"Hiss~"
Jūgo opened his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck with a grimace.
It hurt.
When did he lose consciousness?
As his memories began to resurface, his eyes widened abruptly.
That's right.
Someone had appeared out of nowhere, claiming they could stop him when he lost control. He had let loose, fully unleashing his body's strength. The last thing he remembered was charging at that person, only to be struck down with a single hand chop. After that, everything went black.
In other words, that person truly possessed the strength to defeat him, even in his berserk state!
The realization jolted Jūgo to his feet, only to find himself flying high in the air.
"Don't move around, kid," a cold voice came from behind him. Turning, Jūgo saw the very person who had defeated him earlier.
"Mirai?" Jūgo murmured.
Before passing out, he had heard this man introduce himself as Uchiha Mirai.
"We're heading to Konoha," Mirai said flatly. "From now on, you'll be under their care."
He gestured toward Orochimaru and Kimimaro.
Looking at them, Jūgo hesitated. "Mirai-sama, can't I stay with you instead?"
Before Mirai could respond, Kimimaro snorted softly. "Don't bring that up again."
"Why not?" Jūgo asked, confused.
"Because if you knew of Mirai-sama's reputation, you'd realize just how presumptuous your request is," Kimimaro replied coolly.
"His reputation?"
Seeing Jūgo's puzzled expression, Kimimaro began recounting the stories he had heard about Uchiha Mirai from Orochimaru.
The more Jūgo listened, the more shocked he became.
To him, the tales sounded like something out of a fantasy novel. Could a human being truly possess such immense power?
But when he glanced down at the massive Susanoo several hundred meters below them, he started to believe that perhaps the stories weren't entirely far-fetched.
Throughout the journey, Jūgo peppered Kimimaro with questions about Mirai. Kimimaro answered them all, and the two quickly grew closer.
Half a day later, Mirai landed at Orochimaru's research base.
"Jūgo, come with me," Mirai commanded, walking toward a secluded area.
Orochimaru and Kimimaro stayed behind, silent.
Deep within a quiet forest, Mirai casually set up a barrier to ensure their actions wouldn't be noticed by anyone else. Only then did he stop and face Jūgo.
"Mirai-sama—"
Before Jūgo could finish his sentence, his expression went blank.
In the next instant, a bone blade appeared in Mirai's hand, slicing cleanly across Jūgo's throat.
Squelch! Blood spilled onto the ground.
[ Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have successfully plundered: Chakra +1! ]
"No, that's not it… !"
With the power of his Mangekyō Sharingan, Mirai resurrected the lifeless Jūgo, placing him under a genjutsu once more.
Squelch!
The same scene replayed as Mirai slit Jūgo's throat again.
[ Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have successfully plundered: Mental Strength +1! ]
"Still not right…"
Dissatisfied, Mirai activated Takamagahara again.
[ Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have successfully plundered: Chakra +1! ]
[ Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have successfully plundered: Physique +1! ]
[ Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have successfully plundered: … ]
[ Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have successfully plundered: Natural Energy Affinity! ]
Hearing the system notification in his mind, Mirai let out a sigh of relief.
It hadn't been a particularly lucky run—he'd needed over twenty attempts to get the reward he wanted. Repeatedly using Takamagahara to revive Jūgo had even left his eyes feeling sore.
But in the end, the result was worth it.
"Mirai-sama, what happened to me?" Jūgo asked, rubbing his neck in confusion.
For some reason, his neck felt unusually cold.
"Nothing," Mirai replied calmly. "Let's head back."
"Oh… okay."
When they returned to the research base, Mirai placed a hand on Kimimaro's shoulder.
"Jūgo will be your responsibility from now on."
Kimimaro, now given a renewed sense of purpose, was visibly moved.
"Understood! I won't let you down."
Mirai nodded and pulled out a sealing scroll from his robe.
"Orochimaru, here's a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan for your research. I'm lending them to you temporarily."
Even Orochimaru couldn't hide his excitement upon hearing this.
Mangekyō Sharingan—such rare and invaluable material for his experiments!
Following Mirai was, without a doubt, the best decision Orochimaru had ever made. He resolved to fulfill any of Mirai's future requests without hesitation.
Under the influence of Kotoamatsukami, Orochimaru didn't even realize how unnaturally fervent his thoughts had become. Instead, he smiled to himself, determined to work even harder for Mirai.
Seeing Orochimaru's fanatical expression, Mirai quietly took a step back.
He never forgot that Orochimaru's current body was female.
"Orochimaru, remember your task. I'm leaving now," Mirai instructed before vanishing in an instant.
The next moment, Mirai reappeared deep within the Forest of Death.
"Natural Energy Affinity…"
Closing his eyes, he focused, immediately sensing the flow of natural energy around him.
He didn't even need to guide it. The surrounding natural energy was being absorbed into his body on its own.
Even in Konoha, where natural energy was scarce, the energy within him continued to grow steadily.
For most humans, absorbing natural energy was no easy feat.
In the original story, Uzumaki Naruto had to concentrate deeply and absorbed it at a slow pace. Jiraiya had relied on Fukasaku and Shima's assistance to gather natural energy for Sage Mode.
Though Kabuto Yakushi absorbed energy quickly in the later arcs, his body could no longer be considered human.
But Mirai? He could passively and continuously absorb natural energy without lifting a finger.
At this rate, refining Sage Chakra would be ridiculously easy—efficiency off the charts!
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Hi, I recently started a great fanfic about a transmigrator in Jiraiya's body, with Tsunade as the female lead. The story is pretty solid, so I'd really appreciate it if you could add it to your library and drop a power stone. The title is Naruto: Starting with Infinite Chakra, and you can find it on my profile. Hope you have a great day!
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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