Chapter 19: Power Boost—Kakashi and Guy Drop By

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, another two months had passed. During that period, Mirai hadn't taken a single day off. Mission after mission… He was like a tireless machine. His reputation within the village grew, nearly every shinobi in Konoha had heard of the mission-crazy new genin.

A few times, Kurenai had tried to discreetly ask Mirai if he was in need of money, even offering to have her father lend him some. But after receiving no clear response, she had to give up, only reminding him to stay careful during missions.

The high-intensity workload left Mirai exhausted, but the gains were undeniable. Over those two months, aside from his daily rewards from sparring, he'd accumulated 140 attribute points. With his relentless effort, the number of bandits in the Land of Fire had noticeably decreased.

[Name: Uchiha Mirai]

Physique: 105

Mental Strength: 92

Chakra: 59

Bloodline Limit: Sharingan

Ninjutsu: …

Other: …

Looking at his attribute panel, Mirai couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. His physical capabilities had increased several times over. Though he still looked like a young boy, his strength, speed, and stamina had reached a level on par with elite jonin. His mental strength had also advanced to the point where he sensed that his Sharingan was close to evolving again. He guessed it wouldn't be long before he unlocked the three-tomoe Sharingan.

However, his chakra reserves hadn't grown as significantly. Most of the attribute points he'd gained from defeating bandits went toward physical and mental stats, given that most of his opponents were ordinary people without chakra.

"With my current strength, I could probably crush Kakashi without breaking a sweat," Mirai mused. Although Kakashi was one of the most talented shinobi in the village at this stage, he still had his limits.

Talent could only carry someone so far. Even prodigies like Kakashi, Obito, and Nagato hit plateaus. True breakthroughs were rare, except for legends like Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.

But Mirai didn't have to worry about that. As long as he kept accumulating attribute points, his power would continue to grow. That—was the beauty of his ability.

Unfortunately, there had been fewer bandit missions lately. Higher-level tasks required team missions, and Kurenai and Asuma weren't quite ready for those.

For now, it seemed like a good time to slow down and adapt to his newfound strength. Otherwise, he risked becoming like Kaguya Otsutsuki—powerful, but unable to wield her strength effectively.

Knock, knock, knock!

A loud knock on the door pulled Mirai from his thoughts.

"Kakashi?" he said in surprise when he saw the silver-haired boy standing outside, a look of irritation in his eyes.

"So, he has to beat me to earn the right to challenge you?" Kakashi asked bluntly, not hiding his annoyance.

Mirai then noticed a young man in green tights standing beside him, shuffling awkwardly—Might Guy.

"Heh… Mirai, Kakashi insisted we come and see you," Guy said with an embarrassed laugh.

Mirai quickly understood the situation. Kakashi must've heard about his conversation with Might Duy in the mission hall, leading him to bring Guy along for a rematch. Though Duy had misunderstood his intentions, it was too late to explain now.

"I may have lost last time, but that doesn't mean you're stronger than me," Kakashi said sternly. "Today, we'll settle this. Whoever loses has to spar with Guy from now on."

As Konoha's former number one prodigy, Kakashi had his pride. Mirai might've won their last encounter, but Kakashi was convinced it wouldn't happen twice. He hadn't expected Mirai to see through his tactics so easily back then, this time, he was determined not to make the same mistake.

"Alright," Mirai sighed, seeing the fire in Kakashi's eyes. Without another word, he led the two to an empty training ground.

Watching them square off, Guy looked as if he might burst with excitement.

"Two geniuses, facing off in a battle of skill and strength!" he shouted, tears in his eyes. "This is youth! It's beautiful!"

Mirai had no doubt that if Might Duy were here, he and Guy would be having a tearful moment together.

"This time, I won't hold back. So be careful," Kakashi warned, drawing his short sword and fixing Mirai with a steely gaze.

Mirai simply drew his own blade and motioned for Kakashi to come at him.

"Damn it!" Kakashi grunted. With a swift Body Flicker, he appeared right in front of Mirai, launching a relentless assault.

"Too slow," Mirai thought as he watched Kakashi's movements. Compared to last time, Kakashi was indeed faster, but Mirai found it even easier to keep up. Previously, he'd needed to activate his Sharingan to follow Kakashi's attacks, but now, he could track him without it.

A few casual counters from Mirai had Kakashi struggling to keep up.

"Wow!" Guy gasped, eyes wide as he watched their rapid taijutsu exchange. To him, this was a spectacle, something far beyond his current level.

"Was this guy holding back last time?" Kakashi's worry grew as they fought. Guy couldn't sense it, but Kakashi was becoming more and more alarmed. Mirai hadn't even activated his Sharingan, yet each of his counters put Kakashi off balance. It was as if their power levels weren't even comparable.

"Kakashi, it's time to give up," Mirai advised.

"Not a chance!" Kakashi barked, pushing Mirai back with a quick slash and creating some distance.

"Ox—Rabbit—Monkey!"

Electricity crackled around Kakashi's right hand, emitting a high-pitched chirping sound, like thousands of birds singing in unison.

"Chidori!" Kakashi shouted, his body launching forward like a released arrow, charging straight at Mirai. The speed was incredible, leaving Guy slack-jawed in awe.

"Mirai, watch out!" Guy yelled in alarm.

Smack!

A sharp sound echoed as the action froze mid-motion. Kakashi's lightning-clad hand was caught in Mirai's iron grip. The red of the Sharingan gleamed in Mirai's eyes, spinning slowly.

"Kakashi, you should be more careful with such a dangerous technique," Mirai cautioned.

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