After feeling the full extent of his Devil Fruit's power and carefully reading its description on the system screen, Akira smiled with quiet satisfaction.
The authority it carried was immense—far greater than he had initially imagined.
"Now all that's left," Akira thought calmly, "is mastering it… and then awakening it."
If he succeeded, perhaps another long-held dream of his would finally become reality.
For a few moments, Akira tried to think about what that next dream might be. Power? Order? Peace? Or something even deeper?
In the end, he let the thoughts fade.
Some dreams, he decided, didn't need to be forced.
With that, Akira began walking toward the distant city.
As he drew closer, the sheer scale of it became even more apparent. Massive walls rose from the desert like an artificial mountain range, reinforced with chakra formations and advanced sealing arrays. Towers pierced the sky, and the city gates alone were larger than entire villages from the past.
When Akira was less than a hundred meters away from the main gate, a group of shinobi rushed toward him.
They stopped abruptly in front of him and saluted deeply.
"Akira-sama," one of them said respectfully, "Nagato-sama instructed us that when you arrive, you are to go directly to the Imperial Council headquarters within the city."
Akira looked at them, nodded lightly, and gave a small smile.
"I understand."
Without wasting another second, Akira sensed the situation inside the city and activated his Rinnegan ability.
"Kagami no Heikan."
Space folded silently around him.
In the next instant, Akira vanished from the city gates—and reappeared directly in front the headquarters of the Imperial Council of Shinobi.
---
As soon as Akira appeared before the gates of the headquarters building, the surrounding shinobi reacted instantly.
Weapons were half-drawn. Chakra flared. Formations shifted.
But the moment they recognized who stood there, every trace of tension vanished.
All of them bowed deeply.
"Akira-sama."
Akira gave them a calm nod and a faint smile before walking past the gates and entering the headquarters.
As he moved through the building, his eyes casually took in the surroundings. The infrastructure here was clearly different from the headquarters in the main city of Chronarch World. The architectural style, the internal layout, even the flow of chakra embedded into the walls felt distinct.
Yet Akira didn't mind it at all.
Instead, it gave him a strange sense of comfort—like stepping into a newly built home.
With the guidance of a receptionist, Akira was escorted all the way to the top floor, where a room prepared specifically for him awaited. He sat down calmly, letting his body relax for the first time since waking up.
The receptionist stood respectfully nearby.
"Akira-sama," she said. "My name is Uzuki Yugao. Previously, I served in the Fire Nation's Konoha Village. I am now a member of the Imperial Council of Shinobi."
She continued, "Nagato-sama has informed us that upon your arrival, we are to notify the headquarters in Chronarch World. A formal meeting has been scheduled to take place in three days."
Akira nodded lightly. "I understand."
His gaze lingered on Uzuki Yugao for a brief moment.
It wasn't interest.
Nor curiosity in that sense.
Rather, it was simply the strange feeling of encountering a familiar face from the original anime—one that carried memories and timelines that no longer truly aligned.
In his own world, Uzuki Yugao had lived a different life. She had already married. Paths diverged, choices changed.
And besides—
Akira already had someone he cherished.
Yamanaka Ino.
Someone he had chosen, and someone who had likely chosen him in return.
He had no intention of letting anything disrupt that.
Still, meeting an original character face-to-face carried an odd sense of nostalgia.
Lost in thought, Akira failed to notice the faint blush creeping onto Uzuki Yugao's face.
Finally, she spoke again, her voice slightly hesitant.
"Akira-sama… if you have no further instructions, I will take my leave."
Her words pulled Akira back to the present.
He realized he had been staring off into space for far too long.
"That was rude of me," Akira said calmly. "Sorry about that. I was distracted by something else."
He offered a polite smile.
"Thank you for your work. You may go."
Uzuki Yugao bowed lightly and turned to leave, her face still faintly red as she exited the room.
The door closed softly behind her.
And Akira was left alone, seated quietly at the top of Ryōkai City's headquarters—his thoughts drifting toward what the next three days, and the next era, would bring.
---
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Today, Ryōkai City was more lively than ever before.
People from both worlds filled the streets—shinobi, officials, scholars, merchants, and envoys. Flags bearing different symbols fluttered together, and languages from multiple realms blended into a single, constant hum.
For the first time in history, the two worlds were not merely connected—they were gathered.
At the heart of the city stood the most heavily guarded structure of all.
Imperial Council of Shinobi Headquarters – Vivienne World
High-Level Council Meeting Hall
The hall was vast and solemn, built with white stone infused with faintly glowing runes of space-time and light.
Rows of elevated seats surrounded the rectangular table, each reserved for high-ranking figures from Chronarch World and Vivienne World alike.
Akira sat at the main seat of the council table, his eyes closed, as if deep in thought.
On Akira's left side, the seats were occupied by figures from Vivienne World.
Closest to him sat Madara, his posture relaxed yet imposing. Beyond Madara were the Five Hokage of the major ninja villages, followed by the Kage of the minor villages, the daimyō of powerful nations, and several renowned elite shinobi.
On Akira's right side sat the representatives of Chronarch World. The seat nearest to Akira was occupied by Nagato. After him were the SS-level members of the Imperial Council of Shinobi, followed by the S-level members.
There were no A-rank or lower members present—this meeting was reserved only for the very peak of power and authority.
