Chapter 49: Natural Enemy
Chapter 49: Natural Enemy
The following hours passed in relative silence. Sakura focused intently on her studies, while Mizuki occasionally tended to customers and organized the shop. Though he wasn't yet familiar with the work, he was at least competent enough not to make a fool of himself.
As noon approached, Tsubaki arrived with lunch for everyone. The three of them sat around a small table and casually ate their meal.
"Mizuki-sensei, Tsubaki-senpai, how did you two meet?" Sakura seemed quite interested in their relationship.
"We've known each other since childhood," Tsubaki answered easily. "We grew up together."
"Really?" Sakura's eyes lit up. "That's amazing! A relationship built over time… If only I could have that with Sasuke too."
"You do realize that childhood friends usually lose to the mysterious new girl, right?" Mizuki teased. "You better keep a close eye on Sasuke. Some random girl could come along and steal him away."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Sakura blinked in confusion.
"Mizuki," Tsubaki scolded, "stop teasing her."
She then reassured Sakura, "Don't listen to him. You're working so hard—Sasuke will notice it."
After finishing lunch, Sakura returned to her studies while Tsubaki pulled Mizuki aside, a serious expression on her face.
"Something's wrong with your experiments," she said.
"What?" Mizuki's eyes widened in surprise.
"I noticed some irregularities a few days ago, but I thought they were within the expected range. But today, I realized something is definitely off."
"Did you bring any samples?"
"I brought a few," Tsubaki confirmed.
"Alright," Mizuki turned to Sakura. "We have something to take care of. Can you watch the shop for a bit?"
"Of course, Mizuki-sensei," Sakura responded diligently.
Back at Mizuki's home, he quickly unsealed the storage scroll and examined the samples.
This is… unnatural. They're deteriorating far too quickly.
If the mutations were purely a result of the stimulant drugs he had used, then once the foreign influence faded, the changes should have gradually regressed as the body's natural growth resumed dominance. However, these samples—most likely clones derived from Sasuke—were breaking down at an alarming rate.
The most striking sign was the complete disappearance of the vertical slit where a third eye had once been on their foreheads. The horn-like protrusions on their heads had also faded into near invisibility. While these regressions were expected, what troubled Mizuki was the overall rapid aging and tissue collapse.
Even with Sasuke's strong genetic material, these clones are decaying faster than my own. Why?
The logical conclusion was that the forced mutations were taxing the clones' life force beyond their capacity to sustain. Without a proper foundation, the attempt to harness such a high-level transformation was backfiring horribly.
Mizuki decided to conduct an experiment. He retrieved a small amount of the chakra he had collected during Sasuke's cursed seal activation and carefully injected it into one of the smallest, most deteriorated samples.
The results were immediate.
The moment the chakra entered the clone's body, it absorbed the nutrients in its surroundings with terrifying speed. The crimson-black markings of the cursed seal spread across its body, and an oppressive aura erupted, overwhelming even the protective barrier Mizuki had placed around the room.
In the special care ward, Sasuke's cursed seal—previously suppressed by Kakashi's sealing techniques—suddenly flared to life.
Pain shot through his body as the curse mark activated, breaking through the layers of suppression. Sasuke woke up screaming in agony, alarming the ANBU guards stationed nearby.
"What's going on?" One of them rushed to his side. "Everything was stable just a moment ago!"
"Could the seal have failed?" Another ANBU muttered, his voice tense. "Why is it suddenly reacting?"
Kakashi, sensing the disturbance, appeared at the doorway.
"Did anything happen before this started?" he asked.
"Nothing at all," one of the ANBU replied. "It just… happened."
Kakashi frowned. "Investigate the area. Something or someone might have triggered this reaction."
"Understood," the ANBU acknowledged before disappearing to carry out the search.
In a hidden observation post, Kabuto watched the unfolding situation at the hospital. His plan to target Sasuke was suddenly disrupted.
"How troublesome," he muttered, adjusting his glasses. "With security tightening, I'll have to delay the mission."
Far away, in the midst of preparing to assassinate the Fourth Kazekage, Orochimaru suddenly sensed something.
This chakra… is that my cursed seal? Who's interfering?
His sharp mind immediately considered the possibilities.
Danzo? No, Hiruzen wouldn't let him near Sasuke. And the Third Hokage is too old-fashioned to tamper with something like this… That means someone else is trying to manipulate the power of the cursed seal?
His thoughts quickly turned to the mysterious attacker from the Forest of Death.
Could it be the same person? I hadn't realized Konoha had such an interesting individual hiding in the shadows. I must meet them myself next time.
Mizuki and Tsubaki watched in shock as the experiment spiraled out of control.
"What did you do?!" Tsubaki demanded, barely masking her fear.
"I don't know," Mizuki admitted grimly. He hadn't expected such a reaction.
The clone continued to evolve, its growth accelerating. The oppressive energy it radiated grew stronger, reaching its peak before the inevitable consequences of its unnatural transformation set in.
Just as Mizuki had predicted, the rapid growth came at a cost. The clone's limbs began to wither as its body aged at an extreme rate.
Yet, instead of showing signs of fear or pain, the clone's expression was… triumphant.
Mizuki's instincts screamed danger. This wasn't just a mutation—something else was awakening.
"Not good," he muttered.
Before the transformation could complete, Mizuki reacted instantly. He grabbed a kunai and threw it with precision, piercing the clone's eyes before it could open them.
The body convulsed, letting out a silent wail of frustration. Though its limbs were already disintegrating, its hair grew wildly, cascading down like writhing tendrils.
Then, Mizuki noticed something even more terrifying.
The slit on its forehead—the one that should have disappeared—began to bulge. The skin stretched, splitting apart as something pushed its way out.
A third eye.
An ancient, predatory presence surged forward, an aura that felt like an absolute natural enemy.
Mizuki's blood ran cold.
What… is this?
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