False Power

"What was that? How terrifying!" The bloodcurdling scream made Gekko Hayate and Aoba Yamashiro break out in goosebumps.

"It's more or less the same as what I gave you. The two work even better together, you know? Want to give them a try?" Mizuki said, as if nothing had happened, despite his frightening words.

"I'll pass," Aoba Yamashiro quickly refused. "This stuff works pretty well, but I bet the side effects aren't minor. The wound still feels unbearably itchy and numb."

"I don't feel that way. Other than being tired, nothing else feels wrong. I've recovered pretty well."

"Oh, valuable experimental data. Thanks for the effort," Mizuki said, still as shameless as ever.

"You're something else," Aoba Yamashiro said helplessly. "You really know how to rub people the wrong way."

"Not like I need a grown man like you to like me," Mizuki said indifferently. "Should we go after him? The three of us might have a chance of capturing him alive."

The acting team leader, Aoba Yamashiro, thought it over. "Forget it. It's one thing if we run into someone during a mission, but chasing after them once they've retreated could cause a lot of trouble. We're in peacetime, after all, not at war with another country. Even if we capture someone alive, it'll be hard to deal with them."

The scream gradually faded into the distance, and the water, which had occasionally bubbled up, slowly settled.

"Should we meet up with Captain Ibiki first, or head straight over to support Kakashi?" Gekko Hayate asked.

"Let's check out the bridge first. I just sensed an ominous burst of chakra, and I have a bad feeling. We should go take a look," Mizuki suggested.

"Fair enough. If something's happened to the Nine-Tails, we'll be in trouble," Aoba Yamashiro decided.

With their plan settled, the three hurried off to support Hatake Kakashi.

"Oh, I forgot to mention," Mizuki said, still using that infuriatingly casual tone. "Hayate, the medicine has worn off. You should be fine as long as you get plenty of rest when we get back. Aoba, your situation is more complicated. I can't really explain it, but until the numb, itchy feeling goes away, you'd better stay physically active and use up plenty of chakra."

After a pause, he continued, "When you get back, both of you should get a thorough checkup. Nothing seems to be wrong for now, but you'd better be prepared."

"Seriously? Is it that bad?" Aoba Yamashiro asked. "You used even more of the medicine than we did, and you were the most badly injured. Are you going to be all right?"

"I used more because I expected to be more badly injured," Mizuki replied. "But it's still only a prototype, so it's hard to say."

Gekko Hayate reassured him. "We all chose to use it, so we must have considered the consequences. Even if something's wrong, Konoha has the best Medical Ninjutsu. They'll definitely be able to treat us."

Mizuki was about to speak when he suddenly sensed something.

"Who's there?"

"It's me. Don't be nervous." It was Ibiki Morino, with Izumo and Kotetsu behind him.

"I'm glad to see you're all right."

"Oh, it's you, Captain. Took you long enough. We got our butts kicked."

"I can tell, just by looking at the state you're in." Mizuki in particular was covered in reddish-black dried blood, and his clothes were in tatters. It clearly wasn't the enemy's blood.

"How are things with Kakashi?"

"The mist is clearing. They've probably decided the outcome by now. We should hurry over and check."

"Right."

By the time the six of them arrived, everything was already over.

"We're a step late, but it doesn't look like there's much of a problem," Ibiki said. "We'll clean up the battlefield in a moment."

"That Lightning Style technique Kakashi used was pretty flashy," Mizuki said enviously. "The nature transformation of Lightning Release Chakra, plus the ability to activate the cells—it's the ultimate skill for picking up girls."

"You've got a pretty flashy look yourself. For a ninja, it's quite the statement," Kotetsu said.

"This is my own blood, okay? That's a pretty steep price to pay just to look cool."

"Don't you have a fiancée? Why are you still trying to pick up girls?"

"Kotetsu, please don't bring up my embarrassing past. Next time you spy on the women's bathhouse, I'll keep watch for you."

"Thanks, but no need—wait, I never spied on anyone!"

"Cut it out," Ibiki said. "Looks like it's over. Aoba, come with me to capture a few survivors and find out where they hid the money. The four of you go clean up the battlefield."

Poor Gato. He'd spent his whole life working hard, only to be brutalized by Zabuza in the end. Even after he died, they were going to search his mind, and the money he'd earned would be redistributed to the poor.

Mizuki gathered up the pool of blood on the ground. "This clump is Zabuza's, and this one is Haku's. What about this?" He looked at a few bloodstained needles. "Are these Naruto's or Sasuke's? Whatever. I'll collect them first. Hopefully there are still some viable cells in them."

After tidying everything up, Mizuki glanced at Kakashi beside him.

"Why aren't you checking on your cute students? They look pretty badly hurt, too."

"My opponent held back. Otherwise, Sasuke and Naruto would already be dead."

"The one you hit with your Chidori?"

"Yeah. It should be the same boy you saw while keeping watch earlier."

"Is that so? Good people never live long. You really are cruel, you know."

"I'm curious what gives you the right to say that." Kakashi glanced at Mizuki, covered in blood.

