Chapter 256

[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For Only $5!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum] 

[Thank You For Your Support!]

====

[400 PS REACHED!!! Next Goal: 500PS!!]

The next evening.

On a ravaged battlefield, a cluster of tents had been erected, unmistakably bearing the emblem of the Ryunin faction.

Surrounding the camp was a barren wasteland, with dark red, dried-up soil, remnants of the recent fierce battle.

A slender finger lifted the flap of the command tent, and Shisui and Itachi stepped out, both smiling brightly.

They had both received praise from Ryukage-sama.

"Shisui-nii, your dōjutsu is incredibly powerful," Itachi said, turning to look at Shisui's eyes. "Especially the defensive ability of your left eye. Even Ryukage-sama said it's impenetrable."

Sighing, Itachi raised his hand to touch his left eye. "Unlike my left eye's technique, which is just a mediocre auxiliary genjutsu."

"Your left eye's dōjutsu, Tsukuyomi, isn't powerful?" Shisui found himself at a loss for words.

"Itachi, Tsukuyomi can instantly drag someone into a genjutsu where seventy-two hours pass in an instant. Such an illusion gives the enemy no time to react. By the time they realize it, they've already fallen, either collapsing from mental exhaustion or dying outright. It's incredibly powerful, isn't it?"

Itachi shook his head. "Shisui-nii, if my Tsukuyomi faced your Kokuōkage no Kami, it wouldn't harm you at all. Even Ryukage-sama said that as long as your feet are on the ground, no one in the Shinobi World can break your defense unless the world itself shatters."

Shisui glanced back at the command tent and smiled, no longer modest. "I'm the captain of Ryukage-sama's shadow guard. Protecting Ryukage-sama is my duty. Although Ryukage-sama might not need me, if the time ever comes, my left eye's Kokuōkage no Kami will be invaluable."

Itachi sighed lightly, looking at Shisui with admiration in his eyes. "Shisui-nii, I also want to guard Ryukage-sama's side."

"You'll get your chance," Shisui patted Itachi's shoulder. "When Ryukage-sama finishes his current tasks, I'll mention it to him."

"Thank you, Shisui-nii!"

"There's no need to be so polite. Ryukage-sama has wanted to bring you into the shadow guard for a long time. It was only because you were young before. Even though you're still young, you're ready now."

Itachi nodded, following closely behind Shisui. The two talked as they walked towards four prison carriages.

Inside the carriages were the daimyo of the Wind, Earth, Lightning, and Water countries. Ryukage-sama had captured them himself and ordered the Ryunin to guard them strictly, ensuring they couldn't take their own lives. Any mishap would diminish the grandeur of Ryukage-sama's ascension ceremony.

Shisui glanced at the guards and spoke softly, "You can go rest now. Itachi and I will take over."

"Thank you for your hard work," the guards bowed slightly in gratitude. Shisui and Itachi returned the gesture, completing the handover.

The two had no intention of conversing with the captured daimyo. Proud Uchiha didn't stoop to speak with prisoners.

"Itachi, it's best to use the Mangekyō Sharingan sparingly," Shisui advised. "Even though Tsunade-sama has a solution for the Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan depletion problem, the White Zetsu cell reagent is prioritized for Kimimaro. It will be a long time before we can get it."

"Don't worry, Shisui-nii. After this battle, I don't think I'll need to use the Mangekyō Sharingan," Itachi replied obediently. "My three-tomoe Sharingan is more than enough for daily use."

"It's good that you're aware," Shisui took a deep breath. "But I'm most worried about your health. Awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan at your age and using it too often might lead to the same fate as Kimimaro."

"I'll use it sparingly, if at all," Itachi promised repeatedly before changing the subject. "Shisui-nii, what is your right eye's dōjutsu?"

"Takama no Hara," Shisui answered briefly.

"Another auxiliary dōjutsu?" Itachi looked at Shisui with a peculiar expression. "Shisui-nii, is it really worth it?"

"Protecting Ryukage-sama is my duty," Shisui responded firmly. "If necessary, I would sacrifice my life."

Takama no Hara, Shisui's right eye technique, complemented the ultimate defense of his left eye's Kokuōkage no Kami. Its primary purpose was to protect Ryukage-sama, rooted deeply in Shisui's soul.

As the name implies, Takama no Hara was a life-for-life dōjutsu. It not only resurrected the dead but also granted them all the power, life force, and spirit of the dōjutsu user, fully restoring them to their peak condition.

It was akin to an advanced version of the Outer Path—Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique.

No wonder Itachi had asked his earlier question.

Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan techniques were not awakened for himself but for others.

The left eye's Kokuōkage no Kami could command the four extremes of the earth, creating a barrier as strong as the ground beneath him. This was why Ryukage-sama said that unless the world itself was destroyed, no one could break through Shisui's defense.

Thus, both of Shisui's eyes had auxiliary techniques, unrelated to attack.

"Shisui-nii, but there's no need to—"

"Itachi," Shisui interrupted, "the dōjutsu has already awakened. There's no point in discussing it further."

Itachi nodded, refraining from continuing the discussion about their dōjutsu.

Just because they stopped didn't mean others wouldn't.

Shisui's dōjutsu techniques had genuinely surprised Ryukage-sama.

Originally, the strongest genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami, was replaced by highly functional auxiliary techniques.

"Shisui is truly a self-sacrificing individual," Ryukage-sama thought to himself. "But unlike before, now you will definitely have a good ending."

Looking up, Ryukage-sama addressed the people in the tent, "How is the battlefield cleanup going?"

