The world of shinobi wasn't nearly as glamorous or thrilling as it had seemed in his previous life.
Sure, in the beginning—when he first learned how to walk on water, climb trees, leap through forests, even cast his very first ninjutsu—the excitement in his heart had been indescribable.
But once you grew accustomed to it all, endless training brought nothing but monotony and dull routine.
Watching anime made it seem like everyone's days were packed and fulfilling, with more things to do than time allowed. In reality, aside from training, there was very little entertainment in this world.
Someone like Naruto could still run around causing mischief and painting graffiti.
But Shimizu?
He could only train, day after day without pause.
And now, lying in a hospital bed recovering from injuries, there was nothing he could do except stare into space and think.
So he began to recall the fragments of his past:
The shock of realizing he had arrived in this world.
The ecstasy of refining chakra for the first time.
The novelty of entering the Ninja Academy.
Graduating and becoming a genin under Maruboshi Kosuke's guidance.
The joy of promotion to chunin.
And then—war.
The Second Great Ninja War that lasted six full years.
The brutality of war shattered every beautiful illusion he once had about this world. Corpses scattered across battlefields constantly reminded him that weakness was a sin.
So he threw himself into endless training, living a gray and mechanical shinobi life.
Joining the Anbu.
Meeting Gray Hawk, Starfire, and Storm Fox.
Becoming an Anbu squad captain.
Advancing to jonin.
His ninja career had been filled with training and killing. That was why he cherished the comrades he could entrust his life to.
But now… it was all gone.
What could he still do for them?
Revenge?
Could he accomplish that?
Should he root out the mastermind behind it all?
Or simply target all of Sunagakure?
…Sigh.
A heavy sigh echoed in his heart.
People cannot afford to be idle. Idleness breeds wandering thoughts.
It seemed even shinobi could not escape that cycle.
"Time to change your bandages." A sweet voice from a young nurse sounded beside him.
"…Alright."
Shimizu paused, then slowly sat up.
As the bandages were unwrapped layer by layer, the countless savage scars on his body were shocking to behold. Each old wound told a story of the cruelty of a shinobi's life.
And the newly formed, horrifying scar across his abdomen spoke volumes about the ferocity of that last battle.
"Hiss—"
The cold medicinal ointment touched the wound.
A piercing pain shot through him—worse than when he had first been injured.
"It hurts, doesn't it? It can't be helped… that's just how this medicine works. Once it scabs over and new flesh grows, it won't hurt so much."
The nurse worked skillfully, applying fresh medicine before carefully wrapping the bandages back in place. It was obvious she was an ordinary civilian—but an extremely professional one.
"Being a ninja really isn't all that great. You have to risk your life like this."
Shinobi were indeed among the professions closest to death.
And yet… it had been a dream.
Which boy who had watched Naruto wouldn't want to become a real ninja?
The exhilarating speed of racing through forests.
The overwhelming power of casting mighty jutsu.
Who wouldn't long for that?
The nurse glanced at the silent Shimizu.
He was clearly about the same age as her. Why insist on walking such a dangerous path?
"You have no idea… when you were brought in, you weren't even breathing. There was blood all the way to the emergency room. If Lady Tsunade hadn't done everything she could to save you…"
She trailed off, but the implication was clear.
If Tsunade hadn't happened to be in the village that day, his chances of survival would have been almost nonexistent.
Shimizu smiled faintly.
It seemed this nurse had grown up in a warm, sheltered family. In Konoha, such families were rarely simple civilian households.
"What's your name?"
"Imadegawa Sara," the nurse replied playfully. "I already know yours—it's written by your bed."
Imadegawa…
He didn't recall any prominent clan by that name in the village. Likely not a ninja family.
Shimizu shook his head slightly.
She was an ordinary person.
He was not.
They lived in completely different worlds.
Why concern himself with such things?
He should focus on recovering.
Seeing him close his eyes and lean back against the bed without any intention of continuing the conversation, Sara pouted slightly, a hint of disappointment on her face. She tidied the room briefly before leaving.
From outside the hospital room, her voice could be heard again:
"Excuse me, are you here to see Uzuki-kun?"
"Yes."
The voice belonged to a slightly hoarse middle-aged man.
"I'll make a record—Uzuki-kun, you have a visitor!" Imadegawa Sara called out loudly.
There was no need for her to say it. Shimizu had already sensed someone approaching—and that familiar voice…
A middle-aged man of modest build stepped in, a distinctive short ponytail tied at the back of his head.
"…Kosuke-sensei!" Shimizu called out.
"The Hokage sent Anbu to inform me not long ago that you had woken up, so I came to take a look."
The man before him was his mentor, Maruboshi Kosuke, a man with the hidden strength of an Elite Jonin.
"I actually woke up last night. I submitted my mission report this morning."
"Looks like the Hokage is taking good care of you. Under normal Anbu rules, the moment you wake up, you're required to give your report immediately."
Maruboshi Kosuke smiled and casually pulled up a chair beside the hospital bed.
"I never imagined you'd be sent on such a dangerous mission… All these years, I've only known you were in the Anbu, handling many A-rank and even S-rank missions, but… sigh…"
Ever since Shimizu joined the Anbu, their interactions had gradually grown fewer.
