N/A: Alright now… sorry for the delay in uploading anything, but I discovered that ChatGPT can make images and I've been doing the designs for Naruto and his nobility, but well that's for the Gremory story, but well getting back to the topic, here's the next part of the first emperor's story.

Chapter 7:

―Do we have news from the recovery team? ― Mebuki Haruno's question was one that really made Minato have to make a great effort not to strangle her for daring to demand answers from him, being just a simple civilian.

Fortunately for the woman, though not for the world, Minato was able to swallow that anger, although under his desk his hands were clenching a ball of paper as he imagined it was the vile woman's neck.

Why had she asked that question? Well, what had happened was that this morning, that is, only a couple of hours ago, in addition to saying goodbye to the delegation that would depart for the empire, Konoha woke up to thoroughly unpleasant news, well for some, others were simply indifferent, or in Minato's case, frankly, he didn't care.

Well, Sasuke Uchiha had fled Konoha… again.

And from the little that could be found out in the scarce two hours since they had learned of it, the boy had once again left in the direction of Otogakure, and just like ten years ago, a team was sent to bring the now bratty idiot back, only this time there was no Naruto who had the ability to fight Sasuke as an equal, and everything that stood in his way to recover his wayward brother.

―Except for Yugao, who barely managed to escape, everyone is dead.― Although Minato's voice was full of regret and frustration, he was still able to make it reach everyone present in the room.

He wasn't sure how, but it seemed that Orochimaru found out that Sasuke was heading towards him, and went to meet him, or rather sent the best he had to meet them.

Yugao and her group of course were not able to handle it, and as such only Yugao was able to escape, and that by a hair's breadth, and from what she had reported, Sasuke had even helped fight against the recovery team, and in fact Minato himself had reported this not because of Mebuki's demand but because well, he would have had to report the current situation anyway.

―Well, since he's a traitor, let's put him in the bingo book― To the surprise of many, especially the Civilian faction, Danzo had really said that, with his cold, calculating, and above all indifferent voice, as if Sasuke was nothing more than a failed investment.

―Danzo, we're talking about the last Uchiha! He's not just any shinobi! ― Of course, Mebuki tried to reason with the man, but as expected Danzo simply mocked the woman and her concerns… or rather desires.

―Ten years ago we suspected that he had acted the way he did because of the cursed seal, but now we know that he has truly betrayed us. ― Declared the crippled man with a dangerous glint in his only visible eye. ―That's why we must mark him, since we have tolerated enough from him in the village.

―Aha, and knowing that the emperor is a Uchiha, at least as far as we know, has nothing to do with your decision, right? ― Shikaku asked, who didn't even bother to hide the mockery in his question, for him Danzo's intentions were more than clear. ―The way I see things, you're simply discarding your failed project knowing that you could, and I emphasize 'could', get something better in the empire… and to be honest that's stupid since I highly doubt the emperor will get rid of any of his children in the short term. After saying that, he simply shook his head, completely resigned to the stupidity disguised as Danzo's ambition.

Shikaku's comment of course provoked the expected, a heated discussion, one in which basically Danzo ended up getting his way… partially at least, after all he managed to get Sasuke marked as a traitor, more than anything because thanks to Sasuke, Naruto ended up being banished, so Minato had no particular affection for him, not to mention that he even completely hated him… besides, he hoped this would help resolve things with his son.

And it's just that in his frankly distorted opinion, if his son found out the news, he would be happy to hear that the cause of his banishment had been marked as a traitor to the village, of course it never once crossed his mind that, number one, Sasuke had little to nothing to do with the banishment, as it would have happened one way or another, if he hadn't brought him back they would have exiled him for not fulfilling his mission or some crap like that, and number two, Naruto honestly still loved his brother and as long as he was safe and sound he didn't really care what he did… if he turned him into a girl it was because, well, he had a terrible hangover and was disoriented by the headache.

―Two weeks later, Capital City of Parnam, Kingdom of Friedonia―

―So despite all the hints, they are still coming to my kingdom― The queen of Friedonia commented with her voice full of sarcastic contempt as she observed the intelligence report that the Customs officials handed her, obviously they detected the Konoha group instantly and were requesting permission to use lethal force.

Honestly speaking, from what Naruto had told her, she knew Konoha was stupid, but to be honest, she wished to believe that no one was so stupid as not to understand the clear hint… or the subliminal messages they sent to Konoha that the empire hated them… hell, one would think that after Mikoto physically and emotionally destroyed Shio Namikaze, they would realize that they were not exactly welcome here.

―I would have really preferred they didn't come. ― The queen complained as she slumped onto her throne.

―Well, Lisi, they have… although considering what we know about Kumo and Kiri wanting us as allies, it certainly makes sense that they would want to get ahead. ― Juna told her with a small reassuring smile, in her sister queen's state it wasn't good for her to get upset, it wouldn't be good for the babies.

―Do you think we should inform Naruto that they are coming here? ― Liscia asked the blue-haired woman looking noticeably worried, after all this would make her beloved husband very angry and no one wanted to see an angry Naruto… well a couple of people but those people weren't sane.

Juna simply gave her friend a nervous smile. ― The thing is, knowing him as I do, he's probably already aware and on his way. ― Juna reminded her.

Naruto had Michelle and Zeref by his side all the time, and Michelle had a certain type of omnipresence given by the great father, so she saw everything in the kingdom and as such Naruto saw everything, in a certain sense, but well the point was that Naruto was already aware of everything and was surely very, really very angry right now.

In fact, right now they were grateful that Naruto was not currently in this place, his true and only home in the world, but was at one of the meetings of the council of the four hundred kings who had gathered to welcome the new member of the empire, the land of wind… she felt a bit sorry for Roma since well, Naruto would undoubtedly erupt in anger when Michelle informed him that his progenitors were on their way to his kingdom.

