The ground was cracked and scarred, the aftermath of a terrifying shockwave.
Watching the man descend from the sky, both Utakata and Hotaru were utterly stunned.
How could anyone fall from such a height and remain completely unscathed?
Seeing their wary expressions, Mirai's lips curled into a faint smile.
"Let's negotiate something."
"How about you hand over the Six-Tails willingly?"
At Mirai's demand, Utakata's expression darkened.
Asking him to surrender the Six-Tails was no different from asking him to take his own life.
"Utakata-sensei, what do we do now?" Hotaru asked, her voice tinged with panic.
Just moments ago, she had thought that Utakata was being overly paranoid. How could a simple misstep in conversation lead to someone hunting him down?
But now, she realized that he had been right all along.
Unfortunately, even though they had tried to escape at the first sign of danger, they had still been cornered.
Utakata's voice was calm but firm. "Hotaru, step aside. Don't get in the way."
"Please, be careful, Utakata-sensei."
Obediently, Hotaru retreated to a safe distance. She knew that with her level of strength, staying would only hinder him.
"It seems you're not very interested in my proposal," Mirai said, shaking his head slightly. "What a shame..."
Utakata narrowed his eyes. "Shame? What do you mean?"
Mirai chuckled. "It's a shame that now I have no choice but to kill you."
As he spoke, a powerful aura erupted from his body.
Overwhelming ocular power, terrifying chakra…
Utakata felt as though a giant serpent had coiled around him, squeezing the very air from his lungs.
"So strong!!!"
His heart sank.
The ninja before him was beyond powerful. Stronger than anyone he had ever encountered.
"Water Style: Bubble Jutsu!"
Utakata struck first, using his specially crafted tools to blow countless bubbles, engulfing Uchiha Mirai in an instant.
"Burst!"
With a single command, the bubbles exploded simultaneously.
Boom!
The ground trembled violently as shockwaves spread in all directions.
Utakata had gone all out from the very start.
"We did it! We won!"
From a distance, Hotaru couldn't contain her excitement.
An explosion of this magnitude—there was no way anyone could survive it.
As expected of Utakata-sensei, eliminating an enemy in one decisive strike.
But while Hotaru celebrated, Utakata's expression remained grim.
For some reason, he had a terrible premonition.
As the thick smoke cleared, both their faces darkened.
Standing amidst the destruction, completely unharmed, was Uchiha Mirai—his body enveloped in a translucent, blood-red skeletal frame.
The Susanoo.
"You... you're Uchiha Mirai!"
Utakata finally recognized him.
Despair took hold of his heart, crushing any remaining will to fight.
He had traveled across the shinobi world and heard far too many stories about this man.
Even with all his confidence in his own strength, he knew he stood no chance against someone known as a "God."
"Have you given up already?"
Mirai clicked his tongue in disappointment before activating his Rinnegan's ability.
In an instant, Utakata was teleported directly in front of Mirai.
Smack!
Mirai grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground.
"Sealing Jutsu: Chakra Absorption Seal."
Utakata's chakra was devoured in an instant, leaving him drained and powerless. Mirai tossed him aside like a discarded doll.
"No!"
"Please, don't kill Utakata-sensei!"
From the distance, Hotaru cried out, running toward them.
Mirai raised an eyebrow at her desperation. "I gave him a choice. He chose death."
"Utakata-sensei is a good man! He's never done anything wrong!"
"Why do all of you want to kill him?!"
Mirai's gaze turned cold. "You wouldn't understand, kid."
"I seek greater power, but this is also for the sake of the shinobi world's survival."
"The world's… survival?"
Hotaru froze, unable to comprehend his words.
The shinobi world was still standing. How could it possibly be on the brink of destruction?
And this man—he was already powerful enough to defeat Utakata-sensei effortlessly. How could he need more strength?
Seeing her confusion, Mirai didn't bother explaining further. Instead, he smirked and said,
"If you can offer me something valuable, I might reconsider sparing him."
Hotaru hesitated, uncertainty flickering across her face.
But only for a moment.
Her expression hardened with determination as she declared,
"I carry the forbidden secret jutsu of the Tsuchigumo Clan."
"If enough chakra is gathered, it can annihilate everything within millions of kilometers."
"If you spare Utakata-sensei, I will give you the Tsuchigumo Clan's secret jutsu."
As she finished speaking, she pulled down her collar, revealing her back.
Embedded in her skin was an eye-shaped structure, surrounded by pulsating veins.
"Fury…"
Buried memories surfaced in Mirai's mind.
He remembered now—the Tsuchigumo Clan did indeed possess a secret jutsu known as Fury, a technique said to cause massive explosions once enough chakra had been stored.
The range of destruction was directly linked to the amount of stored chakra.
Some legends claimed it could obliterate everything within millions of kilometers.
Mirai didn't believe such exaggerations.
If the Tsuchigumo Clan truly had that kind of power, they would have ruled the world by now.
However, the storage medium for Fury—the eye-like structure embedded in Hotaru's back—piqued his interest.
To achieve his goal of gathering the chakra of all shinobi, he needed something akin to the Ten-Tails—a vessel capable of containing immense energy.
This chakra storage device could prove useful.
With that in mind, Mirai gave a calm response. "Then from now on, you will follow me."
Hotaru nodded. "Yes!"
With their agreement settled, Mirai turned his gaze back to Utakata.
Sensing his intent, Hotaru panicked. "Wait! You promised to spare him!"
"I will spare him," Mirai said indifferently. "But I must take the Six-Tails. This is for the future of the shinobi world."
"But…" Hotaru's eyes welled with tears. "A Jinchūriki will die if their Tailed Beast is extracted!"
Seeing her distress, Mirai gently patted her head and said softly, "I will bring him back to life."
Revive…?
But resurrection was impossible… wasn't it?
Hotaru was stunned, wanting to say more, but Utakata cut her off.
"Hotaru, that's enough."
"You don't understand. What is impossible for ordinary people… might not be impossible for him."
Hotaru was shocked by the words of the usually stoic Utakata.
"Utakata-sensei, do you know him?"
Utakata nodded. "He is the one who bears the title of the Shinobi Emperor—"
"Uchiha Mirai!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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