A few days later, Makima and Antares learned what had happened in Konoha through a letter sent by Shanks himself. When they read that the stain of the alliance with Konoha had finally been removed, both of them felt genuinely relieved. They had never forgotten how, in the village's darkest hour, Konoha not only failed to come to their aid but later even attempted to assassinate the surviving Uzumaki just to seize their clan's inheritance. That betrayal had left a bitter mark on every Uzumaki. So calling that alliance a stain was no exaggeration—it was something that needed to be wiped away.
They also learned that their Onii-san was finally getting married to Uchiha Mikoto, and that the wedding had been set for Shanks's own birthday. Reading that, both Makima and Antares couldn't help smiling. They were truly happy for their elder brother—the one who had not only granted them strength with his own hands but had stood firm when the Uzumaki clan needed him most.
In the letter, Shanks also told them that if the situation in the Land of Sea was stable, they should return to the Land of Uzumaki. There was no need for them to remain there any longer—and besides, they needed to attend the wedding.
After both Makima and Antares finished reading the letter, Makima said, "Since the acting Daimyo, Sachinobu, is running the Land of Sea very well and the situation here has mostly stabilized, we should inform him that we'll be leaving soon. We also need to discuss the date for the official announcement of the alliance between the Land of Uzumaki and the Land of Sea, which will happen after Onii-san's marriage."
…
Antares nodded, and the two of them left the hall where they had been sitting, heading straight toward the Daimyo's mansion.
Sachinobu, now the acting Daimyo, was inside the main hall reviewing documents, his brush moving steadily across parchment. The quiet rustle of paperwork filled the room, until a sudden knock came at the door. Sachinobu looked up as a servant stepped inside.
"What is it?" he asked.
The servant bowed lightly. "Lord Daimyo, Lord Makima and Lord Antares have arrived outside and wish to speak with you."
Sachinobu's eyes widened slightly at the servant's words. "Go, go—bring them in immediately."
The servant bowed and hurried out. Less than a minute later, he returned with Makima and Antares following behind him. Sachinobu rose slightly from his seat out of courtesy.
"Antares-san, Makima-san," he said, looking between them, "what brings you here? Is there something you require?"
Hearing his question, Antares stepped forward. "Lord Daimyo, we have seen that you've handled everything in the Land of Sea quite well after receiving authority from your brother. It's only a matter of time before we can allow him to die according to our plan. Then you will become the official Daimyo, not merely the acting one."
Sachinobu nodded, lowering his gaze respectfully. "All of this is thanks to the two of you."
Makima and Antares acknowledged his words with calm nods.
Antares continued, "But before that happens, we'll be returning to the Land of Uzumaki. Our clan head—our village head, and the Daimyo of the Land of Uzumaki—my elder brother, Shanks Uzumaki, is getting married. We must be present. The wedding will take place inside Konoha, and as you know, our relationship with Konoha isn't exactly peaceful. Because of that, we cannot invite you to attend the wedding itself. However, when the reception is held, all of our allies will certainly be invited by my elder brother. At that time, you will be welcome in the Land of Uzumaki."
Sachinobu's expression brightened. "That is truly joyous news, something worthy of celebration. I'm very happy for the Uzumaki clan head's marriage. Of course, it is unfortunate that I won't be able to attend the ceremony, but I understand completely. And rest assured—we will definitely attend the reception."
Antares nodded at Sachinobu's response, and both he and Makima felt genuinely satisfied with the attitude the acting Daimyo displayed. This was the steadiness and loyalty they needed from him. Yes… our choice wasn't wrong, they both thought. Sachinobu would indeed make a fitting next Daimyo.
Then Antares reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a sealed scroll. He handed it to Sachinobu with measured seriousness. "Here. Keep this scroll. Whenever you're in need, there is a seal inside it. Anyone who can inject chakra into it can use it—and we know you've learned some ninjutsu and can control chakra, so you will be able to activate it."
Sachinobu accepted the scroll with both hands, his expression sharpening with focus.
Antares continued, "If you channel chakra into the seal, it will allow you to summon any one of us—the Uzumaki siblings. At that moment, we will come to your aid. But remember… use it only when you are in mortal danger, or in a situation beyond your ability to handle. It must be saved for a moment that demands our immediate intervention."
Sachinobu slowly nodded, gripping the scroll with a sense of weight and responsibility. "I understand. I will keep this in mind."
Antares and Makima nodded. With all the necessary instructions delivered to Sachinobu, they turned and walked out of the Daimyo mansion, leaving its polished halls behind. Once outside, the two exchanged a brief glance, then formed the same hand seal. There was no need to walk all the way back when they could return instantly. A swirl of chakra rose around them—white smoke burst outward—and both were reverse-summoned directly to the Uzumaki village.
The moment they arrived, they headed straight to meet Shanks.
Shanks was seated behind a short table, a warm cup of tea beside his hand, quietly reading the reports on the the development progress of the Uzumaki village.
The most prominent change was the establishment of the new Ninja Academy. In its very first round of recruitment, they had found several promising students—nearly a hundred children with the potential to become shinobi. Among them, five stood out sharply, displaying the spark of genius and the capability to reach the level of a future Jonin. This discovery was gratifying for Shanks and for the rest of the Uzumaki clan.
And as the academy expanded, even more students would join. To ensure their future strength, Shanks had set a strict rule: before any academy student could step into real combat, they must first receive a proper education. No one would be allowed to take missions before the age of fifteen—no matter how talented they were.
Although this rule wasn't considered orthodox in the ninja world—where any academy student capable of basic ninjutsu was usually sent to the battlefield or on missions—Shanks refused to follow that path. He wanted the children to have a proper childhood, a real childhood, before being thrown into the chaos of this world.
When Antares and Makima entered the room, Shanks looked up from his papers. "You both did well," he said, a note of pride in his voice. "Just as I expected. You handled things in the Land of Sea perfectly and chose the best candidate for Daimyo. I'm very pleased."
Hearing Shanks praise them, Antares and Makima's faces brightened with genuine joy. They smiled, bowed deeply, and said in unison, "This is what we must do, Onii-san."
Then they began giving a full report of everything they had accomplished. Even though they had already sent detailed updates through letters, they still went through every action, every decision, every step of their plan word for word. Shanks nodded as he listened, paying careful attention to each detail.
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