Shinobi World, Rōran.
"What?!"
Inside a small conference room, an exclamation rang out, full of shock.
Queen Sāra stared in disbelief at Minister Molotov across the table.
"You want me to become the only future queen of the Shinobi World?!"
"Not me," Minister Molotov corrected her with a calm smile. "It's the World Government that intends to support you—and Rōran—as the political center and leadership of the Shinobi World."
As he spoke, he sipped the fragrant coffee steaming from his cup.
"Mmm~ This local coffee of yours isn't bad at all."
"But… what about the daimyō of the Five Great Nations?"
Queen Sāra was clearly at a loss.
"Irrelevant," Molotov replied simply. "They have no place in the World Government's plan."
Setting his cup down, he looked at the flustered young queen with a faint smile.
"No need to be so nervous. Your role is to cooperate with the World Government in managing the basic affairs of this world while implementing various policies we assign. Professional administrators will be appointed to guide you."
"Is that so? That's a relief..."
Sāra let out a long sigh.
To be honest, she truly didn't believe she could govern the entire Shinobi World on her own.
"Oh, and there's one more thing I need to tell you in advance."
"Although you'll be the official leader of this 'Shinobi World,' that doesn't mean your position will be absolute."
Minister Molotov's voice remained calm and measured.
"The World Government will formally announce at the next World Summit the creation of a new position—'Planetary Governor.'"
"Planetary Governor..."
Queen Sāra repeated the term, turning it over in her mind.
"A Planetary Governor," he explained, "is a high-ranking elite from the Holy Land of the Celestial Dragons, appointed by the World Government to oversee an entire world."
"In other words, the entire planet will be considered their territory—and these governors will be your direct superiors."
"According to the initial protocols, you local leaders will only be able to report directly to the World Government during World Summits. At all other times, you'll have to go through your Planetary Governor."
The more she listened, the more overwhelmed she became. She asked—half in doubt, half in fear: "Aren't the Celestial Dragons above the law in your world? If such a person comes here, won't they do whatever they please? What if they go out of control?"
She was beginning to feel afraid.
"Indeed, the Celestial Dragons are nobles who stand above all laws," Molotov said solemnly.
"However, Planetary Governors must obey the laws and policies of the World Government. Should they violate them, they will be recalled to the Holy Land by the Five Elders and—'spend the rest of their lives in peace' within the Domain of the Gods."
"Spend their lives in peace... as punishment?"
Queen Sāra was dumbfounded. She wondered if she had misheard.
"You mean no matter what kind of horrible things these governors might do, the worst that could happen is they get called back to enjoy luxury?"
"Exactly."
Molotov nodded.
"But rest assured—none of these governors want to be forcibly recalled. To them, that would be an intolerable disgrace."
"Besides, you don't have to worry about being harmed or humiliated by a Planetary Governor. Leaders like you from other worlds are protected under the World Government's laws."
"You even hold certain rights in the presence of most Celestial Dragons—such as not needing to kneel, the ability to refuse unreasonable demands, and protection against unauthorized entry into your private residence."
Honestly, Minister Molotov himself couldn't help but feel a bit envious of leaders like Sāra.
These privileges were, in truth, meant to give them the dignity to stand on equal footing with the Planetary Governors.
It seemed the higher-ups didn't want those governors becoming too tyrannical.
"That actually doesn't sound too bad..."
Queen Sāra murmured to herself, lost in thought. Then, lifting her head, she asked, "You mentioned this would be announced at the next World Summit. So before then..."
Minister Molotov smiled.
"Exactly. There won't be any Planetary Governors before the year 1508 of the Sea Circle Calendar. These next five years are meant to give you all time to prepare mentally."
"I see."
Queen Sāra finally relaxed—five years would definitely be enough.
[Knock, knock, knock!]
Just then, someone pounded forcefully on the door from outside.
"Come in."
As soon as Minister Molotov spoke, a young official in a sharp suit pushed the door open and entered.
"Minister, something's happened with the Konoha delegation!"
"Something happened?"
Molotov frowned in confusion.
