As the banquet time arrived, Shanks, with Mikoto beside him, came to the large gathering location where all the Uzumaki siblings were assembled. The Ninja Academy graduates were also gathered in small groups, talking among themselves, holding glasses of juice or sake—whatever they preferred. The low murmur of voices mixed with the faint clink of glass.
When everyone saw Shanks entering, all of them became attentive almost instantly. Conversations slowed, then faded. Shanks walked toward the slightly raised platform from where he could see all the Ninja Academy graduates who had participated in the war yesterday. The Uzumaki siblings were standing just in front of him, quite close to the raised platform, their expressions calm but proud.
Shanks began speaking, his voice steady yet carrying easily across the gathering.
"Today's banquet is for multiple reasons. The first being the fact that we won our war and have emerged victorious without any deaths on our side—which is a very big thing and generally doesn't happen."
A faint breeze moved through the open space, rustling clothes and hair.
"I hope that you all understand—most of you are here standing alive just because you were being protected by Benimaru. But I know that in the future you all will train harder and become stronger to stand on your own and won't need anyone else's protection."
As soon as the academy graduates heard Shanks's words, all of them nodded and said, "Yes!" with enthusiasm in their voices. Their reply came almost in unison, filled with determination. Clearly, they also knew that they were alive mostly because Benimaru had decided to protect them. If it had been a normal war, then definitely there would have been deaths among their ranks. A few of them subconsciously tightened their grips around their glasses. We survived… because Uzumaki siblings stood in front of us.
After their enthusiastic "yes" calmed down and silence returned, Shanks continued.
"And the second reason for which this banquet is being held is because, as you all can see, my left arm has regrown and healed completely."
He slightly raised his left arm, flexing his fingers once. The movement was deliberate.
"And this left arm is not a prosthetic or anything; it is my arm—my own flesh and blood. So definitely, this calls for a celebration."
As soon as Shanks's voice fell, all the graduates and even the Uzumaki siblings congratulated him loudly.
"Congratulations, Uzukage-sama, on getting your hand back!"
The sentence was said in unison by all the people present at the banquet, their voices echoing across the open space. Some smiled broadly; others bowed their heads respectfully.
Shanks nodded once, acknowledging them.
"I definitely know that you all want to go on and celebrate and have a feast and all, but today I also have an announcement to make for all of you."
The mood shifted slightly—curiosity replacing celebration.
"I have been thinking of creating a similar force like the Anbu in other villages in our own Uzushiogakure, and I have come up with the idea to create the Shadow Guards of our village."
A few whispers rippled through the crowd before dying down.
"Those Shadow Guards will have a special requirement to join, and that is being born with Yin Release chakra nature. Only if you have Yin Release kind of chakra nature can you join the ranks of the Shadow Guard."
He paused briefly, letting the weight of his words settle.
"And I have thought clearly about the ranks; it will be divided into Bronze, Silver, and Gold. The Bronze-tier Shadow Guards will be equivalent in strength to Special Jonin. Silver-rank Shadow Guards will be comparable to full-fledged Jonin. And the Gold-tier Shadow Guards will be compared to S-rank Jonin."
A subtle tension formed in the air as the academy graduates processed the hierarchy.
"But of course, due to the requirement of the Yin Release chakra type, it poses a restraint on everyone. Just like how, among the hundreds of you academy graduates, only ten have the Yin Release chakra type."
Some of the graduates instinctively glanced around, as if trying to guess who those ten were. Only ten…
"And the reason why I am only taking in the Yin Release chakra type into my Shadow Guards is because the Shadow Guards will be just like my shadow—their fighting style similar to mine."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"That is how I use my Observation Haki and Armament Haki to fight; they will also be able to use that. And for that, Yin-type chakra is required. That is why I am only taking in Yin chakra-type ninjas into the Shadow Guards."
The declaration lingered in the air, heavy yet inspiring, as the future progress of Uzushiogakure quietly began to take shape before them.
Shanks was able to spot ten ninjas among the hundred academy graduates who had the Yin-type chakra nature. He could do so only because he had used his God's View ability. It was only when he activated that ability that he was able to filter out the ninjas possessing the Yin-type chakra nature from the rest. To ordinary perception, they were no different from the others—but under his skill, their chakra signatures stood out clearly, like faint shadows within light.
After listening to the words of Shanks, all the Ninja Academy graduates were very happy—truly excited. Everyone in the world knew that if the Uzumaki clan was standing back up again and Uzushiogakure had been formed once more, it was all because of this man—the red-haired emperor, Shanks. If he had not been present, then nothing of any sort would have happened. The village would have remained a memory, a scar in history.
So naturally, everyone was a huge fan of Shanks.
Joining as his Shadow Guards—using the same moves as Shanks himself—was a very great honour and something to be celebrated. The very thought made their blood stir. To fight like him, to stand as his shadow… it sounded glorious.
It was just that the restraint of the Yin chakra nature as a requirement hindered them. It felt kind of unfair. After all, innate chakra nature is fixed at birth, and they could not do anything about it. Some of them unconsciously clenched their fists. If only I had been born with it…
Clearly, many felt unfortunate and were wondering who those ten people were who possessed the Yin chakra nature and would be fortunate enough to join the Shadow Guards.
Shanks did not announce it there in front of everyone. He had already marked all ten ninja graduates. Since these graduates were only one hundred people and were the newest graduates, he had already read about them—their files, their abilities, their backgrounds. And now that he had Raphael in his mind, he could not forget anything. Not a single detail slipped past him.
He had simply asked Raphael to create the list of those ninjas who possessed the Yin-type chakra. Later on, he would give this list to Benimaru, who would inform them after the banquet—tomorrow, in private. There was no need to create tension or jealousy in the middle of celebration.
Shanks then said, "Now that my announcement and all the things that I wanted to speak have been spoken, let's begin the banquet."
As soon as his words fell, the banquet truly began, enthusiasm bursting out from everyone like a released spring. Laughter rose into the air. Groups formed naturally. Some began celebrating in circles, raising their cups high. A few even danced around with their friends, careless and loud. The earlier restraint slowly melted away. Music picked up somewhere in the background, and the atmosphere turned lively and warm.
The banquet went on for a long time.
However, Shanks and Mikoto left after the first half an hour or so. Clearly, due to the presence of the Uzukage, the graduates still held themselves back and were not fully able to celebrate. Shanks had noticed it—the slight stiffness in their shoulders, the way their laughter lowered whenever he glanced their way.
It was better this way.
Moreover, Mikoto was pregnant and could not remain present there for too long amid the noise and constant movement. She needed proper rest. Shanks placed a gentle hand on her back as they walked away together, the sounds of celebration fading behind them. The cool night air felt calmer outside the gathering grounds.
Let them enjoy freely, he thought.
…
The next morning, around 9:00 AM, Shanks was in his study room, which also served as his office. Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the neatly stacked bundles of papers on his desk. The room was quiet, carrying the faint scent of ink and parchment.
At that moment, Benimaru entered his study.
Shanks looked up immediately. Without wasting time, he took out one sheet of paper from among a bundle and slid it forward across the desk.
"Benimaru, take this list of ten people," Shanks said calmly, "which I have marked with the names of those who will be the Shadow Guards."
The paper stopped right in front of Benimaru.
As soon as Benimaru nodded in acknowledgment, Shanks leaned back slightly and simply said, "Go."
Benimaru immediately left his study room.
----
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