Uchiha Shisui stayed by Uchiha Kaede's side throughout the night. When Kaede woke the next morning and found Shisui fast asleep in a chair beside him, he inwardly cursed his cousin for being a meddling busybody, yet found himself in an unexpectedly good mood.
There was still some time before the Third Hokage's scheduled departure for the Daimyo's estate. For now, the integration of two Uchiha members into the ANBU had caused little more than a ripple on the surface of Konoha's internal politics.
The ANBU—the Assassination Tactical Special Forces—was a specialized military branch established by the Second Hokage.
Its members were handpicked elites, tasked with the protection of the Kage, counter-intelligence, and high-risk assassinations.
Their work was often grim or monotonous, such as guarding high-profile political prisoners, and required total anonymity behind animal-style porcelain masks.
In the current era, the ANBU operated directly under the Hokage's command, divided into squads of four or five.
Under Namikaze Minato's reign, the organization had been further refined, absorbing top-tier Jonin like Hatake Kakashi to bolster its combat effectiveness.
In this hidden world of shadows, Kaede was assigned the codename "Mokuen" (Wood Flame), while Shisui was dubbed "Tenpin" (Balance).
They were assigned to the Sixth Squad, serving as the vanguard for the Hokage's upcoming diplomatic mission. Kaede understood his own codename well enough, but he found Hiruzen's sense of irony in naming Shisui "Balance" to be rather baffling.
The Naval Ambition
While the two Uchiha prepared for their mission in the Leaf, Shiraishi and the Snake Queen arrived back at the Hidden Sand.
To keep a low profile, Shiraishi maintained his disguise as a standard ANBU guard. His Human Puppet double was currently occupied with administrative duties in the Kazekage Office, so the real Shiraishi slipped back into the village unnoticed.
He arranged for the Snake Queen to stay in a secluded cultivation manor in the North District of the Oasis New Zone.
The area was rich in natural energy and quiet, much to her delight. Once she was settled, Shiraishi shifted his focus back to his most controversial project: the establishment of the Department of the Navy.
The project had met stiff resistance from the Sand's Council of Elders. They viewed the construction of three massive sea gates and a floating headquarters as a waste of manpower and resources.
Their logic was simple: if they wanted to target the three great nations on the mainland, a land-based strategy was sufficient. Why take such a costly detour into the ocean?
Even Chiyo and Ebizo struggled to support Shiraishi's vision, fearing the Kazekage had become too arrogant to listen to dissenting voices.
Fortunately, Shiraishi's prestige was currently unshakeable; otherwise, the daily harassment from the elders would have been unbearable.
"The Navy is a strategic necessity," Shiraishi declared during a heated session. "I will not touch the village's standard budget for its initial funding."
Unlike the impoverished Sand Village of the Year 43 era, the village was now financially robust. Furthermore, Shiraishi's personal Kitajima Foundation had effectively become the financial backbone of the Land of Wind.
With the opening of maritime trade, the foundation had expanded its reach to every major port city, establishing a sophisticated financial network.
Shiraishi intended to use these "private" funds—largely extracted from the economies of other nations—to maintain the Land of Wind's momentum.
The military faction, led by Morimoto Ryoji, naturally supported the move. Ryoji, master of the Seven Heavenly Breaths, held a transcendent status in the village and was a staunch Shiraishi loyalist. He knew the scale of the Navy would far surpass the current "Nagi Island" branch.
Arakawa Arashi of the ANBU remained neutral, but Shirogane Tsukasa of the Jonin Assembly was livid. The Navy would essentially poach elite personnel from the Jonin ranks.
While the Navy's commander would technically remain a member of the Jonin Assembly, they would hold independent authority—much like the ANBU.
Shikasa hated the idea of another autonomous department slipping out from under his coordination.
Despite the internal friction and the mockery from other Great Nations—who laughed at a desert country trying to build a fleet—Shiraishi pushed the mandate through.
Shadows Over the Mist
While the mainland mocked Shiraishi's "misplaced" technology tree, the Hidden Mist looked on with envy. Some elders even approached Hozuki Haigetsu to demand their own naval expansion.
"Lord Mizukage, should we not also establish a formal Navy?"
As an island nation, the Mist theoretically needed a navy more than the Sand. However, Haigetsu scoffed at the suggestion. "Does the village have the money to throw away on ships?"
"We could borrow from the Kitajima Foundation..."
Haigetsu rolled his eyes. "Have they not bled the Mist dry enough already?"
But weren't you the one who invited that foundation in to open our markets? the elders thought, though they dared not say it.
Compared to the erratic madness of the Fourth Mizukage, the Fifth, Hozuki Haigetsu, seemed much more stable—albeit a bit lethargic and lacking in ambition.
The village remained somewhat stagnant, but for the survivors of the "Bloody Mist" era, this peaceful, if dull, life was something to be grateful for.
"Lord Mizukage! Disaster has struck!"
Haigetsu's eyelid twitched. Whether it was the original Shiraishi or this clone, "disaster" was the one word they hated most.
"What is it now? Is a Jinchuriki rampaging, or is there a giant meteor over the village asking us to 'feel pain'?"
The reporting Jonin shook his head, breathless. "It's the Cloud! They've invaded!"
In the year Konoha 49, the Hidden Cloud mobilized nearly ten thousand shinobi, thrusting deep into the Mist's northern territories. Their intent was clear: the total subjugation of the Hidden Mist.
"Are you kidding me?" Haigetsu groaned. "Can't a man just have a quiet life?"
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