He flopped down onto the plush white mattress. "Man, this day was exhausting," he muttered, his voice heavy with fatigue.
His eyes drifted up to the bedroom ceiling. "Do I really have to push myself even harder tomorrow?" he wondered aloud.
He had to prepare exam questions for the ministers, attend the parliamentary founding meeting, hash out the nation's economic and political framework, revise the state religion, whip up a national anthem and patriotic songs, design the national emblem, sketch out uniform designs for the police force, and design military uniforms for the Air Force and Navy. And after all that, he still had to meet with Suzaku Amanai to discuss firearm production.
'Damn it... just thinking about it makes me feel sick.'
Is this what every head of state goes through? Turns out it's not as glamorous as he imagined.
Ding!
Suddenly, a familiar sound reached his ears—a sound he always heard before ending up in this world. He shot up from the mattress, trying to pinpoint the source.
His hand went to his desk drawer, and what he found inside left him stunned.
"Isn't this... my smartphone?" He picked up a black phone from the drawer.
He flipped the phone over in his hand, double-checking to make sure it was actually his. "It is my smartphone, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra! Even the box is here." Inside the drawer, he discovered not only the phone but its original packaging as well.
He powered on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, and sure enough, everything was the same. "It really is my smartphone. The data is exactly as I left it."
But how could his smartphone be here in this world? Did it somehow come with him? No, no way. He distinctly remembered the drawer being empty just a few hours ago. So, the most logical explanation for this was that that being was up to something.
He tried to connect to the internet and use Google, but the results were exactly what he expected. No internet connection!
Even if he did have internet right now, he still wouldn't be able to access Google's servers. His eyes flicked to two large brown cardboard boxes stacked on the right side of his desk.
He frowned slightly at the pile. "Who put these boxes here?"
He walked over to the stack. Wait a minute, what's inside these? Could it be bombs? ...Nah, that's unlikely.
He channeled chakra into his fingertips, then carefully sliced through the packing tape on the box using a chakra blade.
Creating a chakra blade requires perfect chakra control, so not just any shinobi can do it. Plus, maintaining chakra in that form for an extended period is practically impossible.
Unless, of course, the shinobi was a jinchuriki or someone with a ludicrous amount of chakra like himself.
His eyebrows shot up. "Huh, this is...?"
"Don't tell me... these boxes are all full of computer parts?" He took a step back from the box, then sat down on the floor.
His gaze fixed on the pile in front of him. "Did that being send all this stuff?"
The only one capable of this was that being. He couldn't think of any other entity that could send objects from another universe.
He let out a long sigh. "Oh well, this stuff will be a huge help anyway. With this equipment, I won't have to manually write up documents or simulate objects I want to create." He got up from the floor and started to unpack the computer components.
"But before that..." He pulled his phone from his pocket and started taking pictures of the room.
"Just as you'd expect from the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, the picture quality is amazing." Satisfied with his impromptu photoshoot, he finally began setting up the computer. Though he said "setting up," it really just involved connecting the computer to the monitor, mouse, keyboard, and headphones.
Hopefully, the data is still there like the last time he checked. If not, this computer is nothing more than a fancy paperweight.
...
"Hey, Kazuma, what's this?" Megumin pointed at a black, rectangular object made of glass and some other material she couldn't identify.
Kazuma yawned, glancing at what Megumin was pointing at. His drowsiness vanished instantly when he saw the object.
"Whoa... Isn't that a television? They even have these here." Kazuma stared at it with a happy expression. It had been a while since he'd seen one. But based on the model, it was a tube TV, not an LCD or LED one.
Oh well.
He pressed the power button on the television. It flickered to life and started showing a program, and surprisingly, it was in color.
What channel is this? The news? Kazuma watched with growing curiosity.
"Wow, it's alive, Kazuma! It's alive!" Megumin exclaimed, like a kid getting a new toy.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Kazuma mumbled in response.
"Why aren't you surprised? And what happened to them?" Megumin asked, seeing people inside the box.
"What do you mean?" Kazuma responded absently, listening to the news report.
"I mean, what happened to them? The people inside the tube thing?" Megumin asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
Kazuma paused, then burst out laughing. "Hahahaha, I never thought you'd say something like that, Megumin. It's just a picture being broadcast, that's all." Kazuma couldn't stop chuckling.
