Mizuno Ichito couldn't help but curiously size up Uchiha Itachi. This was the guy who could steel his heart and kill his entire clan, including his parents. Yet, while he was ruthless, he also went to great lengths to save his younger brother and even gave him his eyes in the end. But if one were to say he possessed noble character, was handsome, and incredibly strong, his character didn't quite seem noble. He sacrificed his parents and a large group of his kin, including many elderly, weak, and sick, for the Village. Thinking it over, it seemed only the phrase 'incredibly strong' truly fit him; the two tear marks and his handsome looks didn't quite align with that either.
As Mizuno Ichito cautiously observed, Uchiha Itachi also cast his gaze over, and a hint of curiosity and wariness flashed in both their eyes.
Mizuno Ichito turned his head and began to close his eyes to rest. He couldn't get too involved with this guy. Not only was this family problematic, but Danzo was also watching. At this moment, he needed to 'build high walls, store abundant grain, and slowly proclaim himself king.' Before his power was sufficient to crush all opposition, any small action could attract the hostility of strangers, ultimately leading to endless trouble just from looking at someone one extra time in a crowd.
Unconsciously, dawn had broken.
Fresh air, carried by the Hefeng, blew in from the cave entrance, bringing a hint of vitality and hope. The birds' songs awakened the sleeping people.
The threat of the Nine-Tailed gradually receded, leaving behind a scene of ruins and endless grief. The entire Village was filled with a mix of joy and sorrow.
At this moment, Ninja A, an Anbu wearing a cat-faced mask, suddenly jumped into the cave entrance from halfway up the mountain wall. His arrival broke the tranquility of the shelter and caused a stir.
“By order of the Third Hokage: The crisis has been resolved! Everyone can return home safely!”
Ninja A's voice was loud and powerful, echoing in every corner. Hearing these words, people seemed to see a glimmer of hope. They cheered and embraced each other, celebrating the end of the crisis.
“Fortunately, Hokage-sama protected everyone's safety!” an excited passerby shouted.
“Yes, yes! The crisis is finally over.”
“Even such a terrifying monster was dealt with,” another passerby echoed.
...
Mizuno Ichito returned home, looked around, and found that everything seemed undamaged. He felt a little relieved. After a night of crisis, his home had not become a target for others to loot. (Mizuno Ichito seemed a bit silly; with such a huge Nine-Tailed, who would still have the mind to run around recklessly stealing things?)
After a whole night, his stomach was already growling. He walked into the kitchen, quickly made a simple dish of stir-fried pork with chili, and filled his stomach. As a traditional homebody, he was no stranger to cooking, and even in the Ninja World, he wouldn't starve because there was no takeout available.
“The ingredients in the Ninja World are really good, though. Just oil, salt, chili paste, and vinegar, and it tastes this good. If my Ninjutsu talent isn't good later, I'll open a small, cheap restaurant next to Ichiraku Ramen—no, across from it. I'll specifically steal his customers and see if this Ōtsutsuki Ichiraku, who has existed as long as the Hokage Rock, is a hidden boss.” Mizuno Ichito thought to himself proudly as he ate.
After eating, Mizuno Ichito felt bored. He hadn't started school yet, and his original parents were on business trips year-round, so no one cared for him. He lived completely alone.
“Damn it, I'm in the Ninja World and still living alone. It's utterly boring.”
Mizuno Ichito began rummaging through cabinets, trying to find something interesting. He opened a cabinet and found it stacked with various books his original father had stored.
He casually flipped through a few, discovering that most of these books were cultivation secrets for C-Rank Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu, with only a few B-Rank ones. Among them, a secret scroll for the Shadow Clone Technique caught his attention. Although this Ninjutsu wasn't as powerful as the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, its practicality was still very high.
He imagined that in the future, once he had the ability to kill, he could send a Shadow Clone to carry out missions while he lived leisurely at home. Wouldn't such a life be pleasant? And when he was bored, he could even do like Naruto and create a few clones to play mahjong, Dou Dizhu, Monopoly, or even Werewolf. That wouldn't be bad either.
‘Damn it, why isn't there a fun game I can play alone?’
His hands continued to search the cabinet, inadvertently touching a button on the top. A secret compartment popped open, revealing a thick, yellowed, old book.
The book's cover had four large characters written on it: “XX Secret Technique.”
Mizuno Ichito felt a surge of excitement. Given how secretly his original father had hidden it, this might be an S-Rank Ninjutsu or a forbidden jutsu! He would truly be rich! He eagerly picked up the book; it was heavy, suggesting it contained a great secret.
However, when he opened the pages, he found no Ninjutsu or Genjutsu inside, but rather a stack of brand new Hokage coins. It was a box made to look exactly like a book, neatly stacked with Hokage coins, an astonishing amount. Mizuno Ichito was stunned. This old man had actually hidden so much secret money behind his original mother's back!