NARUTO: Ninja World Scientific Revolution

"That little brat…" 

Tsunade's face was flushed red from the alcohol, but her eyes remained sharp and clear. 

Even after Jiraiya had paid and left, she kept thinking about what he had said. 

In the Great Toad Sage's prophecy, Hyuga Mirai was somehow linked to the person who would disrupt the future of shinobi. However, Tsunade hadn't mentioned the argument she once had with Mirai at the hospital. Maybe she was too drunk to remember, or maybe she simply chose not to. 

She often claimed to have no ties left to Konoha, yet deep down, she couldn't sever her attachment to it. No matter how disappointed she was, Konoha was still the place she grew up in—the village she had once risked everything to protect. 

"We're leaving, Shizune!" 

Tsunade abruptly put down her cup and stood up, motioning for Shizune to follow. 

"Huh? Lady Tsunade, where are we going?" 

Shizune was startled by Tsunade's sudden outburst. She looked far too determined for someone who had just been drinking. 

As Tsunade marched toward the door, she replied, "We need to gather some intel. Something feels off." 

"Right now?" 

Shizune hesitated for a moment before asking, "Isn't it a bit late for that?" Besides, how were they even supposed to gather intel? 

For the past few days, their routine had consisted of going to the casino, losing money, and then figuring out ways to borrow more. If anyone asked Shizune about loan sources, she could list them off with no problem. But when it came to tracking down rogue ninja? That was a completely different story. 

And, sure enough, as Shizune had expected, Tsunade's drunkenness caught up with her not long after they left the izakaya. 

"Honestly, Lady Tsunade," Shizune muttered in frustration, "if you wanted to gather intel, you could've at least used chakra to sober up first." 

With no other choice, she hoisted Tsunade onto her back and carried her toward an inn to rest for the night. Fortunately, Jiraiya had given her some money before leaving—otherwise, they wouldn't even have enough for a room. 

Meanwhile, Jiraiya had returned to Konoha and reported his findings to Namikaze Minato. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to uncover any useful information on Orochimaru or Hyuga Mirai. 

For all his efforts, he still couldn't outmatch Root's extensive network of operatives. After all, Root had dozens of skilled trackers and intelligence specialists at their disposal. Even Orochimaru himself had been secretly photographed without his knowledge. 

Jiraiya handed Minato a small booklet and said, "This is everything I managed to gather. Some of it could impact Konoha, so you might want to prepare accordingly. But as for information on Orochimaru and Mirai… I came up empty." 

Minato skimmed through the document, noting that it contained valuable details about the movements of smaller nations and other major villages. "This is incredibly helpful, Master Jiraiya. I can't thank you enough. As for Orochimaru, Root has actually managed to dig up some leads. But their methods were… problematic, so I had to step in and put a stop to it." 

Minato reached into his desk and pulled out two photographs, handing them to Jiraiya while explaining Root's findings and Danzo's recent actions against the noble merchant clans. 

Jiraiya frowned. "So the Uzumaki Trade Association really does have a connection to Orochimaru… Minato, do you have any detailed reports on them?" 

"Everything we know is in here," Minato said, passing over another file. "Right now, all we can confirm is that these wristwatches are exclusive to the Uzumaki Trade Association and likely reserved for core members." 

He sighed and continued, "Initially, we believed the association was led by Ayaka Uzumaki. But recently, we haven't been able to locate her anywhere in the Land of Fire. The only known representative left is a masked medical ninja wearing a sakura-patterned mask." 

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "A sakura mask? What does this medic actually do?" 

"Healing people. Just like Ayaka Uzumaki," Minato replied. "Beyond that, this masked ninja has been using their wealth to establish orphanages and care centers, significantly reducing the number of deaths from illness near the capital." 

"So they're a saint," Jiraiya muttered, rubbing his forehead. 

If this person was operating in the capital with such a well-known reputation, it was going to be difficult to make a move against them. Many nobles had already received treatment from the Uzumaki Trade Association. And without concrete proof linking them to Orochimaru, a mere photograph wouldn't be enough to take action. 

Sending ninja to arrest them outright would only provoke resistance from the daimyo's officials. Relations between Konoha and the daimyo had already been strained recently. The only reason the capital continued funding Konoha was because of the village's past efforts in protecting the Land of Fire during the last Shinobi War. 

On top of that, Root's recent attack on the noble merchant clans had further damaged Konoha's standing. Although the Third Hokage had intervened to smooth things over, Konoha still needed time to mend its relationship with the daimyo. 

If their connection worsened any further, internal unrest was bound to follow—something that could seriously jeopardize the peace they had fought so hard to maintain. 

Jiraiya finished reading through the reports and nodded. "Got it. I'll head to the capital and investigate the Uzumaki Trade Association myself." 

