Chapter 158 – The Will of the Strong
For someone strong enough to be promoted to jōnin, their battle instincts and strategic sense were never lacking. Even a supposed ally like Konoha, now trapped in a crisis, hadn't reached out to Sunagakure for help. This unusual decision could only mean two things: either Mizuki was a fool, or Sunagakure presented an even greater hidden threat.
"But logically, aren't we the ones holding the key to this mission? Why haven't we been attacked yet?"
Kurotsuchi was completely confused.
"If they're going after the Tailed Beast from Suna, fine, that makes sense.
But what about Konoha?
Did they bring something valuable we don't know about?
Because I haven't seen anything worth targeting so far. The effort spent on attacking them doesn't seem worth it at all!"
There had been no mention of anything unusual in the intel exchange before the joint mission. And after these few days of contact, they still hadn't spotted anything of value on Konoha's side.
The risks seemed to outweigh any potential reward. It was all just… too strange.
"No need for us to speculate. That's Konoha's business," said Akatsuchi.
"And it's normal for Konoha to carry more secrets than other villages.
They've inherited the legacies of countless powerful ninja clans—
So it's no surprise they're carrying valuable relics.
Just look at that Mizuki jōnin's combat stance—he's using abilities rarely seen outside."
"Okay then… if we're heading over, are we going to support Konoha?"
"Just offer some symbolic support. Our job is to protect Deidara.
Besides, I doubt they'll stay at a disadvantage for long.
A solo puppet master, no matter how powerful, will always have a fatal weakness—their vulnerable true body.
Once it's exposed, the rest is easy."
After thinking for a bit, Akatsuchi added cautiously:
"We'll help just enough to show goodwill. Nothing more."
…
There's truth in the saying, "bystanders see the game more clearly."
And sure enough, Mizuki soon realized the root of the problem.
"A mental trap… A complete lapse in thinking.
I've gained power, but I neglected the brain needed to control that power."
There was no denying that Mizuki's Sage Mode came with huge risks.
His version—stitched together from various sources—had its flaws.
Not only were there long-term risks from manipulating natural energy,
but even in the short term, there were obvious issues:
The foreign chakra types in his body were a serious problem.
Worse yet, they were indispensable.
The Tailed Beast chakra was his foundation for sensing natural energy.
He could reduce it, but not remove it.
The process of generating it from nothing was far more difficult than simply regulating quantity.
That alone drained an enormous amount of mental focus.
And then there was the spiritual consciousness built from the jellyfish-based collective will—a bigger issue than the Tailed Beast chakra.
He had to constantly balance spiritual, physical, and natural energy, all while resisting that alien spiritual invasion.
Even though the sealing array had been refined and optimized, the core concept hadn't changed much.
The psychic pressure remained massive.
Mizuki had no desire to throw his mind into chaos just to use Sage Mode.
His path required constant control and vigilance—if not for extensive prior training, it might have been impossible.
In this fragmented mental state, Mizuki had become indecisive under pressure.
Despite mastering natural energy control and being able to cast jutsu in battle without summoning toads or snakes—
his method of entering Sage Mode created problems that shouldn't exist.
He'd grown too used to being weak.
He'd developed the habit of immediately hunting for enemy weaknesses, of relying on strategy to offset his shortcomings.
That had been smart—back when he lacked raw power.
But now?
Facing a cautious Sasori, who was hiding his real body, Mizuki should've changed tactics.
He still clung to his old style—finding and striking the weak spot—
when in truth, he now had the power to overwhelm Sasori head-on.
"The strongest point… is also the biggest weakness.
If I destroy that, Sasori's advantage crumbles completely."
Sasori's real body might be hidden—
but without his full arsenal, his strength was greatly diminished.
Normal puppets? Useless against Mizuki.
Even Aoba and the two genin could handle them.
The battlefield made that clear:
broken puppet parts littered the ground, but Team Konoha had barely taken any damage.
Without the terrifying Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets,
Sasori only had the Third Kazekage puppet's Iron Sand techniques left as a threat.
Mizuki had been wasting energy fighting the decoys, while dodging Iron Sand attacks—
but he suddenly realized: Why bother?
Why keep calculating and hesitating?
Just destroy the Third Kazekage puppet.
With Sasori's greatest weapon shattered, he'd lose his only remaining edge.
