Naruto: Saving the Universe by Stealing Attributes

Time flew by. It had already been a year since Jiraiya left.

His departure hadn't stirred much of a commotion. Aside from a few who knew him personally and occasionally sighed with nostalgia, life for most people carried on undisturbed.

Konoha.

Uchiha Mirai lounged in the courtyard with his family, basking in the warm sun as he lazily stroked the kitten curled in his lap.

Tsunade picked up a grape and gently popped it into Mirai's mouth.

"Mirai, come out with me for a bit later, okay?"

Mirai raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What's going on?"

Tsunade hesitated for a moment before speaking softly.

"Jiraiya's final book was just published."

At her words, an image flashed through Mirai's mind—Jiraiya leaving Konoha, walking alone into the distance. He nodded.

"Alright. Let's go now."

Beside them, Konan—who had been massaging Mirai's shoulders—quickly added,

"I'm coming too."

Back when she was a child, Jiraiya had been the one to guide her, Nagato, and Yahiko.

If not for Jiraiya, the three of them might've perished long ago in those endless years of war.

In her heart, Konan still held deep respect for him.

Naturally, Mirai didn't see any reason to turn her down.

...

The three of them soon arrived at a bookstore in Konoha.

After a bit of searching, they finally found Jiraiya's new release tucked away in an inconspicuous corner.

"The Hero, Jiraiya."

Mirai chuckled at the title. Only Jiraiya would come up with something so unabashedly self-indulgent.

As Tsunade and Konan eagerly swept every copy from the shelves into their arms, Mirai said,

"Want me to track Jiraiya down?"

Even though Jiraiya had voluntarily relinquished his powers, Mirai estimated he still had one or two years left in him.

Which meant, odds were, the old man was currently lurking around some women's bathhouse, peeping again.

Tsunade and Konan immediately shook their heads.

"No need," Tsunade said softly. "We just want to buy a few to keep."

"Some things… are best left in our memories."

Seeing their resolve, Mirai didn't press the issue.

...

After walking the streets with the two women for a while, a masked Anbu suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Mirai-sama, Hokage Neji requests your presence."

"I understand."

Mirai knew Hyuga Neji wouldn't bother him without good reason, so he agreed without hesitation.

Before leaving, he plucked a copy of The Hero, Jiraiya from Konan's arms.

He flipped through it as he walked. To his surprise, it was actually quite a good read.

With the kinds of experiences Jiraiya had lived through, just narrating them in story form was enough to make the content gripping.

Before long, Mirai arrived at the Hokage Tower.

As he stepped into the office, he saw a familiar face waiting inside.

"Nagato? You're back?"

Nagato nodded respectfully. "Mirai-sama, the situation on Planet Three has stabilized for now."

Mirai gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"Good work. You've earned a break."

Nagato gave a small smile—then caught sight of the book in Mirai's hand.

"Mirai-sama, is that...?"

"Jiraiya's latest," Mirai replied.

Nagato sighed. He'd already heard about Jiraiya's condition.

This was the teacher who had selflessly guided him, saved him from death, and shaped the path of his life. Nagato still held him in the highest regard.

"Here. It's yours," Mirai said, handing over the book.

"Thank you."

Mirai waved it off casually. "Don't mention it."

Then he glanced at Neji. "So, what did you call me here for?"

Neji looked toward Nagato before speaking.

"Nagato has requested to step down from his current post and return to settle in Amegakure."

Mirai blinked. "Leaving? All of a sudden?"

Nagato bowed slightly. "I apologize for the abrupt decision, but I've been thinking about this for a long time."

"I'm not good with words, nor do I enjoy managing complex matters."

"What happened with Jiraiya-sensei… it really struck a chord with me. I want to pursue inner peace. Rise with the sun, rest with the sunset. Eat three meals a day and not worry about anything else..."

Mirai gave him a surprised look.

"Don't tell me—you're planning to pull a Jiraiya? Strip away your power and live like an ordinary person?"

"No, no," Nagato replied quickly. "I'm not anywhere near that level of detachment."

His nervous expression made Mirai chuckle.

"Alright, go back to Amegakure then. If you ever get tired of that kind of life, you're welcome to come back anytime."

Nagato's face lit up with gratitude.

"Thank you, Mirai-sama!"

Mirai waved a hand dismissively.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

With the advances in biotechnology, the Divine Nation had no shortage of talent. As long as Nagato properly handed over his duties, his departure wouldn't disrupt operations in the slightest.

That had always been one of Mirai's founding goals when building the Divine Nation.

No matter who left, its stability wouldn't falter.

"Mirai-sama," Nagato added, "please tell Konan that I'll be settling in the same place where she, Yahiko, and I once lived. If she has the time, I'd love for her to visit."

"I'll let her know," Mirai nodded.

In his previous life, he had followed Naruto during his teenage years—burning with passion and enthusiasm. The characters left deep impressions on him.

Strictly speaking, Naruto never had many truly evil antagonists.

Everyone was chasing the same ideals. But different experiences and ideologies had led them down conflicting paths of bloodshed and tragedy.

Every time someone died, it had always felt like such a waste.

Now that he had the power to change things, he was determined to give this once-tragic world a better ending—perhaps to make up for all the regrets he'd carried in his youth.

...

Back in the Uchiha compound, Mirai told Konan about Nagato's decision.

As he expected, the moment she heard it, she wanted to return to Amegakure and revisit the place they once called home.

Since following Mirai back to Konoha, Konan hadn't returned to Amegakure even once.

That land—where she was born and raised—had become a faded memory.

Mirai agreed without hesitation. In fact, he planned to accompany her.

After all, if he'd gone so far to rewrite the story and fix its regrets—how could he not go see it with his own eyes?

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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