With that in mind, Liscia simply let out a heavy sigh. ―When will they arrive on my shores? ― She finally asked after a good while of silence as her fingers drummed on the armrest of her throne with a nervous rhythm.

After all, if they didn't give Naruto enough time to calm down, it was more than likely that he would end up blowing up the entire city in a fit of rage.

―Well, I took the liberty of investigating the railway route for them, they will travel from Warrod to Parnam, we will have them here on Thursday morning just before the public audiences… they seem to intend to use it as political pressure. ― The blue-haired woman explained in her calm voice but with a frown, as she sat in the chair in front of the current regent of the kingdom who looked at her slightly confused.

―From the elemental nations to Parnam it's no more than 26 hours, they should be here tomorrow night, not until next week. ― Liscia commented with a frown, that… that didn't make any sense, at least not to her.

―That's because they took the tourist train… they seem to want to see our lands, not to mention it's much cheaper than the express that would bring them directly to the palace. ― The blue-haired woman explained her assumption, one that made some sense, after all Naruto would be a king open to the people and all but… one thing was to be open to the people and another to let every Tom, Dick, and Harry into the palace, so he made all the trains that came directly to the palace extremely expensive… even so there were those who managed to pay for the ticket and the guided tour but that wasn't the point right now.

Returning to the subject, Liscia certainly supposed that made sense, and therefore closed her eyes for a couple of minutes before finally making a decision and nodded her head. ―Send Vergil and Lucifer… I think two celestial kings sent to those idiots will make it more than clear what I think of them coming to my lands.

―You're wicked, Lisi. ― Commented the young lorelei with a small smile, after all if there were people who would genuinely send a loud and clear message of "go to hell, idiots" those were without a doubt Vergil Sparda, and the queen of the underworld.

―20 minutes later, somewhere along the road between Warrod and Parnam―

For the Konoha group, the electric locomotive was a complete marvel of mechanical and electrical engineering, so they couldn't help but contemplate it with astonishment the first time they saw it.

For them, electricity was actually a novelty, because in fact the few electric power plants they had worked with coal and steam or were hydroelectric, but here… in the empire, they found much more efficient ways to generate energy, nuclear, geothermal, and taking advantage of the good relations the emperor had with the gods of the sun, they had plants where, from what they had been told, they had miniature suns to produce energy.

And this was just one of their many wonders, they had others like internal combustion engines, to be honest with themselves no one on the hidden continent even thought of creating steam-powered cars, but here they had been left behind a long time ago, now the new norm were hydrogen-powered cars and to a lesser extent electric ones, which frankly weren't as popular as the former given that well they required more specialized maintenance than an internal combustion one.

For that very reason, both Homura and Koharu, and especially Jiraiya had begun to salivate just thinking about how much Konoha could advance with respect to the other four shinobi powers when they managed to ally themselves with the empire of the rising sun…. of course they never stopped to think that the probability of achieving such an alliance was very, but very low, in fact it was easier for them to get Kakashi to stop reading porn in public. And speaking of such, he was going over in his mind the apology he would give his former student, failing miserably in each new attempt, not to make it sound so horrible, but in fact somehow, every time he tried, he made it sound more and more horrible.

On the other hand, the Namikaze thought that they could finally meet Naruto, and maybe… just maybe with some luck their daughter-in-law/sister-in-law, of course they would meet her, but… it wouldn't be in the way they thought.

Actually, the only ones who had a more or less realistic picture of the whole situation were Anko who knew Naruto was spiteful, Iruka who hoped everything would turn out well despite everything, and Neji and Shikamaru who simply couldn't help but feel a discomfort in their stomachs since they left the village.

In fact, it was Shikamaru who noticed that something was wrong, or at least he did once he returned from the train's cafeteria looking truly worried.

―Something is definitely going on here. ― Was the first thing the Nara said as soon as he entered the Konoha delegation's car. ―The cafeteria and all the other cars are full… but ours… ― At the exact moment he said those words, everyone tensed up and exchanged nervous glances with each other, because they had realized that they were indeed the only ones traveling in this car, which made everyone tense.

―Oh, shit, they know― exclaimed Kakashi with wide eyes and having paled noticeably, after all you didn't have to be a genius to realize that they had indeed been discovered and isolated to prevent widespread panic among the citizens of the empire.

―Hmph… it seems they are not as dumb as I thought they were― commented a calm feminine voice that made Jiraiya pale much more than before, this really couldn't be true, she was supposed to be completely dead.

―Well Vergil let's do what we came to do. ― Commented the same voice again.

―Of course, princess of darkness― commented this time a male voice, much more serious than the female one as his tone was quite drier as if he didn't want to be there.

Not long after, one by one the shinobi began to fall into a deep sleep, as if they had been hit with a heavy mallet on the head, their bodies collapsing where they were, the seats, the floor, even one against the wall of the car, although of course some of them thinking it was a genjutsu tried to release it, only to realize that in reality, it was not a genjutsu and as such they were not able to get rid of the eternal drowsiness… the curious thing was Hypnos wasn't even on the same continent right now.

The last of them all to fall had been Jiraiya who tried to reach the exit of the car in an attempt to escape his past, only being able to think of one thing, that everything had gone to hell and they would very likely face the most powerful man in the world… and one who would not be exactly thrilled with their presence in his lands.

―Imperial Palace of Parnam, the next day―

She didn't know how long she had been out, but by the time Mito could open her eyes, all she could do was blink confusedly with slightly blurred vision and her head spinning, and when her head cleared she noticed that she was with all the women of the Konoha delegation, chained hand and foot in a cold and damp dungeon, trembling not only from the cold metal of the chains that imprisoned her limbs but also from the humid air in the place… almost as if they had been designed to make the prisoners' experience as horrible as possible.