"The body can be hidden—but that puppet?
That's not something he can replace easily.
How many ninja can even use Iron Sand?"
As Mizuki expected, the Third Kazekage puppet couldn't hide itself.
He quickly located it.
Now that he had a target, Mizuki no longer hesitated.
He ordered Aoba, Neji, and Shino to continue searching for the real Sasori,
then charged straight at the Third Kazekage puppet.
"Let's see… Will you stay in hiding, or risk exposure to protect it?"
From canon, Mizuki remembered that Sasori—who had abandoned his human heart—still held deep affection for his puppets.
Especially the Kazekage puppet.
Now that Mizuki had the advantage, it was idiotic to keep tiptoeing around.
He would smash every one of Sasori's elite puppets.
Without them, even the greatest puppeteer was powerless.
Mizuki, in full Sage Mode, closed the distance in a blink.
Though his taijutsu was average, Sage Mode enhanced his speed and strength massively.
He stood in front of the puppet, wrapped in his enhanced chakra shield,
drew back his right fist, and punched with terrifying force.
At the last second, Iron Sand formed a defensive barrier to intercept.
Though hastily constructed and incomplete, it bought Sasori enough time to react.
The puppet retreated just in time, avoiding destruction by a hair's breadth.
Mizuki wasn't surprised.
He knew that while Iron Sand attacks like Iron Sand Drizzle or Iron Sand World Method were deadly,
they were ineffective against his chakra shield.
What he really feared was Sasori's poison or the trap-based war of attrition.
For now, the chase was working.
Even in this tough spot, Sasori stayed calm.
The puppet activated a mechanism in its right arm—
a rotating array of giant swords extended outward, creating a whirling death field.
Its left arm unfolded to reveal a vast number of wooden limbs, each tipped with blue-glinting, clearly poisonous blades.
These arms surged forward in a torrent, blotting out the light.
"Nice try, but that's not going to work. You're trying to hide a poison gas trap in there, right? Not happening."
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Mizuki weaved signs.
Giant fire dragons roared to life and surged toward the mass of puppet limbs.
With Sage Mode-enhanced natural energy, the flames turned from red to orange to white—
until they became a brilliant blue-white inferno.
The sea of wooden arms was instantly incinerated.
Mizuki was pleased.
Even basic B-rank fire jutsu, empowered by Sage Mode, could become terrifying.
The sheer area of effect far exceeded what even advanced chakra shaping could normally achieve.
"If a simple B-rank jutsu is this strong, how powerful must Jiraiya's Five-Element Great Fire, or Pain himself, really be?"
But something was wrong.
Even as the wooden limbs burned, a series of explosions echoed from within.
"Shit..." Mizuki's eyes widened.
He retreated just in time to see a vast purple-black gas cloud erupt from the inferno, riding the heat wave outward.
It blanketed the area in seconds.
"A poison gas trap hidden inside the fire bait?
That was close…"
This was Sasori making the most of a losing situation.
His technique had failed—so he sacrificed it for one last toxic blast.
Fortunately, the poison burned off in the flames.
Only wisps remained, and they were quickly dispersed.
When the fire finally died out, the Kazekage puppet emerged—charred and battered.
One more hit, and it would be scrap.
"So this is what it means to fight like a true strong ninja…
And I laughed at Danzo for being a rat in the sewer.
Turns out I was no different—stuck in a weakling's mindset.
Strategy, intel, and tactics are important…
But the will to push forward, and the courage to face danger head-on—those are what truly matter."
Just as Mizuki was about to go in for the kill, a few of Shino's bugs returned—bringing unexpected news.
"The real body's been found?" Mizuki chuckled.
"Is this desperation? Did you lose control and blow your cover?
Or are you trying to lure me out?
Either way—you really underestimated me.
Coming all this way for the prize without proper preparation?
That's not like you, Sasori.
If you don't have any more tricks,
you just might die here today."
To be honest, Sasori had many techniques.
But against a strong opponent, only three truly mattered:
The Hundred Puppet Technique, Iron Sand, and poison.
Poison was unreliable, and Mizuki didn't fear Iron Sand.
That left the Hundred Puppets, which was already destroyed.
And while Mizuki's Sage Mode had its shortcomings, it perfectly countered Sasori's current remaining arsenal.
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