"It's done," Kakashi responded.

"In that case, rest for another day, and then we'll head home," Ryukage-sama waved, smiling. The people in the tent visibly relaxed.

With no other tasks assigned, they all left, leaving only Yugito and Mei behind.

"Kyomu, should we start calling you 'Your Majesty' soon?" Yugito teased with a smile.

"Why not," Kyomu leaned back in his chair, speaking with authority. "From now on, the entire Shinobi World will be under my command!"

Mei's eyes sparkled as she carefully examined Kyomu's face, increasingly satisfied.

"Kyomu, who do you plan to marry, me or Yugito?" Mei couldn't hold back her question. "Don't think I don't know what you and Yugito have been up to these past two years."

"What do you mean by 'behind your back'?" Yugito immediately retorted. "And since you know, why don't you back off instead of clinging to Kyomu?"

Mei ignored Yugito and focused on Kyomu, waiting for his final answer.

Kyomu showed no signs of difficulty. He was about to ascend to the throne and rule the entire Shinobi World. While he didn't intend to have three thousand concubines, marrying a few more wives wasn't an issue.

"One of you will be the Left Queen, and the other the Right Queen," Ryukage-sama decided. "No objections. I want you both."

Mei said nothing, her eyes losing some of their earlier shine. She sighed, a bitter smile on her face. "I knew this day would come, but hearing it still feels empty."

"It's best if you don't agree," Yugito responded nonchalantly. "It's better for both of us."

"Don't get any ideas," Mei glanced at Yugito. "I know what you're thinking."

"Since you know, what did you mean by that earlier?" Yugito stood up for Kyomu. "Don't make things difficult for Kyomu."

Mei laughed, "Yugito, you never miss an opportunity, do you?"

Yugito said nothing, moving to massage Kyomu's shoulders. "Kyomu, you must be tired. Rest for a bit. Don't worry about her chatter. Just do what you want. I'll always support you."

Yugito was good at flattering and could handle Mei without Kyomu's intervention. Whether Mei agreed or not, it didn't matter much to Yugito.

Sure enough, seeing Yugito's behavior, Mei stamped her foot in frustration but couldn't bring herself to leave. She eventually joined in, competing with Yugito for Kyomu's attention.

In their competition, Kyomu was the ultimate winner.

He wasn't skilled in romance but knew how to use people.

While it might seem unfair to the two women, he didn't have time for romance. He had conquered the Shinobi World, but there were still threats like the Kara organization and its leader, Isshiki, to deal with.

There were also other hidden threats like Ōtsutsuki and Homura, as well as another dimension, the Pure Land, that Kyomu needed to explore and conquer.

Beyond that, the vast universe awaited him. He had no time to stop and enjoy life.

Apologetically glancing at Mei, Kyomu patted Yugito's hand and closed his eyes, resting his head on her chest.

Mei noticed Kyomu's apologetic look, which made her feel slightly better, though not completely.

Turning to see Kyomu resting on Yugito's chest, Mei felt displeased.

Yugito noticed Mei's discontent and smirked, provocatively bending her waist to emphasize her cleavage, almost pressing it against Kyomu's face.

"You..."

"Shh, Kyomu needs to rest. Don't make noise," Yugito whispered, massaging his shoulders more gently. "He's had a long day and needs to handle the remaining tasks tomorrow. Don't cause trouble."

Me, causing trouble?!

Being called a troublemaker by another woman turned Mei's world upside down. She wanted to retort, "Flatterers never have a good end!"

But seeing Kyomu sleeping, Mei felt a pang of jealousy.

If she had been as proactive as Yugito, Kyomu would be resting on her instead of that fox... no, cat.

Pouting, Mei stamped her foot again and squeezed next to Yugito, trying to share the space.

Yugito didn't let her, but fearing that their tussle might wake Kyomu, she stepped aside, giving Mei the other shoulder.

Though she made space, Yugito firmly kept Kyomu's head on her chest, not allowing Mei to take over.

Mei, despite wanting to move his head to her chest, also feared waking him. She decided to bide her time.

Finally, the two women settled down, and Kyomu sighed inwardly.

Indeed, playing both sides sometimes required 'playing dead' to resolve issues. Yugito and Mei's self-adjustment avoided further headaches.

Finally, he could enjoy Yugito's comfortable chest pillow and genuinely fell asleep.

He was truly exhausted.

But sitting wasn't a viable option, so after a brief rest, Ryukage-sama opened his eyes.

"Kyomu, you're awake," Mei stepped forward. "Thirsty?"

"A bit."

"Here's some warm tea, just right."

Taking the cup, Kyomu drank it all, though he felt a bit uncomfortable.

Mei had become even clingier.

Standing to leave, Yugito on his left and Mei on his right clung to his arms.

How could he leave like this?

"Enough, you two. Act normally as before," Kyomu freed himself from their grip. "Leave now, I need to rest."

Reluctantly, the two women left the tent, Yugito flashing a cunning smile.

"And don't sneak in tonight," Kyomu added sternly. "We're in a military camp, not at home."

After they left, he sighed deeply.

Lying on his cot, he soon forgot about the two women and started planning his return to the village and ascension.

Becoming emperor had to be grand, with the imperial robe possibly changing to imperial yellow and the dragon pattern altered.

"Black robe with golden dragon," he decided after some thought.

Having achieved the unprecedented feat of unifying the Shinobi World, emulating the First Emperor was fitting.

He could carry the black robe with a golden dragon well.

(End of Chapter)