"Mirai-sama, can we go again?"
"No. An enemy won't spare your life just because you let your guard down. You only get one chance."
"But… I did improve, didn't I?"
"No. In fact, now that you've mastered the Nine-Tails Mode, your awareness and reaction time have actually declined."
Hearing this, Ayaka Uzumaki lowered her head, frustrated. She couldn't shake the regret of losing due to a single moment of carelessness. If she had another chance, she definitely wouldn't lose so easily.
It was supposed to be a day of triumph—her first true mastery over the Nine-Tails' chakra—yet she felt no joy at all. And now, she wanted something in return. Not a grand reward, just the chance to train alongside Mirai every day.
"How about you, Haku? Learned anything?" Mirai turned to him.
Haku thought for a moment, then cast a quick glance at Ayaka before whispering, "Never be as careless as Ayaka-senpai."
That earned him a pat on the head from Mirai—and a glare from Ayaka.
Back in Roran
After returning, Mirai taught both Ayaka and Haku the Spirit Clone Jutsu—a technique that could push a Jinchuriki to the level of a Perfect Jinchuriki. If Ayaka mastered it, she wouldn't even need to rely on the Nine-Tails; she could simply drain its chakra and enter Perfect Jinchuriki Mode on her own.
For Haku, the jutsu would also be invaluable. Whether for offense or defense, the ability to create a spiritual avatar—a loyal extension of oneself—was an unrivaled advantage.
"Ayaka, I want you to go stay with Orochimaru for a while."
Mirai's words caught her off guard.
Orochimaru had been working to solidify his control over the Land of Rice Fields, but his research had reached a critical point, leaving him unable to personally handle things.
His base had essentially become a daycare for talented children he had abducted from across the continent. While he originally wanted to borrow Mirai's eight modified subordinates—those capable of absorbing natural energy—they had already been sent to expand influence in the Land of Birds and the Land of Bears.
With no other options, Ayaka was the next best candidate.
"Take Haku with you," Mirai added. "It'll be good experience for him."
Under the training of the Three Serpent Princesses, Haku's combat skills had grown rapidly, but he lacked real-world battle experience. Without it, he could never become a top-tier ninja.
And then there was Rin Nohara…
Mirai suddenly remembered she was still imprisoned in Roran. It had been a year already.
"She's surprisingly patient."
But if she hadn't come to him, it meant she hadn't figured things out yet.
Mirai wasn't about to waste his time on her.
With the Tenseigan fully awakened, Mirai's strength had reached an entirely new level.
Unlike Nagato, whose Rinnegan conflicted with his body, Mirai's Tenseigan was a perfect match. He could fight continuously for an entire day without strain.
As long as he activated the Tenseigan Chakra Mode, no one in the ninja world could defeat him—not even if the Five Kage and Nagato teamed up.
This was Six Paths-level power.
With his Tenseigan fully unlocked, he could now use Truth-Seeking Orbs, rendering most jutsu, Kekkei Genkai, and even Kekkei Tota completely ineffective against him.
In the entire ninja world, only Sage Techniques, certain space-time jutsu, or suicidal sealing techniques like the Reaper Death Seal could pose a threat to him.
And he still hadn't fully absorbed the Tenseigan's remaining power—only about 40% of its energy remained untapped.
If he fully refined it, his Yin Release would reach Six Paths-level mastery.
The problem now was… Yang Release.
Mirai's only lead was Tsunade.
Her Creation Rebirth jutsu was likely the strongest Yang Release technique in existence, aside from those belonging to the Sage of Six Paths and Asura.
His physical body was already powerful, but he lacked a systematic training method for Yang Release.
The Truth-Seeking Orbs he gained through the Tenseigan were temporary—to truly control them, he needed Six Paths-level mastery of both Yin and Yang Release.
Aside from checking in on his various projects, Mirai dedicated all of his remaining time to training.
His routine consisted of absorbing the Tenseigan's power
and enhancing Sage Mode.
These two areas would determine his ultimate strength.
---
Konoha
"Lord Hokage, this is intelligence gathered by the ANBU."
The masked ANBU agent placed a scroll on the Hokage's desk, then immediately vanished.
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled deeply when he saw the seal for classified information on the scroll.
It was always bad news.
As he unrolled it and read the contents, his brow furrowed.
The method for creating medical talisman had been circulating on the black market for some time now. It was highly likely that major ninja villages had already obtained the formula. Several months had passed since Hiruzen Sarutobi first became aware of this.
