With Kakuzu carrying away the battered Hidan, the two immortal monsters finally retreated. After paying a steep price, the three great ninja villages gained little success. In particular, Sunagakure suffered the loss of two Jonin without achieving anything tangible—the mess caused by Shukaku even required assistance from other villages to clean up. Thinking back to their original target, Red Sand of the Desert, who had been burned into ashes by Mizuki and Shukaku together, Suna ended up losing more than gaining. Originally seeking profit, they instead lost out significantly. This outcome left every Suna ninja present unable to celebrate; repelling formidable enemies had practically nothing to do with Sunagakure. If anything, the biggest contribution made was releasing Shukaku to stir chaos on the battlefield—but whether that helped or hindered remained uncertain.
For Mizuki, however, even though Kakuzu and Hidan had withdrawn, he felt no relief. The greatest threat he now faced was Shukaku himself, continuously struggling beneath Mizuki's grip. Unless this creature was sealed again and the tailed beast's chakra resonate eliminated, Mizuki's physical condition would deteriorate over time, becoming increasingly difficult to manage.
Glaring at the relentlessly squirming Shukaku, Mizuki slammed his fist straight into the beast's round belly, instantly provoking a pained cry. Another punch struck Shukaku's neck, making resistance nearly impossible and silencing its unpleasant voice.
Then, Mizuki manipulated the massive hand of natural energy, claws sharpened like blades, mercilessly digging into Shukaku's sand-formed head before slicing downward [Transform], separating a large clump of sand and revealing a deep wound.
"Still haven't found it yet? Do I actually have to dig a hole just to reach Gaara? That's such a hassle."
The simplest solution was to awaken Gaara—and under these circumstances, Mizuki couldn't afford to hold back.
Without delay, Mizuki prepared to strike again when someone stopped him.
"Please wait a moment, Jonin Mizuki." Baki, the Suna ninja, hurried forward. "Leave Gaara to us Suna ninjas."
"You handle it?" Mizuki asked doubtfully. Without his power suppressing Shukaku, Suna's current forces might not even be able to capture it, let alone forcibly subdue the beast and awaken Gaara.
"Don't misunderstand—we still need Jonin Mizuki's help regarding Gaara and Shukaku. However, the finer details—we can handle ourselves."
"Oh, I see." Wasn't this just their polite way of saying they disliked his brutal methods? Probably afraid of hurting Gaara. "Fine, then hurry—I won't last long."
Even as he said this, Mizuki subdued the resisting Shukaku once more and beckoned Baki to move in fast to locate Gaara.
"It isn't just about me injuring Gaara—they're scared I might secretly do something to both Gaara and Shukaku… These cheap bastards…"
During today's battle, Mizuki had revealed far too much. Although no one present truly understood what techniques he had used, there was one thing everyone watching clearly saw.
After Shukaku's appearance, its relentless attack on Mizuki was hard to justify without a special reason. Moreover, in the end, when Shukaku resonated with chakra and Mizuki displayed a form so similar to Shukaku's own form, it was simply impossible to believe that Mizuki hadn't done something to the tailed beasts of Sunagakure. The most plausible explanation was that Mizuki had done something to the tailed beast and Gaara, greatly angering Shukaku, which led to this outcome.
Since Baki, one of the key individuals involved, didn't speak openly about it, Mizuki had no intention of digging deeper into such matters. It would be best to just gloss over everything—as if anyone could truly figure out what had happened anyway. If someone were to ask, wouldn't it all just depend on whichever version Mizuki felt like inventing?
Even though Suna ninja harbored suspicions toward him, Mizuki didn't care at all. In fact, their doubts weren't misplaced—Mizuki indeed had meddled with something, although he harbored no ill intentions toward Sunagakure. Besides, ultimately, Gaara hadn't really suffered any loss. The only reason Mizuki got involved with such a hassle in the first place was because letting Shukaku run wild like that could destabilize his Sage Mode—he otherwise wouldn't have bothered with it at all.
Watching Baki climb directly onto Shukaku's massive body, effortlessly using a powerful Blade of Wind to counter the sand balls controlled by Shukaku, then repeatedly slicing through the sand manifestation around Shukaku's head while searching for Gaara's location.
