"Ah, ocean! You are all water. Ah, steed! You have four legs!"
"Good poem, what a good poem!"
Zhong Chen looked at the distant sea horizon, reciting this long-sung doggerel with a look of intoxication.
"Hey, bad guy, what exactly is this place? Why does it feel so desolate?"
Kochou Shinobu looked around and saw nothing but seagulls flying over the ocean in front of them.
"This is the foundation of my hegemony, the beginning of my conquest of the world!!!"
"Speak like a normal person!"
"Uh… it's just a desolate, godforsaken place."
"This place is called Rainbow Country. In this world, there's a group of people who are powerless yet rule countries, called Daimyo."
PS: Rainbow Country is actually the country called Land of Sea that appeared in episode 169 of the anime, possessing four islands: Main Island (also known as Mother Island), Tarou Island, Jirou Island, and Strange Island. Due to having no ninjas, it has long rented mercenaries from the Land of Water.
Zhong Chen thought of the Daimyo who appeared in the original work, his eyes openly showing disgust.
Hearing Zhong Chen mention the Daimyo, Kochou Shinobu revealed an understanding expression, nodded, and then said:
"Daimyo? I know about them. My original world also had Daimyo, but they had already disappeared by my era."
"There are also so-called ninjas here…"
"Ninjas? We have them too!"
"It's different."
"How is it different?"
"It's too much trouble to explain. Look at the camera!"
Hearing Zhong Chen's words, Kochou Shinobu subconsciously looked up at Zhong Chen.
A flash of light appeared, and an incredible look flashed in Kochou Shinobu's eyes.
"Wow! This world is so abstract! It's entirely a Black Zetsu Saves His Mother story!"
Hearing Kochou Shinobu's evaluation, Zhong Chen involuntarily gave a thumbs up, nodding in agreement.
"A very pertinent evaluation."
"I just sensed it; the current timeline should be Konoha Year 46, two years before the Third Shinobi World War."
Zhong Chen used his divine sense to quickly scan and immediately knew what period it was.
Konoha Year 46, this year was exactly when Asuma, Kurenai, and others graduated from the Ninja Academy.
And Konoha Year 47 was the year the great filial son Uchiha Itachi was born.
It was also the first time Minato Namikaze and the AB brothers clashed.
"Let's go, first to the capital of Rainbow Country!"
"What are we going to do there?"
Kochou Shinobu asked Zhong Chen with a puzzled look. Shouldn't they go to Konoha to participate in the plot?
"Hehe, how could I, the monarch, be absent from something as interesting as the Third Shinobi World War?"
"There can only be one winner in this war, and that is I, Rainbow Shadow, Lord Chen!!!"
Kochou Shinobu looked at Zhong Chen's proud expression, pouted her small mouth, and countered:
"Bad guy, you're still a lone commander right now, aren't you?"
"Shinobu, you don't understand. Manpower is like a sponge soaked in water; if you squeeze it, there will always be some."
"Alright, as long as you're happy."
In the capital of Rainbow Country, Zhong Chen and Kochou Shinobu walked on the Commercial Street, and the surrounding pedestrians and vendors cast envious glances at them.
What a handsome pair of young men and women. Their clothes clearly looked like something only high-ranking nobles were qualified to wear.
"Bad guy, why do the people here seem to lack spirit?"
Kochou Shinobu looked at the pale faces of the people around them, their eyes devoid of any sparkle, as if they had become numb.
"Normal. Do you think this is the Monster Country Federation? This is an era of absolute monarchy; how would those in power care about the lives of the common people?"
Zhong Chen looked at the numb populace around them, shrugged lightly, and said to Kochou Shinobu.
"But isn't the Monster Country Federation also an absolute monarchy?"
Kochou Shinobu retorted with a look of defiance.
"Uh… Shinobu, I prefer to call it a monarch-offline system. When have you ever seen Rimuru work seriously?"
Upon hearing Zhong Chen's words, Kochou Shinobu bit her lip and began to ponder deeply.
Hmm… collecting protection fees on Commercial Street… Hmm… spending money everywhere to buy manga and figures… Hmm… holed up in a dessert shop, not coming out… Alright, she really is offline!!!
Seeing Kochou Shinobu's expression, Zhong Chen smiled gently and said:
"Figured it out?"
"I've figured it out, but I believe that even if Lord Rimuru worked, she would be a good emperor."
"I don't dispute that, but to make her work… I'd rather think about where to send money to Qin Shi Huang."
Inside the Daimyo's residence of Rainbow Country, the Finance Minister was reporting to the Daimyo on the main seat with a fawning expression:
"My Lord, this is this month's tax revenue. Some of those lowly commoners wanted to resist, but they were all suppressed by your subordinate."
The fat man with a fleshy face on the main seat nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this.
Those lowly commoners dared to resist just for paying him some money; they deserved to die.
"You did very well. I, the Daimyo, allow them to live on my land, and they still aren't grateful."
"All such lowly commoners should be executed."
A greedy glint flashed in the eyes of the Finance Minister below upon hearing this.
With the Daimyo's words, he could collect another round of taxes, and he would get a significant share of it.
As for whether those lowly commoners resisted or not, it was all up to him to say.
"My Lord is wise. Your subordinate will certainly execute all those who oppose you."
"Hmm, I'm very confident in your handling of affairs."
The Daimyo of Rainbow Country looked at the Finance Minister below with an appreciative expression, fantasizing about how to expand his palace once he had money.
And just then, a discordant voice suddenly came from the side.
"Execute all who resist? Then I'd like to try and see if you can execute me too."
"Who's there? Guards!!!"
Zhong Chen glanced at the Daimyo of Rainbow Country with the demeanor of a gang boss and said:
"Don't shout. While you two were discussing collecting taxes, my subordinates outside have already dealt with the guards."
Upon hearing Zhong Chen's words, the Daimyo of Rainbow Country's face changed dramatically, and he shouted with a false bravado:
"You dare to kill my guards! What exactly do you want to do?"
"What do I want to do? It's simple. I've taken a liking to this country. From now on, it's mine."
The Daimyo of Rainbow Country looked at the calm man before him with a horrified expression upon hearing this.
"You… you actually want to kill me!!! I am the Daimyo!"
"Yes, it is the Daimyo I'm killing."
"Aren't you afraid of being hunted by ninjas… Ah!!!"
Before the Daimyo of Rainbow Country could finish speaking, a black figure appeared out of thin air, cleanly beheading him with a single stroke.
"Ah ah ah!!! The Daimyo has been killed! You actually dared to kill the Daimyo!!!"
*Splat!*
The figure, without even turning its head, flicked its blade, directly embedding it into the Finance Minister's forehead.
"I told you, can't you guys kill people without making it so bloody in the future?"
"Ah? Yes, Lord Chen, your subordinate will definitely pay attention in the future."
Just as this member of the Royal Knights was guaranteeing with a panicked expression.
Kochou Shinobu walked in, saw the scene before her, and exclaimed in surprise:
"Bad guy, you actually brought people with you!"
"Didn't I tell you, manpower is like a sponge; if you squeeze it, there will always be some…"