Naruto: Burning Will

Shui Mu's rhetoric was no sophistry. From the beginning, the choice to use the medicine had been entirely up to him—no one had forced the Third Hokage to consider it. Besides, it wasn't even a potion originally created for Hiruzen. Holding Mizuki responsible now felt unreasonable. But once politics got involved, reason often became irrelevant.

After listening to Shui Mu's explanation, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane didn't say much. Their silence suggested they either didn't fully grasp the implications—or didn't want to.

"Are you just asking casually?" Mizuki muttered under his breath. "Doesn't seem like you really want to pursue this…"

Others didn't press the issue either. But Shimura Danzo—sharp as ever—broke the silence with a piercing question:

"You're the one who made that potion, correct? It's… impressive."

At his words, both advisors frowned. Several jōnin present exchanged uneasy looks. While the potion's effects were extraordinary, its grotesque side effects were obvious. It couldn't possibly be used as a standard ninja tool. No, only a part of the village that regarded human lives as expendable tools would find value in it.

Root.

That is to say—only Danzo would find it suitable.

"You're interested in this?" Mizuki's tone was flat, but his wariness showed.

He had expected something like this the moment he produced the potion. Still...

"I'm not offering it up freely. It's hard to make. If you want to learn, start by upgrading your IQ and mastering chakra control until you can mold a Rasengan."

Let's be honest—how was Mizuki supposed to explain genetic engineering, or transcription and reverse transcription to anyone outside a very small circle? Even among Konoha's top minds, only Orochimaru, Kabuto, and perhaps Tsunade might grasp these concepts. Most so-called ninja "research" involved crude transplants, crude sample grafts, and playing the odds across hundreds of failed experiments—relying on chakra to brute-force results that science couldn't yet explain.

In such a backward system, how could Mizuki just hand over the potion?

What was he supposed to do—train Nara Shikamaru and Haruno Sakura as his assistants for a year and hope they kept up?

Was he meant to give up everything and become the village's personal apothecary?

That was not his vision.

More importantly, Mizuki alone understood the potion's full potential. If Danzo ever grasped the true meaning of the word "almighty", it would spell disaster. Danzo had none of Mizuki's moral limitations—none of the values retained from Mizuki's past life. He might very well succeed in weaponizing the drug through brute force.

Yes, the potion's side effects were severe. But Danzo carried the cells of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama. No one knew what would happen if those regenerative cells interacted with the omnipotent compound. Would it be the Resident Evil: Ninja Edition? Or perhaps a replication catastrophe—countless "Hashirama" clones battling against mass-produced White Zetsu?

The idea made Mizuki shiver.

If Danzo acquired this power before the Akatsuki moved, what would he do? Wait quietly? Or would he launch a preemptive war, thinking he could dominate the ninja world?

From Mizuki's perspective, this was entirely within Danzo's character. For a man who placed the will of Konoha above all else, the temptation to unify the world through force would be irresistible.

"So... if Danzo starts asking about fake jinchūriki next, I'd better tread carefully," Mizuki thought grimly. "This mess is already bad enough. Until I have the strength to stand at the front of the board, I can't let the entire game collapse."

Danzo's interest left the room momentarily tense. As Mizuki weighed his response, Koharu Utatane finally spoke.

"A banned drug with such severe side effects? The preparation method should be sealed away as a forbidden technique!"

Mizuki raised an eyebrow.

"So now I'm the sacrificial meat on the village's cutting board? Since when did I agree to donate this to Konoha?"

Apparently, the last time he offered up the incomplete Soul Gathering Formation had been a mistake. Too generous. It gave everyone the illusion that he was easy to negotiate with.

That formation was a stepping stone—offered to earn the village's trust, and more importantly, to save Moonlight Gale and fulfill a personal promise.

So this time, Mizuki stood firm.

"The potion's manufacturing process is extremely complex. Right now, it can only be produced in limited quantities under strict lab conditions. The output is low, the cost is astronomical, and there are many limiting factors."

His words deepened the advisors' and Danzo's scowls.

"Looks like Hiruzen really was the more reasonable one…" Mizuki sighed internally.

"But that's not even the biggest problem," he added. "The real issue is the level of skill required to replicate the process."

Danzo interrupted. "How high? There are many capable ninja in Konoha—more than you realize. Medical-nin, sealing experts, bio-specialists. You should know Konoha has the finest medical corps in the Five Nations."

Without a word, Mizuki raised his right hand. He focused his chakra into his palm.

A blue flame appeared—standard chakra nature transformation. But then it shifted to red. Then to dark blue. Finally, the flame glowed white-blue, burning silently.

Danzo's eyes narrowed. The advisors' faces fell.

That wasn't just a flame—it was deadly, controlled, and refined.

But Mizuki wasn't done.

The flame split. Two birds of fire—one red, one pale blue—rose into the air and circled each other, weaving an intricate dance. The illusion of life in them was palpable. If they'd made sound, one might believe they were alive.

Then Mizuki bowed.

"If you can find someone who can do this," he said simply, "they might be able to understand the process."

Koharu squinted. "This is the minimum requirement?" she asked skeptically. She clearly thought it was an excuse—a way to keep the preparation method hidden.

"Yes," Mizuki replied, calm and certain. "This is just the baseline in terms of chakra manipulation. And it still requires a strong theoretical foundation. Without that, no amount of skill will matter."

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