XX-level Hokage

At this moment, the emperor, who was surrounded by the enthusiastic villagers, couldn't help but turn his head and glance at Mashiro, who was standing alone in the distance. He felt a strange sense of loss and a sense of danger that Mashiro would take something away from him.

“Perhaps it’s because she’s from another world…” The Emperor shook his head slightly, then continued talking to the villagers. Meanwhile, in the direction Mashiro was gazing, a vast distance away, stood a towering, massive tree that seemed to reach into the clouds. Huge mountains surrounded it, and the white clouds in the sky only reached its waist.

Above the sky, rumbling thunder seemed to adorn its branches and leaves. "Boom!"

A huge, dark cloud was eerily gathering in the white clouds. Within the thick cloud, countless bolts of lightning flashed violently in the sky, striking the enormous tree.

However, the giant tree was simply too large; the massive lightning bolt that cleaved the entire sky was merely a small branch before it. The seemingly invincible lightning struck its trunk with tremendous force, yet had no effect whatsoever.

The area struck by the lightning bolt showed no signs of charring; instead, it shone even brighter. "Is this... the Divine Tree?" Mashiro murmured to himself, somewhat shocked.

She naturally knew what the Divine Tree was; its body was the Ten-Tails, and its fruit was the source of chakra. It was this fruit that made Kaguya Otsutsuki the Mother of Chakra.

Thinking about it, Mashiro's eyes revealed longing.

Of course, she couldn't obtain the fruit of the Divine Tree. Putting aside whether she could withstand such powerful energy, the fact that she didn't have the bloodline of the Otsutsuki clan meant that this fruit was destined to be out of her reach.

She identified herself as Kaguya Otsutsuki, who had not yet been born.

"I wonder what kind of favorability reward the Mother of Chakra will give." Thinking this, Mashiro smiled.

When the emperor saw Mashiro's smile, which was undeniably beautiful, he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine, as if he were about to lose something. After the emperor finished talking with the villagers, the group continued their journey and, after half a day, arrived at the capital of the Ancestral Kingdom.

The main city of the Ancestral Kingdom was not magnificent, but its imposing presence was truly awe-inspiring. Outside the main city stood tall stone walls designed to protect against wild beasts.

Perhaps thanks to the Divine Tree, although people do not use ninjutsu, they possess immense physical strength. This can be seen from their ability to kill wild beasts with just ordinary arrows.

Soldiers who underwent special training possessed immense strength, capable of breaking wood and shattering stones. The people generally lived a relatively primitive life, primarily obtaining weapons for forging by hunting the sinews and bones of wild animals.

When the emperor and his warriors returned to the main city of the Ancestral Kingdom, they received a warm welcome from the people.

The emperor accepted all of this with pleasure. Mashiro simply watched quietly. She could tell that the people here were very sincere towards this somewhat benevolent monarch.

But just how far can this loyalty go?

"Alright, I have arranged accommodations for you in the palace. After all, you are a guest from another world, and my palace is the most comfortable place in the Ancestral Kingdom. It should be sufficient to accommodate you," the Emperor said to Mashiro after settling everything.

Upon hearing these words, Mashiro couldn't help but smile, looking at him with interest, and said softly, "Are you just going to leave me here so easily? If I remember correctly, your subordinates have been trying their best to stop you from making such a risky move."

Upon hearing this, the emperor paused, stopped, and said calmly, "If you were a dangerous person, I would be even less likely to place you where my people are and let them bear this risk."

Although her white robes clearly indicated she was from another world, and she had obviously displayed immense power, Guan Zi was not afraid of her. For him, protecting everything in this country was his true pursuit.

Some people are like that; for the sake of their convictions, they are not afraid even when facing death.

Is it just stupidity, or genuine righteousness? Seriously, can such a person truly safeguard the hard-won peace when governing a country?

The emperor possessed almost all the virtues that Masashi knew a monarch should have, but he lacked one thing: he had no ambition, lacked decisiveness, and was somewhat too hesitant.

Chapter 95: Princess Kaguya Descends from the Sky (Part 2)

"Take me to see the Divine Tree tomorrow. I may have some connection with it, and perhaps I can help the Ancestral Kingdom prosper even more," Mashiro said, watching the departing Emperor.

"Okay." The emperor stopped and turned to look at Zhenbai, nodding.

Leaving the side hall where Mashiro lived, Sekiko walked down the corridor and muttered to herself, "Could she have come for the Divine Tree?" The next morning, many soldiers gathered outside the palace where the emperor was staying, waiting for orders.

Seki agreed to take Mashiro to see the Divine Tree that night, but in case of Fang Yi, he naturally dared not let the two of them travel alone, so he specially arranged for many soldiers to accompany him and Mashiro to the location of the Divine Tree.

