The Uchiha and Senju caravans continued racing toward the rising sun.
Roughly an hour later, from the front carriage—
One could just barely make out the silhouette of a towering, snow-capped mountain piercing the clouds.
Moments later, unable to hold back his curiosity, Senju Hashirama stepped out of the carriage. In the distance, he saw the outline of a massive mountain wall, easily close to 100 meters high by rough estimate. At the top, the faint shapes of buildings could be seen nestled into the cliff.
"So that's the Flower Capital?"
"That's right. There's an enormous plain atop the mountain. The Flower Capital sits right there," Tsunade confirmed with a nod.
The travel-worn caravan continued onward.
Moments later, a splash of crimson suddenly appeared at the base of the mountain wall.
A massive torii gate!
Beyond the towering torii stretched a long staircase, winding its way up the mountainside toward the Flower Capital.
"Grandpa, from here on, we'll be climbing on foot."
Tsunade was the first to hop down from the carriage. She turned and smiled at Hashirama.
On the other side, Uchiha Fugaku walked over with Uchiha Mikoto, taking in the refreshing spring breeze blowing across his face as he remarked, "Hashirama-sama, our journey has finally come to an end."
"Yes, it's been exhausting, but also an incredibly exciting trip. Hahahaha!"
Hashirama laughed heartily, filled with anticipation for the days to come.
Meanwhile, the other members of the Uchiha and Senju clans accompanying them also disembarked from their carriages.
Meanwhile—
Umigakure was also welcoming a new arrival.
Inside the Kaikage's office, Uzui Tengen sat behind his desk, looking helplessly at Uchiha Madara, who had barged in unannounced.
"Ahem… So you're saying you want me to submit a request to the World Government… to challenge one of the current military generals?"
"No."
Madara, who had just arrived, shook his head and replied in a cold voice, "I said—I want to challenge the strongest general."
To this day, he had yet to cross blades with any of the so-called "strongest forces" under the World Government.
He had heard that Hashirama had already lost to Admiral Aokiji.
But still, Madara hadn't personally experienced a general's power for himself.
So why not go straight to the top—fight the strongest one, and see for himself?
Madara knew he might lose, but in his eyes, defeat was nothing to fear—what was truly terrifying was not knowing the gap in strength.
Besides, he'd long since grown accustomed to defeat.
What mattered was not succumbing to it—was having the courage to rise and fight again, no matter how many times he fell.
Uchiha Madara's declaration left Uzui Tengen silent for a long time.
The strongest General—
In other words, the most powerful among the World Government's top combat forces.
If anyone else had said something like that, he would've assumed they were completely delusional and wouldn't have even considered reporting it up the chain.
But this was Uchiha Madara, second only to the "God of Shinobi" Senju Hashirama in the legends of the Shinobi World.
That changed everything.
What if… Madara actually succeeded in his challenge?
Uzui Tengen couldn't help but entertain the possibility.
If the man standing before him defeated one of the military's Generals, then Umigakure could ride that momentum to formally request separation from CIPHER POL and gain a degree of autonomy.
In the end, Uzui Tengen agreed to help Uchiha Madara submit his challenge application to the World Government.
Since Madara himself didn't fear defeat, then there was nothing for Uzui to be afraid of either.
Then, Tengen pulled open a drawer and began placing various items on the desk.
"Madara-sama, here is your Umigakure forehead protector, flak jacket, High Jonin identification card, honorary certificate for the title of 'Hokage', salary bank card, and a merit record card."
He specifically pointed to the merit record card.
"Since the World Government has officially recognized you as possessing 'General-level combat power', upon joining you'll be awarded enough merit points to exchange for a Mythical-Class Secret Treasure."
"Mythical-Class Secret Treasure?" Madara raised an eyebrow.
Uzui Tengen remained courteous as ever. He invited Madara to sit down and patiently explained: "The treasure rank system was introduced in recent years by the Sacred Treasury. Members under the World Government can use accumulated merit points to apply for rare resources from them. These points can even be exchanged for noble titles."
"The application process is quite simple. Just contact the Sacred Treasury directly via Den-Den Mushi. There will be dedicated service personnel assigned to assist you. If you want to browse the available resources for exchange, you can use a Visual Den-Den Mushi to access the Sacred Treasury's official channel."
As he spoke, Uzui Tengen retrieved the Visual Den-Den Mushi from the corner of the desk and began demonstrating it for Uchiha Madara.
The Den-Den Mushi's eyes suddenly emitted a bright beam of light, forming a high-definition holographic display in the air above the desk.
The words "Sacred Treasury" appeared at the top.
Below them was a long, organized list of sample secret treasures across various ranks, along with detailed informational descriptions.
Uchiha Madara's gaze was drawn to it immediately.
"As you can see, secret treasures are divided into five ranks: Mythical, Epic, Legendary, Fabled, and Rare. The Mythical-grade treasures are fewer in number, but they include High-tier Logia-type Devil Fruits, Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruits, Paramecia-type Fruits with Rule-type abilities, advanced training scrolls for Haki techniques, and even strategic-class Teigu."
"However, as clearly stated here, some items may currently be out of stock. If you truly desire something, you can place a reservation. Once it's available, the Sacred Treasury will notify you according to the order of reservation.
Uzui Tengen explained everything in detail, knowing just how important these secret treasures were to people like them.
This was the most direct display of the World Government's depth and foundation.
Naturally, Uchiha Madara understood this principle well, which was why he listened attentively.
