Mikoto?!
Ryoma never expected his experiment to misfire so badly that he would suddenly materialize right in front of Mikoto Uchiha's hot spring.
Mikoto hastily covered herself, cheeks flushed scarlet, glaring at Ryoma—yet there was unmistakable nervousness in her eyes.
How did Ryoma suddenly appear in front of her?
She had just been thinking about what happened with him last time…
"Well… what a coincidence…"
Ryoma braced himself to be thrown out, but to his surprise, Mikoto showed no overreaction. Instead, she looked at him curiously.
"You—why are you here?"
"It was because of an experiment…"
They ended up talking as they returned to the water, steam curling around them.
What happened in that hot spring… only Ryoma and Mikoto knew.
When Ryoma finally left, he suddenly remembered Sako…
Even after returning to Orochimaru's laboratory, Ryoma still felt like he was dreaming.
He had actually… been with Mikoto Uchiha?!
At that moment, the system chimed:
[Ding! Current harem members: 2. Host must continue to work hard!]
A day later, in Orochimaru's laboratory, Ryoma's figure flickered—and vanished.
The next second, he appeared inside the Hokage Office, materializing behind Hatake Sakumo, startling the advisors nearby.
"The affairs of the Five Great Nations have been dealt with?"
Ryoma sat behind the desk and glanced at the returning operatives. All the cadres he had dispatched were present and unwounded. Clearly, this mission had gone exceptionally smoothly.
"Report your intelligence."
"Yes, my lord."
Sakumo bowed respectfully.
"The daimyō and key power figures of the Five Great Nations have been completely eliminated. Their supporting armed factions have also been wiped out. However, due to their previous propaganda against us, many civilians view our actions negatively and have begun resisting…"
"It doesn't matter," Ryoma replied coldly.
"Arrest anyone who resists. Give them proper ideological correction. If necessary, clean them up."
He was constantly advancing—he could not afford to be weighed down.
"Lord Ryoma," Homura Mitokado spoke respectfully, "since we have accomplished such a great feat, the newly unified continent requires a national name. This authority should belong to you."
"The name of the country…"
Ryoma touched his chin, then said:
"Since this world belongs to ninjas, and the Kage stand at the pinnacle of ninja power—our nation shall be named after them."
"It will be the Shadow Empire."
The Great Ninja World Unification War continued to progress. As Konoha's Hokage, Ryoma had remarkably little to do—Konoha's strength was overwhelming, and no village dared to resist.
Thus, Ryoma rarely needed to step onto the battlefield personally.
In the forests outside Konoha, Ryoma sat cross-legged atop a massive stone. A terrifying aura surged outward from his body.
Despite its outward calm, his chakra instantly decomposed anything that came into contact with it.
After continuous battles, Ryoma's body and soul had completely assimilated the power of the Six Paths.
His Six Paths power: 100%.
Ryoma slowly opened his palms—In his left hand, the Five Natures cycled seamlessly.
In his right, yin and yang combined, forming a pitch-black Truth-Seeker staff.
"Now, my Six Paths strength fully matches my peak. In combat experience, I surpass even the Sage of Six Paths himself. Aside from Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, I truly stand unmatched in this world."
Dispersing the ninjutsu in his hands, Ryoma ended his meditation.
Suddenly, he remembered his S-rank summoning inheritance.
The three great sacred places of the ninja world—Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest—each contained a legacy of their own.
"Use S-Class Summoning Inheritance—Mount Myōboku."
[Ding! Activating S-Class Summoning Inheritance: Mount Myōboku!]
Just as Ryoma rose from the boulder he had been sitting on, two faint chakra fluctuations entered his perception.
"Hm?"
Ryoma turned toward the east. Two extremely short silhouettes emerged from the forest path.
"Your perception is truly remarkable," came an aged voice.
Their forms gradually became clear—two elderly toads, cloaked in dark brown robes, each with a long white beard that swayed as they walked.
"You must be Lord Ryoma," the male toad said. "We are envoys from Mount Myōboku."
"I am Fukasaku, and this is my wife, Shima."
Shima, with her purple head and pursed lips, gave a curt nod.
Ryoma's brow lifted slightly.
Fukasaku and Shima were not ordinary toads—they were the Great Sage Toad's personal attendants, responsible for selecting individuals worthy of entering Mount Myōboku's trials.
They would not have come just to exchange greetings.
"Are you looking for me for something?" Ryoma asked directly.
Fukasaku wasted no time.
"By the order of the Great Toad Sage, we have come to invite you to Mount Myōboku."
"Then let's go."
Ryoma naturally understood who the "Great Toad Sage'' was—the ancient ancestor of Mount Myōboku, a being who had survived since the era of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, blessed with incredible senjutsu and prophetic vision.
For a thousand years he had quietly watched over the flow of the world, redirecting the fate of nations with a single whisper.
And now he had sent his two closest attendants to summon Ryoma.
This was truly the level of an S-Rank Summoning Inheritance.
Ryoma created a wooden clone to inform Kushina and the rest of his trusted followers of his temporary absence. Then he turned back to the two sages.
"I am willing to travel to Mount Myōboku. Please lead the way."
Hearing this, Fukasaku pulled out a scroll from behind his robe.
"Lord Ryoma, please stand here."
Ryoma stepped forward. Fukasaku unfurled the scroll.
With a puff!—a burst of white smoke exploded outward.
Ryoma and the two sage toads vanished.
Mount Myōboku was located deep within a region known as Maze Mountain. From Konoha, it would take a full month on foot to reach its general vicinity.
Even then, without special techniques, one could not break through Mount Myōboku's unique barrier.
Thus, despite countless shinobi yearning for its secrets, most would never find the sacred mountain in their entire lifetimes.
At that moment, at the entrance to Mount Myōboku, a cloud of smoke erupted. Ryoma and the two sages appeared instantly.
Fukasaku had used Reverse Summoning, enhanced by their unique sage-art scroll—allowing for effortless long-distance teleportation.
It was an impressive method, though Ryoma no longer found it surprising. After all, he had already established civilian-grade spatial gateways across the entire continent.
Ryoma looked around.
A vast pond stretched out before him, dotted with enormous lotus leaves. Many toads lounged lazily atop them.
The sky and the water were both tinted a warm, orange glow, as if permanently bathed in sunset.
Stone statues of toads lined the path, watching silently over the sacred ground.
Sensing Ryoma's gaze, Fukasaku explained, "These are not ordinary stone statues. They are toads of Mount Myōboku who failed to master senjutsu over the years and turned into stone."
Shima added softly, "The Great Toad Sage placed them here intentionally—to remind all who train here of the dangers of senjutsu."
Chakra was formed from the blending of physical and spiritual energy.
Senjutsu, however, required adding natural energy to that mix—and maintaining the perfect balance of all three.
A single misstep would cause that balance to collapse, and the practitioner would transform into a toad.
The three walked deeper into Mount Myōboku's otherworldly landscape. After some time, buildings appeared in the distance, nestled among the towering stones and orange-tinted ponds.
Soon, they approached a simple yet dignified hall.
Fukasaku led Ryoma inside.
The hall wasn't large, but everything within could be seen at a glance.
Directly opposite the entrance was an enormous seat. On either side of it stood giant scrolls inscribed with ancient black script.
Sitting atop the seat was a small, elderly toad with an orange body.
Around his neck hung a string of large prayer beads, the central bead set with a lilac gem engraved with the kanji for "oil."
He wore a scholar's hat, a pipe resting casually at the corner of his mouth.
This was none other than the ancient ancestor of Mount Myōboku—
The Great Toad Sage.
...
TN:
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