The crazed expression on Suien's face had long since vanished. His eyes were filled with panic as he kicked frantically, struggling to free himself from Mirai's grasp.
But no matter how hard he tried, Mirai's right hand was like an iron vice, holding him firmly in the air.
"P-please forgive me! I'll give you the Hero Water…!"
Gasping for air, Suien pleaded desperately.
Mirai's voice was indifferent. "Forgiveness is up to the gods. My job is to send you to meet them."
Crack!
With a swift motion, Mirai snapped Suien's neck. The body dropped lifelessly to the ground like a discarded ragdoll.
[ Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have successfully plundered: Chakra +1! ]
Mirai raised his head and noticed the stunned expressions of the Takigakure villagers. After a moment of thought, he spoke calmly.
"It seemed like you had a lot of questions just now. You can ask them now."
But the villagers of Takigakure remained silent.
They had indeed wanted to question why Shakusui and Shuto had unilaterally decided to submit their village to an outsider. However, after witnessing Mirai's strength, they abandoned that thought entirely.
Suien was one of Takigakure's few elite jōnin—a formidable force. After drinking the Hero Water, his power had increased tenfold.
Yet even in that enhanced state, he had been crushed like an insect.
Even the most ignorant among them understood that this was a man they could not afford to provoke.
"Since you have no objections, I expect full cooperation in the unification of the Shinobi World."
"Anyone who dares defy me… will face only one outcome."
After issuing his warning, Mirai followed Shuto deeper into the village.
Only when he was out of sight did the villagers finally breathe a sigh of relief.
That oppressive aura had been suffocating. A man capable of unifying the Five Great Shinobi Villages was no ordinary shinobi.
Perhaps… submitting to such power wasn't such a difficult thing to accept after all.
...
Inside a wooden house.
Sitting cross-legged, Mirai took a sip of the freshly brewed tea, a rare look of satisfaction appearing on his face.
Though the Land of Waterfalls was situated between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire, its vast, untamed forests and winding rivers meant it rarely suffered the ravages of war.
Takigakure, hidden behind the great waterfall, was even more secluded.
As a result, the country's pure mountain springs and high-quality tea were among the finest in the shinobi world.
Even Mirai had to admit he was pleasantly surprised.
Indeed, unifying the shinobi world was an investment that would pay endless dividends. Once he had complete control, all the best resources of every land would belong to him.
Noticing Mirai's satisfied expression, Shuto relaxed slightly and asked,
"Lord Mirai, is there anything else you require?"
Mirai's voice was calm. "Tell me about the Hero Water."
Shuto immediately answered, "The Hero Water is sacred to Takigakure. It is collected from the Great Tree at the center of our village, but only once every hundred years."
"Drinking the Hero Water instantly increases a shinobi's chakra tenfold."
"However, the surge in chakra comes with severe backlash. Once the effects wear off, the user suffers excruciating pain throughout their body."
"If used repeatedly, it could even be fatal."
"It is our village's last resort in times of crisis."
After listening to Shuto's explanation, Mirai nodded. "Give it to me."
"Oh…"
Looking at the half-filled bottle in his hand, Mirai immediately sensed a strong concentration of natural energy.
"This much natural energy… refined and converted by the Great Tree into a liquid that humans can directly absorb…"
Piecing together what he had learned, Mirai quickly deduced the mechanism behind the Hero Water.
Directly absorbing natural energy was extremely dangerous, often leading to an uncontrollable surge that caused a shinobi's body to explode.
However, after being processed by the Great Tree, the violent natural energy became a more stable liquid, allowing for partial absorption—temporarily amplifying a shinobi's combat power.
It was similar to Orochimaru's cursed seals.
But the Hero Water was even gentler on the body, with fewer drawbacks.
"A rather useful substance… I should have Orochimaru study it in the future."
Mirai silently noted this to himself.
Once he obtained the Gedo Statue and Shin's cells, he would be able to combine Hashirama's cells with Mangekyō Sharingan to mass-produce White Zetsu or clone soldiers.
If he could integrate the Hero Water into the process, the chakra levels of these creations would reach an astonishing degree.
At that point, if he could track down Uchiha Hikari and acquire the power of the 'Yachihoko,' he would have an infinite supply of chakra.
With a large enough production scale, even creating an army of Six Paths-level fighters wouldn't be out of the question.
"Lord Mirai… do you want me to take you to see the Great Tree?" Shuto hesitated before asking.
Mirai waved him off. "No need. I have my own plans. Instead, bring me the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki."
Shuto's expression shifted. "Lord Mirai… the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki is currently imprisoned in the dungeon, bound by sealing jutsu."
"The current Jinchūriki was an unqualified choice we made out of desperation. If we release him now, the Seven-Tails will surely go berserk."
This was precisely why, even in the face of annihilation, Takigakure had never considered unleashing the beast.
If they freed the Jinchūriki, their village would be the first to be destroyed.
Mirai simply waved a hand dismissively. "Just bring him here. The Seven-Tails won't go berserk."
"Huh? How can you be so sure?"
Shuto looked at him in confusion.
Mirai's voice was calm but carried an undeniable authority. "Because I'm here."
Just four words, yet they exuded absolute confidence.
Shuto was momentarily stunned by the sheer presence Mirai radiated.
As Mirai casually lifted his teacup once more, Shuto didn't dare question further. He quickly turned and headed toward the dungeon to retrieve the Jinchūriki.
Because I'm here…?
How confident must one be to say something like that?
But…
No matter how powerful Uchiha Mirai was, the Seven-Tails was still a Tailed Beast.
An immortal, undying force of nature—could even a human powerhouse make such a being submit?
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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