Chapter 182: Essentially the Same

Chapter 182: Essentially the Same

If Mizuki had obtained Adamantine Sealing Chains earlier, he wouldn't have been tormented so badly by the Tailed Beast chakra resonance during the Shukaku incident. Relying on brute force to suppress a Tailed Beast's chakra was nothing more than a helpless workaround when he couldn't leverage his true sealing prowess.

With this sealing technique in hand, he could now finally see how the veterans of this world had once suppressed and even utilized Tailed Beasts. Until now, Mizuki had compiled a fair amount of his own research, but it was fragmented and lacked systematization. His cobbled-together Sage Mode, for example, had nearly led to disaster.

This had made Mizuki painfully aware of his limitations—he had started too low. Many things that already existed in some form, he had been forced to re-research from scratch. His solo perspective made him prone to narrow and mistaken interpretations. The slow accumulation of knowledge had significantly delayed his progress. What he desperately needed were some of the ninja world's original complete or semi-complete reference materials to study—or, better yet, an intelligent peer to discuss them with.

As a "former chunin," Mizuki naturally had no access to such high-level secrets. Only after his promotion to jonin had that situation marginally improved. Adamantine Sealing Chains, useless to most people as anything more than a historical curiosity, held real potential in Mizuki's hands as a seal master.

Though he hadn't deeply studied the scroll yet, the information available confirmed what he expected: the Uzumaki clan, born of tremendous life force, possessed immense chakra and a number of formidable secret techniques that were hard to ignore.

But Mizuki had already anticipated the challenges ahead. First, using Adamantine Sealing Chains required chakra "eruption"—a term that never boded well and was rarely safe. Orochimaru's Cursed Seal, Tsunade's Yin Seal and Strength of a Hundred, and Mizuki's own recent mishap all proved how dangerous such "bursts" could be.

As a distant branch of the Senju clan and one of the Six Paths' lineages, the Uzumaki's physical resilience far surpassed normal ninja. The fact that they were often used as Jinchūriki vessels spoke volumes. Naruto Uzumaki had survived countless injuries and numerous outbursts of Nine-Tails chakra. The powerful regeneration granted by that chakra was also an intense strain on the body. If not for his monstrous stamina, Naruto would've long since collapsed. Normal people simply couldn't endure it.

So Adamantine Sealing Chains, as a clan-exclusive jutsu, wasn't just difficult in theory—its learning curve and bodily demands scared off most people who even heard about it. These types of clan jutsu often felt like poisoned gifts: not impossible to learn as an outsider, but rarely useful even if you could. Take the Hyuga's Gentle Fist—without the Byakugan to see chakra pathways and tenketsu points, all that precision was wasted. Or Kakashi's Chidori—before evolving it into Chidori Stream, it was practically a deathtrap without Sharingan to adjust the charge path mid-attack.

…

By the time Mizuki returned home, it was already quite late. Still excited, he couldn't sleep. He immediately opened the scroll containing Adamantine Sealing Chains.

> Just as I thought—the clan's unique imprint is overwhelming.

After a long read-through, Mizuki had at least gotten the gist. Though he didn't yet grasp the full mechanics, the principles were largely what he had anticipated. The technique involved igniting life force to rapidly produce huge amounts of chakra, and also detailed how to minimize bodily strain through fine chakra control—insightful stuff.

Given that Mizuki had already developed techniques like Breath Concealment, such cellular-level control was no longer out of reach for him. What was impossible for others was now well within his grasp. It was like breaking through a mental wall—suddenly everything seemed clear.

> This feels... similar to Yin Seal and Strength of a Hundred. Their function and methods of use are so alike. No wonder—standing on the shoulders of giants really does save a lot of effort.

Tsunade, while not a sealing expert, had developed profound insights. With her chakra precision, elite medical skills, and deep anatomical knowledge, techniques like Yin Seal, Creation Rebirth, and Strength of a Hundred could very likely have evolved from studying something like Adamantine Sealing Chains—given enough time and the right reference point.

But so far, none of these techniques actually extended a person's natural lifespan. At most, they made better use of what life force remained. Yin Seal, Adamantine Sealing Chains, Sage Mode... None had shown any evidence of truly increasing life force. Even Sage Mode's Inorganic Reincarnation Technique, which could grant life to inanimate matter via natural energy, was something Mizuki had never seen firsthand. It was too risky to experiment blindly with nature energy. Without a mature Sage technique to study, using his damaged body as a test subject time and again was a suicidal gamble.

He'd already walked that razor's edge one too many times.

