The battles in the Black Horn Domain couldn't stir Uchiha Soren's interest in the slightest.
In his eyes, even the fiercest clash of Kage-level shinobi was nothing more than children fighting with sticks.
No matter how exquisite the taijutsu, ninjutsu, or genjutsu…
No matter how breathtaking an individual's performance…
No matter how unyielding their will, to fight on even in the face of death—
In front of someone standing at the Six Paths level, it was all far, far too small.
But that didn't mean the battle was useless.
The shadow clone Soren had left behind watched with his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan wide open, capturing every flash of inspiration from each Kage-level fighter as they clashed.
Those brilliant instants—unique timings, angles, and decision-making—were burned into his mind, enriching his ever-expanding library of combat experience.
That was the convenience of the Sharingan: it could be a spear, a shield, or a camera. It could crush enemies directly, support allies indirectly, and aside from requiring the occasional "small offering" to evolve… it was practically the perfect cheat item for a webnovel protagonist.
Meanwhile, Soren's true body had taken Uzumaki Mito to the former Valley of the End—
Now called Sun-Moon Lake.
"So, Your Excellency Supreme Leader," Mito drawled, sweeping her gaze over the shimmering lake, "dragging this old woman out to the wilderness… planning something improper, are we?"
She paced lightly along the shore until she found a comfortable spot.
Straightening the hem of her kimono, she sat down gracefully on the grass.
The mild autumn breeze carried the scent of flowers and leaves, brushing gently against her cheek. She narrowed her eyes in quiet enjoyment.
She didn't bother looking at Soren when she spoke again, her tone thoroughly impolite.
"I'm not some soft little girl, you know. Try anything funny and I guarantee you'll be the one regretting it."
"Hey, hey, don't be so harsh." Soren chuckled. "Besides, you used to tell me I'd regret it all the time. You've stopped saying it lately."
He watched the dignified, elegant profile of the First Lady's face. By now he was long used to Mito's rougher manner of speaking when the two of them were alone.
To him, it was just another form of "if I scold you, it means I care".
"That's because our dear Supreme Leader…"
Mito's voice dipped slightly as she emphasized four particular words: "family matters at home."
Hearing the extra weight on that, Soren flopped down beside her and stretched out on the grass, arms and legs relaxed. He gazed lazily at the birds crossing the distant sky.
"Minako is my elder sister. Tsunade is my disciple. My 'family matters' obviously include our dear Lady Mito as well."
Mito didn't reply. Her lashes fluttered slightly as she adjusted her sitting posture.
What a contrary woman, Soren thought in amusement.
He took his shot and slid his head onto her lap, immediately making himself comfortable on the First Lady's thighs.
"Oof, that hits the spot."
Mito's hand came down in a light smack on his forehead.
"You clingy child. Why are you always sprawled all over my legs?"
"Because being improper is how you live happy."
He grinned up at her. From this angle he could only see half the blue sky—and the soft, trembling "peaks" above that sky, forever just out of reach.
Sometimes the frustration made him rope Uzumaki Minako into using the Transformation Technique, turning into a perfect copy of elegant, charming Mito so he could indulge in a fake version of the real thing.
But fake was fake.
It would never compare to the original.
"Such a clingy boy."
Her fingers gently combed through his hair, voice mellow and warm. "Lie there a bit if you must, but then we go back. There's still a mountain of business waiting in the New World."
Oh, you'll get to taste how clingy a kid can be sooner or later, Soren thought, the corner of his eye twitching.
He wisely didn't say it out loud.
Instead he smirked. "You've been buried in General Staff work every day. You need some leisure time of your own, don't you?"
"It's work hours."
"That's why it's called 'taking a break on the clock'. That's the best kind of leisure."
Mito massaged the bridge of her nose.
"It's exactly because of people like you that the rest of us have to work harder. Otherwise the whole shinobi world would be chaos."
"You don't want your subjects spending all day making trouble, do you?"
"What do you mean, people like me?"
Soren gave a very righteous defense.
"This is called laissez-faire rule and wise delegation. I point out the grand direction and let everyone else do the hard part."
Seeing the way she was looking at him—like she was staring at some black-hearted CEO—he carried on cheerfully.
"As a ruler, the most important thing is how you manage your subordinates."
"Pretty sure you're just treating them like cattle and horses."
Ignoring the jab, Soren continued.
