Just as Mizuki's face showed a hint of doubt, Hinata immediately reverted to her soft demeanor, lowering her head, looking very embarrassed: "Mizuki-sensei, I mean… I mean, it's a good thing Uncle Four gave me some pocket money today. Why don't we use it to buy medicine for Naruto-kun?"
The Hyuga Clan was a top-tier noble family in Konoha Village, with a large number of Jonin. Mizuki wasn't sure who this "Uncle Four" specifically was, but at that moment, he didn't care.
Money was all that mattered.
It was clear that Hinata was reluctant to spend the money, but Mizuki thought that for Naruto, this girl would definitely pay.
"Hyuga-san, it's all for Naruto, you understand, right?"
Hinata slowly nodded: "Yes, I understand."
Mizuki gave her a scroll. Upon opening it, she found that this secret medicine to "improve Chakra control ability" required a total of seven medicinal ingredients. Only four were available on the market; Mizuki said he had already prepared the remaining three, which were currently at his home.
They split into two groups: Hinata went to buy the medicine, and Mizuki went home to get the other three ingredients and look for Naruto. Afterward, the two would meet in a valley outside the Village.
As for why they wouldn't take the medicine in the Village but rather in that specific valley, Mizuki's explanation was that this secret medicine required some specialized equipment and instruments, which a freshly graduated student like her wouldn't understand. "Just listen to me," he said.
Hinata mumbled a few words, not daring to refute, and obediently went to buy the medicine.
Mizuki, on the other side, didn't go straight home. He observed around his house for a while, then looked towards the Hokage Building. It was brightly lit, indicating that the theft of the scroll of seals had been exposed.
"Heh heh, you fools, keep searching! Naruto-kun, you must buy me more time."
He took out the precious medicinal ingredients he had collected over the past two years. Using this fallback now was a last resort, but his plan had been ruined by a few gluttons.
Mizuki took several deep breaths. He knew very well that his body wasn't fully prepared, but he believed he could endure it with willpower.
He took one last look at the photo of himself and his fiancée. He had feelings for Tsubaki, but if the Village discovered his past act of killing a comrade, it would surely be a dead end. Feelings, at this moment, could only be abandoned.
He decisively closed the door, took the shortcuts, and quickly found Hinata, who was foolishly waiting for him in the valley outside the Village.
This child was truly simple-minded. Konoha Village could only cultivate such wastes; how could it not decline? His decision to pledge allegiance to that Lord was indeed the correct one.
"Mizuki-sensei, where is Naruto-kun?" Hinata looked behind him ignorantly, her cautious expression greatly satisfying Mizuki's vanity.
Between acting immediately and continuing to deceive, he chose the latter.
"Hyuga-san, we must quickly prepare the secret medicine. It seems someone in the Village wants to harm Naruto. When I passed by, I heard people talking about the Nine-Tailed Fox. Do you know about the Nine-Tailed Fox?"
Hinata shook her head blankly, indicating she didn't know.
What a waste of talent! How great would it be if I had this talent! Mizuki's opinion of this direct descendant of the Hyuga Clan dropped by another two points.
Entering the cave, he no longer concealed himself. He directly pressed the mechanism on the side wall, and a secret door opened, revealing a very clean stone chamber. Mizuki counted from left to right, removed the eighth stone brick in the middle of the wall, and pulled the internal pull ring. The sound of gears meshing came from below the stone chamber, and soon, the ground parted, and a vessel made of peculiar metal slowly rose.
Hinata covered her small mouth in surprise. Mizuki sneered and placed the medicinal ingredients one by one into the compartments of the vessel in a specific order.
When it came down to it, Mizuki hesitated again. Did he really want to give up everything? Was his body ready? Should he wait two more days?
He was still pondering when Hinata walked up to him, scrutinizing the metal vessel from all angles. Then, as if she had discovered something new, she pointed to a large red button on the side of the vessel and asked quite innocently: "What's this button for?"
She didn't even wait for Mizuki to answer before her fair, tender finger pressed it down.
Damn it! Mizuki was furious! He wasn't ready yet!
Just as he was about to erupt, Hinata darted away, her speed genuinely not slow.
Muttering curses, he truly had no time to deal with Hinata. His attention was solely fixed on this vessel that was said to bring him infinite power.
The equipment had started; even if he was unwilling, he couldn't stop it now.
He watched as aconite reacted with a red alkali. The mixed potion then combined with knotweed in the vessel, and finally merged with several brightly colored snake grass roots.
The potion was deep red, emitting a strong and pungent fishy smell.
Hinata covered her nose. Mizuki carefully observed the color of the potion, adding three more precious medicinal ingredients. When the deep red turned light red and more than half of the fishy smell dissipated, he breathed a sigh of relief. The potion was ready!
"Mizuki-sensei, shall we go find Naruto-kun? It's so dark here… I'm a little scared…" Hinata whispered.
The ferocity on Mizuki's face was almost impossible to hide. He smiled coldly: "Don't worry, we're going to find Naruto now. Hmm, let me try the effects of this potion first. After all, as a teacher, I have a responsibility to my precious students."
He took out a beaker from a hidden compartment nearby and drew a full cup of the red potion from the vessel's outlet.
The die was cast; the desire for immense power overwhelmed all fear and hesitation. He hesitated for at most three seconds. Seeing that Hinata made no move to stop him, he decisively tilted his head back and drank the entire potion.
The potion's effect was immediate. Like lava, the liquid flowed down his throat into his stomach and then spread within, making him feel an extremely violent energy raging through his body.
His heart was the first to be strengthened. A massive amount of energy impacted his atria and ventricles, and the backflowing blood caused Mizuki to immediately spit out a large mouthful of fresh blood. His physique was insufficient; this enhancement was extremely dangerous.
"I can do it! I am the strongest!" He endured the pain, trying to encourage himself through self-hypnosis.
Thinking of that Lord's words, he was now filled with regret. He had been too rash; he should have been more cautious.
It was as if a hand had gripped his heart and squeezed it hard. He gasped with his mouth wide open, breathing rapidly, trying to inhale more oxygen, like a fish out of water.
His body visibly hunched over.
His muscles slackened, his skin lost elasticity, and his hair became brittle, as if he had aged twenty years in an instant.
Mizuki tremblingly reached out a hand to Hinata, trying to get his female student to save him. How to save him? He actually didn't know; it was a completely subconscious reaction.
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