When Akira sensed that every seat was filled and no one was missing, he slowly opened his eyes.
At the same moment, Madara and Nagato—who had also been resting with their eyes closed—opened theirs as well.
The instant those three pairs of eyes opened, a subtle tension spread through the hall. Many attendees straightened unconsciously, their attention sharpened. The members from Chronarch World remained relatively calm, having attended many such meetings before, but those from Vivienne World grew noticeably alert.
Akira calmly swept his gaze across the entire hall. After a brief pause, he smiled faintly and spoke.
"Good day, everyone.
Thank you for being here today. Meetings like this matter only when the right people are present—and looking around, I can say with confidence that they are. I look forward to a discussion that is thoughtful, honest, and productive."
He paused for a moment, letting the atmosphere settle, before continuing.
"Before we begin with the main topic of this meeting, there is something I want to say."
"Three months have passed since the Fourth Great Ninja War. And even though there were no deaths in that war—"
Akira paused again.
At his words, expressions of admiration and gratitude appeared throughout the hall, regardless of whether the listener was from Chronarch World or Vivienne World.
Akira smiled slightly and continued.
"We learned two important lessons from that war."
The hall grew completely silent as everyone focused on him.
"The first lesson," Akira said, "is that there is strength in unity."
"Even though the Akatsuki organization possessed one hundred thousand White Zetsu soldiers and many Edo Tensei ninjas and even Madara, Obito, and others… only with the combined unity of the Five Great Ninja Villages and the Land of Iron brought the war to its conclusion."
"And it was precisely that unity," Akira added,
"that made it difficult even for Madara to become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki and activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
As soon as Akira finished speaking, faint smiles appeared on the faces of many from Vivienne World.
However, those smiles quickly faded—and one by one, their gazes shifted toward Madara, carrying traces of resentment and complicated emotions.
Akira's voice echoed calmly through the hall.
"The second lesson—although it directly contradicts the first—is this."
He paused, letting the silence stretch.
"In front of absolute strength, numbers are meaningless. Ten people, a hundred people, or a hundred thousand people—it makes no difference."
The words fell like a heavy weight.
As soon as Akira said this, everyone from Vivienne World—except Madara—lowered their heads unconsciously. Frustration, bitterness, and helpless understanding flickered across their faces.
Even among the representatives of Chronarch World, several S-level members lowered their gazes.
They all understood.
These words were meant for the weak, not for genin or academy students—the same people they themselves had once lectured about being "a cannon fodder."
No.
These words were for them.
For S-level elites who had believed they stood above the masses, only to realize that in the face of true absolute power, even they were nothing more than numbers.
Cannon fodder with better titles.
Disappointment quietly spread through the hall.
Akira, as if completely unaware of the emotional turbulence he had caused, continued in the same even tone.
"So," he said, "now that this has been said, let us move on to the main topic of today's discussion."
Instantly, everyone straightened.
Attention sharpened. Spines stiffened.
Akira's gaze swept across the hall.
"The first topic," he said, "is the formal integration of Vivienne World into the Imperial Council of Shinobi."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"I am truly glad—and honored—that you have chosen to place your trust in the Imperial Council of Shinobi."
He paused, then spoke with unmistakable certainty.
"Since you have entrusted this world to me, I hereby give you my assurance."
"I will protect Vivienne World from the Ōtsutsuki clan… and from any other threats that seek to ignite war or destroy peace."
The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall changed.
Tension melted away.
Relief washed over the faces of the representatives from Vivienne World.
For the past three months, their joining of the ICS ( ICS→ Imperial Council of Shinobi) had been unofficial at best. Akira had been absent, and everyone knew the truth—real authority rested with him alone. If Akira had rejected them today, everything would have collapsed.
That fear was now gone.
And the reason they had been so desperate to join the ICS was simple.
During these three months, information had flowed freely between worlds.
They had learned of the Ōtsutsuki clan. They had learned the deeper truth of the ninja world. They had witnessed the technological, economic, and social development of Chronarch World. They had seen its peace. Its prosperity.
And they had envied it.
The people of Vivienne World were tired—tired of bloodshed, tired of endless conflict, tired of going to sleep every night wondering whether death or dawn would come first.
They wanted protection. They wanted stability. They wanted a life that didn't revolve around killing.
So yes—they were willing to work under someone, if that someone was Akira.
Akira allowed the hall to settle before continuing.
"Which brings us to the second topic."
From today onward," he said evenly, "all laws of Chronarch World will be applied to Vivienne World."
A subtle ripple spread through the hall.
"Some adjustments may be discussed later," Akira continued, "but overall, the political structure of Vivienne World will become identical to that of Chronarch World."
The reactions were immediate.
Several daimyō and nobles stiffened. Some faces darkened with resentment, others with barely concealed anger.
But no one spoke.
They had expected this.
They had seen how nobles lived in Akira's world—how many had lost land and excessive wealth, yet lived far better lives than before.
Power had shifted. Corruption had been crushed. Prosperity had become widespread.
It was like the difference between eras.
A thousand kilograms of gold in ancient times could not buy the comfort, safety, and convenience that a single kilogram could in a modern age.
The same principle applied here.
The nobles understood that resisting now would not preserve their power—it would only cost them their lives.
So they remained silent.
Akira once again gave everyone time to absorb the changes.
" The third and final topic is....."
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