"A vessel…?"
Kawaki stared at Uchiha Mirai in confusion after hearing his words.
"What do you mean?"
"Wasn't Jigen Isshiki's vessel?"
Mirai shook his head with a faint smile as he looked at Kawaki's clueless expression.
"Jigen was merely a body Isshiki took over. Even though he had the Kāma mark engraved on him, Isshiki never chose to reincarnate through Jigen—not even after thousands of years. That alone proves Jigen was not a suitable vessel."
Despite Mirai's explanation, Kawaki still found it hard to believe.
"Even if that's true, it only means Jigen wasn't the perfect vessel. How do you know Isshiki's target is me?"
Mirai chuckled softly.
"I know a lot more than you think."
"You believe you're the hunter hiding in the shadows… but really, you've been dancing in the palm of my hand all along."
"That's just how it is. Whether you believe it or not doesn't matter."
"Go on," Mirai said with a casual wave. "You don't need to stay on guard around me anymore."
Kawaki hesitated for a moment, then hurried to the door.
But just as he was about to leave, he couldn't stop himself from asking,
"If you already know that Isshiki plans to use my body for reincarnation, why are you letting me go?"
"You clearly understand what kind of overwhelming power he'll gain if he manages to reincarnate in a perfect vessel."
Mirai gave a short snort.
"A frog at the bottom of a well will never understand how vast the sky truly is."
"The reason I'm letting you go is actually quite simple—"
"I don't care."
With that, Mirai turned and walked out of the room.
Kawaki stared at his back, stunned and unable to calm his thoughts.
He had always thought Jigen was already an incredibly confident person—but compared to Uchiha Mirai, Jigen almost seemed petty.
That kind of composure…
For some reason, Kawaki suddenly felt a strange sense of excitement rising in his chest.
When would he be able to possess that kind of presence?
His eyes shifted to the Kāma mark etched into his skin, growing colder and more resolute.
Take over his body?
In your dreams.
...
Kara's Headquarters
For the first time, Jigen's ever-composed face twisted in fury.
A storm of killing intent surged from him as he glared at the assembled Kara members.
Just as he was preparing for his reincarnation, something unexpected had happened with his vessel!
Kawaki…
Had fallen into Konoha's hands!
And at the worst possible moment—right now, and in Konoha of all places…
Was that really just a coincidence?
His eyes swept sharply over Victor, Amado Sanzu, Koji Kashin, Delta, and Code one by one.
But in the end, he could only take a deep breath and rein in his emotions.
"Prepare yourselves. Even if it means war with Konoha, we must retrieve Kawaki."
He had waited millennia to find a vessel as perfect as Kawaki. No more mistakes could be allowed.
Just then, a short, elderly man rushed in.
Jigen frowned. "Bug, the meeting isn't over yet."
The old man—Bug—flinched and quickly explained,
"Lord Jigen, we've made an important discovery!"
"Kawaki has escaped from Konoha!"
"What?!" Jigen shot to his feet. "Are you certain?!"
Bug's voice was steady. "Lord Jigen, I wouldn't dare joke about something like this."
Jigen's brows knit even tighter.
Considering how several Kara outposts had already been taken out, there was no doubt in his mind that Uchiha Mirai had uncovered Kara's existence.
Borō, Deepa, and Ōga—three Inner members—had all fallen into Uchiha Mirai's hands.
Now Kawaki too...
Jigen didn't believe for a second that a man like Mirai hadn't extracted information from their minds.
And if he did know how important Kawaki was to Jigen—
Then why let him go?
Jigen thought it over again and again, only to arrive at one conclusion:
The other side didn't care.
Even if Isshiki succeeded in reincarnating perfectly—he didn't care!
"That bastard… he's underestimating me."
Jigen couldn't help but mutter.
As a member of the Otsutsuki clan's main family, he had always held himself above the shinobi of this world.
Yet now—he was being looked down on by a mortal.
How amusing.
Now more than ever, he couldn't wait to reincarnate… and confront this Uchiha Mirai face-to-face.
With that thought, his voice rang out cold and commanding:
"Everyone, stay in the base. No one leaves without my orders."
And with that, he vanished into thin air using the power of Sukunahikona.
Once he was gone, the Inner members dispersed one after another.
Koji Kashin and Amado Sanzu were left standing, faces grim.
Amado growled, "What the hell is that Mirai thinking? He could've locked Kawaki up or even killed him—so why let him go?!"
All of his careful planning, and it ended like this.
With the Kāma mark Isshiki placed on Kawaki, tracking him wouldn't be difficult at all.
Koji's voice was low. "Should I move now?"
Amado narrowed his eyes. "Can you handle him?"
Koji shook his head. "No. But we have to try."
Amado nodded slowly.
"There's no helping it. Go. I placed a tracking device on Kawaki."
Koji took the device from Amado's hand and vanished.
He had to reach Kawaki before Jigen did—no matter what.
...
Outside Konoha
Kawaki was darting through the dense forest, eyes constantly scanning his surroundings in nervous vigilance.
What he feared most was Jigen suddenly appearing in front of him.
If that happened—he was done for.
But after witnessing the sheer presence Uchiha Mirai had shown, Kawaki couldn't help but trust everything he'd said.
A man that confident wouldn't lie—not about something like this.
And perhaps that was exactly why Kawaki didn't choose to remain in Konoha.
His pride wouldn't allow it.
He didn't want Mirai to see him as weak or dependent.
Even if he had to rely on his own strength—he would carve out his fate with his own hands.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, a towering figure appeared before him.
"Koji Kashin?!"
Kawaki's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the man standing in his path.
Koji didn't waste time.
"If you want to live, come with me. Isshiki's coming—fast."
Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed Kawaki and sprinted straight toward Konoha.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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