The news of the survivors of the Land of Rōran relocating to Konohagakure quickly spread throughout the entire shinobi world.
Many people envied these Rōran refugees.
After all...
Given the current circumstances, obtaining residency in Konohagakure was no easy feat.
Even those who had initially chosen to leave midway began making their way to Konoha, hoping to settle there just like Salle and Yako.
Unfortunately, most of them weren't even qualified to enter the village, let alone live there permanently.
Even when Sara personally pleaded on their behalf, Uchiha Mirai remained unmoved.
Everyone had to bear the consequences of their choices.
These people had received enough money to live comfortably when they left. If they were now allowed to settle in Konoha as well, what would the other Rōran refugees think?
Seeing that Mirai was firm in his decision, Sara stopped bringing up the matter and instead focused on learning the basics of chakra refinement and other shinobi-related knowledge.
With that, the Rōran affair was finally put to rest.
...
Konohagakure.
Hokage's Office.
Seeing Namikaze Minato sitting at his desk, lost in thought with a serious expression, Mirai couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Damn it...
Does he have to be like this every single time?
Do you seriously not have a single trace of procrastination in you?
How do you even manage that? Tell me, I'm genuinely curious!
Noticing Mirai's arrival, Minato flashed his signature warm smile. "Mirai, long time no see."
Mirai waved dismissively and casually took a seat. "Minato, don't you ever get bored sitting in this office all day?"
Minato chuckled. "Becoming Hokage has always been my dream. I genuinely enjoy working for everyone's sake."
"Besides…" He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I've been going home too often lately, and now Kushina and Naruto are complaining."
Mirai raised an eyebrow. "Complaining about what?"
"They keep asking if I can just stay in the office for a while instead of running back home every chance I get. Apparently, I'm not giving them enough personal space."
"..."
For a moment, Mirai didn't know how to respond.
Thinking back to the original timeline, even with Naruto's stamina, he was still worn down to exhaustion by the Hokage's responsibilities.
Boruto had even grown rebellious due to the lack of time spent with his father.
Even Mirai himself had assembled a team of "beautiful secretaries" to help handle his workload.
And yet, here was Minato, managing to get scolded for being too present at home.
If he had this kind of talent, he should have been writing novels instead. His stories would probably leave readers utterly speechless.
"Oh, right." Minato suddenly said, "A few days ago, Pakura from Sunagakure mentioned that their One-Tails Jinchūriki had lost control. She wanted to ask if you had any advice on how to handle it."
"One-Tail's Jinchūriki going berserk?"
A familiar image popped into Mirai's mind. A smirk appeared on his face.
"In that case, I'll go take a look myself."
...
Land of Wind.
Sunagakure.
Stepping through the spatial gate created by Yomotsu Hirasaka, Uchiha Mirai emerged into Sunagakure and casually scanned his surroundings.
Compared to the past, the village had undergone a complete transformation.
The old sand-and-clay buildings had been replaced with towering structures, and the streets were now paved with smooth asphalt, wide and well-maintained.
Even the winds had changed—no longer carrying choking clouds of sand with every gust.
For miles around Sunagakure, lush greenery stretched across the landscape, surrounding the village with dense vegetation.
"Well, they've done a decent job."
Mirai nodded approvingly.
He had personally put in a lot of effort to ensure this environmental shift took place.
And now, looking at the results, it seemed his efforts had paid off.
With a thought, Mirai appeared in one of Sunagakure's streets.
Unlike Konoha, the number of shops in Sunagakure was significantly lower. Restaurants and inns were scattered sparsely, and the majority of businesses were travel agencies.
There was no helping it. Situated in the desert, the village had scarce resources.
Developing tourism was their best bet for boosting the economy.
As he strolled through the village, Mirai's attention was drawn to a commotion ahead.
A crowd had gathered, surrounding a boy dressed in a tattered green robe, whispering among themselves.
"That monster killed so many of our people."
"A Jinchūriki this unstable should be locked up. Pakura-sama should just seal him away."
"Rasa was a complete fraud, and his son is no better."
"Exactly…"
The boy at the center of it all had short red hair, dark circles under his eyes, and no eyebrows.
Facing the overwhelming hostility, he simply hung his head, silent tears falling down his face. In his hands, he clutched a worn-out teddy bear, its stuffing already starting to show.
Seeing this, Mirai walked directly toward the boy.
"Hey! Stay away from him, he's dangerous!"
"Keep your distance, or you'll end up dead."
"Monsters like him only bring disaster to those around them."
"Shut up." Mirai glanced at the onlookers. "Get lost."
Startled, the crowd hesitated before reluctantly dispersing.
The boy lifted his tear-streaked face, looking up at Mirai with wide, bewildered eyes. The crimson "love" symbol carved into his forehead stood out starkly.
"You… You're not afraid of me?"
"Fear is an emotion for the weak," Mirai said with a smirk. "It's always others who fear me."
"But… But…" The boy's sorrowful gaze suddenly turned cold. "Everyone who didn't fear me is dead!"
With a sudden movement, a wave of sand lashed out toward Mirai.
Mirai flicked his hand, and the sand instantly crumbled apart.
Then, without hesitation, he reached out toward the boy.
The boy stood frozen, not even thinking to dodge.
After all, no one had ever been able to touch him—his sand always shielded him.
But before he could process what was happening, Mirai's fingers effortlessly pierced through the protective sand barrier, flicking him on the forehead.
Smack!
A crisp sound echoed.
The boy's eyes widened in shock.
Pain.
He had felt pain!
For the first time, he truly felt it.
He wasn't a monster.
He wasn't!
Eyes sparkling with newfound emotion, the boy stammered, "W-Who are you?"
Mirai replied casually, "Before asking someone else's name, you should introduce yourself first."
"Gaara!" the boy blurted out. "My name is Gaara!"
"How… How did you do that?"
"C-Can you do it again?"
Watching Gaara's eager expression, Mirai's mouth twitched slightly.
…Had this kid just awakened some kind of strange fetish?
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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