However, there was no trace of their belongings, or of the men of the delegation, so she was starting to worry a little, and because she was the first to wake up, she genuinely couldn't help but worry a little about the situation, and if she could have, she would have hugged herself.

Fortunately, she wasn't alone for long, because slowly one by one her companions, her sister and mother began to wake up with uncomfortable moans and groans, noticing as their minds cleared that they weren't exactly in a good situation.

―Does anyone have any idea what they did to the guys? ― Shio asked with her voice denoting concern, and having been the last of the group to wake up.

Of course, her question was thrown into the air, but she hoped her mother, the best sensor in the place, would give her the answer, however.

―I was ordered to place them in separate cells― the voice was clearly masculine and sounded quite deep, and threatening, loaded with a power beyond what anyone had felt in their lives, and considering that some of them lived through the Kyuubi's attack that said a lot. ―And to be completely honest, they must have made his majesty very angry, it's not every day that two kings of the sky are released to hunt a couple of annoying vermin like you. ― The same voice explained, now sounding genuinely impressed.

―What's going to become of us? ― Hinata asked with her trembling voice and teary eyes.

For a few brief moments, silence was the only answer she got, for several minutes in fact the heavy and oppressive silence was all they were able to feel in the place. However, finally the sound of footsteps echoed again, slow and heavy steps that gave way to a completely terrifying man, he was robust and quite young, he was tall, around 190 cm tall if they weren't mistaken, with fair skin but his face was clearly not that of a serene person but someone aggressive, and his armor… his armor was a deathly purple that made them feel a sensation of death like no other.

―The king of all kings is on his way… in the infinite cosmos, his word is law, and the destiny of your miserable lives depends on his whim. ― The man commented to them with his calm voice but full of clear disdain, he wanted nothing more than to throw them up to their necks in the Cosito right now. ―Honestly, I wouldn't have any hope that he will be lenient with his punishment, he is not a person who has mercy on those who illegally invade his lands with malicious intentions. ― Clearly he hated them.

―Bu… but we have a justification. ― Koharu tried to explain with her voice faltering and her hands trembling from the fear that this man produced in her, a fear she hadn't felt even when she faced Sarutobi himself in his prime.

The man, however, simply turned to look at her with those terrifying cold and dead eyes, as if her words had been nothing more than a minor annoyance… which to be fair they completely were.

―Unfortunately, at the moment I am not your judge, but in a few more minutes my friend Ayacos probably will be. ― The man informed them with a cold and distant tone. ―Although of course not without first going through his majesty's law, so you better beg your gods for mercy because our king is not usually generous with his punishments. ― The man paused briefly for a few moments as if he had just remembered something important. ―Although now that I think about it… the gods of your lands are intimate friends of my king… well, I don't particularly care, at the end of the day everyone goes to the same place.

With that, the man simply turned around and began to retreat to the same dark corner that had been assigned to him to guard these idiots, leaving behind the oppressive feeling of death that he had brought with him.

―Two hours later―

Finally, after two hours of feeling that horrifying sensation from their jailer, they had been taken out of the dungeons, without the slightest care, and began to be dragged through the corridors of the imperial palace in the most abrupt way possible, as if they were simple prisoners of war, in fact they were even being escorted by a large number of soldiers, each of them armed to the teeth, and to top it all off they weren't even being allowed to see the more than beautiful views of the palace, especially the beauty of the enormous imperial garden that had been recently built so that the emperor's future children would have a place to play when they were old enough to do so.

Finally, after a rather long walk they arrived at the throne room where they were forced to remain bowed on their knees, they had actually been forced into that position, and soon the guards stood perfectly straight as a sign of respect and not a minute later the door swung wide open allowing entry to one of the most beautiful women they had ever seen in their lives.

She was platinum blonde, her eyes were a beautiful amber hue and she had delicate and beautiful facial features denoting a youth and strength similar to that of the emperor himself but in a feminine and blonde body, she wore the imperial symbol on her shoulders along with, to the surprise of most of the prisoners, the Uchiha crest on her back, both symbols having been embroidered with gold thread.

And to make matters worse, alongside her came two beings whom genuinely none of them wished to see, kings of the sky, the elite of the empire itself at the level of the emperor himself… and from what they knew, at Naruto's level.

―My Lady, as you ordered, here are the prisoners. ― Announced one of the men who stepped forward from all the other guards.

―Good work, Sir Ludwin. ― Mentioned the woman with her majestic voice but with a soft and firm tone directed at the captain of her personal guard, just as Naruto had taught her only a few years ago. ―You may retire, they will take good care of me― she made a brief gesture to indicate that the sky kings beside her would take more than good care of her.

The guards simply nodded their heads and bowed respectfully before leaving the room in complete silence, with firm and slow steps leaving the queen and two sky kings with what were probably the most hated prisoners in the history of the kingdom.

Soon Liscia's face went from a tired look to one of silent fury directed straight at the Konoha group.

―Honestly speaking, one would think that our clear hints during the tournament would have shown you that not only are you not welcome in our lands but that you are directly hated as Naruto was hated in his own village. ― Normally she would have called him my love, my king or my heart but before these people… well they didn't deserve to hear the affectionate nickname she had for Naruto.

The woman of the two sky kings present, honestly could hardly contain the mocking laughter that escaped her, not that she had tried very hard to be honest, and in reality she had good reasons to find the situation most pathetic and funny, after all even the most idiot of idiots would be able to understand the hints that had been thrown at the fools of Konoha, apparently the fools of Konoha were the only ones who didn't understand the hints or what was more likely, they were simply so blinded by

―My lady, all this is just a simple misunderstanding. ― Homura tried to salvage the situation although his trembling voice and forced smile didn't help his case, especially because he wasn't able to hold Liscia's gaze for more than a mere minute. ―We seek nothing more than…

―Silence. ― Liscia sentenced without sounding angry, but with a force in her voice that effectively silenced the place. ―You speak only if I order you to, my husband taught me to never tolerate insolence because it is typically a sign of a person who is not even capable of respecting the minimum social conventions or showing the slightest respect, so you will keep your mouth shut unless I order otherwise. ― The young queen's gaze was almost like a blade that seemed for a few seconds to cut through Homura's very soul.

