"Shisui's right," Zabuza said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "If we're going to fight, then let's fight with pride. It's time those young brats see some real blood."
Many within Umbrella had yet to experience the cruelty of battle. Without it, how could they ever grow into true shinobi?
Naruto smiled faintly. "Alright, next we'll discuss our strategy and future development plans."
As the murmurs died down, his tone hardened. "Since we've decided to reveal ourselves to the world, we need to prepare for the consequences."
Everyone in the room could feel the shift in his chakra—the playful, carefree blond was gone. This was the leader of Umbrella speaking.
"Our exposure will affect our industries. The Seven Colors Trading Company will likely be compromised. Our ideology alone will threaten the authority of several villages."
He let those words sink in before continuing.
"We might face attacks from other Hidden Villages—but that's fine. The Great Nations restrain one another. Even if they want to deal with us, it won't be easy."
He paused, scanning the faces of his comrades—no, his fellow shinobi.
"That said, I've decided to accelerate our development. From today onward, Umbrella will openly recruit. Offer high salaries, and draw in every talented shinobi we can find!"
A ripple of excitement spread through the room.
"Next—Weapons Department, increase your research and production budget by fifty percent! The Martial Arts Division will be equipped with the latest Combat Armor, and the Sorcery Division will handle coordination. They'll receive the newest model of Chakra Armor as well!"
Naruto's gaze grew solemn.
"The number of participants doesn't need to be large. Those who haven't matured yet must not act. We built Umbrella to prevent future generations from dying on the battlefield. Anyone under sixteen is forbidden from joining this operation."
The room fell silent for a heartbeat—then chairs scraped back as everyone stood and shouted in unison:
"Yes, Lord Naruto!!!"
"Begin the operation!"
Naruto turned and strode out, the others falling in behind him. Moments later, the orders spread through every division of Umbrella.
Weapons Department.
"Minister Chiba! Lord Naruto's orders—prepare for combat with Konoha. Distribute weapons immediately!"
After hanging up the receiver, Chiba Ki leaned back in his chair, eyes shadowed with old memories. His ancestors had once been nobles. Once, he'd served as the Daimyō's Guard Captain, a samurai by birthright—until corruption destroyed his clan.
Persecuted and betrayed, he would've died dishonored… if not for Umbrella.
He'd since found a new purpose—an obsession, even—in weapons and their power to reshape the world. Through sheer brilliance, he rose to lead the Weapons Department.
Meanwhile, in the Chakra Armor Research Division, engineers distributed the newest combat models—sleek armor that amplified a fighter's physical power while granting limited defense against ninjutsu.
In truth, Umbrella couldn't mobilize a vast army. Much of its manpower was scattered across the Ninja World, infiltrating villages and nations alike. But those who remained at headquarters were the elite—shinobi forged in wealth, technology, and discipline.
Under Naruto's guidance, Umbrella had become a forge for genius. The fighters who assembled—both martial artists and chakra users—ranged from ambitious teenagers to veterans in their thirties.
The younger ones were brimming with excitement; the older ones wore grim expressions.
They knew what real warfare meant. They had seen it—the blood, the screams, the villages burning. Ninja battles weren't wars; they were natural disasters given human form.
Still, murmurs rose among the youth.
"What a waste," one complained. "There's going to be a big fight, and they're leaving us out just because we're under sixteen?"
Another scoffed.
"Yeah, plenty of shinobi fought at our age. Some of us are already at Elite Chunin or even Jonin level!"
They weren't wrong. Not everyone could be Naruto or Sasuke—but those who reached Jonin strength before adulthood were still rare prodigies.
The younger ones might not understand it yet, but the veterans knew:
Naruto wasn't protecting them because he doubted their strength.
He was protecting the future.
Naruto mobilized a total of one thousand shinobi this time.
Each one was an elite—fully equipped with custom-made weapons and armor. Their combined combat power far surpassed that of ordinary ninja troops.
