Having spent two days playing outside with Kaguya, Kageyama Kogetsu returned to Konoha the next day and settled her in one of his properties.
Introducing her to the other women was inevitable, but it would have to wait until this busy period was over.
The women were aware that Kageyama Kogetsu had brought a woman back, because often when he left a shadow clone and returned, he would bring one.
As for how to distinguish the shadow clone, it was impossible for others, but simple for the women.
They just had to see if Kageyama Kogetsu slept in a woman's room or the study. That basically distinguished them.
Although Kageyama Kogetsu wasn't always indulging in pleasure, his rest periods never exceeded a day.
Of course, they couldn't guess how significant the woman Kageyama Kogetsu brought back this time was. In a sense, she was their ancestor.
The ninja world's chakra originated from the Sage of Six Paths spreading Ninshu, but ultimately, it came from Kaguya.
...
A few days later, the ninja department took control of the situation in various parts of the world. After the situation stabilized, they prepared to hold the nation-founding ceremony in Konoha.
The participants were naturally mainly ninja, but some compliant nobles, officials, and wealthy merchants also received invitations.
Besides them, the original residents of Konoha and those who rushed to buy property in Konoha early on were fortunate enough to watch the ceremony from afar.
On the morning of November 15th, nearing eight o'clock, Hokage Tower Square.
The square was already crowded with people, much more than during the Hokage inauguration ceremony. It was truly shoulder to shoulder, difficult even to turn around.
Fortunately, Konoha's Earth Release ninja had temporarily modified the square, creating circles of waist-high corridors, otherwise a stampede might have occurred.
Near the Hokage Tower, a seating area was specially designated to accommodate important figures from the major ninja villages.
Others, regardless of their past or present status, could only stand and watch.
Konoha ninja wearing the Police Force insignia stood all around the square. In addition, many Konoha ninja were secretly or openly hidden in the crowd to prevent anyone from causing trouble during the nation-founding ceremony.
The buildings near the Hokage Square were also full of ninja, mostly from Konoha, with a few from other villages who had obtained permission.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh...
When the clock hands pointed to eight, bundles of special fireworks shot into the sky, blooming in colorful displays against the bright sky.
Not only near the Hokage Square, but fireworks were being set off everywhere in Konoha.
Even though the weather was clear and sunny, it couldn't hide the beautiful, colorful fireworks. Countless continuous fireworks dyed the sky of Konoha in various colors.
The smell of gunpowder after the fireworks exploded filled the air, which many people liked. At least Kageyama Kogetsu liked that smell.
After the fireworks show ended, Kageyama Kogetsu walked out alone from the Hokage roof...
As the World Master, he was the only one supreme. Let alone standing side by side, no one else could even stand on the roof with him.
Kageyama Kogetsu stepped over the edge of the roof, hovering proudly in mid-air amidst the exclamations of many ordinary people, his hands behind his back...
As the World Master, his attire was naturally different. The Hokage hat and robe were outdated.
Not that the style and color were outdated, but the patterns on the clothes and hat were outdated. The patterns on the hat and clothes were the Twelve Symbols from his previous life's ancient times.
...
The Twelve Symbols are the sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragon, flowery bird, cups, aquatic grass, fire, grain, axe, and fu symbol.
The flowery bird refers to flowers and pheasants.
The cups depict a tiger and a monkey, representing ancestral temple vessels. After the Southern Song Dynasty, they were painted as zun-shaped vessels on cups.
The axe (fu, third tone) is black and white, with a white blade and black body.
The fu symbol (fu, second tone) is a black and blue "亚" shape, with interlaced blue and black patterns.
The Twelve Symbols have rich connotations: the sun, moon, and stars signify illumination; mountains signify stability and calmness; the dragon signifies adaptability and transformation; the flowery bird signifies literary talent.
The cups signify filial piety and offerings; aquatic grass signifies purity; fire signifies brightness; grain signifies nourishment; the axe signifies decisiveness; the fu symbol signifies discernment and turning away from evil towards good.
