As the sunset dipped below the horizon, Shiraishi stood quietly in the dedicated training grounds of the Hidden Sand.
He held the Divine Sword (Shinto Tenken) in his hand; though his body was motionless, the air around him crackled and grew restless, stirred by the sheer intensity of his aura.
Slowly raising his head, the markings of the Dragon Sage Mode surfaced around his eyes. In that instant, the Divine Sword cleared its scabbard, erupting in a brilliant radiance that enveloped Shiraishi, as if harmonizing with the very world around him.
The sword carried the pure essence of natural energy, a testament to the fact that Shiraishi's personality was perfectly aligned with this legendary tool.
Had it been someone like Obito or Uchiha Madara wielding it, the blade would undoubtedly manifest a completely different, perhaps more malevolent, state.
With a sudden pivot, Shiraishi swung. The blade cut a crescent-shaped vacuum in the air, flickering with iridescent light.
Shiraishi was reflecting on that brief, soul-stirring glimpse of the swordsman's memory from the mirror. That single strike had left an indelible impression—it was a style of swordsmanship born purely for killing, a refined path of slaughter that left one shivering with primal dread.
A sword of pure killing?
Every warrior possesses their own unique "Dao" of the blade. While Shiraishi was a master of various ninja tool styles, his core remained the Path of Nature—a regal, orthodox style of combat.
To put it simply, Shiraishi's attacks were always grand and majestic, characterized by massive special effects and overwhelming power meant to crush opponents through sheer scale.
However, the sword from the memory followed the Path of Slaughter. It was devoid of distractions, fueled by a concentrated killing intent so dense it could swallow a person's soul before the blade even touched them.
Though they existed in different worlds, Shiraishi had been using his internal virtual system to simulate that environment of boiling malice, honing his own combat instincts against it. The more he felt that eerie killing intent, the calmer he became.
Suddenly, Shiraishi gripped the Divine Dao Sword tightly. The cold light on the blade condensed, and he unleashed a domineering strike.
The sword light seemed to lock the very space around it, flying like a beam of pure light toward a massive sand testing tower.
Boom!
A deep, jagged gash was left on the silver pyramid-shaped tower. Shiraishi walked over, tracing the mark with his fingers, and smiled faintly. "As I thought... no matter how I swing, my blade will never become a 'Sword of Slaughter'."
It looked similar, but the essence was different. His sword followed its own path of authority.
The New Navy Command
Meanwhile, at the Navy Headquarters in the Land of Kusunoki, a massive fortress loomed over the peninsula beneath giant steel gates. Countless personnel in deep blue uniforms hurried about, processing reports on maritime incidents.
The Navy's jurisdiction was vast. They touched upon almost everything occurring on the waves, even going as far as interfering in the internal affairs of small island nations under the guise of "security."
Nagase Bizen, who hadn't been involved in the later stages of the Navy's expansion, felt a significant weight on his shoulders as he took command of this juggernaut.
Although Morimoto had been dismissed, the Navy still had one female Admiral and several Vice-Admiral candidates—all of whom were the backbone originally trained by Morimoto.
The heavy doors of the grand conference room groaned open. Bizen, clad in his Fleet Admiral uniform and looking weary, stepped inside.
Aside from Uzumaki Tomoki and Ace, the room was filled with new faces. Some were graduates from the naval academy that Shiraishi hadn't even met in person yet.
Tomoki felt the pressure as well. Taking over the Navy's Intelligence Division was no small feat; he hadn't even met the heads of the various intelligence cells yet.
Most field agents operated under codenames and were stationed abroad. Some were even high-ranking officials in other villages.
Originally, Intelligence reported directly to the Fleet Admiral. Shiraishi had deliberately split it off to Tomoki to prevent too much power from being concentrated in one person's hands.
"Is Yukihime not here yet?" Bizen asked.
Yukihime, a descendant of the Hidden Mist's Ice Release clan, was currently the only female Admiral raised within the Navy's own system.
With her pale blue hair and unique bloodline, she was a living nightmare for many on the high seas.
Her family had defected to the Sand, a background similar to Tomoki's, and she was known for her gentle temperament.
Shiraishi had specifically chosen these three because they were all single; he secretly hoped the proximity would foster a stronger bond—or perhaps something more.
"She's here, but she's refusing to come in," one of the female Jonin said, rolling her eyes toward the door.
Standing at the entrance was a young woman with short hair and glasses. She had clear eyes and a refreshing, natural aura about her. She looked more like a quiet scholar than a high-ranking military officer. She was simply... too quiet.
The files said she was gentle, but this is beyond gentle—she looks like a lost lamb, Bizen thought, scratching his head.
Records indicated that Yukihime's development of Ice Release was extraordinarily rare and powerful, far surpassing previous masters like the late "Retsu." In a maritime environment, her ability was nearly peerless.
"Haha, she's surprisingly cute," Ace remarked.
At the sound of Ace's voice, Yukihime's face turned bright red. She thought to herself: Is this the Great Ace who suppressed Senior Morimoto? He's so handsome...
But... that red-haired guy from the Uzumaki clan next to him is also very good-looking...
This is so difficult! Both are perfect. Which one should I choose?
In Yukihime's mind, the Kazekage's arrangement of the "Three Admirals" was clearly a matchmaking scheme to find her a husband.
Before she had even stepped through the door, her heart was racing. In her world, marriage was the biggest mission of all!
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