Would You Be Willing...?

Hearing Uchiha Hao's words, Mirai's pupils contracted slightly. He quickly recovered, lowered his head, and cursed inwardly. Uchiha Hao was naturally suspicious. Since Mirai had suddenly used Flash Step to defeat the Sand Ninja, Hao assumed he had been deliberately hiding his strength. Combined with the fact that he rarely spent time with others his age and acted far more mature than his years, Hao probably thought he had ulterior motives.

The Military Police Force was the department Uchiha oversaw in Konoha, tasked with maintaining order in the village. At first, the Uchiha Clan had taken pride in it. But when they learned that Konoha had established the department to keep the Uchiha away from the village's politics, some of the clan's core members came to despise it. Still, out of consideration for the Hokage, they could only seethe in silence.

For that reason, the Uchiha Clan's core members were never assigned to the Military Police Force. Those sent there were young clan members who hadn't awakened the Sharingan, or middle-aged members who had only ever awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan. To put it bluntly, they were clan castoffs. They were called back when useful, but otherwise would never be allowed anywhere near the clan's inner circle. The clan assigned them to the Military Police Force merely to placate Konoha.

Uchiha Hao was trying to push Mirai out of the clan's inner circle. He thought Mirai was still too young to understand what the Military Police Force represented, and might even be proud to become a ninja. That way, Hao could gradually remove him from the clan's core without making him resentful.

After all, Mirai was the most outstanding genius in the Uchiha Clan. He should have been given the clan's finest resources and training, yet now he was being treated as a castoff to placate Konoha. Hao's intentions were plain for all to see. To keep Mirai from threatening Uchiha Fugaku's future position as clan head, he had even forgotten that Mirai's parents had died saving him.

"Mirai, are you willing to join the Military Police Force as a ninja and fight for the glory of the Uchiha Clan?" Uchiha Hao looked at Mirai and asked again.

What a load of crap! Mirai cursed inwardly. But he remained calm on the surface, raised his head to look at Uchiha Hao, and replied coolly, "As a member of the Uchiha Clan, this is my duty. I'll follow the clan head's arrangements."

When you were under someone else's roof, you had to bow your head. Mirai's strength had already reached Chunin level, and with Flash Step, he might even be able to kill an Elite Chunin. But opposing the entire Uchiha Clan would be like throwing an egg at a rock.

"Good. That's the spirit of a true son of the Uchiha Clan. Go back and get ready. Tomorrow's exam will be held at the Third Training Ground. Don't be late!" Hearing Mirai's answer, Uchiha Hao smiled. He had truly worried Mirai might refuse. That would have put him in a difficult position.

Mirai bowed slightly, then silently withdrew. Watching him leave, Uchiha Hao narrowed his eyes and murmured, "Fugaku, this is all I can do for you. I've wronged Mirai this time. Once you become clan head, you can bring him back into the inner circle. I'm sure he'll be grateful, and he'll help you wholeheartedly in the future."

Uchiha Hao had planned it all out neatly: he would play the villain and let Uchiha Fugaku play the hero. It seemed like a flawless plan, but he would never have imagined that the person he was trying to manipulate was far more than a six-year-old child.

Early the next morning, after packing all his gear, Mirai left home. According to Uchiha Hao, the Genin exam would be held at the Third Training Ground. Hao didn't go with him. Mirai's passing the exam was practically a foregone conclusion, so there was nothing to watch. Besides, Hao was deliberately distancing himself from Mirai and was even less likely to go watch in person.

When Mirai arrived at the Third Training Ground, he saw only three people: the Third Hokage, Orochimaru, and a middle-aged man. Judging by his clothes, the man seemed to be a perennial Genin.

"Teacher Sarutobi!" Though the incident with the Sand Ninja had strained his relationship with the Third Hokage, they were still master and student in public. After greeting him, Mirai nodded to Orochimaru as well. But Orochimaru's strange, tinted glasses made Mirai uncomfortable.

"Mirai, I'm sure Uchiha Hao has already told you about the exam. All you have to do now is defeat the Genin over there, and you'll qualify to become a Genin." The Third Hokage nodded with a warm smile, as if he'd forgotten what had happened a few days earlier.

Mirai looked at the Genin in the training ground. He was a thin, middle-aged man wearing a Forehead Protector and plain clothes. He looked displeased, presumably because he knew his opponent was Mirai. After all, Mirai had defeated a Chunin. Having a Genin test his abilities was practically asking to get beaten up. But this was an order from the Third Hokage, so he had to carry it out, no matter how unhappy he was.

"You must be Mirai Uchiha. All you have to do is defeat me, and you'll be able to wear a Forehead Protector just like mine!" The middle-aged Genin pointed to the Forehead Protector on his head. He spoke with pride when he mentioned it. It was a symbol that a ninja could stand on his own, and it had been no easy feat for a civilian like him to become one.

Mirai nodded indifferently. He'd thought the Third Hokage would arrange for a Chunin to fight him, but it turned out to be a Genin. The outcome of this battle was already obvious.

The battle was over almost as soon as it began—just ten seconds after the signal. Mirai performed a triple Flash Step, then knocked the perennial Genin unconscious. Now that he'd reached Chunin level, he had much better control when using Flash Step.

"Mirai, from this moment on, you're a ninja of Konoha. This is your Forehead Protector, a symbol that you can stand on your own. Take good care of it, all right?" The Third Hokage wasn't surprised. The exam had merely been a formality. Once the fight was over, he approached Mirai with a Forehead Protector in hand and a cheerful smile.

"Understood, Teacher Sarutobi!" Mirai took the Forehead Protector and tied it around his head. His long hair fell over the right side, covering one eye.

After seeing Mirai put on his Forehead Protector, the Third Hokage paused, then looked at him with an inquisitive expression. "Mirai, now that you're a ninja, would you be willing to join my team and help me? Konoha's Intelligence Department is short on people right now. Would you be willing to join?"

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