Chapter 171: Seizing the Role
Next came the Curse Mark, unwilling to stay quiet. Mizuki had once regarded its power as his last resort. But in reality, he had never used it once. In fact, it almost killed him once during an accidental outburst in the Land of Waves. This time, its reactivation was simply triggered by the stimulation of natural energy. Compared to the refined power of Sage Chakra, this so-called "Sage-like" Curse Mark was utterly inferior in every way. Though it provided a boost to strength and speed, it was completely suppressed by Sage Chakra and no longer caused those terrifying bodily mutations it once did. So long as Sage Mode remained active, the Curse Mark wouldn't be much of a problem.
The biggest threat in Mizuki's mind, however, was Shukaku's chakra.
Despite being the smallest in quantity, it was the most destructive. Aggressive and nearly impossible to control, it greatly complicated Mizuki's internal balance. Worse, it interfered with his sensory abilities, which had already put him in danger multiple times. But the true peril lay in what this resonance hinted at—it wasn't just about Sage Mode potentially collapsing.
There was a theory Mizuki had once considered and dismissed, but now it seemed to be coming true. It raised a chilling question: Are tailed beasts truly singular beings? Or, more precisely—when they resurrect after death, are they still the same as before?
Originally, Mizuki hadn't thought much about this. But after establishing a chakra resonance with Shukaku, and experiencing what felt like a chakra exchange, the idea became harder to dismiss.
In the anime, there was a well-known arc involving the Fire Temple and a boy named Sora, who had Nine-Tails chakra sealed inside him. During a battle with Naruto, their respective Nine-Tails chakra resonated, and Sora nearly became a vessel for the Nine-Tails' resurrection.
When Mizuki first acquired Shukaku's clone, he didn't think much of it. But once he started using that chakra to aid his Sage training, the risk of potential resonance crept back into his thoughts. He even investigated the Fire Temple himself—yes, it existed, and yes, a respected monk named Chiriku was there. The monks did have a technique called "Sage Talent," but there was no record of any gloomy youth named Sora.
So Mizuki had written it off as fiction. But reality was quick to prove him wrong.
The resonance had happened. Which meant his worst-case theory was not only possible—it was already happening.
Tailed beasts were born from human will and could be reborn after death, retaining their memories and personalities. But what if the normal rules were broken? Mizuki had taken a clone of Shukaku—one with an identical existence, minus the full chakra pool and control rights. Yet if Mizuki were to kill the current Shukaku… would the one that resurrected three years later be the same?
The answer now seemed to be: No. If Shukaku died here, the one Mizuki had—the so-called "Sandstorm Naruto" created from the clone—would become the new full-fledged Shukaku. Not merely a chakra container, but a true tailed beast, with its own will and growth.
"So Shukaku and I are now mortal enemies, huh?"
This wasn't the first time a tailed beast had been split. The Fourth Hokage had split the Nine-Tails into Yin and Yang halves—but those were still aspects of the same being. Mizuki's method was different. His clone had independent will. If the original died, the clone would replace it, becoming the new Shukaku.
And now, with the resonance triggering uncontrolled chakra absorption, Shukaku's chakra was sucking up natural energy like mad—but being suppressed by the opposing forces of Sage Chakra and the Curse Mark. The absorbed energy didn't vanish, however. It began to form a dense shell of natural energy around Mizuki, dyed a sinister crimson by Shukaku's leaking chakra.
Slowly, the shell started to take shape—a snarling head, oversized tail, four sharp claws. It crouched low like a beast—a red monster mimicking a tanuki. A miniaturized, eerie Shukaku.
The real Shukaku, seeing Mizuki's transformation, was instantly enraged. It slammed both paws down near Mizuki, sending up a storm of dust, as if vowing not to stop until Mizuki was crushed into paste. Then it raised its massive tail again, ready to bring it down hard.
But just then, a giant red hand emerged from the cloud of dust, grabbing Shukaku's tail mid-swing. As the smoke cleared, everyone saw: a crimson energy arm was linked to Mizuki's right hand, clearly under his control.
"Is that… Tailed Beast Transformation? No, not quite. It's not Tailed Beast Cloak either… what the hell is that?"
Even Shukaku, now fully acknowledging Mizuki as a threat, was confused.
"What's the matter?" Mizuki sneered. "Scared by something you've never seen before? I heard you're the weakest and most cowardly of the tailed beasts. You only know how to bully the weak."
"Weakling?" Shukaku snarled. "What gives you the right to say that? Just because of that freakish posture?"
The beast tried to wrench its tail free, but it was stuck. Mizuki's strength, temporarily amplified by this chaotic fusion of energies, was overwhelming.
"Arrogant? Maybe," Mizuki said confidently. "But right now… I have power. And that gives me the right to be arrogant."
With that, he poured strength into the red arm. The giant hand swung Shukaku around and hurled it into the air. With a crash, the massive tailed beast hit the ground hard, flattening everything beneath it.
"At least for now… I fear nothing."
With a roar more to bolster his own spirit than intimidate, Mizuki seized the red hand again, spun Shukaku overhead, and launched him like a meteor—straight into the stunned face of Hidan.
The stunned immortal barely had time to scream before being completely flattened by the crashing tailed beast.
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