Chapter 58: The Wandering Soul Beneath the Blade
Chapter 58: The Wandering Soul Beneath the Blade
In a small training ground in Konoha, Mizuki sat leisurely on a tree trunk, taking refuge in the shade to avoid the scorching sun.
Not far away, in a small river, a red-clad Sakura was locked in combat with a short figure. Her clothes were soaked in sweat, her cherry blossom-colored hair stuck to her forehead, no longer flowing gracefully as before.
'It should be about time.'
Mizuki glanced at the sky, estimating that the chakra of the pseudo-Jinchūriki should be nearly exhausted.
As expected, after a short while, the two fighters stopped and walked towards Mizuki.
"How are you feeling?" Mizuki asked the exhausted Sakura, who had collapsed onto the ground.
Sakura took a sip of water before replying, "A little tired, but otherwise, I'm okay."
"And you?" Mizuki turned to the pseudo-Jinchūriki. "How much have you consumed?"
"More or less what I expected. My chakra is barely enough to sustain a Genin-level battle."
"To recover to this extent in less than a week is impressive."
"Sens—Mizuki-sensei, who exactly is this, or rather, what is it?" Sakura finally asked, unable to contain her curiosity any longer.
"I was going to wait before explaining this to you, but since you're asking, I'll give you a basic idea." Mizuki decided to reveal a little information.
"This is an advanced application of the Shadow Clone Technique."
"The Shadow Clone Technique? Like the one Naruto uses?"
"Exactly."
"But… aren't Shadow Clones supposed to have time limits? And don't they disappear when attacked?" Sakura asked, puzzled.
She had seen Naruto's Shadow Clones countless times, and there was no way they could persist for so long. Moreover, she had landed a couple of hits on this opponent, yet it didn't vanish like a normal clone. Instead, it had continued fighting energetically.
"Sharp observation. But the one you fought isn't an ordinary Shadow Clone—it has a real, living body, made of flesh and blood."
"Flesh and blood? That's impossible! Can chakra even do that?"
"Everything is possible," Mizuki said nonchalantly. "Under normal circumstances, no. But with Fuinjutsu, it is." He made sure to speak in a way that built confidence in sealing techniques.
"That's amazing… but, Mizuki-sensei, can I learn it too?" Sakura asked eagerly.
"Not anytime soon. Maybe someday. There's too much to learn first."
Mizuki didn't expect to teach Sakura anything too advanced in a short period. Even if he wanted to, it was impossible. Without years of foundational knowledge, she wouldn't even be able to synthesize the simplest version of his all-purpose potion, let alone grasp high-level sealing techniques.
But he was quite satisfied with her progress so far. In just one week, she had mastered walking on water with only a couple of demonstrations, and her Chakra Scalpel was already functional—though not yet refined. Palm Healing was proving more difficult, but that was expected. Without actual patients to practice on, progress would be slow.
The next step would be improving her genjutsu proficiency and resistance. However, rushing too much would be counterproductive. For now, the focus would be on sealing techniques, teaching her only a few practical and simple methods. After all, the Chūnin Exams were approaching quickly.
Frankly, Mizuki was impressed by how much Sakura had accomplished in just a week. Her talent was extraordinary. Most people wouldn't have access to half the resources he had prepared.
Just as he was about to resume the afternoon lesson, a masked Anbu appeared.
"Chūnin Mizuki, this is an urgent summons from the Third Hokage. Please come with me."
"Alright." Mizuki turned to the pseudo-Jinchūriki. "The afternoon training is in your hands."
Then, he addressed Sakura, "If I don't return by the time you finish today's lessons, go home. We'll meet at the flower shop tomorrow."
Without waiting for a response, he left with the Anbu.
---
As they moved swiftly through the village, Mizuki kept pace with the Anbu and asked, "What's this about?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but Moonlight Hayate was just brought back severely wounded—on the verge of death."
"Hayate?" Mizuki's heart tightened.
'So, he still couldn't escape this fate. But… if he wasn't killed outright, does that mean there's still a chance to save him?'
Despite mentally preparing himself for bad news, the sight before him still left him stunned.
Moonlight Hayate lay there, his clothes completely soaked in blood. His entire body was covered in red-black scabs, making him look no better than Mizuki had after the Wave mission. The shredded remains of his attire hinted at how fierce the battle had been.
His face had been cleaned, revealing pale skin devoid of color. He barely looked alive. His hair was noticeably longer, but most of it had turned an unhealthy grayish-white, save for the very tips, which still retained a hint of their original black.
At that moment, Mizuki understood what had happened.
"You see it too, don't you?" the Third Hokage said beside him. "Do you notice anything?"
Mizuki shook his head. This was clearly the result of excessive use of the all-purpose potion.
"To have burned through his life force to this extent yet still be alive is already a miracle," Mizuki said regretfully.
"I know," the Third sighed. "Seeing this reminds me of how you looked when we brought you back from the Wave mission. I underestimated the enemy's strength."
An Anbu member added, "Please don't blame yourself, Lord Third. This is the fate of a ninja."
"The fate of a ninja…?" The Third Hokage let out a weary sigh.
Mizuki turned to glance at the speaker.
'Uzumaki Yugao? Given the circumstances, it's not surprising that she would come to see her lover one last time.'
"With Hayate's level of stealth and reconnaissance ability, it's almost impossible that he was detected. He must have uncovered something unexpected, forcing the enemy to silence him."
Mizuki had a rough estimate of Hayate's capabilities. In a one-on-one fight, Mizuki wasn't confident he could win. A master of swordsmanship was always dangerous in direct combat. It was nearly impossible to take one down in a single strike unless the power gap was overwhelming. Running from one was even harder.
In the anime adaptation, there were rumors of Hayate possessing some kind of "Permeation Release," but Mizuki had never seen any evidence of it, nor had he heard anyone else mention it. Most likely, it didn't exist. But Hayate's skills in stealth and investigation were top-notch, and he was a master of Konoha-style Kenjutsu.
After the Wave mission, he had used Mizuki's potion once, significantly improving his physical condition. He also had the trump card Mizuki had given him—a desperation move he was already familiar with. Given all that, surviving against Baki and Kabuto was already a small miracle.
Hayate's grievous injuries and premature aging indicated that he had completely drained his life force to escape.
'Looks like the assassination attempt played out almost exactly like before.'
Mizuki clenched his fists.
Even though he had expected this outcome, it still left a bitter taste in his mouth.
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