Rasa's face darkened as he watched Mirai step closer, one deliberate step at a time. The brief relief he had felt after his fight with Orochimaru vanished entirely.
He already knew he wasn't a match for Mirai, even on his best day. After the battle with Orochimaru, his chakra reserves and stamina were severely depleted—his situation couldn't be worse.
Yet, compared to before, Rasa wasn't as fearful.
His fight with Orochimaru had boosted his confidence.
Though he didn't think he could defeat Mirai, Rasa believed he could at least escape.
Forming a plan in his mind, Rasa prepared to use his Magnet Release to take to the skies and flee in the direction of Sunagakure.
He'd heard Mirai's words just now. While he couldn't fully grasp Mirai's intentions, it was clear they didn't want word of his death spreading.
Which meant that the more witnesses there were, the safer he'd be.
The commotion from his earlier battle with Orochimaru should've attracted attention from Sunagakure's shinobi. Perhaps reinforcements were already on their way.
Once his thoughts were clear, Rasa gathered his remaining chakra, summoning a massive amount of gold dust behind him.
The gold dust took on the shape of Shukaku, forming a barrier between himself and Mirai.
"This is my ultimate defense... It should buy me some time," he muttered, ready to make his move.
But just as Rasa was about to flee, he saw Mirai's body suddenly enveloped in a golden chakra cloak.
Mirai's pace quickened.
Swoosh!
Rasa caught a flash of golden light. The next moment, a suffocating pressure clamped around his neck.
Before he could react, Uchiha Mirai was already in front of him, hand gripping his throat tightly.
The gold-dust Shukaku he'd created now bore a massive hole, its form crumbling into scattered particles that floated gently around them.
Too fast!
Rasa's eyes could barely track the golden blur. It was nothing like he'd ever encountered.
He'd fought the Fourth Raikage before the Third Shinobi World War. Yet, the Raikage's famed speed paled compared to what Mirai had just displayed.
Even his strongest defensive technique had been completely bypassed.
"How... how is this possible?" Rasa's mind raced. What level had Uchiha Mirai's power reached?
"Damn it..."
Rasa's eyes filled with unwillingness. His life was just beginning, and now he was going to die here, humiliated and defeated.
Looking back, during their first meeting, he should've staked everything to eliminate Mirai.
Uchiha Mirai scoffed, seeing Rasa's expression. "Don't make that face. Of the countless shinobi who've died by my hand, being remembered by me is more than enough to boast about."
Crack!
[System Notification: Congratulations to the host! Reward acquired: Chakra +1!]
Mirai tossed Rasa's lifeless body aside, a look of indifference on his face.
"Orochimaru, I'll leave the body to you."
A corpse like this, belonging to a Kage-level shinobi with a Kekkei Genkai, held immense research value. Better to let Orochimaru handle it than waste it.
Orochimaru, still in a daze, barely reacted as Mirai walked over and patted him on the shoulder.
"Sunagakure's shinobi will be here soon. Get ready."
With those words, Mirai's figure vanished into the distance.
It was only after a long pause that Orochimaru wiped the sweat from his brow, finally snapping out of his stupor.
Watching the entire process of Mirai defeating Rasa had left him shaken.
Mirai's strength had grown far beyond what Orochimaru had imagined.
Someone like Rasa, who could fight him evenly, had been defeated in a single move.
Even his ultimate defense hadn't slowed Mirai down in the slightest.
"Good thing I've been loyal to Mirai-kun. Otherwise, I'd end up just like Rasa," Orochimaru muttered, shuddering at the thought.
If not for his talent in research, his reckless tendencies might've already sealed his fate.
Orochimaru quickly approached Rasa's body, methodically peeling off the face.
"Vanishing Facial Copy Technique!"
(T/N: The user applies their hand to a target's face, allowing them to take the face and use it as their own. Because it's the actual face that they're using and not a disguise, the user runs no risk of being discovered due to imperfections or minor flaws.)
Adjusting his own soft-modified body, Orochimaru donned Rasa's clothes and sealed away the corpse.
By the time Sunagakure's shinobi arrived, Orochimaru had fully assumed Rasa's appearance.
"Kazekage-sama, what happened here?" one of the shinobi asked.
"Nothing significant," Orochimaru replied in Rasa's voice. "Orochimaru ambushed me, but I managed to drive him off."
The scattered remains of snakes and traces of blood on the ground painted a convincing picture.
"As expected of Kazekage-sama! Even someone as dangerous as Orochimaru couldn't stand against you!"
"With you here, Sunagakure will surely rise to greatness again!"
"Attacking our Kazekage near the village—Orochimaru's arrogance knows no bounds!"
"Shall we pursue him, Kazekage-sama?"
"No need," Orochimaru said, shaking his head. "Let Konoha handle him."
His composed response only earned more admiration from the Sunagakure shinobi, who praised his wisdom and foresight.
Unwilling to endure any more flattery, Orochimaru used the Body Flicker Technique to vanish from the scene.
No one suspected a thing.
After all, it was unthinkable that their Kazekage had been killed so effortlessly within his own territory.
In the dim, damp dungeons of Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen opened his eyes.
Despite his prolonged captivity, the former Hokage's demeanor hadn't changed much, though the kindness once in his gaze had vanished entirely.
Staring unflinchingly at his visitor, he spoke in a deep voice: "Uchiha Mirai. So, you've finally come to see me."
"What is it? Are you here to kill me?"
Mirai chuckled. "Of course not. I'm here to let you go."
Hiruzen laughed mockingly. "No matter how strong you are, you wouldn't dare kill me."
"Killing me would forever brand the Uchiha as power-hungry usurpers. The Uchiha will never be seen as rightful heirs to Konoha's legacy."
Hiruzen's voice dripped with scorn. "The Uchiha are inherently evil. They'll never deserve to lead this village."
Though he had once viewed any threat to his power equally, Mirai's actions had changed his perspective.
Now, he fully believed his mentor's words. The Uchiha were Konoha's greatest instability.
Had they simply obeyed him, there would've been no need for such drastic measures.
Unfortunately, Mirai's existence had ruined everything.
"I won't step into your trap," Hiruzen concluded coldly.
Mirai shrugged indifferently. "Suit yourself. But let me share some news with you."
"What?"
"Shimura Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu—they're all dead. Their clans are gone, too."
"If you want the Sarutobi clan to suffer the same fate, by all means, cling to your delusions."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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