"Besides, with an entire shinobi world here and a whole New World over there, if I tried to do everything myself, I'd work myself to death."
"And if I die, the sky over the shinobi world collapses."
Mito rested her chin in one hand, casting him a sideways look. Then she turned her gaze to the calm Sun-Moon Lake, where swans floated peacefully, and gave him a perfunctory smile.
"Yes, yes, Supreme Leader is the vault of the heavens, the master of Konoha, the god of Oni Shinobi Village."
"Good, glad you understand." Soren's tone turned a shade more serious. "My burden really is heavy."
"If I'm not strong enough, all of this is just castles in the air. One strong gust and it all vanishes."
Mito didn't answer, just stroked his hair in quiet, gentle motions. Her heart softened; she felt a surprising swell of pity.
Konoha's current prosperity really did owe an enormous amount to this "child."
Maybe… she should give him some kind of reward.
As an elder, of course.
Soren seemed to sense her subtle shift in mood. He scooted his head slightly so he could see more of her face.
"Hey, let me tell you something."
"Mm?"
Mito tilted her head, puzzled by his sudden seriousness.
"What is it, Supreme Leader?"
Looking at her with that unguarded, almost cute expression, Soren hesitated.
Forget it. Telling her about the alternate-timeline shinobi world won't change anything.
Six years is plenty of time to blow this world apart and remake it.
No need to stress myself out.
"Nothing important."
He flashed a grin. "Just wanted to ask if Lady Mito would be willing to give her faithful child a little affectionate kiss."
"…"
"If the Supreme Leader insists…"
"Then… consider it a reward for all your hard work."
Under Soren's delighted stare, Mito bent down.
Something round and heavy flickered through his field of view, and then all he could see were her soft, reddened lips pressing lightly against his forehead.
The breeze rippled Sun-Moon Lake's surface.
Unlike three years ago, however, this time it was she who had taken the initiative.
"Just a kiss between family," Mito said after a brief silence, straightening with a racing heart.
She didn't dare look directly at Soren's expression. Her gaze drifted into the distance, unfocused, as if she were watching the lake and the birds rather than the man at her knees.
Her "clarification" trembled just a bit.
She meant it. She wanted things to stop here, at this vague line between proper and improper.
But to Soren, this was a breakthrough.
He pushed himself upright, eyes fixed on her flushed cheeks.
Mito, unable to bear that heated gaze, stood up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"It's getting late. Let's go back to Konoha."
"Uchiha Rei and the others are probably waiting for you in the New World fortress city E-Rantel. There's business there that needs your attention."
"Yeah."
Knowing when not to push his luck—and aware there truly was work to do—Soren took Mito's hand.
They stepped back into Konoha, changed into full formal dress, and took a single step that crossed an endless sea.
When the world snapped back into focus, a thunderous roar filled his ears.
"All hail the Supreme Leader of the Shinobi World—welcome to Konoha's New City, the New Capital of the Shinobi World!"
The ninja officers arrayed in the palace knelt on one knee as one. Their reverent cries rolled through the great hall like breaking waves.
Outside, in the vast plaza before the central fountain, thousands of shinobi echoed the chant, their voices shaking the air.
Soren wore the same style of dress uniform as the combat shinobi, but his was tailored to perfection—gold and silver threads tracing intricate patterns along the fabric.
The cut emphasized his tall, lean frame while adding an unmistakable aura of regal luxury.
His Eternal Mangekyō slowly opened.
The moment his Takamimusubi domain unfolded, reality itself seemed to hold its breath.
Behind him stretched a flawless blue sky.
Beneath that sky, rows upon rows of elite shinobi knelt, faces alight with barely contained excitement.
The great hall's ceiling soared high above, as if it meant to swallow the entire sky.
Gorgeous murals adorned the dome, golden lines catching the sunlight and blazing like living fire.
A thick, deep red carpet ran down the center of the hall, plush enough that each step felt like walking on clouds.
The subtle scent of sandalwood hung in the air, soothing the mind.
At the far end of the hall stood a massive throne, inlaid with countless glittering gems that caught and scattered the light into a constellation of colors.
Behind it hung two enormous banners: one bearing the Uchiha fan, the other the Leaf–Uzumaki spiral.
Soren walked toward the throne, step by measured step.
His polished boots rasped softly against the carpet. On both sides, the kneeling officers bowed their heads even lower.
