"It's not just an injury... it's more like forced self-preservation. That's why she fell into a coma. What exactly happened?"
Mizuki was also aware of Mitarashi Anko's curse mark. If she was unconscious, the curse mark was likely the main culprit.
"It's nothing else. The battle was so intense she exhausted all her chakra, and that's it," Yamashiro Aoba answered calmly.
"Is the seal on her neck still active?" Mizuki asked, eyeing the Cursed Seal of Heaven on Anko's nape. The seal's runes still floated faintly, no longer spreading, but clearly not fully suppressed.
Mizuki didn't know much about this seal's current condition. The Cursed Seal Orochimaru gave Anko had been implanted years ago, but it never showed any truly extraordinary effects after initial activation — Orochimaru himself had apparently abandoned it. There was no established "second stage" of the curse seal for Anko. After so many years, whether it had changed remained uncertain.
Stepping forward, Mizuki carefully placed his right hand on the cursed seal.
"Compared to the surrounding skin, there's nothing unusual except it feels slightly warmer..."
Even the incomplete sealing technique Mizuki bore on his own body had stabilized with time, and now close contact with Anko's active curse mark caused only a slight resonance, not the restless agitation it once did.
"Did anyone come by to see her just now?"
"Danzo Shimura came by not long ago," Aoba replied.
"Huh?" Mizuki was surprised. "What was he doing here?"
"Likely trying to check on Orochimaru's influence through Mitarashi Anko. If that's the case, Danzo knows something about the curse seal? It seems Danzo's ties to Orochimaru run deeper than I thought."
Yamashiro Aoba wasn't entirely sure about Mizuki's speculation. "When Uchiha Sasuke's group returned recently, Danzo was there, apparently trying to take Sasuke away—but he failed."
"Oh? Who stopped him? Kakashi?"
"Yeah." Aoba nodded. "People who come out of places like Root are usually wary. No one wants to be dragged back if they can avoid it."
Mizuki understood that "Root" referred to the Anbu faction led by Danzo — a secretive branch few even knew existed. Ninja with good connections often knew, and Yamashiro Aoba was obviously well-informed.
"That's Kakashi's concern," Mizuki said, avoiding more about Konoha's darker politics. "What about those two Sand shinobi? Especially the jinchūriki of the One-Tail, Shukaku?"
"At the hospital, Danzo tried to intervene but was blocked by two advisors."
"I see," Mizuki mused. "That's probably for the best."
As the defeated party, the Sand Village shouldn't be completely stripped of power or their tailed beasts seized outright — such harshness risks interference from other villages. Danzo's harsh methods often had unpredictable consequences, which Mito Uzumaki and Koharu Utatane would also oppose. Now that Konoha has won, it's wiser to treat prisoners and tailed beasts with measured leniency.
"That can be discussed later," Yamashiro Aoba said. "Can you do anything now for Mitarashi Anko's condition?"
"There's a temporary fix. It treats symptoms but not the root cause — enough to stabilize her for now," Mizuki answered. "Though I can't help feeling she's not the type to remember kindness or repay favors."
In truth, Mitarashi Anko's coma wouldn't last long without intervention. She might be unconscious for several more days, but recovery from battle injuries took longer.
"All right, the village needs manpower. The sooner she wakes, the better."
"Why do you care so much about her? I thought you barely knew her?"
"Well... we can call it comrades-in-arms," Mizuki said with a shy smile. "Without her help, I might never have made it back. So you could say I owe her."
"Suit yourself," Mizuki shrugged. "But remember, you still owe me for that dinner when you came back from the Land of Waves."
"I won't forget. When the wind rises again, we'll have that feast."
"That works." Mizuki was about to joke again, but stopped himself. "It's been over two weeks. She should wake up soon."
Mizuki hoped the curse seal's effects would fade quickly and that she'd awaken without complications. If the coma prolonged, things could look grim.
He then took out a sealing scroll.
"I was well prepared. I gathered so much chakra... thought it wouldn't be enough, but an accident left me with plenty to spare."
Mizuki injected a large tube of nutrients into Anko's IV line and carefully enveloped her with a chakra barrier.
"Is this enough?" Aoba asked, surprised how quickly Mizuki finished.
"How difficult do you think this is?" Mizuki cleaned his hands. "The hard part isn't this barrier itself, but crafting and maintaining the enchantment. Say your entire chakra reserve lasts one minute — you're already impressive."
"You really like tinkering with weird jutsu," a voice said behind them.
They turned to see Hatake Kakashi approaching.
"Are Naruto and Sasuke already settled in the hospital?" Mizuki asked.
"They're both resting. Fortunately, injuries aren't severe," Kakashi said. "You can imagine how dangerous it was."
"It's fine. Two people handled it. Kakashi, you couldn't have."
"Probably not. Those two are a handful, especially Sasuke."
After hearing the whole story from Sasuke, Kakashi was grateful Mizuki risked himself to save Sasuke from Orochimaru. Not many would dare face Orochimaru, even injured as he was.
"Isn't this your mission? No need to be so formal," Mizuki said. "But that kid really is arrogant. If he had any sense, he'd be more careful. And the curse mark... that's a future problem."
Kakashi glanced back. "That can't be helped — who chose to be a teacher? Speaking of which, you sealed the One-Tail's jinchūriki, right? The sealing division put a lot of effort into that. Kai, your sealing skill has surpassed mine by far."
"The sealing division? Have you seen Tsubaki?"
"Yeah. She seems fine."
"Good." Relief washed over Mizuki. The chaos had been worse than expected, but Tsubaki remained unharmed.
Just then, Mizuki noticed Kakashi and Aoba exchanging glances behind him. Turning around, he saw Anko's eyelids flutter.
"She's waking."
The isolation barrier's strength far exceeded expectations, its energy repulsion astounding. With enough chakra, Mizuki could create small sanctuaries like Miaomu Mountain or the Longdi Cave, but such powerful sealing jutsu consumed enormous chakra, making them impractical for everyday use.
However, these techniques were excellent for containment or isolation. Mitarashi Anko's own strength was roughly balanced between the seal's power and her body's resilience. The seal's suppression of her chakra was like the last straw breaking the camel's back. With some stimulant nutrients, waking her up was only a matter of time.
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