While the Tailed Beasts were being assigned their new territories under the World Government, a separate high-level meeting was taking place elsewhere within the same facility.
Inside another conference room, Fukurokuju, the First Kaikage, was seated alongside Uzui Tengen, receiving a delegation of high-ranking shinobi from the various great villages. Among them were A, Jiraiya, Ōnoki, Rasa, Chiyo, the Third Mizukage, Terumi Daichi, and others.
The main topics of discussion naturally revolved around the founding of the Shinobi Academy, the establishment of the Shinobi Sect, and, most importantly, invitations to join Umigakure.
"Under the Kaikage, five High Ministers—'The Five Envoys'—will be appointed to oversee the affairs of Umigakure,"
Fukurokuju announced solemnly from the podium, reading from the prepared script in his hand.
"Former Third Raikage of Kumogakure, A, will be appointed Thunder Envoy, responsible for all combat operations and assigned shinobi during Umigakure's external campaigns."
Down below, A gave a satisfied smirk. Clearly, he was pleased with the role.
"Former Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure, Rasa, will serve as Wind Envoy, in charge of all financial management and business projects within Umigakure."
Rasa visibly relaxed at the announcement. As the first village to have submitted, it seemed they were indeed receiving favorable treatment.
"Former Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, Ōnoki, will be appointed Earth Envoy, responsible for all logistical support and infrastructure development in Umigakure."
Fukurokuju continued reading. His was the only voice that echoed through the hall.
Ōnoki raised no objections. Being one of the Five Envoys wasn't something to be ashamed of.
Besides, with his age, a rear-line position suited him just fine.
"Hyūga Masato, former head of the Ōtsutsuki lunar branch and current clan leader of the Hyūga, will be Water Envoy, in charge of reconnaissance operations and relevant agents during Umigakure's campaigns."
However, Hyūga Masato was not present.
He was currently inspecting his clan's newly assigned territory on Wano Island, located on Starfish.
But that didn't mean no one else reacted to the announcement.
Former Third Mizukage of Kirigakure furrowed his brows.
Because this appointment likely meant—he would not be among the Five Envoys.
And truthfully, he could already guess why.
"Lastly, Uchiha Fugaku, former jōnin of Konohagakure and current head of the Uchiha clan, will be appointed Fire Envoy, in charge of internal discipline and security operations within Umigakure."
Naturally, Fugaku was not present either.
But the Third Mizukage's expression turned sour.
This was the price of joining last—and offering too little.
...
World of the Titans.
The First Main Battle Corps of the Army, which had returned from the Shinobi World, had already allowed its divisions to return to their respective camps.
At that moment, their corps commander stood inside a hospital room on the seventh floor of the World Hospital, gazing through the window toward the direction of the Dimensional Gate.
Golden, warm sunlight bathed his body, yet it failed to melt the stern expression on his face.
This man, wounded in a brutal battle against the highest-ranking devil, was none other than Sakazuki—currently hospitalized due to his serious injuries.
[Knock! Knock! Knock!]
Just then, someone gently knocked on the door behind him.
"Enter."
Sakazuki uttered a single word.
Then, he calmly turned to face the man in black who pushed the door open and stepped inside, holding a black case.
Through the small window in the door, he could see two more individuals standing guard outside.
"Greetings, General Akainu. I'm an administrative officer from Noah's Ark. No need to bother with names."
The middle-aged man, dressed in a perfectly pressed suit and wearing a black hat, maintained a standard professional smile as he looked at Sakazuki—whose pupils instinctively contracted at the words Noah's Ark.
"Does Lord Imu have any orders for me?" he asked, somewhat hesitantly.
"No, but before departing from the Ark, Lord Imu instructed me to deliver this letter to you."
As he spoke, the man in black lifted the case and placed it on the table nearby.
From within, he retrieved a white envelope, lined with gold and bearing the emblem of the "Hoof of the Celestial Dragons" embossed on its surface.
He then walked over to Sakazuki and, with a respectful posture, presented it with both hands.
"Please read, General Akainu."
Sakazuki accepted the envelope with a solemn expression.
The man in black stepped back to the door and stood quietly, head lowered, waiting.
Ignoring him, Sakazuki opened the envelope and silently read the letter inside.
Lord Imu hadn't wasted a single word on pleasantries.
Right from the beginning, the letter explained that the Dragon Vein in the Shinobi World was the physical manifestation of the planet's geological meridian energy—a form of power that originated from the magma within the planet's core and radiated outward along the planet's internal networks.
Furthermore, this "geological meridian energy" was actually a type of natural energy, and its elemental properties were highly compatible with Sakazuki's Logia-type Mag-Mag Fruit.
Thus, the letter recommended that he try absorbing the Dragon Vein's energy. Through this process, he could begin to sense and cultivate natural energy.
If all went well, then in the future—regardless of the world he was in—so long as the power of the planet's meridians existed, he would be able to descend into subterranean magma layers or seek out active volcanoes to absorb the natural energy he needed.
The Dragon Vein of the Shinobi World also had two distinct advantages.
First, it possessed a high level of self-awareness and could assist him in absorbing energy.
Second, the spirit of the Dragon Vein had already signed a master-servant contract with Imu, providing a certain degree of safety assurance.
