Jirōbō's fall instantly boosted the morale of the Umbrella. Some units were already pushing into territories that once belonged to the Daimyō.
The capital of the Land of Fire had been cleansed. The Daimyō's relatives were taken into custody, and the old regime was effectively finished.
Among Umbrella's younger generation, excitement ran rampant. They believed they had contributed to true peace in the world—peace that only Lord Naruto could bring. Under his leadership, ordinary people finally had a chance to live happy lives.
Villages under Umbrella's administration were thriving. Not only were they given high-yield grain crops, but subsidies occasionally arrived directly from Umbrella.
There were even employment programs—road construction, farmland development, relief work—things that allowed commoners to earn a steady income.
Some enterprising villagers gained investment from Umbrella, started their own businesses, and received official protection—no longer forced to survive day by day in fear and poverty.
More importantly, Lord Naruto did not hoard power. He openly taught techniques to gain strength.
Those with talent received additional cultivation resources. Their families were honored and supported. They could even be summoned to the legendary Umbrella Headquarters to serve directly under Lord Naruto.
Those with less talent still found a place. With effort, they could enter various departments and hold real authority.
Naruto wasn't afraid that strengthening the masses would destabilize his rule. Quite the opposite—he awaited the rise of more outstanding shinobi.
After all, no matter how many monsters emerged… he would always remain the most terrifying of them all.
Umbrella was filled with capable elites, but it was still early. Its overall military might had not yet surpassed the Five Great Nations.
Additionally, Naruto enforced one strict limitation: no one under twelve was allowed to take part in battle. Even prodigies had to grow properly. True genius wasn't just about early power—it was about surviving to maturity.
If he simply relied on the vast ninja world's foundation, acquiring talent would be laughably easy.
With Jirōbō defeated, the remaining forces quickly overran the Daimyō's city.
However, the Daimyō himself had been transferred to the Fire Temple—a place protected by powerful barriers—so he could not be dealt with immediately.
"Clean up the battlefield."
Kurama Yakumo gave the order quietly before turning away. As she did, a thin line of blood stained the corner of her lips. She wiped it off without hesitation.
Jirōbō's final, self-destructive technique had left her more injured than she let on.
But the hardest nation—the Land of Fire—had finally been conquered.
She had not failed Naruto's trust.
Meanwhile, on Naruto's front, the clash between Tsunade and the Raikage had reached its peak.
Many shinobi had stopped fighting entirely—drawn in by the sheer force of the spectacle.
Their overwhelming power made the battlefield tremble.
"I didn't expect Lady Tsunade to reach this level," Naruto remarked, amusement flickering in his eyes as he watched.
Inside him, Namikaze Minato's soul also let out a sigh of admiration.
"Indeed. Such terrifying strength. I might manage a draw… but defeating either of them in that state? Impossible—unless I entered Sage Mode."
Naruto chuckled.
"That's true, but they aren't the same as you were, Dad. Lady Tsunade is already over fifty. If you had lived and refined your skills for even ten more years… surpassing them would have been simple."
He said it casually—because he knew Minato's potential better than anyone. A prodigy among prodigies. A man with charisma so immense he could influence even the Nine-Tails.
He had mastered rapid Sage Mode activation. He would have evolved Rasengan further. He could have stood among the strongest of the five Kage—without doubt.
"Hahahaha! Shame I'm already dead. Otherwise, I'd love to experience this 'Martial Arts Divine Power' you've created!"
Minato laughed freely, without a hint of dead-man sorrow. Instead, genuine curiosity filled his voice.
He understood the significance of Naruto's technique. Martial Arts Divine Power granted longevity… and even the potential for human evolution.
"Don't worry, Dad. I will bring you back someday."
Naruto spoke with unwavering seriousness.
Minato Namikaze, still in his soul form, smiled softly.
"I don't need revival for myself. If I could just see your mother again… even once… that would be enough."
As he said it, the image of a red-haired woman flashed across his mind, and his lips curled upward involuntarily.
Naruto fell silent for a moment, remembering the gentle voice that had greeted him when he first transmigrated into this world. After a deep breath, he answered:
"That day will come. Not only you—Mom will come back too."
"Hahahaha! If you believe it, that's more than enough. But… can a miracle like resurrection really be achieved so easily?"
Minato laughed warmly—more joyful than doubtful—and Naruto couldn't help but smile inside.
Resurrection? Of course it's possible.
But he kept that confidence hidden for now.
To Naruto, the battlefield around him felt like nothing more than a casual stroll. Even when Killer Bee lunged with rapid strikes, Naruto dealt with him effortlessly.
Meanwhile, Tsunade's fierce, bone-shaking brawl with the Raikage had reached an explosive peak.
The Raikage's hair bristled like crackling lightning. The Lightning Release Chakra Mode he had mastered now burned a deeper, more intense blue.
Stronger than ever, he became a living thunderbolt and slammed his fist into Tsunade—who stood her ground without flinching.
BOOM!!!
The earth split open beneath them as shockwaves rippled outward.
Tsunade was forced back several steps—her hands tingling from the impact—but instead of discouraging her, the pain lit a fire inside.
"If this old lady doesn't show her claws, you'll mistake me for a housecat!"
With a ferocious roar, Tsunade released the Strength of a Hundred Seal—inky markings spreading across her body. Her Superhuman Strength surged as she counterpunched.
"Hahahahaha! That's it!!"
The Raikage's battle mania only intensified—until Tsunade's fist crashed into him and—
CRACK!
He blasted away like a launched cannon, spewing blood as he carved a trench through the earth before slamming into a rock hill with a deafening explosion.
Even Tsunade blinked in surprise.
Her punch shouldn't have sent him flying that far.
In the same instant, she realized:
Her Divine Power had changed.
Could this be the evolution Naruto once hinted at?
He had explained that Divine Power wasn't a fixed strength—training in Martial Arts Divine Power refined and elevated its limits. What had once been Intermediate Superhuman Strength…
…had now stepped into the Advanced stage.
And once she reached the Top stage, she might even contend with beings beyond ordinary Kage—Super-Kage level.
Beyond that? Divine Power evolution—like Naruto's. His Super-Speed Regeneration had advanced into Immortal Divine Power.
But Naruto's transformation was unique—born of relentless growth and divine-tier physiques.
For most shinobi, even reaching the top stage was already the limit unless fate provided a rare opportunity.
"Hahahahaha! Is that all Kumogakure's Raikage has to offer?!"
Tsunade laughed wildly as she charged forward again. The Raikage had only managed to push himself halfway out of the crater before she launched another brutal kick—
BANG!!!
He rocketed across the battlefield, embedded into yet another earthen wall as cracks spider-webbed outward.
Nearby Kumogakure shinobi stared with widening eyes and paling faces—
The Raikage… was being overpowered.
...
TN:
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