Reborn into Naruto World with Tenseigan

“Purchased Ryūmyaku with… money?!” The expressions of not only Pakura but everyone else shifted to surprise as they heard Kuroto’s words. A collective thought emerged in everyone’s minds: ‘Can something like Ryūmyaku even be purchased?’

Everyone from Konoha’s side stared at Kuroto with astonishment. As Kuroto was now the Godaime Hokage, they had intended to support him no matter the method he used to acquire Ryūmyaku. They had brainstormed various possibilities, but none had expected that he had bought it.

Observing the stunned expressions of everyone in the conference hall, Kuroto asked, “What’s the matter? Is there a rule stating that Ryūmyaku cannot be purchased?”

Elder Chiyo, with a sullen expression, responded, “Bought? Please, Hokage-dono, don’t jest. You claim to have bought it, but from whom? Who is even qualified to sell something like Ryūmyaku?”

Kuroto wore a reassuring smile as he addressed Elder Chiyo’s doubts, “The ownership of Ryūmyaku… I believe we are quite clear on that matter. Ryūmyaku did not belong to Konohagakure, nor did it belong to Sunagakure. Instead, it rightfully belongs to Rōran. The people of Rōran are the true owners of Ryūmyaku. Is there any doubt about this?”

Elder Chiyo frowned as she sought clarification, “Are you suggesting that you bought Ryūmyaku from the people of Rōran?”

Kuroto nodded, his confidence unwavering, “Indeed… The individual who sold me Ryūmyaku was none other than Sāra, the former Queen of the Rōran tribe.”

At the mention of the name of the former Queen of Rōran, a stunned silence settled over the assembly. If Kuroto had been a mere Jonin, there might have been consequences for owning Ryūmyaku.

While Pakura’s loyalty to him would have mitigated some concerns, there would still have been potential dissatisfaction and trust issues with the elders. This was precisely why Kuroto had never revealed his possession of Ryūmyaku during his time as a Jonin.

But… Now that he held the position of Hokage, Kuroto had no fear of revealing the existence of Ryūmyaku. Furthermore, despite some covert dealings and a degree of emotional manipulation to persuade Sāra to sell him Ryūmyaku, he had fulfilled his part of the agreement by paying her upfront and escorting her out of the Land of Wind. Therefore, no one in the Shinobi World could legitimately question his ownership of Ryūmyaku.

In fact, this entire discussion, including the questions posed by Pakura, had been orchestrated according to Kuroto’s instructions. He was aware that Elder Hiruzen would undoubtedly raise queries about the existence of Ryūmyaku and how he came to possess it. Consequently, Kuroto had instructed Pakura to ask these questions in front of everyone, ensuring that all doubts could be resolved at once and sparing himself the need to explain later.

Elder Chiyo pondered Kuroto’s response and pressed further, “The people of the Rōran tribe… they have been missing for several years. You claim to have purchased Ryūmyaku from the Queen of Rōran. How can you substantiate this claim?”

Kuroto’s smile remained as he retrieved a scroll from his Shinobi bag and handed it to Pakura, explaining, “This is the scroll that documents my ownership of Ryūmyaku, personally signed by Sāra, the Queen of Rōran.”

Listening to Kuroto’s words, Pakura unrolled the scroll and read its contents. The scroll indeed contained the details of the transaction between Hyuga Kuroto and the Queen of Rōran. After perusing the document, Pakura passed it to Elder Chiyo and regarded Kuroto thoughtfully.

Noticing Pakura’s expression, Kuroto shrugged casually, saying, “If this is still insufficient to convince Kazekage-dono… how about I bring forth a witness?”

Confusion swept over everyone as they questioned, “A witness? Do you mean someone from Rōran?”

Kuroto clarified, “Not exactly… but the testimony of this witness should persuade everyone.” With those words, Kuroto gently rubbed the gourd fastened to his waist and uttered, “Come out, Toyotama…”

Upon Kuroto’s command, a sudden surge of purple chakra burst forth from the gourd, coalescing into the form of a purple eastern dragon. It coiled around Kuroto’s chair, seemingly protecting him as its master.

