Chapter 198: Bad News Travels Fast
"Can't a man just enjoy a meal in peace?" Asuma muttered, already used to Mizuki's sharp instincts. Every time he got called out, it no longer even surprised him.
"That's the best case," Mizuki replied with a grin. "Especially when someone else is picking up the bill."
With his wedding coming up, Mizuki's expenses had skyrocketed. On top of that, he'd taken in a temporary live-in worker—Karin—whose food, shelter, and safety were now his responsibility. It was draining his wallet fast.
"Boss, another plate of grilled meat!" Asuma called to the server, clearly generous enough not to mind.
"Thanks," Mizuki said without hesitation. "You being this generous must mean the situation isn't light. What's going on—trouble?"
"Yeah." Asuma took a swig of sake before continuing. "It's about Kurenai."
"Your 'secret' girlfriend?"
"Watch it, Mizuki. You could at least pretend to be decent." Asuma laughed, but there was a bitter edge. "I just came from seeing Lady Tsunade. She was in a bad mood. You say something to her?"
"How'd you know it was me?" Mizuki hadn't seen Asuma around the office earlier.
"Shizune told me. Also, how'd you manage to piss her off too?"
"I'd call it… female jealousy?" Mizuki shrugged. "Anyway, they didn't give you a hard time?"
Asuma didn't follow. "No. Why would they?"
"Never mind. Let's hear it. You came to talk about your clandestine lover, right?"
"Clo—what? I'm a single, unmarried shinobi, thank you very much. Don't throw words around like that." Asuma nearly choked on his drink.
"And if it weren't for my big mouth, maybe you'd still be pretending nothing's going on."
"Like hell. You just said it out loud before anyone else had the chance."
"Admit it—deep down, you're grateful." Mizuki smirked. "If I hadn't said anything, you'd still be fumbling around in denial."
"So," Mizuki leaned back. "You went to Tsunade today because of this?"
"Yeah." Asuma sighed. "Looks like you figured it out."
"I had a feeling." Besides Kurenai's injuries, the only real issue was her status as a jōnin and team leader.
Healing was something Tsunade could handle far better than Mizuki. But as a jōnin squad leader, Kurenai's duties couldn't be put on indefinite hold. And without a jōnin to guide them, Team 8 couldn't continue.
Asuma continued, "Team 8 has gone too long without a jōnin instructor. That can't continue. But in her current condition, Kurenai isn't fit to lead a squad."
That was the reality. Kurenai had only just qualified as a jōnin when she began leading Team 8. Her strengths—mental acuity, genjutsu mastery, and reliability—were a great match for a team like Hinata, Kiba, and Shino, who all came from major ninja clans. But after her injury, her physical condition had declined sharply.
And right now, with the growing tension across the Shinobi World, sending a weakened jōnin to lead missions could end in disaster. Even before her injury, some had doubted whether she could adequately protect her team in the field. Now, with her recovery ongoing, someone else had to take over.
"Let me guess," Mizuki said. "Lady Tsunade didn't reject the idea outright?"
"No. She didn't say yes or no." Asuma gave a resigned smile.
"Knew it." Mizuki sighed. "This was Kurenai's idea, wasn't it?"
"No. I just saw how worried she looked. I wanted to help."
"Close enough," Mizuki muttered.
The fact that Asuma was willing to vouch for him meant a lot. Mizuki's abilities were well-known at this point, and if not for his… reputation, he'd have been the obvious choice.
But being a jōnin instructor was about more than strength. It was also about trust, perception, and politics.
Mizuki was seen as part of the "Tsunade faction," having risen to prominence under her leadership. That wasn't inherently bad, but his reputation—especially the rumors about Karin—made him a controversial choice.
Even worse was the fact that many still remembered his "black mark": abandoning a teammate during a past mission. It didn't matter that there were circumstances. The stigma stuck.
And with his well-known friction with the two Elders and Danzo, adding more responsibility—and visibility—to Mizuki might cause even more tension within the village hierarchy.
So, despite his capabilities, Mizuki wasn't a politically clean pick.
And to Mizuki, it wasn't worth the trouble. Babysitting a bunch of genin? Not when he had other plans in motion.
He looked at Asuma and said plainly, "Thanks for thinking of me. But the answer's no. Not now."
Asuma just nodded, accepting it with a sip of his drink.
After all, good intentions only went so far in Konoha's shifting storm.
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