Three years of change

Three years passed in the blink of an eye.

With Princess Kaguya and Yuya keeping everyone in line through sheer force,

ruling the tiny Land of Ancestors was naturally a matter of course.

And... it had gone almost too smoothly.

Yuya also kept Princess Kaguya's words firmly in mind: he absolutely had to... "govern" this country properly...

Yes, from then on, little Yuya began devoting himself to good governance.

"Young master, could you see if this is how you play this board game?"

"Young master, you haven't eaten yet. Here, have a bite. Say ah~ I'll feed you."

"Young master, this ball you invented is so much fun."

At that moment, in a courtyard, a group of pretty maids ran around a young boy who looked eleven or twelve.

The boy was exceptionally handsome. Though his face was still childish, he already looked remarkable at his young age, with a tall, straight bearing.

His alluring eyes shone brightly, their depths sparkling as though countless stars swirled within them. One glance was enough to draw someone in.

Best of all, he wore none of the rough hemp clothing common to this era, but a well-fitted hanfu made from luxurious silk.

And he was not the only one; all the maids were dressed the same way.

"The young master brought us the divine seeds bestowed by the goddess, giving us silk... I've never worn such beautiful clothes before... and they're so warm."

"And this ball the young master invented, and all these games... I've never played anything like them..."

"Ever since the young master came, life hasn't been dull and boring like before."

Even now, these maids marveled at Yuya's clever little ideas.

They found it hard to imagine. Was their young master really only eight years old?

Faced with the maids' admiration, Yuya sighed helplessly.

Before he knew it, another three years had passed... Yuya was eight now. At eight, Sasuke had seen his entire clan slaughtered.

Yet now, at eight, Yuya already had the build of an eleven- or twelve-year-old.

I haven't seen Princess Kaguya in almost three years. But... she told me to govern this country well back then. Surely I've exceeded her expectations by now?

Yuya could not help thinking.

I should be able to see Kaguya again today...

At the thought of not having seen Kaguya for three years, the longing in Yuya's eyes grew deeper.

Although he had transmigrated into the world of Naruto, this particular point in time was awkward. None of the familiar characters from the original story had been born yet.

The only person he knew, the only one he had, was the final boss, Kaguya.

Next, it's time to see the results...

Yuya thought.

Soon, surrounded by a crowd of attendants, Yuya left the courtyard.

Two petite, adorable maids stood beside him, fanning him with palm-leaf fans.

Another maid stood respectfully nearby, holding a platter of fruit.

Whenever Yuya parted his lips slightly, a piece of fresh fruit was brought to his mouth.

Anyone who knew nothing about him would have taken him for a young noble who did nothing but idle his days away.

"Wow! His Highness the Divine Child is out again! So handsome! So cute!"

"I can't take it! Someone hold me up! I finally got to see His Highness again!"

"Quick, pinch me! Am I dreaming?"

"I've been waiting here for so long, and I finally caught him! Boohoo!"

The girls gathered outside all held their cheeks and squealed.

If they had phones in their hands, they probably would have snapped a few pictures too.

Yuya pressed a hand to his head in mild exasperation, though he was clearly long accustomed to it.

He had accidentally raised his charm stat a little too high. In the years since his transmigration, he had certainly had his fill of being a celebrity.

But wherever there was light, there was shadow.

Especially for someone like him, who coasted on his looks, there were plenty of what people in his previous life had called haters.

And when they first took over the country, Princess Kaguya had subdued everyone with overwhelming force, leading them to honor her as the goddess, while Yuya became the Divine Child.

Fast as that approach had been, it had naturally left plenty of trouble behind.

"Oh, isn't this our esteemed Divine Child?"

"Tsk, the little tyrant's out again... an ill-omened star who brings nothing but disaster and violence! And they call him the Divine Child? He's a little brat who hasn't even grown any hair yet. Does he know how to serve a woman? Does he know how to serve the goddess?"

"I don't get it. I just don't get it. Why does a mere child get to serve the goddess and become the Divine Child?! Is it just because he's little?!"

"Has he bewitched the goddess and put her under his spell?! Besides, we haven't seen her in three years! No! I'm going to rescue the goddess!"

Quite a few people spoke with righteous indignation.

Naturally, the vast majority of those complaining were men.

Princess Kaguya was simply too beautiful, and too powerful.

Many people considered it an honor to be able to serve Princess Kaguya.

But so far, Yuya alone had been qualified to meet Kaguya and attend to her, which naturally earned him the jealousy of a great many people.

What could a little brat like Yuya possibly know about the goddess?!

They should be the ones handling that!

Interesting. Is it starting?

Interest gleamed in Yuya's starry eyes.

He glanced at the people in the crowd who were speaking the most enthusiastically.

Unlike before, this was the first time they had dared to go this far. It distinctly smacked of paid agitators.

Although many people had long been unhappy with his position as the Divine Child,

Princess Kaguya had personally chosen him, after all, so they had not dared say much.

But this time, it seemed... they had come prepared?!

Still, it was hard to say... who knew whether they were trying to use this opportunity to approach Kaguya and investigate the God Tree?

After all, over these three years, the local factions had consolidated their power and discovered something unusual about the God Tree.

They had even begun coveting its fruit.

"How dare you! You..."

A beautiful maid standing beside Yuya looked furious! She was about to draw her sword.

"Let it go, Qingyi."

Yuya gave a bored yawn, clearly long accustomed to such remarks.

"Aren't they right? Idling my days away-that's exactly the sort of young master I am, isn't it?"

Yuya asked with amusement.

"They simply don't understand everything Your Highness has done for the Land of Ancestors over these years!"

At that, the maid grew even angrier, her face full of indignation.

"That's enough, Qingyi."

Yuya rose slightly onto his tiptoes. Seeing this, the maid quickly crouched down obediently.

Yuya reached out his little hand and patted her head.

"I know how you feel. But if everyone could understand everything your young master did, just how ordinary would your young master have to be? Right?"

Feeling the warmth on her head, Qingyi could not help blushing. She lowered her head and said nothing.

Done...

An attractive smile curved Yuya's lips.

[You selected option three: offer words of comfort and pat her head. Quest complete. Reward: Taijutsu +1]