Megumin's face flushed crimson. She felt incredibly embarrassed. So, it was just an image being transmitted by magic? She buried her face in a pillow.
...
Admiring his handiwork, he nodded in satisfaction. "Everything's connected, but the problem is, the computer's power cord doesn't fit the outlets in this room." He sighed.
Looks like he'd have to commission new outlet designs from an outlet company in Amegakure.
He looked at the messy pile of boxes on the floor. Turns out the boxes contained more than just computer parts. In one of them, he found his digital printer, a Canon ImagePROGRAF PRO-4100. With this, he wouldn't have to worry about manually copying his design drafts anymore. This equipment would make his future work significantly easier.
Okay, enough for now.
He reached out a hand towards the pile of boxes, and suddenly, something impossible happened. The boxes began to float.
If his former self saw this, he might be surprised, but the current him wasn't fazed in the slightest. The boxes were floating because he was using his gravity manipulation ability.
He opened his bedroom door, guiding the floating boxes.
He stepped out of his room to get rid of the boxes. His eyes landed on Konan, who was watching TV on the sofa.
Konan was currently wearing just a white sports bra and shorts. This surprised him. And also... he took in Konan's stomach, which was ripped with six-pack abs!
'Tch,' he clicked his tongue.
He also studied Konan's face. For some reason, it looked more natural than he was used to seeing. It must be because she wasn't wearing any makeup!
He didn't see the lavender blue eyeshadow on her eyelids, nor the small black dot on her chin, and her hair was down. That had to be it. And also, he was just now realizing that Konan was pretty well-endowed, probably a C-cup.
"What's wrong? Why are you just standing there?" Konan asked, giving Nagato an odd look.
"Ah, nothing." Nagato quickly hurried out of the room.
"What was that about?" Konan muttered after his strange exit.
...
He was currently leaning against a tree on the side of the road, posing a question to the man standing before him.
"So? Can you make them?"
"Yes, we can manufacture outlets with this design... but if I may ask, Your Majesty, what exactly do you need this type of outlet for?" The white-haired man asked hesitantly. Judging by his appearance, the man was likely in his sixties or seventies.
"That's none of your concern," he replied with a sharp glare.
"My apologies for my forwardness, Your Majesty. I didn't mean to pry." The old man stammered, trying to explain himself. His expression was one of panic.
"I forgive you." He pushed himself off the tree, then continued, "I expect these to be ready before tomorrow morning." With that, he turned and walked away.
...
"A beautiful view..."
He stood atop a building, observing the fiery hues of the evening sky. The sun was beginning its descent below the western horizon. He reached out his right hand towards the sun, as if trying to grasp it. Then, he clenched his fist.
"I promise, the Kingdom of Erlania will be like the sun, its light illuminating the civilization of humanity."
For some reason, the words felt compelled to leave his lips after witnessing the breathtaking scenery.
"This world is just as beautiful as Earth... maybe even more so?" he murmured softly.
He sat down on the edge of the building, his legs dangling over the side.
"Kabuto Yakushi, huh? It would be bad news if he started the Fourth Great Ninja War." The thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Kabuto, with his Edo Tensei army, would be a major pain if he launched a large-scale war. Considering Kabuto's current mindset, he was 85% sure Kabuto would initiate a war.
This was based on the information he knew from the anime. Kabuto wanted to prove his existence to the world. And what's the easiest way to do that? Start a world war...
It would be a disaster if that happened. A world war would severely hamper the economic progress of the newly founded Kingdom of Erlania. While war can sometimes be a money-making opportunity, that would only be the case after Erlania had established its industrial power.
Right now, the effects of a world war would be detrimental to Erlania's development.
So, he had to eliminate that possibility as much as possible. Especially since Madara Uchiha could be resurrected by Kabuto at any moment. That absolutely could not happen.
He had to kill Kabuto Yakushi! His gaze hardened. He clenched his fists. He stood up and walked away...
A mysterious figure in a black cloak, the hood obscuring their head, watched Nagato from a distance. Their sharp eyes were focused intently on Nagato's form.
They lowered the binoculars they were holding.
"Well?" someone beside them asked, their voice filled with curiosity, breaking the silence.