"I'll say it again," Mizuki said, the corner of his mouth twitching. "It's all my own blood."

"Huh?" Kakashi exclaimed. "You lost that much blood and you're still alive? You're one lucky guy."

"Don't give me that. I took a huge loss this time. I used up nearly all my summoned beasts and ninja tools," Mizuki said bitterly. "Ibiki and Aoba got all the good stuff. Missing-nin and wandering ninja like these have nothing worth taking. They're dirt poor. The only valuable thing was the Kubikiribōchō, and I didn't even get that. All I could scavenge were a few needles. They're completely useless."

"The Third Hokage will compensate you."

"What would you know? I've been working for free for months. My salary's already been docked!"

"Heh," Kakashi chuckled awkwardly. "The Third Hokage definitely won't shortchange you. I should go check on my students. See you." With that, he used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished.

"Honestly, you're all a bunch of ungrateful jerks. Looks like I'll be broke for a while. I wonder if Tsubaki has enough money to support the household." Mizuki couldn't help considering whether he should take up the promising profession of becoming a kept man.

He glanced at his companions, who were still busy nearby, and thought about slipping away. There wasn't much left to clean up, anyway. He decided to find somewhere to sleep. This day had been exhausting.

"Huh? Why can't I move?" Just as Mizuki was about to leave, he realized something was wrong with his body. "It won't obey me. What's going on?"

Realizing something was terribly wrong, Mizuki hurriedly circulated his chakra, but it was already too late. A searing pain spread rapidly from his right arm throughout his body. Symbols appeared wherever it passed.

"Damn it, why is the Cursed Seal activating? My mind and the Evil Sealing Method are both fine. There shouldn't have been any problems. Could it be...?" Mizuki couldn't help smiling bitterly. "Have I pushed my body this far past its limit?"

The Evil Sealing Method relied mainly on his mental strength and willpower, but the seal still had to be borne by his flesh and blood. If his body became too weak, even the sealing technique itself could fail. It was no wonder the Cursed Seal had erupted.

The mutated Natural Energy rampaged through his body, wantonly draining the vitality of every cell while also granting him tremendous power.

"This false strength... If I didn't already know it was an illusion brought on by draining my life force, it would be hard for anyone to resist the temptation."

What could he do? Mizuki seemed to be out of options. He could only let things keep getting worse. The medicine still in his body seemed to sense the danger and began rapidly repairing his battered body at any cost. With no other choice, Mizuki could only circulate his chakra in a futile attempt to resist the mutated Natural Energy.

Just as Mizuki was nearing despair, an inexplicable force arose from the collision between the chakra and Natural Energy inside him. It was like the power of life at its beginning. Wherever it passed, his body revived like a withered tree in spring, and every hidden danger vanished. The Omnipotence Potion seemed to have gained reinforcements, too, its effects surging as its restorative power greatly increased.

"This power, this effect...?" Mizuki thought in disbelief. "Senjutsu Chakra? Sage Mode? I did it that easily?" The power far exceeded his imagination. Earlier, his own chakra had been utterly overwhelmed by Natural Energy at the slightest contact; they weren't even on the same level. But the Senjutsu Chakra let him experience what that incomparable power was like.

"Even if I don't understand what's happening, at least there's hope after all. But..." Mizuki knew his limits. "This isn't a power I should be coveting right now. My chakra is limited, while Natural Energy is inexhaustible. If I don't seal the Cursed Seal quickly, even Senjutsu Chakra won't be able to save me."

A power he couldn't control himself would ultimately be nothing but an illusion.

No longer letting himself get carried away, Mizuki used the chance to let the Senjutsu Chakra repair his body while extracting more chakra. At the same time, he used his chakra to hold back the Natural Energy, creating more Senjutsu Chakra and gradually forming a positive cycle. The medicine also gave one last burst of restorative power, allowing him to steadily force the Natural Energy back. The two forces fought across his body, and the intense tearing pain made Mizuki scream.

"What's wrong, Mizuki?" Gekko Hayate, who was nearby, heard him and came over to ask.

Mizuki couldn't spare a moment to answer. The critical moment had arrived. The Natural Energy was being forced back into his right arm, causing it to swell to twice its normal size. The agonizing pain made him want to cut the arm off.

Summoning all his strength, Mizuki circulated his mental energy to activate the Evil Sealing Method and sealed the Cursed Seal once more.

The symbols produced by the Cursed Seal rapidly contracted, but no longer formed the abstract shape of a tiger's head. Instead, they became a jet-black, jade-like Tomoe, encircled by the Evil Sealing Method. Then the Tomoe and the symbols both sank into his body and disappeared.

"Mizuki, did the medicine's side effects just kick in?" Seeing that something was wrong, Gekko Hayate hurried over and caught Mizuki as he began to collapse.

"Looks like I'm finally all right." Mizuki managed a weary smile, too exhausted to move. "You guys carry on. I'm going to take a little break."

With that, darkness swept over Mizuki, and he lost consciousness.