Naruto: From Extra to Savior

Mizuki's explanation wasn't really a justification. After all, taking the life-saving pills was a personal choice—no one could force the Third's hand. Besides, it wasn't even Mizuki who had given the pills to the Third. Pursuing his responsibility seemed somewhat unfair. Yet, when politics entered the equation, fairness often became irrelevant…

After hearing Mizuki's words, neither of the two advisors showed any particular reaction, suggesting they already knew what had happened.

["Just asking casually? Doesn't seem like you're really after accountability…"]

No one else seemed interested in pressing the issue either. However, Danzo Shimura finally spoke up. "That pill—you were the one who made it, weren't you? Quite impressive…"

Upon hearing Danzo's words, the two advisors frowned slightly, while some ninja below wore expressions of discontent. Although the pill's effects were powerful, everyone had seen its terrifying side effects. It would never be standard issue for ordinary ninja. Only those who treated ninja lives as disposable tools—the village's underground faction, Root—would have any real interest in widespread use. In other words, only Danzo himself stood to benefit most from such a substance.

["So you've taken interest in my creation?"]

Though Mizuki felt a bit reluctant, he had anticipated something like this when he first introduced the pill. Still…

["Don't expect more supplies—I don't have them. Manufacturing is too difficult. If you want to learn how, start by boosting your IQ and then master chakra control to the level where you can perform Rasengan."]

Explaining something like genetic engineering—transcription, reverse transcription—it's not something anyone could understand without years of study. Given the primitive research methods common in the ninja world, aside from Orochimaru, Kabuto Yakushi, and perhaps Tsunade, who else could understand such things? Most others barely touched the fundamentals of their research, dabbling mostly in grafting or transplant techniques, considered advanced at best. They wasted countless samples with pitifully low success rates, using chakra as their main source of technique. Under such conditions, how could Mizuki possibly hand over the formula? Even entrusting someone like Shikamaru Nara or Sakura Haruno to his exclusive tutelage for a year or two might barely make them competent—but that was just fantasy. It would mean nothing more than him giving up everything else to produce life-saving pills for the village every single day. This was not what Mizuki wanted.

More importantly, Mizuki alone fully understood the pill's true effects. If Danzo ever discovered the real meaning behind the word "omnipotence," things could become truly disastrous. Unlike Mizuki, whose moral compass carried over from his past life, Danzo possessed no such restraint—he might well resort to force to seize full control of the pill.

Activating cellular omnipotence did come with horrifying side effects, but let's not forget—Danzo already had cells from the First, Hashirama Senju. What might happen if these two forces combined was anyone's guess. Would it unleash a biohazard nightmare worse than Impure World Reincarnation? Or set swarms of Hashirama clones against endless waves of White Zetsu? Just thinking about it sent shivers down Mizuki's spine. With that kind of power, would Danzo even wait three years for Akatsuki to pose a global threat?

One might even develop the illusion of being capable of ruling the Ninja World, which could lead to a Fourth Great Shinobi War breaking out earlier than expected...

In Mizuki's opinion, all of this was very possible given the temperament of Danzo Shimura, the leader of Konoha's Root faction. After all, for Danzo Shimura, whose highest principle was Konoha's supremacy, the temptation of uniting the entire Ninja World under Konoha's banner was absolutely irresistible.

『Therefore, if they ask about the artificial jinchuriki later, I must be cautious with my answers. Looks like I'll have to pull off another convincing lie today.』 Mizuki inwardly resolved. Things were already complicated enough now—it would be best not to let order collapse too severely before he had the strength to step forward and play the game directly.

Danzo Shimura's question made the atmosphere rather heavy for a moment. As Mizuki was considering how to phrase his response, Homura Mitokado spoke from the side: "What do you mean by 'not bad'? A forbidden drug with such severe side effects shouldn't even exist. The production method should've been sealed away as kinjutsu!"

『So they really do see me as meat on the chopping block? Sealing it away as kinjutsu? Since when did I agree to offer it to the village?』

It seemed that last time's [Genjutsu Magical Formation] had been given away too generously, creating the mistaken belief that he was easy to deal with.

『The [Genjutsu Magical Formation] was merely an incomplete prototype. And I gave most of it to Konoha primarily to gain the village's trust—proving its effectiveness by reviving Hayate Gekko and fulfilling a personal goal...』

Given the circumstances, Mizuki had no choice but to firmly resist outright: "The [life-saving pills]' manufacturing process is extremely complicated. Currently, it can only be produced in small quantities within laboratories, with extremely limited output and prohibitively high costs. There are simply too many limiting conditions..."

Mizuki's words caused the two advisors and Danzo Shimura's expressions to darken visibly.

『Looks like Hiruzen Sarutobi really was the easiest to deal with.』

Sighing inwardly, Mizuki continued: "Moreover, the biggest problem isn't even these issues, but rather the excessively high requirements for the personnel involved in its creation..."

Danzo interrupted Mizuki mid-sentence: "How high could these requirements possibly be? Konoha still has many highly skilled ninjas beyond those you usually encounter—including numerous specialists. You should know that Konoha's medical ninja are the strongest."

Without further ado, Mizuki stretched out his right hand, palm upward, and began channeling chakra. Blue chakra gathered in his palm, soon undergoing nature transformation into red, manifesting as flame-like energy. Soon, the flames deepened in color, gradually turning bright blue-white, shining intensely.

The expressions of the two advisors and Danzo Shimura grew increasingly grim. If it were merely nature transformation into Fire Release, many could accomplish it. But seeing Mizuki bring it to such an extreme clearly marked him as no ordinary ninja—the dangerous aura radiating from those flames couldn't be concealed.

But it wasn't over yet. Next, the flames in his palm split into two, transforming into a pair of firebirds displaying intertwining shades of red, blue, and white. Their flapping and fighting movements looked astonishingly lifelike—as though the birds were truly alive, lacking only sound to complete the illusion.

Ignoring everyone's shocked expressions, Mizuki bowed slightly and said: "If there exists someone capable of achieving this level of skill, please send them to me—they would stand a good chance of mastering the [life-saving pills]' formula."

"Only a chance at this level?" Koharu Utatane narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Mizuki.

Mizuki, with a criminal history, is hardly someone to place much trust in. She's probably just fabricating an excuse to keep the life-saving pill formula to herself.

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