Guren's hands moved rapidly, forming a series of hand seals.
Crystal Release: Crystal Prison Formation was an incredibly powerful jutsu, capable of sealing enemies within a massive crystal.
However, executing this technique required significant preparation time.
Fortunately, Mirai showed no intention of stopping her.
"This level of confidence is truly admirable."
Guren murmured to herself as she completed the preparations for her technique.
With a sharp cry, thick layers of crystal instantly enveloped Mirai, sealing him completely inside.
The crystal, several meters thick, looked utterly impenetrable.
"That should be the end of it..."
Guren mentally counted the seconds, preparing to release the seal in a few moments.
She never believed that her power surpassed Mirai's. Instead, she assumed he had allowed himself to be sealed to test her abilities.
However, once encased in the Crystal Prison Formation, escape was theoretically impossible.
Just as Guren was about to undo the seal, a faint cracking sound echoed.
Then, more followed in rapid succession.
Her pupils shrank as she saw countless fractures spreading across her once-pristine crystal prison.
Crack!
Under Guren's astonished gaze, the thick crystal shattered into countless shards.
Mirai raised a single finger. "Sage Art: Storm Release!"
A concentrated mass of violet chakra condensed at his fingertip.
Guren immediately sensed an overwhelming danger.
If that attack hit her…
She would die!
Desperately, she poured all her strength into her strongest defensive jutsu.
A massive crystal wall formed before her, completely shielding her from the incoming attack.
As if waiting for her to finish, the violet beam at Mirai's fingertip suddenly shot forward.
In an instant, the beam passed effortlessly through her crystalline defense.
It was as easy as cutting through tofu.
The attack stopped just ten centimeters from her face before vanishing.
Cold sweat drenched Guren.
Uchiha Mirai was terrifyingly powerful.
Not only did he escape her most formidable seal from within, but he also shattered her strongest defense with casual ease.
Even Orochimaru himself had praised her Crystal Release as a bloodline limit with the potential to block a Tailed Beast Bomb.
Guren had always taken great pride in that.
Yet now, the technique she once believed invincible had been effortlessly rendered useless.
"Mirai-sama… I concede."
Guren dropped to one knee, quietly awaiting his command.
[ Ding! Congratulations, host! You have successfully plundered the Crystal Release bloodline limit! ]
Hearing the system notification, Uchiha Mirai slowly walked toward Guren.
The brief exchange had allowed him to gauge her strength.
She was somewhere between a standard jōnin and an elite jōnin.
Crystal chakra had impressive defensive capabilities, and its unique properties made it an intriguing bloodline limit worth further study.
After a moment of thought, Mirai spoke, "From now on, you will serve as my personal guard."
"Personal guard?"
Guren furrowed her brows in confusion.
With Mirai's overwhelming strength, did he even need guards?
Seeing her puzzled expression, Mirai didn't bother explaining. Instead, he simply added,
"Uzuki Yugao will brief you on your duties."
Guren immediately nodded. "Understood."
"By the way, who are the other guards?"
Mirai thought for a moment before replying, "You, Uzuki Yugao, Mitarashi Anko, and Uchiha Izumi."
Guren silently memorized the names.
She was already familiar with Mitarashi Anko. As one of Orochimaru's former students, Anko had spent time in his research facility before ultimately being sent elsewhere due to her lack of aptitude for scientific research.
But she never expected Anko to be chosen by Mirai as well.
As for Uzuki Yugao and Uchiha Izumi…
Guren knew nothing about them.
...
Nightfall
At a barbecue restaurant.
Mitarashi Anko burst into the private dining room, carrying dozens of skewers of dango.
"How can we have a barbecue without dango?"
"Sweet food is the best thing in this world!"
Watching Anko's carefree demeanor, Uzuki Yugao sighed. "Anko, can't you be a little more composed?"
Anko snorted. "That's not my style."
She handed a skewer of dango to the girl beside her. "Here, take this. I'm Mitarashi Anko."
"Thank you," Uchiha Izumi smiled warmly. "I'm Uchiha Izumi."
She had a fondness for sweets, and dango was her favorite.
Hearing Anko's words, she felt an immediate sense of camaraderie.
Sweets are the best!
As they chatted, Guren stepped into the room.
Having grown up under Orochimaru's guidance, she merely introduced herself briefly before falling silent.
Anko, feeling slightly annoyed, muttered, "What's with that bastard? Always making us wait."
"I don't even know why he gathered the four of us."
At her words, Uzuki Yugao remained indifferent, but both Izumi and Guren widened their eyes in shock.
Bastard ?
Was she referring to Lord Mirai?!
How did she dare?!
At that moment, Mirai's voice came from the entrance. "Anko, speaking ill of people behind their backs isn't very nice."
"Besides, you should know by now—I'm never early."
As soon as Mirai appeared, Guren and Izumi immediately stood up and bowed.
Uzuki Yugao remained seated but gave a respectful nod.
Only Mitarashi Anko casually shoved a skewer into her mouth, mumbling, "So, bastard, why did you call us here?"
Seeing Anko's carefree attitude, both Guren and Izumi felt a surge of anxiety.
Is she insane? How dare she be so disrespectful to Lord Mirai?
With his power and status, nearly everyone treated him with the utmost reverence.
Is she not afraid of making him angry?!
Yet, to their astonishment, Mirai didn't seem bothered in the slightest.
He simply sat down, grabbed a skewer of dango, and took a bite.
Only then did he speak. "You've all met by now, right?"
"From today onward, the four of you will operate as a team, serving as my personal guards."
"As for your unit's name…"
Mirai thought for a moment before declaring, "You will be known as the Four Imperial Guards."
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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