―You… you are my brother's wife, why are you using the Uchiha symbol? ― Mito asked with a slightly trembling frown, completely reflecting the confusion she felt at this moment, this was the queen of Friedonia, her older brother's queen and as such his wife and therefore she should be using the Uzumaki swirl and not the Uchiha fan.

―And speaking of insubordination― commented the queen dryly, shifting her gaze from the terrified Homura to the youngest of her sisters-in-law, and after a moment of hesitation she approached the red-haired young woman and began to lightly stroke the young woman's cheek with a force that made her look directly into her eyes… the intense violet clashing with the amber gold. ―He was never an Uzumaki, nor a Namikaze, when no one else accepted him they gave him a family, that's why he wears their name with pride because they were his family, not by blood but by love and acceptance and as such I am part of that family. ― She explained with a soft voice but even so each word was loaded with an authority that made her father look like a simpleton in comparison.

―Bu… but… we… he… you…― Mito stammered, unable to articulate a coherent sentence after Liscia's words.

―I think you broke her, Lisi― Lucy hummed with a playful smile on her face. ―Nothing like seeing your queen and best friend put a bratty idiot in her place to brighten your morning, right Vergil? ―

―It's two in the afternoon. ― Sparda's son commented dryly.

―Don't interrupt Lucifer, and take off your hood, your damn face is showing so you're not even fooling anyone. ― Liscia told him with a bored and exasperated tone, struggling not to roll her eyes at one of Naruto's most loyal warriors. Why the hell did he attract weirdos?

As for the queen of demons, she simply began to laugh heartily with a loud guffaw that echoed throughout the room, before finally taking off the robes that did nothing to hide her identity, but did hide her hair and body in the most theatrical way possible.

She was a woman of stylized appearance, with long pink hair in a high ponytail and two ram-like horns on either side of her head, her skin was fair, and she was looking at them with confidence and security almost as if she was, and very likely was, capable of pulverizing them all with a single touch of her hand, her eyes were an intense red, she had a small and delicate nose and her lips were slightly parted in a subtle but arrogant smile.

She wore an outfit that combined elements of gothic and quite… unique clothing, a tight black leather corset with a plunging neckline that closed with laces at the front, over the corset she wore a stole-like cape of dark red with details of a garnet-colored fur-like material on the shoulders and hips.

The cape fell to the floor, the outfit was completed with tight black leather pants that partially showed her legs, she also wore black gloves that reached up to her elbows with dark metal details, and a pair of high dark boots.

In addition to wearing a five-pointed star-shaped pendant in her hair.

She was without a doubt one of the most beautiful women many had seen in their lives, and the mere sight of her being left them completely breathless.

Although not so much because of the woman's beauty itself, but because of who she was, for here and before them stood Lucifer herself, the supreme queen of the inferno, who undoubtedly exuded a power that made their jailer seem like a mere scared puppy in comparison to her, a power that even caused the Kyuubi inside Menma and Shio to feel an absolute and primordial terror like it had never felt before in its life.

But that terror was nothing compared to what Jiraiya was feeling right now, for he was seeing before him a ghost from a past he wished would remain locked away, and now… now he simply knew it, he was totally and absolutely screwed and he knew it.

―Wow, it seems someone remembers me even if it's been a long time since we last saw each other, huh Jiraiya? ― Commented the sovereign of the inferno with a mocking tone, her soft and melodious voice laden with an implicit threat, as she sat with a nonchalant elegance on the back of the king's throne, crossing her long and elegant legs with a feline and sensual grace. ―Although I think I remember that in our last encounter… I made a promise. ― She said to herself, tilting her head with a sardonic smile and a predatory glint in her eyes.

―What did I swear? I don't remember very well anymore, my memory isn't what it used to be these days, you know? ― She wondered with her playful tone and an expression that only made Jiraiya, who was scanning the place as if looking for a way to escape this woman, grow paler and paler. ― Ah, I remember now, I swore that when I saw you again, you would be under my feet… well, it's certainly not the way I imagined it would happen, now I just have to convince my beloved king to let me tear out your soul and then we can let my hellhounds use you as a chew toy… useless Saruin no longer satisfies them after all, his screams no longer have the strength they had when the great father condemned him to hell for all the sins he committed against his favorite. ― She didn't lose her smile or the malice in her eyes at any point, even though she was talking about tearing out his soul as if it were the most trivial thing.

―Where the hell do you know one of the sky queens from? ― Kushina asked him in a state of shock and without taking her eyes off Jiraiya. She knew of course that Jiraiya was a complete imbecile who got into trouble with truly dangerous characters, but even she didn't think he had screwed with a sky queen, who were said to be surpassed only by her son and the emperor himself in terms of power.

Jiraiya tried to evade the answer, he really did, but between Kushina who genuinely scared him, and the queen of hell… the truth is he preferred Kushina. ― It was many years ago, shortly after the Uchiha massacre, a woman arrived in the village and befriended Naruto, took him under her protective wing and assassinated hundreds of Shinobi and villagers who tried to harm him, sensei and I couldn't allow that to happen so we separated them… we sealed both of their memories, their time together and I sent her to the worst brothel I knew so she could work as one of the whores there.

But they told me that one day a man simply arrived at the place and devastated it until there were no ashes left, not even a day had passed since I left her there. ― Looking back, Jiraiya had to admit it hadn't been his best idea… especially because apparently Naruto and this woman remembered everything… or rather the woman remembered and Naruto was brought up to speed by the woman.

