Konan had decided that once Nagato became the god who would eliminate war, she would dedicate herself to helping the impoverished live better lives.
The goal of changing the world went beyond merely ending war—that was just the first step. The next step would be improving the lives of those at the bottom, ensuring that children no longer suffered from hunger or endured the hardships she, Nagato, and Yahiko had faced.
This resolution formed as Konan traveled across the Land of Rain, witnessing the stark contrast between ideals and reality, and seeing firsthand the struggles of the poor.
As for the immense financial cost of such reforms, it hardly concerned her. She was not like Kakuzu—money was only a means to an end. As long as it was spent on fulfilling their dream, it was worth it.
After sending out an envoy, Konan waited for a reply from that man, Keikou Sanmoku.
Meanwhile...
Uchiha Shisui was a widely recognized prodigy in both the Uchiha clan and all of Konoha. Though younger than Kakashi and others, his strength was in no way inferior.
His reputation was not mere exaggeration by enemies—his feats on the battlefield against the Hidden Mist had made even their forces admit defeat and flee at the mere mention of his name. That was how Shunshin no Shisui had earned his renown.
After joining the ANBU, Shisui had learned much about reconnaissance and infiltration. Upon receiving intelligence from Itachi, he quietly began investigating within the clan.
As an Uchiha, with an unparalleled mastery of genjutsu and the Body Flicker Technique, gathering intelligence in his own clan was as effortless as a fish in water.
Within days, he identified three individuals—two Chunin-level clan members and one possessing the Three-Tomoe Sharingan with the strength of a Jonin.
These three did not wear Konoha forehead protectors; they were privately trained fighters funded by the clan.
Every major clan had such individuals—privately raised warriors who were not officially registered as Konoha shinobi and whose names did not appear in village records.
Shisui disliked this practice. He wished for the ninja clans to contribute more to the village, to unite their hidden forces under Konoha's banner. If that were to happen, the village's power would increase significantly, and other nations would think twice before starting wars.
Yet, all clans did this, even the Third Hokage himself was no exception. Shisui's suggestions had never been accepted.
"A Three-Tomoe Sharingan user would be tricky. If they managed to break free from my genjutsu, the clan leader might take notice. It's safer to question one of the other two first."
Shisui pondered his approach. Those with Two-Tomoe Sharingan, no matter how skilled in genjutsu, were no match for him. The difference in ability was absolute.
Even Itachi, who had been training in genjutsu under him for quite some time, had never won a single sparring match while his Sharingan only had two tomoe.
Shisui patiently waited for days before finally seizing an opportunity.
One of the Two-Tomoe Sharingan users had gone to train in a secluded area. Seizing the chance, Shisui struck from behind, casting a genjutsu on his target. Using a transformation technique combined with the hypnotic abilities of the Sharingan, he ensured that when the man awoke, he would have no memory of the encounter.
"Forgive me. This is for the sake of the Uchiha," Shisui murmured as he began his interrogation.
As his questioning progressed, his expression grew increasingly grim.
"Keikou Trade Association… I didn't expect the clan leader to have connections with them for so long. And war… could it be with Sunagakure?"
The Chunin-level Uchiha had not been directly involved in discussions between Uchiha Tekka and Keikou Sanmoku. During the mission, four Three-Tomoe Sharingan users had guarded Sanmoku closely, while the four Two-Tomoe users had been assigned to perimeter security.
The events in the Land of Rain had only been relayed to him after the fact by his comrades.
As a result, the information Shisui obtained was fragmented and unclear. He could only piece together what he had learned from this Uchiha with what Itachi had overheard.
"How should I report this to Lord Hokage?"
Shisui hesitated. He still cared deeply for the Uchiha and wished to see the clan integrate into Konoha rather than escalate conflicts. If he reported this matter to the Third Hokage, the village leadership would undoubtedly increase its scrutiny of the Uchiha.
However, the higher-ups were already suspicious of the clan leader's activities. Otherwise, Shisui wouldn't have felt the urgency to investigate.
Given Konoha's deep-seated distrust and surveillance of the Uchiha, even secret escape routes were unlikely to go unnoticed by ANBU and Root.
After contemplating for a long time, he finally convinced himself.
"Compared to colluding with Sunagakure, claiming that the clan secretly accepted missions is a better excuse. Hopefully, I can keep this from escalating with the Third Hokage."
Still, when the Keikou Trade Association representatives arrived at the Uchiha district, he would have to confront the clan leader directly.
Betrayal and internal conflict would only lead to ruin. The only path forward was for the Uchiha to merge with Konoha, to become one with the village.
---
Meanwhile…
"Mirai-sama, are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"
Ayaka Uzumaki asked sweetly, watching Hyuga Mirai as he continued sketching incomprehensible diagrams. Though she didn't understand what he was working on, the fact that he allowed her presence meant she could at least show some concern.
Poor guy—she had heard that when Mirai-sama got absorbed in his research, he would sometimes forget to eat for a day or two.
Clenching her fist in determination, Ayaka swore to herself that as long as she was at the base, she would never let that happen.
That cold and emotionless 18 knew nothing about taking care of Mirai-sama.
Looks like it's up to me!
Ayaka Uzumaki thought to herself proudly.
"Ayaka, did the base's chef take a leave? Why are you cooking yourself?"
Hyuga Mirai glanced at the food box Ayaka Uzumaki was carrying behind her back, his expression turning somewhat strange.
