Mirai Uchiha fixed his gaze on the female performer currently singing on stage.
Though the chakra fluctuation had been subtle, it hadn't escaped his detection.
There was definitely something off about this woman.
Thinking this, Mirai carefully examined her appearance.
The woman was exceptionally beautiful, especially her eyes, which held an almost hypnotic allure.
She also had a beauty mark below her right eye, and every glance she cast exuded an alluring charm.
As if sensing Mirai's stare, the woman glanced in his direction.
When she saw what Mirai looked like, she hesitated for a moment before quickly shifting her gaze away.
However, her slightly off-pitch singing revealed her inner nervousness.
After forcing herself to finish the song, the woman immediately walked backstage.
Mirai followed closely behind, only to see the woman directly activate the Shifting Body Technique and disappear from sight when out of public view.
"Hmph!"
Mirai snorted lightly before vanishing from the spot as well.
In the next instant, Mirai appeared in front of the woman, blocking her path.
"Where do you think you're heading?"
The woman took a nervous step back, speaking with slight apprehension. "M-Mirai-sama..."
Mirai's eyes radiated terrifying ocular power as he coldly ordered, "Answer my questions."
"I-I'm just a singer here to perform for a few days before I leave."
"A-Any problem with that?"
"You don't want to tell the truth?" Mirai raised his eyebrow, immediately pulling the woman into an illusionary world.
Inside the woman's mind, Mirai quickly obtained the answers he sought.
The woman's name was Hanare. She wasn't merely a singer, but actually an elite chunin from Tatekura Village in the Tsumugi Country.
Hanare possessed a special ability—she could form hand seals with her pupils alone, enabling her to probe others' memories without their awareness.
She came to Konoha to gather intelligence on the Konoha elders' true attitudes toward other ninja villages and the real purpose behind establishing the Shen Nation (a mysterious new political entity).
Had Mirai not coincidentally brought Kakashi Hatake along to Kabuki-cho where Hanare was performing tonight, it might have taken much longer for anyone to uncover this spy.
"Fascinating. Absolutely fascinating."
"Never thought I'd encounter the woman who stole Kakashi Hatake's cinematic first kiss in the original story here."
In the anime, Hanare had once infiltrated Konoha to obtain intelligence and successfully extracted information from Inoichi Yamanaka's mind through Genjutsu.
Later, she formed a deeply conflicted bond with Kakashi, ultimately escaping after he chose to release her.
After Pain devastated Konoha, Hanare disguised herself as a female performer and entertained the people of Konoha.
All in all, she wasn't a major character, but one who left an unforgettable impression.
Once Mirai Uchiha learned Hanare's identity, he released her from the illusion world.
Since the Shen Nation's territory expanded day by day, many smaller countries felt tremendous pressure.
Tsumugi Country sent Hanare to Konoha merely to understand Konoha's true intentions so they could come up with better countermeasures.
They didn't really harbor ill intentions toward Konoha.
Coming out of the illusion, Hanare couldn't help but look at Mirai Uchiha, trying to figure out exactly what had just happened.
However, her special ability was completely useless before Mirai Uchiha.
She couldn't see through anything in Mirai Uchiha's eyes.
"So this is the number one ninja in the shinobi world…"
Hanare couldn't help exclaiming in admiration.
Actually, the moment she saw Mirai Uchiha, she knew her mission was destined for failure.
How could such a powerful figure, who dominated the ninja world, possibly be deceived by her petty tricks?
"Hanare, I already know your purpose."
"The Shen Nation's unification of the ninja world is meant to provide everyone with an Eden-like life; there are no ulterior motives."
"During your time in Konoha, you should have learned much from merchants coming and going, right?"
Seeing that Mirai didn't seem inclined to blame her and instead patiently explained everything, Hanare felt flattered yet nervous.
Carefully, Hanare asked, "Mirai, will you… won't you punish me?"
Mirai replied indifferently, "Don't misunderstand. I'm just telling you what you want to know. Anyway, it's trivial stuff."
"As for Tsumugi Country sending you here as a spy…"
Mirai sneered coldly, "I'll make sure the entire Tsumugi Country pays the price!"
Upon hearing that, Hanare felt her heart tremble in fear.
She had originally thought being caught would at most lead to her death, but the consequences were far more severe than expected.
With the current power of the Shen Nation, if it decided to attack Tsumugi Country, countless innocents would suffer!
Thinking thus, Hanare quickly knelt on the ground, tears streaming down her face as she begged, "Mirai, please forgive our ignorance! If you must blame someone, blame me alone. The people of Tsumugi Country are innocent!"
"Just spare Tsumugi Country, and I'll gladly sacrifice my life in apology."
Crying bitterly, Hanare looked even softer with the tear mole beside her right eye.
Instantly, a strange desire arose in Mirai's heart.
His collecting obsession had returned again.
Thinking of this, Mirai Uchiha gently lifted Hanare's chin and spoke in a menacing tone, "Hanare Chunin, you wouldn't want the people of Tsumugi Country to be implicated because of you, would you?"
Upon hearing this, Hanare immediately shook her head. "Mirai, what must I do for you to forgive Tsumugi Country?"
Mirai Uchiha softly replied, "There is a way for me to let Tsumugi go."
"As long as you become my wife, your business of gathering intelligence in Konoha can naturally be forgiven."
"What?!" Hanare hadn't expected Mirai Uchiha to make such a demand. In that moment, all she felt was a storm of panic rising in her heart.
In her memories, there was always that figure she had admired since childhood.
The reason she volunteered to come to Konoha was also to see if she could find that ninja who had given her guidance when she was lost and confused back then.
But now, when weighed against the lives of Tsumugi's people, she had no choice but to accept Mirai Uchiha's demand.
"Mirai, I agree!"
"From today onwards, I belong to you."
Seeing Hanare bite her lip in anguish, Mirai Uchiha's heart tightened. Without hesitation, he pulled her into his embrace.
As for Hanare's inner thoughts, Mirai naturally knew them.
However, to him, conquering such a woman was especially enjoyable.
Don't think that even though she's thinking of Kakashi now, after spending some time with me, she won't eventually cast those childhood memories aside on her own.
Thinking thus, Mirai Uchiha vanished from the spot along with Hanare.
Kakashi, I was actually about to introduce Hanare to you earlier, but you turned me down. Don't blame me for breaking the bonds of our friendship!
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>