The next morning,
Kaito gently pushed away Shalria, who was clinging to him like an octopus, and got out of bed.
A Fleet Admiral's uniform materialized over his body, fitting him perfectly.
He stood before the mirror, gave himself a once-over, and nodded in satisfaction before stepping forward to leave.
"Kaito, are you leaving already?"
His footsteps paused. He turned to look at Shalria, who had already sat up and was staring at him with wide eyes.
"Yeah. I need to go see Commander-in-Chief Kong. You should sleep a bit more—you were pretty tired last night."
"What's so interesting about some old man? Don't go, okay~?"
"No. Kong is still the supreme commander of World Government forces. I have to give him the proper respect."
Shalria's lips pouted. Right now, she didn't want to be away from Kaito for even a second. The moment he said he was leaving, she felt a hollow emptiness in her chest.
Kaito watched her for a moment. She was wearing almost nothing, and his gaze made her fidget in embarrassment.
She tugged at the corner of the blanket, her cheeks flushing as she asked,
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
Kaito smiled faintly, sat back down on the bed, and patted her head.
"Want to come with me?"
Shalria froze, then her face lit up with surprise and delight—an unexpected gift for her.
She had always thought Kaito didn't like her much, so aside from calling him via Den Den Mushi, she usually never sought him out directly. She truly hadn't expected him to invite her along.
She didn't even bother pulling the blanket over herself—just threw her arms around his arm as if afraid he might change his mind.
"Yes, yes, yes! I'll go with you!"
"Mm. Bring your two maids. Honestly, I'm worried you can't take care of yourself."
"Giggle~ You do care about me after all!"
"Alright, go get ready."
Shalria happily chirped in response, then stood up right in front of him without a hint of shyness, grabbing a few pieces of clothing to put on.
But when it came to buttoning up, she froze. Normally her maids handled this for her—doing it herself was apparently a challenge.
After a short struggle, she ended up with crooked, mismatched buttons. Blushing, she glanced at Kaito, then quickly grabbed her "spacesuit" to try and cover it up.
Kaito sighed helplessly, took her arm, and pulled her back. He undid each button one by one, then fastened them properly.
The whole time, Shalria just stared blankly at him as he worked, and when he finished, he straightened her clothes and said casually,
"There. Perfect. Honestly, you really are hopeless at daily life."
When he looked up again, he saw her still gazing at him in a daze. He waved a hand in front of her face.
"Hey, spacing out again? Keep this up and I'll just go alone!"
She snapped out of it, her eyes now holding a softness no one would expect from a pampered Celestial Dragon.
Suddenly, she threw herself into his arms. He let himself fall back to avoid hurting her, making it look like she had pinned him down.
With her palms braced against his chest, her beautiful eyes locked on his Rinnegan.
Just as he was about to speak, she suddenly lowered her head and kissed him.
...
By noon,
Kaito stood before the massive gates of a palace, unconsciously touching his face.
Shalria's voice sounded in his ear.
"Stop touching it. The mark's gone already!"
She was inside the Door space, peeking out at him through the green spatial wall with a smug grin.
Kaito shot her a glare, making her shrink her neck and quiet down.
Two guards stood by the palace entrance. Seeing Kaito linger without going in, they moved to approach—only for him to glare at them as well. They froze in place instantly, making for a rather comical sight.
After scaring Shalria and the guards, he put on a friendly smile and addressed them.
"I'm Fleet Admiral Shikiryū. Commander-in-Chief Kong is inside, right?"
Of course, they already knew who he was. His feats were beyond legendary—who wouldn't be shaken by a man who could defeat all Four Emperors alone?
One guard swallowed hard, saluted, and replied respectfully,
"Fleet Admiral Shikiryū! Commander-in-Chief Kong is indeed inside. I'll announce you right away!"
He turned to go, but Kaito stopped him.
"No need. I'll go straight in."
The two guards exchanged a glance, then nodded. This was far above their pay grade to question.
Kaito smiled, patted their shoulders, and walked into the palace.
Inside the council hall, he saw Kong sitting alone on a sofa.
Kong was getting on in years, his hair white, but his muscular build exuded overwhelming strength—a sight that left a deep impression.
When he saw Kaito, the sternness on his face eased into a smile.
"So you're Uchiha Kaito. You really are young… maybe too young."
Kaito replied politely,
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Commander-in-Chief Kong. There were still a few matters to handle here."
Kong waved it off casually, then rose from his seat and walked toward him.
His gaze lingered on Kaito's Rinnegan for a moment, and a flicker of shock appeared in his eyes.
From those eyes, Kong could feel an oppressive force so intense it was almost suffocating.
What terrifying eyes, he thought to himself, before stepping aside and saying,
"Let's talk over there."
Kaito nodded and followed him to a table, where they sat facing each other.
Kong slid a document across to him.
"This is from the World Government—your official appointment as Fleet Admiral. Take a look."
Kaito only glanced at it briefly before setting it aside. From that casual motion, Kong could already tell what he thought of the World Government.
He recalled how, before his arrival, the blond Elder had scowled and complained to the others,
"That Uchiha Kaito has absolutely no respect for the World Government!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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