Beyond that—
The Four-Tails, Son Gokū, might also be of help to him.
Tailed Beasts were essentially pure natural energy lifeforms, although their energy had been blended with a foreign power known as chakra, making them far more violent and difficult to control than the chakra cultivated by shinobi.
However, they had nearly a thousand years of experience in absorbing and utilizing natural energy.
Among them, the Four-Tails could create vast seas of magma and massive volcanoes at will—
—despite not possessing a Logia-type Mag-Mag Fruit ability.
Therefore, Imu suggested that he try to persuade the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, to accompany him for joint training in Rōran.
Finally, in the Zero Magic World, there was also a magical creature known as an "Ancient Dragon," whose body was composed entirely of magma.
If necessary, he could go investigate that as well.
Sakazuki finished reading.
He had never imagined that Imu would care about his training, let alone go so far as to offer him advice and a concrete plan.
Regardless, this letter had clearly given Sakazuki renewed hope of catching up to Kuzan.
He wanted to follow Imu's suggestion and give it a try!
Sakazuki's eyes gleamed with determination.
He was already eager to return to Rōran.
...
The Shinobi World—
After wrapping up the meeting in Rōran, Jiraiya, Chiyo, Kitsuchi, and the rest of the high-ranking former village officials who had chosen to remain in the original Shinobi World had no choice but to set off once again for Konohagakure.
Their objective: to meet with Ōtsutsuki Hamura and discuss the comprehensive plans for rebuilding the Shinobi Sect.
Just as they departed, Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara arrived not long after.
After a round of questioning from the Umigakure shinobi stationed at the perimeter, the two of them successfully verified their identities and were escorted into Rōran.
At that moment—
Fukurokuju along with senior jōnin such as Uzui Tengen, Daikoku, and others, personally came to the city gates to welcome them.
This was not only to show respect, but also out of sheer curiosity.
They wanted to see for themselves the legendary shinobi known as the "God of Shinobi," Senju Hashirama—someone who had not only defeated Aramaki, but had also engaged in a multi-day battle against Admiral Aokiji.
And just as much, they wanted to lay eyes on the one said to be the only match for Hashirama—Uchiha Madara.
Besides, if these two joined, Umigakure's standing within the World Government would likely receive a monumental boost.
"Welcome to Umigakure, both of you! I hope we shinobi can finally earn a real place within the World Government!" Fukurokuju said warmly, laughing heartily as he reached out and firmly shook Senju Hashirama's hand.
"Hahahaha! Well said, Kaikage-dono! We must show the world the true strength of shinobi!"
Hashirama's face beamed with joy.
But just then, a cold and puzzled voice sliced through the warm atmosphere like ice, instantly freezing the cheerful mood and leaving Fukurokuju's smile stiff on his face.
Uchiha Madara, eyes narrowed, looked at Fukurokuju and asked curiously: "You're the Kaikage? You don't seem all that strong."
While the man had no chakra in his body, a warrior of Madara's caliber could instinctively sense whether someone posed a threat or not.
In his mind, the kage of any village should naturally be its strongest shinobi.
And if Umigakure was part of the World Government, then its Kaikage should be immensely powerful.
At the very least, not weaker than him, right?
But reality didn't match Madara's expectations.
"Uh—" Fukurokuju opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Behind him, Daikoku and the other former Oniwabanshu jōnin all showed visible displeasure. Their gazes turned icy.
Uzui Tengen let out a helpless sigh.
"Madara! There you go again, offending people!"
Hashirama was furious. He turned and glared at Uchiha Madara.
"Didn't we agree before coming here that we'd try to get along with everyone in Umigakure?!"
"Hmph. I said we should be friendly—with the strong."
Uchiha Madara crossed his arms and scoffed dismissively.
How could a weakling possibly qualify to be his superior?
"Ahem. It's fine. Compared to the rest of you, I'm indeed not skilled in combat," Fukurokuju said, coughing lightly. "It's just that, among the shinobi of Starfish, our strength has always been lacking. I merely happened to be the strongest one at the time, which is why I was appointed as the First Kaikage. However, I've already reported my intention to step down from the position and recommended Senior Jōnin Uzui Tengen as my successor. I'll continue assisting Umigakure's administration as an elder."
Fukurokuju sighed and laid everything out candidly.
"What?!"
His words caused a wave of shock.
"Fukurokuju-sama, that's not necessary! Everyone has been more than satisfied with your leadership. You've been an outstanding Kaikage! As for combat—just leave that to us!"
Uzui Tengen quickly tried to talk him out of it. He had never considered taking on the Kaikage's responsibilities.
Too much of a hassle!
After all, he frequented the Kaikage's office often and had witnessed firsthand how overwhelmed Fukurokuju was.
If it were him, where would he even find the time to care for his four wives?
Yes, four now.
In addition to his original three wives, he'd recently taken in a fourth—Mashiro, a short-haired, snow-white beauty from the Teigu World.
She was that fierce and gorgeous woman he once knocked out on the snowy plains and brought back to the Dimensional Gate base.
Which is exactly why Uzui Tengen absolutely didn't want to touch the Kaikage position.
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