Chapter 142: We Can't Just Look Away
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio were undeniably strong. In Konoha, any combat squad composed of three jōnin—and ones who had made a name for themselves during the last Great Ninja War—couldn't be taken lightly. They were also major supporters of the Hokage line and represented the village's backbone.
Even so, Mizuki wasn't confident they could defeat Tobi. After all, the nature of Wood Release meant its users weren't afraid of being outnumbered. Even a well-coordinated team like the Ino-Shika-Cho couldn't guarantee a win.
Akimichi Chōza launched his Partial Multi-Size Technique, transforming into a towering giant, and rushed forward to engage the Wood Golem Technique head-on. Although still clearly at a disadvantage, at least he could now confront it directly.
"Be careful of the wood spears—don't let them pierce your body. They'll cause big problems."
For someone as large as Chōza, increased size brought increased vulnerability. Especially against attacks with special effects. Tobi's Piercing Technique, a branch of Wood Release, inflicted terrible damage by sprouting growths inside a victim's body after penetration. If it landed, the internal damage would be horrific.
"We'll go help. You take care of those two genin." The Ino-Shika-Cho trio quickly moved to assist.
Against Tobi, they had some advantages. He could suppress them with brute strength, but he lacked versatility. Other than the Piercing Technique, most of his Wood Release jutsu were more suited for crowd control. With Chōza clearing the field, the rest of the Wood Release tricks lost much of their effectiveness.
Yamanaka Inoichi's mind-body techniques were particularly dangerous at mid-range—if they connected, it was hard to break free. And Nara Shikaku's shadow techniques were deadly in terrain filled with debris and shadows from the aftermath of the earlier jutsu—like this battlefield full of fallen logs and splintered wood.
Still, Tobi wasn't weak. As a clone of White Zetsu, he had higher resistance to mind techniques, and while most of the Zetsu clones were wiped out by Mizuki's traps, a few remained. Tobi had also gathered a handful more to bolster his forces. While not very strong, they could at least serve as distractions.
Since neither side had a decisive trump card, the advantage was shifting to Konoha. They were still in the village, after all. A short raid might work—but the longer this dragged out, the harder it would be for the enemy to retreat.
"Sasuke, give me your arm." Now that things had stabilized, Mizuki remembered Sasuke's repeated use of Chidori and wanted to check his condition.
"Okay, Mizuki-sensei." Having seen Mizuki's medical skills a few times, Sasuke complied without resistance.
"…What the—? This is worse than I thought." Mizuki frowned as he inspected the injury. "You really pushed yourself. It looks like your limit is two Chidoris—maybe three if you're lucky. Didn't Kakashi warn you?"
"He did… but sometimes it can't be helped."
"'Can't be helped?' You think you'll always have a medic around to patch you up? You need to work on your chakra control."
Lightning Release was notoriously hard to control—especially in shape manipulation. Without exceptional precision, it could do more harm to the user than the enemy. Even though Kakashi had taught Sasuke to use Lightning Chakra to stimulate his cells and boost physical performance, it was still dangerous. And with each Chidori, Sasuke's chakra reserves drained—any more, and the Cursed Seal would likely start stirring.
"Chakra control? Kakashi-sensei mentioned that too, but it takes time…"
"I understand your situation." Mizuki continued treating his arm as he spoke. "Your future is bright. Kakashi gave you a solid foundation, but..."
He glanced at Naruto, who was pretending not to eavesdrop. "You too, come here. Let me check your injuries."
Naruto had taken some hits earlier, entangled in the Wood Release vines. His tough body probably tanked most of the damage, but still, it wouldn't be pleasant.
"Sasuke, ninjutsu talent is only one aspect. Learning how to be a proper ninja is just as important. Both are essential—you've done well in the first, but in the second, you should learn from Naruto."
"Did you hear that, Sasuke? Learn from me!" Naruto beamed proudly.
"I wasn't complimenting you, Naruto..." Mizuki sighed. Naruto always heard half the message and ignored the rest.
"Idiot," Sasuke muttered, earning a glare from Naruto.
Ignoring their squabble, Sasuke turned back to Mizuki. "You said it's hard for me to get stronger quickly… but not impossible, right?"
"If you want to put it that way, you're not wrong." Mizuki gave him a pointed look. "Kakashi probably told you—ninjas aren't bound by common sense. There are kids younger than you who are stronger than your teacher. But those paths are hard to find, and even harder to follow. Can you afford the price that power demands?"
