Naruto: Mizuki The Savior

Chapter 240: The Shackles of Choice

After thinking over Mizuki's suggestion, Hatake Kakashi responded with a furrowed brow:

"The second option—assigning a new member to Team 7—is quite difficult. Ultimately, it's something Lady Tsunade must decide. As for the first option, promoting Sasuke to chūnin, there's no immediate opportunity. We'll have to wait for the next Chūnin Exams in a few months."

"The Chūnin Exams, huh? Then we're back to the second scenario—you have to assign a temporary member to Team 7."

"Exactly. And the selection will be very carefully handled. Even as jōnin, we don't get much say."

"Troublesome as always…"

Kakashi continued, "Also, Mizuki, even though I can't entirely entrust Sasuke's training to you anymore given your views, you're still involved with Team 7's development."

"Still me?" Mizuki raised an eyebrow. "Haven't I given you enough ideas?"

"You forget?" Kakashi tilted his head toward the Team 7 genin. "My students aren't just Sasuke and Naruto. There's also Haruno Sakura. Weren't you the one who said I was too biased? Well, I found a way to balance things out. You can't back out of what you promised."

"Oh, right…" Mizuki recalled now. Before he'd taken charge of Team 8, Kakashi had suggested letting Sakura become Mizuki's apprentice. Mizuki had conditionally agreed. So much time had passed and so much had happened since then, he assumed the matter had been dropped. But apparently, Kakashi hadn't forgotten.

"Remember now?"

Mizuki gave a wry smile. "So Sakura's made her decision?"

"I've spoken to her twice. I laid out the facts and told her to think carefully."

"And she still chose me? She passed up the chance to study under one of the Legendary Sannin and current Hokage, and picked me? That's absurd."

Kakashi patted his shoulder. "She asked me about you more than once, especially after your last two missions. You made quite the impression."

"What did you tell her?"

"Just the truth, of course."

"Including my reputation? A little girl isn't afraid?"

"You're joking, right? You spent a month training her. She knows what kind of person you are. All that 'mad genius' talk is just gossip. Anyone who knows you doesn't buy it. And you just got married. I doubt anyone thinks you'd make a move on a student."

"Okay, okay, stop right there." Mizuki was clearly uncomfortable. "So… Sakura's just leaning toward me for now? She hasn't fully committed?"

"Not officially. But from what I can tell, you should be ready, Instructor Mizuki."

"How unexpected… She gave up being the Hokage's disciple to follow an infamous 'ordinary' jōnin like me. That's a lot of pressure, Kakashi."

"Starting to understand?"

"How could I not?" Mizuki sighed. "Did you already know this would happen the moment you told her she could choose freely?"

Kakashi grinned. "How could I possibly know that? Anyway, I'll leave Sakura in your hands. The Mizukage is calling me again. We'll talk later."

Mizuki could only nod and watch Kakashi walk off.

"To think I overlooked the heart of an ordinary girl… Now I've taken on another responsibility. At the very least, I can't let Sakura fall behind what she might've gained under Tsunade."

When thought through, Sakura's choice wasn't so surprising. If it were Sasuke or Naruto making the same decision, Mizuki wouldn't even be a contender. Sasuke would chase power at any cost, and Naruto would never give up the chance to train under the Hokage. But Sakura… was different.

Born to a normal family, Sakura's only real advantages were her intelligence, good chakra control, and theoretical knowledge. She was painfully aware of her own limitations. For someone like her, picking Mizuki over Tsunade made sense.

To someone with no special lineage or background, the idea of becoming the Hokage's disciple was both a dream and an immense pressure. In a society so steeped in status and hierarchy, chances to rise above one's station were rare—and often terrifying.

Choosing Tsunade meant risking rejection or harsh testing. Choosing Mizuki, whom she already knew and respected, offered a clearer and more secure path. He had already trained her once, and according to Kakashi, had proven himself powerful and capable.

So in the end, this choice—logical, cautious, perhaps tinged with self-doubt—was inevitable. With Mizuki as her fallback, Sakura didn't need to take a risky leap. Unless something major happened, Mizuki was destined to be her master.

Even though he'd mentally prepared for this possibility, it still felt sudden. Once they returned from this Chapter 239: The Future of Team 7, his responsibilities would likely increase once again.

…

Later, under the eager eyes of aspiring Mist students, Konoha's genin and the Mist's students engaged in several controlled sparring matches. Sasuke fought twice—and both times, he won with ease.

Seeing that, Kakashi let out a quiet breath of relief.

"Thank goodness… Sasuke can't afford to lose right now."

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