Kakashi shook his head and said, "We discussed this long ago during meetings. The Third insists on not using it, so we can only seize the moment as things unfold."
Mizuki remained silent for a moment. [Four-Corner Sealing Barrier] would activate quickly, and the Sound Four weren't weak by any means. Breaking through their barrier in such a short time was nearly impossible. If they didn't make preparations soon, there would be no way to interfere with Orochimaru's battle against the Third. Under the threat of [Impure World Reincarnation], the chances of the Third winning and surviving were practically nonexistent.
"Isn't there anything we could do?" Mizuki asked.
"Not many people can get involved in fights at the Hokage's level. Sending ordinary ninja won't really accomplish much," Asuma Sarutobi replied. As someone who had been close to the Third, even though they'd had disagreements due to differing ideals when he was younger, he still understood the Third's mindset quite well. He had always carried a lingering resentment over how the Third had once been too lenient toward Orochimaru, allowing him to escape punishment back then—only for Orochimaru to return now and wreak havoc on the village. Asuma had never stopped hoping to personally deliver justice to Orochimaru, even if it meant taking great risks himself.
Though Mizuki knew Asuma spoke the truth, the thought of merely watching helplessly as the Third fell in battle after [Four-Corner Sealing Barrier] was set up felt extremely bitter.
The only one who could potentially change the outcome was Jiraiya. Though he was currently inside the village, it wouldn't be easy for him to decide to kill Orochimaru alongside the Third—he still held some sentimental attachment for his former teammate. That's why he chose to stay hidden in the shadows, silently waiting for the result. He would only reveal himself when a massive summoned beast began threatening the village.
"These old masters and their tangled pasts—too messy to untangle."
Mizuki decided to put aside unrealistic thoughts for now and focus on dealing with the present matters first.
"It seems Naruto and Sakura both won unexpectedly," Kakashi remarked with a smile.
Though the chances were slim, it wasn't beyond possibility for Naruto to win. However, for Sakura to come out on top was truly surprising—the gap in her starting strength was simply too large. Even with targeted training, one month wasn't enough time.
"You should probably pay more attention to your students, Kakashi," Mizuki said. Things should be fine for now; several suspicious targets had already drawn special attention before the enemy made its move. They would immediately intervene if anything happened.
"Yeah, I'll go fulfill my duties as a teacher first," Kakashi said. He waved and tucked away his Make-Out Tactics book, heading off to check on Sakura and Naruto's conditions.
"We'll go ahead then. It wouldn't look good to neglect influential spectators," said Asuma since Kakashi had arrived. Both Asuma and Kurenai Yuhi needed to leave. "We'll come down if something happens."
[When the large-scale genjutsu, Nirvana Mansion [Unnamed] Jutsu, is activated later, everyone will barely manage themselves—who'll have time to help others?]
After all, the number of ninjas on-site was limited. Most of the crowd consisted of ordinary civilians with little ability to defend themselves. If a large-scale casualty incident occurred, Konoha would suffer serious humiliation. Just protecting civilians would be difficult enough—they'd likely end up fighting individually anyway.
Leaving aside these external developments, the matches occurring within the arena were nearing their peak intensity. It looks like the outcomes won't be far off now.
Temari's Wind Release techniques were indeed incredibly powerful. Coupled with her signature weapon—a massive folding fan—she was like a tiger with wings. Close combat might not be her area of expertise, but she was certainly no pushover in it. Her Wind Release: Sickle Weasel Technique forced Shikamaru Nara into constant retreat, keeping him pinned down and unable to close the distance. It also left no room for his Shadow Imitation Technique to take effect, and every secret move he devised was eventually countered.
"The strength of Suna ninja is truly not to be underestimated."
Though Temari couldn't immediately gain the upper hand against Shikamaru, one mustn't forget that Shikamaru himself was no ordinary ninja. He wasn't like typical civilian shinobi. With favorable living conditions, an intelligent mind, and exceptional talent—even though his laziness made him less diligent—he was still far superior to what most average ninja could handle.
Suna village was situated in the harsh environment of the Land of Wind, where resources were scarce, nothing compared to Konoha's homeland, the Land of Fire. Worse yet, two consecutive defeats in ninja wars dealt devastating blows to Suna's forces. Particularly last time, when the Third Kazekage, hailed as the strongest wind shadow, mysteriously vanished, severely damaging Suna's reputation. Already limited resources were further seized, leaving them unable to maintain a large force of ninja. As a result, they had to adopt a strategy focusing on cultivating elite ninja by concentrating resources on training only a select few talents.
Konoha possessed the strongest overall power due to its sheer numbers and well-rounded battle capabilities among its ninja. However, Suna's mid- to high-tier individual fighters still surpassed those of Konoha. Only Kirigakure from the blood mist country could stand on equal footing with Suna. If Konoha hadn't been a land blessed by fate—continuously producing numerous talents over the years and supported by several powerful ninja clans—it would have long been overtaken by the ambitious Suna.
But recently, the aging Third Hokage could no longer sustain a Konoha struggling due to a dearth of fresh recruits. Therefore, when Orochimaru approached them, Suna—who had long harbored ambitions—decided to take the risk.
The clash between Temari and Shikamaru Nara was just a reflection of this larger picture. Konoha, strong on the outside yet hollow within, tried every means possible to survive this crisis, while Suna disregarded everything else and rolled up its sleeves, ready to start a war.
Yet, as Asuma had said, Shikamaru ultimately seized an opportunity. However, having exhausted all his chakra, he had no choice but to admit defeat.
"What do you think?" Kakashi, who had finished reconnecting with his students, came over and asks Mizuki.
"Do you mean Shikamaru Nara?"
Kakashi nods.
"How should I put it? One of a kind," Mizuki glances at Sakura Haruno and continues, "but he relies too much on his intelligence. His extraordinary IQ is a tremendous asset, but it could also become a barrier to his growth. It all depends on whether he can achieve some breakthrough in the future."
Kakashi nods and says, "You're absolutely right. No wonder you used to be a teacher."
"Are you complimenting me or praising yourself? You can barely manage your own three students, yet you still want to worry about others?"
"Well, don't put it that way. After all, we've known each other for a while. Sometimes helping each other out is only natural."
"You're talking about Sakura, right?"
Mizuki gave a slight shake of his head with a smirk. "It's not that I mind," he said. "If she has any thoughts, she's more than welcome to seek me out. Honestly, my techniques are so advanced that probably not many Genin in Konoha would even understand them. I'd love to have a brilliant mind like hers working with me and exchanging ideas. But… you know."
Mizuki locked eyes with Kakashi and said, "I think you're greatly underestimating Sakura's potential. You ought to find her a better teacher. I can babysit her for now, sure, but for real training, you'd better seriously find someone more reliable."
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