―Oh yes, my dear uncle, he's such a sweetheart, isn't he? ― Lucy commented as if she were talking about the weather and her dear uncle hadn't murdered more than a hundred prostitutes, clients and the brothel's pimp to get her out of that place, not that it would have been necessary if she had wanted to, she could have gotten out of there and returned to Konoha to turn it to ashes but her uncle told her that it wasn't time yet for the king of all kings to emerge.

―What did you do what? ― Anko yelled as soon as the idea settled in her brain, her face contorted with fury and if she weren't chained she would have tried to strangle Jiraiya right there, damn the consequences.

She had already hated the Sanin for quite some time, but now, now he was in first place on her list of people she undoubtedly wanted to tear out their trachea, damn it, the bastard had even surpassed Orochimaru, at least that bastard didn't pretend to be a good person. ― Are you simply telling me that no one had the right to protect him, to make him happy because you didn't want mommy and daddy to get angry, and you still wonder why he holds a grudge against the village? ― Her voice was a veritable torrent of sarcasm and venom.

―Ah, he doesn't actually hate them… he claims there's no point in hating them because it would imply he feels something for them, it's Lucy here who has a personal vendetta against Jiraiya… something about him not even being good in bed or something like that. ― Liscia commented lazily as if nothing that was happening mattered to her in the slightest, in reality she didn't care, but she had to pretend that she did.

Be that as it may, she began to walk back to her throne and carefully lowered herself onto it, honestly Amaterasu and Artemis were terrible liars, being pregnant even if it was only for a couple of months was a lovely and rewarding experience, it's true, but extremely stressful and tiring, even so a soft smile appeared on her face as she felt the two little lives that were growing inside her, even if they were being a couple of rowdies.

―Honestly, the thought that a seal could handle me is… quite stupid, I mean I am a being far beyond what you can imagine, and well I swore I would have you at my feet and take your soul for eternity, well half of that promise is already done now I just have to take your soul. ― Lucy commented naturally before frowning slightly. ― Now that I think about it I have to talk to old Adam, so he doesn't exterminate your soul… oh well I'll do it later. ― She commented lazily, it's not like her stepfather was going to deny her request.

―Who the hell are you? ― Kakashi asked with a frown… not that it showed through his mask. And of course his question only earned him a slight gesture of the hand that sent him flying courtesy of Lucifer who honestly didn't have much sympathy for the one who taught the assassination technique to an unstable child who tried to kill her beloved king.

―It's none of your business or anything like that, but since I really like to brag about who I am I will honor you with an answer… I am older than the shinobi race, I have lived since even before the first of the dragon kings and the brothers of the moon (The Sage of the Six Paths and his brother), my kind are rarely seen in these lands. ― Her voice became deep and much darker than before, loaded with a great ancient and ancestral power that made it more than clear that she was much more powerful than anything they had faced in the past.

―Lucy, I love you and you know it, but could you stop being dramatic? I'd like to finish this before he arrives. ― Liscia asked her with an exasperated sigh, she didn't like all of Lucy's drama and eccentricities, honestly why were all the Morningstars so melodramatic? Well, almost all of them, Charlie was actually just a hellish Disney princess with a tendency to sing whenever she was excited… okay she was melodramatic, just in a different way than the rest of her family.

―You're no fun, Liscia― Lucy told her with a childish pout before smiling again, this time wider and more malicious than before. ―Queen of the underworld, punisher of sinners, I am Lucifer. ― Her voice this time was full of pride and a slight hint of madness.

―I don't have to be fun, I am a queen, I am an empress and my husband taught me that when I am on this throne fun comes second and I replace it with the serenity needed to be a good leader. ― That comment of "I am queen and empress" was like a great impact for the Konoha delegation who finally seemed to realize just how screwed they really were.

Well, almost all of them, Shikamaru who had already been suspecting it for some time, but still held a slight hope of being wrong, simply couldn't contain himself anymore and burst into a loud laugh, one that carried no humor with it but simply a great resignation.

―You're Naruto's wife. ― Shikamaru began, who finally was no longer able to deny reality. ―Naruto always called himself an Uchiha, the emperor is an Uchiha… we are simply so, so screwed right now.

―What do you mean by that, Shikamaru?― Jiraiya asked, his brow slightly furrowed and his voice tight with nervousness, he had reached the same conclusion as the Nara only a few minutes ago, but he flatly refused to believe it, they simply couldn't be that unlucky.

―The king is home― Vergil finally murmured, having remained silent throughout all this time, his deep and resonant voice revealing the great respect he had for the man, and shortly after his declaration he fell onto one knee just like Lucifer, both showing submission as a sign of respect and absolute loyalty to the king of all kings.

And not even a minute later, to the surprise of many, one of the walls of the chamber exploded completely with a deafening roar, causing the ground to tremble and raising a cloud of dust and debris, giving way to a group of only three people, the first of them and the one who had blown up the walls, being none other than the emperor Naruto Uchiha himself, who walked calmly towards his throne, each of his steps exuding the immense power of the man.

And as always walking behind him were his two loyal bodyguards, Zeref the dark mage who looked at the shattered walls and made an estimate of how much it would cost to repair them, or better yet have them enchanted to repair themselves, and the second being none other than the commander of the celestial armies Michelle who watched the scene with absolute indifference.

Finally, Naruto reached his wife's throne, whom he kissed lovingly and tenderly on the cheek, before whispering something in her ear, but she shook her head almost as if she were telling him with that simple gesture "together for better or for worse" or something like that.

Which made Naruto let out a sigh of resignation, it wasn't that he was against having Liscia here but he doubted this stress would be good for his children, even so he simply dropped onto his throne with a fluid and serene movement giving a truly imposing image.

―Honestly, Shikamaru, we didn't even try to hide my identity, so I can't say I'm amazed by your deductive abilities… but Konoha's stupidity on the other hand… ― Naruto commented without finishing his sentence, his tone as casual as if he were talking to an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time.