"That's definitely not a Pain body," the cloaked figure replied curtly, their voice cold and flat.
"So, are we still going to meet him?"
"Yes, but we should send some people ahead first," the hooded figure said, making a cautious decision.
Nagato stopped in his tracks, suddenly sensing a multitude of presences behind him. He swiftly turned, facing a group of figures clad in black cloaks with hoods concealing their faces. His hands moved quickly, pulling black rods from his sleeves. His eyes narrowed at the group before him, his expression icy.
"Leader, it's us," a slightly shrill voice called out from one of the mysterious figures.
His eyebrows furrowed at the words.
"Lower your hoods," he commanded firmly.
In unison, the group lowered their black hoods, revealing their previously hidden identities.
"Oh, so it's you guys," he murmured, recognizing the figures before him. They were a collection of humanoid beings, their entire bodies pure white—none other than White Zetsu.
Sure enough, Obito had some Zetsu clones watching him. His eyes narrowed sharply, realizing this.
'Alright, what should I do? Kill them?' Nagato thought to himself.
Suddenly, a brilliant idea sparked in his mind. Why not use White Zetsu bodies as Pain?
Nagato clapped his left hand against his right, pleased with his newfound plan.
He studied the white bodies of the Zetsu intently. With those bodies, he could utilize the Zetsu's unique abilities, and most importantly, he would have access to the First Hokage's Wood Release kekkei genkai. However, the Zetsu clones before him were only low-grade versions. Could he really gain access to Wood Release with them?
"I thought you all died in the earthquake. So, what do you want?" Nagato asked, his tone gentle, a friendly smile gracing his lips.
Initially, the group of Zetsu were suspicious and wary, but seeing Nagato's amiable demeanor, they slowly lowered their guard.
"We wish to leave this island, so we were hoping you could lift the barrier surrounding it, Leader," one of the Zetsu mustered the courage to speak.
"Alright." Nagato responded, his gaze drifting up to the vast expanse of the evening sky. A gust of wind ruffled his red hair.
"Huh?" one of them gasped, a confused look on their face.
Nagato turned his attention back to the group before him. "Is something wrong?" he asked calmly.
"I just assumed you wouldn't let us leave the country so easily, Leader?"
Nagato offered a faint smile, stepping closer. "You've all been a great help, both to me and to Akatsuki. Granting you permission to leave is no problem."
"I see. Thank you very much."
'Tobi, come out. The Leader isn't going to do anything to us.' One of the White Zetsu contacted Tobi telepathically.
Hearing the all-clear from his clone, Tobi quickly appeared at their location, his body emerging from the ground beneath their feet.
Nagato's right eye twitched, narrowing as he looked at the newly arrived figure. This one had the same appearance as the other White Zetsu, but what set him apart was the spiral pattern focused around his right eye.
'So, he's here,' he thought to himself.
He had assumed this one had witnessed Sasuke Uchiha's fight against Itachi Uchiha alongside Obito and Black Zetsu that day.
Tobi was a White Zetsu with power slightly above the average White Zetsu. He could even utilize the full potential of Yamato's Wood Release kekkei genkai. So...
He stared at the group of White Zetsu before him. 'If I were to absorb them all into the Gedo Statue to create a new White Zetsu entity, that would be incredible! I could even grant that entity the power of a Titan Shifter!'
"Greetings, Le-" Before Tobi could finish his sentence, he suddenly felt his head floating in the air. 'What is th- that's my body!!' His eyes widened in shock.
"Leader, what are you doing?!" The group of Zetsu screamed in horror as they watched Tobi get decapitated.
Without further ado, Nagato did the same to the remaining Zetsu clones before him. In just 30 seconds, they were all dead in the same manner.
"So, you guys actually have blood, huh?" He stared at his right hand, which was coated in a thick, white fluid. "Their blood looks like... sperm."
He then crouched down, looking at Tobi's head lying near his feet, the severed neck splayed open like a flower. "What strange creatures, he doesn't even have a brain."
"I'll deal with these bodies later, after the meeting tomorrow." His gaze shifted to the pile of Zetsu corpses.
After a quick count, there were fifteen of them.
"I'll have the Anbu take care of delivering these bodies." Nagato stood up, then walked to the edge of the building and flew towards home.
....
To be continued....