Mashiro emerged from the side hall, giving the soldiers on the field a calm, wary look. She said nothing and simply walked forward.

Seeing that Mashiro didn't say anything, the Emperor's tense face relaxed slightly, and he said to the two soldiers, "Hurry up and prepare the horses for the journey, I..."

We must get to the sacred tree as soon as possible.

Upon hearing the emperor's words, several tall soldiers quickly led over a few magnificent steeds, their manes flying high and their eyes gleaming. Clop, clatter.

Several fine horses trotted in, snorting as they went. In this era, horses were incredibly valuable social assets, especially fine steeds, which were generally only owned by the master of the house.

As they approached to a certain distance, their expressions suddenly changed. "Hiss!!"

Several horses immediately reared up on their front legs in fright, neighing loudly and looking terrified, as if they wanted to leave immediately. Guan Zi was also seeing this for the first time and was quite surprised.

Mashiro looked at the horses in front of her and sensed a faint aura of chakra emanating from them.

"How strange, these horses seem to have the potential to become summoned beasts," Mashiro muttered to herself. (Similar to Gamamaru, most creatures near the Divine Tree possess this potential.)

The horses sensed the powerful chakra aura emanating from Mashiro and became fearful. This sudden turn of events startled everyone present.

The warriors tending the horses quickly calmed the frightened steeds, and it took them a long time to quiet them down. Then, the group set off in a grand procession towards the location of the sacred tree.

After traveling for a long time, gradually, some inhabited villages came into view.

The emperor and his entourage rode their warhorses ahead to lead the way. Whenever they passed through fields and villages, hardworking villagers would greet Guan Zi with great enthusiasm.

Some farmers abandoned their farming and rushed to pick some fresh and sweet fruits, respectfully offering them to the emperor and his soldiers to quench their thirst. The stars in the sky shone brightly on the earth.

After traveling for a day, the group finally arrived at the location of the sacred tree.

Mashiro gazed calmly at the towering trees that were surrounded by mountains and reached into the clouds.

"Hey, don't do anything dangerous. The Divine Tree isn't just worshipped by our Ancestral Kingdom. If your actions are mistaken by neighboring countries as disrespect for the Divine Tree, you'll definitely be treated as a monster and they'll join forces to eradicate you." The genius was very afraid of causing turmoil between nations.

"Your Majesty, do not worship the power of the Divine Tree too much. It is not a gift given for free." Mashiro recalled the records on the Uchiha ancestral stone tablet and Black Zetsu's narration. The Divine Tree's purpose has always been to devour the energy of this planet. The current gift is just a temptation before it awakens.

Guan Zi frowned slightly, clearly not understanding the meaning behind Zhen Baihua's words.

Just then, Mashiro slowly raised her head, her pure white eyes gazing quietly at the sky.

In the night sky, filled with stars but lacking a moon, a faint, shimmering light flickered gently in the darkness. "What fell down? Could it be Princess Kaguya?" Mashiro murmured to herself.

Following Zhenbai's gaze, the Emperor and the others also noticed the strange phenomenon in the sky, and their expressions changed.

In the pitch-black night sky, a point of light, moving like a star, flickered faintly, but became increasingly clear.

"Lord Guan...Lord Guan! It seems the place where he fell will be the location of the Divine Tree!" A soldier behind Guan said in a trembling voice.

The sacred tree is something they worship, and if it were destroyed by something falling from the sky, it would undoubtedly be a natural disaster for the Ancestral Kingdom.

Just as the emperor hesitated about what to do, Mashiro, riding a horse, had already set off towards the divine tree surrounded by a massive mountain range.

"Hey, Mashiro, don't approach the Divine Tree rashly," Sekiko said anxiously. Mashiro ignored him, continuing to approach the Divine Tree on her own.

The emperor's expression tightened, and after a moment's hesitation, he hurriedly said to the soldiers beside him, "Hurry up and mount your horses! Let's hurry towards the sacred tree!" "But Lord Guan, if we approach the sacred tree rashly, there might be..."

Although the people of the Ancestral Kingdom and some surrounding countries revere the sacred tree, few dare to approach it rashly, and many who try to touch it disappear without a trace.

Before he could finish speaking, the emperor waved his hand to interrupt him. The emperor's expression was solemn as he said softly, "I cannot stand by and watch her go there to her death. Besides, I need to see what exactly will fall at the location of the divine tree."

Having said that, he turned his horse around and charged straight down the mountainside. The soldiers behind him, seeing the emperor set off, had no choice but to hurry and follow.

