Chapter 132: Can't Stay Hidden
Shimura Danzo, the man who had ruled "Konoha's Darkness" for decades, pierced straight through Mizuki's seemingly solid exterior in one move.
No one could truly exist independently in this world—not even someone like Orochimaru, who had sacrificed much of his humanity in the pursuit of knowledge. As long as there were attachments, there would be weaknesses. For someone like Danzo, who was intimately familiar with the shadows of human nature, discerning such weaknesses was just one of many skills he'd honed in the darkness.
After calming down, Mizuki carried on as usual. He helped Tsubaki prepare dinner and ate with her, all the while subtly observing her condition and thinking over countermeasures.
Logically, the extremely costly Kotoamatsukami—despite being hailed as the strongest genjutsu—had a recovery time measured in years. Danzo wouldn't waste such a precious ability on someone like Tsubaki. In the original timeline, he had only used it once at the Five Kage Summit, and even then, it had been interrupted before completion.
Thus, Mizuki couldn't be sure if what had been used on Tsubaki was Kotoamatsukami. To be more precise, he wasn't familiar enough with any Mangekyō Sharingan abilities. Without a test subject or research reference, the mechanics were hard to imagine, let alone find a way to counter.
Still, even if it wasn't Kotoamatsukami, genjutsu amplified by the Sharingan was terrifying. Mizuki, a skilled genjutsu user himself, would need significant effort to affect Tsubaki. Yet someone had done it without her even noticing. Among the people Mizuki knew, only a few were capable of that. Yūhi Kurenai, a genjutsu specialist, was still unconscious in the hospital. Hatake Kakashi had been with Mizuki just that morning and was likely still babysitting Naruto and Sasuke.
That left only one suspect—Shimura Danzo, who also had a Sharingan.
To act so covertly on Tsubaki and try to control me through her, without signs of brainwashing or memory tampering... That's lucky. This can still be salvaged.
Danzo wasn't entirely without limits. He wouldn't blatantly strike a fellow villager who hadn't threatened the village—especially someone who had rendered meritorious service. So instead, he probed, likely coveting the secrets of the Omnipotent Elixir and the pseudo-jinchūriki process.
Perhaps Danzo had overestimated Mizuki's strength. His specialties in genjutsu and sealing techniques were probably well-known by now. But he had also underestimated Mizuki's genjutsu resistance—and overestimated the power of the Sharingan. Without Mangekyō-level abilities, it was still just ninjutsu, and such genjutsu couldn't truly affect someone like Mizuki, whose chakra control and sensitivity to change were abnormally high.
"Mizuki, why are you looking at me like that?" Tsubaki asked, catching his odd expression. "Is something wrong with me?"
Shaking his head, Mizuki gently tapped her forehead. "Relax. Don't worry."
With a subtle flow of chakra, he examined her body. In an instant, Tsubaki slumped in her seat as if all energy had been drained from her.
"Mizuki, what's happening…?" she murmured, still dazed. "What did you do to me?"
"Nothing serious. Just rest for a moment."
As she steadied herself, realization struck her. "Was I… under genjutsu? How? I didn't even notice anything!"
"I'll take care of it. Leave this to me."
Tsubaki's position was dangerous. From the start, Mizuki had never hidden much from her. Though she may not have understood his full intentions or plans, she was aware of his experimental progress, the effects of the elixir, and the pseudo-jinchūriki process. While she didn't know how to synthesize the elixir, she still knew too much.
"Alright, Mizuki. I trust you," she said calmly. That was the strongest bond between them—mutual trust, even in the darkest moments. "If there's anything I can do to help, don't hesitate to tell me."
"I will." Mizuki nodded. "For now, stop all experiments. Move everything to the underground lab. Make sure you're not discovered. This place will be run by the second pseudo-jinchūriki once it's complete."
"I'll be careful. But… is that really necessary?"
"Oh?" Mizuki raised an eyebrow. "You've got something?"
Tsubaki retrieved a sealing scroll and unfurled it. With a few hand signs and a pulse of chakra, a figure appeared before them.
Mizuki blinked. "Wait—is that… when did you do this?"
Standing before him was another identical Tsubaki. Even Mizuki had to look closely to tell them apart.