―Brother― said the four Namikaze siblings in unison, seeing their brother in person and face to face for the first time, their voices full of surprise, emotion and a mixture of hope and fear, he was by far the most terrifying man they had ever seen in their lives, he was tall, almost two meters tall if they weren't mistaken and although he was shorter than Jiraiya he certainly had a perfectly built body with solid and well-defined muscles.

―Son― murmured Kushina with her trembling voice and slightly teary eyes as she extended a shaky hand towards Naruto, as if she wanted to touch him but without daring to try, the young man… no the man before her was nothing like her other children or their father, in fact he was genuinely an imposing and terrifying man.

―I would say it's an honor to see you all but…― Naruto commented distractedly as he slightly lifted the bandage from his eyes so that one of them could see them clearly, the bright blue star in them looking at them with a calculated coldness that was terrifying. ―…. I have never been a liar―

―Yo, Naruto! ― Kakashi greeted him, smiling with his only visible eye, trembling slightly in a vain and frankly useless attempt to lighten the mood.

Naruto of course did not take kindly to the familiarity with which the young man spoke to him and so he gave a simple nod to the silver-haired woman beside him who in a movement that no one was able to follow struck Kakashi's chest with such force that she not only knocked the air out of his lungs but also managed to draw a good amount of blood.

―Naruto is the name used by my wives and friends, you are neither, so use the title I earned when I stood victorious against Chi-Yu so many years ago… Qin Shi Huang. ― The black-haired man commented as he rested his head on his fist, his gaze was not even one of contempt, it was just that of a completely calm man who saw this as a mere formality, or most likely nothing more than a slight minor annoyance.

―Are you crazy or what's wrong with you? ― Menma yelled completely furious at his older brother's behavior, or well he spoke as much as his mouth would allow. ―Is this the way to treat your family? ― The boy's face completely reflected the fury he felt right now.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Michelle moved once again and this time instead of hitting him in the stomach she made him kiss the ground with a quick and brutal movement, letting her boot rest on the head of the insolent little brat who dared to call her father's favorite crazy. For the young (actually older than everyone present combined) archangel, certainly any insult to the great father's favorite son was a capital crime, but since the king had not given the order she would keep him pinned to the ground, implying what would happen to the next bastard who spoke without permission.

―And who among you is part of my family? ― Naruto asked with his tone as calm as ever, but this time his face had lost its indifferent expression with a simple gesture, an eyebrow arched in pure disbelief. ―The way I see things, you are not my family… after all, carrying the same blood in our veins doesn't make us family, love, that's what makes you a family. ― His voice became much colder and more distant than before and his gaze had hardened completely.

―Bu… but if you would let me… ― Kushina tried, her voice pleading and tears welling up in her eyes as she extended a hand towards her son. She wished to explain things to him, why they left him, how sorry they were for what he had suffered.

―Really, it doesn't matter anymore because I know why you did it. ― Naruto said before simply letting out a tired sigh as if he had expected this conversation and wasn't enjoying it at all, or simply as if he had no interest in it and was just going through one of those boring bureaucratic procedures. ―The past is the past, what's done is done and there's no way to repair the bond between us because that bond never existed to begin with, you are not my mother, you are not my siblings… and Minato is not my father. ― His voice returned to being the same as a moment ago, calm and monotonous, his comment leaving the throne room in perfect silence for a very long time.

―You know. ― A silence that lasted until Naruto broke it again. ―It's curious, you sacrificed family for a prophecy told long ago to someone who clearly doesn't know what happens when you play with fate. ― He commented before smiling mockingly and his eyes showing a malicious glint like they had never shown before. ―Really Jiraiya, did you try to interfere with the design of a prophecy? That's simply so stupid that I don't even have words to describe the level of stupidity of that action. ― The black-haired man shook his head looking completely incredulous, or at least feigning it quite well. ―Although I suppose the only thing I can do for you is give you the bad news.

―What do you mean? ― Jiraiya asked with a frown and a tense voice, not knowing why but he felt a growing unease in the pit of his stomach, he didn't like at all that Naruto was so calm, if he were angry, it meant he was hurt, that somehow there was damage that could be repaired, but no… he was calm, indifferent and he knew why he had uncovered his eyes, he did it only to show that his emotions were not feigned, everything he felt was the truth, and he was completely calm, almost like a king before a disobedient servant… which in reality is what was happening.

―If anyone knows what it entails to try to interfere in a prophecy, it's me… I tried to prevent one from being fulfilled at all costs, and I ended up paying the price, and in the end it ended up being fulfilled anyway. ― His voice was full of bitterness and resignation, Liscia actually had to put a hand on his to give him some sort of comfort. ―But you on the other hand… you did something even stupider, you prevented your prophecy from being fulfilled by trying to make it follow what you wanted it to follow. ― His voice became much lower and loaded with a subtle mockery. ―You found destiny on the path you took to avoid it… sad in your case―

―What do you mean? ― Asked the Sanin without understanding Naruto's cryptic message at all, his voice slightly trembling and quite scared by what he could understand.

―A good listener― was all Naruto said before turning to Liscia. ― You missed something rarely seen, love, Zeref actually laughed for half an hour after reading the treaty these… fools brought us. ― He said with a glint of amusement in his eyes.

―Did you? ― Liscia asked with a slight pout and her eyes wide with a slight expression of surprise, ever since she met the dark mage she had always seen him as a serious person, who didn't usually laugh at anything, so she had wanted to see him laugh at least once in her life.

The dark mage, of course, didn't deign to answer her, but simply remained in complete silence with a slight expression of annoyance on his face, he had his pride… Naruto constantly trampled on it but he had it, so he simply took out the scroll he carried in his robes, with an elegant movement and began to read it aloud in a monotonous voice.