…

In the spacious courtyard of the Hyuga Clan, Mizuki sat in a finely adorned teahouse. Lifting a delicately crafted porcelain cup to his lips, he sipped the perfectly steeped tea. The soothing warmth and fragrance instantly refreshed his spirit.

> Now this is quality—such fine tea is probably impossible to buy in the open market these days.

Setting the cup down, Mizuki looked across at Hyuga Hiashi, who was frowning slightly as he read over the research report Mizuki had prepared.

After a long, serious review, Hiashi finally closed the folder and set it aside with great care. He turned to Mizuki and said sincerely, "You continue to impress, Mizuki. These results are remarkable."

"You flatter me, Clan Head," Mizuki replied modestly. "I'm glad it met your expectations."

"To accomplish so much in such a short time... it's more than I'd hoped for."

Their cooperation had only lasted a month or two, and for Mizuki to make such progress while also handling personal matters was indeed extraordinary. Hiashi wasn't one to be easily impressed, but in this case, he was genuinely pleased.

"I'm grateful, truly. The Hyuga Clan's support has made all this possible," Mizuki said.

Without the Hyuga Clan's help during Mizuki and Chihiro's most vulnerable period—until Tsunade returned and stabilized the village—Mizuki wouldn't have had the time or peace to train Sage Mode so thoroughly.

Their collaboration was, of course, a mutually beneficial deal. To maintain that balance, Mizuki had to offer real value in return—hence this report. It ensured Hiashi would continue to view him as a worthy partner, particularly when it came to internal clan decisions where his support might tilt the scale in Mizuki's favor.

"Your theory about the Byakugan being a degraded version of the Tenseigan is fascinating. Many clan heads have speculated the same, but with little data, no one could prove it. The separation between main and branch families has long stifled research."

"That's the plight of powerful clans," Mizuki said with a knowing smile.

"Indeed. Even as clan head, I find myself shackled. But now, with your help, perhaps we can finally break through."

Hiashi had taken considerable heat for cooperating with Mizuki. His strengths in sealing, medicine, cloning, and especially his creation of tangible shadow clones had made the branch elders extremely uneasy. Providing Mizuki with clan secrets and even cellular samples sparked intense opposition. They feared Mizuki might unravel the secrets of the Caged Bird Seal or even steal the Byakugan bloodline.

Mizuki privately scoffed. If he really wanted to steal their bloodline, did they think he'd need their permission? He had far more pressing concerns.

Eventually, Hiashi overrode the opposition and provided a limited supply of distant branch family cells—candidates unlikely to ever awaken the Byakugan. It was a small but crucial first step.

Their long conversation continued until the sun began to set.

"So in the end, you believe the root cause is chakra volume?" Hiashi asked.

"That's right. Chakra quantity is the key, though how we implement that is another matter."

Mizuki already knew the answer: the Byakugan, as a flawed precursor to the Tenseigan, could evolve—if provided enough high-quality Byakugan to absorb. In short, the user needed to sacrifice other Byakugan holders to awaken the Tenseigan. It was slightly easier to obtain than the Rinnegan... but came at a much higher moral cost.

Mizuki wasn't ready to reveal that yet. He'd offer half-truths to buy time and build trust. If he moved too fast, Hiashi might suspect ulterior motives.

"I agree. It's not realistic to expect immediate results. But I remain hopeful," Hiashi said.

Then he shifted topics.

"Mizuki, during the recent mission, you specifically requested Neji's participation. How did he perform?"

"Neji? He's a prodigy," Mizuki replied sincerely. "While his path differs from mine, his talent is undeniable. Give him two or three years, and he'll reach my current level."

"Oh? That high of an evaluation? He is gifted, yes, but on par with you?"

"Just wait and see. It won't take long for the results to speak for themselves."

"Yes... having such talent in the clan is a true blessing."

Neji had recently begun training regularly with Hinata and Hanabi, undergoing a complete foundation overhaul. His ability to comprehend and even recreate techniques like Rotation on his own had finally begun to shine through.

"Truly, the Hyuga Clan is full of talent. And with such a capable successor, your leadership is exceptional."

Earlier, Mizuki had seen Neji training with Hinata and Hanabi in the front courtyard. He'd greeted them in passing.

"You have a keen eye," Hiashi said with a smile.

Last time they spoke, Hiashi had mentioned Hanabi and Hinata. He had once dismissed Hinata, but Mizuki had praised her potential—saying she simply needed the right timing and guidance.

"I used to underestimate Hinata. Turns out she's quietly strong-willed. I really haven't given her the attention she deserves."

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