Chapter 215: Harmony Without Sameness
When it comes down to it, the ninja world is still a closed system dominated by bloodline bonds and supplemented by master-disciple inheritance. Ninja clans and factions hold most of the power. Among ordinary people, the chance of becoming a ninja is already minuscule; to rise to jonin without elite backing is even rarer. As for reaching the level of a "Kage," only someone like Hanzo of the Salamander might be considered a half-exception. Mizuki couldn't think of another true "rags-to-riches" story.
Human beings, as a species, are highly exclusionary. Yet ninja—a small subset—control nearly all of the world's resources and authority. Especially through the ninja village system, they have essentially freed themselves from the influence of daimyō, who theoretically represent the broader human populace. Ordinary people have no real way to interfere in ninja affairs. This odd disconnection hasn't gone unnoticed. The feud over the "jade" in the Daimyō Guardian Ninja Corps, which Asuma once joined, was a perfect example of such underlying tension.
Ninja may come from ordinary people, but in terms of strength and influence, they have become fundamentally disconnected from the rest of humanity.
But even so, ninja aren't truly divine beings. They still have to eat, sleep, and live. Reality keeps them tethered to their identity as humans. That's why the ninja world constantly emphasizes the concept of "acknowledgment." Most ninja might naïvely think it refers to recognition for one's morality or contributions. But the truth is subtler: it's a means of repairing the growing rift between ninja and non-ninja.
There are brilliant minds in the ninja world—people like Sarutobi Asuma and Nara Shikamaru—who can perceive the hidden meanings behind such symbols as the "jade." These are ninja with ambition and insight. But even they are limited. No matter how grand your dreams, they're still shaped by the vessel that holds them. If one cannot evaluate the influence of ninja from the broader human perspective, then even the brightest ideas will be skewed.
Mizuki didn't know who originally wrote the current code of ninja conduct. But their transcendent insight made Mizuki feel ashamed of his own limitations. That little ninja handbook memorized by every academy graduate—how much wisdom did it truly contain? How silently and thoroughly did it shape the world?
Whenever Mizuki pondered this, he couldn't help but admire the unseen sage behind it all.
Humanity needs gods—but not gods who walk among them. Even if such a being was once human, if they now possess godlike power, they must either rise beyond the world and become worshiped idols, or hide among the people, pretending to be ordinary, earning their "acknowledgment" as one of them.
Some of the strange things Mizuki had seen in the ninja world now made sense. As he traveled outside Konoha more frequently, he began to notice patterns. It wasn't until much later that he fully realized: though this world may seem small, there exist terrifyingly brilliant minds who command it from the shadows. Not clever minds like Shikamaru's—true sages who looked down from above.
The thought that such people might still dwell in the shadows of the ninja world chilled Mizuki to the bone. He often forced himself to ignore these matters. He would deal with them if and when they arose. And now, during this mission in the Land of Water, he was about to encounter them directly.
These social-level issues were thorny enough on their own. When you added in non-human beings—summon creatures, Tailed Beasts, and so on—the layers of intrigue only deepened, leaving Mizuki with a growing headache.
Thankfully, this time he might just be able to skim the surface, produce a half-baked report, and call it a day. The truth would have to be uncovered slowly. And it wasn't something he could discuss with anyone—not even Kotetsu. Even Jiraiya and Tsunade, allies though they may be, might not understand. Mizuki didn't entirely trust them. Those two may be trustworthy, but who could say what hidden hands were manipulating them?
…
The next morning, while all the Konoha ninja gathered for breakfast, Kakashi glanced at Mizuki with a frown.
"Didn't sleep well?"
"Yeah. Had a lot on my mind."
"Oh? Was it about what we talked about yesterday?"
"No, something else."
"Then I'm off the hook." Kakashi smiled. "Not my fault you're losing sleep."
"Of course not. I'm a married man. I don't lose sleep over other men."
Mizuki's teasing remark left Kakashi speechless. The younger genin didn't quite get the innuendo but watched their teachers chat with mild confusion.
After a quick meal, everyone went off to do their own thing—some trained, some played with their ninja animals, others stayed silent, read books, or did whatever they pleased. Mizuki had no urgent tasks today, so he focused on refining his chakra control and sensory abilities, which required long-term dedication.
"Kakashi, we've got half a day left. It's going to be a slog. Got anything to pass the time?"
Two days at sea had worn down everyone's spirit. The ocean view had grown boring, and daily training was awkward on a swaying ship. There weren't many distractions available to shinobi. No wonder some of them got addicted to gambling.
"Hmm…" Kakashi closed his book and thought for a moment. "Yeah, the mood is getting a little too dull. Not much else we can do…"
Just then, the ship suddenly lurched violently, shocking everyone aboard.
"What's going on?" Mizuki immediately spread his sensory perception.
Everyone rushed to the deck. The rocking hadn't stopped, but there were no enemies in sight.
"Below us," Kakashi said grimly, quickly realizing the disturbance came from under the sea.
"I'll go deal with it. Everyone else stay alert—"
But before he could dive in, a figure in a green-blue robe appeared.
"Please allow us to handle this," said Ao, the Mist ninja leader. "It wouldn't be right to trouble our honored guests."
With that, Ao and his three subordinates leapt into the sea.
Mizuki turned to Kakashi. "We're just going to stand by and let Kirigakure handle this?"
To be continued...
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