Baki was strong, but he could handle a weakened Shukaku only because of that weakness. However, while Baki's approach was sharp, it lacked the precision and control Mizuki possessed. Observing coldly from the sidelines, Mizuki shook his head slightly.
[If Suna doesn't come up with a better plan soon, don't blame me for taking matters into my own hands… My body can't afford to wait much longer.]
As the chaos of the battle finally died down and even Shukaku appeared subdued, people began approaching the ruined battlefield.
"Mizuki, how are you feeling?" Aoba Yamashiro arrived hurriedly. Seeing Mizuki in such an eerie state, he hesitated briefly but quickly suppressed his confusion, showing concern for Mizuki's condition instead. As he spoke, Aoba stepped closer—but the moment he tried to approach, the crimson energy surrounding Mizuki blocked his way. His arm, now tainted by the red aura, instantly suffered corrosive damage, scaring Aoba into retreating immediately.
"Don't come closer—it's dangerous," Mizuki warned urgently.
[Sage Mode] made him resistant to the damage; otherwise, he would've been severely injured by now.
Natural energy itself was already highly hazardous. When mixed with Shukaku's chakra, the danger became truly unpredictable and potentially catastrophic.
Seeing the situation, Aoba said with bitter laughter, "Guess I asked a stupid question. You clearly aren't in your normal state."
"I guess you could say I'm managing..." Mizuki replied with a smile. After all, there was nothing to be done about it now—panic wouldn't help.
"That's pretty bad then. Is there anything we can do to help?"
"There actually is." Mizuki gestured toward Aoba and Neji Hyuga standing behind him.
"Quickly locate Gaara and wake him up."
Finding people came naturally to Neji Hyuga. "Use your Byakugan to look around carefully and quickly," Aoba Yamashiro said. "Yamashiro Aoba, you must be careful. Gaara's spiritual medium seal was forcibly broken this time by Shukaku. The damage to his mind must be serious. Later, I will need your help. With your proficiency in genjutsu and Spiritual Secret Techniques, I'm sure you can awaken the jinchuriki soon."
"I understand." Aoba Yamashiro nodded before turning to Neji Hyuga. "It's up to you now. Find out where Gaara is exactly."
Neji Hyuga also realized the urgency of the situation and immediately activated his Byakugan.
Before long, under everyone's expectant gazes, Hyuga Neji spoke: "I found him."
"Oh? That's really great news. Indeed, the Byakugan is amazing." Aoba Yamashiro was quite pleased with how smoothly things had gone so far. "In that case, Neji Hyuga, you'll come with me. We should wake up Gaara as soon as possible."
So saying, Aoba Yamashiro turned to Mizuki, seeking his approval.
Mizuki gave a nod. "That's fine. Under these circumstances, letting genin get involved further wouldn't be a problem anymore. It would even be good combat experience. However, Yamashiro Aoba, you must be cautious. If anything unexpected happens, don't hesitate to run with Neji Hyuga. I'll handle things here."
"Got it. Then I'm off."
...
After watching the two leave, Mizuki turned to Shino Aburame, who had been silent beside him, and asked, "How is it? How does your first S-ranked mission feel?"
"Quite an eye-opener," Shino muttered as he watched several ninja examining Shukaku nearby, searching for Gaara on its body.
"Just that much to say?" Mizuki chuckled.
"There's a sense of crisis too," Shino added.
"You really do keep your words to a minimum, huh."
Actually, Shino wasn't someone who kept quiet all the time. Quite the opposite—he was usually reserved outwardly but passionate inside. He was capable of talking at length when the situation called for it. It was just that current circumstances didn't allow him to talk much. Also, since he hadn't become close with Mizuki yet, they shouldn't have overly familiar conversation.
"But, Shino, from my perspective, you and Neji actually did pretty well on this mission."
"Hmm." Shino nodded impassively.
"The gap in raw power meant there were times you couldn't contribute—that's not on you. You weren't chosen for this mission primarily because of your battle readiness. In other aspects, you've already contributed greatly. Of course, that doesn't mean you're weak—it's simply because of youth and lack of necessary growth and experience. At your current stage, it's normal not to offer much combat effectiveness during an S-ranked mission."
