That afternoon, Arima arrived at the Hokage's office.
He had just settled into his chair when a knock came at the door.
"Come in," he called, and a moment later, Koharu entered carrying a towering stack of documents.
Since she hadn't yet returned to the Land of Fire capital, Koharu was temporarily serving as Arima's assistant.
Seeing her arrive, Arima asked, "Koharu, is the Uchiha compensation process complete?"
Koharu set the heavy stack of papers down on his desk and exhaled a breath of relief.
"It's all arranged. We used the excuse that those involved in last night's incident died during a classified mission to cover up the rebellion.
Still, the Uchiha's defection caused quite a stir, rumors are already spreading through the village."
As he flipped through the documents, Arima responded nonchalantly, "It's fine. As long as no one deliberately fans the flames, the fallout will fade soon enough. People are forgetful by nature."
Koharu continued, "Shinobis have already departed with several ninja squads. Over the next two weeks, following your instructions and with the Uzumaki Clan's help, we should be able to set up a large number of teleportation barriers."
Arima's eyes lit up slightly at the news. "Once the village is connected to the capital through the barrier network, I'll go with you to visit Granduncle."
Koharu was overjoyed to hear that.
Arima then said, "The good news from the front should be on its way. Afterward, I'll need you to visit the Hidden Cloud and invite the Third Raikage. I want to discuss forming a Five Nations Alliance."
Koharu blinked in surprise. "Your clone already handled things over there?"
Arima nodded. "Didn't expect the three Kage to all be in the Rain Country outpost at once. I managed to capture them in one move, saved me a lot of effort.
I imagine the issues in the Land of Hot Water have also been dealt with by my other clone."
Excitement lit up Koharu's eyes. "Then... does this mean you're planning to spread the teleportation barrier across the entire shinobi world?"
Arima chuckled. "You seem a bit too interested in this."
She stepped behind him, gently massaging his shoulders.
"When I was little, I always wanted to see the rest of the shinobi world. But ever since becoming a ninja, it's been endless training and missions.
If this keeps up, I'll be an old woman before I ever get the chance to see my dream through."
Arima spoke softly. "Once the shinobi world is connected, you can go wherever you want."
Koharu hesitated, then asked, "Arima… will you go with me?"
He noticed the slight tension in her expression, the glint of hope in her eyes.
She had always been patient with him, supportive since childhood. Faced with her gentle request, he found himself wavering.
For once, he wasn't decisive.
He rubbed his temples and sighed.
Koharu's fingers moved up to gently massage his temples. "It's okay," she said softly. "I can wait."
"Koharu, you… " he began, but before he could finish, she leaned down and kissed him lightly on the forehead.
He looked up, meeting her steady gaze. Whatever he was about to say, he swallowed it.
Koharu must've sensed his hesitation, because she suddenly gathered her courage and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around him tightly.
"I must've owed you a debt in a past life," she murmured, "because in this one, you're torturing me, and I keep throwing myself at you anyway."
Her sudden intimacy made Arima more flustered than he'd ever been. His hands hovered awkwardly, unsure where to rest.
She met his eyes again, more serious this time.
"Even if you end up with Tsunade, promise me one thing, don't ever reject me outright. I'm willing to guard you quietly, asking for nothing in return. Is that… okay?"
Arima sighed deeply. "Is it really worth it?"
Koharu smiled faintly, resting her head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. "Who knows?"
All Arima could do was let her do as she pleased. After all, what could he say now that she'd laid everything bare?
He suddenly thought of Jiraiya. Maybe that Love Training Manual of his actually had some useful advice for a situation like this.
Just then, another knock came at the door.
Koharu shot the door a look of frustration, then reluctantly got up from Arima's lap and marched over to open it, clearly annoyed.
Without even seeing who it was, she snapped, "So noisy! You knocking or summoning ghosts?"
But as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized it was the four remaining elders of the Uchiha clan.
Instantly shifting her tone, she said calmly, "The Hokage has been waiting for you. What took so long? Come in."
Arima chuckled quietly to himself. Didn't know she could lie so smoothly. And she's got quite the temper when she wants to.
Facing away from the visitors, Koharu stuck out her tongue at him, embarrassed.
Arima caught the playful gesture and a brief smile crossed his lips before he composed himself again.
To the four Uchiha elders, he said, "You arrived at the right time. Once Hiruzen gets here, we'll go to the academy for the transition."
Right on cue, Hiruzen stepped inside.
"Perfect timing," Arima said. "Now that we're all here, let's head out."
"Head out? Where to?" asked Hiruzen, confused.
"The academy," Arima replied. "Didn't I just talk to you about this?"
Hiruzen slapped his forehead. "Ah, right! I remember now. But wait, look at this first. Urgent message from the front lines."
Arima took the scroll, scanned it quickly, and passed it to Koharu.
"This intel is from my clone, just mentioned it earlier. Have someone inform all jonin from Konoha and Kumogakure. Meeting tomorrow morning at nine in the conference room."
Koharu nodded and left to carry out the task.
Hiruzen looked over. "Arima, something big happen at the front?"
Arima smiled. "Something good. The shinobi world is about to be unified."
Everyone in the room echoed him.
"Unified?"
Arima nodded. "Exactly what you're thinking, shinobi world unification. At dawn today, my clone finalized the agreement with the other three major villages. We've got a lot of work ahead."
