"Boss! Two more plates of meat, please!"
"Boss, hurry up, I'm still a bit hungry!"
"Hinata, you should eat too. Today, Mizuki-sensei is treating us to celebrate his engagement to Teacher Tsubaki. Be happy and eat up!"
As a descendant of the Hyuga Clan, which traces its lineage back to the Otsutsuki clan, Hinata, who was referred to as the "Byakugan Princess" by Toneri Otsutsuki, was no slouch in terms of talent—at least when it came to eating. She was truly someone who could eat from a large wooden bucket.
Ino noticed that her own appetite had significantly increased, especially since someone else was footing the bill, which made her even more delighted.
After Hinata hesitantly joined the ranks of the voracious eaters, the speed at which the roast meat disappeared noticeably accelerated.
The owner of "Yakiniku Q" witnessed the glorious results of their table and got excited himself.
He brandished a large knife in the back kitchen, shouting, "Yakiniku Q has never had a history of letting customers go hungry! Never! Everyone, stay sharp! Move quickly! Today's guests are quite picky, so bring out the large plates!"
As the stack of empty plates beside them grew taller and taller, the smile on Mizuki's face began to falter.
Damn it! Do you guys not eat at home at all?!
He did have plans to defect from the village, but not because of debt! That would be too embarrassing to admit!
Several times during the meal, he secretly glanced at his wallet, mentally calculating how much this feast was going to cost him.
Ino had already figured it out. Her years of watching Detective Conan hadn't been in vain. Mizuki was definitely trying to create an alibi.
She had no intention of exposing him and instead kept her head down, eating furiously.
At first, Mizuki kept checking his wallet, but then he started checking the time. He had other things to do! Who knew these guys would eat endlessly?
He was growing increasingly anxious, his eyes darting between their faces. If even one person said they were full, he would settle the bill as quickly as possible and then head off to deal with matters at the Ninja Academy. But he waited and waited—even Shikamaru, who usually ate the least, was devouring the food, and Kiba Inuzuka's Ninja Dog, Akamaru, had already gained two layers of fat and was still eating.
The meal lasted a full two hours. Whether the "host" was happy or not was unclear, but the "guests" were certainly having a great time.
Ino and the others looked thoroughly satisfied. Even Hinata, who was still maintaining her ladylike demeanor, was secretly patting her slightly bulging stomach—clearly, she was full.
Mizuki awkwardly settled the bill. These kids could really eat! Especially that girl named Hinata. Why did she eat so much? This meal had wiped out his savings and left him in debt!
He wanted to wrap things up here quickly and move on to his other plans, but the owner of the yakiniku restaurant wouldn't let him leave, swearing and making promises. In the end, the owner only agreed to let him pay on credit because he was a Chunin and a teacher at the Ninja Academy.
Mizuki let out a heavy sigh. He had made up his mind—he would defect from the village! Tonight! After the meal, everyone went their separate ways.
Mizuki didn't want to involve his fiancée in what was to come. He hadn't taken Tsubaki's money before, and now he didn't want to drag her into his affairs. He made up some excuse and sent her away first.
Then, after getting his bearings, he quietly followed Hinata from a distance.
His target had never been Ino from the start.
The power of the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance was too formidable. In Konoha, rogue ninjas were often left alone, and the village rarely sent anyone to pursue them. However, the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance was a different story. If he were to provoke the three clans, they had enough strength to dispatch a pursuit team without even going through the village.
The reputation of the Yamanaka Clan carried significant weight in the gray areas of the ninja world.
The Inuzuka Clan, with their dogs, had unparalleled tracking abilities. If he were to make a move against them, those dog handlers could catch up to him in a single night.
The Aburame Clan? Who were they? Mizuki realized that his initial target had likely been exposed due to the delay, and going there now would be like walking into a trap.
He immediately activated his backup plan. His new target was Hinata Hyuga, who appeared weak but held immense value.
Watching Hinata part ways with Ino, seeing her walk through the night market, and observing her approach a slightly dimly lit path, he quickly followed.
"Hinata! Wait! Wait for me!" he called out, panting.
"Mizuki-sensei?" Hinata was puzzled, wondering why the teacher who had just left was now chasing after her.
"Listen, Naruto is a good kid. Failing the Clone Technique exam isn't the end of the world, but I'm worried he might do something extreme. You're his friend. Come with me and help me talk some sense into him."
Mizuki's reasoning seemed sound, and Hinata, looking flustered, nodded instinctively and followed him down another path.
They first went to Naruto's house, but of course, no one was home. Hinata then mentioned that Naruto often went to a grove in the back mountain, so they hurried there.
Normally, Naruto would come to the back mountain alone to train, but tonight it was eerily quiet, not a soul in sight.
Having anticipated this at the barbecue shop, Mizuki cursed under his breath when he saw his plan fall apart.
Those guys were such gluttons! After eating, they had delayed further by running up a tab with the barbecue shop owner. All in all, he was a full hour late to the back mountain.
How infuriating!
He forced himself to stay calm.
After tonight, he would surely be exposed, but because he had been eating barbecue with those gluttons, he had a solid alibi. For now, the suspicion wasn't too strong, and he still had some time to execute his backup plan.
For instance... He glanced at the timid Hinata out of the corner of his eye.
She was the heiress of the Hyuga main family, and the Byakugan was one of the top Kekkei Genkai in the ninja world. If he could deliver these Byakugan to that person, he would surely be rewarded. Perhaps that person would even prefer the Byakugan over the Scroll of Seals?
He applauded his own foresight. He was truly brilliant.
Suddenly, he punched the tree trunk with force, drawing Hinata's attention. With a look of urgency, he said, "Damn it! Naruto, that idiot. If he doesn't master the Clone Technique tonight, he won't even get a chance to retake the exam tomorrow!"
Just as he expected, Hinata looked panicked. "What should we do? What should we do, Naruto-kun? Mizuki-sensei, you have to help Naruto!"
Mizuki furrowed his brow in thought, pondering for quite a while: "Actually, Naruto's weakness lies in his poor Chakra control. As long as he can overcome this shortcoming, passing the graduation exam would be an easy task."
"Then, Mizuki-sensei, how can we help Naruto-kun improve his Chakra control?"
Mizuki hesitated greatly before speaking: "I know of a secret formula that might work, but it requires purchasing several rare and expensive medicinal herbs. Unfortunately, I'm a bit short on funds at the moment."
Before he could finish his sentence, Hinata's voice suddenly rose two octaves: "What?! You dare ask me for money! You damn—"
Mizuki: "???"