After Shanks listened carefully to the full report from Antares and Makima, he nodded and said, "Your work was phenomenal—truly impeccable. You did great. Anyway, the monthly meeting we usually hold—the Uzumaki clan meeting—is only five days away. A few things need to be decided there. So be ready for it, and we'll talk further on how to proceed with the Land of Sea on that day."
Both Antares and Makima nodded at Shanks's words and left the room, leaving him alone with the papers spread across his desk. The faint rustle of their footsteps faded down the hall as Shanks exhaled softly and returned to his work.
A few days passed. On the 5th of October, the monthly clan meeting of the Uzumaki clan was held—where they typically discussed the past month's developments and any new policies or reforms that needed to be made.
In the meeting hall, Shanks sat in the main seat. In front of him, on his left and right, the other Uzumaki siblings occupied the parallel rows of seats. Among them was their returned uncle, Shota Uzumaki, who had also been given a place in the meeting room. It's not just because he is their uncle or due to his seniority in the clan. Such things don't matter much to Shanks. What matters to him is that only those actively working for the village and the clan have a right to sit in this room—and Uncle Shota has been working hard, contributing tirelessly.
Shanks was the first to speak. He leaned forward slightly and said, "Today, all of us are gathered here for the monthly meeting of our clan. And also, in a little less than two weeks, my marriage is set to happen. The preparations in the village are moving at full force, all thanks to Erza, so there isn't much left for me to handle. But even though I would like all my brothers and sisters to be present there, it's technically not possible. We can't leave the Uzumaki village completely unguarded."
He paused for a moment, letting the reality settle over the room. It's a happy occasion… but caution comes first.
"So," Shanks continued, "I've decided on a simple raffle lottery method. Whoever's name comes up will stay here in Uzumaki Village to guard it. Two of you must remain in the village."
After hearing this, every Uzumaki sibling—and Uncle Shota—nodded in agreement.
Finally, the raffle lottery was performed twice, with Shanks carrying it out himself to keep the process completely impartial. The names that emerged were Guy and Todoroki. They would be the ones staying behind in Uzumaki Village.
Both Guy and Todoroki showed a trace of disappointment on their faces at not being able to attend their elder brother's wedding, but they weren't truly disheartened. After all, the village needed to be protected, and it was their duty to shoulder their elder brother's burdens whenever possible. They accepted the result without complaint.
Shanks then said, "Very well. Now that it's been decided who will remain here in the Land of Uzumaki, the rest of you will come with me. And Uncle Shota, you'll have to come as well. During a marriage, the presence of elders is required, and we're fortunate you were able to return to the Uzumaki clan. I couldn't ask for a better elder than you."
Shota immediately stood up, emotion flickering across his face. "It will be my honor, Clan Head. Although I returned to the Land of Uzumaki, you were the one who created this place for us—the remnants of the Uzumaki clan scattered throughout the world—to have a home to return to."
Shanks nodded at Shota's words. Then the smile on his face slowly faded, his expression turning serious. He shifted his gaze toward Makima and said, "Makima, I have an assignment for you. You will place some of your normal summoning beasts around Konoha—concealed—and instruct them to keep an eye on the village. Any kind of large disturbance, especially one causing significant damage… I want it reported immediately. I fear something might happen to Kushina in the future. Her safety is also our concern. After all, she is a member of our clan."
The moment Shanks finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room tightened. Everyone's face turned serious. If Shanks felt something ominous approaching Kushina's future, then there was an eighty to ninety percent chance it would come true.
After all, Shanks truly possessed the ability to look into the future.
The strength each of them currently held—the power that elevated the Uzumaki siblings so rapidly—was strength granted by Shanks himself, in the form of the template system. A system that mirrored what they would have become in a future timeline where each of them was at their absolute peak.
Back then, Shanks's explanation had gone over their heads. They had been children, unable to grasp the depth of the power he was giving them. But now that they had grown, they understood just how terrifying Shanks's foresight truly was—how he could peer into potential futures, deduce perfect training methods, and plant those methods into them through templates, allowing them to train along the optimal path and grow at incredible speed.
Because of those templates, they had become this powerful—so quickly, so efficiently, almost unnaturally fast. The realization settled heavily across the room, a silent acknowledgment of the clan head's frightening clarity of vision.