"Mirai-sama, how did you know it was me?" Ayaka's mind started racing, and she fidgeted slightly, lowering her voice. "Could it be that Mirai-sama has been paying attention to—"
"There's a burnt smell. And quite a strong one. Next time, you'd better ask the chef for guidance."
Hyuga Mirai pointed at the food box and spoke calmly.
"Oh…" Hearing this, Ayaka instantly wilted like a withered eggplant, lowering her head and muttering, "I'll be more careful next time…"
Hyuga Mirai wasn't about to say, "It's fine," and force himself to eat terrible food. As a child, in order to survive, the only thing he had mistreated was his tongue and stomach. Now that he had power and status, there was no way he would subject himself to bad food again.
"Have you mastered the Spirit Clone Technique? You've been stuck at the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode for a while. If you manage to enter Kurama Mode, your strength will improve significantly."
While lecturing Ayaka, Hyuga Mirai turned his attention back to the blueprints of the anti-gravity spaceship. The progress on developing the moon was painfully slow. Ever since he released Tobirama Senju from Edo Tensei, lunar development had nearly ground to a halt.
Although the Tenseigan could create space corridors, their slow transmission speed made them almost useless for lunar travel. A massive spaceship was the only way to fully develop the moon.
It wasn't something he could build immediately, but Hyuga Mirai was determined to have a solid manufacturing plan ready. Once the industrial infrastructure was advanced enough, they could enter the era of space exploration right away.
With the clones tackling mass production of space capsules and refining the space station, Hyuga Mirai found himself much more at ease. He now had more time for training and future planning, occasionally keeping an eye on developments in the shinobi world.
"Mirai-sama…"
After disposing of the food box, Ayaka returned to Hyuga Mirai's side, hesitating slightly before speaking.
Without looking up, Hyuga Mirai said, "Just say what's on your mind. What could possibly trouble you inside the base?"
At that moment, he suddenly guessed her intent. He lifted his gaze slightly and asked, "Are you here to plead for Nohara Rin?"
Seeing Ayaka's slight shift in eye contact, Hyuga Mirai knew he had guessed correctly.
"It's been almost six years… If you hadn't mentioned her, I would've nearly forgotten about Nohara Rin."
Setting aside his research, Hyuga Mirai turned to face Ayaka.
"I'm just asking on her behalf. If Mirai-sama isn't willing to forgive her yet, then she can stay locked up for a few more years."
Ayaka quickly clarified her stance when she noticed Hyuga Mirai looking at her.
"It's not about holding a grudge. If I were to stay angry over an idiot for this long, that would be too embarrassing for me."
Hyuga Mirai explained, "The reason I imprisoned Nohara Rin was because she was unpredictable. If left free, she might have leaked our information. A few years ago, that would have been a serious issue. Even if it didn't threaten my life, establishing an organization of this scale would have been impossible."
"Oh… Mirai-sama is right…"
Ayaka nodded in half-understanding, though most of her attention was fixed on Hyuga Mirai's face. The fact that she grasped any of it was already commendable.
"Now, I do plan to step into the spotlight, but there's a crucial distinction between acting proactively and being forced to act. Rin and our path simply don't align. Ayaka, you can treat her as a useful subordinate, but never as a friend."
Hyuga Mirai had already considered releasing Nohara Rin for some time. The idea of extracting the Three-Tails had crossed his mind, but after successfully replicating and cultivating Nine-Tails Chakra, he had abandoned that plan.
Shiro and others could become Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, eliminating the need to settle for the weakest of the Tailed Beasts.
The power of the Ryuumyaku had been sustaining his energy consumption for a long time. With three energy-consuming creatures and four Nine-Tails cultivation chambers constantly running, the Ryuumyaku's power had yet to show any signs of depletion.
Now, the Three-Tails was nothing more than a component to assemble the Ten-Tails.
"I understand, Mirai-sama."
Ayaka replied seriously. She could feel how much Hyuga Mirai had invested in training her, so she took his words very seriously.
Hyuga Mirai nodded and then instructed, "Once 18 installs the control bomb on Nohara Rin, you can take her out. But the detonation authority remains with 18. Remind her that if she doesn't want to die a meaningless death, she should be careful."
Nohara Rin was a key piece in turning the Akatsuki against itself. If he didn't have to kill her, Hyuga Mirai preferred to keep her alive.
Besides, she was skilled in medical ninjutsu. Keeping her locked away was a waste; it would be better to let her contribute.
"Thank you, Mirai-sa—"
Ayaka suddenly had a mischievous idea and tried to lunge forward to hug Hyuga Mirai in gratitude.
However, just as she was about to act, Hyuga Mirai raised his wrist. A nano-particle screen extended from his watch, and on the display appeared the cold, detached face of 18.
'Damn you, 18!'
Ayaka clenched her fists in silent frustration.
18 began to report a series of updates.
"Sir, Keikou Sanmoku is preparing to head to Konoha to meet with the Uchiha clan. However, an envoy from the Land of Rain has arrived, and Pakura specifically requested Keikou Sanmoku to accompany them."
"They've overlapped, huh…"
Hyuga Mirai tapped his fingers on the table in thought. After a brief pause, he instructed 18,
"I'll personally handle the situation in Konoha. It's been a while since I last went out. I should take a look at how things are going."
(End of Chapter)