Naruto: From Extra to Savior

Sasuke Uchiha's problems were far from simple. It wasn't that Mizuki couldn't get involved, but whether doing so would provoke resentment remained uncertain.

Looking back on Sasuke's life before joining Naruto in sealing Kaguya Otsutsuki, it had been nothing but a continuous string of tragedies. From the beginning, he'd walked a path others had laid out for him. He thought he was making his own choices, but really, he was just getting dragged deeper into lies and deceit. Without eyes that could see through illusions or the wisdom to break free from the chains others placed on him, he could only act passively—or willingly—according to other people's wishes. His life was nowhere near as good as Naruto Uzumaki's. Although Naruto's ninja talent might not match Sasuke's, his sheer willpower left Sasuke far behind. Naruto's ninja way did seem pretty dumb—if he wasn't fate's chosen hero and the main character, he'd have kicked the bucket a hundred times over by now. Even so, no one could deny his unshakable determination to follow his own path until the very end. Becoming Hokage—a position respected and acknowledged by everyone—had always been his wish, unwavering since the start, always moving forward relentlessly. Compared to Naruto, Sasuke seemed more like a joke. But this couldn't entirely be blamed on Sasuke. How much could you expect from a mere child, fresh out of the Ninja Academy, who at fifteen years old was barely halfway grown? Being manipulated effortlessly by seasoned schemers wasn't particularly shameful.

After parting ways with Kakashi Hatake, Mizuki returned directly to his residence. He tidied up the scattered documents strewn across his room. After brief consideration, he gathered all exposed medicine samples and research notes, hiding them away along with other items unsuitable for public eyes.

"It probably won't stay peaceful from now on... I wonder when Tsunade will return..."

Although tonight had passed with another evasion, how long this facade could last remained uncertain. Practical and powerful ninjutsu was the most valuable asset in the ninja world. That meant simply keeping silent wouldn't stop others from finding ways to uncover secrets. [Human Puppet techniques of Red Sand of the Desert] allowed them to steal Kekkei Genkai. [Impure World Reincarnation] could even summon deceased warriors into battle. Then there was the Yamanaka clan's mind-reading secret technique, various potent genjutsu, and even the legendary ultimate illusionary art—[Kotoamatsukami]. Of course, Mizuki didn't think Danzo would waste such a rare technique like Kotoamatsukami on someone like him. Judging from current intelligence about Artificial Jinchuriki, he hadn't reached that level of importance yet. Mizuki didn't think he'd last long if Ibiki Morino ever got his hands on him directly.

Thankfully, Mizuki was still flying under the radar with no obvious red flags. At worst, he only carried some minor unfavorable history—but that belonged to the past. Now he counted himself among Konoha's modest heroes, hardened through prolonged battles and surviving certain death multiple times. Within these few days alone, countless individuals owed their survival to him, saved by his Medical Ninjutsu. Mizuki knew he'd earned a solid reputation in the village. Without solid justification, deliberately targeting him would prove difficult indeed.

Morning light now spilled across the battlefield deep in the wilderness. After resting briefly and regaining some strength, Mizuki was treating Kurenai Yuhi's wounds while making small talk with Asuma Sarutobi. He wasn't surprised that Asuma knew things most regular ninja didn't—not only because Asuma was the son of Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, but also because the Sarutobi clan itself was a powerful ninja family. Considering his former role as a Guardian Shinobi, Asuma's knowledge and position were far beyond those of most ordinary ninja.

"You're being a bit too hasty," Mizuki said with an amused sigh. "Do you really expect someone with such serious injuries to wake up right away? Of course it's possible—I do have a method—but are you sure you want to try it?"

[Spirit Stimulation – Forced Awakening] was no easy task, but exaggerating a little wouldn't hurt since there was no chance anyone could expose the truth.

Sure enough, Asuma Sarutobi smiled awkwardly and shook his head. Clearly, whatever method Mizuki was hinting at couldn't be anything good.

"You're showing your weakness pretty clearly, though. Don't worry—she's safe for now. We can talk about anything else once we get back to the village."

