NARUTO: Ninja World Scientific Revolution

"I'm not surprised you made this choice, Minato." 

Hyuga Mirai flicked his fingers, releasing several chakra threads that wrapped around Namikaze Minato's limbs, restraining him. The threads served two purposes—keeping him alive just a little longer and preventing him from using the Flying Thunder God Technique. 

The chakra threads latched onto key pressure points, effectively suppressing movement. If Minato wanted to break free, he'd have to unleash a burst of chakra to sever the threads first. But the moment he did, Mirai would have ample time to react. 

"You're being overly cautious, Mirai," Minato said with a weary smile, testing his restraints. "I barely have the strength left to fight you." 

He had indeed entertained the thought of attacking, but as soon as the chakra threads bound him, that fleeting impulse faded. Instead, a strange sense of gratitude settled in—because of Mirai's intervention, he was able to look at Naruto and Kushina just a little longer. 

"The perfect Hokage's will," Mirai mused, shaking his head. "So devoted to protecting the village that you're willing to sacrifice yourself. I respect it, but at the same time, I find it troubling. People like you don't just stop at giving up your own lives—you always end up dragging those around you down with you." 

"If I recall correctly, Mirai, weren't you the same way once?" Minato asked, his expression unreadable. 

"Are you an idiot? That was an act," Mirai scoffed. "Did you really think I nearly exhausted my chakra just by healing a few people? If I wanted to, I could heal every wounded soldier on three battlefields without breaking a sweat." 

Mirai's gaze shifted toward the barrier, where Hiruzen Sarutobi stood outside. The Adamantine Barrier had loosened slightly—Ayaka Uzumaki was still adjusting to the Nine-Tails' chakra, making the structure somewhat unstable. 

Even so, breaking through it would take time. 

Unless, of course, Hiruzen resorted to high-destruction ninjutsu—but that risked harming Minato, Kushina, and Naruto. 

Hiruzen had already seen the sealing marks on Naruto's stomach. He knew that Minato had sealed half of the Nine-Tails into his newborn son. That made Naruto an invaluable Jinchuriki for Konoha—far too precious to risk collateral damage. 

"So… why did you betray Konoha?" Minato finally asked, his voice steady. "With your abilities, you were practically guaranteed to become the Fifth Hokage." 

Mirai chuckled. "Still as naive as ever, Minato." 

"The Branch Family of the Hyuga Clan—they're the perfect tools. That's something both the Main Family and the Hokage's office agree on," Mirai said, his tone indifferent. "If I wanted to become Hokage, I'd first have to unite the Branch Family against the Main Family, then battle the village elders, and after that, deal with the power struggles between the ninja clans. Just thinking about it feels exhausting." 

"As for betraying Konoha…" Mirai's eyes glinted. "Minato, you've lived in Konoha too long. Your vision is trapped within this one village. Tell me—when you speak of 'peace,' do you mean peace for the entire world, or just for Konoha?" 

"Of course, I—" 

"Don't answer yet," Mirai interrupted. "Let me ask you something else. If the Hidden Cloud were planning to invade the Land of Rivers, and at the same time, the Hidden Rain and Hidden Star were locked in a bitter war… what would you do?" 

Minato fell silent. 

He knew the answer. 

In an ideal world, he would use his status as the Fourth Hokage to mediate between the villages. But in reality… Konoha would likely take advantage of the conflict for its own benefit. 

A realization struck Minato like a blow to the chest. 'Since when… did I start thinking like this?'

'Since when did I, someone who once longed for peace, begin to tolerate war as long as it benefited Konoha?' 

"Minato, you're not a fool. You know what stands in the way of true peace," Mirai continued, his voice calm. "But you also know you're not strong enough to change it. So, instead, you chose to ignore it—to settle for protecting one village's peace.

Unlike you, I know what the future holds. I have the power to change it. 

I don't want to waste time playing games with Konoha's leaders. I want to reshape the world—my way." 

"Do you understand now, Minato? Konoha and I were never walking the same path. It was only a matter of time before we parted ways." 

Minato's breath hitched. "So that's it…" 

A lion does not live among pigs. 

From the very beginning, Mirai had never truly considered Konoha worth his time. 

And only now, in his final moments, did Minato finally understand. 

A sudden, agonized groan snapped them both from their thoughts. 

Ayaka Uzumaki stumbled, her body radiating an overwhelming surge of dark, malevolent chakra. The Nine-Tails was resisting. 

The violent energy wrapped around her, disrupting her Sage Mode. The Adamantine Barrier began to weaken—its chains quivering as though they could collapse at any moment. 

"An opportunity."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes sharpened. 'This is my chance to reclaim the Nine-Tails!'

Summoning every ounce of strength, he infused his staff with a massive burst of chakra. The staff thinned, extending at an incredible speed, then struck the barrier with all his might. 

Crack! 

With Ayaka's Sage Mode disrupted, the barrier lost its resilience. The Golden Staff shattered through it instantly. 

