Chapter 40: The Power of the Uzumaki Body, Chūnin Exams Await!

In a quiet room, Mirai sat cross-legged, eyes closed in deep contemplation. After a long while, he opened them, a glimmer of fierce determination flashing briefly.

"So, this is the power of the Uzumaki Body?" he murmured with a thrill of excitement. "Incredible."

Since his body had transformed into the Uzumaki Body, his chakra reserves had multiplied dozens of times over. From what had once been the level of a standard elite jōnin, he was now a "walking Tailed Beast" of chakra. If he faced Rasa now, he was confident he could wear him down without breaking a sweat!

Aside from his chakra, Mirai's mental strength and physical constitution had also undergone remarkable changes. Though his individual attributes hadn't directly increased, his overall power had taken a tremendous leap.

The most crucial point was that his new Uzumaki Body meant any future improvements to his physical, chakra, or mental stats would be based on the enhanced potential of this body. Each new point would be worth several times what it used to be!

A particular battery advertisement popped into Mirai's mind: "This battery – one pack equals six regular ones!"

After savoring the changes, Mirai stood up, activating the barrier around his room before opening the Eight Gates.

"First Gate – Open!"

"Second Gate – Rest!"

"Third Gate – Life!"

"… and Sixth Gate – View!"

As he unlocked the sixth gate, Mirai's body surged with wild energy. If not for the barrier, this level of chakra would've alarmed the entire village.

Actually, Mirai had a faint feeling that, with his current physical state, he might even be able to break through to the seventh gate, Wonder Gate. But he wasn't sure if the barrier could contain the energy that would unleash. After a moment of thought, he decided to hold off.

After a few moments, Mirai took a deep breath and released the Eight Gates. A wave of fatigue washed over him, but he smiled, satisfied. Compared to the last time, he could maintain the gates longer and the aftereffects were far less severe.

"We'll see how things go tomorrow," he muttered, letting the satisfaction sink in before lying down and drifting off to sleep.

The next morning, Mirai woke up and stretched, feeling only a slight soreness here and there, nothing serious.

"As expected of the Uzumaki Body—this recovery rate is insane." Mirai couldn't help but marvel. After his previous fight with Rasa, he'd needed over half a month to get back to peak condition. Now, just a single night's rest, and he was back.

"The Uzumaki Body is already this strong… I wonder just how powerful the legendary Perfect Sage Body could be."

As the last golden leaves fell to the ground, the cold winter wind made people on the streets hunch up against the chill. On this brisk day, two green-clad figures emerged from the distant forest, steaming with exertion as they ran on their hands.

"Gai! With the Chūnin Exams around the corner, you need to push even harder," Might Duy urged.

"Yes, Father!" Might Guy responded with a shout.

"Keep it up! We're almost at the end—I'll treat you to ramen if you make it!"

"Waaaah!" Both of them burst into a loud cheer as they dashed into Ichiraku Ramen. "Boss, four extra-large bowls of pork ramen!"

"Got it, just a moment."

After ordering, Guy and Duy found a quiet corner to sit down. Shortly, four steaming bowls of hearty ramen were placed in front of them.

"Enjoy!"

With loud slurping sounds, they devoured every bit, not even leaving a drop of broth behind. As they finished, a dark-haired boy with a calm and focused demeanor walked in.

"Mirai!" Guy leapt up, waving excitedly.

"Guy? Duy?" Mirai smiled, taking a seat next to them.

"Mirai, what a coincidence, running into you here." Duy grinned. "Today's meal is on me!"

"Uncle Day, why don't you save your money and get some extra protein instead?" Mirai shook his head, politely declining.

"No worries, Mirai—I can afford it now!" Duy said, waving his hand confidently.

"Oh? Did you two stumble upon a treasure trove?" Mirai joked.

At that, Duy chuckled. "Actually, it's all thanks to you."

"Thanks to me?" Mirai looked puzzled.

Guy quickly explained, "That's right! Because of you, Father's earning more than ever!"

"How's that?"

"A month ago, you returned from the front lines, and word spread about how you held off Rasa and two other Sunagakure jōnin with the Eight Gates. After that, the Third Hokage personally summoned Father, and after some evaluation, promoted him to Special Jōnin!"

"Father's income is much better now," Guy added, "and he even received a large reward after giving the Eight Gates training method to the village!"

Guy looked at Mirai with heartfelt gratitude. Not only had Mirai helped him see himself as a "hard-working genius," but he'd also helped his father shed the "eternal genin" label. To them, Mirai was like a guardian angel.

"I see. Well then, I'll gladly accept your treat." Understanding the situation, Mirai stopped protesting and ordered a deluxe bowl of ramen. Since money was no longer an issue for Duy, further insistence would just be awkward.

"Mirai, I haven't seen you much lately. What have you been up to?" Guy asked, curious.

Mirai glanced at him. "With the Chūnin Exams coming up, I've been training with Kurenai and Asuma."

Hearing this, Guy felt a little better and laughed. "I see—how lucky Kurenai and Asuma are to have you as a teammate."

At that moment, a young girl came over carrying a large bowl of ramen.

"Your ramen—enjoy," she said, placing it down with a polite smile.

Mirai chuckled, ruffling the little girl's hair. "Thanks, little one!"

"Hey, you messed up my hair!" she huffed, pouting and running off.

After playfully teasing the girl, Mirai took a bite of his ramen and turned back to Guy.

"So, Guy, ready for the Chūnin Exams?"

"I'm more than ready!" Guy declared, punching his fist in the air. "We've all been training hard for this."

"Don't let your guard down, Mirai. You never know when something unexpected might happen."

Mirai glanced at his system panel:

Name: Uchiha Mirai

Physique: 213

Mental Strength: 207

Chakra: 209

Kekkei Genkai: Sharingan, Magnet Release (Gold Dust)

Ninjutsu: …

Other Abilities: Partial Multi-Size, Shadow Imitation Jutsu, Uzumaki Body…

Seeing his stats, all over 200, and his array of techniques, Mirai smirked to himself.

If anything could make him lose during the exams, it'd probably take the Hokage himself, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stepping in.

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