After the summit, Hashirama Senju, Orochimaru, and the others had been scheduled to visit the world of the Titans—to witness firsthand the grandeur of an otherworldly civilization and to get a sense of the World Government's military might.
"Yes. That 'First Hokage,' Senju Hashirama, disintegrated the moment he passed through the Dimensional Gate. All that remained was a tall man who fell unconscious at the scene."
"According to the current Fourth Hokage, Orochimaru, the man's name is Kazekami. But he has no idea why he's still alive—since the sacrificial vessels used for Impure World Reincarnation are supposed to die no matter what."
The young official's face was full of disbelief and uncertainty.
"What?!"
Minister Molotov shot to his feet.
"Escort Queen Sāra back at once."
After giving the queen a courteous nod, he quickly turned and left the room, heading straight for the underground palace.
Meanwhile—
In the Underworld of the Titan World.
Hashirama stood in stunned silence, examining his surroundings with a helpless expression.
A sky of pale gray, devoid of stars.
A desolate sea of white sand and gravel stretching out in all directions.
"What the hell is this place?"
Hashirama had stepped into the Dimensional Gate with eager anticipation...
Only to feel his body ignite almost instantly—so rapidly, in fact, that he didn't even have time to retreat. In a blink, he had arrived in this strange place.
"Feels like... the underworld. But this doesn't look like the Pure Land."
He stroked his chin, deep in thought.
"Wait a second!"
Suddenly, he smacked his left fist into his right palm, exclaiming: "Could this be the so-called 'Pure Land' of the Titan World?"
Though he phrased it as a question, Hashirama was almost certain of it.
"So... now what?"
As he trudged forward through the endless white sand, he muttered to himself in frustration.
"If I'd known this would happen, I would've brought Tobirama along. At least then I'd have someone to discuss this with."
He wandered aimlessly through the silent white wasteland, testing his abilities as he went.
The results were reassuring—both his Wood Release and his ninjutsu were working perfectly.
This brought Hashirama some relief.
"Hey!"
"You there—stop, soul!"
A voice suddenly rang out from the distance.
"Someone's here?"
Hashirama turned around in surprise—and saw a group of towering figures in matching dark-purple uniforms charging toward him.
The one in front was not only taller and more muscular than the others, but also wore a purple greatcoat draped over his shoulders.
"Why is someone wearing a World Government justice coat in a place like this?!"
The color was different, but the design was unmistakable—he'd seen far too many of those coats these past couple of days.
"I am Reiner Braun, Lieutenant General of the Underworld Army, also known as the 'Armored Titan.' By order of the King of the Dead, I invite you—Lord Senju Hashirama from the Shinobi World—to the Palace Enma!"
...
No one could have imagined that Senju Hashirama would experience something so bizarre.
And yet—
The continent of the shinobi world remained engulfed in the flames of war, especially in the north, where the sounds of slaughter were constant.
Even with the aid of the Third Raikage and the shinobi of Kumogakure, the Land of Iron was still struggling to eliminate the army of one hundred thousand White Zetsu in a short period of time.
But compared to the Land of Iron, the situation in the Land of Demons was far more dire.
If the number of White Zetsu was around one hundred thousand, then the army of statues forged from a mixture of Dark Chakra and earth by Mōryō was practically endless.
No matter how many of these statues the arriving Konohagakure and Iwagakure shinobi managed to destroy together, more would form battle formations and march forward with thunderous steps.
Elsewhere, Jiraiya had already engaged in a fierce battle with Kakuzu.
Waves of wind, fire, lightning, and thunder engulfed an area hundreds of meters wide in every direction.
However, Jiraiya, who was accustomed to fighting in tandem with toads, found his abilities significantly hampered without them. Strictly speaking, he was on the losing side.
But when it came to the most brutal combat—
That title belonged to the conflict between the Chinoike Clan and the Uchiha Clan.
The Chinoike shinobi, driven by long-repressed fury, fought with such frenzied abandon that they inflicted heavy casualties on the Uchiha.
Their madness rivaled that of the fanatics from the Cult of Jashin!
For they despised not only the daimyō of the Land of Lightning—but the Uchiha Clan as well.
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