Chapter 96: Chapter 96: Racing Against Time
Sensing a group drawing closer at high speed, Mizuki frantically thought of what to do. The timing matched almost exactly with the end of Orochimaru's plan to destroy Konoha; whoever was fleeing in such a hurry could only be Orochimaru himself—no one else came to mind.
Mizuki pressed his right arm, which felt slightly feverish, until the sensation subsided, then looked over at Uchiha Sasuke beside him, who was clutching his neck in pain.
"My cursed seal is relatively stable, but Sasuke Uchiha's is far too active. With resonance this strong, it's like a beacon guiding Orochimaru straight here. There's no way to evade his sensory abilities."
Mizuki's original body didn't yet know what had happened to make Orochimaru come here so urgently. However, the only thing here that could interest Orochimaru was definitely Uchiha Sasuke.
"It seems Orochimaru must've been more seriously injured than expected, which explains his urgency in seeking Sasuke's body for a transfer."
Looking at the nearby feeble and helpless Sasuke, Mizuki realized that if Orochimaru captured him now, he was as good as dead. Without the strength to fight back three years from now, he'd be nothing more than a helpless victim.
"Teacher Mizuki..." Sakura Haruno looked helplessly between the pained Sasuke and Mizuki, hoping Mizuki would solve the problem.
Mizuki shook his head and said, "Stay here and keep an eye on Naruto, Temari, and Gaara. Stay hidden and don't go anywhere recklessly..."
Time was running out. An encounter battle this sudden was already bad enough, but their special circumstances made hiding difficult—making things extremely problematic.
"What about Sasuke-kun?"
"Don't worry about him. Leave him to me," Mizuki said, hoisting Sasuke onto his back and preparing to leave. "If danger arises, flee with Naruto. Losing two Suna ninja won't matter much in the long run."
After speaking, Mizuki carried Sasuke beyond the barrier.
"If we can't rely on superior strength, we absolutely mustn't involve too many people. At least for now, I still have some say in where this fight takes place..."
Carrying Uchiha Sasuke meant having some control over what happened next. First, he needed to find a place suitable for exploiting his own advantages—somewhere he could better stall for time until rescue arrived.
"It seems whenever I face powerful enemies, my immediate reaction is always to delay time and wait stubbornly for reinforcements. But why do these absurdly powerful enemies keep popping up? Is it because I've picked on too many kids lately?"
From Naruto Uzumaki, Suigetsu Hozuki, Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, Sasuke Uchiha, three Otogakure ninja, and just now Temari, Mizuki had certainly built something of a "battle record." Battles against adult opponents like Iruka Umino and Kabuto Yakushi had both ended prematurely. The only truly significant confrontation was escaping from Orochimaru within the Forest of Death. He hadn't expected to face him again so soon.
"Teacher Mizuki?" Weakly clinging to Mizuki's back, Sasuke asked, "Where are we going? Aren't we leaving Sakura and the others behind?"
"Hmm?" Hearing Sasuke's words, Mizuki immediately felt exasperated. "Do you really think we're leaving them behind and running off?"
"We're not?" Sasuke blinked in surprise.
"The enemy's target is you. As long as you're not there, they'll be safe..."
"Uh..."
Before Sasuke could even react to the surprise, the two had already arrived at a riverbank. Mizuki then set Sasuke down.
"We're here. Take care of yourself. Later on, I might not have time to protect you."
"Got it. Are they strong opponents?"
"Don't rush in recklessly later. Your body isn't suited for battle right now. Anyone from their side would be more than you can currently handle..."
Without waiting any longer, Mizuki grabbed Sasuke and headed toward the center of the river.
"Stay behind me and don't move from this spot. Above all else, don't use your Sharingan or the Cursed Seal..."
"I know," Sasuke replied, suddenly noticing something strange. "Wait, there's something underwater?"
Mizuki smiled slightly without offering further explanation. He bit his fingers open, then quickly formed hand seals.
[Kuchiyose no Jutsu]!
As chakra-infused runes spread outward, numerous previously hidden objects beneath the shimmering surface began revealing themselves.
"Are these jellyfish? No, wait—they're summoned beasts. So this is Teacher Mizuki's Summoning technique?"
From seemingly transparent jellyfish invisible to the naked eye, the creatures began glowing faintly, while thick mist gradually rose around them.
"Mist Shadow Genjutsu? And illusions too?"
