Chapter 90: Competing for Favor
At this stage of her strength, Temari's prowess wasn't particularly noticeable during the Chunin Exams against Tenten and Shikamaru Nara. However, during the mission to retrieve Sasuke, she performed remarkably well against Tayuya, defeating her in a single move. Considering that the Sound Four, in their Level Two Cursed Seal states, managed to take down multiple Jonin and Special Jonin from Konoha, it was quite absurd that Tayuya would be defeated so easily. Even though Tayuya was exhausted from previous battles, the contrast was still striking.
This could only be explained by how ninja styles sometimes inherently counter one another. In a forest environment, with large-scale attacks and devastating jutsu, even small, crafty tactics were rendered useless. Tayuya's close-quarters capabilities didn't seem particularly impressive either. If both were to engage in a long-range duel, Tayuya's advantage in genjutsu would likely be negated before she even had the chance to use it.
However, right now, Mizuki was Temari's opponent. Considering Mizuki's overall capabilities, he could at least manage to gain a slight upper hand. Being in the shadows while the enemy remained in the open was certainly advantageous. The current situation wasn't too unfavorable.
Seeing Temari anxiously keeping an eye on him, Mizuki weighed the unconscious Gaara in his hand, then leaped to the treetop and flung Gaara downward.
Alarmed, Temari rushed forward and caught Gaara in her arms.
Before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, a massive fireball descended from above. Startled and with no time to dodge, Temari raised her fan to block the brunt of the attack. Although she successfully repelled the impact, the intense heat couldn't be entirely mitigated.
Enduring the scorching sensation, Temari swung her giant fan, dispelling the residual flames and hot air. However, when she looked back up, Mizuki was nowhere to be seen on the treetop.
Just as Temari anxiously searched her surroundings, Gaara, whom she was cradling, stirred. Unbeknownst to Temari, Gaara's hand behind her back formed a seal, and a subtle formation mark appeared briefly before merging into the back of her head.
By the time Temari noticed something was wrong, it was already too late. Her body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious.
Emerging from the shadows, Mizuki couldn't help but feel astonished.
"That was way too easy."
He hadn't expected it to go so smoothly. He hadn't even needed to use his contingency plans.
"I guess I underestimated the bond between these siblings."
Though it felt a bit unkind to exploit familial affection, Temari was the enemy right now, and it was an unavoidable choice.
Dispelling the shadow clone that had transformed into Gaara, Mizuki looked down at the unconscious Temari without much concern. The sealing technique he used didn't have lethal force—it merely cut off the brain's connection to the body while applying a light genjutsu to induce pleasant dreams. It was practically a minor act of mercy.
Ignoring the fifteen-year-old kunoichi sleeping peacefully, Mizuki moved to a nearby clearing. With a wave of his hand, he released a small illusionary barrier, revealing the real unconscious Gaara inside.
"As expected, when you're prepared, even unexpected situations become manageable."
He spread out a prepared scroll and, after forming a series of seals, activated a formation that floated in the air, hovering above Gaara. A luminous barrier enveloped Gaara's body.
This formation, which required an enormous amount of chakra to activate, had been entrusted to Mizuki just before the exam. It needed as much chakra as possible to ensure maximum effectiveness.
The barrier's effect was essentially an inverted version of a soul-gathering formation—creating an airtight spiritual isolation barrier to completely seal the Jinchuriki's consciousness, preventing any external interference.
As the controller of the formation, Mizuki immediately sensed immense pressure from the barrier. A Jinchuriki's tailed beast naturally absorbed negative emotions to maintain itself, and forcefully blocking this process triggered a severe backlash. The vast amount of chakra forming the barrier served to maintain this effect for as long as possible, giving Mizuki sufficient time to observe the results.
"What is this? Negative emotions? That's absurd... This is completely different from what I expected."
The moment he made contact with the sealed consciousness, Mizuki was struck by a profound sense of confusion and astonishment.
Tailed beasts were said to originate from the Divine Tree and were once revered as divine entities by humans. How could beings with divine origins be mere collections of negative emotions? It didn't make sense.
To his surprise, Mizuki found that the sealed consciousness contained not just fear and resentment, but also a strong sense of reverence and prayer—an appeal to avoid natural disasters like storms and droughts. In essence, Shukaku's birth was tied to humanity's desire for calm weather and favorable conditions—a far cry from being an evil god. Rather, Shukaku was akin to a deity of fortune or a spirit of good omens.
This realization made one thing abundantly clear: when the Sage of Six Paths divided the Ten-Tails into nine tailed beasts, his intention wasn't to create malicious entities but rather to grant humanity protectors. The true corruption came from how ninjas had exploited and mistreated the tailed beasts over time.
"Humans really are a tragic bunch—betrayed by their own guardians, all because they failed to see the bigger picture."
The Divine Tree and the world were inherently antagonistic; the Divine Tree itself was once a weapon controlled by enemies. After Kaguya's sealing and the Sage's rise as a savior, the Divine Tree's role shifted from a weapon of destruction to a prize of victory. Although the damage it caused couldn't be completely undone, at least its power remained, albeit under fragmented control.
"No wonder other intelligent beings are so eager to see humans destroy each other. They're all fighting to earn favor and inheritance from the world itself."
Humans, despite their current dominance, weren't entirely invulnerable. The countless factions vying for influence within the world hinted at a struggle for favor. Even the tailed beasts, once protectors, were corrupted by human ambition.
"In the end, it's not just a struggle for power but a competition for recognition and inheritance."
Mizuki couldn't help but sigh. Humans, while numerous and adaptable, had inadvertently alienated their guardians and left themselves vulnerable to both internal and external threats. The struggle for survival wasn't just physical but spiritual as well.
---
Read up to 20 chapter ahead of time on patreon.com/Legendryweeb
{please give this novel 5 Star review and power stone}
*Thank you*