Chapter 36: Desperation and Unconventional Healing
"Mizukage! Keep going!"
Seeing Mizukage use such a drastic method to maintain her clarity, Kakashi and Liumu shouted encouragement from the sidelines.
But at this moment, Mizukage's face was deathly pale, drenched in cold sweat. Hearing their encouragement, a pained, fragile smile touched her lips.
Her left arm was ruined, but her mind was finally clear. Gritting her teeth, she wiped the sweat from her forehead, then drew an explosive-tagged shuriken and hurled it toward Kō's location.
Simultaneously, before the tag detonated, she charged forward herself.
"What is she trying to do?!"
Kakashi hissed through gritted teeth. She'd already lost most of her fighting power. Even with her hardened skin, a single explosive tag was a massive risk.
As a Root operative, Kō was intimately familiar with battlefield brutality. Seeing Mizukage's desperate gambit, she immediately unleashed another parasite swarm.
But…
"Hah!"
Surrounded by the insects, Mizukage wasn't stopped. Instead, with a fierce roar, she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Kō.
"Now… you can't escape."
BOOM!
"Mizukage!"
The explosion engulfed them both, along with Kō's flying insects. Thick smoke and dust billowed, obscuring the scene.
Yet, a faint voice emerged from within the haze.
"Mizukage… you've grown. But…"
Insects swarmed, dispersing the smoke. Kō stood alone, looking down at Mizukage lying at her feet, a soft, almost sad smile on her lips. Kō's skin was cracked, revealing the black insects teeming beneath.
"Cough… cough… cough!"
Mizukage was in agony. She spat a mouthful of blood, then looked up with immense effort, her words broken. "Sister… Kō… be careful…"
Kō: "???"
BOOM!
Another explosion erupted—this time from Kō's back. It turned out the moment Mizukage had embraced her, she'd slapped a second explosive tag onto Kō's back.
The parasites beneath the skin were Kō's unique defense, using their bodies to form a hard, invisible shield. As Kō's devoted admirer, how could Mizukage not know this? The tag on the shuriken was merely to disrupt Kō's insect swarm. The one on her back was the key to victory.
"I declare this match… a draw!"
Seeing both combatants unconscious, the Kumo Jonin immediately announced a draw.
A draw meant neither advanced. Both Mizukage and Kō were eliminated.
After the match, several Konoha Jonin rushed onto the field, carrying Mizukage and Kō away. Kumo's medical-nin began emergency treatment.
"Your Konoha ninja are ruthless even to their own. Two explosive tags in succession… truly savage," Ranto of Iwa muttered, having just thawed from his icy prison. He took in the gruesome scene.
Liumu, standing beside the unconscious Mizukage, abruptly turned his head. His gaze silenced Ranto, who resentfully returned to his spot.
Mizukage's determination to win far exceeded her outward appearance. Yet, judging by the second explosion's muted force, the tag on Kō's back had clearly been modified. As a comrade, an idol, and simply a fellow Konoha shinobi, Mizukage hadn't wanted to endanger her opponent's life for victory.
"This is bad. Both are severely injured. This girl, Mizukage, has parasites inside her devouring her chakra. We need to move them to the infirmary immediately."
Kō's parasites remained inside Mizukage, worsening her condition. But Kō, like Mizukage, was unconscious. No one knew when she'd wake.
After examining them, the Kumo medics addressed the surrounding Konoha ninja.
"I'll take them," Yuhi Makoto stated, planning to accompany the medics.
"I'm coming too." Facing Yuhi Makoto's questioning look, Liumu said calmly, "I might have a way to remove the parasites from Mizukage."
Yuhi Makoto hesitated. Liumu had already won his match. Leaving now for an unknown duration… if it caused a delay…
"Don't hesitate. Any longer, and Mizukage won't make it." Chakra was a shinobi's foundation. Moreover, Kō's parasites didn't just consume chakra—they carried venom.
"Alright." Yuhi Makoto agreed, then instructed the Konoha Jonin behind him. "Inform the proctors. If possible, reschedule Liumu's next match for last."
...
...
Parasites depended on their host's chakra to survive. Liumu understood this well. He also knew that if Mizukage's chakra was completely drained, she would die.
In Kumo's infirmary, the medics tried every method to kill the parasites within Mizukage—toxins, lightning chakra—but nothing worked. The parasites were immune.
"Any progress?" Yuhi Makoto asked Liumu.
"The Kumo medics say Kō's condition is stable. Severe burns on her back, but with hydration and rest, she'll recover." The two peered through the glass at Mizukage, surrounded by solemn-faced medics. "But Mizukage…"
"You said you had a way to deal with the parasites?" Yuhi Makoto looked at Liumu.
"Yes. But…" Liumu met his gaze. "My method is… unconventional. I'll need to treat her alone."
Yuhi Makoto knew Liumu was Jiraiya's disciple, the leader of this Konoha contingent. If a six-year-old had said this, he'd have been skeptical. But Jiraiya's name carried weight.
"Are you certain you can cure her?" Yuhi Makoto stared intently into Liumu's eyes. Before Liumu could answer, he added, "I need a guaranteed result."
"Desperate times call for desperate measures." Liumu glanced at Mizukage on the bed, then back at Yuhi Makoto, his expression serious. "But she's my teammate. That status may be limited to this exam, but I won't gamble with her life as a joke."
Liumu's demeanor—his tone, his eyes, even the way he'd joked earlier—felt utterly unlike a six-year-old child to Yuhi Makoto. For a moment, he felt an odd sense of displacement.
(End of Chapter)
✨If you're enjoying this story, consider supporting me on Patreon —
Patreon.com/TofuChan
💕Patreon members get early access to chapters, bonus content, and voting power on future ideas.💕
Every bit of support helps me write more and faster. Thank you so much for reading! 🥰
✨✨ I'll release an extra chapter for every 5 reviews! ✨✨🥳🥳 For every 100 power stones! 🥳🥳
Lets hit the goal of 100 Patreon Members now for 5 Extra Chapters 💕
We are at 60 members right now.