Considering this is a supernatural world, there is no need for a complex clothing system to display national dignity and personal nobility.
Kageyama Kogetsu didn't want to wear those troublesome clothes either, so the Twelve Symbols were embroidered on the Hokage robe. There was no distinction between ceremonial dress, court dress, official dress, and casual dress.
The Twelve Symbols were the World Master's pattern, only wearable by the World Master. Others' official uniforms would separate the Twelve Symbols to denote rank.
As long as the symbols didn't overstep the bounds, they could wear whatever they wanted, however comfortable.
Of course, indecent and eyesore clothing was definitely not allowed!
...
With everyone's gaze focused on him, Kageyama Kogetsu smiled. "Everyone, today is a great day to be remembered in history!"
"Because today, the wars of humans killing each other in this world will be gone forever, and happy days of peace are coming."
"How long is the term of peace?"
"I don't know."
"Because this requires not only me, the World Master, to maintain it, but also you and everyone in the world to maintain this hard-won peace."
"Do you want peace to have an expiration date?"
"No!" Everyone shouted loudly, the sound deafening.
The younger generation who hadn't experienced war didn't feel it deeply, but those who had experienced war shouted until their faces were red and veins popped on their necks.
"I don't want it either. So if peace has a term, I hope this term is forever!"
"Anyone who attempts to destroy peace, regardless of their identity, and regardless of whether they are from this world, is an enemy we must eliminate by any means necessary!"
"Do you agree?"
"Yes!" Everyone responded with even louder voices.
The enthusiastic response again made a very small number of hidden ambitious people's hearts race, sweat break out on their foreheads, and fear rise in their hearts.
Eliminate is one thing, but eliminate by any means necessary—that's too scary!
"Your attitude pleases me greatly."
"Then, as the World Master, I announce that the Kyōei Empire is officially established today!"
As Kageyama Kogetsu's voice fell, everyone cheered with all their might. This time the sound was louder than the previous two, shaking the clouds, echoing like rolling thunder!
When the commotion mostly subsided, Kageyama Kogetsu spoke again.
"Kyōei (Co-prosperity) means letting everyone share honor, glory, and splendor!"
"Konoha will not enjoy this glory alone; it will be shared with the former major ninja villages and all ninja."
"Ninja will not enjoy this glory alone; it will be shared with ordinary people."
"Note that ordinary people here means all ordinary people, even scavengers and homeless people."
"Humans will not enjoy this glory alone; it will be shared with all other living beings close to humans."
"Only in this way is it true co-prosperity!"
Another burst of cheers soaring into the clouds rang out, responding to the great World Master's great speech...
A moment later, Kageyama Kogetsu continued with a smile, "The word 'Empire' has a special meaning; otherwise, I wouldn't have specifically added the word 'Emperor' (Tei)."
"Because of a disaster a thousand years ago, most of the ninja world became a wasteland and hasn't recovered to this day."
"With the arrival of peace, the population will surely surge, and sooner or later, it will increase to a point where the resources of this world cannot support it."
"To deal with the potential great crisis, we must walk on two legs."
"One is to utilize the various resources of this world to the extreme and find ways to restore the vast wasteland and waste sea."
"The other is to step out of this world and go to the boundless starry sky and universe to find more resources."
"The 'Emperor' in Empire represents expansion."
"If both legs are broken, then sooner or later a great famine will break out in this world, and countless people will die in the famine."
"For yourselves, for your families, for future generations, everyone must work hard."
"You can enjoy peace to the fullest, but you cannot indulge in it. Indulgence means decline."
"Everyone, can you perform your duties and strive hard?"
Everyone raised their hands high and shouted in unison, "Yes, yes, yes!"
"Good, I believe in you." Kageyama Kogetsu smiled like a benevolent father.
Work hard. The harder everyone works, the stronger I become, and the better I live!
Everyone... has a bright future!