"Wh-As... a vessel?!"
Kawaki looked confused after hearing Mirai Uchiha's words.
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't Jigen the vessel for Isshiki?"
Looking at Kawaki's bewildered face, Mirai Uchiha smiled and shook his head. "Jigen was merely possessed by Isshiki. Although marked with the Kāma, Isshiki never attempted to reincarnate through Jigen's body. That alone proves Jigen isn't a suitable vessel."
After Mirai finished speaking, Kawaki still seemed doubtful. "Even so, that only means Jigen isn't a perfect vessel. How do you know Isshiki is targeting me?"
Mirai Uchiha smiled once more. "You have no idea how much I actually know."
"You think you're hunters hiding in the dark, but in reality, you're just toys in my palm."
"That's simply how things are. Whether you believe it or not doesn't matter."
"Let's go." Mirai waved his hand. "You don't need to keep guarding against me here."
Seeing that Mirai actually intended to let him leave, Kawaki quickly walked toward the door.
However, before leaving, Kawaki couldn't help but ask, "Since you already know Isshiki plans to reincarnate through my body, why would you still let me leave?"
"You must realize just how much power Isshiki would gain if he succeeded in reincarnating into a perfect vessel."
Mirai snorted lightly. "A frog in a well knows nothing of the great ocean."
"The reason I'm letting you leave is actually very simple—"
"I don't care."
After saying that, Mirai turned around and left the room directly.
Kawaki stared at Mirai's retreating figure, his heart unable to calm down for a long time.
He had always thought Jigen was confident, but compared to Mirai, he now seemed small-minded.
That kind of composure...
Strangely, Kawaki felt a strange sense of excitement deep inside.
When would he be able to possess such grace?
Thinking about this, he looked at his own body marked with the Kāma, and his eyes gradually grew colder.
Want to take over his body?
Dream on!
———
Inside Kara's base.
For the first time, the usually poised Jigen showed clear rage on his face.
He glared at the Kara members before him, barely able to suppress the killing intent radiating from his body.
At the moment of his imminent reincarnation, his vessel had unexpectedly gone wrong!
Kawaki...
Had actually fallen into Konoha's hands!
Of all times, it had to be now. Of all places, it had to be in Konoha...
Wasn't all of this just too coincidental?
Thinking thus, Jigen's gaze swept across Victor, Amado Sanzu, Koji Kashin, Delta, and Kodai.
But in the end, he could only sigh deeply and suppress his emotions.
"You all better prepare yourselves. Even if it means going to war with Konoha, we must reclaim Kawaki."
He had waited thousands of years to find a perfect vessel like Kawaki—there could absolutely be no margin for error.
Just then, a short old man quickly strode in.
Jigen frowned slightly, "Bug, the meeting isn't over yet."
The elderly man known as Bug trembled slightly and hurriedly explained, "Lord Jigen, there's an important discovery."
"Kawaki has escaped from Konoha!"
"What?!" Jigen couldn't help but exclaim in shock, "Are you certain?"
Bug replied solemnly, "Lord Jigen, I wouldn't dare joke about something like this."
Jigen's frown deepened.
From the recent destruction of multiple *Kara* bases, Mirai Uchiha had surely already discovered their existence.
Moreover, three core Inner Faction members—Bolo, Deepa, and Aoya—had already fallen into Mirai Uchiha's hands one after another.
Now added to that was Kawaki...
Jigen didn't believe for a moment that someone like Mirai Uchiha would fail to extract related intelligence from their minds.
But since Mirai Uchiha understood how vital Kawaki was to him, why would she let Kawaki leave Konoha?
After much deliberation, Jigen could think of only one possible explanation.
She simply didn't care.
Even after his perfect reincarnation, she still didn't care!
"Hmph. Looks like I've been seriously underestimated."
Jigen muttered bitterly.
As the head of the Otsutsuki Clan, he had always held himself in extremely high regard, never respecting the native ninja of this world.
Yet now, he'd actually been looked down upon by one of these natives.
Interesting.
He was truly eager now to complete his reincarnation and finally meet this Mirai Uchiha face-to-face.
Thinking thus, Jigen's voice turned heavy as he ordered, "All of you stay at the base. No one is to leave without my command."
With those words, he immediately activated Otsutsuki Teleportation and vanished on the spot.
[Otsutsuki Teleportation]
After he left, the Inner Faction members dispersed accordingly.
Koji Kashin and Amado Sanzu wore dark expressions.
Amado Sanzu angrily said, "What exactly is Mirai Uchiha thinking? If she wanted, she could have imprisoned or even killed Kawaki—but why, why let him go?!"
So many secret plots he had devised, only to end up with such an unexpected outcome.
Kawaki bore the Kāma inscribed by Isshiki otsutsuki. Finding him was an easy task.
Koji Kashin spoke seriously, "Should I take action now?"
Amado Sanzu replied coldly, "Do you have confidence enough?"
Koji Kashin shook his head. "Not really, but we still need to give it a try."
Upon hearing this, Amado Sanzu nodded. "I guess we have no choice. Go ahead then. I've left a positioning device on Kawaki."
Koji Kashin took the positioning device from Amado Sanzu and immediately vanished from the spot.
He must seize control of Kawaki before Jigen could find him.
——
Outside the Hidden Leaf Village.
Kawaki swiftly moved through the dense forest, constantly glancing nervously around him.
Right now, he greatly feared that Jigen would suddenly appear before him—that would be a huge problem.
After witnessing Mirai Uchiha's demeanor and abilities, he believed every word Mirai Uchiha had said without a doubt.
Such a powerful, confident opponent wouldn't lie to him about something like this.
Yet precisely because of that, Kawaki hadn't chosen to remain in Konoha.
His teenage pride couldn't bear being looked down on by Mirai Uchiha.
Even relying only on himself, he could still control his own fate.
Just as he was thinking this, a towering figure abruptly stood before him.
"Koji Kashin?!"
Kawaki stared at the man in front of him, shock clearly written across his face.
Koji Kashin wasted no words, speaking plainly: "If you don't want to die, come with me—right now. Isshiki will find you soon."
Then, without waiting for a reply, he grabbed Kawaki and rushed toward the Hidden Leaf Village.
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