At first, the black market withheld the medical talisman formula, opting to sell it selectively rather than making it widely available. But what they hadn't expected was that Mirai Hyuga had already sold it to everyone before they could even begin.
By the time the black market factions realized what had happened, there were barely any buyers left. The secret was out. Soon, medical talisman production methods were widely circulated, making them accessible even to rogue ninjas—provided they saved up enough money.
"Mirai Hyuga..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned as he muttered the name, exhaling a cloud of smoke from his pipe.
The widespread proliferation of medical talisman was rapidly closing the gap between Konoha's medical capabilities and those of other villages.
During the last Shinobi World War, medical talisman had been Konoha's trump card—the reason they could withstand the combined assault of four different villages.
Now, that advantage was disappearing.
Then, Hiruzen turned the scroll to the next page.
"Medical machines... capable of replacing most medical-nin?"
His grip on the scroll tightened.
If the report was accurate, then Konoha's medical supremacy would be completely erased.
If Tsunade ever returned, other villages could just buy a few medical machines and instantly gain an 'undying medic' of their own.
And according to the Keikou Trade Association's promotional materials, this was merely the first generation of the medical machine. Their research was ongoing, with the next generation promising even more advanced functions.
Hiruzen tapped his fingers against the desk, calling for an ANBU operative.
"Summon Kimura," he ordered.
The ANBU ninja vanished instantly, and moments later, Kimura arrived from Konoha Hospital.
"Lord Hokage."
"Kimura, take a look at this."
Hiruzen handed her the intelligence report.
"How did the medical talisman formula get leaked...?" Kimura muttered before she even finished reading. A possibility flashed through her mind, but she kept reading.
Then she saw the medical machine.
Her eyes widened as memories resurfaced—Mirai Hyuga's Medical Combat Suit.
It had been a revolutionary invention at Konoha Hospital, capable of automatically healing injuries while providing defensive support. Unfortunately, the production costs had been too high, so it never saw mass adoption.
Instead, Mirai had made a few suits for himself and a select few individuals.
Now, looking at the report, the medical machine's capabilities seemed strikingly familiar—only far more advanced and efficient.
"Lord Hokage... what exactly are you asking of me?"
Hiruzen exhaled. "The Keikou Trade Association is backed by noble clans, and ANBU cannot directly interfere with them. Kimura, I need you to go there and acquire at least two medical machines. We must confirm whether they truly match the intelligence reports."
Given the enormous cost involved, Kimura wouldn't be going alone.
"I understand, Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen nodded and assigned her a team of elite ninja for protection.
This matter was far from trivial.
If not handled correctly, the major ninja villages could spiral into an arms race, triggering another great war.
In the previous war, Konoha had relied on its superior medical capabilities to grind enemy forces down to exhaustion**.
If the medical machine's capabilities were as powerful as described, then Konoha's advantage would vanish overnight—and war could break out at any moment.
Still unsettled, Hiruzen called for the elders—Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo Shimura.
He needed their opinions on the situation.
Meanwhile, in Amegakure
The Akatsuki, the true rulers of the Hidden Rain Village, had also received intelligence about then medical machine.
Konan, in particular, was deeply intrigued by its potential.
Amegakure's lack of medical-nin was a severe issue.
Ordinary villagers who fell ill had no access to treatment—they could only buy ready-made medicine from the Hyakusa Trade Association and hope for the best. Even within Amegakure, only the strongest ninjas were granted access to medical-nin.
Without a formal medical system, finding even a single ninja who could use Healing Jutsu was a rarity.
And Nagato...
Due to his unique condition, Nagato could not allow medical-nin to treat him. If he fell ill, he had only two options—endure it or rely on store-bought medicine.
But if they had a medical machine, Nagato could receive treatment whenever necessary—without exposing his true body.
When Konan brought this up, Nagato didn't object.
A single medical machine cost 300 million ryo—but for the Akatsuki, this wasn't an issue.
As long as it kept Nagato's secret safe, Nagato had no reason to refuse.
After a brief discussion, Konan set off alone, heading for the Fire Country's border.
The Keikan Trade Association was **selling medical machines in a border town between the Land of Fire, the Land of Rivers, and the Land of Rain.
For foreign ninjas, this was an ideal location—easier to access than the Fire Country's interior, allowing them to purchase machines without drawing attention.
(End of Chapter)
=========================================================
DROP THEM POWER STONES PLEASE
SUPPORT ME ON P@TREON IF YOU'D LIKE ACCESS ON ADVANCED CHAPTERS
PAT REON . COM / TurdTranslations (Just remove the space).