"Begin the court session."
Samui stood beside Shinho, her voice clear and cool.
"Your Majesty."
Iruka stepped forward to the center of the great hall to report on the academy's construction progress.
Shinho seemed lost in thought.
Though people were now calling him "Your Majesty," he still felt more accustomed to the title of "Hokage." He decided that aside from formal court assemblies, everyone in Konoha should continue calling him Hokage.
Just then, two lines of text suddenly appeared before his eyes:
..
[Achievement Unlocked: "First Emperor." Territory Gu Acquired.]
[Territory Gu: A rank-seven Immortal Gu of the earth path. When planted underground, everywhere its power toches will fall under the Gu Immortal's control.]
..
Shinho's heart jolted.
This was the second rank-seven Immortal Gu he had obtained.
It was a fitting reward for unifying the Shinobi World. He was indeed delighted.
This Immortal Gu was priceless and fit perfectly with his dual identity as Emperor and Hokage.
Put simply, planting this Immortal Gu in a designated tract of land would make that land function like an extension of his Aperture, fully under his control. His first thought was, of course, to use it in the City of Fire.
Once the Territory Immortal Gu was in place, no one would be able to spy on what went on there, especially White Zetsu. Should it dare set foot within range of the City of Fire, Shinho would immediately sense its presence.
"Your Majesty."
After Iruka finished his report, Shibi Aburame, Shinho's father, stepped forward.
Although they were father and son, in a formal audience he still addressed him as "Your Majesty." This time, the report concerned improvements to the transportation network.
With the roads, sea routes, and airships now operational, the next goal was to increase speed and efficiency. Compared to the vastness of the Shinobi World, even trains and airships felt a bit slow.
Time passed. Finally came Honoka's report, which instantly piqued Shinho's interest.
"Your Majesty," Honoka, full name Honoka Uzumaki, spoke up. "We've managed to connect two computers together."
"Well done."
Shinho nodded with satisfaction. This marked the beginning of the internet era. With computers already available, and all the top researchers in the Shinobi World focusing on this new technology, such progress was perfectly reasonable.
"Your next goal is to make sure all departments in Konoha can use computers for their office work," Shinho instructed.
Switching to computerized operations would save a great deal of manpower and resources—a clear advantage in this medieval-like world.
"Yes, understood."
Honoka gave a slight bow, then returned to her place.
"Is there anyone else who wishes to report?"
Samui waited for about ten seconds before saying, "If not, today's assembly is hereby concluded. The next assembly will be announced by the ANBU in due course."
"Yes, understood."
Everyone bowed in unison.
"Now, we shall proceed to the second part of the coronation ceremony, a citywide tour." Samui turned to Shinho. "Please, Your Majesty, lead everyone to board the city train."
Even though the coronation ceremony was more symbolic than anything, simply holding a meeting would have let the villagers' enthusiasm go to waste.
Besides, it wasn't just the villagers, daimyō from various former nations and the leaders and Kage of many shinobi villages were all in attendance.
"Alright."
The city train had been specially built for the coronation. Shinho thought it would be useful to keep it running, as it could make travel more convenient.
Stepping out of the hall, he saw the ornate train waiting at the entrance. Its lavish decoration was eye-catching enough, but the especially large windows stood out the most, perfect for interacting with the crowd. Inside, there were also small gifts prepared, such as candy and red envelopes.
Many shinobi were already on board.
Since the train had five cars with plenty of seats, Shinho allowed them to bring family members along. For example, Hiashi had brought Hanabi, Amaru, and Fu with him.
"Let's go."
Shinho and Samui boarded the first car, and everyone else followed suit. Soon, all five cars were more or less filled, and the train began to move away from the palace.
"They're here!"
The gathered shinobi and villagers, who had been waiting a long time, erupted into cheers. The unification of the Shinobi World was an unprecedented event, but more importantly, people could plainly see that their lives were improving.
Under the Market Department's planning, there were countless new job opportunities with generous pay.
They were a simple peoplem, loyal to whoever treated them well.
"Long live Your Majesty!"
Voices shouted in unison from the crowd.
Leaning out the window, Shinho waved, tossing out small gifts.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
People shouted their thanks as they caught the gifts. The air sparkled with excitement and joy.
…
"This is unbelievable," Hiashi said with a faint smile. Though he was a clan leader, he'd never been at the center of such fanfare.
Neji gazed in a daze at the dense crowds outside. He once harbored resentment toward the main family, but with the Caged Bird Seal about to be lifted, and with Hizashi's final letter, his heart had eased.
Before long, the mark on his forehead would be gone, all thanks to Shinho.
"Shinho is the greatest shinobi in the world," Hinata said with a trace of obsessiomn in her eyes.
"He sure is!" Hanabi chimed in proudly. "My brother-in-law is the best."
Hiashi gave her a side glance.
That remark sounded a bit odd, but considering the close relationship between Hinata and Hanabi, there wasn't much to worry about.
"I feel like Hokage's reputation might even surpass that of the First Hokage," Guy commented not too far away.
