Night.
A cavern base.
Lately, Shimizu had been using a Shadow Clone to remain at the hospital outpost during the day, while his real body conducted research inside the cavern base.
There were certain things that couldn't be done at the hospital—this base offered more freedom.
Life at the hospital outpost was stable. As soon as the tent was opened, a never-ending stream of injuries awaited treatment.
Ninjas covered in blood and mangled flesh were frequently carried in for emergency care.
Every day followed a fixed routine, and he didn't need to worry about anyone discovering that it was just a Shadow Clone.
Boom—
A loud crash echoed from outside the cavern.
Shimizu, who had been in the middle of an experiment, turned around with a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
She was here—Suzumebachi.
This place had once been where Suzumebachi was imprisoned, so it was no surprise she found her way back.
"How does the new power feel?"
Shimizu's tone was playful as his Sharingan spun to life.
He could see the changes in her. Clearly, she had gone through many fierce battles; her aura had become colder, more dangerous—an elegant and deadly beauty.
"Hmph."
Suzumebachi let out a cold snort.
The time Shimizu had held her captive left an unforgettable impression.
The strange power she now carried had indeed been a great boon to her—but she could feel it: every time she used it, there was a price.
Her lifespan… was running short.
"The intel you asked for."
Suzumebachi tossed a scroll at him.
If not for the limitations placed on her by this cursed power, she wouldn't bother dealing with Shimizu at all. It would be better to use this strength to secure greater benefit for the Kamizuru Clan.
"Hmm, not bad."
Shimizu glanced at it. Inside was a detailed map, outlining the surrounding Iwagakure positions—down to the routes ten thousand Iwagakure shinobi took to encircle the Third Raikage.
It spoke volumes about Suzumebachi's status.
Even if the Kamizuru Clan had fallen from grace, they were still one of Iwagakure's shinobi clans.
She was the granddaughter of the clan's first leader—an esteemed position, no doubt.
Had she not been defeated early on by Naruto as a mid-tier antagonist, her achievements might have been far greater—reviving the Kamizuru Clan would've been well within reach.
The Aburame Clan had already fallen into decline, with no heirs strong enough to carry the torch.
"Very good. Now—activate your Cursed Seal transformation for me."
Suzumebachi's brows furrowed slightly.
She recalled the vile things Shimizu had done to her while she was in that form—a flicker of shame and anger flashed through her eyes.
"Kneel."
Shimizu said flatly.
The cursed seal engraved over her heart flared red-hot, searing pain coursing through her entire body.
"Ah—!"
Suzumebachi collapsed to her knees, glaring at Shimizu with hatred.
No matter how she scrubbed, the cursed mark on her chest refused to fade.
The two characters—"Shimizu"—were engraved into her very bones, an indelible mark of humiliation.
Even if she cut away the skin, the new flesh grew back exactly the same.
Same color. Same texture. Same... cursed seal.
"I gave you the power to lead the Kamizuru Clan back to glory. What more do you want? The clan might not be in total decline yet, but your grandfather... he's already on his deathbed, isn't he?"
Shimizu looked down at her from above and summoned the Unihorned Beast, ordering her to lower her chakra flames.
"Y-You… how do you know that?!"
Suzumebachi's eyes widened in shock.
She had never told Shimizu.
Her grandfather had been forcing himself to carry out missions, maintaining the clan's dignity and authority—never letting anyone outside see his illness.
It was the Kamizuru Clan's top secret.
So how did Shimizu know?
Suzumebachi's expression changed faster than a stage magician's trick.
She began to suspect a traitor within her clan.
Or worse—that Shimizu had used some sort of memory-reading jutsu on her during moments when she had lost consciousness.
"Don't underestimate my intel network."
Shimizu smiled mysteriously.
The Kamizuru Clan was located in the Land of Earth, and in the original series, they were just minor characters with a few episodes of screen time.
He had never even been to the Land of Earth, much less known the clan's deepest secrets.
But he had a simulator.
After running a simulation, he had stumbled upon this information when the simulated Suzumebachi revealed it to him during an encounter.
"Now, the Cursed Seal—transform."
Shimizu ordered.
"Yes... Shimizu... sama."
Biting her lip, Suzumebachi felt the cursed seal over her heart throbbing with pain.
The cursed energy embedded in her body responded to Shimizu's chakra.
Her body began to enlarge, stretching her loose robes tight—her chest swelled to the size of melons, hanging heavily on her curvaceous figure.
Shimizu placed his hand above her forehead, emitting terrifying chakra fluctuations.
The cursed seal within her had also started to suppress her strength.
Suzumebachi dared not complain about her "chef."
She ate the same delivery food as Miroku, the priestess of the Land of Demons.
But since she had received it far more frequently, her technique had become quite adept.
In her cursed form, Suzumebachi's sense of smell had greatly sharpened, and a certain scent shot straight into her brain.
"Mmm~"
Shimizu, refreshed and invigorated, began to seriously examine the cursed seal's evolution.
The "Heavenly Demon" Cursed Seal residing within Suzumebachi was fusing with her skeletal structure—some of her bones were turning black.
Before Shimizu found her again, her life force had dwindled to less than twenty percent.
Another month, and she would've died from life energy depletion.
But now, her body had begun to change. A wave of vitality spread throughout her.
Her life energy slowly replenished, and her resistance to the cursed seal grew significantly stronger.
This piqued Shimizu's interest, and he extracted the substance responsible.
After analysis, he found that this substance could stimulate the Heavenly Demon Cursed Seal inside Suzumebachi.
As he dug deeper into the research, he discovered that—
"Hm?"
Shimizu's expression turned strange.
This "Heavenly Seal"… was it even legit?
According to the simulator's record, he had extracted a special substance from Jugo's cells, replaced it with his own, and used it as the foundation to create the Heavenly Demon Cursed Seal.
"Urgh—"
Suzumebachi bent over and dry-heaved.
The more she thought about it, the more disgusting it felt. She couldn't bear how low she'd been brought.
She wanted to vomit it all out.
"Have you noticed any changes in your body?"
"Changes?"
Suzumebachi eyed him warily.
After finishing his business, Shimizu had taken a milliliter of his blood and fiddled with some instruments in the corner.
Then he suddenly turned to ask her if she'd noticed any changes.
"Hmm...?"
She paused abruptly.
Concentrating, she began to sense the changes within her body.
--
Support me & read more advance & fast update chapter on my patreon:
pat reon .com/yuuwand