"Yuhi, this is for you…"
"Just came from Kiyo, right?"
Hyuga Mirai's words were cut off by Kurenai Yuhi, but she still accepted the flowers, and he wasn't left outside the door.
Even so, this was not something to admit. Though Yuhi smiled on the surface, no one could tell what she thought.
"I spent a long time designing this bouquet, so it blooms differently in day and night, just like you."
Mirai placed a specially made vase beside her using Yin-Yang Release and handed it over.
After arranging the flowers, Yuhi placed them on the balcony. Under the moonlight, the blooms changed posture as if influencing each other, glowing faintly.
Yuhi smiled slightly. She wasn't sure if Mirai's words were sincere, but the flowers spoke for themselves.
Turning around, she found Mirai standing behind her, much taller. If she didn't tilt her head, she could only see his chest.
"Too tall."
Despite saying so, she didn't step back. Instead, she moved half a step closer, resting her head lightly on his chest. "Mirai, since when did you have feelings for me?"
Recently? She couldn't say that—she'd be kicked out. Was she listening to his heartbeat against his chest? Mirai wondered. Pure-hearted men often doubted rumors, but he had mastered the Bloodline Network, tenfold gravity training, and regenerative Taijutsu.
Controlling a heartbeat was nothing; even if a heart skipped a year, it would be fine.
"About a year or so after we formed the team. We had to do boring missions every day back then. When I ran into trouble, the first person I could think to turn to was you, Kurenai."
Mirai carefully chose the timing to speak. This was when he communicated least with her in the squad; Yuhi still clung to him, often visiting before missions.
As expected, Yuhi held his hand slightly tighter, her lips forming a crescent. He could feel her chest press like two soft buns—similar to his experience with Kiyo earlier.
Among the eight, Yuhi required more attention to soothe than Kiyo, more time than Ayaka, but understood consent better than two others. In terms of emotional pull, she was closer to Mirai.
By dawn, she was breathing in shallow gasps, body curled up, red eyes dazed, almost defenseless.
Underneath, a mature, alluring charm like a ripe peach was evident. As ninjas began work at daybreak, she regained composure, forcing Mirai away. She hurried to the bathroom to change for a bath.
"Damn that fool, even the sheets and mat need changing."
Yuhi blushed, complaining in the bathroom. Her body was so sensitive that even slight contact revealed moisture. If she had driven Mirai away earlier, she'd have noticed water marks on the bed.
"Yuhi!"
After a while, Mitarashi Anko called from outside.
Yuhi had just finished bathing, planning to tell her to leave, but spotting the wet marks under the bed, she abandoned the idea.
Peeking out, she sheepishly said, "Anko, I feel too comfortable today, might take a nap soon."
"Did you rest last night? Then it's okay. But your face is flushed… fever?"
Anko noticed Yuhi's unusual pallor and asked with concern, "Should I take you to the hospital?"
"No, no need. I'm a medical ninja myself. I'll be fine after some rest."
Yuhi quickly dismissed it, avoiding revealing last night's events. With the room cleared of scent, she could send Anko away.
"Only slightly harder than Sage Mode. With your strength, it's nothing…"
Mirai thought confidently, then returned via Yomibirasaka to the SandFederation. His clones and duplicates were busy with research and administration. Aside from pending tasks, he planned to gradually tidy up the ninja world.
Right now, only Tobi was hopping around everywhere. Hyuga Mirai had already obtained the control method for the heart curse mark on Tobi from Uchiha Madara. As long as Tobi appeared, he couldn't escape the curse mark's control, provided the mark on him hadn't been removed.
Mirai also had a backup: he left a spatial seal under Nohara Rin. Federation news was reporting on the merger between the Federation and Konoha, with a photo of Kakashi and Rin shaking hands.
A person who should be dead reappearing, and as the Three-Tails Jinchuriki no less—once Uchiha Obito saw this news, he would definitely come looking for Nohara Rin.
Touching Rin would trigger the spatial seal, drawing him into Kamui space, allowing Mirai to lock onto Tobi via Yomibirasaka.
