Chapter 138: Cautious to a Fault
A deep worry clouded Mizuki's face as he continued etching sealing formations onto the rooftop floor, all while keeping an eye on Naruto and Sasuke, who were still squabbling nearby. Up to this point, no one had come to interrupt them—but with the distant sounds of battle fading further away, Mizuki's unease only grew stronger.
Suddenly, a surge of intense pain ripped through him, scattering his thoughts like a gust of wind to a pile of leaves. He froze, the kunai slipping from his fingers and clattering against the floor.
"What's wrong, Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto asked, startled by the sudden change. Sasuke looked just as concerned.
Mizuki didn't answer right away. He staggered toward the railing, leaning against it as his mind struggled to process the flood of memories that had suddenly emerged.
"So it's gone… The first human-pillar clone… Burned by Amaterasu. So that's what it feels like to be devoured by black flames. Unbearable agony…"
He had known sending a clone to face someone of Itachi's caliber was a gamble—one he likely wouldn't win. But to be eliminated so thoroughly and so quickly by Amaterasu left a bitter taste. Aside from a brief moment of interference, the clone had achieved almost nothing before self-detonating in vain.
"This difference in raw power... it's insurmountable. All these clever tactics, effortlessly crushed by overwhelming force…"
Even if Mizuki's actual body had gone instead of the clone, in perfect condition, the result probably wouldn't have been much better. He was missing the qualifications that allowed entry into the upper echelon of the ninja world.
"Sage Mode… that's the key. It's the entry ticket to the realm of true power. I have to master it, no matter what."
Sage Mode wasn't just about strength. For someone with Mizuki's physical condition, it could also help ease some of the chronic damage his body had accumulated. While it wouldn't add more years to his life, it might help stretch what time he had left.
"Mizuki-sensei, should we go get a doctor?" Naruto asked. Sasuke stood silently beside him, looking worried. After their recent battle with Gaara and the surprise attack by Orochimaru, Sasuke had developed a strong respect for Mizuki—especially his sealing and barrier techniques. Even then, he'd never seen Mizuki look so grim. The barrier he was constructing now was clearly even more complex than the last.
Sasuke was more perceptive than Naruto and could sense that this was the tension that came before a storm. The pressure Mizuki radiated was no less than the dread he'd felt from Orochimaru.
"No need, Naruto," Mizuki said, shaking his head. "No one in this place is better at medical ninjutsu than I am."
"Really?" Naruto asked, skeptical.
"Don't be rude," Sasuke said, cutting him off. "Mizuki-sensei, are you alright now?"
"Yeah. I'm good." Mizuki finally regained his composure, having digested the dying memories of the clone's last moments.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Sasuke asked.
"There is, actually," Mizuki replied, after a moment's thought. "Naruto, sit on that sigil over there. Start gathering chakra and channel it into the formation beneath you. Sasuke, your job is to guard him. And listen carefully—don't let anyone approach until I say otherwise."
"Understood," Sasuke replied solemnly.
"Hey, Mizuki-sensei! Why don't I get a combat role? I don't need a jerk like Sasuke guarding me," Naruto complained.
"Listen up, Naruto," Mizuki said, his tone grave. "If you mess up this step, all of us could die—soon."
While Mizuki could have infused the barrier with chakra himself, he needed to conserve his strength for the coming battle. Dividing his attention would only make things worse. Naruto's help would save him valuable time and energy.
Hearing the word die, Naruto's face went pale. His first brush with death had been during the Land of Waves mission, when Haku died. Later, the chaos during the Chūnin Exams claimed the Third Hokage's life. This time, Mizuki's serious tone made him sit up and take things more seriously.
"Got it, Mizuki-sensei…"
"Keep a steady rhythm. Don't rush. Use the same chakra control methods we've practiced," Mizuki instructed. "Don't worry about what's going on outside. I'll handle it."
With the two genin prepared and the final seals in place, Mizuki turned toward the sky. All that was left now was to wait.
"Who will they send next…? The only ones capable of this kind of infiltration are Obito and Zetsu."
As he waited, a massive fiery-orange warrior loomed in the distance—Susanoo, wielding an enormous sword, its terrifying presence radiating from afar.
"Susanoo… He's really going all out. Amaterasu's already been used. I wonder if he's used Tsukuyomi too. Now this—he's burning through his life force. If he keeps this up, he'll go blind long before that three-year timeline."
Even though Itachi's condition was better now than it would be years later, excessive use of Mangekyō techniques would still be extremely taxing on his body.
