Chapter 24 Six Hundred Billion Detonating Talisman

["Sister Celia?!" Naruto and Sakura exclaimed simultaneously upon seeing her.

Celia, puzzled, tilted her head and inquired, "Do I know you guys?"

Then, a realization dawned on her. "Ah, I see! Judging from the logo on your forehead protectors, you're Konoha ninjas. You probably know my counterpart in Konoha!"

Naruto and Sakura looked at each other in confusion. Though they understood each word Celia spoke, the meaning eluded them.

Stepping forward, Kaido produced a wad of bills and passed them across the counter. "We'll need four rooms."

As Celia processed the registration, Kaido took the opportunity to explain to Naruto and the others. "The Celia you know in Konoha and the one here in the Land of Waves are both her Shadow Clones. Until the jutsu is released, their memories aren't shared."

"Shadow Clone?!" Naruto exclaimed, familiar with the technique as it was his signature jutsu.

Celia narrowed her eyes slightly, preparing drinks for the group. "That's right. Wherever there's a Celia Hotel, there's a Shadow Clone of mine inside."

Naruto, ever curious, took a sip of juice and asked, "Why is the Kingdom of Witches excluded?"

Celia's smile faltered at the question, and Sakura quickly intervened, apologizing on Naruto's behalf. "I'm sorry, Miss Celia. He's not the brightest, but I assure you he didn't mean any harm."]

["It's a tragic story," Celia sighed, her tone tinged with sadness. "I was originally Lady Miroku's personal maid in the Kingdom of Witches."

"About two years ago," she continued, "Master Ziyuan made a prediction. He foresaw an unprecedented disaster looming over the ninja world."

"The first victim," Celia's voice quivered with emotion, "was our Kingdom of Witches. The sealed monsters broke free and wreaked havoc, wiping out our entire kingdom."

"Master Ziyuan has the gift of predicting death," she explained. "His predictions have never been wrong."

"Upon learning of the prophecy," Celia recounted, "Master Ziyuan dismissed everyone from the kingdom and sealed off all routes. He chose to stay alone in the palace, resigned to her fate."

Naruto, perplexed, interjected, "Why didn't she leave?"

"Celia nodded, her eyes reflecting sorrow. "Lady Aster believed that death was her destiny as a witch of the Kingdom of Witches, and she refused to escape. As for us innocent bystanders, there was no need to involve ourselves."

Taking a deep breath, Celia regained her composure and smiled sweetly. "As Lady Aster's personal maid, it's my responsibility to save her from her fate. So, I used the severance package Master Ziyuan gave me to open hotels across the ninja world."

"I believe," Celia declared optimistically, "that somewhere in this vast world, there must be a solution to deal with the monsters."

Celia then turned her attention to Naruto, touching his golden hair affectionately. "If you have any leads, feel free to share them with me, sister. I'll reward you generously."

"In the past two years," she admitted, "I haven't found a solution to the demons, but I've managed to earn a substantial amount of money."

"I haven't tallied the exact sum," Celia confessed, "but if I were to convert it all into exploding tags, I could probably purchase 600 billion of them!""]

Jiraiya: "Hiss—600 billion detonating tags? What's the cost of that?!"

Ohnoki: "Detonating tags range from 50 taels to two thousand taels each. Even at the lowest price, that's at least 30000 billion taels!!"

Tsunade: "Impressive! Is running a hotel really that profitable?"

Orochimaru: "Stop dreaming! There's no way she made that much money just from running a hotel. She must have other sources of income."

Jiraiya: "Look, the Kingdom of Witches' combat power has changed!"

Terumi Mei: "Changes in combat power are normal. The appearance of Kaido, Aokiji, and others can influence the rankings. It's nothing to be surprised about."

Ao: "But Master Terumi Mei, this time it's different!"

Terumi Mei examined the combat power rankings closely. "Ten, hundred, thousand, one hundred thousand? If I recall correctly, the Kingdom of Witches originally had a combat power of only 20,000. Yet this girl named Celia has a combat power of 800 waves? 

Orochimaru intervened, "You can't just calculate it like that. The combat power provided by the system is a general value that includes various factors, such as wealth."

Orochimaru continued, "Celia's high combat power is likely due to her immense wealth."

Terumi Mei nodded, understanding. "That makes sense."

Sarutobi Hiruzen redirected the discussion, "Now's not the time to debate combat power. Do you think Miroku's prophecy..."

Fourth Raikage interjected, "It's very possible!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen concluded, "We don't have much time left!"

Feeling the urgency, both the viewers of the video in the ninja world and Team 7 within the light curtain redoubled their efforts in preparation for the Chūnin exam and the impending disaster.

Observing the trio's diligence, Kaido decided to impart his unique skills, Observation Haki and Armament Haki, to them, leaving their mastery to fate.

[In the bright morning sun, casting its golden rays, Naruto found himself in a secluded patch of flowers, deep in thought.]

[What had gone wrong?]

[Sasuke had not only mastered Armament Haki but also learned to imbue it into his weapon. Naruto, on the other hand, couldn't even grasp the basics.]

["Ahhh!"]

[Naruto frantically ran his fingers through his blond hair, frustration evident in his expression as he lay among the flowers.]

[Could it be...]

[Was he truly inferior to Sasuke?]

[Naruto, who had spent the entire night studying Armament Haki, closed his eyes wearily, his exhaustion weighing heavily on him.]

[As he teetered on the brink of sleep, darkness enveloped his vision, and a strange sensation overcame him.]

[It was as if he had ascended to a godlike perspective, overlooking everything around him.]

[His perception expanded, allowing him to see the distant forest with newfound clarity.]

[A figure lurked within the trees, observing him.]

["Who's there?"]

[Naruto's sudden outburst startled the figure, prompting them to step forward.]

[As the mysterious man emerged from the shadows, Naruto examined him closely.]

[He wore an orange swirl mask, shrouding his identity in secrecy.]

[Before Naruto could utter a word, the masked man spoke: "You're Uzumaki Naruto, aren't you? You've grown so much since the last time I saw you; I almost didn't recognize you."]

["Eh?"]

[Naruto's surprise was evident as he pointed to himself and asked, "Do I know you?"]

["Of course!"]

[The masked man's voice held a hint of coldness as he nodded, his smile evident even behind the mask.]

["I held you in my arms when you were just a newborn!"]