Naruto: From Extra to Savior

Hiashi Hyuga, head of the Hyuga clan, wasn't some book-smart leader lacking in Combat Advice. After all the ninja wars they'd been through, even in a strict traditionalist family like the Hyugas, their leader couldn't afford to be weak. Why had Hiashi once considered replacing Hinata with the younger Hanabi? Because Hinata's personality lacked strength—she came off as timid—and her skills didn't even measure up to those of her much younger sister.

Deciding to face Red Sand of the Desert alone was definitely a decision based on years of battle-hardened judgment. But still, Hiashi had underestimated both Sasori's strength and his persistence.

"In the end… damn that poison—it's one hell of a pain in the ass…"

Poison was always a tricky opponent, especially when crafted by masters who'd spent years developing secret formulas. Without samples to work from, even medical ninjas as skilled as Tsunade might not be able to produce an antidote in time.

Technically speaking, there were no truly universal antidotes. The best ones could only cover a wide range of poisons. Take life-saving pills, for example—they sped up cell division and boosted metabolism so fast that organic toxins broke down quicker. That hyper-fast metabolism also flushed out most toxins the body couldn't handle. In the original storyline, when Sakura treated Kankuro after his fight against Red Sand, she clearly used a specialized antidote. It worked great against the poison Sasori had brewed but would probably do next to nothing against other poisons.

Right now, fighting while holding back, without an antidote, it was hard to go all out on the attack. Hiruko's power didn't come just from its strong offense and defense—it mainly compensated for the vulnerability of a puppet master's original body. That's exactly why Sasori chose Hiruko as his standard mount, armor, and weapon.

When Hiashi Hyuga blocked Hiruko's Needle Barrage and Hidden Hand Senbon attacks using Rotation technique again, he immediately felt the strain from the massive chakra consumption over such a short time.

"If I can't break through that turtle shell, there's no way I can take this guy down…"

Even though he firmly believed the Gentle Fist was the ultimate offensive style, Hiashi had to admit—grudgingly—that sometimes it just didn't cut it against brute force like Strong Fist or even advanced ninjutsu.

In truth, even while in Hiruko form, Red Sand of the Desert hadn't fully unleashed his power either. His weaknesses had been covered, but his fighting style hadn't evolved much beyond what a regular puppet master could do—mainly hidden weapons, mechanical traps, and poison. Techniques like Human Puppet, Iron Sand Body, advantages granted by his own puppet body, and ultimate techniques like Hundred Puppet Army powered by the reincarnation core—none of these had been used yet. If Sasori had gone all out, not a single one of Konoha's six would have made it out alive. Unless they had someone exactly like Sakura three years later—skilled in antidotes, direct combat, immense destructive power, and medical ninjutsu—and with Chiyo covering for physical weakness and lack of experience, defeating him shouldn't even be part of their plan. Just driving him off would count as a huge success. Their team setup was just too weak.

As Hiashi Hyuga was eagerly awaiting reinforcements, a sudden piercing scream echoed over.

"This is…? It doesn't sound like one of our men. Did they succeed? That quickly?" This unexpected turn made Hiashi involuntarily delighted, and his movements and steps became steadier.

"Just hold on a little longer…"

On the other side, Mizuki, caught by Gaara's sand cushion, had barely landed when Ko Hyuga rushed over immediately, knocking away the scattered pieces of explosive clay still lingering nearby, protecting Mizuki who had temporarily lost combat ability.

"How do you feel?" Ko asked while staying alert. "How bad are your injuries?"

"I won't die. Give me a moment to recover and I'll be fine."

Among this series of impacts, only the final blow had been the worst; the others were frightening in appearance but merely superficial external wounds that weren't serious for Mizuki.

However, the close-range explosion just now wasn't simple at all. This time there hadn't been Gaara's sand to help him, and apart from a Chakra Shield, he'd had no preparation whatsoever. He caught the full force of the blast. Mizuki's life was safe since his vital points were protected, but his entire body was covered in wounds. More troubling was the shockwave caused by the explosion, which had seriously bruised the internal organs in Mizuki's chest and abdomen. This was more serious than just surface wounds—it could lead to lasting damage if not treated properly, like what happened to Hayate Gekko.