Not only did he cleverly exploit natural conditions to create fog, but he was also capable of constructing large-scale genjutsu barriers that blended illusions with reality—an advanced level far beyond the casual barrier he'd made earlier.
"So many ninja are capable of this level of barrier now?"
Except for the three weaker candidates during the final fight in the Forest of Death and another occasion where he suffered heavy losses, he hadn't expected to face such high-level genjutsu formations again after just one month. This momentarily confused him about his own strength compared to other ninja.
With no time to consider Sasuke's feelings, Mizuki poured a vial of blue-algae mixture into the water. Immediately afterward, green tides rapidly spread, concealing movements underwater.
"They're coming. Be alert—protect yourself," Mizuki warned before vanishing into the mist.
Soon enough, several Otogakure ninja appeared by the riverside.
"Our opponent appears to be well-prepared, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto Yakushi observed as he stood beside an obviously troubled Orochimaru. "Setting up such a barrier on open water suggests numerous underwater traps. Plus, that blue tide doesn't wash away with the current—it's clearly meant to obscure something."
"I know, Kabuto. You don't need to explain."
This situation wasn't particularly dangerous per se, but resolving it would take considerable time. Unfortunately, none of those present were skilled in fighting under such conditions. Normally, they could break through the formation directly by sheer power, but how long that would take was unpredictable—and that was exactly what Orochimaru hated most.
"Sakon, you'll probe their defenses first," Orochimaru ordered.
"Yes, sir." Though left with minimal injuries, Sakon—who had used up the most chakra—quickly rushed into the dense fog.
Meanwhile, watching the enemies from inside the barrier, Mizuki felt slightly relieved.
[Orochimaru's condition is truly worse than in the original storyline. The Gang of Four look exhausted, with only Kabuto Yakushi in slightly better shape. But even he isn't suited for this environment. If we hold out just a little longer, Lord Orochimaru, pressed for time, will probably give up rather than persist.]
Just now, Mizuki had sensed several teams closing in from different directions. Given Orochimaru's intelligence, he must have understood when to cut his losses.
As for Sakon entering the barrier, Mizuki hadn't taken it seriously. Defending on home ground with time and preparation was their advantage. If he couldn't even buy himself enough time under these conditions, then he wouldn't dare face off against Orochimaru and his Otogakure ninja in the first place.
"If you were at full strength, I'd turn tail and run without a second thought. Let the Sage of Six Paths worry about whether Sasuke lives or dies. But there's that old saying: 'The mighty have fallen.' A few drowning curs aren't going to scare me off."
Standing on the lakeside, the Sound ninja heard a few screams before watching Sakon stagger back, multiple kunai embedded in his body. His legs bore dark purple wounds—clearly poisoned severely.
"Are these jellyfish tentacles?" Kabuto Yakushi, treating Sakon who had barely escaped, quickly noticed the strange injuries on the legs.
"There are countless more of those monsters underwater," Sakon stammered, still trembling. "We can't even see our enemy—the entire view below is blocked by that green tide, making visibility nearly zero. We're completely vulnerable to ambushes. Lord Orochimaru, judging from appearances, this environment was deliberately set up by the enemy. We'll need powerful Ninjutsu to break straight through it."
"Do we have time for that now?" Orochimaru replied irritably. Breaking through had already consumed most of their forces, costing them Kimimaro as well. Now he had little chakra left, preventing him from performing hand seals required for many jutsu. Forget Jirobo's brute strength and Earth Release techniques—they had nowhere to apply them. As for Kidomaru, spiders weren't built for hunting on water. Relying on random long-range attacks was pointless when they couldn't even see the enemy. Sakon was already incapacitated. Tayuya's Genjutsu and tactical abilities clearly fell short compared to the enemy, leaving no possibility of fighting back. As for Kabuto, stealth, planning, hit-and-run tactics combined with Medical Ninjutsu were his specialties—none of which were effective against this kind of barrier.
Frustrated, Orochimaru suddenly extended his long tongue and summoned the Sword of Kusanagi. The blade rapidly elongated, piercing directly into the dense mist and thrashing wildly, scattering the thick fog into swirling winds.
After venting his frustration and realizing his attack had no effect, Orochimaru gave up on capturing Sasuke Uchiha immediately.
"Retreat," Orochimaru decided without hesitation, swiftly withdrawing.
Once the dust had settled, within the dissipating mist inside the barrier, Mizuki slowly emerged from the water carrying Sasuke.
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