The(questionable) burdens of leadership of a troll Emperor by Noodlehammer

Chapter 26

The aftermath of the Celestial Empire's arrival on Earth was far more pronounced than merely Naruto's public antics or Xanna's takeover of central Africa, it was also a series of events that were massively polarizing.

Some people lauded it as a great thing that someone was finally doing something about the situation in Africa. These same people were also very excited about the idea that they might get to actually live in a Space Age, something that had been merely a pipedream beforehand.

There were many others who had markedly less positive reactions however.

After the initial shock wore off, outrage quickly followed. Outrage at the claims of divinity from the devoutly religious. Outrage at their dictatorial rule by those who believed such a form of government to be unquestioningly evil. Outrage at the fact that Earth had essentially lost a large chunk of land to the Celestial Empire. Outrage at a thousand and one other things, both real and imagined.

The fact that Naruto continued with his sensationalist stunts and occasional displays of divine power only made this polarization worse.

The older generations in general did not like him, but the younger ones did for the simple reason that he was 'cool'. The casual way he thumbed his nose at any and all authority and did as he pleased won him a great deal influence with frustrated young people that were disgruntled with their elders. It was a very intangible influence, but popularity was a power all of its own if used right.

Another reason why older people didn't like him and the Empire in general was because of their attitude towards sex and nudity. Old people tended to be more conservative and the Empire...wasn't. Inversely, that was one of the bigger reasons why younger people did like the Empire.

The displays of divine power on the other hand, had an even more profound effect. Even though it wasn't his intention, it won him a lot of converts. After all, the platitudes that a priest would speak to the parents of a dying child could never compare to a self proclaimed god strolling into a hospital and healing everyone that had been deemed fatally ill.

As it turned out, a lot of people were willing to convert en masse to the worship of just about anything if it would save them or their loved ones.

Naruto had known this would happen, but it still caused him no end of consternation as he was suddenly inundated with requests to heal this or that person, offering anything he could want in return. There was also the unseen spiritual tug as some people resorted to outright prayer, probably not knowing that he could actually feel it.

But no matter what minor irritation Naruto felt at the many people that suddenly seemed to think he would solve all their problems if they metaphorically(or in some cases literally) sucked his dick, it was nothing on what the major religions of the world felt because of him and Xanna.

The Shinto and Hindu religions were not making any particular stance known, being far more flexible and decentralized than the Abrahamic ones, Shinto especially as it was a very informal sort of faith. Naruto and Xanna made them uncomfortable, but they were mostly taking a wait and see approach.

Buddhists tended to classify them as either Deva or Asura and continued as normal.

The Jews did not like them at all, but gave them the cold shoulder instead of being openly hostile. Of the three Abrahamic religions, they were by far the smallest and as a consequence were both less impacted and less willing to be as vocal as the other two.

Christianity was a tad more visibly upset at the fact that a flippant, irreverant, disrespectful and altogether irritating off-worlder of a decidedly demonic appearance was going around performing miracles attributed to the supposed prophet and son of their god. The sudden conversion of a not insignificant chunk of both their own followers and agnostics to the worship of a man that managed to offend everyone around him and to a lesser degree a woman that could charitably be described as a sneering imperialist did not sit well with them.