Naruto: Mizuki The Savior

Chapter 31: Control

If there was anything that could truly provoke Sasuke, the pain of his clan's massacre and his hatred for Itachi would undoubtedly be at the top of the list. The moment his wounds were ripped open by Mizuki's words, his fury surged uncontrollably. Yet, against an enemy he couldn't even see, all he could do was waste chakra while entangling himself in the illusion. Even though his Sharingan could see through the genjutsu, the occasional real attacks hidden within forced him to stay on high alert, unable to afford a single moment of carelessness.

"This is bad…" Sasuke gritted his teeth, realizing he had made a huge mistake by acting alone. He was already wary of Gaara and Rock Lee, and on top of that, there was the supposedly even more talented Hyūga Neji. Now, the first opponent he had randomly encountered had him completely cornered. He had underestimated the Chūnin Exams. There were far too many strong competitors.

"I just hope Sakura and Naruto notice something's wrong and come help. Right now, the only ones who can save me are Sakura's intelligence and Naruto's monstrous stamina…"

The thought of relying on his two unreliable teammates made Sasuke even more unwilling to accept this situation. But at this point, he had no choice.

Meanwhile, Mizuki's shadow clone, still hidden behind the scenes, was carefully gauging the chakra expenditure and debating whether to keep pressuring Sasuke.

"I've gathered enough data. If I let him go now, he probably won't come chasing after me… Hm?"

Suddenly, Mizuki sensed movement at the edge of his perimeter.

"Those two Grass ninja? Did they hear the commotion and come to take advantage of the situation? Well, this works out. I won't have to create a separate opportunity to deal with them later."

Elsewhere in the forest, Karin was in deep trouble. Unlike the well-trained ninja from major villages, she had never received systematic combat training. Her only advantage was her innate ability. Relying purely on talent to survive, the girl was embarrassingly weak.

Faced with one of the Forest of Death's massive beasts—something that even seasoned ninja would avoid—her resistance was practically nonexistent. And this time, there was no Sasuke to swoop in and play the hero.

This was Mizuki's perfect chance to make his move. He wasn't aiming for some ridiculous love-at-first-sight scenario—he knew he didn't have that kind of charm. He just needed to earn a favor, enough to make her hesitate before throwing herself at Orochimaru in the future.

As Karin fell to the ground, too frightened to move, Mizuki appeared at just the right moment.

Handling creatures like this was second nature to him. It was almost too easy.

A restraining barrier immobilized the beast. A dose of sedative rendered it unconscious. A sealing scroll stored it away.

Whether he would use it for experiments or as emergency rations could be decided later.

With the problem resolved, Mizuki turned toward Karin, picking up her fallen glasses and handing them to her.

"Can you stand?"

"Y-Yes." Karin scrambled to her feet, hastily putting on her glasses and looking up at Mizuki nervously.

"The Earth Scroll? Didn't expect them to let you hold it." Mizuki glanced at her hands.

"Are we disqualified?" Karin blurted out, panicked. "You're here to kick us out, aren't you?"

"Oh? What makes you think I'm an examiner rather than a fellow participant?" Mizuki asked with mild interest.

"Your chakra… It's identical to the proctor from the first exam. The one sitting at the door, watching the most strictly."

"The strictest?" Mizuki frowned. What the hell?

"You were the only one who recorded every cheating candidate from start to finish. Then, everyone got expelled…" Karin muttered cautiously.

The realization dawned on Mizuki.

So that's what happened…

A complete misunderstanding.

"No wonder people kept looking at me weirdly that day."

"And now you've been watching us all this time… which means you're here to disqualify us, right?"

"I'm… not here to kick you out." Mizuki sighed.

"Really?" Karin's eyes lit up with relief.

"But I do need you to keep quiet about seeing me here. I wasn't exactly supposed to do this."

"I won't tell anyone, I promise!"

"Good. One last thing…"

Mizuki locked eyes with her.

"If, someday, you leave Grass and find yourself without a home, come find me. I have a use for your abilities."

He didn't bother sugarcoating it.

Karin, being as perceptive as she was, could likely detect lies through chakra fluctuations.

Hiding his true intentions was pointless.

Her reaction was expected—stunned disbelief.

Karin had never been wanted before.

As an orphan taken in by Grass, she had always been treated as an expendable tool. Her talent was appreciated, but she had never been valued.

To hear someone say they needed her… That was something new.

"But… I'm a Grass ninja. The village raised me…" She hesitated. "And… am I really that useful?"

Mizuki smiled.

"You wouldn't be alive right now if you weren't."

He handed her a scroll.

"If you ever decide to come to me, just tear this open. I'll know."

Karin hesitated, then took it.

"I'll think about it. Thank you…"

"I'll be off, then." Mizuki turned to leave.

Then, as if remembering something, he added—

"By the way, this year's exam isn't normal. There are way too many monsters participating. Normally, your team would have had a fair chance, but this time? You might want to reconsider your options."

Karin bit her lip.

"Oh, and one last thing—while quitting mid-exam isn't technically allowed… If you open that scroll, you can leave safely."

"I understand… Thank you, Mizuki-sensei."

At that, Mizuki disappeared.

"She's not the strong-willed woman from three years later yet. Just a timid girl being used as a punching bag. What a difference…"

Elsewhere, Mizuki's clone continued tormenting Sasuke while simultaneously trapping Karin's teammates.

"Not bad. I haven't even shown my real body, and I'm making them look like fools."

Inside the illusion, Sasuke gritted his teeth.

"The genjutsu is weakening. Is the enemy running low on chakra, or did someone else show up? Either way, this is my chance."

Not far away, Karin's teammates collapsed, exhausted.

Just as Mizuki prepared to leave, another warning went off.

"What now?"

More movement.

And close—too close.

"How did someone get past my barriers?"

The answer came almost immediately.

Shadow clones erupted from the brush, kunai raining down like a storm, shattering the illusion.

Naruto.

Sasuke saw the opening and took it.

"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!"

Flames carved a path forward. Sasuke bolted toward Naruto.

"Damn it, Sasuke! You ran off without me?" Naruto complained loudly.

"Shut up and move. Now."

"What's the rush? We finally found some enemies! Maybe they have the Heaven Scroll!"

"You idiot. Fighting in enemy territory is suicide. We're leaving. Now."

Despite his protests, Naruto followed as Sakura led the retreat.

Mizuki watched them go.

"Damn… Sakura's talent is terrifying."

She had navigated his traps effortlessly, guiding her team with precision.

"No wonder she became Tsunade's successor. She's another one of those 'fated' prodigies…"

But before he could leave—

A wave of killing intent crashed into him.

A shadow appeared.

"You're not from Grass, are you?"

The stranger's eyes flickered toward his forehead protector.

"I don't recall any Grass ninja matching your description."

Mizuki stiffened.

Orochimaru.

"What a disaster…"

He had been too conspicuous.

"Interfering with my prey…" Orochimaru's voice was low and threatening.

"That comes with consequences."

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