"What… is that?" Sasuke asked, staring in disbelief at the towering Susanoo. "That can't be a jutsu… can it?"
"You don't know?" Mizuki replied, genuinely surprised.
"I've never seen anything like it before. Are all the strong guys out there that powerful?" Sasuke said, a bit envious.
"…Maybe one day you'll understand," Mizuki said vaguely. It was better that Sasuke didn't know yet. If he found out Itachi was back, driven by vengeance, there was no telling what he might do.
Sasuke seemed to pick up on Mizuki's evasiveness but didn't press the issue.
The three of them silently watched the ongoing battle. Jiraiya and Gamabunta clearly held the advantage, while Itachi's Susanoo, though formidable, wasn't yet in its perfect form. Against the combined might of Jiraiya and his toad, he was being pushed back. If not for Obito and Zetsu watching from the shadows, Itachi likely wouldn't last much longer.
"Mizuki-sensei, do you think Pervy Sage will win?" Naruto asked nervously.
"Win?" Mizuki smiled. "There may be people in this world stronger than Jiraiya-sama, but none of those people are standing across from him right now."
Jiraiya's strength wasn't just his own; it was bolstered by sage mode and powerful summoning techniques. These had carried him through his early years and allowed him to survive long enough to become one of the legendary Sannin.
"And Pervy Sage is really that strong?" Naruto asked. It was hard to believe anyone could fight a giant sword-wielding warrior like Susanoo and come out on top.
"Didn't you use summoning to beat Gaara? Didn't you summon a massive toad yourself?" Mizuki pointed at Gamabunta. "That one's his twin—Gamaken. They're almost the same."
"Whoa…" Naruto blinked. "Mizuki-sensei, you know so much."
"I know what I need to know. The rest will come with time, Naruto."
"Totally don't get what that means."
Naruto looked confused, but Sasuke seemed to grasp the implication—if only a little.
"…Someone's coming," Mizuki suddenly warned, sensing a disturbance. The door to the rooftop opened—and a familiar figure stepped through.
"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto exclaimed. Seeing someone he knew, he reflexively stepped forward—only for Sasuke to grab his shoulder and pull him back.
"Don't move."
"What the heck, Sasuke!?"
"Did you forget Mizuki-sensei's orders?"
"But it's Iruka-sensei!"
Sasuke shook his head firmly and kept Naruto in place.
"Naruto, Sasuke—so this is where you two ran off to. I didn't see you in your rooms and got worried. I'm glad you're safe…" Iruka smiled as he approached.
But before he could get too close, Sasuke stepped into his path.
"What's wrong?" Iruka asked, visibly confused.
"C'mon, Sasuke! That's Iruka-sensei!"
"Iruka?" Mizuki chuckled coldly. "You really went all out."
"…What do you mean?" The smile faded from Iruka's face.
"You even fooled me for a moment. I suppose that's impressive." With a wave of his hand, Mizuki activated a sealing barrier, trapping the impostor in place.
"…So I've been exposed?" came a raspy, unnatural voice from Iruka's mouth. "I thought I'd pulled it off—distracting the guards and slipping in unnoticed. But I didn't count on someone like you keeping watch. Such a pain…"
"What!?" Naruto yelled. "A fake!?"
Sasuke let out a breath of relief—his instincts had been right.
"An impressive transformation. But Iruka? Of all people? The hospital's filled with strangers and acquaintances. You'd have been harder to identify. But Iruka… leaving the academy at this time? That's suspicious."
What Mizuki didn't say was that White Zetsu's Object Replacement Technique was nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. Even Mizuki, with his exceptional chakra sensing, wouldn't have caught the deception under normal circumstances. But today, anyone who approached Naruto without good reason was automatically suspect.
"Well, since I've been discovered," the fake Iruka sneered, "I guess I'll just have to take the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki by force. Lucky for me, there are no real powerhouses here. Not even a jōnin. Otherwise, this might've been troublesome…"
The moment the words left his mouth, a dozen figures appeared around the rooftop—some wearing Konoha forehead protectors, others dressed as ordinary civilians. But the one that caught Mizuki's attention was a man wearing a swirl-patterned mask covering one eye.
"Obito? …No, this is the real Tobi."
One of the few powerful White Zetsu clones. Mizuki hadn't expected him here.
"Well, it doesn't matter which member of Akatsuki it is. To me, they're all enemies far above my level."
To be continued…
---
Read up to 20 chapter ahead of time on patreon.com/Legendryweeb
{please give this novel 5 Star review and power stone}
*Thank you*