Ten days later.
A luxurious carriage slowly approached Kokuto, the capital of the Land of Fire.
Inside the carriage, one side of the curtain was drawn aside.
Two stunning faces pressed close to the small window.
"Wow~"
"This is the capital of the Land of Fire?"
"How prosperous."
A woman with blue-violet hair spoke first, letting out an astonished exclamation.
Beside her, a gentle-looking black-haired woman said nothing, but her eyes sparkled with amazement.
Clearly, she too was amazed by the bustling scene before them.
Behind the two women stood a man dressed in splendid robes who couldn't help but shake his head.
How rare could this be?
Although the capital was the most prosperous place in the ninja world, in his opinion, it was nothing special—nowhere near as awe-inspiring as the skyscrapers and jade railings from his past life.
The three people on the carriage—Uchiha Mirai, Konan, and Uchiha Mikoto—had been leisurely traveling all the way from the Hidden Leaf Village.
The carriage continued forward slowly, gradually entering more secluded areas.
Finally, it stopped in front of an inn located deep within a narrow alley.
Looking at the shabby exterior of this establishment, Konan slightly furrowed her brow.
"Why bring us here?"
"Do they think we can't afford better?"
The coachman hurriedly explained, "It's not about money. Ninjas are only allowed to stay in this kind of inn within Kokuto."
"Even if you have money, those upscale inns won't accept Ninjas."
"Of course, if you're willing to hide anything related to being a Ninja, we might give it a try."
Konan pursed her lips and gritted her teeth. "That's ridiculous!"
"Why discriminate against us Ninjas?"
The coachman gave an awkward smile.
Haven't Ninjas always been looked down on like this?
Truthfully speaking, he wouldn't even want this job transporting Ninjas if not for the generous payment.
Uchiha Mikoto glanced at Uchiha Mirai and softly asked, "Mirai, are we really staying here?"
Though she didn't mind the accommodation itself, she felt uncomfortable being treated this way.
"No," Mirai said with a smile. "We'll stay at the finest inn in the capital."
"But given our status..."
"I came precisely to change that situation."
After Mirai finished speaking, he turned to the coachman beside him and said firmly, "Take us there now."
———
Near the Daimyo's residence in Kokuto stretched a wide road paved with smooth stones.
It was the city's most bustling commercial street, lined with tightly packed buildings.
Outside what was clearly a high-end inn, the coachman gleefully collected his payment and departed.
Mirai Uchiha walked in, holding Mikoto Uchiha's hand in one hand and Konan's in the other.
"Welcome—"
The receptionist smiled politely and deeply bowed, but as her eyes swept over the Forehead Protector tied around Mirai's waist, her face suddenly darkened.
"You're Ninja?"
Mirai replied coolly, "That's right. What about it?"
The receptionist snorted coldly, the fawning smile disappearing from her face as she adopted an arrogant posture. "This establishment serves nobles and high-ranking officials, not tools like you Ninja who serve at others' whims."
"If you leave now before I report to the samurai lord, it would be better for you."
In the ninja villages, ninjas held the highest status; however, in more prosperous regions, their standing was significantly lower.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Kokuto, under the rule of the Daimyo.
Even ordinary people at the very bottom of society felt superior when dealing with Ninjas.
This attitude was vividly displayed by this waitress before them.
"Lowly tools?!"
Konan and Mikoto looked furious.
While ninja were indeed regarded as tools, calling them "lowly" was clearly too insulting.
Seeing that none of them moved, the waitress sneered, "Many disobedient ninja have caused trouble here before, but they all ended up dead."
"Their corpses were even hanged on the city walls as warnings."
"If you don't want the same fate, get out now!"
Hearing this, Mirai raised an eyebrow curiously, "Don't you know ninja can be dangerous?"
"What gives you the courage to shout at ninja like that?"
The waitress looked disdainful. "Rules have always been this way. Once you've chosen to become a ninja, you should accept the reality of your low status without complaint."
Mirai chuckled, "Rules?"
"What if I choose not to follow them?"
He reached out and grabbed the waitress by the throat, squeezing slightly.
Her face turned red, veins popping out as fear and panic replaced her earlier arrogance.
"N-no… please don't kill me."
"P-please…"
She struggled to squeeze out a few words through his grip.
The moment her life was threatened, the boldness she had shown earlier vanished completely.
Mirai looked at her pitiful begging expression and slightly loosened his grip around her neck.
Joy flickered across her face.
Snap!
With a horrifying snap, the waitress's arms and legs went limp.
Mirai casually tossed her corpse aside and stepped toward the staff behind the counter.
"Get me the best room you have."
"Yes, sir..."
Things went smoothly, much faster than expected.
Mirai Uchiha, Mikoto Uchiha, and Konan were led by a staff member to a luxurious room.
Mirai looked around the room's interior and gave a satisfied nod.
That's more like it.
After the staff left, both Mikoto and Konan wore expressions of concern.
"Mirai, shouldn't we go see the Daimyo immediately?"
"No need. Let's rest for today. Both of you should take a bath."
"Alright then..."
Watching both women leave with flushed faces, Mirai casually created a Wood Clone.
He didn't want his pleasant mood ruined.
A single Wood Clone should be enough to deal with a few mere samurai.
——
The Daimyo's Estate.
The plump, short Daimyo angrily swept the delicate fruits off the table onto the floor, his jowls trembling with rage.
"Damn it! Who do they think they are?!"
"Those damned Konoha ninjas deserve nothing but death!"
He had just received news that Mirai Uchiha from Konoha had brazenly killed many samurai dispatched to maintain order.
Right near the Daimyo's estate...
It was a direct slap in the face to his authority!
Hearing the Daimyo's furious roar, the ministers on both sides also showed righteous indignation.
"My Lord, shall we send people to eliminate those Konoha ninjas?"
The Daimyo shook his head. "Forget it. That ninja, Mirai Uchiha, is incredibly strong. It'd be foolish to provoke him."
He had witnessed Mirai's strength during the Chunin Exams himself.
The Daimyo didn't believe his personal samurai could defeat Mirai Uchiha.
One minister asked grudgingly, "Are we really going to let this insult slide?"
Upon hearing this, the Daimyo sneered, "Don't worry. I've got a thousand ways to handle these ninjas."
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