At the same moment, Minato summoned the last of his chakra. His eyes were filled with determination, but behind it—there was guilt. 

"I'm sorry, Mirai," he murmured. "As the Fourth Hokage, I must protect the village." 

With a final, desperate surge of power, Minato tore through the chakra threads restraining him. 

Then, he charged straight at Hyuga Mirai. 

Simultaneously, Hiruzen's staff shot toward Mirai's back with deadly precision. 

A two-pronged attack. Minato did not hesitate. 

Even though Mirai had just saved him—had just extended Kushina's life—Minato's duty as Hokage overrode all else. 

He had to keep Konoha safe. 

But just as the attacks closed in, Mirai smiled. 

"Minato… when did you start believing that Ayaka, a fully trained Sage, wouldn't be able to handle half of the Nine-Tails?" 

His deep blue eyes glowed—like the vast expanse of the night sky. 

"And more importantly…" 

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand signals behind my back?" 

In that moment, the prophecy of the Great Toad Sage became clear. 

The man with the deep blue eyes.

The man who would change the world. 

Hyuga Mirai.

---

The moment Namikaze Minato saw those deep blue eyes, his heart trembled with shock. He had never expected that the one Jiraiya had been searching for all this time was none other than Hyuga Mirai. 

With a slight shift of his body, Mirai infused his Tenseigan's power into the chakra threads Minato had just broken free from, momentarily binding him once more. 

Minato instantly realized what had happened—he hadn't truly escaped the chakra threads. He had only severed them, not completely freed himself from their grasp. 

The restraint wouldn't last long, but it was enough. 

As their bodies passed each other, Mirai turned and raised his hand. 

"Repulsion!" 

A tremendous force struck Minato, sending him flying backward at breakneck speed. 

"Minato!! No—Enma, pull back, now!" 

Minato's trajectory sent him hurtling straight toward the staff-wielding Enma, but his momentum was too great. Even though the summon recognized the danger, it had no time to react. 

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi was caught off guard. 

Thud!

The staff pierced through Minato's chest. His eyes widened in disbelief as he coughed up a mouthful of blood. 

"Minato!" 

Hiruzen's furious shout rang through the battlefield. He quickly retracted the staff and used the Body Flicker Technique to catch Minato before he could collapse. 

"Lord Third…" 

Minato's voice was weak. Having used the Reaper Death Seal and taken a fatal wound, he was now standing at death's door. 

From the distance, Kushina Uzumaki watched, her eyes filled with sorrow. She knew Minato still had so much he wanted to say to Naruto. 

But why? 

Why waste his final moments on a hopeless struggle to protect Konoha? 

What would happen to Naruto now? 

Just as despair consumed her thoughts, a warm hand rested on her shoulder. 

A familiar surge of life energy flowed into her body, reigniting the dying embers of her life force. 

She looked up and met those deep blue eyes. 

"Strange," Mirai said, a small smile playing on his lips. "You're looking at me without hatred, Lady Kushina. Are you suppressing it, or have you simply chosen to bury it?" 

Kushina said nothing. 

"You saw everything just now," Mirai continued. "Surely, you must feel resentment. So tell me—who do you hate? Me, for killing your husband? The Third Hokage? Or the masked Uchiha who attacked you tonight?" 

"I don't know…" Kushina whispered. She was dying—she didn't have the energy to waste on hatred. She just wanted to see Naruto a little longer. 

"Then think about it carefully," Mirai said. "I've decided to help you, despite Minato's attempt on my life. But I want you to consider this: Who should you blame? Who should you be grateful to? And how should you choose to live moving forward?" 

"Get out of my sight!" 

A furious voice cut through the air. 

Ayaka Uzumaki's golden chakra chains pierced through two approaching ANBU operatives, flinging their lifeless bodies aside. 

If it weren't for Lord Mirai's orders, did they really think that old man could have broken through her barrier?! 

Half of the Nine-Tails? Please. She didn't even need Sage Mode to keep it contained. 

With the chakra successfully sealed back inside her, Ayaka turned toward Kushina. Seeing her on the brink of death, she sighed, frustration flashing in her eyes. 

"Master Mirai, I suddenly feel like saving her," she said.

"Let's give her a chance." 

"What?" 

Ayaka's heart leaped with excitement, but she quickly composed herself and nodded. "Understood, Master Mirai." 

Without hesitation, she extended her arm toward Kushina. 

"Bite down," she commanded. "I inherited my father's ability—I can save your life." 

As Kushina hesitated, Mirai channeled Sage Chakra into her body, sealing the energy within her using a specialized sealing technique. 

"Remember my words, Lady Kushina," he said. "If you ever figure out the truth, revenge is always an option. Just like Minato." 

Sensing a large number of shinobi approaching, Mirai turned to Ayaka. 

"It's time to go. Konoha's forces are almost here."

(End of Chapter)

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