“This is…” Those who had not previously witnessed Ryūmyaku, including the Raikage’s entourage, were all taken aback by the overwhelming aura emanating from the dragon.

“This sense of oppression is not too far from Bee-sama!” Darui muttered in shock. As the disciple of the current Raikage, Darui had been taught by Bee and had seen the fully manifested form of the Eight-Tails multiple times, experiencing its oppressive aura. Thus, when he compared the sense of oppression from Ryūmyaku to that of Killer Bee, he genuinely meant it.

Others, whether they hailed from Konoha, Kiri, Iwa, or Suna, had only observed the dragon from a distance during Kuroto’s aerial battle against Satori. Consequently, when confronted with its imposing presence at such close range, everyone involuntarily took a deep breath and regarded the purple eastern dragon with caution.

Amid the onlookers, only Jiraiya gazed at the dragon with surprise and mumbled, “Natural Energy?” He could sense a substantial amount of Natural Energy emanating from the dragon and pondered to himself, ‘Considering that Kuroto can harness Ryūmyaku’s chakra around him… does this mean he can use Senjutsu?’ Jiraiya couldn’t be certain, but he couldn’t dismiss the possibility either.

Unaware of Jiraiya’s thoughts, Kuroto pointed to the purple dragon coiled around him and proposed, “How about Ryūmyaku serving as the witness to the transaction between me and the Queen of Rōran?”

More surprising than Kuroto presenting Ryūmyaku as a witness was the fact that the dragon did not go on a rampage as soon as it emerged from the gourd. This fact confirmed the suspicions of many who had been speculating, “It’s as we thought… a perfect Jinchuriki, huh?”

Kuroto nodded with a smile and confirmed, “That’s correct… Toyotama and I… we have a good relationship.” Then he addressed the dragon and inquired, “Would you mind explaining the details of my transaction with Sāra to them?”

Toyotama regarded the puzzled expressions on the faces of the leaders from various villages and began to explain, “Kuroto-sama offered my former mistress, Sāra, and the Rōran tribe protection from their oppressors. He escorted them to a safe place beyond the reach of those who sought to harm them. Furthermore, he provided them with the necessary funds and resources to lead a better and more secure life away from the chaos caused by ninjas. In return for all of his assistance, Sāra entrusted me to Kuroto-sama.”

Kuroto chimed in, addressing everyone, “So, there you have it. Apart from aiding Sāra and her people against their ‘oppressors,’ I supplied her with the means to lead an improved life. In exchange for all this help, I acquired Ryūmyaku from her. Her people needed a secure and settled life, rather than the nomadic existence they were forced into after the fall of their nation, Rōran. The presence of Ryūmyaku attracted unwanted attention, which they wished to avoid. Therefore, it was a fair and mutually beneficial arrangement, and they did not suffer any losses.”

Kuroto patiently waited for everyone to process the information before inquiring, “Are there any more questions?”

A profound silence enveloped the room. No one knew what more to say.

“Well, since there aren’t any more questions,” Kuroto mumbled as he looked at the dragon and instructed, “You can return, Toyotama…”

The dragon nodded in acknowledgment, responding with a simple “Hmm,” before retreating back inside the gourd.

As the dragon withdrew and the oppressive atmosphere lifted, everyone in the room finally breathed a collective sigh of relief.

The term “oppressors” was not addressed, but its meaning was clear to everyone. The side representing Sunagakure looked down in shame, their actions exposed and acknowledged in a public setting. It was one thing to oppress others, but when it was brought to light and publicly acknowledged, it left an uncomfortable feeling.

Even Elder Chiyo, who was not inclined to give up easily, found herself sighing in resignation. She couldn’t help but think, ‘What a pity… it appears that Ryūmyaku now belongs to Konoha…’