"Are you really planning to let me serve as the Commander of the Jonin Brigade?"
Inside the Kazekage's office, Jogaki Shikasa looked at Shiraishi, who was clad in the grand Kazekage robes, with an expression of pure disbelief.
He had never imagined that Shiraishi would summon him specifically to offer him the position of Jonin Brigade Commander.
The Jonin Brigade consisted largely of the backbones of various noble clans, with most members being at the Elite Jonin level.
Shikasa, possessing only the strength of an ordinary Jonin, realized the implication: Shiraishi needed someone he could trust implicitly to keep the Brigade firmly under the Kazekage's thumb.
"What are your primary concerns?" Shiraishi asked.
As a companion who had faced life and death alongside him, Shikasa was the person Shiraishi trusted most in the current Hidden Sand.
It was precisely for this reason that Shiraishi needed him to help control the upper echelon of the village's forces.
"My strength isn't at the level where I can lead those Elite Jonin. Even with Baki being reassigned by you, the ones remaining are all formidable characters."
Baki, formerly the confidant of the Fourth Kazekage, had already been transferred by Shiraishi. He was now a retired instructor responsible for guiding graduated Genin in field survival and practical combat.
While this job was a far cry from his central role in the Jonin Brigade, Baki seemed to have accepted the new position with stoic calm.
Shiraishi did not consider himself a saint. To secure the village, he had to install his own inner circle into every core department: Shikasa in the Jonin Brigade, Maki in the Sealing and Medical Departments, and specific roles for Mai Hoshino, Bizen Nagase, and Ryoji Morimoto.
Just as Shikasa was about to continue protesting, Shiraishi unfurled a red scroll. Five specialized puppets appeared before Shikasa, causing his eyes to light up instantly.
These were the puppets Shiraishi had seized during the battle with Sasori. Refined with the power of the Ryaku Veins and integrated with Chakra Regeneration Cores derived from the Kaguya clan's Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse), these five bone-armored puppets made Tsukasa's heart race.
Shikasa stepped forward, examining the intricate craftsmanship and hidden mechanisms. "Are... are these for me?"
"They've been modified using Sasori's engineering techniques. Each puppet is equipped with high-capacity mechanism scrolls and powerful Shikotsumyaku chakra, which will increase your combat durability by several tiers."
Shiraishi stepped forward to explain the distinct functions of each: some were designed for CQC (Close Quarters Combat), while others specialized in long-range suppression.
As Shikasa flicked his fingers, chakra threads connected to the puppets. Their eyes flickered with a vivid crimson light, as if they were living creatures. Shikasa was taken aback. "This level of craftsmanship and mechanism integration..."
A puppet master's strength is judged by the quantity and quality of their puppets. With the assistance of his specialized "Mirror" tool, Shikasa had already solved the issue of quantity; with these five bone-constructed puppets, he finally had the quality to challenge Elite Jonin.
He knew his own father couldn't create anything of this caliber. This was a custom-made arsenal that Shiraishi had poured immense effort into for him.
"I understand. As your partner, I'll back you to the end."
"The Jonin Brigade is in your hands."
The Strategy of the Yamaji Clan
Shortly after Shikasa left, the Yamaji Clan sent a significant "gift." During the development of the New Oasis Ring, the Yamaji clan had been granted vast tracts of land. Now, they were voluntarily returning the majority of that surplus to the Hidden Sand Village.
"Mochiharu Yamaji has sent quite an interesting gift."
Originally, the massive land grants were given to the Yamaji clan as a form of "blood money" after Shiraishi had killed a clan member during the Sand Festival, sparking a conflict that the Elders settled with these excessive land deeds.
Now, as the head of the three Sand-style lineages, the Yamaji clan's proactive return of land would surely trigger a chain reaction among the other clans.
Shiraishi remembered clearly that besides the Yamaji, other clans—especially the Arakawa—had seized a great deal of territory.
Yamaji Mochiharu (Mochun), the cousin of Ryoko Yamaji, had become the leader of the clan following the decline of Ryoko's direct line.
As the only Elite Jonin remaining in the branch family, Mochiharu was known for being low-profile, never seeking to outshine her cousin. Shiraishi found it surprising that this "invisible" clan head was so perceptive.
"I recall she was Arashi's former girlfriend..."
In the Yamaji clan attic, a woman with long black hair, similar in appearance to Ryoko but much more modest in demeanor, was currently facing questioning from the clan elders. She remained composed, letting the elders vent their fury.
"By giving up those lands, how do you expect the clan to grow? Did that brat Arashi Arakawa tell you to do this?" one elder shouted, his face red with anger.
Arashi and Mochiharu were childhood friends and former lovers, a relationship that ended when Arashi's father, Maru Arakawa, broke away from the main clan.
"Must our Yamaji clan truly bow our heads to that boy?"
Mochiharu waited for their shouting to subside before speaking softly. "The situation is entirely different now.
He is the most powerful Kazekage in history—the 'Modern-Day Madara.' While he is acting mildly for now, he has likely intended to reclaim the New Oasis lands from the start."
"But our clan—"
"Compared to the Uchiha and Hyuga clans of the Leaf, can the glory of the Yamaji clan even compare?"
Mochiharu's sigh silenced the elders. She rose and bowed respectfully. "You chose me to lead the Yamaji clan; therefore, I must find a broader path to survival for our people.
While the Kazekage still feels a debt of gratitude for Ryoko's past assistance, we must clear these grievances quickly."
The Arakawa Defiance
At the same time, Maru Arakawa received a letter from Mochiharu mentioning the return of the land. Maru, now sporting a beard and appearing much more mature, had a grim expression.
The Arakawa clan's land holdings were second only to the Yamaji's. Maru found it difficult to accept this move. He initially intended to go to the Yamaji estate, but stopped himself.
I am grown now. I don't need them to plan my next move.
Maru snorted and tossed the letter into the charcoal brazier. Due to his father's past schemes, the Arakawa clan controlled a massive overseas maritime arms trade.
Even though some trade rights were shared with the Yamaji, the actual shipping routes were controlled by Arakawa vessels.
Combined with their vast domestic land and mineral assets, the Arakawa clan was currently the most prosperous "super-clan" in the Sand, far outstripping the declining Yamaji.
However, because Shiraishi needed to expand the Sand's official maritime trade market, his interests were beginning to clash directly with the Arakawa clan's monopoly.
Mochiharu's move had given Shiraishi the perfect justification to begin a series of maneuvers against the Arakawa clan.
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