Chapter 116: Armchair Strategy After the Fact
Saying "retreat" was easy—doing it was another matter entirely. And this so-called retreat was, truthfully, just a dressed-up word for "running for our lives."
With a full-scale withdrawal, someone had to stay behind and cover the rear, otherwise it would become a contest of who could run faster. And that meant the slowest died first. Counting the six-man team, Mizuki suddenly realized he might actually be the fastest runner here. The Hyuga pair weren't known for their speed. Kurenai's taijutsu was average at best. Gaara and Temari had no specialties in mobility. Even injured, Mizuki probably had the highest chance of survival.
Fortunately, Hiashi didn't order a scattered escape, which would've meant abandoning Gaara entirely. As the target of the enemy and the slowest one here, Gaara would be the first to fall unless he unleashed Shukaku fully—a risk none of them could afford.
A tired, ragged team of six—with Mizuki nearly incapacitated—was now barely dodging the approaching puppet horde. Hiashi led the retreat and absorbed the brunt of the attacks, supported by Gaara and his sand. Temari and Kurenai offered scattered support; Hyuga Ko and Mizuki were little more than liabilities at this point.
"How long can your Gentle Fist keep Deidara's chakra sealed?" Mizuki rasped, staggering alongside Ko.
"Hard to say," Ko admitted grimly. "If we're lucky—until dawn."
Mizuki glanced up. The sky in the distance was beginning to brighten faintly. "That soon, huh…"
"You can't expect every Hyuga to be a prodigy like Neji," Ko added. "I don't have the strength to match the clan head."
Mizuki could only nod. Internal family politics didn't interest him. But Ko's point still stood—Deidara recovering even partially would spell their doom.
"Can reinforcements even make it in time?"
He looked toward Hiashi and Gaara—both battered, bloody, but still standing. Even Gaara, with his monstrous chakra reserves, was visibly wavering. After everything, he was still just a twelve-year-old boy.
They needed to hold out at least half a day. The odds were grim.
As for reinforcements miraculously arriving in time? Mizuki had no faith in such narrative conveniences. No one in this group was a protagonist. Gaara may have become important in the future, but he hadn't reached that status yet.
But just because he couldn't rely on fate didn't mean Mizuki had no options. While he didn't possess space-time ninjutsu, he was well-versed in sealing techniques—and that included summoning contracts.
Communication via summons wasn't his invention. In fact, in the original story, it was commonly used. Without it, Naruto would've missed the entire Pain arc.
Mizuki had long since made preparations. Both his main body and his clone had marked summons that could carry urgent information. Even though his clone couldn't directly relay memories in real time, it could send a distress call.
By now, the village must've dispatched help, Mizuki thought. But it won't be fast enough…
The attack had come late in the night. Even if his clone had acted immediately, the village needed time to react, organize, and send backup. Best-case scenario? Help would arrive by midday. And right now, they were falling apart.
Still, he trusted Konoha would respond. With Hiashi, a Hyuga clan leader, and the Kazekage's son involved, the political weight alone demanded it. If they all died here, the village's reputation would suffer irreparably.
But reputation won't save us now…
Mizuki grimaced. Everything that led them to this point wasn't sudden—it was his own negligence. He'd let down his guard. Yesterday's easy victory over a weakened Jinchuriki had dulled his instincts.
Of course, "Akatsuki" wouldn't stop at just the Nine-Tails. Once the plan to capture all Tailed Beasts began, none of them were safe. Trying to isolate Gaara was only natural.
In the original story, Akatsuki halted their plan after capturing some Tailed Beasts. Why? Likely because one of the Tailed Beasts was lost. Mizuki had always suspected it was the Three-Tails—Isobu—after the death of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura. The timelines fit. Their strategy probably changed due to this unexpected development.
But in this altered timeline? His actions had made Gaara a far easier target.
All these cause-and-effect chains… but knowing them doesn't solve anything now, Mizuki thought bitterly. What matters is surviving this.
He watched Hiashi valiantly fend off a tide of puppets, his limbs cut and bleeding. Even Gaara was staggering now, his sand growing sluggish.
We won't last another hour…
Mizuki clenched his jaw and pulled out two scrolls—one containing an unawakened clone of Sasuke, and the other holding the chakra extracted from his cursed mark.
Forgive me, Mizuki thought. You were never meant to live long. But maybe you can buy us time.
He activated the first scroll.
Creating life and watching it die—this pain never dulled. And this time, he was sending a newborn clone into a losing battle.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, "but if you do anything, let it be this—help them live to see the sunrise."
Even in desperation, Mizuki still had hope. A sliver of dawn light broke the eastern sky.
It's almost morning, he thought. Let's see if we make it.
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