Chapter 199: Overstepping Bounds
"If being the instructor isn't happening, what did you really come here for?"
To Mizuki, becoming a jōnin squad instructor was optional at best. Babysitting genin wasn't something he had a taste for. But if Tsunade really insisted, he wouldn't refuse—it would only last a year or two at most until the genin made chūnin and moved on.
He already had a tacit understanding with the Hyūga clan through Hinata, so there was no need to involve himself further. And as for Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino—well, Mizuki couldn't exactly teach dog training or bug control. There was little reason to get tangled in unnecessary obligations.
Asuma sighed, clearly worn. "Lady Tsunade said she had someone in mind, but she hasn't made a final decision. I just wanted to see if you had any suggestions."
Mizuki rubbed his forehead, annoyed. "I'm supposed to be on leave. And you're asking me to volunteer myself for extra work? That's cold, man."
"I won't be able to bother you again for a while after today," Asuma said bluntly. "You're getting married tomorrow—then you'll be on honeymoon leave. And after that? Who knows where Tsunade will ship you off to."
"So you just had to dump this on me today?"
"Exactly." Asuma even nodded shamelessly. "You're the one with the brains. I figured you'd come up with something."
Mizuki set down his chopsticks and gave Asuma a long look. This guy might've matured a bit since his reckless youth, but emotionally, he still had the subtlety of a kunai.
"Let me ask you something, Asuma," Mizuki began. "Back when the Third Hokage assigned you, Kakashi, and Kurenai as jōnin instructors… did he ever ask for your input?"
Asuma paused, then shook his head. "No. He just told us."
"Exactly. Which means we never had a say. At most, we could pull a Kakashi—refuse students by failing them all and kicking them back to the Academy. That's the only form of protest we're allowed. But officially? These are decisions made by the Hokage."
That was the key. Even though Kurenai was their teacher, the three from Team 8 were still shinobi of Konoha. Their assignments weren't personal property—they were decisions of the village.
After thinking for a moment, Asuma let out a bitter chuckle. "So all this effort I put in was probably pointless, huh?"
"Pretty much." Mizuki smirked. "What am I supposed to do? Walk into Tsunade's office and volunteer? You think she'd accept that, or punch me through a wall first?"
Before Asuma could answer, Mizuki continued. "You've overextended yourself, Asuma. The person most anxious about this isn't you or Kurenai—it's our dear Fifth Hokage."
Leaving Kurenai's students without a leader was a serious problem. From her vantage point, Tsunade had to see it clearly. It wasn't a matter of if a replacement would be appointed—it was a matter of who.
Asuma slumped back in his chair and lit another cigarette. "I never thought of it like that…"
"You didn't have to," Mizuki said. "Back then, you were the Hokage's son. You didn't need to understand the system. And even now? Your kindness isn't useless—it's just not what's going to solve the problem."
"But you said all this effort was meaningless."
"No, I said it might be pointless. But at least you've drawn attention to the issue. That alone has value."
"…You're not just saying this to make me feel better, right?"
"Do I look like someone who has time to comfort a grown man?"
Mizuki laughed, then turned serious. "Here's the deal. What matters most is getting someone assigned to Team 8. Whether it's me or someone else? That's secondary."
"That's easy for you to say. At least if it were someone we know—someone reliable…"
"Oh, you mean like Anko?" Mizuki raised a brow. "Would you trust her to mentor Hinata and the boys?"
"…maybe not," Asuma admitted, wincing at the thought of Anko's eccentricities.
"See? Familiarity doesn't always mean trust."
"Then… you think Tsunade will assign someone from the ANBU?"
"That's the most likely option," Mizuki said flatly.
Asuma frowned. "If that's true… I wonder what kind of person she'll pick."
Just then, Asuma stood up and left, leaving Mizuki to his meal.
Mizuki let out a long sigh. "What a pain… he really overstepped. This wasn't his to handle."
Then, without looking, he called out casually, "You've been eavesdropping this whole time. Are you coming out now, or what?"
Sure enough, from around the corner, Nara Shikamaru stepped into view—exhausted and pale.
"…Rough week?" Mizuki asked, noting the deep shadows under Shikamaru's eyes.
"I just got lectured by the Fifth. Then she told me to watch what Asuma-sensei did next."
"So you came straight to me, huh? Smart."
"I figured if Asuma-sensei came to you, it must've meant something." Shikamaru shrugged. "I heard what you said. And honestly… it helped."
Mizuki was about to respond when Shikamaru added, "There's something else. Lady Tsunade told me to pass you a message."
"Oh?"
"She said… you'd better seriously consider what you'll do if you end up leading Team 8 after all."
Mizuki froze, eyes narrowing.
"…Well, that's a hell of a twist."
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