"By means of the present treaty between the Land of Fire, and the young empire of the rising sun, the latter has the right to: the establishment of an embassy and constant diplomatic presence of the empire, to open all its ports to our merchant ships, reducing in turn the taxes on our merchants and their goods, with the empire having the right to hire shinobi from Konoha, provision of Jutsu, chakra and elemental manipulation supplies. an official military and commercial alliance between the young empire and the Land of Fire"

Zeref actually had to pause slightly for a second, as if he still found it hard to believe the next part of the treaty, but it was so ridiculous that it simply didn't make the slightest sense, he finally continued reading the document.

―However, in exchange for these offers… ― He paused again, letting it be known that this really bothered him quite a bit. ―… Konoha and the Fire Daimyo demand: an absolute and immediate abolition of the young empire's relations with Suna, Kiri, Iwa and Kumo, as well as their countries, and the termination of relations with nations that have canceled their agreements with Konoha in the past. immediate closure of all their embassies in the empire and the banishment of their ambassadors and each and every inhabitant of said countries in imperial territory, one fifth of the imperial fleet must be stationed in the waters of the Land of Fire to protect their merchant and civilian fleets. a quarter of our armed forces will be deployed in the nation to protect its borders from potential invaders, and they demand full access to the empire's elite forces, including but not limited to, the twelve golden saints, the three judges of the underworld, the seven sea generals, and the ten sky kings, in the best interest of Konoha, supply of military and industrial technology as well as blueprints and experts in their construction. "in addition to an immediate oath to help Konoha and the Land of Fire in case they ever go to war, whether they are the accused or the aggressor" he finished reading, with each new demand making his voice colder and colder.

What Naruto had said before, he genuinely hadn't found funny at all, his laughter wasn't of amusement, it was a laugh of pure disbelief, disbelief at the fact that he genuinely believed that no one was as stupid as the people of Konoha, and their high command, were proving to be.

But here and now, there was no laughter, in fact quite the opposite, he was somber and his gaze was completely icy, and he really wasn't the only one who was indignant, because even the members of the Konoha delegation were completely scandalized right now, each and every one of them looking completely incredulous at the more than abusive treaty and the perpetrators of said treaty, that is Homura and Koharo or rather the old idiot behind them.

―You know, not many years ago there was another who tried to make me sign something like this, only he was a much smarter and more powerful man than any of you ever were, he had enough power to back up his arrogance and withstand my onslaught. ― Naruto spoke in a low and resonant voice laden with a more than clear threat. ― And at the end of the day, here I am, supreme ruler over this universe, and that man's corpse has long since turned into little more than dust… Im-sama, that was a man who genuinely reached the power of a god, and unlike my brother here present, I found no grace in his little joke, and to be brutally honest I hoped never to see many of you again… some I didn't even wish to meet. ― For the first time the young emperor showed an emotion, it wasn't anger, it wasn't frustration, it was pure and absolute determination, the determination of a man who faced the world in unfavorable circumstances and yet had prevailed. ― Therefore I, the king of all kings, must pass sentence for daring to illegally enter my lands and attempting to coerce me to force my hand into such an unfavorable alliance for my people.

―Look Gaki, I know we screwed up and big time, there's genuinely no excuse for it. ― Jiraiya tried to speak in his most consoling voice, extending his hands forward in an attempt to calm Naruto's bad temper. ―But you don't have to do things like this, everything in this world has a…

However, the man didn't finish speaking because before he could do so his head was forced to the ground again courtesy of Michelle who in a swift movement kicked him in the head with such brutality that if it hadn't been for his years of experience receiving Tsunade's devastating blows his skull would have completely exploded at that very moment.

―The king has not given you permission to speak. ― Michelle told him with her calm voice, looking at Jiraiya as if he were nothing more than a mud stain under her boots.

―Enough Mich. ― Naruto said with his calm voice and gesturing with his hand to order the archangel back to his side.

―Why do you hate us so much? ― Mito asked genuinely confused. Liscia simply scoffed at the girl. ― Of course you would ask that, of course you ignore why my beloved husband wants nothing to do with you, you who simply abandoned him at birth, who left him behind like an attack dog for the Sandaime, the scapegoat of your village, tell me girl… if you had a life like that… would you really want anything to do with those who stabbed you in the back and heart again and again. ― The queen's gaze was full of pure and absolute contempt directed at absolutely all the members of the Konoha delegation.

―Naruto, I… ― Kakashi had finally run completely out of anything else to say, his voice had actually broken, and his gaze was no longer able to seek Naruto's, and even to articulate a word… certainly what Liscia had said was true, no one with a minimum of brains would want anything to do with those who stabbed him in the back as many times as Konoha had stabbed Naruto.

There was nothing more to say because anything he said might well be the last thing he would say in his life so he chose to keep his mouth shut.

―Silence― ordered the emperor with his firm and resonant voice perfectly silencing any sound in the entire place, even the wind itself seemed to fall completely silent at the absolute command of the king of all kings. ―For espionage, invasion and any other crime that comes to my mind or that I invent from this moment until tomorrow morning, the sentence is hanging.

Once again, silence was all that remained after his declaration, a tense and oppressive silence that filled every last corner of the room, although not for long, because from one moment to the next Lucifer simply burst into loud laughter, after all her beloved had just implicitly told them "if from now until tomorrow I decide that your very existence is a crime then you will be condemned for it," not in those exact words but the message was more than clear to anyone with at least two functional neurons.

―You can't be serious! ― Hashirama yelled, who until now had simply limited himself to listening, but now, now he simply couldn't remain silent after all that declaration had left Hashirama completely furious.

And of course, in response, Michelle simply silenced him in the only way she knew how, a direct kick to the jaw that almost completely broke his neck, and of course Naruto watched this scene with little more than a grimace of disgust but did not reprimand Michelle for her behavior.

