"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! We were having such a good conversation, why start fighting..."
Mirai Uchiha patted his sleeve and muttered with lingering fear.
Thankfully he had run fast enough; otherwise, he felt like Shizuka Yuhi would've killed him on the spot.
Still, it was understandable.
If anyone's two cherished daughters were harmed, wouldn't they feel a murderous impulse too?
"Whatever. I should go to Hokage Tower first."
With that thought, Mirai instantly appeared inside the Hokage's Office.
Inside the office, Tsunade, Konan, and Shizune had long grown used to this sight. Upon seeing Mirai appear, they immediately began to complain.
"Mirai, look at these mountains of paperwork. When will it ever end?"
"Hmph! You have all the fun while we're stuck here working our butts off doing all the dirty jobs!"
"Why don't you give us a day off already!"
Seeing the exhausted expressions on Tsunade and the others' faces, Mirai also felt somewhat guilty.
Ever since the founding of the Shen Nation, the desk had been piled so high with papers it looked like it might collapse any minute.
Even if Tsunade and the others worked from dawn till dusk every day, they still couldn't finish processing everything.
Thinking for a moment, Mirai said firmly, "Just hang in there for a few more days. Minato's inauguration ceremony is coming up in a week."
"Once Minato becomes the Fifth Hokage, you'll finally get some relief."
Hearing that, Tsunade and the others exchanged doubtful glances. "Mirai, are you sure about that?"
"Even after Minato becomes Hokage, he'll probably be swamped under all this paper, right?"
"He'll still need us to help out anyway..."
Mirai waved his hand solemnly, "You guys really underestimate the speed of the fastest man in the ninja world!"
"Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!" Tsunade and the others blushed in embarrassment. "What nonsense are you spouting now!"
Having followed Mirai for so long, they'd gradually gotten used to his verbal quirks.
In his mouth, even perfectly normal words somehow sounded improper.
Seeing their expressions, Mirai chuckled slightly. "Alright, alright, just hold on a bit longer, and I'll grant you all an extended vacation."
Changing the subject, he asked, "Is there anything urgent that needs my attention lately?"
Upon hearing this, Tsunade immediately answered, "Both Onoki and Pakura reported no sign of Kara."
"Additionally, according to intelligence reports, an organization called Akatsuki has recently grown very active in the ninja world."
"They claim they can provide strength support to weaker nations."
"Not long ago, two members from Akatsuki infiltrated the Land of Iron."
Mirai Uchiha rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a faint sneer appearing on his face. "The Land of Iron?"
"That time during the Three Kage Summit Meeting, Mifune left quite an impression on me."
"I was just about to start expanding Shen Nation's territory. The Land of Iron will be my first target!"
"Ah…" Seeing Mirai preparing to leave, Konan suddenly called out.
However, after thinking for a moment, she finally closed her mouth.
Back when she had agreed to follow Mirai Uchiha to Konoha, she had made two requests.
One was asking Mirai to help her kill Danzo Shimura, and the other was asking him to show mercy to Nagato if they ever crossed paths again.
But as time passed, Konan felt those memories became hazy, like a distant past.
She found herself unable to bring up that one request again—"asking Mirai to spare Nagato."
After all, between powerful opponents, victory or defeat often decided within a single moment.
Even with the Rinnegan, Nagato might be strong enough to hurt Mirai. She didn't want Mirai to suffer any mishap because of her plea.
Mirai Uchiha walked beside Konan and whispered softly, "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten what I promised you back then."
"No…" Konan quickly shook her head. "Mirai, I don't want anything unexpected happening to you."
"You're everything I have now, and also the future hope of the ninja world."
"Therefore… if Nagato chooses to oppose you, please fight with all your strength. You must ensure nothing happens to yourself at all!"
Hearing Konan's words, Mirai reached out and pulled her into his arms.
He hadn't expected her to say something like that.
Thinking about it, he lowered his head near Konan's ear and spoke slowly, "Rest assured, I've already decided how to handle Nagato's matter myself."
"Even if he possesses the Rinnegan too, my ocular power far surpasses his."
"All you need to do is go home, take a nice bath, and wait for me patiently."
Konan's face reddened slightly. "Okay... I'll always wait for you until you come ba—"
Before Konan could finish speaking, Mirai covered her mouth: "Alright, let's stop here."
Watching Konan silently nodding, Mirai quietly exhaled in relief.
If not for the sharp instincts he'd honed from countless battles in his past life, there'd probably already be several FGs sticking out of him by now...
Looks like all that watching really paid off.
———
The Land of Iron.
Kokuto.
Hidan lay on the ground, blood spilling everywhere.
A razor-sharp spear had been thrust through his body.
Beside him lay a woman, her hands pinned to the wall, already lifeless.
"Tsk..."
Hidan frowned as he sat upright from the ground, directing his gaze toward Kakuzu, who was on the other side intently counting money.
"Kakuzu, are we really going to keep waiting here forever?"
Without lifting his head, Kakuzu replied, "Of course. I'm counting my money here, and you can go do your sacrificial ritual. We won't interfere with each other. What's wrong with that?"
Hidan said solemnly, "These sacrifices are of too low quality. Continuing to offer such low-quality humans will certainly anger the evil gods."
Kakuzu responded absentmindedly, "Do sacrifices really have quality differences? As long as they're humans, isn't that acceptable?"
Hidan immediately retorted loudly, "Of course not! Some despicable humans don't even have the qualifications to be offered as sacrifices to the evil gods!"
"The stronger the sacrifice, the more delighted the evil gods become."
"People like Mirai Uchiha are the kind of sacrifices the evil gods value the most."
"I'm getting more and more worked up now—why don't we just head straight to Konoha and find Mirai Uchiha!"
Kakuzu finally managed to tear his eyes away from the money and gave Hidan a glance before sarcastically muttering, "What an idiot."
Hidan stood up and shouted, "I'm not crazy at all! Are you coming to Konoha with me or not? If not, I'll go alone!"
Before Kakuzu could respond, a mocking voice suddenly sounded from behind them, "No need for all that trouble. I've already come here myself."
Immediately, both Hidan and Kakuzu turned their heads and saw a man with long white hair staring calmly at them.
Cold sweat instantly broke out on their foreheads.
Shit!
When had this guy appeared behind them? They hadn't sensed him at all!
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