Those words made all four of their faces twitch.
What was this person saying? How dare he comment on the daimyo like that?
Had the daimyo of this world vanished?
"These Konoha ninjas, and even those from other ninja villages, are truly foolish. They clearly have power, yet they don't think to become gods who rule over everything. Instead, they serve those ordinary ants—what a joke."
At that moment, Mukade, who had been silent, let out a mocking laugh.
"You disgusting bastard, shut up! If it weren't for you, how could we have ended up in this strange world?!"
Naruto glared at Mukade, shouting loudly.
"The daimyo are nobles by birth. Without them, the entire world would fall into chaos… and… we're not weak. It's just that those guards were too strong." Sai's tone sounded a bit odd.
"Nobles by birth? In a world where power is everything, an ordinary human is called a noble by birth? Brainwashed, pitiful people!"
"Something like that doesn't deserve to hold power! Only an all-powerful, invincible being like the Shinobi Emperor is worthy!"
"And besides, you are weak, no need to deny it. The guards who defeated you were just outer-line soldiers you can find anywhere. Their combined strength is probably only at the level of a Jonin to an elite Jonin in the ninja village era."
Kankuro spoke with a disdainful expression.
"So, what are ordinary people here? Jonin to elite Jonin strength is common here? Why do you say it like it's weak? Anywhere else, that's the core strength of a ninja village."
Yamato frowned.
With his current strength, he hadn't even reached elite Jonin level…
"Ordinary people are just ordinary people, objects to be protected. They can master other skills, but they'll never be useless trash who only know how to indulge like the daimyo of the ninja village era."
"As for Jonin to elite Jonin? That's just the most basic strength, the standard for capital soldiers. If you don't reach Jonin-level strength from the ninja village era, you might as well honestly go farm."
Kankuro said indifferently.
"Standard for capital soldiers? Farming?"
Naruto and his three companions were shocked again.
Mukade, standing nearby, clicked his tongue in amazement.
He recalled his experience arriving in this world, trying to cause trouble with his puppets, only to be thoroughly beaten by an ordinary pedestrian. His heart kept sighing.
The people in this world, one by one, were ridiculously strong!
"May I politely ask, how many soldiers like this are there in the Shinobi Empire?"
Yamato asked with a serious expression.
"How many? Don't know, maybe over a million." Kankuro said casually.
"O-One million Kakashi-senseis?" Naruto shouted in shock.
"So… so many…" Sakura muttered.
"This strength is enough to rule the world!" Mukade's eyes gleamed with greed.
"One million Jonin, even elite Jonin—if this power were in our world, it could probably easily conquer it. Why are there so many Jonin… is it because of that strange power?"
Yamato frowned.
"You mean Inner Energy?" Kankuro said.
"Don't know… it's just that those guards, every time they attacked, always mentioned Inner Energy." Yamato thought for a moment and replied.
"That's Inner Energy, a power developed by the Shinobi Emperor. Everyone who masters Inner Energy is called a warrior. This power is stronger than chakra but less versatile, specifically used to strengthen oneself and fight."
"A strong warrior can easily shatter stone, pierce steel, or even destroy mountains with Inner Energy." Kankuro said, his expression tinged with envy.
"I see… I didn't expect your Shinobi Emperor here to be so incredible." Yamato sighed slightly.
No wonder he could end the ninja village era—this man might be even more extraordinary than the First Hokage.
"So cool! This power called Inner Energy, can you teach it to us? I really want to learn! Inner Energy Finger Strike, Inner Energy Storm Kick, Inner Energy Paper Shield, Inner Energy Freezer—all so strong! Awesome!"
Naruto's eyes sparkled as he shouted excitedly.
"Idiot! That's their secret technique—how could they easily teach it to outsiders like us?!" A vein bulged on Sakura's forehead.
She cursed Naruto's stupidity in her mind, daring to say such reckless things. Wasn't he afraid of angering this world's Kankuro?
Their lives were still in his hands!
Even though they were starting to regain their ability to move, their chakra was still sealed!
Yamato and Sai also felt worried for Naruto.
"Ah! Right… s-sorry…"
After Sakura's scolding, Naruto's mind cleared.
"No need to apologize. If you want to learn, it's not impossible." Kankuro said.
"Huh?! Really? You can actually teach us?" Naruto exclaimed joyfully.
Yamato, Sakura, and Sai were also shocked, their faces unconsciously showing excitement. If they learned Inner Energy and became warriors, then brought it back to Konoha…
Konoha could surely rise to a higher level!
"It's possible, but you'd have to pass the Empire's test and become citizens of the Empire." Kankuro said.
"Become citizens of the Empire? You want us to betray Konoha? That's impossible!" Naruto shouted firmly.
Yamato, Sakura, and Sai also looked regretful but showed expressions of "I knew it."
In this world, there's no such thing as a free lunch.
"Then there's no other way." Kankuro said indifferently.
"Wait! They don't want to submit to the Shinobi Emperor, but I do!" Mukade spoke up at that moment.
"You?"
"Yes! I'm very willing to submit and be loyal to a strong figure like His Majesty! Only the strong deserve to rule the entire world!" Mukade said seriously.
"Kankuro! Don't trust that bastard Mukade! He's a criminal—his words aren't worth trusting at all!" Naruto shouted.
"Indeed, the words of a fugitive full of crimes shouldn't be trusted." Sakura added.
"Hmph! I just can't stand those trash stepping on my head." Mukade sneered.
"Heh, I'm not interested in your world's affairs. But if you want to join the Empire, go register and pass the test." Kankuro said.
"Thank you so much, Lord Kankuro."
Mukade smiled smugly at Naruto and Sakura.
"Disgusting bastard!"
Naruto was furious. If his chakra weren't sealed, he'd have smashed that jerk's head!
He took a few deep breaths.
Naruto suddenly said, "By the way, Kankuro! Those guards earlier respected you a lot, calling you 'Lord.' So, you're stronger than them?"
Stronger than those guards?
This strange Kankuro, whose body was covered in mechanical parts—could he be a Kage-level expert?
Yamato, Sakura, and Sai thought about this, their hearts trembling.
This truth was something they hadn't wanted to consider.
A Kage-level expert was a powerhouse even a ninja village could only produce a few of.
A renowned figure in the ninja world.
Was this Kankuro such a major figure?