"It's time we pressed our advantage," Mizuki said to Ko. "Don't worry about me for now. Come help once I catch my breath…"

"Understood. Be careful." Ko nodded, seeing Mizuki was out of danger, then chased toward where Deidara had fallen. This is our moment—don't waste it. We have to strike while the iron is hot and secure our dominance.

Watching Ko leave, Mizuki soon sensed the belated arrival of Gaara and Temari flanking him protectively, guarding against potential ambushes.

"Are all Konoha ninja this violent? You're still just a chunin, right…" Temari spoke, somewhat amazed at Mizuki's combat style, so drastically different from his usual demeanor. After seeing Deidara's strength and fighting style, she could now understand why Mizuki had been so eager for a quick finish. "You're unexpectedly strong. If we'd known that Konoha's chunins were all as powerful as you, there wouldn't have even been conflict between Suna and Konoha…"

Shaking his head, Mizuki replied, "Not entirely correct, though you did get one thing right—the Sand Village never really had any chance of winning."

"If it hadn't been for Orochimaru's deception…"

Before Temari could finish, Gaara surprisingly interrupted: "Even then, it would've been no different."

Konoha's sheer size gave them an edge, but their ninja's combat skills were also far from inferior to those of Suna. Rock Lee, Sasuke Uchiha, and even Naruto Uzumaki from just yesterday had left deep impressions on him during the Chunin Exams. And now, an otherwise unknown chunin named Mizuki had caught his eye too—with both battle power and composure rarely seen even among the elite-trained Suna ninjas.

Gaara's words instantly rendered Temari speechless, her face darkening involuntarily.

"Now's not the time for this," Mizuki said. The battle was raging—no room for small talk. "Kurenai Yuhi has vanished from sight; she must be waiting in hiding for the right opportunity. Temari, watch over Ko Hyuga later..."

Thanks to Gentle Fist techniques, Ko Hyuga could shrug off scattered attacks with ease. What worried them most was another wide-area clay explosion. Not everyone could use the Rotation technique, and few branch members burdened by cursed seals ever mastered it. Only Neji Hyuga had achieved that level of talent, so expecting others to match him was unreasonable.

Upon hearing Mizuki's instructions, Temari nodded in understanding.

Mizuki turned to Gaara. "Watch that puppet user over there—he's dangerous."

Thinking carefully before speaking, Mizuki asked, "As Shukaku's jinchuriki, do you currently have any powerful offensive techniques? Something with strong piercing ability?"

In both manga and anime, there had been mention of a [Spear of Shukaku] matching the [Shield of Shukaku]. As a powerful ninjutsu, Mizuki wasn't sure whether it actually existed—or if Gaara at this age even knew it yet.

As a transmigrated soul, Mizuki had checked the accuracy of many events and characters from the original story. Take himself, for instance—in the manga, after giving Naruto his first kill, he vanished completely. But in the anime, he returned later. This inconsistency confused him endlessly. Take Yakumo Kurama, for example—the Kurama clan did exist as a minor clan, yet no one had ever heard of a girl named Yakumo. Perhaps such a person did exist, just hidden away. But another thing made no sense—Morino Ibiki had no brothers at all. That meant Ibiki's so-called brother, referred to as 'Painful Hand,' who supposedly quit being a ninja, didn't exist in the original storyline. Therefore, Mizuki sometimes needed to double-check ambiguous information like this, lest he seem suspicious or raise doubts.

"Hmm?" Gaara thought for a moment before replying. "I'm not sure what you're referring to exactly. Sand attacks aren't particularly strong—they rely more on flexibility and adaptability, along with chakra and tactical superiority. There might be such a technique, but honestly—I've never heard of it before."

Mizuki felt his hopes sink at Gaara's reply.

"It seems the [Spear of Shukaku] doesn't exist yet—at least not currently. Then, what should we do?"

With Deidara's mission completed, the next step would inevitably involve facing the far more troublesome Red Sand of the Desert.

This timeline diverged from the original one where Sakura Haruno and Chiyo faced Red Sand three years later. Now, their greatest challenge was Hiruko—the very enemy Future Sakura would defeat effortlessly in three years' time.

Red Sand of the Desert was undeniably formidable, yet why did he favor using Hiruko so much? His greatest strength lay particularly in defense, making Hiruko an impeccable combination of offense and defense. Don't underestimate how easily Sakura shattered Hiruko with one punch—it was because, three years later, she'd been trained by Tsunade and gained her famous super strength. How many beings—or things—could withstand her fists?

