Chapter 203: Pretending to Be a God
What was supposed to be a solemn ceremony had become a full-blown sound-and-light spectacle. Although nothing truly inappropriate occurred, many guests were left utterly dumbfounded.
Mizuki had actually prepared an even more dazzling display—but it had been vetoed by Tsubaki. In the end, perhaps that was for the best. Without overly gaudy scenes, the event retained some of the traditional elegance that suited a wedding.
In an occasion like this, where ritual mattered more than practical significance, Mizuki's usual social finesse paled in comparison to his clumsy ceremonial conduct. This wasn't the time to show off his rhetorical skills—what he needed to do was thank the guests and hand out small tokens of appreciation.
Not until well into the afternoon did the festive atmosphere finally begin to settle. Guests trickled out one by one, and Mizuki, who had been floating around constantly, finally managed to relax his strained facial muscles and take a breather.
"Hey, Mizuki? Is getting married always this exhausting?" Kakashi asked, watching Mizuki fanning himself with one hand while gulping down water with the other.
"It's not that bad, Kakashi," Mizuki replied. "Just... a little hot."
Though the heat of summer had begun to fade, the midday sun still made things uncomfortable—especially in a full ceremonial outfit and after hours of non-stop activity.
"Looking at your wedding," Kakashi sighed, "I feel hopelessly inadequate."
"You're overthinking it," Mizuki said, then added with a smirk, "What you're really shocked by is the cost."
Kakashi chuckled as Mizuki nailed his true concern.
"Just hiring a jōnin like me to assist would normally cost the equivalent of a B-rank mission fee," Mizuki continued. "And this setup? If you tried to buy everything, it'd cost a fortune."
It was true. Hiring a high-level ninja—even informally—was no small matter. A B-rank mission was costly, and someone of Mizuki's level offering such extensive help would typically be categorized as A-rank or higher.
So realistically, not many could afford a ceremony like this.
Kakashi sighed again. "Fair point. Not that I have the money for this anyway…"
"Didn't you just flaunt your wealth in front of me a while ago?" Mizuki raised an eyebrow. "But really, Kakashi, money isn't your issue. Your problem is—you need a girlfriend first."
"Ah, that's more like it. Now I'm sure it's really you and not an imposter," came a teasing voice from behind. It was Yamashiro Aoba, camera in hand. "Couldn't resist showing off that sharp tongue of yours again, huh?"
Mizuki smiled and glanced at Aoba's camera. "Got all the photos?"
"Just about," Aoba replied, lifting the camera. "Once they're sorted, I'll take them to Hayate."
Though Moonlight Hayate's life force was nearly exhausted, Tsunade's treatment and meticulous care had at least stabilized him. He was now alert for longer stretches and capable of simple conversations. He'd originally hoped to attend the wedding in a wheelchair, but ultimately, it wasn't possible.
"Thanks, Aoba," Mizuki said sincerely. There were things he wanted to do but had no time for—thankfully, his friends had helped pick up the slack.
"No need to thank me. Hayate's my friend too," Aoba replied with a grin.
Just then, Kakashi turned serious. "Mizuki, you're dealing with something similar, aren't you? How's your condition?"
His question immediately drew Aoba's attention as well.
Mizuki nodded. "Yeah. I'm not as bad off as Hayate, but I've got my own methods to buy time while I look for a complete cure."
"Can Hayate use your method?" Aoba asked hopefully.
Mizuki gave a strained smile. "Unlikely. Very unlikely."
Aoba looked disappointed.
"Once your vitality is lost, it's incredibly hard to restore it—let alone reverse the damage," Mizuki added. "If it were that simple, we wouldn't be in this situation."
Yang Release would be the ideal solution—a permanent fix—but without the help of the Sage of Six Paths, that was little more than a fantasy. Another potential method was Orochimaru's Living Corpse Reincarnation, but that technique's side effects were far too extreme. For someone like Mizuki, whose power relied on spiritual and mental integrity, sacrificing his soul's stability was unacceptable.
So in the end, Mizuki was exploring alternatives—perhaps by analyzing traits of the Tailed Beasts.
"Let's hope something works…" Aoba muttered.
…
By the time the ceremony wrapped up, it was almost dinner. In the shinobi world, there weren't any "bedroom games" or crude pranks played on the groom. Without elders to dictate traditions, everything had to be managed by the couple themselves.
As Mizuki bid farewell to Iruka, Kakashi, and Aoba, Kakashi commented, "It's rare to see so many people gathered in one place. Today must've been special."
"Yeah, with how chaotic things have been lately, we never get the whole crew in one spot anymore," Aoba agreed.
"Ninja earn their living by completing missions," Mizuki added with a sigh. "If it weren't for this wedding, I doubt Tsunade-sama would've approved so many simultaneous leave requests."
"If only this break could last longer," Mizuki mused wistfully.
…
That evening, as lanterns lit the village and darkness settled in, Mizuki and Tsubaki finally returned to their newly prepared marital home. But rather than counting wedding gifts, they were poring over their expenses.
Watching Tsubaki flit around organizing things, Mizuki couldn't help but marvel inwardly. He hadn't been blessed with any system cheat or convenient "golden finger" after transmigrating, but if it meant gaining a clever, composed, and capable wife—who was also beautiful, strong-willed, and shared his aesthetic taste—then the whole journey had been worth it.
"Mizuki, we really spent too much this time," Tsubaki said, frowning at the final sum. "We blew through the budget. And we gave away some of the rarest flowers too! That's a little careless, don't you think?"
"It's fine, Tsubaki," Mizuki said, reassuring her. "They were all made using my special reagents anyway. They might look rare and can last quite a while—but they're basically mass-produced prototypes boosted by my formulas."
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