "But you managed to stabilize him. That's something."
"Oh, and you—seriously? You just made up that Orochimaru lost to Itachi?"
"Made up?" Mizuki raised an eyebrow. "When did you start thinking I was lying?"
"…Wait, what?"
"I wasn't making it up. That defeat happened years ago."
Kakashi stood frozen in disbelief.
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