"This was from the strand of hair you pulled out a month ago," she explained. "I followed your method—chakra induction—and it took this form. Your sealing technique helped finish the process. I just haven't used it yet… felt a little awkward having two of me walking around."
"Well done, Tsubaki."
Finding a reliable helper had always been a struggle. Clone bodies created from elixirs couldn't handle natural energy, and high rejection rates made them unstable without Sage Chakra.
Even cloning himself wasn't ideal. Forcing accelerated growth led to deformities, instability, and shortened lifespan. Maintaining a one-to-one-and-a-half-month development cycle was about as fast as they could go without compromising the body.
And resources were always a concern. Equipment, nutrient fluids, experimental samples—none of it came easy. Much of it had to be crafted by hand, sourced quietly, or bought under the table.
And now, out of nowhere, came an unexposed, fully trustworthy, and experienced assistant. That kind of ally was near impossible to find in the shinobi world.
"What do you need me to do? I was going to leave this clone to watch over the flower shop—it shouldn't stay closed for too long…"
"Don't worry about the shop. I'll find someone. For now, how's your Silent Breath training?"
"Not great…" she admitted.
"No big deal. That technique isn't easy." While Tsubaki had strong talent in chakra control, her fine control at the cellular level was lacking. To master Silent Breath in a short time like Sakura had would be unrealistic.
"That'll be a problem. Your clone won't have much stamina. We can't have it constantly coming back to swap memories and recharge—too risky."
Still, there wasn't much they could do about it now.
"Let's just go with it. The mountain cabin can serve as the relay point. We'll hide it behind a flower bed. That'll do for now. We just need to buy enough time to refine Sage Chakra."
One last concern lingered. Mizuki closed his eyes and scanned his surroundings. Patrol patterns around his house were becoming clearer now that he was paying attention.
"Three people. Rotating shifts… and there are stationary lookouts too."
So long as they didn't barge in, the barriers he'd set up would prevent them from discovering anything. Mizuki had already moved all important items out of his house. He wasn't stupid enough to store incriminating evidence where it could be seized.
Danzo's actions had finally made Mizuki taste the strength and cunning of Konoha's darkness. But those who lived in shadows often had predictable patterns. Mizuki's greatest fear wasn't the underhanded tricks—it was someone like the Third Hokage, who would confront him openly and force him into a corner where he'd have no choice but to comply.
No direct confrontation is best. The longer I can stall, the better.
…
Since discovering Danzo's interest in him, Mizuki became increasingly cautious. To the outside world, he appeared to have entered a recovery period—staying home, reading, doing small experiments, practicing chakra control, occasionally taking a walk with Tsubaki.
Behind the scenes, in the underground lab, with help from Tsubaki's clone, Mizuki's second pseudo-jinchūriki was finally completed on the third day. This marked the official start of his research into the separated Curse Mark Chakra.
On the hospital rooftop, Mizuki stood once again beside Kakashi, watching the flow of people below.
"Haven't seen you in a few days," Kakashi said with a teasing tone. "What brings you up here? And how are your injuries?"
"I'm alright. Don't I look energetic?"
"Sigh…" Kakashi pointed to his covered left eye. "You think I can't tell? You've been walking around in front of my Sharingan all this time. My eye's not that useless."
"…Fine. You win, Copy Ninja Kakashi."
The Sharingan really was cheating. If chakra were a normal cheat code, then the Sharingan was a premium VIP cheat. It wasn't fair. Mizuki had even started wondering if he should try getting one himself…
"Don't change the subject," Kakashi said seriously. "Be honest—how much time do you have left?"
"Do I have to answer that?" Mizuki sighed. "I don't even know if I can last until I've solved the problem. If I don't get hurt again, I probably have a few months…"
"If I don't make it, then forget it. Once I'm gone, what's the point of burdening others?"
"You really are carefree." Kakashi paused, then added, "But Jiraiya-sama is leaving tomorrow to find Lady Tsunade. You'll probably be fine…"
"Probably. I'm not that unlucky. I've survived plenty of strong enemies. This time too—wait."
"What is it?" Kakashi asked.
"Get ready, Kakashi. It's your turn. Our guests… have arrived."
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