"Alright," Asuma reluctantly agreed.

After finishing emergency treatment on Kurenai, Mizuki let out a long breath and stretched his stiff body. With all the energy he had used to treat both himself and his teammates, even the massive chakra reserves from the Breath-Sealing Art weren't enough to keep him from nearly collapsing.

Soon afterward, Might Guy returned from chasing the enemy. In Mizuki's original estimation, although Guy was strong, his sensing and scouting abilities weren't great. Relying purely on instinct to locate enemies, catching someone like Red Sand of the Desert should have been extremely unlikely. For this reason, Mizuki assumed Guy had probably failed to find anything. But he didn't mind—after all, their main mission had always just been a rescue. Capturing the enemy and extracting intelligence through interrogation were secondary goals. Since they hadn't expected much to begin with, there would be no disappointment.

However, what happened next completely caught Mizuki off guard. When he saw Deidara—who was currently unconscious—being casually tossed onto the ground by Might Guy, Mizuki could hardly imagine what the ninja world would look like three years later.

'Nagato's subordinates really don't have much unity among them. Sure, Red Sand of the Desert escaping alone and barely surviving is understandable—but even Zetsu, who might've been watching nearby, completely ignored Deidara. Not even a single act of support. No wonder they get picked off one by one by the Destined Child three years later.'

"This unconscious kid's an enemy too, right?" Guy said cheerfully. "Didn't catch the puppet master, but grabbing another opponent instead isn't too bad."

"That's correct."

"Hiashi Hyuga gave Might Guy confirmation, 'This young man is clearly from the same ninja organization as that puppet master, and his strength is quite formidable.'"

"'That's good then. Once we take him back, we'll know exactly who they are,' Might Guy confidently replied."

Seeing everyone else's overly optimistic looks, Mizuki couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. He glanced toward the captured Deidara. Unlike others, Mizuki was especially worried about the consequences of capturing Deidara. If they simply killed him, it would be over. But imprisoning him and bringing him back to Konoha would certainly cause foreseeable troubles.

Firstly, there's a possibility that Akatsuki might attempt a rescue mission or interference. Konoha was in no position to handle another major threat right now. If several more S-class rogue ninjas from Akatsuki showed up, it would become a huge headache for Konoha. However, this possibility seemed rather slim. At most, some other members might create a little commotion while Zetsu rescues Deidara. That kind of situation and its consequences were still acceptable.

But don't forget, Deidara wasn't just a member of Akatsuki—he was also the disciple of Third Tsuchikage Onoki. Bringing Deidara back to Konoha could very well start a diplomatic crisis. In Mizuki's eyes, a dead Deidara would eventually turn into a pile of dirt—utterly meaningless. A living Deidara, however, had significant value. Take his powerful explosive jutsu for instance; if such techniques leaked into Konoha, the consequences could be huge.

"This is simply a hot potato—impossible to deal with..."

You didn't have to be a genius to see how this could play out: If Orochimaru were captured by another village someday and likely subjected to interrogation, causing important information like Konoha's critical intel, signature jutsu, Anbu records, and various powerful kinjutsu ending up in enemy hands, what actions would Konoha take? From the perspective of a ninja village, crucial figures like this should be executed immediately before any leakage occurs. Once that kind of intel leaked, even a single misunderstanding could spark a full-blown war. Wasn't the previous Great Ninja World War ignited precisely because Suna suspected Konoha had attacked the Third Kazekage—a mere spark that lit a powder keg engulfing the entire ninja world?

Meanwhile, unaware that his troubled look had been noticed, Mizuki also missed the fact that Hiashi Hyuga had started watching him with far more than idle curiosity.

...

Approaching noon, the exhausted squad finally returned to Konoha. Thanks to the early warning, the village had already lined up full medical and rescue support. Kurenai Yuhi, suffering the most severe injuries, was immediately sent to the hospital for emergency treatment. Asuma Sarutobi left alongside her. Might Guy and Hiashi Hyuga went to report and submit their mission summary, while the rest were each assigned a medical ninja for treatment. To Mizuki, the mission was already a failure—one of the biggest crises since he arrived in this world—but somehow, everything turned out okay in the end.

