Chapter 56: Effort Trumps Talent

After their crushing defeat, Kumogakure withdrew completely. Officially, the reason given was that Ay was assuming the role of the Fourth Raikage, so all Kumogakure shinobi had to return to attend the ceremony. But everyone knew it was just a convenient excuse to cover their retreat.

With Kumogakure's forces pulled back, all outposts and holdings in the Land of Hot Water and Land of Fields naturally fell under Konoha's control. Orochimaru had considered pressing the advantage, but Hiruzen strictly prohibited any further action, and Orochimaru had no choice but to follow his orders and recall the shinobi units.

A few days passed, and the frontlines finally stabilized. On the borders near the Land of Lightning, most shinobi received orders from the village to return home for rest.

In the Konoha encampment, Mirai stepped out of his quarters, heading slowly towards Orochimaru's tent. Every shinobi he passed respectfully bowed to him, acknowledging his presence. Through the last war, Mirai had earned significant respect among the border shinobi. The once-talented youth had transformed into a powerful figure capable of standing alone.

"Orochimaru-sama is inside. Please, go on in," said the guard at the entrance, nodding politely. Mirai returned the nod and entered.

Orochimaru looked up, a faint smile crossing his face as he heard Mirai's approach. "Mirai-kun, did I disturb your rest?"

"No worries. Why did you call for me?" Mirai asked directly, waving off the question.

"It's nothing urgent. I just wanted to let you know we'll be returning to the village today," Orochimaru said.

Mirai raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've reported your accomplishments here in detail to the village. So when we return, it's likely that Sensei will want to talk with you," Orochimaru explained, aware of his teacher's nature. He knew that with the level of power Mirai had displayed, Hiruzen would be wary of him.

Of course, Orochimaru hadn't mentioned in his report that Mirai had mastered the Flying Thunder God technique.

"You actually took the initiative to warn me," Mirai said, smiling. "Does that mean you're ready to accept my terms?"

Orochimaru let out a slight chuckle. "If things proceed as you predict, I may consider it. But I just wanted to make sure you're prepared for what's ahead."

Orochimaru's suspicions about Hiruzen and Danzo had already been stoked by Mirai's words. Now, at a time when Orochimaru could be gaining prestige, Hiruzen was pulling him back to the village. The decision only deepened Orochimaru's doubts.

Perhaps his teacher really did have someone else in mind as a successor.

Mirai shrugged nonchalantly. "There's nothing to prepare for. At a time like this, your teacher won't allow any internal turmoil in the village. Even if he has his concerns about me, he'll wait until the war is over."

Orochimaru gave him a knowing smile. "Yes, the once 'Hero of the Shinobi'… is now showing his age."

A week later, Orochimaru led the group of shinobi back to Konoha. The village already knew about Kumogakure's devastating losses, including the fact that the newly appointed Fourth Raikage had lost an arm on the battlefield. Villagers lined the streets to welcome the returning shinobi, cheering loudly and viewing them as heroes who had safeguarded the village.

Orochimaru received the loudest applause, with villagers chanting his name as he walked by.

"Mirai-kun, it seems your accomplishments didn't get much recognition," Orochimaru teased, glancing at Mirai.

"Just petty tactics," Mirai replied calmly. "In time, the truth will come out, and the shinobi here will speak up on my behalf."

He certainly didn't expect Hiruzen or his allies to openly recognize his achievements. But with so many of the frontline shinobi back in the village, word of his exploits would spread naturally, and he'd earn his due respect among the villagers.

After a while, Orochimaru and Mirai arrived at the Hokage's office. They pushed open the door, and Hiruzen greeted them with a warm smile.

"Orochimaru, Mirai, you're finally back."

"We apologize for keeping you waiting, Sensei."

"No problem," Hiruzen replied, setting down the scroll he was holding. "You both did well. You truly represented the spirit of Konoha. Especially you, Mirai—you've exceeded all my expectations."

Mirai gave a slight, amused smile. "Oh, I only did some trivial work. It's just that the village didn't exactly publicize any of my contributions."

Caught off guard, Hiruzen stammered for a moment before replying. "Er…well, it's wartime, and the village has a lot to handle daily. That was an oversight on my part."

Not waiting for Mirai's response, Hiruzen quickly changed the subject. "Mirai, can you explain how you became so strong? If I remember correctly, you only graduated from the Academy a little over a year ago."

"Hmm...maybe I'm just a genius," Mirai replied with a grin.

Hiruzen's face darkened slightly as he fought to keep his composure. A genius? Who was he trying to fool? All present were prodigies in their own right, but none had shown the sheer combat power Mirai had displayed, defeating the Fourth Raikage and taking his arm!

Hiruzen forced a smile. "Mirai, that's quite a bold claim. I believe there must be more to it than just talent."

Mirai nodded thoughtfully. "You're sharp, Lord Third. That was just a joke. Actually, only one percent of my strength comes from my natural talent. The remaining ninety-nine percent is from my hard work." He spoke with a serious expression. "In comparison, talent is insignificant next to the effort I've put in. That's all there is to it."

Both Orochimaru and Hiruzen were momentarily speechless. Orochimaru, barely stifling a laugh, thought to himself, I've never seen someone so shameless.

Hiruzen, however, could only stifle his frustration. Pressing further wouldn't yield anything useful, and he knew it. "Orochimaru, Mirai, you both have done well. Take this time to rest in the village."

"Yes, Sensei."

After they left, Danzo stepped from the shadows, his face grim as he leaned on his cane. Hiruzen took a deep puff from his pipe, exhaling slowly as he asked, "Danzo, you heard the entire conversation, didn't you? What do you think?"

Danzo's grip on his cane tightened, and he let out a disdainful snort.

"It's obvious. Uchiha Mirai has surely awakened the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan."

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