―Unfortunately, an incident with Sir Galland a couple of years ago made me incapable of lying. ― The emperor commented, as an afterthought, shrugging indifferently as if he were talking about a trivial and unimportant matter. ―But, getting back to the topic, the punishment for spies and invaders is instant death, and since the shinobi of Konoha in their entirety are completely banned from my world, I consider you spies and invaders, not to mention that I have just invented the crime that being a Konoha shinobi is illegal in my world, and well you are Konoha shinobi, oh and insulting the emperor is a capital crime… do you want me to continue? The world is mine, my word is law. ― Naruto's voice was low and monotonous, but laden with undeniable authority, as he looked at the prisoners with an expression of absolute contempt. ―Anyway… since you made Zeref laugh for a while, I will do things a little differently than I usually do.

―What do you mean? ― Kushina asked with her trembling voice and wide eyes, for the first time looking incredibly scared as she brought a hand to her chest feeling a great chill run through her entire body, things weren't supposed to be like this.

However, before he could answer, not that Naruto wanted to answer her, a beautiful woman with silver-grey hair dressed as a maid entered the chamber, with her elegant and silent step, as if she floated above the ground, carrying a silver tray that held a red cushion with several white spheres and a single black sphere, as well as an urn like the ones used to draw lots on television.

―My belief is that only one person is needed to send a message, on this occasion, in view of the fact that for the first time you have made my brother laugh, I have decided that the messenger will be the only one who dies. ― Naruto declared in his soft and firm voice, noting how the prisoners struggled to free themselves. ― One by one you will pass before me, if you draw the black sphere… well too bad, you will die by hanging at dawn, and if you refuse to participate… well Mich here beside me will have no problem making heads roll. ― He spoke with his cold and calculating smile spreading across his face, similar to that of a predator who had cornered its prey. ― So, with that said, participate or die. ―

―Naruto, please, spare Hinata from this! ― Tenten pleaded, her voice desperate and tears in her eyes, stepping forward, her hands clasped together in a gesture of supplication. ― She is in love with you, please...! ― Her voice broke with emotion, and her body trembled slightly.

―I knew about her feelings for me from the beginning. Only an idiot wouldn't see them. ― Naruto actually surprised them with the calmness in his voice, especially since, in reality, she wasn't violently silenced. He shrugged indifferently, as if Hinata's feelings didn't matter to him in the slightest. ― But between knowing and reciprocating there is a world of difference. Besides, during the wars I learned never to show mercy to anything or anyone. Doing so now would make me look weak, and you cannot be Emperor, or even a king in this part of the world, if you show the slightest weakness. Within what is possible, I am truly sorry. ― His gaze, although directed at Tenten, seemed distant, lost in his own thoughts, as if he were remembering painful moments from his past.

―Naruto-kun― Hinata actually couldn't help but sob, her face bathed in tears and her body trembling, feeling her heart break into a thousand pieces, especially because she saw the honesty and total indifference in the eyes of her beloved, he didn't love her and felt no guilt for doing what he was about to do right now… it was as if for him this was nothing at all.

―Well, what are you waiting for? ― Naruto declared, finally making them understand that Naruto was effectively not going to be persuaded, and more out of obligation than free will, the Sannin was the first to draw a sphere… to his relief, it was a white one, Kakashi was next, he also got a white one, Kushina, Homura, Koharu, Iruka, Anko, Chouji, Mito, Menma and finally Hinata, who extended a trembling hand towards the urn.

―Black sphere. ― Zeref announced, who unlike Naruto sounded genuinely sad about this, his voice was muffled and his gaze was low. ― Take her away― ordered the dark mage, returning to his cold tone once more.

―No, please, I'll take her place! ― Neji yelled, jumping up and stepping forward, his voice completely desperate and his pleading eyes looking at Naruto with a look of supplication on his face. ― I beg you, Naruto let me take her place, as my father took his, as you told me in the past, she is my sister, the last thing I want is for her to die by your design. ― His voice had broken at the end, his eyes were full of tears.

―I'm sorry… there's nothing I can do, my law is supreme and even I cannot break them― in reality he could, he simply didn't wish to, because genuinely all of this didn't matter to him in the slightest.

He didn't even bother to lower the bandage from his eyes to hide that he felt absolutely nothing at the looks of betrayal his friends were giving him, and he didn't even feel anything seeing the girl being led docilely and shattered by the bitter reunion with the one who was once her beloved.

―And know that after her death her remains will be incinerated and left exposed so that her soul disperses throughout the world, so don't even try to ask me for her body― his voice remained as indifferent as ever.

―What the hell happened to you?! Why did you become like this?! ― Kushina yelled with her torn voice and tears streaming down her eyes as she struggled uselessly against the guards who entered to take her out of the place along with the other members of the delegation, directing a look full of pain at her son.

―You abandoned me― was all Naruto said in a low voice and for once actually letting his feelings, the pain he had been holding onto for so many years, show in his words, his eyes showing the same pain he had hidden for many years, eyes that caused Kushina to stop fighting completely, feeling as if a dagger was plunged deep into her heart because of her son's words.

As soon as the Konoha group was escorted out, Liscia ordered the rest of those present in the throne room to leave and approached Naruto who simply let out a tired sigh, and after a minute he brought his hand to Liscia's belly, changing his expression to one full of tenderness as he felt his beautiful twins growing inside his wife.

―Did you really need to make that whole spectacle? ― Liscia asked him, tilting her head slightly, she wasn't reproaching his attitude, she was just curious knowing that it genuinely wasn't necessary.

―Totally necessary, love― Naruto told her before kissing his wife softly and lovingly, then touching his forehead to hers affectionately. ― I have some things to do, I'll see you later.

With that said, the Emperor himself simply left the room with a determined step.

Making it clear that what he was going to do was important by not breaking the wall, but by using the door, something he rarely did.

End of chapter.