When the shouts finally died away, a solemn stillness settled over the hall.
Soren climbed the last few steps and took his seat.
His hands rested lightly on the armrests as he looked down over the entire hall.
Where his gaze passed, people felt an almost physical weight pressing down.
It was as if the one seated there was not a man, but a mountain—towering, immovable, impossible to reach.
"On your feet."
"You've done well this time."
Gone was the playful, flippant man who teased women by lakesides.
Sitting on the throne, his face was composed, his tone low and steady. A ruler's presence filled each word. His voice rolled through the hall, carried by chakra to the plaza outside.
The shinobi rose respectfully.
They still couldn't see their Supreme Leader beyond the threshold—but they could hear him.
They could hear the praise that made their blood surge.
"It has been only six days since the shinobi world discovered the New World."
"In that time, an entire kingdom of vast territory has already been brought under Konoha's rule."
"You've done even better than I expected."
Under that burning gaze, chests straightened.
Eyes that had been pinned to the floor rose a little. Some had dared to look high enough to see the Supreme Leader's boots resting on the carpet.
"Uchiha Rei. Uchiha Baru. Uchiha Naka."
"Here!"
Three voices answered as one.
The three Uchiha commanders leading the expeditionary forces stepped onto the red carpet, down on one knee beneath the throne.
"Every shinobi in this campaign has rendered great service to Konoha."
"All recorded merits will have their rewards raised by one tier."
The three bowed deeply.
Soren's voice rose a notch.
"As for you three—your positions are elevated to Army District Commanders."
"You will each found an army in one region of the kingdom: the Northwest Shinobi Army, the Southeast Shinobi Army, and the Central Shinobi Army."
"Coordinate with the two Ministers of the General Staff for the details of your forces and appointments."
The three men—who had already tasted the intoxicating thrill of leading shinobi armies across foreign lands like thunder—could barely conceal their excitement.
Then Soren drew three small crimson pellets from his coat and tossed them down to the trio.
"This is the Lava Release Bloodline Seed developed by the Institute using the Four-Tails' chakra."
"Any shinobi who has mastered both Fire and Earth nature transformations can, by consuming one, awaken the Lava Release bloodline."
The hall went off like a bomb.
Everyone knew of the Institute—but most only knew the surface-level miracle of chakra tech, the tools that lit cities and powered teleportation.
Few had the clearance to even approach the deeper layers underground.
And now, that Institute had produced something unheard of: a mass-producible bloodline.
Just hearing the words made every combat shinobi's pulse race.
Their gazes snapped up toward the throne—
Then, remembering themselves, they lowered their eyes again, fixing them instead on the three crimson pellets in the Uchiha commanders' hands.
The hunger in those looks was almost tangible.
Strength was the foundation of their lives. Every combat shinobi understood that in their bones.
"Supreme Leader!"
Still not fully grasping the implications, Uchiha Rei couldn't contain himself. "How do we take these?"
"Just eat them."
The instant the words left Soren's mouth, the three Uchiha popped the Bloodline Seeds into their mouths and swallowed them down, under the searing envy of every other shinobi in the hall.
Sharingan, Blaze Release, Lava Release…
The future Uchiha really will be monsters.
Thoughts churned in every mind.
Soren clapped his hands, the sound sharp enough to snap all eyes back to him.
"You all want Bloodline Seeds too, don't you?"
His voice floated down like it came from the clouds.
Every heart pounded like a drum.
Soren's lips curved.
He lifted one arm in a sweeping motion.
"If you want them—you can have them!"
"Then go."
"Fight for Konoha."
"Fight for the shinobi world."
"The New World's land and riches, its martial arts and magic—along with our ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, and the Bloodline Seeds themselves…"
"I will place all of them in the General Staff's reward system, waiting for you to earn and exchange!"
Chakra flared unconsciously across the hall.
The look in every shinobi's eyes turned incandescent, hotter than the sunlight.
Satisfied with the way he'd stoked the flames, Soren finally left the throne.
He flashed to the outer ring of E-Rantel, climbing the tallest point of the fortress city: a watchtower built atop the main wall.
From here, he could see the entire city laid out beneath him.
Soon, the continental-class teleportation array linking Konoha to the New World would be installed here.
From that moment on, the shinobi world and the New World would be bound together—
By war, by trade, by blood, and by power.
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