Mirai Uchiha had no interest in delivering long speeches in front of others, just like Hiruzen Sarutobi used to do.
So he simply mentioned his idea about taking on apprentices and then left immediately.
He hadn't spoken more than ten lines in total.
This kind of behavior only made these new students admire him even more.
"His Majesty the Emperor is so cool. He doesn't ramble on like other people."
"Yeah, he just announced he was taking apprentices and left right away. It felt totally awesome."
"Too bad… If only our ninja school had a guy as handsome as His Majesty the Emperor."
Hearing the whispers around him, Sasuke Uchiha couldn't help but curl his lips slightly.
A handsome guy like the Emperor?
Wasn't he standing right here beside them?
Such tasteless people.
But…
"The Newcomer King title?"
"This title seems like it was made specifically for me. The rest of you should just play with your little ninja games."
Uzumaki Naruto couldn't hold himself back upon hearing Sasuke's arrogant statement.
"The weather cleared up and the rain stopped—so you think you're strong again?"
"The Newcomer King title is definitely mine."
Sasuke shot Naruto an icy glare. "Idiot, who gave you permission to call me Niizuma?"
(Note: A nickname for Sasuke, literally meaning 'Second Pillar')
"Mirai told you to stop imitating him. Every time you show off, you get beaten up—it's so embarrassing."
Sasuke's face turned slightly red as he let out a soft huff. "That was in the past. Now I'm a true powerhouse that even my Nisan has to be cautious against."
"Tch~ Well I'm already a powerful opponent that even the Hokage would have to watch carefully."
"Anyway, I'm definitely going to claim the title of strongest newcomer!"
"You should let me say that first."
Arguments between Sasuke Uchiha and Uzumaki Naruto erupted across the playground.
Although the title of "Newcomer King" might've seemed childish, for these fresh students who'd just reached the age of enrollment at Ninja Academy, it still held great appeal.
They were all fired up, determined to become the strongest among the new batch.
It would surely be glorious, wouldn't it?!
———
Shortly after leaving the Ninja Academy, Mirai Uchiha made his way directly to the Hokage's office.
Minato Namikaze had said he needed to report something important, though Mirai had no idea what it could be.
Inside the office, Kakashi Hatake was sitting on a chair reading Make Out Paradise.
Seeing Mirai walk in, Kakashi greeted him casually. "Good morning."
Mirai glanced at Kakashi and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Kakashi shook his head. "I don't know either. Teacher Minato told me to wait for him inside the office."
"But..." Kakashi carefully tucked the book into his coat. "Mirai, how do you come up with such bizarre ideas in that head of yours?"
"That title 'Newcomer King' sounds even more pretentious than my old title, 'Konoha's Top Genius Ninja.'"
Mirai Uchiha scoffed. "Kakashi, stop parading around with your worn-out act."
"Back then, I used to keep both hands in my pockets, not knowing what a real opponent even meant."
"You?" Mirai Uchiha scoffed again. "I only need to lift a finger, and that's already your limit."
Upon hearing this, Kakashi Hatake couldn't help but raise a thumb approvingly.
"Bro, hell yeah! You're absolutely right, bro! That's exactly how it is!"
"Can you say a few more words? It feels like it's been ages since I last heard something like this."
Seeing Kakashi Hatake diligently scribbling notes with paper and pen, Mirai Uchiha was left momentarily speechless.
In front of someone like Kakashi, he no longer felt any joy from showing off.
Just as the two were talking, Minato Namikaze suddenly appeared in the Hokage's office.
Mirai Uchiha said indifferently, "Minato, did you call us here for something important?"
Minato Namikaze handed a document from his desk to Mirai Uchiha. "Mirai, the territory of our Shen Nation is growing larger and larger now."
"Just encountered some trouble during the unification of Snow Country."
"Trouble?" Mirai Uchiha raised his eyebrows slightly. "Can't my established Shen Nation take over a mere Snow Country?"
Upon hearing that, Minato Namikaze immediately replied, "That's not the case actually. You should read this document first."
After listening to Minato Namikaze's words, Mirai Uchiha flipped through the document briefly.
After a while, Mirai Uchiha finally understood Minato's problem.
It turned out that when Minato sent people to negotiate with the king of Snow Country, another person claiming to be Santa Asama came forward.
He insisted that Doto Kazahana had usurped the throne, and the true ruler of Snow Country should actually be Sosetsu Kazahana.
Santa Asama wanted the Shen Nation to take this opportunity to severely punish Doto Kazahana and let Sosetsu Kazahana reclaim the rule of Snow Country.
As for the affairs in Snow Country, Minato Namikaze had indeed heard something about them.
Back then, it was none other than Kakashi Hatake who rescued Sosetsu Kazahana from a burning palace.
Encountering an issue like this for the first time, Minato Namikaze also found himself somewhat indecisive.
That's why he asked Mirai Uchiha to make the final decision.
"Sosetsu Kazahana..."
Mirai Uchiha murmured to himself, recalling related memories.
In the original story, Doto Kazahana killed his own elder brother, Sosetsu Kazahana, for Snow Country's treasure.
Because of this, Sosetsu Kazahana ended up wandering outside her homeland.
Later on, through a strange twist of fate, Sosetsu Kazahana rose to fame as an actress.
Under Santa's arrangement, Sosetsu Kazahana arrived at the territory of Snow Country.
Later, with the help of Team 7, they successfully defeated Doto Kazahana and she became the new ruler of Snow Country...
However, the original story took place during the period when Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and others had just graduated from Ninja Academy.
At this point, Sosetsu Kazahana hasn't become a well-known actress yet.
Originally, Mirai Uchiha had planned to approach Sosetsu Kazahana following the timeline, but unexpectedly Santa had already shown up.
Thinking about this, Mirai Uchiha asked, "Where's this Sosetsu Kazahana you mentioned, Santa?"
Minato Namikaze replied helplessly, "Sosetsu Kazahana snuck away. It looks like she has no intention of overthrowing Doto Kazahana's rule."
Upon hearing this, Mirai Uchiha nodded slightly.
Doto Kazahana had deeply scarred Sosetsu Kazahana's psyche. Understandably, she was afraid to return to Snow Country.
Understanding the situation, Mirai Uchiha said coolly, "Leave this matter to me."
"Besides, I have my own reasons for going to Snow Country."
Aside from his long-standing wish to bring Sosetsu Kazahana into his harem, the chakra armor developed by Doto Kazahana was also a remarkable technological breakthrough.
It could not only enhance defensive capabilities but also greatly amplify the user's chakra.
This kind of advanced technology must be secured.
After confirming Santa's whereabouts with Minato Namikaze, Mirai Uchiha vanished from the spot.
The top priority now was to find Sosetsu Kazahana first.
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