"Oh, right."
Mirai's smile faded as he turned his gaze to Aburame Shibi, who was still standing there, lost in thought.
"Earlier, you mentioned that once Anrokuzan was dealt with, you'd hold me accountable for impersonating a Konoha shinobi?"
At those words, Aburame Shibi swallowed hard.
For the first time, he wasn't ignored, yet he couldn't find any joy in it.
Big guy, you never said you were this strong!
If I had known you could take down a monster like Anrokuzan with a single strike, I never would've questioned whether you were a fake Konoha ninja.
With power like that, why would you even need to pretend?!
If Konoha had a shinobi of this level, people would be laughing in their sleep.
As Aburame Shibi remained silent, Uchiha Mirai showed no intention of letting him off the hook. "I'll give you two choices."
"One, you take a single strike from me. Two, you take countless strikes from me."
Aburame Shibi's lips twitched.
Was there even a difference?
Sensing the killing intent radiating from Mirai, Akimichi Chōza quickly stepped forward with a forced laugh.
"Hahaha… since we're all Konoha shinobi, there's no need to be so angry."
"Didn't you just say we're old acquaintances?"
"We're all friends here… friends."
Mirai snorted. "Being old acquaintances just means we've known each other for a long time. It doesn't mean we're friends."
"You lot aren't even qualified to be my friends."
His words were utterly humiliating, but Akimichi Chōza and Aburame Shibi could only force smiles.
What choice did they have? Considering the power he had just displayed, even if the three of them were at their peak, they wouldn't stand a chance against him.
Let alone now, when their chakra and stamina were nearly depleted.
Seeing Mirai's unfriendly gaze, Namikaze Minato stepped forward. "We still don't know how to address you."
"Just call me 'Mirai,'" he replied indifferently.
"Mirai?" Namikaze Minato murmured.
A name that means 'future,' and he came from the future…
Perhaps fate had played a hand in this?
With that thought, Namikaze Minato bowed deeply to Mirai.
"Thank you for saving the entire shinobi world. On behalf of my comrades, I apologize for offending you."
Aburame Shibi immediately dropped to his knees in a deep bow.
"Lord Mirai, please forgive my ignorance and foolishness!"
"I was wrong."
His three words were firm and filled with sincere remorse.
Uchiha Mirai stepped forward and kicked Aburame Shibi flying.
Seeing this, Namikaze Minato and Akimichi Chōza actually looked relieved.
If he was only beating him up, that meant he wasn't going to kill him.
Just as Akimichi Chōza was about to say something to lighten the mood, Mirai lashed out again.
Boom!
The massive Akimichi Chōza was sent flying.
"W-Why did you hit me?! I didn't even offend you…"
Mirai replied casually, "Felt like it."
"Oh, and say thank you."
Taking a hit for no reason and then being told to say thanks, Akimichi Chōza had never felt more aggrieved.
But facing someone as ruthless as Uchiha Mirai, he could only swallow his anger and force the words out.
"T-Thank you…"
Seeing his friend's expression, Aburame Shibi couldn't help but chuckle.
Then he noticed Mirai looking his way.
"Did I say you could laugh?"
"Ah? Ah! Th-Thank you, Lord Mirai…"
Uchiha Mirai smiled in satisfaction.
Namikaze Minato, Akimichi Chōza, and Aburame Shibi all let out a breath of relief.
That smile meant the matter was settled.
Namikaze Minato inspected Anrokuzan's corpse and, upon confirming he was truly dead, finally relaxed.
Looking at Uchiha Mirai, he asked, "Mirai, you really came from the future?"
Mirai nodded. "That's right. Anrokuzan did too, though he arrived six years before I did."
Hearing this, Namikaze Minato, Akimichi Chōza, Aburame Shibi, and even Sara all gaped in shock.
Time travel… was actually possible?
For some reason, a primal fear stirred within them.
It was the natural awe humans had for overwhelming power.
"The explosive tags are set."
A white-haired boy wearing a mask suddenly appeared, exuding an aura as sharp as a drawn blade.
Seeing the battlefield in ruins, his eyes filled with confusion. "What happened here?"
Namikaze Minato explained, "You're a step too late. Anrokuzan has already been dealt with."
Kakashi was stunned.
According to their mission assessment, Anrokuzan had gained control over the power of the Dragon Veins.
Before attacking, they had prepared for the worst.
Yet…
In the time it took him to set up explosive tags, Anrokuzan had already been taken care of?
Noticing Kakashi's expression, Namikaze Minato took the initiative to explain.
"It's thanks to him… Mirai-sama."
Strength dictated respect in the shinobi world.
Even though Mirai was from the future and appeared to be around their age, Namikaze Minato still chose to address him respectfully.
"Mirai?"
Namikaze Minato smiled. "That's right. His name is Mirai, and he comes from the future. Just like Anrokuzan, he used the power of the Dragon Veins to travel through time."
Hearing this, Kakashi couldn't help but exclaim, "From the future?!"
"That's impossible!"
He turned and carefully scrutinized Uchiha Mirai.
For some reason, he found him oddly familiar—and incredibly irritating.
Seeing Kakashi's stare, Mirai said calmly, "Kakashi, don't look at me like that."
"Unless you want a beating."
Kakashi was taken aback. "You know me?"
"Of course." Mirai smirked. "The famous Konoha technician, the white-haired perv who reads dirty books in secret—Hatake Kakashi!"
Silence.
A deathly silence.
Aside from Kakashi's heavy breathing, all sound vanished.
Namikaze Minato, Akimichi Chōza, and Aburame Shibi all looked at Kakashi in utter disbelief, as if they were meeting him for the first time.
Sara, on the other hand, made a disgusted face and clung to Mirai's arm, hiding behind him.
After a long pause, Kakashi unsheathed his short sword. "I'm going to kill you!"
Uchiha Mirai waved his hand dismissively.
Kakashi snorted. "What? Are you backing out?"
Mirai shook his head with a grin. "I'm not refusing. There's just no need to talk."
"Come, Kakashi. Time for another beating."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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