Just as Mizuki tried to cry for help, the intense feeling of suffocation lasted less than five seconds before ending.
He felt his heart fill with power, and the potion began to surge into his brain and limbs.
What was going on? Was the transformation completed so quickly?
This was a bit different from what that Lord had said. Could it be that his aptitude was very strong?
Mizuki tore off his sleeve. On the inside of his right arm, there was a Curse Mark as black as ink. After being nourished by the potion, the Curse Mark seemed to gain a life of its own, beginning to absorb Natural Energy from the external environment.
After half a minute of furious absorption, a portion of the energy from the Curse Mark poured into his body, replenishing the deficit caused by the previous body modification.
Mizuki let out a long breath; he was completely alive.
His shriveled body inflated like a balloon. The strength within his body quickly surpassed his peak, and it was still rapidly climbing, seemingly without limit.
His arms became incredibly thick, and several tiger-like black stripes appeared on his arms, shoulders, and back. His body grew by a full twenty centimeters, his muscles rippled, full of power, like a small giant.
Mizuki clenched his fist and pounded his chest, making a dull "thump-thump" sound.
"Hahahahaha—what wonderful power! Now, even a Jonin is no match for me!" He let out a series of wild laughs, and as he laughed, he finally noticed something was wrong: Hinata, who was standing not far away, was too quiet.
Was she scared stiff by his actions?
He looked over and found Hinata particularly calm, and that condescending look made him very uncomfortable.
"What are you looking at?!" he angrily snapped.
Hinata calmly said, "Mizuki-sensei, you always say that Naruto's Clone Technique isn't good, that he has poor control. But aren't you the same? To become a Konoha Ninja Academy teacher, it's clear that the higher-ups were taking care of you. Your strength is far inferior to Iruka-sensei's. I guess you probably haven't practiced your Transformation Technique much, have you? This won't do. If you don't lay a good foundation, you'll suffer losses after leaving Konoha Village."
Mizuki stared at her intently. The potion had transformed his brain, and the Curse Mark had allowed him to absorb a large amount of Natural Energy, significantly enhancing his perception.
At this moment, he finally noticed the layer of constantly flowing Chakra on Hinata's body. What kind of Ninjutsu required Chakra to be covered on the body? There were many such Ninjutsu in the Ninja World, but the most basic one he knew was only one: the Transformation Technique.
A puff of smoke rose from Hinata, and Ino revealed herself.
"It's you! From the barbecue restaurant… you've been toying with me all along!"
"I wouldn't say toying. If you hadn't harbored these thoughts, we would still be teacher and student. It's a pity... Mizuki-sensei, can you tell me what this thing behind you is, and what this change in you means?" Ino asked, pointing at the black Curse Mark on his arm.
Mizuki's face was ferocious: "You little brat, dare to mess with me? Watch me tear you apart!"
He dug his feet into the ground and charged forward, attempting to launch an attack, but as soon as Chakra gathered at his feet, he felt his entire body go limp and weak. His strength was still there, but his body was a bit unresponsive.
Ino lightly tapped him with her finger: "Don't you think you're foolish? Letting me handle such an important task as buying medicine? Many of the herbs didn't meet the age requirements, which is why your transformation went so smoothly, understand? And didn't you know that Yamanaka are best at growing flowers, and many flowers are highly poisonous? The toxin has already flowed through your heart and throughout your body. You'll become weaker and weaker. Surrender, and perhaps the Village will give you a way out."
"Damn it!" Mizuki roared, stumbling two steps forward.
Natural Energy was still gathering in his body through the Curse Mark on his arm. The energy was as abundant and domineering as ever, but his nerves, bones, and muscles were all a bit unresponsive, and he saw many double images.
"I won't lose! I absolutely won't lose!!!" He stared intently at Ino, as if defeating this hateful woman would turn the tide.
"Tsk tsk, still able to move? How impressive." Ino had brought plenty of equipment tonight. She darted forward, her Kunai stabbing at Mizuki's throat.
Mizuki's mobility was greatly reduced. He could only cross his arms, blocking in front of him.
The Kunai pierced his wrist, but after only two centimeters, it met with considerable resistance, as if it were stabbing not a human body, but a tire.
Ino placed her left hand on her right hand, which was gripping the Kunai, and pushed down with both arms. It wasn't working... his defense was much stronger than she had estimated, and her own strength wasn't enough!
"What a hassle!" She kicked Mizuki's elbow, using the momentum to jump up. Her left hand swept at her waist, and two Shuriken flew in an arc towards Mizuki's eyes.
Mizuki ducked to avoid the Shuriken. He spread his arms, and the nails on his ten fingers mutated and elongated, like ten sharp swords. Using his advantage of height and arm length, he wildly slashed forward.
Ino dodged left and right. The opponent's attack and defense were not weak, but due to being poisoned, his speed had dropped significantly. She saw an opening, jumped behind Mizuki, and stabbed her Kunai diagonally into his shoulder blade, vigorously twisting it in his neck and back muscles.
A large chunk of flesh was gouged out, and Mizuki screamed in pain.
He was like a wounded tiger, his hands like two sharp claws, incredibly ferocious, launching a series of pounces at Ino.
Ino didn't use her best Ninjutsu, circling Mizuki, stabbing here and slashing there: "Mizuki-sensei, your ability still has weaknesses, doesn't it? Your arms have the strongest defense, your frontal defense is stronger than your back, and your chest and abdomen defense is stronger than your lower limbs, right?"
Before Mizuki could answer, Ino shouted, "Choji! It's your turn, ram his legs!"
After an awkward three or four seconds, Choji's slightly hesitant voice was heard: "Huh? Oh, oh! Coming, coming! Watch my Human Bullet Tank!"
Choji's body swelled into a fleshy ball under the influence of Chakra, his head and limbs retracting. Then, his body spun at high speed, carrying immense impact, like a cannonball, traversing over thirty meters and colliding head-on with Mizuki.
Mizuki was, after all, a Chunin. Seeing the flying fleshy ball, he gritted his teeth and powerfully swung his fist, trying to repel the opponent.
With a loud "boom," the huge fleshy ball was sent flying by his punch. Mizuki's left leg also made a crisp cracking sound in the second second of the impact.
His body lost balance. At the critical moment, he leaned against the side wall, barely managing to stand.
Amazing! Seeing this, Ino gained a new understanding of this Curse Mark form: thick skin and flesh, strong recovery, and a significant boost to basic physical attributes.
This was still Orochimaru's incomplete Curse Mark. The Heavenly Cursed Seal and Curse Mark of Earth of the Sound Four and Kimimaro should be even more powerful. If these Curse Marks, which use Jugo's cells to absorb Natural Energy, are so potent, how strong would a genuine Sage Mode be?
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