"Master Jiraiya, please be careful," Minato warned. "Whatever you do, don't start a fight in the capital. Lately, the daimyo has been recruiting powerful shinobi to join the Twelve Guardian Ninja. Officially, there are supposed to be twelve members, but according to ANBU's reports, their numbers have actually grown to over twenty." 

Jiraiya grinned. "Relax, Minato. I am one of the Sannin, after all." 

With a hearty laugh, he reached into his cloak and pulled out a book, casually tossing it to Minato.

"This limited edition of ‎Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi is for you," Jiraiya said with a grin. "I heard your child is about to be born, so consider this my gift. Though honestly, I'd rather give you my other masterpiece… but considering Kushina, I figured I'd better not."

With that, Jiraiya leaped out the window, leaving Minato standing there, shaking his head in exasperation. 

Still, at the thought of his soon-to-arrive child, Minato's energy returned, and he eagerly resumed his work, determined to finish early so he could spend more time with Kushina. 

As for Jiraiya, Minato wasn't too worried. While his sensei was notorious for getting caught peeping at bathhouses, when it came to serious reconnaissance, he was among the best—rarely ever detected by other shinobi. 

A Few Months Later 

"It's time to go, Ayaka," Hyuga Mirai called out, summoning Ayaka Uzumaki from the depths of the Dragon Vein. 

Over the past three months, her progress had been remarkable. Not only had she signed a contract with Ryūchi Cave, but she had also learned the White Activation Technique from Ichikishimahime. 

More importantly, she had integrated Sage Chakra into her Adamantine Sealing Chains, increasing their durability tenfold. Even Mirai himself, without exerting his full strength, would struggle to break free from them. 

With the Uzumaki bloodline and the power of Sage Chakra, Ayaka now had the ability to restrain and seal even the fully formed Nine-Tails with ease. 

"Yes, Lord Mirai," Ayaka responded with a bright smile, following closely behind him. 

She felt incredibly fortunate—three whole months by Mirai's side! Even though he had spent most of his time experimenting and training, just being near him was enough to make her happy. 

The two soared through the skies, clad in their battle armor, avoiding towns and villages along the way. In less than a day, they had crossed into the Land of Fire. 

Under the arrangements of Unit 19, Mirai and Ayaka discreetly joined a merchant caravan heading straight for Konoha. 

Using Yang Release Chakra, Mirai altered both their appearances and then used sealing techniques to suppress their chakra signatures. With his level of skill, even if Konoha deployed two sensory ninjas, they wouldn't be able to detect their true identities. 

Inside Konoha 

"It's been a while… Still looks the same as ever." 

Standing by the window of their inn, Mirai gazed out at the familiar streets of Konoha, a tinge of nostalgia in his voice. 

"Lord Mirai, why exactly are we here?" Ayaka asked curiously. 

Ever since he had asked her to come along, her excitement had completely overridden her ability to think. 

"For the Nine-Tails," Mirai said calmly. "Ayaka, in a few days, you need to be ready to seal the beast inside yourself." 

"The Nine-Tails… But isn't it sealed within Lady Kushina?" 

Ayaka's expression stiffened. Although she wasn't particularly fond of Kushina's unwavering loyalty to Konoha, she was still one of the few remaining Uzumaki. 

"I have no intention of making a move myself," Mirai reassured her. "In fact, I don't even know the exact location of her delivery. But what I do know is that someone will attempt to take the Nine-Tails… and you've met that person before." 

"The Nine-Tails is crucial to Konoha," he continued. "It will be heavily guarded. But once it is extracted… that's when the opportunity arises." 

A trace of worry flickered across Ayaka's face. "Lord Mirai… If the Tailed Beast is extracted, will the Jinchuriki survive?" 

"For most, death is immediate," Mirai explained. "But the Uzumaki Clan has a better chance than most. When a Tailed Beast is sealed within a person, its chakra fuses with the host's own. Once extracted, it takes away a portion of the Jinchuriki's chakra as well, making survival nearly impossible." 

"However, the Uzumaki have incredibly resilient life forces. Even if the Tailed Beast is removed, your clan's strong cells can still generate new chakra… but only for a short time. At best, a few months." 

Mirai turned to Ayaka, his gaze steady. "Think carefully about where you stand—both in relation to Konoha and to yourself. Consider what you stand to gain from this decision." 

"Your skill in both sealing techniques and medical ninjutsu now rivals my own. If you choose to save her, I won't stop you. But if I judge the situation to be too dangerous, I will intervene." 

"I didn't spend all this time training you just for you to throw your life away." 

With that, Mirai left the inn, eager to explore Konoha once more after all this time. 

Ayaka, left alone in the room, pouted for a long moment before muttering, "Just a subordinate? After all this time, still just a subordinate?" 

But then, a small smile crept onto her lips. 

"Hehe~ But Lord Mirai does care about me." 

(End of Chapter)