Power without cost only existed in fairy tales. Reality wasn't so kind.
"Price?" Sasuke pondered, face serious.
Mizuki's words weren't entirely accurate. It was rare—maybe impossible—to find someone younger than Sasuke who was already stronger than Kakashi. Maybe in the past—like Hashirama, Madara, Indra, or Asura—but certainly not now.
Looking toward the fading battle, where the Ino-Shika-Cho trio were finally gaining the upper hand against Tobi, Mizuki knew the chaos sparked by the Chūnin Exams was finally nearing its end. Unlike Orochimaru's full-scale invasion, this had been a raid by a handful of elites. Though dramatic, the actual damage was relatively minimal.
"Mizuki-sensei," Sasuke asked suddenly, "do you know any way to quickly get stronger?"
Mizuki sighed inwardly.
"Looks like all my subtle nudging had the opposite effect."
He'd tried to steer Sasuke gently—but it was useless. Mizuki couldn't stand emotionally unstable types like him. And ironically, it was people like Sasuke—those consumed by obsession—who most easily awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
If not for Kakashi, Mizuki wouldn't waste this much effort on him. He already had enough to worry about. And Sasuke's vendetta? That was a problem for three years from now. If Mizuki wasn't strong enough to go his own way by then, then nothing else mattered.
"How strong do you think Itachi is?" Mizuki asked instead, pointing to the distant battlefield. "Do you think that wooden monster could kill him?"
"…Maybe?" Sasuke said uncertainly.
"Maybe?" Mizuki scoffed. "You have no idea how strong top-tier ninja are. If you can't even understand that, your revenge? Not a chance."
"You're serious?"
Mizuki had already said more than enough. If Sasuke still didn't get it, it was his problem.
Thankfully, Kakashi and Guy finally arrived, chakra signatures flaring as they landed nearby.
"Sasuke, calm yourself," Kakashi said gently, coughing as he walked closer. "You and Naruto, retreat to a safe zone. Guy, take them—I'll join you shortly."
"You sure?" Guy asked, concerned.
"I'm fine. Besides, I'm not alone here."
"…Alright." After glancing around at Mizuki, the giant bear, and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio steadily pushing back the enemy, Guy nodded. "Be careful."
…
Watching them leave, Kakashi handed Mizuki the scroll containing Amaterasu's black flames.
"Thanks for saving me earlier."
"You listened to all that and didn't step in sooner?" Mizuki chuckled. "Sasuke's becoming a real problem. I don't think I helped much…"
"This isn't your fault." Kakashi sighed. "I just… don't know what to do."
"Kakashi, you've heard the Uchiha legend about the Mangekyō Sharingan, right?"
"Of course," Kakashi nodded, touching his own left eye. "The one about killing your closest friend?"
"What do you think? Just a myth?"
"All myths have a seed of truth, Mizuki."
"Exactly." Mizuki nodded. "You ever consider what Sasuke might do… if he found out?"
"You mean… Naruto…"
Kakashi didn't finish the thought. If Sasuke really believed killing Naruto would unlock the Mangekyō—and give him the power for revenge—what would he do?
"You need to have faith in your students." Mizuki said seriously. "Sasuke might not be the most grateful person—but Naruto is special to him. In the original story, he didn't kill him at the Valley of the End, remember?"
"…Right. You're right." Kakashi rubbed his head. "This is really troublesome."
…
That night, the terror of the earlier battle felt like a distant dream. The Akatsuki's raid ended in failure. No targets were captured. Konoha, meanwhile, once again failed to detain a single enemy. Other than some destroyed Zetsu clones, they gained nothing. With Kamui at Tobi's disposal, catching someone was almost impossible.
In a small town some distance from Konoha, in a safehouse provided by Akatsuki affiliates, Tobi and Itachi were engaged in a tense discussion.
"Our agreement still stands, Itachi," Tobi insisted. "Everything we did was for capturing the Nine-Tails."
"You say you're Uchiha Madara. Fine. I've accepted that," Itachi replied coolly. "But capturing the Nine-Tails is my mission."
"You couldn't have waited for Jiraiya to leave? Or at least until the Jinchūriki left the village? This wasn't what we agreed to." Tobi narrowed his eyes. "You're not holding up your end."
[To be continued…]
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