After Shanks gave his final orders on what to do next, all the Uzumaki siblings began to disperse.
Before leaving, Shanks turned to Antares and Makima and said, "Both of you should get proper rest. You have an important mission ahead, and you'll need to be at your best to complete it. Leave the guarding of the village to the rest of us."
He continued in a steady tone, "We'll handle the defenses here. And based on Makima's surveillance—through the small animals she controls—we've confirmed that, aside from those four Kirigakure ninjas who tried to harm our village, there are no other suspicious forces lurking around from any other nation. Still, we'll remain vigilant."
Antares and Makima nodded in agreement. With the strength and abilities of their brothers and sisters, they both felt assured that even if more fools like those Kirigakure ninjas attempted to attack, they would be swiftly dealt with.
Time passed quietly after that. The Uzumaki village was peaceful under the night sky, its atmosphere calm and serene. However, the same could not be said for the residence where the dignitaries from the Land of Sea were staying. Panic had already spread among them. It had been quite some time since the four Kirigakure ninjas had left, yet there were still no signs of chaos in the Uzumaki village—no explosions, no alarms, not even a distant scream. Their unease grew heavier with each passing moment, as the silence of the night itself seemed to mock their expectations.
None of the Kirigakure ninjas had returned so far, and this deeply unsettled the dignitaries. Their absence could only mean one thing: the mission to create chaos in the Uzumaki village had most likely failed. The ninjas were either captured—or worse, already dead.
Yet, there was little the dignitaries could do about the situation. They couldn't risk stepping outside to investigate what had happened. Doing so would only expose them as accomplices to the Kirigakure ninjas' plot, should they be seen or caught by any Uzumaki clan member.
And so, the entire night passed with the dignitaries from the Land of Sea living in constant fear. Every creak of the floorboards or faint whisper of the wind made them tense up, expecting that at any moment their door would be kicked open and the Uzumaki would storm in to arrest them.
But as the first rays of sunlight spread across the horizon, their dread began to fade. No Uzumaki clan member had come for them. The silence of the night had remained unbroken. Slowly, they started to breathe easier, convincing themselves of one conclusion—that the Kirigakure ninjas had already been eliminated by the Uzumaki. Perhaps those four had been killed instantly without even the chance for interrogation—or maybe, fearing capture, they had taken their own lives to prevent any secrets from being exposed.
That was the reason they were still safe—the Uzumaki clan had made no move to apprehend them. This realization brought a wave of relief to the dignitaries from the Land of Sea.
By then, morning had already arrived. Antares and Makima, both well-rested after a full night's sleep, began preparing for their mission. Once ready, they went to meet Shanks.
Shanks looked at the two of them with a calm yet trusting gaze and said, "I'm leaving everything in your hands. I believe in both of you—you'll carry out this mission flawlessly and achieve our objectives."
Makima and Antares responded together, their voices filled with unwavering conviction, "Of course. We'll definitely accomplish this mission and bring the Land of Sea under the control of our Land of Uzumaki."
Hearing the determination in their tone, Shanks nodded approvingly. Without further delay, both of them departed from the Uzumaki village—well before the dignitaries from the Land of Sea even began their own preparations to leave.
Later that morning, after a breakfast organized by Shanks Uzumaki for all the visiting dignitaries from the various nations, the representatives from the Land of Sea finally decided to take their leave. They didn't linger for even a moment longer than necessary, choosing instead to depart immediately, eager to distance themselves from the village and the silent threat they now feared lay behind those calm Uzumaki smiles.
Even though the Uzumaki clan had not captured them until now, it likely meant that the clan had found no evidence linking them to any intruders—assuming those intruders had indeed been caught. That was the only reason the Uzumaki had allowed them to leave peacefully.
From a purely strategic standpoint, the most decisive action for the Uzumaki clan would have been to eliminate all the dignitaries from the Land of Sea, punishing them for their audacity to be involved in such a vicious plot against the Land of Uzumaki. However, Shanks chose restraint. He maintained his composure and rationality, fully aware that acting impulsively might alert the Daimyo of the Land of Sea or the Kirigakure leadership—and in doing so, jeopardize the greater plan that was already in motion.
----
In the Daimyo's mansion in the Land of Sea, the Daimyo sat upon his throne, his expression unreadable. Before him stood Jim, the leader of the delegation that had recently returned from the Land of Uzumaki. Having received word of their arrival the previous day, the Daimyo had summoned him for an immediate audience.
The Daimyo fixed his gaze on Jim and asked coldly, "Tell me—what was the result? Did the Kirigakure ninjas succeed in creating chaos in the Uzumaki village, or did they fail?"
Jim bowed respectfully and replied, "My lord, nothing of the sort happened. We didn't hear any news about the Kirigakure ninjas at all. Fearing that inquiring or probing the Uzumaki clan about any attack or suspicious activity might raise their suspicions toward us, we didn't dare to ask them anything. So, we don't know their exact fate. But until the very moment we left the Uzumaki village, there was no sign of chaos or disturbance. Most likely, those Kirigakure ninjas were captured and took their own lives to prevent any information from leaking."
The Daimyo nodded slowly, his expression relaxing slightly. "You did well," he said. "If the Uzumaki clan didn't apprehend you, it means they weren't able to uncover who the attackers were or where they came from. Because if Shanks Uzumaki—the arrogant head of that clan—had found out the truth, he would have certainly captured you all, or even executed you on the spot, to make an example of you. So it seems… for now, we are safe."
Jim nodded as well, a faint sense of relief visible on his face after hearing the Daimyo's words.
----
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