Inside the quiet office, Uchiha Shisui slowly reviewed the reports submitted from various regions. Across the continent, construction was in full swing.
In the Land of Fire, asphalt roads were already spreading rapidly. Improved transportation had led to a surge in automobile sales, and compared to this efficiency, the old horse-drawn carriages were gradually being eliminated.
After all, refusing to enjoy better things would be foolish.
Although the Land of Fire had already changed hands, a few remnants still lurked in the shadows. However, they were nothing more than insignificant pests—far from capable of shaking Naruto's rule.
When dealing with the nobles of the Land of Fire, Naruto had offered only two choices:
submit to force, or cooperate peacefully in governing the country.
Those who knew what was good for them had already chosen the latter. Though their interests had suffered losses, at least they were still alive.
Shisui continued reading through the regional summaries. To his surprise, progress in the Land of Fire was somewhat slower than expected. The reason was simple—the Fire Daimyō was still alive, protected by the monks of the Fire Temple.
As long as he existed, certain factions in the Land of Fire would continue making small moves behind the scenes.
In contrast, the Land of Wind showed the most impressive development.
Relying on oil resources, large numbers of factories had been established, roads were rapidly improved, and the number of oases had increased significantly. Umbrella's authority there was absolute.
Aside from a handful of stubborn nobles, most civilians didn't care who ruled them. Whoever could give them a better life earned their support.
And under Ebizo's management, the Land of Wind operated with remarkable stability.
More importantly, Umbrella's development strategy—once implemented—was guaranteed to produce results.
Naruto had firmly followed a mass-oriented approach. After all, shinobi had families too. If you didn't support Umbrella, your family's comfortable life would come to an end.
No one wanted to return to the days of hunger and poverty.
Under Umbrella's leadership, life flourished. Factory construction created countless jobs, providing livelihoods for families that had never known stability. Not everyone was cut out for business, so many were assigned to factories or the rapidly expanding textile industry.
With Umbrella projects spreading across the Five Great Nations, those lands were effectively under Umbrella's control. The great ninja villages dared not oppose them openly, limiting themselves to sending small squads of shinobi to harass construction sites.
Among them, the Land of Lightning was the most aggressive. Yet, due to Naruto's overwhelming strength, they never dared push too far.
At that moment, a sharp alarm rang beside Shisui's desk.
He pressed a button, and a holographic screen rose silently from beneath the tabletop.
Several bright points appeared on the display—massive chakra signatures. Simultaneously, a reconnaissance report popped up on the right side of the screen.
Multiple large chakra units detected.
Approaching Umbrella Headquarters.
Umbrella had nearly completed its transition into the information age. Shisui frowned slightly.
With Umbrella at the height of its power, who would dare provoke them now?
A possibility surfaced in his mind.
Only one organization would be bold enough to do so.
Akatsuki.
Standing nearby, an Uchiha clan member spoke calmly.
"Shisui-nii, should we report this to Lord Naruto?"
Shisui waved his hand.
"Not yet. If Naruto has to deal with everything personally, then what are we here for? Assemble a squad and intercept them outside the headquarters."
"Yes!"
The young Uchiha had long shed his former immaturity. Now an elite jōnin, his name was Uchiha Xuan.
Shisui quickly changed into combat attire and surveyed the assembled team. None of them stood out as monsters in terms of strength, but every one of them was jōnin-level—twenty shinobi in total.
"Move out."
No further words were needed.
In an instant, the group dissolved into flickering shadows and vanished.
Twenty li away from Umbrella Headquarters, Nagato had already chosen a concealed location. One of the Paths of Pain advanced openly toward the target.
Suddenly, Nagato opened his eyes.
"Someone is coming from the opposite direction," he said calmly to Konan.
"It's Uchiha Shisui."
"Hmph. Only twenty people?" Nagato scoffed softly. "Am I being underestimated?"
Though his words carried displeasure, his tone remained eerily indifferent.
Meanwhile, Shisui was completely unaware that the person waiting ahead was none other than the true leader of Akatsuki.
Uchiha Shisui soon arrived at the designated location.
Waiting for him were several figures clad in black cloaks adorned with red clouds—the unmistakable attire of the Akatsuki.
What made Shisui's pupils constrict was not their appearance, but their eyes.
Every single one of them possessed the Rinnegan.
His heart trembled violently.
In an instant, Naruto's words resurfaced in his mind.
The Rinnegan can create Six Paths bodies.
Understanding dawned immediately.
It was impossible for multiple individuals to naturally possess the Rinnegan. These had to be the Six Paths of Pain, artificial bodies controlled through the Rinnegan's power.
Once he grasped this point, Shisui forced himself to calm down.
Even so, there was not the slightest hint of contempt in his heart.
Naruto had once said that the leader of the Akatsuki possessed strength far beyond Kage level.
Shisui had never doubted those words.
After all, the existence of the Rinnegan alone was enough to explain everything.
Standing at the forefront was the Deva Path. His expression was utterly indifferent, like a god gazing down upon insignificant mortals.
Shisui slowly drew his katana.
The moment the blade left its sheath, a sharp, invisible pressure spread through the air.
At the same time, within Umbrella Headquarters, Izumi received news that Shisui had rushed out with only a small squad to intercept the enemy.
She snorted coldly.
"Shisui-nii didn't even inform me?" she muttered. "Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. What if something happens?"
Yet Izumi also understood his mindset.
Shisui had recently been injected with perfect Hashirama cells. His Mangekyō Sharingan had reawakened, though its ocular jutsu remained temporarily sealed. It was only natural that he wanted to test his current limits.
She herself was no different.
The perfect Hashirama cells had eliminated the risk of blindness entirely. Though her ocular power was still suppressed, once fully released, she would possess few equals even among Kage-level shinobi.
Back on the battlefield, the moment Shisui's sword aura spread outward, the Deva Path's brows furrowed slightly.
He felt it.
Threat.
The two sides stood in silence.
Shisui's gaze swept across the Paths, carefully searching for flaws. Time passed—one minute, then two.
Neither side moved.
Beads of sweat slowly formed on Shisui's forehead.
The enemy remained completely calm, as though utterly unconcerned by his presence—or his blade.
That calmness was pressure in itself.
There was no other choice.
If he hesitated any longer, the morale of his fellow shinobi would be crushed under this invisible weight.
Shisui moved.
In an instant, his figure split into countless afterimages, all charging forward simultaneously. His sword light surged forth, sharp and decisive, carrying an intent that seemed capable of splitting the heavens.
Facing the overwhelming assault, the Deva Path Pain merely spoke in a cold, emotionless voice:
"Shinra Tensei."
The world distorted.
All of Shisui's afterimages shattered in an instant, erased as if they had never existed. An invisible repulsive force exploded outward, tearing across the battlefield.
The ground beneath them cracked and was violently pushed back, everything caught within the range being forcefully expelled.
Shisui was sent flying backward.
The pressure of Nagato had finally revealed itself.
...
TN:
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