Braving the fierce wind, Mashiro rode her horse swiftly towards the sacred tree.

The Divine Tree was situated on a vast plain, surrounded by towering mountains that arched around it like volcanoes. The closer one got to the Divine Tree, the more Mashiro could feel the oppressive aura emanating from its immense size.

Compared to this enormous divine tree, even the smallest leaf on it would probably be dozens of times larger than her entire body. "Truly enormous!"

Mashiro couldn't help but sigh; this was the source of chakra. In the night sky, the bright light seemed to be getting closer and closer to the ground.

Mashiro had already arrived at the vicinity of the Divine Tree, quietly awaiting the arrival of the object falling from the sky. "Tap-tap-tap-tap"

On the vast plain, the sound of galloping hooves echoed across the land as the emperor and his entourage headed towards the sacred tree, leaving behind a trail of dust.

When the emperor and his entourage arrived near the sacred tree, a series of rapid explosions were heard in the sky.

In the sky, the bright light shone even brighter, like a falling meteor, with specks of flame trailing behind it. "—"

Suddenly, a loud noise resounded through the sky, high in the clouds.

If someone were to look from a distance, they would see that the divine tree was actually swaying its branches and leaves, with its enormous, countless leaves shaking and creating a huge commotion.

Upon seeing this, the emperor's face turned pale instantly, and his heart skipped a beat.

However, suddenly a huge beam of light burst forth from the top of the divine tree, shooting straight into the sky and striking the rapidly falling object.

This sudden turn of events stunned everyone present, including Mashiro.

Then, before anyone could react, the intense flames that had erupted from the rapidly falling object vanished, as if it had been enveloped by some kind of white light.

Its downward trend suddenly slowed down.

From the high night sky, like a pure white firefly, it gently drifted down to the ground. Mashiro watched this scene, smiled softly, and murmured, "As expected of Kaguya."

The emperor, positioned on the ground, wore an expression of astonishment, while the soldiers around him exclaimed excitedly, "The divine tree! The divine tree has actually manifested its power!"

Gradually, the fluorescence on the falling object slowly transformed into dissipating starlight, scattering into the air and appearing quite beautiful against the night sky. As the fluorescence faded, it seemed to become an ordinary object, its descent accelerating again, and its true form began to emerge.

After Guan Zi and the others saw the true form of the object falling from the sky, they were also stunned.

"Your Majesty, it seems...it appears to be a woman?" a soldier with keen eyesight stammered to the emperor.

"Another woman?" The emperor couldn't help but glance at Mashiro, who was smiling. Suddenly, the speed of the fall increased again.

"Mashiro, quickly save her! If she falls, she will die!" the Emperor exclaimed.

“I would have saved her even without you telling me, but even if I hadn’t, she wouldn’t have died from the fall,” Mashiro said softly, her eyes filled with fervor. “Hoo—”

The sharp sound of wind breaking through the air echoed across the sky, and the wide, white clothes of the descending woman fluttered slightly, making her look like a banished immortal.

As her figure drew closer to the ground, just as she was about to crash, Mashiro activated her Rinnegan and instantly appeared in the air. She materialized directly beneath the woman, her arms slowly extending to catch her falling body.

Her wide, red and white robes suddenly began to dance, and her long white hair floated gently, intertwining with the strands of hair that were being blown by the wind. Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Mashiro stood in the air, gently gazing at the woman sleeping peacefully in his arms, her mind seemingly lost in thought. "Hmm..."

Just then, the woman in his arms let out a soft groan. Her fair face and slightly raised eyebrows were touched. After a while, she slowly opened her eyes.

"Um...?"

Clearly, when she woke up and found herself in Mashiro's arms, a stunned expression appeared on her pretty, fair face.

She stared blankly, seemingly not yet realizing what had happened. Her delicate red lips were slightly parted, and she stared blankly at Mashiro, who was holding her.

Chapter 96: My name is Kaguya Otsutsuki.

The woman lay quietly in Mashiro's arms, her pure white eyes fixed on him, showing no sign of panic or desire to leave.

The wide, light-colored robe draped over her body, yet it still managed to outline Nana's figure.

Her face was very pale, almost sickly, but combined with her delicate and beautiful features, it gave her an indescribable charm.

Her long, silver hair cascaded down to her waist, spreading out in a way that gave her a beautiful and captivating appearance.

Their eyes met. Mashiro's gaze was incredibly gentle and calm, while the woman stared blankly at Mashiro's Rinnegan.

Neither of them spoke. Mashiro, holding her, slowly lowered her to the ground. "Thud!"

The two landed gently on the ground, and the emperor and others quickly spurred their horses over. "Do you need me to put you down?" Zhen Zi asked with a smile.