As for those elite survivors whose strength and physical condition made organ replacement easier than changing clothes — they could be ignored for now. The only medical-related jutsu Mizuki had found so far was Minute Malady Extraction. Not that Mizuki wanted to transplant a Sharingan or Byakugan anytime soon — he hadn't even reached that stage yet.
The reason Mizuki worked so hard to obtain this technique came down to one idea — if they combined this jutsu's properties with the life-saving pills, maybe they could mass-produce backups of certain vital organs. That way, if his original body underwent irreversible mutations, he'd still have a way to return to how he used to be.
As for that other girl, Karin, things seemed to be going fairly well between her and Sakura. With her sharp sensing ability — capable of distinguishing good intentions from bad — it didn't take long for her to become familiar with Sakura. Though Karin stayed guarded at first, it was still a promising start.
Mizuki would draft some training plans himself, but since he was already busy and Tsubaki couldn't possibly handle every detail personally, someone around her own age like Sakura might offer significant help. As for how things ultimately turned out — that depended entirely on Karin's abilities.
Still, Mizuki wasn't too worried. If someone had survived this long relatively unharmed, they must at least know how to look after their own interests. Just because she often looked timid didn't mean Mizuki actually believed Karin was weak. Someone who had perfected the art of calculated vulnerability would surely have little trouble winning Sakura Haruno's favor.
...
Inside the small cabin in the back mountains, Mizuki and his Artificial Jinchuriki clone sat cross-legged on the floor. As their conversation continued, the Artificial Jinchuriki's expression grew increasingly grim.
"It's gotten this bad already? Looks like we underestimated the risks of natural energy."
"Now isn't the time to talk about that. I've already passed the point of no return. Besides, wasn't this outcome predictable from the beginning?" said Mizuki's original body.
No matter how you looked at it, Mizuki had no intention of giving up Sage Mode.
"It progressed too quickly. Neither Jiraiya nor Naruto Uzumaki showed symptoms this severe, and even then they had taken precautions. Never thought it would end up like this. Seems like the problem lies with me."
"The first concern has come true. As someone who came from another existence and merged with the original Mizuki's soul, the remnants of his consciousness still linger. This new 'me' — reborn through fusion with the original Mizuki's memories while centered around myself — gained stronger spiritual power and many advantages, but also clear weaknesses. This broad yet fragmented soul structure leaves me highly susceptible to outside influence. Plus, my personality itself isn't particularly firm. My flexible mindset and strategic thinking help me make quick decisions — but they also make my willpower dangerously easy to manipulate."
The enormous chakra reserves required for Sage Mode weren't arbitrary. Those with large chakra capacity naturally had strong bodies and minds. While people with smaller reserves sometimes possessed unique physical traits, overall, those with larger reserves held overwhelming advantages.
Mizuki bypassed the superficial limitation of Chakra Reserves Amount through Breath-Sealing Art, but this internal weakness within his spirit and mind wasn't something that could be resolved so easily.
"Weakness in essence won't change because of one or two minor tricks. In the end, it's simply a matter of not being strong enough," sighed the Artificial Jinchuriki.
"I've thought deeply about this too, but I can't even tell whether these thoughts come from me or if they're traps left by corrupted will," Shuuki's original body said painfully. "When you can't even trust yourself, someone like me who suffers such misfortune must be rare indeed."
"We can't afford to remain idle any longer, or we really might become mouthpieces for certain existences that have lost self-awareness."
"What should we do? This would be more painful than death itself!"
"Painful? Isn't this essentially euthanasia—disappearing without realizing it?"
Shuuki's original body looked helplessly at the Artificial Jinchuriki. "Although I won't get angry at myself for self-criticism, shouldn't we figure out a countermeasure sooner rather than later?"
"True. Actually, there is a solution!"
"What is it?"
"When strength falls short, compensate with numbers!" The Artificial Jinchuriki stated solemnly. "The battle between original will and natural energy is a prolonged war—one that won't end until one side collapses completely. In the long run, our chances of victory are practically zero. Since this is a war, why should we fight alone? Our enemies possess ceaseless, practically infinite reinforcements, while 'I' must confront everything alone. That won't work—we need allies."
After hearing that, Shuuki's expression turned serious. After deep contemplation, he asked, "Are you suggesting we initiate the plan ahead of schedule?"
"Precisely. A single 'I' absolutely cannot withstand continuous pressure. If numerous 'I's unite their strength, the situation would improve dramatically. Plus, getting more help isn't hard. Using collective willpower from multiple selves to resist natural energy's corrosive effects—that alone could truly be called an 'equal war.'"
Shuuki's original body looked thoughtfully at the Artificial Jinchuriki, who spoke eloquently, but gave no immediate response. Silence immediately filled the space between them.
After a long pause, the original body finally spoke: "We haven't fully resolved synchronization issues between soul and willpower. Once we open this door, do you understand what it means?"
"Creator, life-giver."
Shuuki continued slowly, "The first life created by my hands died by them—because he tried to harm me. The second perished at the hands of Desert Red Sand and Deidara because I needed to escape. Though regrettable, I could still convince myself it was necessary. But now, if we completely liberate our thinking, do you understand what this means? Countless lives containing complete memories of 'me'—if even one escapes control, do you realize how dangerous that would be?"
Knowledge is power, and judgment along with conscience act as checks against its misuse. Shuuki himself could manage it, but could others do so? Within such a short period already, disagreements had emerged between his main body and Artificial Jinchuriki. Left unchecked, the possibility of eventual disaster was extremely high.
Without waiting for the Artificial Jinchuriki to defend himself, Shuuki continued, "God didn't create just angels and men—he made demons too, those who would betray him."
The weight of the conversation immediately left the Artificial Jinchuriki at a loss. He hesitated before replying bitterly, "Right now, 'we' are still one being. Once the bindings are undone, the free will will break free, and it might never come back. If we don't come up with a plan, 'we' might actually end up turning on each other!"
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