Naruto: From Extra to Savior

Actually, there was no need for Anko Mitarashi to rely on the power of the cursed seal. Her own strength was already formidable, and she had no desire to chase after overwhelming power. For her, the cursed seal brought few benefits, but once activated, its burden and danger were extremely severe.

Anko, who had just regained consciousness, still felt dazed and physically powerless. She struggled helplessly for a moment, then gave up when realizing she couldn't get up.

"She should be fine now," Mizuki turned to Aoba Yamashiro and said. "Once her chakra runs out, the barrier will vanish. Then call the medical ninja to handle it."

"Thank you, Mizuki," Aoba Yamashiro replied.

"I'll leave first; the rest is up to you."

After bidding farewell to Aoba Yamashiro, Mizuki walked out, closely followed by Kakashi.

"Do you need something from me, Kakashi?" Mizuki asked.

Kakashi's Team 7 students weren't around here anymore. This place was just a temporary outpost. There was no real reason for Kakashi to come here. With the war over, there were plenty for this Copy Ninja to deal with. Coming here without a clear purpose meant trouble was brewing.

"Hmm, you're quite sharp indeed—I do have something to ask you," Kakashi answered. "The two elders want to see you…"

"Want to see me? About what?" Mizuki asked in surprise. He wasn't familiar with Homura Mitokado or Koharu Utatane at all. After redeeming himself, he'd rarely encountered them. Nothing important should've drawn their attention yet.

"About The Third Hokage's death and your life-saving pills," Kakashi explained. "Though I didn't witness it directly, such power was terrifying. It's hard for the village's higher-ups not to notice something like that."

[Life-saving pills—did The Third actually keep some left?]

What Kakashi said reminded Mizuki. Except for a few elite ANBU members, perhaps only his Artificial Jinchuriki witnessed the fight between The Third Hokage and Orochimaru… although…

"When?" Mizuki hesitated slightly. Though he roughly understood the situation, one issue was needing to periodically refill chakra with his artificial jinchuriki. More importantly, they needed to exchange memories. Since he and his shadow clone hadn't met yet, he simply didn't know the details. Knowing only that the Artificial Jinchuriki was still alive gave him some peace of mind.

"A bit later. Everyone's quite busy right now."

"Fine, I'll go before dinner." Relieved that it wasn't immediately necessary, Mizuki relaxed slightly. "Have you seen where my shadow clone went?"

"At the Ninja Academy, helping Ebisu," Kakashi answered.

"Why did it go there? Never mind—let's drop it." Mizuki asked again, "You didn't have to come in person just to deliver a message. What's going on?"

"There's indeed a personal favor I wanted to ask you," Kakashi said after thinking briefly. "About Sasuke's cursed seal—do you have any solution for it?"

Hearing Kakashi's question, Mizuki frowned.

Kakashi was probably asking out of desperation—since he'd seen Mizuki's recent work with sealing techniques, he must've thought he had no other options.

"Didn't Jiraiya return already? Has he checked it? What did he say?"

"It's complicated," Kakashi said with a bitter smile. "The details haven't been explained, so I guess it can't be handled."

It was probably true that Jiraiya couldn't handle this, but maybe there was a way if they sought help from Mount Myōboku.

Mizuki sighed, "Kakashi, Cursed Seals are involved in far too many complications."

Everyone could see how ineffective the Evil Sealing Method was against Cursed Seals, although results also depended on the individual. Take Anko Mitarashi for example—she hadn't experienced any problems after all these years. That was clearly not the case with Sasuke. The Evil Sealing Method might have been—as Kakashi himself put it—entirely dependent on Sasuke's own willpower. For a vengeful person thirsting for power, that was practically a joke.

"Can't be done?"

"No, everything can be done. In a world where chakra existed as an extraordinary force, there was always a way forward." Take Mizuki himself; although slightly troublesome, his incomplete Cursed Seal had improved greatly. However, reckless interference might lead to unforeseen consequences involving Orochimaru later on. One must also consider whether Sasuke Uchiha, without Orochimaru's guidance, would grow enough to one day seal Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. Of course, that wasn't the main concern—whether Naruto and Sasuke would even be needed three years later remained uncertain. More urgently, how would Ryuchi Cave—the source of the Cursed Seals—respond? Those summoned beasts were too mysterious; being noticed by influential spectators at such an early stage was still premature.

"You think it can work? Tell me more?" Kakashi, who originally hadn't held much hope, suddenly seemed surprised.

"Removing the Cursed Seal is impossible; we can only seal it. However, your Evil Sealing Method is too weak—it won't be enough for Sasuke alone."

Cursed Seals posed not only physical harm but also significant mental stimulation. If improper training at Mount Myōboku caused petrification, then the side effects of Snake Sage Art were primarily psychological. There was good reason behind Jugo's madness. Most inheritors of the Cursed Seal tended toward extreme emotions. Frequent use of the Cursed Seal's power made its side effects feel more like spiritual corruption. Later changes in Sasuke's personality—his extreme coldness and indifference to emotional warmth—could very well have stemmed from excessive use of the Cursed Seal.

"I know the Evil Sealing Method isn't effective against Cursed Seals, but I couldn't find stronger sealing techniques."

"Stronger sealing methods won't help much either. What we need is something more fundamental."

Cursed Seals derived their power from Snake Sage Art. Even degraded forms of sage techniques used energy superior to regular chakra. When quality fell short, quantity couldn't always compensate.

"What should we do then?"

"There's one method. Although it cannot eliminate the Cursed Seal completely, it can stabilize the mind and enhance resistance against its spiritual corruption. However, there will be side effects," Mizuki replied. "Upgrading or evolving the Sharingan will become somewhat more difficult."

With Mizuki's current capabilities, removing or thoroughly sealing the Cursed Seal is still beyond reach. Yet by drawing on his experience managing his own imperfect Cursed Seal, creating a spiritual protective barrier should be entirely feasible. As for physical damage, it is comparatively easier to address through other means.

However, if someone's mind is too stable, it significantly dampens emotional fluctuations, which are essential for the Sharingan's evolution through spiritual resonance. In that case, Sasuke's chances of awakening the Mangekyou Sharingan would become even lower.

"Is that really so?" Kakashi considered for a moment before asking, "But how come you know so much about the Sharingan?"

"The Sharingan is so famous; wouldn't anyone look into it on their own?" Mizuki replied casually, anyway he guessed Kakashi wouldn't ask further.

"I'll go ask Sasuke first. There shouldn't be a problem."

"That makes sense. But what are you offering me in return this time? I can't possibly do such troublesome work for free, right?"

"Uh?" Kakashi also felt a bit uneasy since he hadn't thought about this previously. "It seems like I really don't have anything good to offer. How about some ninjutsu scrolls?"

"Forget it," Mizuki sighed. "I actually have something personal I'd like you to help me with later…"

More accurately, he intended to use Kakashi's Sharingan [Eye of Mirror Wheels] to assist him.

"Then we've got ourselves a deal. When will you handle it?"

<><><><><><><><>

Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!

~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** on the weekend!