Naruto: Saving the Universe by Stealing Attributes

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed.

In that decade, the shinobi world had transformed into a true utopia.

Thanks to the continued expansion of the Divine Nation's ninja army, over a dozen vibrant, life-sustaining planets had already been discovered across the universe.

Naturally, the shinobi world, as the stronghold of this divine force, became a sacred land in the eyes of those from other worlds.

Under Mirai's vigorous efforts, the shinobi world had now entered an age where everyone pursued cultivation.

Kage-level power was common, and beings of Six Paths-level walked among the masses…

By now, the depth and foundation of the shinobi world had far surpassed that of the ancient Ōtsutsuki Clan—by an unimaginable margin.

Uchiha Mirai's own strength continued to grow.

With the steady rise of his physical attributes and cultivation realm, his comprehension of the world deepened day by day.

Somewhere in that fog of enlightenment, he had touched upon a mysterious, indescribable will.

Though he couldn't yet say what this will represented, his instincts yearned for it more than anything.

By refining that will, he had gained insights into several terrifying fundamental laws—

The Power of Time, the Power of Space, the Power of Slaughter...

Every rule he grasped brought about a qualitative leap in his combat power.

Uchiha Mirai had a feeling deep down: once he fully refined that will, he would reach a realm beyond imagination.

Letting out a breath of turbid air, Mirai slowly opened his eyes.

He walked to the front yard and found Yakushi Nono alone, tending to the garden.

"Nono."

"Mirai?"

Yakushi Nono dropped the pruning shears in her hand and ran over to him, her wide, gentle eyes filled with warmth.

Even after all these years, she was still the same as when they'd first met—graceful, soft-spoken, and delicate. The kind of woman who stirred both the urge to protect and a darker, more primal desire.

Mirai gave her cheek a little pinch.

"What brings you out here gardening today?"

Nono smiled softly. "I've had a lot of free time lately, so I figured I'd find something to keep myself busy..."

Instead of shopping, movies, or any kind of leisure and entertainment, she preferred the quiet company of plants.

Hearing her answer, Mirai asked curiously, "Aren't you in charge of the orphanage anymore?"

Even though the shinobi world had become incredibly prosperous, there were still orphans—children abandoned or left behind for one reason or another.

Orphanages weren't as common as they used to be, but they still existed.

Nono had always overseen one such orphanage, and back then, her days were usually packed.

Seeing the question in Mirai's eyes, she smiled and explained,

"Kabuto handles everything now. There's nothing left for me to do."

At the mention of Yakushi Kabuto, Mirai immediately understood.

After years of shuffling through research personnel, Kabuto had resigned from his position as Orochimaru's assistant just a year ago.

As Kabuto himself put it, the only reason he had taken up research in the first place was for the sake of the children at the orphanage. Now that he had the means, it was time to go back and truly serve them.

"By the way, Mirai—can you help Kabuto out?"

"What happened to him?"

"His body's... strange now. He doesn't even look human anymore. He told me it's a side effect of studying Sage Art. Could you take a look and see if there's anything you can do?"

Nono's tone was filled with concern.

Kabuto had once told her that true love couldn't be shaken by outward appearances, but she had secretly gone to check on the orphanage anyway. What she found was that Kabuto barely interacted with the children. He just watched them silently from the shadows.

Nono understood how deeply Kabuto cared about the orphanage. And that made it easy to guess how much turmoil he must be hiding inside.

"Let's go. I'll take a look."

Mirai still remembered Kabuto clearly—the original "dream-chasing master" of the shinobi world.

In his pursuit of purpose, Kabuto had turned himself into something that was neither human nor monster, stirring chaos during the Fourth Great Ninja War.

Though he eventually found meaning and became the new orphanage director, his life was undeniably a tragedy.

For something so small, Mirai didn't mind lending a hand.

...

The two of them arrived at the orphanage on the outskirts of Konoha, where a group of children were playing joyfully.

Some were in their early teens, others only three or four years old.

They ran and shouted across the playground, filling the orphanage with vibrant energy.

"Mirai, the life they have now—it's all thanks to you."

Nono sighed with emotion.

She still remembered the days under Hiruzen Sarutobi's rule, when the orphanage was nothing more than a reserve force for Shimura Danzo's "Root."

Talented children would be brainwashed and turned into disposable weapons who served only Danzo. The less fortunate were used for inhumane experiments.

Back then, there was barely any funding. The kids were constantly hungry, cold, and terrified.

Compared to that, it had been like living in hell.

"Don't dwell on the past. I'll make the shinobi world even better."

Mirai gave her a small smile, then stepped toward the playing children.

"Excuse me, where's your director?"

A child quickly replied, "He's always in his office. He never comes out. Do you know our director? What's he like?"

Hearing that, Nono's heart clenched.

It had already been a year since Kabuto returned to run the orphanage—and not a single child had seen him.

After a few more questions, Mirai took Nono by the hand and headed inside.

They soon arrived at the director's office.

When they opened the door, they found Kabuto standing silently at the window, watching the children outside.

"Mirai-samma. Director Nono. Forgive me—I didn't come out to greet you."

Kabuto immediately dropped to his knees and bowed respectfully.

Mirai's brows furrowed when he saw Kabuto's body—covered in scales, with a long tail trailing behind him.

"What happened to you?"

Kabuto gave a bitter smile. "Back then, to better control natural energy, I transplanted white snake cells into my body."

During the invasion of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, he had sought greater strength by altering himself.

In his youthful arrogance, he hadn't thought through the consequences.

Now, it was too late for regrets.

"You were reckless."

Nono muttered, then smiled. "Kabuto, I brought Mirai here today to help fix this."

"From now on, you can be human again."