After receiving basic treatment and examination at Konoha's hospital, Mizuki was discharged and headed home to rest.

Being able to return home so soon was mostly thanks to Mizuki's effective Medical Ninjutsu and the powerful effects of life-saving pills, which rapidly healed both internal and external injuries. Though still far from peak condition and growing increasingly tired, at least he could keep going.

A day later, as he walked through Konoha's streets, it was clear that things had improved significantly compared with yesterday's vast stretches of ruins and oppressive atmosphere. Many ninjas were helping out, especially those using Earth Release techniques, which had become perfect tools for rebuilding infrastructure.

Though highly interested in everything happening around him, Mizuki hurried straight home and exchanged memories with the Artificial Jinchuriki.

"What? So much happened?" Learning about the events in Konoha Village, the original Mizuki was genuinely stunned. "Has the struggle for the Hokage position really gotten this intense?"

"Compared to what you've been through, my situation is just small-time," the Artificial Jinchuriki said with a sigh. "Now what do we do? None of that even matters! Even if that Rinnegan turned out to be fake, it still looked convincing enough. And yours isn't just for show—you nearly killed Deidara and Red Sand of the Desert. If you weren't so weak, you might've crushed them both!"

According to current intelligence, the disposable Rinnegan clearly used Shinra Tensei's defensive power and mimicked part of Planetary Devastation's devastating force. Although it failed to fully manifest and was eventually destroyed during Deidara's suicide explosion, its terrifying power was still on full display.

"I didn't have a choice—I probably would've died then and there otherwise. Who had time to think about consequences back then?"

"There has to be some countermeasure—we won't survive this otherwise. How can we cover something like this up?"

"For now, we can only buy time as we go. Hopefully, we can hold on long enough until Tsunade comes back—maybe she'll bring a turning point."

Only six people had seen the true power of Planetary Devastation firsthand. Since Kurenai Yuhi was still unconscious, leaks weren't an issue for now. As for Gaara and Temari, although they belonged to Suna and were currently considered allies, they wouldn't interfere with Konoha affairs at this moment. Besides, judging by their knowledge level, they likely couldn't even identify exactly what method Mizuki had used.

The other potential informants were Ko Hyuga and Hiashi Hyuga—who essentially acted as one person. Ultimately, the key lay in Hiashi's attitude. Frankly, the Hyuga clan—the most enigmatic and rigidly structured clan in the ninja world—was hard to predict. Mizuki felt uneasy just thinking about what Hiashi might say. With no high expectations, all that mattered now was trying to gain as much time as possible.

Meanwhile, Hiashi Hyuga and Ko Hyuga were heading back toward the Hyuga compound.

"Lord Hiashi," Ko Hyuga hesitated before blurting out, "do you really think staying silent about all this is okay?"

Earlier at the Hokage's Office, the two advisors questioned several vague sections in Hiashi Hyuga's report while exercising temporary Hokage authority.

"Since when has the Hyuga clan needed to worry about those so-called advisors?" Even if they held temporary authority, that didn't make them true Hokage. Given his standing, Hiashi didn't need to bow to Homura Mitokado or Koharu Utatane.

"But," Ko Hyuga hesitated slightly, "shouldn't we consult with the branch house first?"

Since the Uchiha massacre, the Hyuga had grown much more cautious toward village policies. It was rare indeed for such an open display of disrespect.

"Are you questioning the main house's decision on behalf of the branch house?" Hiashi asked seriously. "Everything I've done is for the benefit of the clan—there should be no doubt about that. If a branch house elder asks you, tell them to come talk to me directly. However..."

Hiashi raised his voice sternly. "I'd advise you not to spread any details beyond what my mission report stated today. If anyone has complaints, let them come find me directly. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Lord of the house." Ko Hyuga bowed deeply and accepted the order.

<><><><><><><><>

Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!

~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!

<><><><><><><><>

~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!

~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!

patreon.com/Tansnovel

<><><><><><><><>