"Guy." Kakashi shot him a quick look. "Just hand out some of those gifts, would you?"
Though Guy's statement was likely true, it felt unseemly to compare the two in public.
"Kakashi, let's do battle in the prime of our youth!" Guy suddenly struck a dynamic pose, flashing a thumbs-up. "We'll see who can hand out the most gifts!"
"…Seriously?"
Kakashi's mouth twitched as he stared at Guy, speechless.
On the adjacent car, Nagato watched the lively scene in silence.
Konan tossed out a handful of gifts and asked quietly, "Do you think this is the peace Yahiko longed for?"
Hearing the crowd shout, "Thank you, Lady Konan!" Nagato hesitated, unsure how to respond.
Long ago, he, Yahiko, and Konan had dreamed of a peaceful Shinobi World. At first, they believed it could be achieved through communication and mutual understanding.
Then, after Yahiko's death, they turned to force and intimidation.
But after joining Konoha, Nagato realized just how naive their previous outlook had been. True peace was not only the absence of war; far more important was ensuring everyone had enough to eat and a good life. Right now, the Shinobi World was moving in that direction under Shinho's leadership.
"If only Yahiko were still alive," Nagato said grimly. "He would've been so happy."
Konan sighed softly. "Yes."
"Though he's gone, we can protect what he cared about." Nagato's voice took on a steely resolve.
Konan paused, then nodded.
A moment later, thoughts of Shinho flickered through her mind, sending a ripple through her heart. He was clearly a leader guiding this era forward, yet sometimes he seemed so...frivolous.
…
Back in the first Car,
After handing out all the gifts, Shinho's excitement waned, and he sat down to rest.
"Your Majesty," Samui said, walking over to him.
"Just call me Hokage, like usual," Shinho replied with a wave.
"Yes, Hokage."
A faint smile appeared on Samui's face. "I much prefer that title as well."
Once you break the ice the first time, everything gets easier.
Ever since that massage session last month, their relationship had progressed rapidly, even having hints of a romantic relationship.
Of course, most of the time, it was Samui who was taken advantage of by Shinho, but she'd stopped resisting, and even looked forward to it sometimes.
"Are we at the center of the city yet?" Shinho asked, glancing at her.
"Yes," Samui answered after a short pause. "Hokage, do you have any instructions?"
Shinho didn't reply. He simply placed his hand on the floor of the carriage.
Territory Gu.
Although he was only a rank-six Gu Immortal, he could still use a rank-seven Immortal Gu at the cost of a large amount of immortal essence.
In Shinho's view, this special Gu was worth the expense.
The Territory Immortal Gu sank slowly into the ground, releasing a mysterious power that spread through the earth in all directions. Samui watched curiously but sensed nothing unusual.
Suddenly, Shinho raised an eyebrow. He had just detected White Zetsu…actually, six of them scattered around City of Fire.
None were near the palace; they were all lurking at the city's edges.
White Zetsu could be extremely useful, but capturing them outright would only alert Black Zetsu.
After a moment's thought, Shinho decided to take them down one at a time, spaced out over intervals.
That way, Black Zetsu might see each disappearance as a fluke, allowing Shinho to continue exploiting the resources.
As the Territory Immortal Gu finished extending its influence, it perfectly covered all of City of Fire.
Shinho closed his eyes, and in his mind, the entire city unfurled like a holographic projection, every corner was visible in stunning detail.
Even more amazing was that if he chose, he could hear people's conversations in real time, leaving City of Fire with zero secrets from him.
"This is fantastic," he said, pulling his hand away and standing up with a smile. Then he glanced back at Samui, who looked puzzled.
He realized that, from her perspective, his actions must have appeared inexplicable.
"Curious about what I was doing?" Shinho asked, eyes drifting to her lips.
"Yes," Samui replied, blinking. She wasn't about to spoil the mood when he was so obviously inviting her question.
"Lean over," Shinho beckoned.
Samui stepped closer, feet together in her sleek black stockings, and bent down slightly.
"So obedient."
He stole a swift kiss.
A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
"Too bad this isn't exactly the right place." Shinho sighed with mild regret.
Samui darted a glance around. Though they were in a corner of the carriage, it was still crowded, and people might notice.
"W-we can…once we're back in the office," she murmured, suppressing her embarrassment.
"Samui, when are you going to inviting me over to your place?" Shinho asked, eyeing her as though she were ripe for the picking.
"If Hokage wants to come, anytime is fine." Samui paused, then gave a quiet, compliant answer.
"That's not quite what I meant."
Shinho shook his head. Leaning in to her ear, he placed a hand on her chest and gave it a quick squeeze before whispering something.
Samui froze.
Although she and Shinho had shared some intimate moments, they hadn't yet gone all the way.
"Let me know when you've made up your mind," Shinho said with a smile. Forcing the issue would only spoil the fun, it was much better to wait until she was fully ready.
"…Alright."
Samui lowered her head, cheeks flushed.
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