"But there's something you should keep in mind—the ranking of secret treasures isn't set in stone. As the World Government conquers more worlds, they'll inevitably encounter all sorts of miraculous items and powers. When that happens, the Sacred Treasury will make adjustments."
"If there's nothing urgent you need right now, you can always just save your points."
"Got it," Uchiha Madara nodded.
After this conversation, he had developed a certain degree of goodwill and respect for this Kaikage—despite his unremarkable strength.
He then reached for the Umigakure forehead protector bearing the Five-Ring Cross symbol.
Without hesitation, he tied it across his forehead.
...
Nine Tails Island.
Formerly known as Onigashima.
Deep within the island, a massive creature lay sprawled peacefully on the ground, fast asleep, finding the place utterly tranquil and comforting.
A gigantic fox with crimson fur and nine thick, long tails.
It was none other than the Nine-Tails, Kurama—who had been on the Starfish for about three months now.
Ever since arriving on the Starfish—
Kurama had felt that every breath he took was filled with the scent of freedom.
No longer confined to a tiny prison inside a Jinchūriki's body.
No longer plagued by hatred and rage.
No longer fearful of being forcibly controlled and beaten senseless.
Here, for the first time, he had a territory to call his own—a true home.
He could dive into the sea at any moment, relishing the refreshing coolness as he admired the beautiful scenery beneath the waves, occasionally playing with the marine creatures.
And around Wano Island, there was no need to worry about Sea Kings.
The largest aquatic animals here were those giant carp.
They were honestly adorable!
In such a peaceful and pleasant environment, the hatred, rage, resentment, and bitterness that had long been festering inside Kurama's heart were gradually released and dissolved.
The true nature of the Tailed Beasts was, in fact, kind.
Kurama had already made up his mind: tomorrow, he'd go explore Wano Island across the sea.
As long as he didn't attack any towns, he was free to roam.
And he could shrink his size or transform into a human using the Transformation Technique.
"Hmm?!"
Suddenly, though seemingly deep in slumber, Kurama's ears twitched upright and flicked twice.
He had heard footsteps—
Someone had actually dared to trespass on his Nine Tails Island?
Kurama slowly opened his fox eyes, now brimming with irritation.
Someone from Wano Island?
Clearly, he hadn't yet established enough of a fearsome reputation here.
He decided to give this intruder a little scare—just enough to teach them a lesson!
As for killing them? He'd let that go.
Technically, he had full authority to eliminate anyone who entered his territory without permission.
But given that he was still new to this place, there was no need to spill blood and dirty his home.
Besides, scaring the intruder off would have the added bonus of spreading word of his presence back to Wano Island—
A perfect deterrent for any other curious fools.
With that thought, Kurama's massive jaws curled into a cold grin, his fangs gleaming.
"Yo! What an adorable little fox—wow, you really do have nine tails!"
But just as Kurama rose to his feet—
A melodic, mature, and intelligent woman's voice rang out from above, from within the old castle that had once been Kaidō's fortress, nestled atop the giant skull.
Kurama froze.
The footsteps he'd heard earlier had clearly been on the lower second level.
"Who are you? How dare you step onto my territory?!"
Kurama roared, his fierce gaze locked onto the white-robed woman who had entered.
He glared down at her from his high vantage point, unleashing his full killing intent without restraint.
The air instantly turned suffocating and tense.
"Heheheheh."
Yet the woman—her curvaceous form outlined perfectly by a fitted qipao—was completely unfazed.
Instead, she gave a captivating, world-shaking smile.
"My name is Guren. I'm from the Teigu World. Currently, I serve as one of the Guardian Divine Beasts aboard Noah's Ark. Hello there, Nine-Tails of the Shinobi World~~ I'm also a nine-tailed fox, by the way. But it's a bit cramped in here… Why don't we take this conversation outside?"
The visitor was none other than Guren, the "Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox"—one of the Super-Class Danger Beasts.
Guren had recently paid a visit to the sky island known as Divine Dragon Island, which sat atop Mount Fuji, to see a certain someone she hadn't met in a while—the Ancient Dragon.
And it was from the Ancient Dragon's mouth that she learned another Nine-Tails Fox had arrived in Wano.
That piqued her interest.
So as soon as she descended from Divine Dragon Island, she made a beeline straight for this "Nine Tails Island."
And now, she finally laid eyes on him.
Just from appearances alone, Guren was quite pleased.
This Nine-Tails from the Shinobi World had a commanding presence. His fur was pure and radiant, and his size matched her own—
Absolutely perfect!
And he didn't seem particularly powerful either. Judging by the aura he was putting out right now, it was about the same as what she had back when she was just a Six-Tails.
But that didn't matter—
She had come to recruit a little brother, after all.
If he were too strong, it wouldn't have been ideal.
"Teigu World? Guardian Divine Beast?"
"You're a Nine-Tails Fox too?!"
Kurama's ears perked up at her words, and he gave Guren a curious once-over.
"But why do you have a human scent on you?"
Up until now, he really had thought she was just a human.
"Heheheheh~ That's because I ate the Human-Human Fruit, little brother~~"
Guren smiled like a blooming flower, her icy-blue eyes full of playful mischief.
The more she looked at Kurama, the more satisfied she became.
It looked like she finally had someone to keep her company.
"Devil Fruit, huh—Wait! What did you just call me?!"
Kurama suddenly realized, and his expression twisted in fury. He bared his fangs at once.
Guren raised her hand and brushed a strand of snow-white hair behind her ear, her seductive smile undisturbed.
"Little brother, of course. But if you don't like it, we can take it outside… Let me show you just how beautiful your big sister really is~~"
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