"So, Captain Mizuki never expected much from us in the first place?"
"You got that wrong, Shino." Hearing Shino's rare emotional comment, Mizuki felt it was important to clarify things properly. "If you believe the value of each team member should only be measured by their battle power, then ninja wouldn't have replaced wuxia martial artists and others to become the mainstream of this world."
Besides, both your battle power and Neji's are nothing to sneeze at. It's just not your moment to stand out yet. Wait another two or three years...
"Two or three years?" Shino Aburame spoke up. "So Shikamaru's already become a Chunin. Does that mean he's stronger than us—stronger than other Genin too?"
"What do you think?" Mizuki replied with a smile. "A ninja's rank mainly reflects their overall ability and how effectively they can perform in combat or missions. It shows both personal strength and team coordination skills. Do you know what specifically made Shikamaru eligible for recommendation as a Chunin?"
Facing Mizuki's question, Shino Aburame remained silent.
"Young people always want to excel, which is understandable. But don't rush. Otherwise, you'll end up worse off."
After hearing Mizuki's words, Shino stayed quiet for a moment before asking, "Captain Mizuki, why did you choose me? Logically speaking, since Neji is here, there shouldn't be any need for another Genin whose role somewhat overlaps with his, right?"
"How could we not need you?" Mizuki replied with a smile. "Didn't your Parasitic Bugs come in handy during today's fight? They were even more effective than Neji's Gentle Fist technique." He added, "Plus one important point: your bugs coordinating with Neji's Gentle Fist might turn out to be extremely helpful."
"Extremely helpful? What do you mean by that, Captain Mizuki?"
"It's hard to explain," Mizuki shook his head slightly and answered. "Shino, if many of your bugs die within a short time, will it have any lingering effects on you?"
"A short time?" Shino asked puzzledly, completely failing to understand what Mizuki wanted to use his bugs for.
"Exactly. Would it cause any lingering damage to you?"
"There won't be any lasting effects. But my battle power will weaken temporarily, and I'll need to consume a large amount of chakra to replenish and feed the Parasitic Bugs to restore their numbers."
"That's good then," Mizuki nodded appreciatively. An extra layer of protection—and another ally—could come in handy later.
Just as he was speaking, ahead of them, Shukaku let out an unwilling roar. Immediately afterward, its massive sand manifestation started crumbling into pieces. Soon enough, it dissolved into a pool of quicksand and disappeared into the horizon. Amidst the swirling winds and flying sands, Baki emerged carrying an exhausted Gaara. Behind him followed Aoba Yamashiro and Neji Hyuga, both wearing expressions of clear displeasure.
When Baki drew closer, Mizuki retracted his massive natural energy hand and said, "How are you? Are you alright?"
"You've gone through so much trouble; let me take care of Gaara first. Later, I may need to tend to Gaara's wounds myself. Let me express my gratitude in advance for your generous help."
"Don't mention it. Please feel free to do what needs to be done."
...
Watching Baki's retreating figure, Yamashiro Aoba muttered indignantly, "That Sand ninja is really too impolite. We've worked so hard for Sunagakure's affairs, but he still treats us like thieves. There isn't even basic trust between allies."
"Just got upset at Baki earlier?" Mizuki asked with a smile.
"You wouldn't believe how annoying he was—acting polite while treating us like thieves..."
"Alright, enough, Aoba," Mizuki interrupted Aoba Yamashiro's complaint. "Forget about them. Anyway, we've done everything we possibly could for them."
"As for being feared by Suna, Mizuki's probably the one who's going to take the heat. Who else could it be, with so many hidden cards exposed today?"
"You're the leader. I'll go along with whatever you decide."
"Right. Time to deal with our own issue — or rather, my issue."
After hearing Mizuki's words, Aoba Yamashiro decided not to say anything else. He turned his head toward Mizuki and asked, "What should we do now?"
[Shukaku] had already been resealed, but Mizuki's beast-like protective aura, similar to a tailed beast coat, still hadn't completely disappeared. It wasn't spreading out of control anymore. This cursed, out-of-control thing was completely foreign to Mizuki, who had no idea where to start in trying to pull it back.
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