The conference room at the Navy Headquarters was adorned with chandeliers and fittings that were nothing short of extravagant.
In terms of sheer opulence, some of the decor far surpassed even Shiraishi's Kazekage office back in the Hidden Sand.
A single large chandelier hanging from the ceiling cost as much as a Jonin's combined salary for three months.
Seeing such blatant decadence displayed so openly made Nagase Bizen feel a surge of distaste.
Over the years, the Navy under Morimoto Ryoji's management—though a fledgling department—had not been immune to the rot of corruption.
Due to his upbringing, Bizen harbored a natural disdain for such waste. However, he maintained his composure and turned a refined gaze toward Yukihime. "Please, have a seat, Lady Yukihime. You will have plenty of time to get to know Admiral Ace and Admiral Uzumaki."
"Ah... okay..."
Having her thoughts read so easily made Yukihime turn beet red. She felt as though she might faint from the embarrassment.
This shy, delicate girl was, ironically, the most famous Ice Release bloodline user in the entire Navy.
As Yukihime sat down cautiously, she couldn't help but steal glances at Ace and Tomoki.
Bizen silently marveled at the Kazekage's foresight; out of all the original Navy high command, Shiraishi had handpicked Yukihime to be promoted, clearly anticipating this exact dynamic.
Looking at the gathered naval officers, Bizen spoke softly. "Regarding the adjustments for the next phase of the Navy's work, I truly value the opinions of the original high-ranking officers."
He placed a stack of documents on the table and directed his focus toward Yukihime. "As a veteran of this department, Admiral Yukihime, what is your view on this matter?"
"Um... yes... no problem..."
Yukihime gave a distracted reply, her heart fluttering like a trapped bird as she continued to peek at Ace and Tomoki.
Ignoring her distracted state, Bizen continued outlining the new policies, occasionally pausing to "ask" for her input.
"Regarding the Navy's expenditures and budget, we will be conducting a complete re-evaluation. Does Admiral Yukihime agree?"
"Yes, no problem..."
"Additionally, we need a full inventory count of all weapons and supplies in our warehouses."
At that moment, Tomoki discreetly slid an orange toward Yukihime. Seeing this, Ace stuck out his tongue playfully and slid another orange her way.
Receiving two oranges at once sent Yukihime into a daze of giddiness. She didn't even hear what Bizen was saying as she blurted out, "By your command!"
These guys are far too devious... Bizen thought.
Though he was nominally asking for her opinion, everyone in the room could see that Admiral Yukihime was completely infatuated.
Ace and Tomoki were playing along perfectly with Bizen, keeping her engaged and distracted with "work discussions."
The veteran Ice Release master, once the pride of the old Navy system, had been utterly defeated by two handsome faces.
The other Jonin in the room felt an urge to cough up blood in frustration. But there was nothing they could do; since Yukihime—the representative of the old guard—had agreed, the sweeping reforms and adjustments had to proceed.
The division of labor was set: Ace would handle the front lines, hunting down rogue ninja and pirates; Tomoki would manage the Intelligence Division; and Yukihime would oversee the rear, including the specialized medical and sealing teams.
As the Fleet Admiral, Bizen would handle external relations, such as the ongoing dispute with the Cloud Ninja over the northern islands.
Furthermore, Cloud activity had been spotted in the eastern continental regions—still far from the Land of Demons, but enough to put the Sand on high alert.
Mt. Myoboku's Prophecy
At Mt. Myoboku, the Great Sage Toad, Fukasaku, and Shima walked toward the grand hall to pay their respects to the Great Toad Sage.
To their surprise, the elderly sage, who usually loved to sleep, sat in solemn contemplation.
"Father, what is wrong?"
Since the failed intervention against the Sand's invasion, the Great Toad Sage had been dreaming more frequently—and they were all nightmares.
"The destruction of this world... is drawing closer..."
The Sage's words made Fukasaku and Shima turn pale. "Father, has the dream become clearer?"
"I have just performed a technique. I sensed that the Hidden Sand has successfully breached the world barrier and introduced an 'Outsider.' This matches the vision in my dream perfectly. This is the countdown to the world's end."
The dreams the Great Sage had shared with Jiraiya were, in fact, premonitions of a diverging future. The Kazekage and that "Calamity Star" were destined to lead the world to the brink.
While the Calamity Star with the Tenseigan had not yet matured, the Kazekage's actions were becoming intolerable to the Sage.
"Father, if we are to take action against the Sand, we must contact Shikkotsu Forest, the Leaf, and all other continental forces dissatisfied with the Sand. We must unite to deliver a fatal blow."
The hidden trump card of Mt. Myoboku lay in the stone statues beneath the Toad Waterfall—the remains of historical powerhouses. However, even they were slightly lacking compared to the likes of Shiraishi.
The Sage of Shikkotsu Forest was even more powerful than the Great Toad Sage, though she rarely acted personally, usually only splitting a portion of her strength for healing. But her true body held a combat power that could shake the world.
We must drag her into this...
"Contact Jiraiya," the Sage commanded. "Have him find a way to get in touch with Tsunade."
The Challenge
On the Uchiha training grounds, the annual clan assessment was underway. Uchiha Fugaku, accompanied by Kaede, was overseeing the younger generation's progress.
Lately, Kaede had become the most popular young powerhouse in the clan, gaining a massive following.
His stance—that the Uchiha must secure more power and a louder voice within the Leaf—appealed to the clan far more than the restraint shown by Fugaku and Itachi.
Fugaku didn't mind the shift in popularity. If Itachi continued to disappoint him, he wouldn't mind having Kaede serve as a capable "assistant" to help manage the clan until Sasuke came of age.
"Look, it's Itachi! Why is he here?" A sharp-eyed clansman pointed as Uchiha Itachi, with his signature short black hair, walked slowly toward the center of the field.
Though Itachi was eligible for the assessment every year, his strength was so great that no one dared challenge him, nor did he usually find anyone worth challenging.
Seeing his son appear, Fugaku instinctively felt something was amiss.
Itachi dropped to one knee before looking up, his gaze fixing on the man standing beside Fugaku.
"Father," Itachi said clearly. "I am here to challenge Kaede."
A collective gasp rippled through the gathered Uchiha.
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