Morning light filtered through the windows of the Mizukage's office, illuminating the reports neatly laid out on his desk. A dry cough broke the silence as he scanned the exam papers.
"Interesting," he muttered, flipping through the pages. "The first year had only minor injuries, the second..." He trailed off, his expression hardening. "One casualty. And the third..."
He set the report down, his fingers shaking slightly. Six deaths. This was not unusual for third-year exams, but each year seemed to weigh more heavily on his conscience.
"Terumi Mei," he read aloud. "First place with an exceptional rating. Her mastery of the kekkei genkai is remarkable for her age."
"Preparations for her ANBU training are already underway, Mizukage-sama," one of the guards confirmed.
He turned to the second-year report, his eyebrows rising slightly. "This girl... her skill with the double wielding is impressive. She could be a candidate for the Kiba." He turned to the wolf-masked ANBU. "Assign her an instructor. I want to see how far she can go."
When he got to the first-year report, a new wave of coughing forced him to stop. "Karatachi Shinji," he read when he had recovered. "Another of the troubled family..." He trailed off, studying the results more closely. "But this group... Kurushimi, Yuki, even young Hōzuki... it's been a long time since we've seen so many promising talents in a single year."
"Speaking of talents," the crow-masked ANBU interjected, "Mangetsu continues to surpass all expectations. His ability to master multiple swords is almost unnatural."
The Mizukage nodded, satisfied. "Good. Perhaps it's time to..." A new cough interrupted him.
A soft knock on the door. "Mizukage-sama? Your doctor is here with the ginseng tea."
"Hold on," he said, his hand resting on a final report sealed with the Konoha symbol. He set it aside - there would be time later.
Elsewhere in the village, in a modest home of the Mizutani family, Ren and his mother knelt before the small family altar. The scent of incense filled the room as Toshiro's photo looked down on them with its usual gentle smile.
"Toshiro," Yuki began, her voice barely a whisper. "Ren made it through his first year at the academy. I know you'd be proud of him." She paused, a faint smile on her lips. "The shop... well, business is down a bit. Maybe that's a good sign - it means the war might actually be over."
"I miss you, Tou-san," Ren said softly. "Your teachings... I will never forget them."
His hand unconsciously touched the notebook in his jacket. There were so many things he didn't know yet, so many secrets kept in places he couldn't reach yet. The knowledge he sought existed, but it was far away, protected by people he could never get close to. Not yet, at least.
'Tou-san, maybe I could...' The thought emerged from the depths of his mind, but he quickly pushed it back. 'No, it's still too early.'
For a moment, he thought he saw his father's reflection in the mirror beside the altar—not as he had looked in the photo, but as he had last seen him, before the mission. The image quickly faded, leaving him alone with a silent determination that grew with each passing day.
Later, in the shop, Ren helped his mother with the inventory. Boxes of kunai were methodically arranged, while new shelves held more basic equipment—bandages, medical kits, weapons maintenance tools.
"The explosives stockpile is almost exhausted," Yuki noted as he checked the register. "It's not worth reordering right now."
Ren nodded, cataloging a new delivery of ninja wire. The shop was changing, silently adapting to the times.
"Ren!" A familiar voice interrupted the shop's routine. Jun'ko entered like a gust of wind, dragging a still slightly limping Aoi along.
"Technically," he was saying Aoi, adjusting his glasses, "I'm supposed to be resting still, but Jun'ko insisted that we absolutely had to..."
"I've got a brilliant idea!" Jun'ko interrupted. "Since we have two weeks off, we could train together! I need to improve my taijutsu, Aoi needs someone to test his new medical techniques on, and you..." A mischievous smile lit up her face.
"You could teach us how to confess our love during a fight. It worked so well with Misaki!"
Ren tensed slightly, an unexpected blush coloring his cheeks as Yuki looked up from her register, an eyebrow raised in silent question.
"Oh, doesn't she know?" Jun'ko turned to Yuki enthusiastically. "During the finals, Shinji used an illusion in Ren's form to declare his undying love to Misaki! You should have seen his face!"
"That's not exactly how it went," Ren muttered, his blush deepening as his mother hid a small smile as she returned to her register.
"Technically," Aoi said, adjusting his glasses, "the effectiveness of the illusion was greatly amplified by the unexpected choice of subject. The statistical probability that Misaki expected a declaration of love from Ren was..."
"No lessons!" Jun'ko nudged him lightly. "Not after you made me read that boring treatise on chakra meridians."
"We were talking about training," Ren interrupted, desperately trying to change the subject.
"It was essential to understanding..." Aoi began, but stopped when he noticed Ren's gaze.
Yuki watched the scene with a slight smile as she continued to sort out the inventory. "You could use some group training," she commented simply.
That night, in his office, the Mizukage was alone. His cough had gotten worse as his temperature dropped. His doctor had left him a new herbal tea, stronger than the last.
"It is for your own good, Mizukage-sama," he had said in a gentle voice, his eyes briefly catching a strange reflection in the gloom.
With tired hands, the Mizukage finally opened the report from Konoha. As he read, his expression grew darker.
"Byakuren," he murmured, turning to the portrait of the First Mizukage on the wall. "It seems our village will never find peace."
In a hidden room far away from the Mizukage's office, an elderly figure smiled in the darkness. His plan was proceeding exactly as planned. The herbal tea would do its work, slowly but surely.