After Mirai finished speaking, he turned and left.
Terumi Mei remained in place, pouting. After a long pause, she let out a soft humph.
"Che~"
"Arrogant man. If you weren't so good-looking, I'd show you what's what with my Acid Mist!"
Muttering to herself for a bit, Mei eventually decided not to follow him. She had long heard about the Uchiha clan's stubbornness, and today confirmed it.
A man talking about unifying the ninja world? Madman.
And what was that about coming to him when her village succumbed to darkness?
Ha!
Even if she died in Kirigakure, or jumped into the sea to drown, she would never betray her village to join Uchiha Mirai!
...
Uchiha Clan Compound
Walking along the streets of the Uchiha clan's district, Mirai was greeted warmly by his clansmen, who stopped what they were doing to acknowledge him.
This 14-year-old boy had already become the pride of the Uchiha clan.
"Mirai, come by Grandma's house tomorrow morning for breakfast. On the house!"
"Little Mirai, my grandson works in the police force now. We'll count on you to look out for him!"
"Hey! You guys better start addressing him properly. It's Mirai-sama from now on!"
"Ah, right, right. It's just habit. Watching this kid grow up and suddenly seeing him become our clan's hero—it's a bit hard to adjust!"
After exchanging greetings with his clansmen, Mirai returned to his own courtyard.
The moment he stepped inside, several white snakes slithered toward him aggressively.
Mirai swiftly drew his kunai and accurately severed each snake at their seven-inch weak point.
Not long after, Orochimaru emerged slowly from the vegetable garden, dressed in a white kimono.
[Ding! Congratulations, host! Reward obtained: Triple Rashomon!]
The notification from the system echoed in Mirai's mind. He immediately knew Orochimaru had no intention of continuing the fight.
"What are you up to, Orochimaru?" Mirai asked, somewhat puzzled.
Orochimaru chuckled, extending his tongue slightly before replying, "Just testing if Mirai-kun has grown complacent."
"Clearly, you're as sharp as ever."
After a pause, he added with a regretful tone, "What a pity… so many white snakes, wasted like this."
"Mirai-kun, why not turn them into a nice snake stew?"
Mirai stared blankly. Figures. This was your real goal all along.
"No time," he replied curtly, immediately rejecting the idea.
Attacking me and then asking me to cook? Dream on!
Unbothered by the refusal, Orochimaru licked his lips and continued, "Mirai-kun, don't be mad. That little talk you had with Jiraiya the other day stirred up quite some trouble for me."
Mirai shrugged nonchalantly.
"I was joking with him, but he took it seriously. That just shows how fitting my words were to his image of you."
Orochimaru sighed.
"I'm not much for preaching," Mirai snorted softly. "Anyway, you didn't come all this way just for snake stew, did you?"
Orochimaru shook his head and retrieved a sealed scroll from his sleeve. With a quick sequence of hand seals, a puff of smoke appeared, revealing a long sword in his hand.
"Mirai-kun, someone of your stature shouldn't be without a proper blade. Consider this Kusanagi Sword my gift to you."
The sword looked identical to the one Uchiha Sasuke used in the original timeline. Mirai unsheathed it and examined it carefully, nodding in satisfaction.
"This is far superior to the one Fugaku gave me," he remarked, securing the sword at his waist.
As he opened the door to his home, Mirai glanced back. "Orochimaru, clean up the white snakes."
Over steaming bowls of snake stew, Mirai chuckled softly.
"Orochimaru, with how often we've been seen together, I doubt you'll be able to stay in the village much longer."
Unperturbed, Orochimaru shrugged. "Mirai-kun, I've already lost faith in our teacher. Even becoming a rogue ninja is but a temporary phase. I look forward to the day when you take control of Konoha."
Mirai raised an eyebrow at the unexpected comment.
"Orochimaru, you actually believe what I've been saying?"
Orochimaru nodded. "I've heard from our teacher himself—he plans to continue as Hokage. That doesn't surprise you, does it?"
It didn't. Unlike the original timeline, Namikaze Minato had not gained the prominence he once had, thanks to Mirai's interference. Compared to both Orochimaru and Mirai, Minato's influence in Konoha was negligible.
Hiruzen's decision to retain power was no shock.
Orochimaru continued, "There's a growing faction within the village pushing for me to become the next Hokage. That runs counter to our teacher's plans, so I'm certain he won't stand idly by. It aligns perfectly with your earlier predictions."
Pausing, he studied Mirai with a curious glint in his eyes. "Mirai-kun, sometimes I wonder—how do you know so many secrets?"
Mirai shot him a warning glance. "Orochimaru, too much curiosity can be dangerous."
Taking the hint, Orochimaru backed off with a sigh. "Mirai-kun, this snake stew is delicious. Too bad I won't be able to enjoy it for much longer."
Mirai shook his head with a faint smile. "Don't worry. It won't be too long."
Rising from his seat, Mirai tapped the table lightly. "Sarutobi Hiruzen is a man of dignity, after all."
Orochimaru's eyes sparkled with interest. "Mirai-kun, if our teacher refuses to act with dignity, I have plenty of methods to help him maintain it."
Mirai chuckled. "Dignity or not, I won't let him leave with his reputation intact."
Images of the Chūnin Exams from the original timeline flashed in Mirai's mind—a perfect stage to drag Sarutobi's name through the mud on an international scale.
If Hiruzen cherished his reputation, Mirai would see to it that it was ruined forever.
Turning to Orochimaru, he smirked. "Orochimaru, I may indeed need your help soon."
He handed Orochimaru a golden kunai marked with Flying Thunder God seals.
Accepting the ornate weapon, Orochimaru couldn't hide his surprise. A kunai made of pure gold—truly a collector's item for any ninja.
Still, he couldn't help but wonder. What kind of ending does Mirai-kun have in store for our teacher?
...
Konoha Village – Streets
The ninja of Kirigakure walked ahead, his steps light with an air of satisfaction. He seemed much more at ease than when they had first arrived.
Following closely behind, Terumi Mei occasionally glanced around, her eyes scanning for someone. Yet no matter where she looked, she couldn't find the person she was searching for.
"Mei, you seem preoccupied," the ninja observed.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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