Eight powerful stallions pulled a carriage glowing faintly with magical light as it moved steadily along the paved road toward the royal capital of Re-Yestijie.
They had departed from the harbor city of Ye-Naiul, traveling south through several major cities. Although a few unexpected delays slowed them, the capital was now less than half a day away.
As they drew closer, travelers, merchants, and adventurers grew more numerous. From the carriage window, one could see distant curls of cooking smoke rising from roadside rest stops—
and the silhouettes of shinobi moving swiftly among them.
"Master Soren, many unfamiliar strong individuals have appeared in the kingdom lately. Their attire isn't like anything from here, nor from the Council Nation, the Church Nation, or the Empire. It's… strange."
Sukama, who drove the carriage, wore a light half-armor instead of her previous full plate. A breastplate protected her upper body, while layered metal plates formed a battle skirt below, paired with reinforced greaves.
Thanks to enchanted runes woven into the armor, its physical defense rivaled full plate, while its magical resistance exceeded it, even granting agility and focus-enhancing effects.
The set—worth nearly twenty thousand gold—had been a gift from Uchiha Soren, one that left Sukama so moved she had nearly prostrated herself in gratitude that day.
Soren stepped out to enjoy the breeze, standing beside her. His gaze drifted to Sukama's lightly exposed thigh beneath the battle skirt, though only with a calm, teasing appreciation rather than anything improper.
"People come and go with the rising sun. A few newcomers shouldn't be that surprising."
He said it with a relaxed smile.
"If the kingdom were to change its banner one day, would you be this shocked as well?"
"Master Soren, you mean… the fan crest?"
From the window beside the driver's seat, Lilinet, the priestess, leaned forward with her chin resting on her hands, blinking curiously at him.
The respectful attitude the shinobi showed toward the carriage could not be faked. Some strong individuals had even approached to greet them—only to be casually dismissed by Soren with a few words.
And that new form of address—"Supreme Leader"—had shaken Lilinet to her core.
It made her wonder whether the kingdom had undergone sweeping changes while she had remained unaware.
Seeing the anticipation in the eyes of both women, Soren chuckled.
"Why don't you guess?"
"Aww, Master Soren, just tell us~ Even if we were to play around outdoors today, Sukama and I would fully cooperate."
Lilinet's playful tone made Sukama glare sharply at her.
"Shameless priestess! If you want to fool around, don't drag me into it!"
"Oh? Last time in the woods, I recall someone being quite enthusiastic…"
"…You—!"
Sukama lunged to restrain her, but faltered for a moment, flustered.
Soren coughed lightly.
"Enough. Someone's coming."
At once, both women straightened. Sukama resumed full focus on the reins.
"Stop over there."
"Understood, Master Soren."
She cast Lilinet a glare promising retribution later, then guided the carriage to the roadside.
Ahead, a squad of six shinobi approached. Leading them was a man in Uchiha-style crimson lamellar armor, marked with both the fan crest and the Leaf whirlpool emblem—Uchiha Lei, commander of Konoha's Central Shinobi Army, currently stationed near the royal capital.
"Supreme Leader."
Lei bowed respectfully as the carriage halted.
"Come aboard."
Soren recognized the elite nature of the group from their faces alone. With a gesture, he invited them into the spacious carriage.
"Honored guests, please have some tea."
Lilinet, graceful and composed, poured tea into silver cups. Her dignified smile made her look every inch a noble lady—so different from her earlier teasing.
The men, well-trained and perceptive, politely looked away, treating her as nothing more than Soren's companion—and knowing better than to speculate about the Supreme Leader's private life.
Once everyone was seated, Lei received a nod from Soren and began his report.
"Supreme Leader, this is Senju Ying, deputy commander of the Central Shinobi Army. The other four are staff officers representing the Hyūga, Nara, Yamanaka, and Uzumaki clans."
Soren assessed them.
Senju Ying was an elder at the shadow level, while the other four were elite jōnin—sharp-minded, strong, and with the potential to reach Kage level if given a Lava Release Bloodline Seed.
After brief introductions, Lei continued.
"The Central Shinobi Army's preparations are complete. We have one thousand combat shinobi from Konoha, four hundred from Kirigakure, four hundred from Iwagakure, and two hundred from Amegakure—a total of two thousand combat-ready troops. Due to their numbers, the captains are already assembled in the newly constructed military district awaiting your arrival."
"Good. We'll prepare a Flying Thunder God array later and teleport there directly."
The inspection of the military district was part of Soren's clone operations, so he moved on to the next matter.
"What about the situation within the royal capital?"
Lei bowed his head slightly.
"All officials have been replaced with our shinobi. In preparation for your arrival, a complete purge was carried out."
"Criminal groups such as the Eight Fingers have been eradicated."
His expression darkened.
"Only one remnant—an individual known as Phantom—was discovered selling contraband outside the capital. But we will locate him shortly and ensure the Eight Fingers becomes a true relic of the past."
Soren waved lightly.
"No need. I encountered him on the road. A Myōbokuzan toad I summoned took care of him."
Lei stiffened, then bowed deeply.
"We apologize for allowing this to trouble your journey, Supreme Leader."
The other officers bowed as well.
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