Recently, some of them had even asked Shanks if he could deduce powerful future versions of their remaining aunts and the other returning clan members—so that he could plant those abilities in them as templates, just like he had done for the ten siblings. But Shanks told them that in his lifetime, this was something that could only be performed once, and it could be given to only ten people. At that time, he had chosen them— the ten Uzumaki siblings—because they were young and held the greatest future potential. They were grateful for that choice, grateful that Shanks had entrusted such power to them.
Shanks could also easily deduce what his clan siblings were thinking. And the truth he had hidden from them was that the "ability" was not some mystical clan technique—it was a system. A template system. One that granted them the strength and abilities of red-haired characters from other worlds, from other animes entirely.
Shanks had once asked the main template system—what he called the mother template system—whether new templates could be given to others as well. Whether more of the clan could be empowered. But the system had coldly rejected the idea and answered, "Only ten people can be given templates, and the assignments have already been made to your clan brothers and sisters. No more templates will ever be granted."
Shanks already knew this, so he didn't argue. And when his siblings later asked him to perform the same "template planting" for others, he simply told them the explanation the system allowed—that it was an ability he could use only once in his lifetime, and only on ten individuals. He told them he had chosen them.
That simple truth—or what they believed was the truth—only deepened the loyalty of his brothers and sisters toward him, binding them even more tightly under his leadership.
Shanks hadn't checked his status panel in a long time. So, closing his eyes, he focused inward, letting the familiar interface rise into view like words appearing on a still surface of water.
Name: Shanks Uzumaki
Strength: High Kage
Abilities:
• Armament Haki (Lv. 5): Unlocked Internal Destruction
• Observation Haki (Lv. 5): Can see 3 seconds into the future
• Conqueror's Haki (Lv. 5): Can use Conqueror's Haki coating
• Shanks's Movement Technique → Lightning Release: Thunder God's Sword
• Swordsmanship → Lightning Release: Thunder God's Sword
As Shanks reviewed his panel, a faint ripple of curiosity passed through the other Uzumaki siblings too. One by one, the Uzumaki siblings began checking their own character panels as well—something they hadn't done in a while either.
Erza looked at hers.
Name: Erza Uzumaki
Strength: Low Kage
Abilities:
• Requip: The Knight (Lv. 4)
• Swordsmanship (Lv. 4)
• Marksmanship (Lv. 4)
• Telekinesis (Lv. 4)
• Enchantment (Lv. 4)
Guy checked his next.
Name: Guy Uzumaki
Strength: Low Kage
Abilities:
• Elemental Control (Lv. 4)
• Swordsmanship (Lv. 4)
• Demon Lord's Haki: Can intimidate weaker opponents
• Ultimate Skill: Lucifer, Lord of Pride
Benimaru looked at his panel.
Name: Benimaru Uzumaki
Strength: S-Rank
Abilities:
• Swordsmanship (Lv. 4)
• Flame Control (Lv. 4)
Yoko glanced at hers.
Name: Yoko Uzumaki
Strength: S-Rank
Abilities:
• Florakinesis (Lv. 4)
• Whipmanship (Lv. 4)
Mereoleona viewed her status next.
Name: Mereoleona Uzumaki
Strength: S-Rank
Abilities:
• Flame Magic (Lv. 4)
• Hellfire Incarnate
Todoroki focused on his.
Name: Todoroki Uzumaki
Strength: S-Rank
Abilities:
• Ice Control (Lv. 4)
• Fire Control (Lv. 4)
Gildarts opened his panel.
Name: Gildarts Uzumaki
Strength: Low Kage
Abilities:
• Crush Magic (Lv. 4)
Antares followed.
Name: Antares Uzumaki
Strength: Low Kage
Abilities:
• Dragon Transformation
• Fire Magic (Lv. 4)
Renji checked his panel.
Name: Renji Uzumaki
Strength: S-Rank
Abilities:
• Swordsmanship (Lv. 4)
• Shikai
Makima, calm as always, finally viewed hers.
Name: Makima Uzumaki
Strength: S-Rank
Abilities:
• Adamantine Sealing Chains
• Control (Lv. 4): Can control nearly all Jōnin-level opponents and below
The room filled with a quiet, steady tension as each sibling absorbed the details of their own growth. Panels like these were more than numbers—they were proof of the path Shanks had carved for all of them, the future he had seen and chosen.
----
Want to get daily updates and read 20+ chapters? Then join my Patreon!
Patreon Link: https://[email protected]/Hkj822
Join Discord Link: https://discord.gg/MXPrVTBM