The first hints of morning light filtered through the window, pale and soft.
Yuto was already awake, stretching the sleep from his limbs with a satisfied groan. The bed was warm, the room quiet and peaceful.
Beside him, Konan stirred.
"Is it morning already?" she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. She blinked open her striking, paper-blue eyes, squinting at him in the soft gloom.
"Not really. Go back to sleep," Yuto said, his voice a low rumble. He swung his legs out of bed and began pulling on his clothes. "You've been running yourself thin with this census (registration) project. You need the rest."
It was a monumental undertaking. The scope had expanded far beyond the Land of Waves. The Land of Rain was, for all intents and purposes, fully integrated now. And the Sand Village? Officially, they were allies. In reality, their relationship was more akin to a vassal state; we controlled their economy and politics, our influence an unspoken truth.
Their people were becoming our people, and that meant a mountain of paperwork to officially grant them citizenship.
Everyone in power knew how things truly stood. It was the worst-kept secret among the Five Great Nations, but they all played along, keeping the reality off the official records.
Since a proper civil service department didn't exist yet, the entire administrative mess had landed in the lap of the Security Division. And Konan, driven by her sense of duty, had taken personal charge.
"I'm fine," she insisted, pushing herself up.
The sheets slipped away, revealing the pale elegance of her shoulders and collarbone. Her lavender hair was a beautiful mess, tumbling around her face, but she still managed to look effortlessly serene.
As the recognized Third Lady of the Land of Waves, she felt a deep responsibility to lead by example, taking this role of "setting a standard" with immense seriousness.
"You know you can delegate, right?" Yuto said, watching her with a fond smile. "That's what the Security Division is for. They're getting paid. It's literally their job."
"It's not about that. I want to do it myself," she said, shaking her head. She slid out of bed, took the tunic from his hands, and began smoothing it over his shoulders, her movements precise and familiar. "How is that girl? The one from… the other world?"
Only a handful of people knew of Hyūga Hanabi's existence. Konan was one of them.
"She's adjusting. Still getting her bearings," Yuto replied.
"I can't even imagine," Konan said with a soft sigh. She finished straightening his collar and gave his shoulder a gentle pat. "Being so alone in a world you don't know. Be kind to her, Yuto."
"Yes, ma'am, Director Konan," he said, snapping off a ridiculously over-the-top salute.
A warm, gentle smile touched her lips, and she leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek.
"Go on. Get to work."
Fully dressed, Yuto slipped out of the room, pulling the door shut quietly behind him.
"'Be kind to her,' huh?" The voice popped into his head, cheerful and mischievous. It was Kushina. "And how exactly are you planning to do that? Maybe you should just bring her home. Problem solved."
Yuto's eye twitched.
"Don't even start," he muttered under his breath as he headed down the hall.
"I'm just saying! You'd be following orders, technically. Konan couldn't even get mad. It's the perfect plan!"
"It's a terrible plan," he shot back, shaking his head as he made his way toward the Umbrella Corporation headquarters.
---
Land of Waves, Testing Base
The Land of Waves testing base was the antithesis of Konoha's dark, claustrophobic Root headquarters. This facility was all bright lights, high ceilings, and wide-open spaces.
The true oddity, however, was the staff. Hulking Hollows—mindless creatures sheathed in bone-white armor—lumbered through the corridors, hauling heavy equipment and research samples. Each was guided by a human researcher in a white lab coat, who directed the powerful beings like bizarre, oversized pack mules.
From within the spirit pearl, Kushina let out a low whistle in his mind.
"Wow. You actually did it. This whole… mutant Hollow labor force thing. It's working."
"It's a start," Yuto replied, not breaking his stride.
He walked toward the center of the room, where a massive cultivation tank dominated the space. Suspended inside was the Mōryō that Pakura had captured.
It hung motionless in the viscous fluid, eyes closed, its form looking almost peaceful.
"Okay, that thing is huge," Kushina remarked. "It's believable that it's Tailed Beast-level. But come on, a single Tailed Beast wiping out a whole nation? There's gotta be more to it."
"My thoughts exactly," Yuto agreed. He glanced down at the mysterious communicator in his hand just as it vibrated.
[Magical Girl]: I WON!
[Dumb Snack]: ?? Won what? Did you beat Hayashi Yuto?
[Magical Girl]: MY RANKED MATCHES, YOU IDIOT! I'M ON A WINNING STREAK! HAHAHAHA!
[Dumb Snack]: Please. You're losing your way. Think of your dreams! Your glorious empire! I was promised a position as Imperial Strategist, and here you are, grinding video game rankings.
[Magical Girl]: Don't you dare judge me! I've been multitasking! Hashirama is about to be revived!
[Dumb Snack]: Oh, my apologies. You've been working soooo very hard.
The sarcasm in his last message could have peeled paint.
"You just can't help yourself, can you?" Kushina sighed. "Why not just let him have this? Conquering the world sounds exhausting. Ranked matches are way more fun."
"That is a very short-sighted view, Kushina," Mikoto's calmer voice interjected.
Yuto tuned out the internal debate and pushed into the central control room.
Yakushi Kabuto was there, hunched over a monitor, his face illuminated by scrolling lines of data. He was so absorbed he didn't notice Yuto's presence until he was right behind him.
"Leader-sama!" Kabuto straightened up, a picture of perfect professionalism.
Yuto snorted.
"Oh, come on. Cut the act. I miss the old you—the smug, insubordinate genius. This is weird."
A slow, familiar grin spread across Kabuto's face.
"What can I say? You're the real boss now. A national leader. A man with three wives. I have to show some respect."
"Yeah, yeah," Yuto said, waving a dismissive hand. "What've you got for me?"
"Fascinating stuff," Kabuto said, turning back to the screen. "As you suspected, its body isn't made of normal tissue. It's about ninety percent… something else. A mutated, solidified form of chakra."
"Figured as much," Yuto said. His own senses had already confirmed that much; this was just conformation.
"It's incredible," Kabuto mused, pushing his glasses up his nose. "It has a pure chakra body like a Tailed Beast, but none of their specific elemental signatures. This Mōryō… it's something entirely new."
"It took the power of the Ten-Tails and didn't just use it—it fully integrated and refined it," Yuto said, his eyes fixed on the data stream. "It's got the Ōtsutsuki vibe, but it's… cleaner. More efficient."
"Precisely. Which is what makes the other one so confusing," Kabuto replied. "The Mōryō we found in the Land of Demons was a primal beast. It barely understood what it was, let alone the Ten-Tails. The difference is staggering."
"That's the million-ryo question, isn't it?" Yuto said. "Just break down everything you can about its composition. I want a full report."
With a final nod, Yuto turned to leave, the mystery churning in his mind.
"This other Mōryō…" Mikoto's voice echoed, hesitant. "You don't think…"
Yuto didn't need her to finish. The thought had already crystallized into a grim certainty.
"Yeah," he said, his voice low and firm. "I think he's a transmigrator. Just like me."
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