Chapter 5: The Most Important Thing
Inside the Hokage's Office, the Third Hokage took a slow drag from his pipe as he listened to Kakashi's report. Koharu Utatane, one of the village advisors, was already present, while Homura Mitokado had yet to arrive. Surprisingly, even Danzo Shimura had come—an indication that the involvement of the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki and the Forbidden Scroll had piqued the interest of even the village's most secretive and controversial figure.
Mizuki stood with his head lowered, bowing respectfully, waiting for his judgment from these high-ranking figures.
After Kakashi finished his report, Hiruzen tapped the side of his pipe, knocking out some ashes, and exhaled a puff of smoke before fixing his gaze on Mizuki.
"Mizuki, do you dispute Kakashi's report?"
"No, Third Hokage-sama. Everything he said is true."
"So, you admit to coercing Naruto Uzumaki into stealing the Forbidden Scroll?"
"Yes. I take full responsibility for my actions."
"Then what was your objective?" The Third Hokage's voice hardened, his expression stern. "Did you intend to take the Forbidden Scroll for yourself? Or were you colluding with outside forces to betray the village?"
Mizuki knew this was coming.
"I had no need for the Forbidden Scroll. That level of power is beyond my control. Nor did I collaborate with anyone—this was entirely my own doing. I have no grievances against the village and no intention of defecting."
From behind, Koharu Utatane scoffed. "Nonsense! If you weren't planning to betray Konoha, then why would you do this? Do not think you can hide the truth—Konoha has ways to make you talk."
Mizuki remained calm and answered with a response none of them expected.
"My true objective was Iruka Umino."
A moment of silence followed.
Mizuki had known from the start that he was under suspicion and had already lost the chance to completely clear his name. The timeframe was too short to change the narrative. So, his only option was to control the perception of his crime—to redirect the focus away from more dangerous secrets.
One crime, one punishment.
By confessing to a smaller offense, he could use misdirection to protect his deeper secrets. As long as his connection to Orochimaru and any plans of defecting remained unknown, there was still room to maneuver.
He glanced briefly at Kakashi, knowing the presence of a highly trusted ninja would lend credibility to his statement.
Hiruzen frowned. "You and Iruka don't get along? If I recall correctly, you two have been friends for years. Are you resentful that Iruka was chosen as a teacher before you?"
"I once resented him."
"'Once'?" Danzo interjected, his voice as sharp as ever. "So, you claim that you no longer harbor resentment? A convenient excuse. Do not think you can reduce your crime through mere wordplay. If you do not provide a real motive, we will extract the truth by force."
Danzo's threat was blatant. The pressure in the room was suffocating.
This is exactly what I was trying to avoid.
When Mizuki had first awoken in this world, he had considered confessing everything. But what exactly could he confess?
If he admitted only to manipulating his mission report, the natural question would be:
Why confess now?
Since he had already committed one act of deceit, would they believe his motives were pure? Or would they suspect he was hiding something bigger?
And if he fully confessed about his ties to Orochimaru, that would be even worse.
Collaboration with an S-rank missing-nin would guarantee interrogation, imprisonment, or worse. With Yamanaka clan mind-reading techniques, his status as a transmigrator could even be exposed. The consequences of that revelation… were beyond terrifying.
That was why Mizuki had to stage an alternative narrative.
By choosing a reason that was personal, yet not severe enough to mark him as a true traitor, he could control the narrative and avoid deeper scrutiny.
"Danzo-sama, Third Hokage-sama," Mizuki said steadily, "I once resented Iruka for taking the teaching position that I believed should have been mine. But after some time, I realized that Iruka was indeed more suited for the job than I was."
He paused before emphasizing, "But that is not the point."
"What do you want, then?" Hiruzen asked.
"I wanted to **prove that Iruka is an excellent Academy teacher but a terrible ninja instructor." Mizuki's voice was firm.
Hiruzen's brows furrowed. "And you thought the best way to prove this was by coercing Naruto into stealing the Forbidden Scroll?"
"That's absurd!" Koharu snapped.
Mizuki remained silent.
Danzo, however, analyzed his words carefully.
"So," Danzo finally said, "you forced Naruto to learn a forbidden jutsu and defeat Iruka… to make Iruka realize his own flawed judgment?"
"Yes," Mizuki admitted.
"Why don't you believe in Iruka's judgment?" Hiruzen pressed. "Simply because he holds different values than you?"
"I apologize, Hokage-sama," Mizuki said, bowing slightly. "But I firmly believe that once a student graduates, they must face the reality of being a shinobi. The Academy is not a playground—blind idealism will only ruin their futures. To deny someone the chance to become a ninja over a single weak point is both arrogance and overprotection."
"'Strength above all else'?" Hiruzen murmured. "That is a dangerous mindset, Mizuki."
"Not 'strength above all,' Hokage-sama," Mizuki corrected. "But 'mission above all.' Strength is merely a part of it."
"There is little difference between those two ideals," Hiruzen sighed. "After all this, you still sound envious of Iruka."
Mizuki felt the conversation slipping away from his control. His main objective had been to redirect suspicion, but he hadn't expected the discussion to spiral in this direction.
Should I reveal more? Or hold my ground?
The room fell silent.
Only the soft crackling of Hiruzen's pipe filled the air.
Then, finally—
"Mizuki," the Third Hokage said, "regarding your previous classified mission, is there anything you would like to confess?"
He finally asked.
Mizuki carefully schooled his expression, pretending to be shocked before lowering his head in hesitation.
Then, with a deliberate pause, he finally spoke.
"I… lied, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "Explain."
"We lacked the strength to complete our mission while carrying an injured teammate," Mizuki admitted. "I regret to inform you… that I killed him."
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Even though the village leadership had already suspected Mizuki, hearing his admission still carried weight.
Koharu's hands trembled in anger. "I cannot believe a Konoha ninja would kill his own comrade! Unforgivable!"
Mizuki mentally sighed.
Would you like to say that to Kakashi's face?
If killing teammates was unheard of, then Kakashi's past—killing Rin—should have made him an outcast. Yet, despite that, he was highly respected.
In reality, Mizuki's biggest crime wasn't killing a comrade, but lying about it.
That was why he had chosen to confess now—to preemptively take responsibility and avoid further digging into his past.
And it worked.
Hiruzen let out a long sigh and finally said, "Kakashi, escort Mizuki out."
With that, Mizuki had escaped immediate danger.
As he walked out, Mizuki let out a quiet breath of relief.
His secrets were safe.
For now.