Half a month later, at Blue Tide Port.
The place was packed with people.
Today was the day Gentō held his Coronation Ceremony.
It was also the day Gentō officially declared himself ruler of the Ninja World.
People and ninja arriving from every direction obediently followed the Hidden Xuan envoys to their assigned places and waited for the ceremony to begin.
At this moment, distinctions of nation and ethnicity, of civilians and ninja, no longer mattered. They shared only one identity.
They were all subjects of Hidden Xuan.
They all pledged allegiance to that fluttering fan-emblazoned flag.
Among them were samurai from the Land of Lightning, merchants from the Land of Wind, captains from the Land of Water, cooks from the Land of Earth, doctors from the Land of Fire, tea farmers from the Land of Tea, fishermen from the Land of Rain...
Some brought their entire families, some came alone, and some were even blind, coming here just to hear Gentō's voice in person.
The one thing they shared was the joy on their faces.
These civilians and ninja had all lived through an age ravaged by war, and they were filled with respect for Gentō, who had brought it all to an end.
And so, with reverence in their hearts, they had come here as quickly as they could.
All to witness this great, historic moment.
When there were not enough Hidden Xuan envoys, these people even volunteered to guide the crowds themselves, keeping the ceremony preparations running smoothly.
Everyone was getting along wonderfully.
Yet at that very moment, three people were going against the flow, making their way out through the crowd.
From front to back, they were Anko, Kurenai, and Kurenai's son, Mirai.
"Honestly, Anko, the ceremony is about to start. Can't you find a good