Chapter 175: Misdirection and Narrow Escape
Stalling for time wasn't going to help Mizuki—he needed to act fast to stabilize himself and prepare for the problems ahead. Maintaining Sage Mode in combat form had drastically reduced his sensory perception, leaving him uneasy.
"Are you ready, Neji?" Mizuki asked for confirmation one last time. The Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist was exceptional in chakra control and the human body's chakra network. But Mizuki's internal energy wasn't ordinary—it was a mix of sage chakra, natural energy, and other unstable forces. Even with Neji's confidence, Mizuki needed to be sure.
"No problem," Neji replied, brimming with confidence built on years of mastering Gentle Fist.
"Then let's begin. Be careful…"
Mizuki began by suppressing the curse mark. Tackling the easier problems first was the smart move. The curse mark was still restrained by the Five Elements Seal, which had been continuously working in the background. Its effectiveness depended on chakra strength but also Mizuki's willpower. Until now, Mizuki hadn't imposed much additional restriction out of caution. But with his focus now honed on it, the curse mark began to fade.
However, the forces within his body were too entangled to unravel easily. Something went wrong.
"I knew it wouldn't go smoothly—but this is seriously bad…"
In this world, rules and logic crumbled before chakra. Mizuki had prepared for problems, but even he didn't expect it to become this complicated.
As the curse mark weakened, the spiritual aggregate of the summoning beasts—which Mizuki had introduced to help balance his Yin-Yang chakra—was violently torn apart and devoured by the curse mark. In that instant, the curse mark hijacked a cornerstone of Sage Mode: the Yin-natured spiritual force.
As Mizuki's thoughts spiraled in horror, the curse mark's suppression caused Sage Mode to collapse.
This was a disaster. Losing a huge portion of spiritual chakra threw his inner energy equilibrium into chaos. Natural energy now held overwhelming dominance.
"Am I going to turn into stone… or a mindless beast?"
Failing to properly absorb natural energy had consequences—death or worse. Both the Toad and Snake Sage paths carried brutal risks.
In desperation, Mizuki unleashed the last reserves of chakra collected by the Breath-Holding Technique, trying one final maneuver to survive.
His own chakra clashed directly with the rampant natural energy. But instead of stabilizing into sage chakra, they tangled into an uncontrollable storm inside his body, turning his internal flow into utter chaos.
"I can't drive it out! What now?"
Mizuki began to regret his plan. Maybe he'd put too much hope on the two genin. More importantly, he had vastly underestimated the curse mark. It wasn't just a half-baked version of Sage Mode—it had been something Orochimaru had placed great value on. Twice now, it had flared up with terrifying consequences. Mizuki was starting to see it in a new light.
Now wasn't the time to worry about long-term research. He needed to survive.
Just then, Neji—who had been watching closely with his Byakugan—finally made his move.
"Eight Trigrams: One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!"
His strikes rained down, pinpointing Mizuki's chakra points with deadly precision. Mizuki didn't resist.
"As expected of the Hyuga secret arts… And for Neji to master this technique on his own? Incredible talent."
Neji began with a barrage of 64 strikes, sealing off Mizuki's chakra flow at key points, momentarily stopping the energy outflow and reducing its destructive effect. Then, pushing his stamina to the brink, he unleashed all 128 palms, fully severing Mizuki's internal chakra circulation.
Neji staggered, panting heavily. Mizuki's chakra wasn't like an average ninja's—it was aggressive and unruly.
Normally, Gentle Fist was the perfect counter to chakra-based opponents. But Mizuki's body felt like a flexible wall of steel. Neji had to use far more power than usual and withstood immense recoil just to get results.
"Captain Mizuki… that's all I can do…" Neji said, his hands trembling.
Mizuki nodded silently, still focused on the chaos within.
"So… my death sentence has been delayed? Not exactly encouraging…"
Neji's effort had only bought him time. Even Naruto had broken out of Neji's chakra block during the Chunin Exams with just a little Nine-Tails chakra. Mizuki knew natural energy wasn't weaker than tailed beast chakra.
Still, Neji had done better than expected—perhaps his strength had grown, or maybe Mizuki's internal chaos weakened his resistance.
In any case, Mizuki hadn't expected Gentle Fist to solve the whole issue—just delay it long enough to find a real solution.
Now, Mizuki desperately wished someone nearby had a chakra-absorbing ability. His own talents were modest; he wasn't built for endurance. If something like this happened again, it would be far better to have someone drain his excess power than for him to constantly walk a tightrope alone.
"Mizuki, how are you feeling?" Aoba asked anxiously. Mizuki remained silent, still deep in thought.
"Need help?"
"Help…" Mizuki suddenly perked up.
"Yes. The genin can't assist now, but you're still here."
"…You're right. I was thinking too narrowly."
"I got stuck in a mindset trap. Too used to controlling everything myself."
As a transmigrator, Mizuki inherently distrusted this world. Aside from his fiancée Chie Tsubaki, he kept secrets from even close allies like Kakashi and Aoba. Whenever problems arose, he bore them alone.
This time, he realized the issue was far simpler than he'd assumed. With the outer beast-cloak gone, and the curse mark sealed, only Sage Mode's instability remained. All he needed was ordinary chakra to dilute the natural energy and stabilize the imbalance.
Before, he had tried too hard to control everything precisely, afraid to let anyone interfere with his delicate inner balance. But now, he no longer needed to maintain Sage Mode—so outside chakra wouldn't be a burden.
Neji's success at sealing his chakra showed Mizuki's body was now more penetrable. Earlier, that would've been impossible.
Now was the perfect time to receive chakra from others and fix the internal storm.
At that moment, a familiar voice arrived.
"You all seem to be struggling. Need a hand?"
It was Maki, the Sunagakure jōnin who'd just left.
"You again?" Aoba looked annoyed. "Captain Mizuki isn't available for healing right now. Come back later."
"Wait, Aoba. Don't be so defensive." Mizuki interjected. "He's an ally. Let's cooperate."
With Maki's strength, he might be able to help.
"…Fine." Aoba backed down, still wary.
"If there's anything I can do, I'd be happy to help," Maki offered. "We owe you a great deal."
"No need for that. But yes, I have something you can do." Mizuki gestured to both of them. "Come here."
They approached, listening as Mizuki laid out the plan.
"Both of you, channel your chakra into me."
"Chakra?" Maki asked, puzzled. "Any specifics?"
"Just keep the flow steady and abundant. Element doesn't matter. Maki, you focus on my right arm first."
His right arm was where the curse mark had been. Restoring it first would enable Mizuki to use sealing jutsu again.
"Aoba, send your chakra into my internal organs."
These were critical areas—best entrusted to a close friend like Aoba. Aoba's precision with mind-reading techniques made this simple task well within his capability.
Although neither fully understood Mizuki's plan, they trusted him.
Unexpected breakthroughs, the aid of two seasoned jōnin, and a brief window of inner calm—this gave Mizuki hope. Chakra might be limited after the fierce battle, but with two elite allies helping, he might just pull through.
And as long as he had time, Mizuki could recover from anything.
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