After returning to Konoha with Chino, Tsunade and the others looked completely unfazed, as if this kind of situation had long since stopped surprising them.
Especially after learning that Chino was already of age, they found it only natural.
A little girl like her, already an adult now—if Mirai didn't make a move on her, that would be surprising.
And based on their guess, Kazamatsuri Moegi, who had gone out with them this time, probably wouldn't escape Mirai's grasp either.
Still, considering how Mirai had wealth spanning the whole world and strength beyond comprehension, none of the women felt jealous. Adding a few more sisters didn't stir any resentment in them.
Once Tsunade and the others took Chino to arrange her lodging, Mirai headed straight to the Hokage's office.
Kazamatsuri Moegi was currently reporting the full details of the mission to Namikaze Minato.
After listening, Minato mulled it over and said, "Since this mission involved the Chinoike Clan of Hell Valley, let's raise the mission rank to A."
Before Moegi could respond, Mirai cut in with clear dissatisfaction.
"A-rank? That's not enough. Bump it to S-rank."
"Huh?!" Minato blinked, visibly uncertain. "Mirai, the standards for an S-rank mission are extremely strict. Based on the intel Moegi provided, this one barely qualifies as—"
He didn't get to finish.
"The authority to interpret that standard lies with me," Mirai interrupted firmly.
"I say it's S-rank, so it is. Moegi's an excellent kunoichi—we should be giving younger ninja more opportunities."
Faced with Mirai's insistence, Minato could only nod in agreement.
"Alright then. The mission will be officially reclassified as S-rank."
Moegi was utterly stunned.
She hadn't even contributed much to this mission. Mirai had handled most of the real investigation and resolved the core issue. Just having the mission listed as A-rank was already more than she'd expected.
And now it had been upgraded to S-rank?
In today's shinobi world, it wasn't just hard to complete an S-rank mission—it was difficult even to qualify for one.
Anyone with a successful S-rank mission on their record instantly gained an edge in every area of life.
Realizing this, Moegi couldn't help but look at Mirai with deep gratitude.
"Thank you so much, Lord Mirai."
Mirai waved a hand casually. "Just treat me to a meal sometime."
Seeing this completely down-to-earth side of him, Moegi felt a strange new emotion welling up inside her.
Mirai... he's really attractive.
Noticing the look on her face, the corner of Mirai's mouth lifted in the faintest smirk.
Looks like the prey's taken the bait.
...
Just as Mirai expected, in the days that followed, Kazamatsuri Moegi kept finding excuses to ask him out.
And of course, he happily accepted every time.
Their relationship deepened rapidly through these small dates.
Within just a week, Moegi had already moved into Mirai's estate.
Meanwhile, the succession ceremony for the Sixth Hokage had been successfully held.
Compared to the old days when each nation had only one village, today's ceremonies weren't quite so grand.
Still, the identity of the new Hokage drew widespread attention.
Once people learned that the successor was Hyuga Neji of the Hyuga Clan, the clan's reputation soared dramatically.
Talk of the Hyuga filled every street and alley.
This situation made Hyuga Hiashi feel deeply emotional.
From the bottom of his heart, he felt that marrying off both Hinata and Hanabi to Uchiha Mirai had been an absolutely correct decision.
...
Hokage Tower.
Hokage's Office.
Hyuga Neji, now wearing the Hokage's signature cloak, was diligently handling the village's paperwork with a serious expression.
Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Nara Shikamaru, Inuzuka Kiba, and Rock Lee were all watching him with open envy.
"Neji, I can't believe it… Out of all of us, you're the one who became Hokage."
"Hahahaha… What are you even talking about? Back at the Academy, Neji was already one of the top students across the board."
"Damn it! Being Hokage has always been my dream, and now Neji beat me to it!"
"Honestly, I don't care about being Hokage. I've got my eyes on becoming the next head of the Uchiha Clan!"
"..."
Hearing their chatter, Hyuga Neji looked up with a grin.
"Alright, alright—this isn't the place for idle gossip. I'll treat you all to dinner tonight, sound good?"
With that promise secured, the group finally left the office satisfied.
Tonight, they fully intended to make Neji foot a very expensive bill.
Once they were gone, Neji shook his head with a helpless smile.
He was just about to return to the paperwork when the door opened—and in walked Mirai.
Neji immediately stood up. "Lord Mirai!"
Mirai waved a hand. "Relax, Neji. I'm just here to take a quick look around. No need to be so tense."
Neji nodded and sat back down. "Understood."
As Neji went back to his work, Mirai said nothing. He'd come here just to enjoy a moment of peace.
Some men might not get it, but when you've got a lot of women around, even if each one only speaks a little, the noise can still drive you crazy.
Time passed slowly. Just as Mirai was dozing off peacefully, Hyuga Neji's voice broke the silence.
"Lord Mirai?"
Mirai opened his eyes groggily. "Is it time to clock out already?"
Neji shook his head. "Not yet—but there's a piece of intel I wanted to show you."
Mirai's eyebrows lifted when he saw the old-style scroll in Neji's hands.
The intelligence had been sent back to Konoha by Uchiha Itachi.
After quickly skimming its contents, a smile spread across Mirai's face.
Itachi had spotted a suspicious ninja near the ruins of Uzushiogakure and had tracked him extensively. In doing so, he discovered a base belonging to an unknown organization.
The symbol used by the organization resembled a seashell.
The scroll also included detailed information about the base's location.
Once he finished reading, Mirai casually set the scroll aside.
So after all this time... that mysterious Kara Organization is finally surfacing.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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