The autumn wind howled, stripping the once-lush trees of their leaves and turning them into a sea of gold.
From time to time, pedestrians hurried down the road, wrapping themselves tightly in their cloaks.
A young man leaned against the branch of a large tree, lost in thought.
It had been twelve years since he had traveled to the Naruto world.
After the initial excitement, the boy spent a little time each day reflecting on how he might survive in the future.
The reason for his distress was simple.
He had crossed through time and become a member of the Uchiha clan.
Even setting aside the looming night of genocide, the upcoming Third Ninja World War promised extreme danger.
The young man, a time traveler, understood clearly that even with talent, it was far from enough.
In this world, what it lacked the least was "genius."
Except for a handful of monsters, no matter how hard others tried, they could only become supporting characters.
And for the Uchiha clan, their role as foils often ended in one way—
Death.
Although the conflict between the Uchiha clan and Konoha's elders had not yet reached the irreconcilable stage it would after the Night of the Nine-Tails, the malice of the village leaders toward the clan was already beginning to show.
Once war broke out, he would most likely be cannon fodder, destined to die on some nameless mission.
"Ah!!! This is so annoying!"
The young man ruffled his hair irritably, his eyes flashing with cold indifference.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzo…
If those two were not eliminated, the Uchiha clan would never know peace.
Suddenly, a loud noise broke his thoughts. The boy frowned slightly, glancing toward the alley below.
"Kurenai, I heard there's a new barbecue restaurant in the village. Want to go with me tonight?"
A square-faced boy stood in front of a delicate girl, arms stretched out in a clumsy attempt at charm.
Noticing the girl's displeasure, he quickly added, "It's my treat."
"Asuma, can you calm down? I told you I'm not in a good mood today."
The girl, Yuhi Kurenai, frowned.
"Bad mood?"
"Who upset you? Tell me, I'll deal with him!"
Asuma Sarutobi straightened with sudden energy at her words.
Kurenai rolled her eyes.
This guy… always so self-righteous. No wonder people dislike him.
Still, what could she do?
He was the Hokage's son, after all.
Kurenai didn't want to offend him too much, so she bit back her irritation and simply tried to walk away.
But to her surprise, Asuma reached out to grab her arm.
"Ah! What are you doing?"
Kurenai stepped back quickly, glaring at him.
"Hehehe… Kurenai, I just want to treat you to dinner. If you don't like barbecue, we can get dessert. Or go shopping."
Oblivious to the anger on her face, Asuma blocked her path with a grin.
"Asuma, get out of my way! You're really annoying!"
Her sharp words twisted his expression.
Wounded pride stoked a nameless anger inside him.
"No!"
"You—!"
A mist of tears welled in Kurenai's eyes.
This is too much. Even if he's the Hokage's son, he can't just throw his weight around like this.
"Get out of the way!"
"No!"
"Get out of the way!"
"I won't!"
"…!"
Their voices clashed in the narrow alley.
Perched above, the boy on the tree—already in a foul mood—grew more irritated.
"Keep it down. I'm thinking."
The sudden voice froze them both. They looked up.
On a tree several meters high, a handsome youth leaned against a branch. His clothes bore the Uchiha fan, and his sharp gaze pressed down on them.
"Uchiha… Mirai?!"
Both Asuma and Kurenai recognized him instantly.
The same Uchiha Mirai who had recently earned the title of the clan's new genius.
"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to…"
Kurenai, flustered under his gaze, bowed her head. Her voice had indeed been louder just now.
"Tch!"
Asuma snorted. "Who do you think you are? Don't act so arrogant. If you don't like the noise, then leave!"
His goddess apologizing to another boy in front of him was humiliation enough. That it was Uchiha Mirai—someone he already disliked—made it worse.
"Leave?"
"Heh…"
A dangerous smile curved Mirai's lips.
If I can't beat your father, I can at least beat you.
He gathered chakra into his feet and calmly walked down the tree trunk step by step.
Both Asuma and Kurenai gaped at the display.
As the daughter of an elite jōnin and the son of the Hokage, they both recognized refined chakra control when they saw it.
"W-What do you want?"
Asuma took a half-step back.
"It's simple," Mirai said flatly. "I want you to pay the price for what you just said and did."
"You dare!"
Seeing Mirai's contemptuous smirk, Asuma's anger flared.
"Don't dare?"
"Then tell me why not. Because you're the Hokage's son?"
Mirai sneered.
Right now, he had no reason to hold back.
"Asshole!"
Asuma's face flushed red. More than anything, he hated being dismissed as just the Hokage's son. Was that all he was worth?
Fuming, he clenched his fists and charged at Mirai.
But in the next instant, Mirai crouched low—
And swept his legs out.
Asuma lost his footing and flailed helplessly in midair.
So fast!
Before he could react, Mirai's kick slammed into his chest.
Bang!
With a dull thud, Asuma screamed, flying several meters before crashing to the ground.
"Too weak."
Mirai scoffed. "And you think that gives you the right to run your mouth?"
Satisfied, his irritation eased. Dusting off his hands, he turned and walked away, not sparing Asuma a second glance.
"Wait a moment!"
Mirai paused, glancing back at Kurenai.
"Thank you."
Her eyes shone with sincerity.
Mirai shook his head. "Those who try to make things difficult for you won't stop just because you're afraid or weak."
He patted her shoulder. "Next time, do what I did…"
But before he could finish, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations to the host for awakening the Plundering System.]
[Ding! Reward acquired: Constitution +1!]
-End Chapter-
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