Without a moment's hesitation, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki chose to run.
Activating Sukunahikona, he shrank his body down to an almost imperceptible size.
Then, he darted straight toward the outskirts of Konohagakure.
It was with this very technique that he'd once escaped from Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's grasp.
Today would be no different.
Or so he thought.
The instant he shrank, he felt a tremendous pull gripping his body.
Before he could react, he was yanked uncontrollably in Uchiha Mirai's direction.
"So he's using a wide-area gravitational pull to stop me from escaping…"
Isshiki muttered to himself, but he wasn't truly afraid.
He didn't believe Mirai could sustain Shinra Tensei continuously.
All he needed was a small opening—and he'd vanish in a flash.
But the next moment, everything blurred.
A sudden pressure gripped his throat—he couldn't breathe.
He looked down at his body, now returned to its normal size, and stared in shock.
"What… what's going on? Why am I back like this?!"
Dangling Isshiki midair, Mirai smiled. "This is Sukunahikona's power. Don't you know that?"
Isshiki shook his head in disbelief. "That's nonsense. Sukunahikona can't affect other living beings—only the user themself!"
He knew Mirai had the ability to replicate others' bloodline limits, so it wasn't a stretch to assume he had copied Sukunahikona during their battle.
But even so, Sukunahikona couldn't forcibly return someone to their original size—not if they were the caster.
Seeing Isshiki's horrified expression, Mirai spoke calmly,
"Just because you can't do it doesn't mean I can't."
"Lower lifeform. Time to become a star."
With that, Mirai hurled Isshiki into the sky.
He bent his arm slightly.
"Just a normal punch."
"Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack!"
Up in the air, Isshiki struggled desperately to activate his powers and dodge the blow.
But it was as if he'd been sealed—he couldn't summon any strength at all.
Feeling the apocalyptic force building in Mirai's fist, Isshiki let out an anguished roar.
He remembered vividly—it was this very technique Kaguya had used to ambush him, leaving him critically wounded.
Now, after lying dormant for thousands of years and finally obtaining a new body...
Was he really going to die here?
Unwilling. Furious. Desperate.
As that feeling consumed him, Mirai's fist slammed into his chest.
A devastating energy burst out from the impact, obliterating Isshiki's entire body in an instant.
But that wasn't the end.
To Isshiki's horror, the punch didn't just destroy his body—it tore through his very soul.
Even his spirit was savagely shredded apart.
...
After Isshiki's annihilation, the lingering force of Mirai's punch surged upward into the skies.
The residual shockwaves from the Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack swept across the heavens, clearing the clouds for hundreds of miles.
"So—so terrifying…"
"That kind of power… and he just killed such a powerful enemy, just like that?"
"The sky was full of clouds just now… and now it's completely clear."
"This… this is the power of Lord Emperor?"
Kotetsu Hagane and Kamizuki Izumo stood slack-jawed in utter disbelief.
Uchiha Mirai's display of strength had far surpassed anything they could have imagined.
"Mirai-san is amazing!" Naruto cheered. "That arrogant Ōtsutsuki guy didn't stand a chance!"
"…But why do I feel like I'm falling further and further behind?"
Uzumaki Naruto's excitement dimmed slightly with that realization.
Uchiha Sasuke, meanwhile, stared with burning intensity.
That punch—everything about it had dazzled him.
Cool, sharp, overwhelming—that was exactly the kind of person he dreamed of becoming.
"…Is this really something that comes down to talent?"
he muttered to himself.
He would've never guessed that a line like "just a normal punch" could be paired with something as devastating as the Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack.
"That massive contrast… it made the cool factor explode, and totally caught everyone off guard…"
Sasuke silently took note of this brilliant formula, already preparing to use it himself one day.
If Mirai had known what Sasuke was thinking, he probably would've given him a big thumbs up.
Classic Second Pillar—his brain really did work differently.
...
"Amado. Well?" Mirai stepped in front of Sanzu Amado, looking down at him.
Snapping out of his daze, Amado swallowed hard and stammered,
"L-Lord Emperor… please, let me serve under you!"
"You've been looking for scientific research talent, haven't you? I—I believe my skills are among the best in the entire ninja world!"
He dropped to his knees, utterly sincere, body and mind completely overwhelmed by Mirai's might.
To kill Ōtsutsuki Isshiki so effortlessly… it was terrifying.
Staring down at the man bowing before him, Mirai said with a calm smile, "I'm not interested in people who tried to plot against me. Be glad I'm not killing you—that alone is a blessing."
Amado immediately prostrated himself even flatter against the ground and explained in a trembling voice,
"I—I didn't know how powerful you were before, my lord. That's the only reason I made such grave mistakes! But my goal was always to help you eliminate Isshiki. Please, Lord Emperor, grant me forgiveness!"
Seeing Mirai remain unmoved, Amado shouted desperately, "L-Lord Emperor…!"
"I have cells from Ōtsutsuki Shibai!"
Mirai stopped mid-step and turned, his gaze locking onto Amado.
"If you're lying, you'll die a miserable death."
"I wouldn't dare," Amado replied seriously. "After I defected to Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, he gave me Shibai's cells and ordered me to transplant them into the core members of Kara."
"I still have some of those cells with me. I'll offer them all to you."
A faint smile appeared on Mirai's face as he reached out and pulled Amado to his feet.
"Amado… welcome to Konohagakure."
Ōtsutsuki Shibai—the so-called "God of the Ōtsutsuki Clan."
His cells were an unparalleled treasure.
If implanted, there was a chance of awakening powers akin to Shibai himself.
If Amado was willing to trade something like that to pledge loyalty, there was no reason to refuse.
Seeing Mirai accept him, Amado let out a long breath of relief.
Now that he had been acknowledged by Uchiha Mirai…
There was still hope.
Hope that his daughter could be brought back to life.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Fanfic is finished on Patreon (476 chapters in total.)
Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)