But it came at a steep cost.
Even members of the Hyūga Clan received specialized gear—most notably, chakra sniper rifles.
The Hyūga's Byakugan was far easier to awaken than the Uchiha's Sharingan. Although a kekkei genkai naturally granted an edge in battle, talent still varied from person to person.
Some shinobi with average aptitude might remain Chūnin their entire lives.
Others, particularly among the Branch Family, struggled even more—some barely reached Genin level. Sending them to the battlefield would only make them cannon fodder. Naruto thought that was far too wasteful.
If they lacked talent in ninjutsu, perhaps they possessed talent elsewhere. With Byakugan-enhanced vision and a precision chakra rifle, even a low-level Hyūga could play a role rivaling that of a Jōnin.
To Naruto, they were all valuable assets.
At the same time, those Hyūga with advanced ocular perception were invaluable in scientific research. Researchers in particular favored them for their unique ability to observe and analyze chakra flow in detail.
Under Naruto's deliberate reforms, the status of Umbrella's researchers—once overlooked—had risen dramatically. Their standing now rivaled that of a Jōnin, sometimes even higher.
For the first time, Tsunade truly witnessed the full scope of Umbrella's might.
Until now, she had mainly overseen medical affairs and hospitals, unaware of the organization's true military strength or infrastructure.
She had always known Umbrella wasn't simple—but seeing it with her own eyes still shook her.
The weapons. The armor. The sheer discipline and unity.
Naruto had redefined what "elite" meant.
"Anyone who fights these people," Tsunade said quietly, her expression grave, "will suffer a terrible loss."
Though Umbrella's army was only a thousand strong, their effectiveness could rival several thousand—perhaps even tens of thousands—from other Hidden Villages. But the true core of their power lay elsewhere: their high-end combatants.
Umbrella possessed an unusually large number of them—so many that their combined strength rivaled the Five Kages of the Great Nations.
Uchiha Shisui, Momochi Zabuza, Uchiha Izumi, and Yu were all Quasi-Kage level.
And then there was Naruto himself—his true strength, even now, remained a mystery.
Alongside them stood Tsunade and Jiraiya, both legendary figures of the Sannin.
When Tsunade considered it, even she had to admit—the power gathered here was staggering.
Of course, Umbrella lacked Konoha's sheer number of Jōnin.
But Konoha couldn't possibly send all its shinobi into a single conflict either.
Even Sasuke and Neji had surpassed the standard of ordinary Jōnin—perhaps even brushing the level of an Elite Jōnin.
Naruto grinned, his blue eyes glinting with mischief and confidence.
"Hahaha! This is the power of science! If it were just chakra and taijutsu alone, these people might be too green to fight Konoha. But with these tools, their attack and defense have both risen to a new level. With this, we can stand against Konoha!"
He crossed his arms. "Science and technology—they'll become key strategic weapons in the future."
Then his gaze softened slightly as he turned to Tsunade.
"As long as we take down Danzō, with your prestige, you'll have no problem rallying the Konoha clans to rebuild the village properly."
Tsunade stepped forward and patted his shoulder, smiling faintly. "Thanks, kid."
Naruto rolled his eyes and brushed her hand away. "If you really want to thank me, hurry up and finish that serum to merge Uchiha bloodlines!"
Tsunade gave him a sheepish look. "I'm working on it. Based on what you said about the Senju and Uchiha's shared ancestry, I think we're getting close."
She wasn't lying—her research into Hashirama's Cells had finally begun showing results.
Naruto nodded, satisfied. Hashirama's Cells were the key to whether Shisui and Izumi could continue using their Mangekyō Sharingan without risking blindness.
Izumi, having no siblings, couldn't rely on an Eternal Mangekyō. Her only hope lay in stabilizing her eyes with Hashirama's power.
The other option—acquiring the power of the Six Paths—was theoretically possible, but far too slow and uncertain for now.
...
TN:
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