[Mangekyo Sharingan]...
Upon hearing Danzo Shimura's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi silently nodded.
He had considered this possibility too, though he couldn't confirm it yet.
"Day by day, Mirai Uchiha is still only thirteen. He graduated from the Ninja Academy just over a year ago."
"Although when he graduated from the Ninja Academy, his fight against Kakashi Hatake displayed exceptional talent, could he really grow strong enough in such a short time to easily crush the Fourth Raikage?"
Hiruzen thought for a moment, then shook his head silently. "Impossible."
No matter how much natural talent a ninja possesses, strength must still follow objective laws of growth.
Even with extraordinary gifts, one cannot reach full potential before physical maturity.
Even Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha were no different in their youth.
"Therefore..." Danzo cut in firmly, "the Fourth Raikage must have suffered heavily because he didn't understand those unpredictable abilities of the Mangekyo Sharingan during his battle with Mirai Uchiha!"
Hiruzen didn't refute this, effectively accepting Danzo's theory as he asked, "Then what do you suggest we should do?"
"Hmph! I've always said you should hand Mirai Uchiha over to me. Your indecision created this current situation."
"Don't start blaming me now, Danzo," Hiruzen interrupted impatiently with a wave of his hand. "Just because Mirai has awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan doesn't mean my previous judgment was wrong."
"What we're discussing now is what attitude we should take toward Mirai Uchiha moving forward."
Danzo smiled slightly. "Simple. Hand him over to me."
"With 'Root' at my disposal, I have a thousand ways to bend him to my will."
"Danzo, I will absolutely not hand Mirai Uchiha over to you. Don't bring this up again."
Hiruzen shot Danzo an annoyed glare.
He knew exactly what the other man was thinking.
If Mirai fell into Danzo's hands, he would likely become the sharpest blade in his arsenal.
Should Danzo use Mirai against himself, he'd be facing serious trouble.
Having grown up together since childhood, Hiruzen knew his old friend all too well.
When it came to becoming Hokage, Danzo wouldn't hesitate to do anything.
Seeing Hiruzen refuse his request outright, Danzo simply spread his hands helplessly. "Then I have nothing more to say."
When he saw Danzo wasn't cooperating, Hiruzen finally voiced the plan he'd prepared long ago: "Since Mirai Uchiha possesses such tremendous strength, he naturally should contribute more to the village."
"I plan to deploy Mirai Uchiha to the battlefield in due time. Perhaps he can once again recreate his glorious victory over the Cloud."
When Hiruzen Sarutobi revealed his plan, Danzo Shimura couldn't help but sneer slightly.
Once the Mangekyo Sharingan is opened, its user will gradually lose their sight with continued use.
The more frequently it is used, the faster one's vision deteriorates.
Hiruzen's decision to send Mirai Uchiha to the battlefield was essentially a ploy to exhaust Mirai's Mangekyo Sharingan ocular power through repeated combat.
Through battles with enemies, they'd also be able to deduce and analyze the specific abilities of Mirai's Mangekyo Sharingan.
That way, even if Mirai hadn't gone completely blind by the end of the war, he wouldn't remain much of a threat.
As for why they wanted to wait before sending him out, Danzo could guess the reason well enough.
It was simply to prevent Mirai—who had just defeated the Fourth Raikage—from rising too far, too fast.
Even their former mentor might have to concede defeat in the face of such cunning schemes.
"Danzo, what exactly is that look on your face?"
Hiruzen frowned disapprovingly at Danzo.
"Nothing. There's no need for you to ask me about decisions you've already made anyway."
"Nonsense!" Hiruzen snapped. "This plan only came to mind just now after I rejected your suggestion."
"Do as you please. After all, you're the Hokage now."
Watching Danzo's retreating figure, Hiruzen's lips twitched.
Why did it feel like his lines were being stolen?
...
After leaving the Hokage Tower, Mirai Uchiha bought several servings of Three Coloured Pills and headed straight back to the Uchiha compound.
As he walked down the street, members of the Uchiha clan who saw Mirai Uchiha would stop in their tracks, watching him respectfully.
Even some children peeked at him curiously from behind adults, snacks clutched tightly in their hands.
"Lord Mirai, we've all heard your story. Defeating the Fourth Raikage like that is truly incredible."
"Yeah, everyone says our Uchiha Clan has produced an extraordinary figure this time."
"Lord Mirai, come eat at my house sometime—you'll get everything free of charge!"
"With this, the Uchiha Clan's prestige will surely spread throughout the ninja world once again."
"Honestly, during these wartime periods, shouldn't achievements like Lord Mirai's be properly publicized by the village?"
"Therefore… those who foolishly dream of defeating Konoha are doomed to fail as long as our Uchiha Clan stands guard."
Seeing the lively expressions and warm greetings from everyone, Mirai Uchiha felt a stronger sense of belonging toward the ninja world than ever before.
His past life now felt like a dream. In this life, he had become a true son of the Uchiha Clan.
There was no returning to Lanxing—now, the Uchiha Clan was his home.
With him here, he would never allow the Uchiha Clan to suffer the same fate as in the original story—nearly wiped out.
Walking straight home, Mirai Uchiha found his house spotless despite not returning for nearly two months. It seemed someone had been regularly coming over to clean for him.
Regarding this, Mirai Uchiha also felt puzzled.
Strange. Could there be a Tanishi Girl (Girl with the Clam) in the ninja world too?
After sitting quietly for a while, Mirai went to the kitchen and started preparing the ingredients he had bought on his way back.
He had been living outdoors most of the time, surviving mostly on Military Rations Pills. Although he wasn't particularly picky about food, treating himself after coming home was still deserved.
With help from his Shadow Clone, a sumptuous feast was soon prepared.
Just as Mirai Uchiha was about to dig in, someone walked through the door.
"Shisui?"
Seeing Shisui Uchiha standing there holding a bucket and cloth with his usual goofy look, Mirai immediately understood. It must have been Shisui who had been cleaning Mirai's house all along.
Thinking about that, Mirai felt somewhat disappointed.
He had hoped one of the girls from the clan secretly loved him and came to clean his house. But it turned out to be Shisui Uchiha...
Well, well...
His daydream of having a Tanishi Girl had just burst into pieces.
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