Hiruzen could hardly believe it. "I never thought I'd live to see this miracle."
Even Uchiha Shin and the others were stunned.
"I'll explain everything in detail at tomorrow's meeting," Arima said.
Then added with a grumble, "If your Uchiha clan hadn't stirred up all that mess, this could've been a celebration."
The Uchiha elders kept their heads down. They had no defense, what was done was done.
Soon after, six people, perhaps the most powerful instructor lineup in history, appeared at the joint Konoha-Kumogakure Shinobi Academy.
After a brief handover, everyone's roles were confirmed.
Arima continued as headmaster and also oversaw students' extracurricular combat training.
Hiruzen, per prior arrangement, became the academy's dean, Arima's way of giving him a break.
As punishment, the four Uchiha elders were each assigned as temporary homeroom teachers for elite classes.
News of the six instructors spread quickly throughout the joint community.
That evening, after school, countless parents told their children to study hard. If they caught the Hokage's eye, they might even be taken as a disciple, what a fortune that would be!
That night, Arima finally had a rare moment of peace, enjoying time with his family in warmth and harmony.
As night deepened and everyone went to rest, Arima said goodnight to Tsunade and Natsuka, and returned to his room.
Just as he was about to lie down, a spatial rift opened, and out stepped Isshiki.
Isshiki casually sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, making himself right at home.
Arima got up, dressed, and went to the kitchen. A moment later, he returned with a pot of hot tea, sitting opposite Isshiki.
As he poured, Arima asked solemnly, "Why show up at this hour?"
Isshiki glanced at him, tone lazy but loaded with meaning. "I hear you've unified the shinobi world?"
Arima set down the teapot and slid the teacup over. "Just persuaded the three Kage. Now we're building a unified shinobi nation."
Isshiki sipped. "I want to be your nation's advisor. That alright?"
Though it was posed as a question, his tone left no room for refusal.
Arima kept his expression neutral. "Why the sudden interest in such a title? With your power, you could lead the entire nation."
He was probing. Isshiki's motives had always been veiled in mystery.
Isshiki shook his head. "No need. I don't care for power. I just want to watch you grow."
Arima's heart tightened. He lifted the tea, sipped, then calmed his nerves. With Isshiki, caution was paramount. Any misstep, and Konoha itself could be wiped out.
Looking up again, Arima smiled faintly. "Alright. Then how should I address you?"
Isshiki smirked. "However you like. Just a whim of mine."
Having achieved his goal, Isshiki downed his tea in one gulp. "Not bad. This world has its charms."
Arima stood and handed him all the tea gifted by Fuji.
Before leaving, Isshiki warned, "Your frequent use of the Tenseigan has caught the attention of those on the moon.
They may come after you. I won't interfere, it'll help you awaken your Seal of 'Covenant.' I look forward to your evolution."
And with that, Isshiki vanished into his otherworldly dimension.
Arima stood in silence, face grave.
From Isshiki's words, he gleaned several key facts.
First, his use of the Tenseigan had alerted those on the moon, descendants of Hamura Otsutsuki, who likely also possessed Tenseigan.
After all, Arima's right eye had originally been seized from them by Isshiki.
But it seemed they wouldn't descend immediately, perhaps due to internal troubles, giving Arima valuable preparation time.
The most vital detail was about the "Covenant Seal." His own seal had gone dormant, and while battle might reawaken it, it was more likely to accelerate his transformation into a full-fledged Otsutsuki.
As Arima was still processing all this, the door opened.
Tsunade entered, seeing him fully dressed and standing, with fresh tea still steaming on the table.
"I heard voices earlier," she said. "Where'd the guest go?"
Arima hesitated. Should he tell her?
In the end, he chose honesty. Tsunade wasn't just a lover, she was his emotional anchor.
Looking her in the eye, he said gravely, "He was here."
Tsunade froze, then immediately understood who he meant.
"What did he want?"
Arima recounted the entire conversation with Isshiki.
When he finished, Tsunade's face was serious. "Before Minato left, he told me a lot. Back then, you'd been taken by him, so I never had a chance to tell you."
"What did Minato say?" Arima asked.
Tsunade thought back. "He said that in a few years, a great enemy named Otsutsuki Isshiki would appear. He didn't know his origins, but said only you, Arima, would understand."
Arima chuckled. "Minato probably hadn't accessed the nation's core intelligence. But you already know who he is."
Tsunade nodded. "Then we still have years to prepare. No rush."
Arima grinned slyly. "Once the nation's established, I'll gain power quickly. Maybe I'll be able to face him head-on."
"What can we do to help?" Tsunade asked.
Arima winked. "That's a secret for now. Tomorrow, I need to talk to Orochimaru. I hear you've got a friend named Hiruko, not very gifted, but he's obsessed with strange and rare techniques."
Tsunade nodded. "Hiruko… yeah, he's really into kekkei genkai."
Arima said, "So long as he doesn't violate village laws, a little eccentricity in a researcher is acceptable."
Clearly, Arima already knew Hiruko's background, he brought him up deliberately, hoping Tsunade would pass the message along.
Stretching, Arima pulled Tsunade into a hug and kissed her forehead.
"Off to bed. It's late."
She smiled sweetly, kissed his cheek, and returned to her room.
With everything that had happened, Arima no longer felt sleepy.
Looking at the system's notification, two million virtue points earned, he clapped his hands with a grin.
"Tomorrow… a new storm begins."
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