This time, though, none of Mizuki's six allies had the power to smash through Hiruko like that. Never mind Hiashi and Ko Hyuga—Gentle Fist was never meant to break through heavy defenses like that.

Gaara and Temari were better suited for large-scale battlefields. As for Kurenai Yuhi, she should stick to her specialty—genjutsu. Surprisingly, it turned out Mizuki was the only one with that skill, though...

"I'm out of chakra. I used it all a month ago fighting Orochimaru, then yesterday against Gaara, One-Tail Shukaku, and Anko Mitarashi. So what should I do now? Should I try using the scalpel technique?"

Mizuki fully understood the power of the scalpel, especially since an accident had greatly enhanced his medical ninjutsu. It might actually work.

"How can I make Red Sand of the Desert stand still long enough to test my blade? That's the question..."

Given Mizuki's current condition, approaching Red Sand of the Desert would be practically suicidal.

"Go take on that puppet master. Traps and machinery are perfect for your sand. If you keep fighting like the Hyuga clan head did, you'll eventually get worn down. Save your strength for the finishing strike."

"Shouldn't we settle this fight first before going to help?"

"You underestimate that kid..." Mizuki shot down Gaara's idea.

"Are you kidding? If we force Deidara to go full self-destruct mode, we're toast. One explosion and everyone here—except maybe Red Sand of the Desert—goes up in smoke."

Mizuki kept reminding himself that their goal was to drive them off, not kill them. They couldn't afford too much given their inferior strength. Facing Akatsuki's art duo, they'd better be practical.

"Well then, I guess we won't be able to cover this area." Gaara agreed to Mizuki's plan.

"That's fine, but remember—they're after you, so watch yourself, and..." Mizuki warned seriously, "...sometimes that can be used to our advantage. Be smart about this..."

Though Gaara was talented and accustomed to relying on brute force to crush opponents, this Red Sand of the Desert wasn't some weakling he usually faced. Learning how to coordinate with others in combat wasn't simple. If not for their life-or-death situation, Mizuki wouldn't waste time talking this much. Every bit of fighting strength was valuable now.

...

Watching as Hiashi gradually turned things around with Gaara's assistance, Mizuki couldn't help but marvel. Sometimes ninja matchups could have brutal counters like that. Once Red Sand brought out Hiruko, Hiashi could hold his own against the opponent. But currently, he needed help from someone whose strength was far inferior to his own just to catch his breath.

"Sand sure is convenient stuff, even if it gets messy. Should I try using water instead?"

As a fire-natured ninja, Mizuki didn't expect to develop any bloodline traits with water techniques, but something as convenient as Gaara's sand would do. Still, considering the time constraints, he decided against it.

While treating his injuries and observing the battle situation against Red Sand of the Desert, Mizuki noticed Deidara was already in serious trouble. The one who launched the first attack was none other than Kurenai Yuhi, waiting patiently nearby.

Although Kurenai Yuhi was a genjutsu specialist, one shouldn't assume her ninjutsu and taijutsu weren't strong. The truth is, most female ninja shared this issue— their generally weaker bodies meant limited chakra reserves. So they had to refine their chakra manipulation skills and ended up focusing on areas like genjutsu, medical ninjutsu, or even sealing techniques. Mizuki's fiancée, Chiharu Tsubaki, and Haruno Sakura both fell into this group. Kurenai was no exception. It was just that compared to her powerful genjutsu, her taijutsu and ninjutsu paled in comparison. To be honest though, those two weren't that bad either— otherwise she wouldn't have made jonin.

And now Deidara was plummeting from the sky. Before he could react, several kunai shot toward him and struck his body. Although he had avoided vital areas, so many wounds had already left Deidara significantly weakened.

[Don't get locked into his attack rhythm.]

Determined, Deidara quickly formed hand seals: [Earth Release — Burrowing Mole Camouflage Jutsu].

Soon afterward, Deidara deeply submerged himself underground, planning simply to evade this wave of attacks first. After tunneling a safe distance, Deidara surfaced again. Yet before he could summon his giant bird for a quick escape, Ko Hyuga showed up and caught him mid-move.

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