After that, Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato rose from their seats and walked out of the meeting room. Once they had left, Todoroki spoke up, his voice tinged with doubt.
"Could it be that these Akatsuki leaders were sent by Kirigakure or Kumogakure after suffering heavy losses at our hands?"
Shanks shook his head slowly. "No. That's not the case. They genuinely wish for peace in this world. But sometimes, bringing peace requires an overwhelming amount of strength—something they do not possess right now. And even if they gain it in the future, whether they will truly reach their goal is an entirely different matter."
He looked toward Todoroki calmly. "Leave it at that. Focus on what you're doing. There's no need to concern yourself with what others are saying."
While Yahiko and Shanks were holding this meeting, elsewhere in the world, the Third Mizukage and the Third Raikage met within a neutral country. There, the two leaders finally reached an agreement—an alliance forged against Uzushiogakure.
This time, their intent was unmistakable.
They would deploy their full strength. Their objective was total annihilation of the Uzumaki. No one would be allowed to escape Uzushiogakure—not even civilians. They were determined to be thorough, choosing certainty over regret.
They would not allow another Shanks Uzumaki—or any other Uzumaki sibling—to rise again.
Both sides began preparing their armies. As planned, the Raikage's son, A, and Killer B were left to hold the Iwagakure front. Dodai was also instructed by the Third Raikage to remain with A and Killer B, assisting them in maintaining the defensive line.
Although the Third Raikage had absolute confidence in his own strength, that did not mean he underestimated the Uzumaki—especially the Uzushiokage, Shanks Uzumaki. Shanks had been given the title of the Red-Haired Emperor. Though the name had first originated from a small nation, it now echoed across the world. And this spoke volumes about Shanks's strength.
Once preparations were complete, both Kumogakure and Kirigakure began moving their forces toward the Land of Uzumaki.
Such large-scale movements did not go unnoticed. The major villages quickly became aware of the actions taken by Kumogakure and Kirigakure. Even the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, was informed of the situation. Yet, despite Kumogakure's numbers thinning and their forces adopting a defensive posture while retreating several steps back, Onoki chose not to order Iwagakure's forces to press the advantage.
Instead, he remained watchful, waiting to see how the storm would unfold.
Although this was an excellent opportunity for the Tsuchikage to strike and seize large portions of the Land of Lightning, he knew he could not act now. If Iwagakure attacked the Kumogakure forces with full strength, there was a strong possibility that the Third Raikage would return to the front—or worse, that both Kumogakure and Kirigakure would shift their focus toward crushing Iwagakure instead.
That was a risk he would never take.
From the actions of the Raikage and the Mizukage, one thing was clear: this time, they were out for blood. They would not stop midway. They would not compromise. They would halt only after Uzushiogakure was completely destroyed. And if anyone attempted to interfere now, they would face the combined wrath of both Kumogakure and Kirigakure.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Shanks also received news of the movements of the Kirigakure and Kumogakure forces.
This early warning was only possible because of the alliances Uzushiogakure had forged over many years. As soon as the smaller nations noticed the large-scale mobilization of the two major villages, they immediately relayed the information to Uzushiogakure, allowing Shanks to learn of the impending storm well in advance.
It had been no more than five days since Shanks had met the Akatsuki members in this very meeting room of the Uzumaki clan compound. And yet, today, he stood here again—but this time, all of his Uzumaki siblings were present alongside him. They waited in silence for his words. Only Benimaru was absent; every other Uzumaki sibling filled the room.
Shanks looked around at them and spoke, his voice calm and steady.
"As you all already know, Kumogakure and Kirigakure have forged an alliance against us, the Uzumaki clan. They have gathered their armies and are marching toward Uzushiogakure. And this time, their intention is crystal clear—to annihilate the Uzumaki completely. They don't want even a single one of us escaping like we were forced to do in the past."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"But this is exactly what I wanted. Their alliance was always within my plan. We've already discussed this before. By attacking the forces of Kirigakure and Kumogakure in a scattered and distributed manner, our goal was not only to weaken them, but to provoke them—to disgust them to the point where they would have no choice but to unite and come at us with everything they have."
Shanks paused briefly before continuing.
"The last time Kirigakure attacked, I wasn't here. They were able to continue their assault for an entire day and night. But this time, I am present."
A faint intensity entered his voice. "And compared to three years ago, my strength has increased drastically. I want to test this new strength of mine against the combined forces of Kirigakure and Kumogakure."
He looked at his siblings, one by one.
"And it's not just me. All of you have grown. Every single one of you has become far stronger than before."
"This time, none of the attacking shinobi from Kirigakure and Kumogakure will return," Shanks continued. "This battle will also settle our grudge with them. At the very least, after this, we will no longer actively hunt them. Whatever fate awaits them afterward will be their own."
All the Uzumaki siblings present in the meeting room nodded in unison. They were no longer children. They had grown—grown enough to understand when killing must end. Yes, they had suffered greatly, and for that very reason, this battle would be the final suffering they would inflict upon Kumogakure and Kirigakure. What came after was no longer their concern. This war would close the chapter of revenge, extinguishing the flames of hatred in their hearts with blood and finality.
Seeing their resolve, Shanks nodded in satisfaction. Then he spoke again, his orders clear.
"Immediately send word to Benimaru and have him return as soon as possible. His task will be to lead the hundred newly graduated shinobi from the Uzumaki Ninja Academy and have them participate in this war. It will be good tempering for them."
He rose from his seat, his hand closing around the hilt of his sword, Gryphon.
"Let the armies of Kirigakure and Kumogakure come," Shanks said, his presence dominating the room. "I will show them why I am called the Red-Haired Emperor, Shanks."
With that, he turned and walked out of the meeting room. One by one, the Uzumaki siblings followed, leaving behind the quiet hall as they moved to prepare for the coming war.
(A/N: In my opinion, with the end of this war, the hatred of the Uzumaki siblings toward Kumogakure and Kirigakure should also come to an end. They can finally return to a peaceful life. So for those who wanted like annihilation of Kumo and Kiri have to be disappointed.)
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