One reason was that Kosuke no longer had much to teach him. The other was the nature of Anbu work—Shimizu came and went like a shadow. Their schedules simply never aligned.
"I imagine Sawi has received the news as well. He's probably on his way."
Uchiha Sawi had become Kosuke's student alongside Shimizu back then. Their third teammate had long since fallen during the Second Great Ninja War.
"Is Sawi still in the Military Police Force??"
Thinking of his fellow disciple, Shimizu felt a wave of emotion. He never had many friends to begin with. After all these years, there were even fewer old comrades still alive.
"I saw him at the Police Force headquarters just last month."
Kosuke studied his student carefully.
He had changed.
Even during their years of close daily contact, Kosuke had rarely been able to tell what Shimizu was thinking just by looking at him.
From the time he first graduated, Shimizu had possessed a steadiness far beyond his age. He didn't cry, didn't throw tantrums, didn't complain. He trained meticulously and seriously.
Yet unlike other prematurely mature ninja, he wasn't gloomy or withdrawn. He didn't reject conversation or isolate himself. He could laugh openly and brightly.
All of those traits combined made him seem unlike a typical shinobi.
Kosuke had seen many kinds of ninja—hot-blooded, ambitious, ordinary, brooding—but never one so contradictory.
But now…
In Shimizu's unfocused eyes, Kosuke saw something familiar.
Years of killing. The deaths of comrades and loved ones. Those things inevitably shaped a ninja's heart.
Just now, he had glimpsed that weight in Shimizu's vacant gaze.
This is the fate of a shinobi.
"Looks like he's doing well, at least. Did the Hokage say anything about this mission?" Shimizu asked.
He had already submitted everything he knew in his report to the Anbu. Surely the Third Hokage would make some arrangements.
"The Hokage's instruction is for you to focus on recovering. That's your top priority right now. Everything else can wait. I've been briefed on your injuries—if they don't heal completely, it could affect your future as a shinobi."
He paused, then added:
"Oh, and Starfire is also in this hospital—Room 311 downstairs. You can visit him anytime. Gray Hawk's belongings have been handed over to the Hyuga clan. As for Storm Fox… her belongings will likely be cremated with her body at the next funeral."
"…I see."
Tsunade last night. The Anbu captain this morning. Now Kosuke-sensei. Even the Hokage's own directive.
All of them were telling him the same thing—focus on recovering.
His subordinates were either dead or maimed.
What else could he do?
Since no one intended to explain the full truth of the matter to an injured patient like him, perhaps it was better this way.
He would seek some peace.
He would heal.
"You've already done very well. Leave the rest to us. Concentrate on getting better—we're all waiting for you to return."
Kosuke stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder.
"Understood. I'll focus on recovering."
Shimizu nodded quietly.
"Alright, I was about to head out on a mission anyway—just stopped by to see you on the way. I should get going. Sigh… the life of a shinobi…"
Maruboshi Kosuke let out a soft sigh.
"Okay!" Shimizu's eyes flickered slightly, though he wasn't sure what exactly his teacher was lamenting.
...
In the days that followed, Shimizu gathered his thoughts and focused entirely on recovering.
He had a clear understanding of his own condition. If the massive wound on his abdomen reopened, it would be far more difficult to heal a second time—and it would inevitably affect his future growth.
He could not afford to stop here.
So he obediently recuperated: changing his medicine on schedule every day, refraining from unnecessary movement, and avoiding emotional agitation.
During this time, friends came one after another to visit him.
Sawi arrived with obvious excitement, mysteriously declaring that once Shimizu was discharged, he would present him with a grand gift. He refused to reveal what it was.
But what surprised Shimizu the most was that Minato Namikaze came to see him—bringing along his students.
In the past, Minato had kept a certain polite distance from him, perhaps viewing him as a so-called "watered-down genius."
During the visit, Uchiha Obito loudly proclaimed that he would avenge Shimizu, only to be immediately mocked by Kakashi.
At this point in time, Obito, Kakashi, and Rin were still bright and optimistic children.
Starfire also came to his room.
He recounted in detail what had happened after they separated.
Two squads of Sand ninja had caught up with them that very night. No one knew how they had tracked them down.
There was no escape. No reinforcements.
Starfire and Storm Fox could only fight to the death.
After killing them, the Sand ninja had behaved strangely—they did not take the bodies.
Starfire survived by feigning death, but at the cost of both his legs.
Storm Fox, however, had left this world forever.
During this period, the village leadership was deliberately suppressing information. Something this significant had produced not even a whisper of rumor.
They were clearly planning something.
Waiting for something.
The timeline was dangerously close to the outbreak of the Third Great Ninja War.
Could this incident be the fuse?
Shimizu understood clearly: if he intended to remain involved in what was coming, he needed a healthy body.
More battles lay ahead.
And he would not stop here.
He had not forgotten his deal with Orochimaru.
Orochimaru had said he would return—likely after his wounds had fully healed.
The storm clouds were gathering.
Unyielding, Shimizu could only struggle forward within the relentless current of fate.