"Do you think Nohara Rin is safe?"
"For now, yes," Hyuga Mirai replied, glancing at a message from Unit 18. "But she refuses to leave until she's secured shelter for the orphans and the weak. I should've prepared better—installing only a detonation control on her but not a forced-extraction armor was an oversight on my part."
Mirai continued, "Konoha won't react that quickly. At most, they'll target key members of the Uzumaki Trade Association within the Land of Fire. But outside of it? No one will care."
To put it bluntly, all 30,000 computers in the ninja world were under Uzumaki Trade Association's control. And once Mirai completed his electrical grid reforms, that number would multiply. If Konoha only moved against key figures within the organization, it wouldn't be a problem. But if they dared to go after anyone remotely connected to the association, Mirai would truly admire their audacity.
Apart from factories in the capital and data centers in other regions, the most high-profile member of the trade association was Nohara Rin. As the lead healer constantly providing aid, she was the only one likely to attract Konoha's attention.
At this point, Rin's medical ninjutsu was among the best in Konoha. Her reputation had spread, and to Konoha, she was someone worth abducting.
The Healing Phantom—A Masked Saint Capable of Curing Anything.
That was the name Rin had earned in the Land of Fire's capital. Both nobles and commoners alike revered her. If Konoha's ANBU attempted to take her by force, there was a high chance of a civilian uprising. And if the people supported her, the nobles would follow suit, condemning Konoha's actions.
Whether someone was a missing-nin or not didn't matter to nobles. The black-market exchange for bounties across the ninja world thrived precisely because of their support.
And Rin was far more valuable than the average missing-nin. Her presence in the capital provided every noble a form of insurance—the assurance of having their lives in capable hands.
That said, Konoha still had Danzo, a man willing to use any means necessary. Mirai had no intention of leaving Rin in such a dangerous place.
The Uzumaki Trade Association had established its foothold here. Their next target was the Land of Wind.
Aside from Sunagakure and the endless deserts, the Land of Wind would serve as the first true step in Mirai's plan to reshape the ninja world.
"Ayaka, once we return—"
Before Mirai could finish, both he and Ayaka Uzumaki tensed, their expressions shifting. Almost instinctively, they leapt in opposite directions.
BOOM!
A figure crashed down from the sky, her fist slamming into the ground with monstrous strength. The impact left a crater over ten meters wide, spiderweb-like cracks radiating outward.
Mirai's lips twitched. "...That monstrous strength… How nostalgic. Why am I not surprised to run into you here, Princess Tsunade?"
Ayaka, who had quickly moved to Mirai's side, spoke with urgency. "My deepest apologies, Mirai-sama. I failed to detect the enemy in advance—"
"It's fine," Mirai reassured her, unconcerned. "I wasn't using my Byakugan either. Besides, it's not surprising that one of the legendary Sannin knows a trick or two about hiding her presence."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the figure shot out from the dust cloud, fists poised to strike.
"Not happening!"
Ayaka shouted as four golden adamantine chains erupted from her back, weaving into a defensive shield between them.
CLANG!
A deafening clash followed. The chains, capable of binding even a Tailed Beast, were shattered upon impact. But Tsunade, having been affected by the sealing properties of the chains, was forced to retreat.
"Princess Tsunade, attacking someone the moment you meet them? That's quite the reckless greeting," Mirai remarked, activating his Byakugan. He scanned the area but found no sign of others—not even Shizune.
So, it really was a coincidence.
"There's no need for pleasantries with a rogue ninja like you!" Tsunade snapped, her golden eyes narrowing in fury. She then glanced at Ayaka, her mind racing. 'Why is a girl with Adamantine Sealing Chains following this Byakugan brat? Did Jiraiya fail to gather this intelligence?'
When it came to Adamantine Sealing Chains, few in Konoha knew more than Tsunade—aside from Kushina Uzumaki. Even within the Uzumaki Clan, only a handful could awaken this ability. These chains weren't just physical weapons; they carried immense sealing power, capable of completely restraining an enemy.
"Princess Tsunade," Mirai said casually, "you left Konoha before the war even started. Do you really have the right to judge me? If you weren't the First Hokage's granddaughter, Konoha's ANBU would've dragged you back a long time ago. And yet, despite your years of disconnection, why do you seem so personally enraged?"
Ignoring Tsunade's reaction, Mirai turned to Ayaka. "Go to the capital and secure Rin. I'll handle things here."
"But, Mirai-sama—"
"Go, Ayaka."
"...Understood."
Ayaka hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly obeyed. Before leaving, she shot Tsunade a glare before vanishing into the distance.
She knew that, in combat, Rin was practically useless. Her entire skillset revolved around medical ninjutsu. Despite having the Three-Tails sealed inside her, she had barely tapped into its power, only using minor amounts of its chakra.
