Naruto: Mizuki The Savior

Chapter 242: Reinforcements

The thunderclouds above grew thicker by the minute. Through the churning dark layers, streaks of lightning began to flash, and it wasn't just the wind and rain anymore—thunder and lightning had joined the fray. Nature's power was always an overwhelming force to reckon with.

"Kakashi, even though we've both concluded this is probably the best opportunity for the enemy to strike… in conditions this bad, wouldn't both sides be at a disadvantage?"

If things kept up, they could face a full-blown thunderstorm—far more dangerous than just heavy rain. At sea, such conditions were perilous.

For ninja, as long as they weren't struck directly by lightning, death was unlikely. But seawater conducted electricity exceptionally well, and even a nearby lightning strike could cause serious harm. It would wreak havoc on their combat capabilities. In such a chaotic battle, luck might end up deciding everything.

Kakashi looked up at the flickering lightning threading through the clouds with concern and muttered, "Actually, this works against us more. Mizuki, we were supposed to be the ones with the advantage here. As long as we kept calm, the enemy wouldn't have stood a chance. But in these conditions, you and I can't go all out. There's too much to manage."

"True." Mizuki wiped the rain trailing down his face, trying to clear his vision a bit.

"If Orochimaru doesn't show up himself, you and I really don't have much to fear. But I didn't expect the village to have other plans!"

"Well, can't be helped. If they could actually kill Orochimaru here, that would solve a lot of problems once and for all."

"Once and for all?" Mizuki chuckled. If anyone in the ninja world had a label, Orochimaru would be the face of resurrection. His survival instincts were unmatched, and his strength formidable. Even if Danzo threw everything he had at him, and Jiraiya joined in, defeating Orochimaru might be possible—but killing him? That was another story.

At that moment, a blinding flash tore through the sky. A loud boom followed as a lightning bolt struck the ship's tallest mast. Thankfully, no one was nearby, and there were no casualties.

"Damn it… I can't use my abilities properly in this weather." Kakashi's Taijutsu was average, and he only knew Fire Release. With heavy rain on the sea, his techniques would be half as effective. Genjutsu might work, but his strongest talents—sealing techniques—were crippled. Just as he thought of that, two more lightning bolts struck the nearby water, instantly electrocuting most of the weak jellyfish-like summon creatures he'd released.

"Terrible luck. Mizuki, any ideas?"

"I can manage for now. The barrier I placed on the ship isn't that easy to break. We just need to buy some time."

"Buying time? That's not really my style. You know how much chakra I have…" Kakashi gave a helpless smile.

"Maybe we can hope the enemy's luck is worse and a few of them get struck by lightning."

"You're joking at a time like this?" Kakashi pulled up his forehead protector, revealing his Sharingan. Through the curtain of rain, his gaze sharpened. "They're coming. Be ready."

"I'm always ready."

Mizuki bit his finger, formed hand seals swiftly, and slammed both hands onto the deck. Chakra surged outward as a sealing array spread beneath him. A black curtain of chakra rose, enveloping most of the warship. Kakashi immediately called everyone to prepare for combat.

"Mizuki, how long can you maintain it? There are a lot of them."

"How many is 'a lot'?"

"Enough to surround us completely."

"Now that's quite a show, Kakashi."

With his Sharingan, Kakashi scanned the waves where figures were encircling them.

"Talk about bad timing. Their commander must be sharp—launching a human wave assault right when the environment is suppressing our power. In this mess, even stalling us could work to their advantage."

"No point complaining now…"

"Got any tricks for clearing out this cannon fodder? Otherwise, we're in for a slog."

As he spoke, two more bolts of lightning slammed into the barrier. The immense energy made Mizuki's body sway slightly. The chakra wall dimmed a bit.

"You alright, Mizuki?"

"I'm fine," he replied, straightening up, reassuring everyone. "But our target is too big. We can't keep this up forever…"

If it weren't for this cursed thunderstorm, those experimental duds wouldn't have stood a chance.

Lightning wasn't just striking Konoha's side—the enemy suffered as well. Some were roasted on the spot and dropped into the sea, but the rest didn't flinch. They just kept pressing in, relentless.

"So this really is about luck now? Shows how fragile we ninja are against nature's fury."

"Now's not the time for philosophy, Kakashi—think of something."

Kakashi turned toward the Konoha genin and the Mist ninja nearby.

"Let's ignore the Mist ninja for now. Shino's bugs and Kiba's dog probably won't be of much use in this weather. Sakura and Hinata… better not. Sasuke, with his Sharingan and agility, might be useful, but he's not suited for aggressive assault. Naruto, though—his shadow clones could be the key. His massive chakra reserves and endurance might turn the tide."

After reassessing the situation, Kakashi said to Mizuki, "Naruto's shadow clones might buy us some time. With his stamina and chakra, we might see a turnaround. But how long can you hold the barrier? Can you hand it off to someone else?"

"I can, but unless someone knows sealing and barrier techniques, it won't work even if I try to teach it on the spot."

"Then what? I'm fine with charging into the enemy and carving a path, but if this turns into a prolonged battle, I might not make it back."

"You and your pitiful chakra reserves… haven't you ever thought of fixing that?" Mizuki chuckled, then turned toward the genin.

"Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata—come here."

Once they were close, he handed Sakura a scroll. "This contains sealed chakra. I taught you how to use it before, remember?"

Sakura blinked, then nodded uncertainly.

"You'll maintain the barrier."

Sakura's chakra was minimal. Even with Chakra Suppression Technique, maintaining such a large-scale barrier under attack and environmental pressure would be nearly impossible. But with the stored chakra, she might manage for a while.

Mizuki then looked at Hinata and Sasuke.

"Hinata, monitor the chakra flow in the barrier. Sasuke, protect them. Can I count on you?"

They both nodded.

The real battle was only just beginning.

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