Autumn, Konoha Year Twenty-Two.
New Capital, British Continent.
The Imperial Palace, imperial study.
Warm light streamed through the window lattice, bathing the study in a bright, gentle glow.
Tsunade sat across from the desk, cradling a cup of hot tea in both hands, her brows tightly knitted and her expression grave. The words Toyotomi Yinglang had just spoken kept echoing in her mind-complete Six Paths form, interstellar travel, the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
These concepts were too remote, so far removed from everything the Shinobi World knew that they seemed to belong to another dimension.
Yet she knew perfectly well that Toyotomi Yinglang never made empty claims or idle boasts.
After a moment of silence, Tsunade set down her teacup and looked up at the man bent over his official paperwork.
"Yinglang, aside from reaching Six Paths level, are there any other ways to travel between the stars?"
At her voice, Toyotomi Yinglang raised his head. Seeing her tense expression, he smiled faintly and answered with composure.
"Yes. More than one, in fact."
A light instantly kindled in Tsunade's eyes.
"The first is spatial teleportation." Toyotomi Yinglang raised one finger.
"The Heavenly Court has long since mastered every ability of the Void Gate Fruit and established a mature interstellar teleportation system. As long as a spatial coordinate marker is left on the target planet in advance, we can teleport directly there from Heaven."
"This route has very low requirements. It requires neither a Six Paths-level body nor the support of an Ōtsutsuki bloodline. Even ordinary mortals can travel between the stars this way."
Tsunade's expression tightened. "What if no coordinates have been left in the target Star Domain beforehand?"
"That's no problem. There's a second method."
Toyotomi Yinglang raised a second finger.
"I've already begun designing two entirely new fruits-the Wormhole Fruit