Still, Ayaka was more concerned about Mirai's safety than Rin's situation.
Tsunade, however, didn't try to stop her. She knew that the true threat was the white-eyed man before her.
Jiraiya had already warned her of Hyuga Mirai's strength. But now, standing before him, she still couldn't stop herself from striking first.
"Princess Tsunade, I thought we might find some common ground, but it seems you're not interested in a conversation."
Hyuga Mirai spoke calmly, forming hand seals as glowing runes flickered across his body before vanishing. With the Weighted Rock Seal lifted, his body felt significantly lighter.
There was no need to activate Tenseigan Chakra mode or Sage Mode—his sage chakra had been given to Kushina Uzumaki, and he hadn't accumulated enough to use yet. Besides, Tenseigan Chakra Mode consumed far too much chakra. Tsunade was a taijutsu-based fighter; handling her wouldn't require such extreme measures.
A good beating should be enough. If she resisted, he'd simply wound himself and use it to his advantage.
"You little brat," Tsunade scoffed. "I've wanted to teach you a lesson since our encounter at Konoha Hospital. Looks like today's finally my chance."
She formed hand seals of her own, and in an instant, the diamond-shaped mark on her forehead pulsed, spreading intricate black markings across her body.
This was Yin Seal: Release, activating the legendary Strength of a Hundred Technique—as long as she had chakra, she was virtually unkillable in battle.
"Come on, kid!"
With a burst of speed, Tsunade vanished and reappeared before Mirai, her foot swinging downward with terrifying force. Her monstrous strength allowed her to focus chakra into any part of her body, unleashing power beyond human limits.
Any ordinary ninja would've dodged instinctively, but Mirai instead raised both hands to meet her kick head-on, eager to gauge her raw power.
Among all taijutsu users in the ninja world, his skill ranked at the top. Even if his raw strength didn't surpass hers, there was no reason to back down in a taijutsu duel.
BOOM!
The moment her foot connected with his palms, an overwhelming force surged through every inch of Mirai's body, as if gravity had suddenly increased six or seven times over. His bones and muscles groaned under the pressure.
Like a nail hammered into the earth, his feet sank deep into the ground. If not for his years of rigorous taijutsu training—strengthening his body through gravity seals and sage-enhanced conditioning—his arms would've snapped under the impact.
"Not done yet!"*
Tsunade twisted midair, her fist barreling toward him.
BAM!
The punch was just as devastating as her kick. Mirai blocked, but the force sent him hurtling backward over ten meters.
*"He blocked it?"*
Tsunade's eyes narrowed in surprise. She had landed her strikes cleanly, but something was off. That white-eyed brat's bones and muscles should've been crushed—yet he stood there, barely worse for wear.
"Not bad, Princess," Mirai's voice echoed through the dust cloud. He quickly applied a basic healing technique to his muscles before stepping out of the haze.
"I've seen your monstrous strength. Now, let me show you the true power of Gentle Fist."
The instant he finished speaking, his figure vanished.
'Too fast!'
Tsunade's instincts screamed at her. She raised her arms in a desperate block, but—
THUD!
A sharp palm strike crashed into her abdomen, sending chakra rippling through her body, damaging her internal organs.
But before she could even register the pain, her Strength of a Hundred Technique activated, instantly healing the wound.
Yet Mirai was relentless. His next strike came before she could even breathe, then another, and another—
Tsunade found herself overwhelmed.
"Never engage a Hyuga in close combat."
It was a rule long ingrained in the ninja world. Many high-level shinobi ignored it—until they faced a true Hyuga warrior capable of earning the title of Heavenly Ninja. Then, they remembered why that rule existed.
And now, Tsunade understood firsthand.
Mirai's Gentle Fist barrage was impossibly fast. While his raw strength didn't match hers, it was still powerful enough to shatter stone. Combined with chakra-infused strikes that disrupted internal organs, even her regenerative abilities struggled to keep up with the relentless assault.
"Don't get cocky, brat!"
With a furious shout, Tsunade unleashed a massive surge of chakra—her unique medical-nin-enhanced chakra pulse. Anyone hit by it would suffer nerve damage, slowing their reflexes.
But before she could follow up, Mirai surged forward, seizing her wrists in an iron grip.
"My attack didn't work?!"
Her golden eyes widened in shock.
As if reading her mind, Mirai chuckled. "Princess, I'm a Hyuga medic. Your little nerve-disrupting trick won't work on me. My Byakugan sees right through your technique."
"Rotation!"
Still gripping Tsunade, Mirai spun into a full-powered Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation. The violent burst of chakra sent her flying.
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
Tsunade slammed through five massive trees before finally skidding to a halt.
Mirai lowered his stance, watching as she pulled herself from the wreckage.
"Still think I'm just some brat, Princess?"
(End of Chapter)
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