"A little ploy?"
"Is that what you're saying..."
Seeing Kodai's shocked expression, Mirai Uchiha smiled. "Did you really think I'd let someone like Amado just leave Konoha freely?"
"When I realized only Amado could remove the limiter within you, I already guessed you'd definitely seek him out."
"Luckily for me, you're so naive, which made obtaining the second Ten-Tails surprisingly easy."
After hearing Mirai's words, Kodai nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
He never imagined that every move he made had been seen through from the beginning.
Thinking about this, Kodai couldn't help but say, "What if I just kill Amado directly then? A man like him must still be quite valuable to you, right?"
Hearing this, Mirai simply shook her head with a smile.
"Kodai, bringing back the dead is no trouble at all for me."
A sense of helplessness welled up inside Kodai. He had always been confident in his abilities, yet this time he'd lost so completely.
"Curses!!"
Gritting his teeth, Kodai clenched his fists tightly, his face full of unwillingness.
Seeing this, Mirai said indifferently, "No need to make that face. I was barely a teenager when I started fighting in wars—there isn't a battle, large or small, that I haven't seen. You, however... were nothing more than a dog raised like a puppet. Losing to me was only natural."
"Alright, our chat ends here. The Ten-Tails inside you now belongs to me."
Mirai walked toward Kodai and placed her hand on top of his head.
In an instant, the Ten-Tails within Kodai was forcefully extracted by an irresistible power.
Thud!
As Kodai's corpse crashed onto the ground, Mirai silently clasped her hands behind her back.
By now, all major members of Kara had been captured. Once those remaining small fry were dealt with, Kara would be eliminated once and for all.
After a moment's consideration, Mirai brought the Ten-Tails to Orochimaru's lab complex.
The previously raging Ten-Tails behaved as docilely as a kitten before Mirai.
Seeing the Ten-Tails, Orochimaru and the others wore expressions of shock. "Future-san, this is..."
Mirai smiled. "This is a new Ten-Tails obtained from Kara. From now on, it will be under your research team's care—work hard to replicate its power successfully."
Orochimaru and the rest nodded eagerly upon hearing this.
If they truly succeeded in replicating the Ten-Tails, combined with Mirai's Bakusantsugi ability, the ninja world could finally make a true comeback!
After assigning tasks to Orochimaru's team, Mirai returned to the Hokage Tower.
Under his command, the crackdown against Kara unfolded methodically throughout Shen Nation.
Dealing with these individuals was simple enough—kill them outright.
Mirai Uchiha had no intention of giving these brainwashed members of Kara a chance to redeem themselves.
After all, according to intelligence reports, most of them were simply people who fantasized about getting something for nothing.
Even though Shen Nation had already established a robust system of social support, they remained dissatisfied.
Their desires started simply—with just enough food to eat—but gradually grew toward wanting richer meals and finer clothes. Eventually, they began to imagine lounging in bed while feasting on the finest resources the ninja world had to offer.
For such freeloaders, Mirai Uchiha naturally showed no mercy.
————
Half a year passed in the blink of an eye. Mirai Uchiha walked along the streets of Konoha.
As he passed by a curry shop, Mirai suddenly stopped.
The reason?
Three men clad in green spandex suits, each with a bowl haircut, blocked his path.
"Future, long time no see!"
Might Guy bellowed.
Mirai Uchiha silently took two steps back, avoiding Might Guy's open arms.
Even he could only sidestep the advance when faced with a sweaty man trying to give him a hug.
Ignoring Might Guy's disappointed look, Mirai glanced at the now gray-haired Might Duy and smiled. "Duy, how has your health been lately?"
Might Duy chuckled, "Not bad. I did a handstand run around Konoha today, oh well..."
Mirai raised his eyebrows slightly. "What happened?"
Rock Lee immediately answered from the side, "He sprained his waist."
Mirai stepped forward and checked Might Duy's condition, sensing that his body functions had severely deteriorated.
Might Duy didn't possess a physique resistant to injury; years of intense training and combat had left hidden injuries within his body.
These wounds had accumulated over time, leaving Duy's body practically in failing condition.
"Hahahaha… Guess I can't deny getting older now! Back in my prime, I could've done this effortlessly—one-handed, even!"
Hearing Might Duy, the man always shouting about "youth" and "passion," admit that he couldn't fight aging made Mirai feel momentarily stunned.
So much time had already passed since he came into this world...
It seemed like it was time to settle down and truly savor life.
Mirai channeled a gentle wave of positive energy into Duy's body, completely healing all of his internal injuries.
"Future, what did you just do?!"
Feeling the change within his body, Might Duy opened his mouth in shock.
He felt completely rejuvenated, as if a great weight had been lifted from his body.
Mirai Uchiha smiled. "I just helped you recover from some internal injuries. That's all—I didn't do anything else."
For most people, aging and death are inevitable. He had no intention of interfering with that natural process.
But when it came to things like healing those hidden wounds, he wouldn't ignore them either.
Thinking about it, Mirai's tone turned somewhat displeased: "From now on, don't push yourself recklessly like before, Uncle Duy."
Upon hearing this, Might Duy sounded melancholic as he spoke: "Mirai, it reminds me of how I used to run beneath the setting sun... That was my lost youth."
"In the end, youth can't stand against time."
"You're wrong, Uncle Duy," Mirai solemnly replied upon sensing Duy's sadness. "True youth isn't just about relentless perseverance; it's about being passed on endlessly from one generation to the next."
As Mirai finished speaking, Might Duy, Might Guy, and Rock Lee all stood there frozen.
They mumbled softly, repeating the words Mirai had spoken.
"True youth… is about being passed on endlessly from one generation to the next..."
After a long silence, excitement suddenly lit up their faces.
That's right!
Humans couldn't resist aging, and youth would inevitably vanish.
But as long as one's will lives on in others, isn't everything still carried forward?
In that moment, all three understood the meaning of legacy.
"Waaah!"
"Guy!"
"Father!"
"Master!"
"Lee!"
Seeing the three hugging each other and shedding tears in the street, Mirai quickly slipped into a nearby curry shop.
Sometimes he truly envied them—they had no concept of what "social death" even meant.
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