Kamui could be countered, but only if its presence was detected. If there were a flaw, Tobi's Kamui would be compromised.
"Number 18, any progress on solar energy conversion?"
Mirai arrived at the lab, seeing Uchiha Madara's corpse, deciding to use it for an experiment.
"Sir, after 42,563 simulations, among all life forms, only your body can effectively absorb the photoelectron energy converted from sunlight. However, the absorption efficiency is three percent of natural energy's. No new discoveries regarding advancement were found. If the body's energy absorption were modified into a semi-biological, semi-mechanical energy force field, it could achieve storage and utilization of energy."
Mirai dismissed the holographic results. "That's your desired degeneration of life, Number 18. For mechanical units' energy research, your experiment succeeded."
Solar energy storage and utilization could be achieved; small-scale application awaited industrial development.
Mirai's life leaned toward small Otsutsuki units. Degeneration relied on the Divine Tree harvesting natural energy. Offering a small Otsutsuki allowed the tree to fully mature, producing Chakra fruit capable of inducing degeneration.
Every step was critical. Mirai reviewed the tree's growth data, tapping the table while contemplating alternative ways to induce degeneration.
The Otsutsuki method demanded little from planets, but Mirai was greedy. He wanted to benefit both himself and those around him.
Outside planets, stars held the most abundant energy—researching this was like striking gold.
While pondering, soothing music played.
"Number 18, you don't need music. Turn it off."
Mirai sighed, preparing to adapt the Divine Tree to absorb photoelectron energy instead of natural energy.
He understood why offering a small Otsutsuki was necessary: the tree analyzed its DNA, producing a Chakra fruit optimized for degeneration.
The Divine Tree was essentially the minimum research unit for Otsutsuki, analyzing life structure, degeneration pathways, and producing fruit to induce degeneration.
Mirai planned to fully understand the Divine Tree, analyzing every particle. If successful, he could search the universe for suitable planets to cultivate it, using the sun to generate Chakra fruit.
"Number 18, reanalyze the Divine Tree. Focus on photoelectron energy absorption. A 'tree' should absorb solar energy. Right, Number 18?"
He retrieved all data on cultivation and growth probability, instructing Number 18.
"You are correct, Sir. Recalculations have begun. However, individual cases make data comparison difficult. I need more data, Sir."
Mirai immediately thought of another living Divine Tree in the ninja world. "I will bring back other Divine Trees in the near future. But before that, I need to set a rule: no music of any kind is allowed in the research lab from now on, 18. Your taste needs correction."
"Obito, the Federal newspaper has new content. You'll definitely be interested in the news on it."
White Zetsu called out, handing the latest issue of the newspaper to Obito. It featured a picture of Kakashi and Nohara Rin shaking hands.
"I told you the intel I gathered couldn't be wrong. Now you should believe me, right? Nohara Rin never died. Back then, that was your... uh."
Tobi held his clone, crying. If he lost control and killed it, the situation would be tragic.
It was Madara's order; White Zetsu had no choice but to execute it. However, Obito hadn't believed Nohara Rin was still alive a few days ago, since he personally buried 'Nohara Rin's body.'
But now, seeing the newspaper, that familiar face and gaze made Obito tremble, nearly dropping the paper.
"Rin... is alive?... What is going on?"
"Alright, as long as you don't get angry, I'll tell you! Ah!"
Before White Zetsu could finish, Obito's Susanoo severed its lower body. Then White Zetsu saw Obito's Sharingan fixed intently on it.
"Speak quickly!"
White Zetsu didn't dare to quip anymore. If it delayed any longer, Obito might just kill it. So White Zetsu hurriedly said, "Understood, understood! It's like this. Madara, in order to use you..."
Quickly, White Zetsu recounted the events of that time. After listening, Obito sat quietly in place, though White Zetsu, seeing Obito's crimson Sharingan, didn't dare to chatter beside him.
"I want to see Rin!"
After saying this, Obito directly used Kamui to leave the underground cave.
Only after Obito left did White Zetsu slowly reattach its severed body, muttering, "Isn't this walking right into a trap..."
(End of chapter)
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