"Bang!"
The heavy door to the ANBU weapons storage facility swung open with a resounding crash. Shihouin Naraku stepped into the dimly lit warehouse, his eyes immediately scanning the organized shelves and weapon racks that lined the walls. Among the various stored items, one particular object caught his attention instantly - the unmistakable gleam of the legendary Kusanagi sword resting on one of the higher shelves.
"What a randomly chosen storage location," Naraku muttered to himself as he approached the weapon. "Fortunately, I remembered where they placed it. If I had left it here much longer, Orochimaru would have eventually summoned it back to himself, and we would have lost a valuable opportunity."
Without hesitation, Shihouin Naraku reached up and grasped the hilt of the Kusanagi sword. The weapon had no scabbard accompanying it, leaving the deadly blade completely exposed to the air.
"It seems that Orochimaru's Kusanagi sword was never designed to have a traditional scabbard," Naraku observed with interest. "Perhaps that's because Orochimaru himself served as the sword's living scabbard, storing it within his own body when not in use."
As he lifted the weapon and held it up toward the light streaming through the warehouse windows, the blade caught the sunlight and reflected it in a brilliant flash of cold steel. The craftsmanship was immediately apparent - this Kusanagi sword possessed an edge that was impossibly sharp and perfectly maintained.
This legendary blade was renowned throughout the ninja world for its incredible cutting power. Even the Monkey King Enma, whose diamond-hard body could withstand most attacks, would experience unbearable pain when struck by the Kusanagi sword. The weapon's reputation for being able to cut through virtually any material was well-deserved.
The sword possessed another remarkable characteristic that made it particularly valuable - its ability to change size according to the wielder's needs and desires. The blade could shrink down small enough to be completely concealed within Orochimaru's body, or it could extend to lengths exceeding one hundred meters when maximum reach was required. Even that impressive range was not necessarily the absolute limit of the weapon's capabilities.
Despite the Kusanagi sword's many obvious advantages and its status as one of the most coveted weapons in the ninja world, Shihouin Naraku had no intention of wielding it himself. Instead, he had a very different purpose in mind for the legendary blade - he planned to feed it to his own Zanpakuto, allowing Kurikara to absorb and incorporate the Kusanagi sword's power into itself.
Carrying the precious weapon carefully, Shihouin Naraku made his way back to his private office within the ANBU headquarters building.
"Clang!"
The sound of metal meeting wood echoed through the office as Naraku placed the Kusanagi sword on his desk. With practiced efficiency, he drew his own Zanpakuto, Kurikara, from its sheath and positioned both weapons side by side on the wooden surface.
"Alright, let's begin the process," he said to himself, his voice filled with anticipation.
Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, a small black void began to manifest on Kurikara's pitch-black blade. The darkness seemed to pulse with an otherworldly hunger as it gradually expanded, creating what appeared to be a miniature black hole suspended on the sword's surface. This mysterious phenomenon began to exert an irresistible devouring force on the Kusanagi sword lying beside it.
Despite being forged from some of the hardest and most durable materials known to exist in the ninja world, the legendary Kusanagi sword proved completely unable to resist Kurikara's supernatural absorption ability. Within mere moments, the entire weapon had been consumed and pulled into the void, disappearing completely from the physical realm.
Orochimaru's prized weapon, the Kusanagi sword, had been permanently eliminated from existence.
However, for someone of Orochimaru's resources and knowledge, while losing this particular Kusanagi sword was certainly a significant blow, it was not necessarily an irreplaceable loss. The legendary Sannin would undoubtedly be able to locate another weapon of similar caliber given enough time and effort.
This was because, contrary to what many people believed, "Kusanagi sword" was not the name of a single, unique weapon. Rather, it was a general classification that applied to an entire category of legendary blades with similar properties and characteristics.
For example, the straight-bladed sword that would eventually be wielded by Uchiha Sasuke in the future, as well as the mystical Totsuka Blade that belonged to Uchiha Itachi, could both legitimately be classified as Kusanagi swords according to the traditional naming conventions used throughout the ninja world.
There were numerous other weapons of this caliber scattered across the various hidden villages and ancient ruins throughout the continent.
As the absorption process reached its completion, Shihouin Naraku picked up his newly enhanced Zanpakuto and immediately felt the difference in its power and capabilities. All of Kurikara's existing abilities had been significantly improved - the sword's capacity to help him recover chakra and physical stamina had increased dramatically, and its overall spiritual pressure had grown substantially stronger.
Additionally, the mystical statue of Acala that Naraku could summon through his Zanpakuto's special technique had also received corresponding enhancements, making it an even more formidable ally in battle.
The consumption of the Kusanagi sword had resulted in a remarkable overall improvement to Kurikara's power and versatility.
"It's unfortunate that I forgot to retrieve Samehada when I defeated Kisame during our last encounter," Naraku reflected with a hint of regret. "If I had remembered to claim that weapon as well, Kurikara could have been improved even further beyond its current enhanced state."
Tightening his grip on Kurikara's handle, Shihouin Naraku could feel the increased spiritual energy flowing through the weapon. The power increase was substantial and immediately noticeable.
After thoroughly testing the weapon's new capabilities, he carefully returned the Zanpakuto to its sheath.
"As a member of the executive committee, I've been granted five additional draws from the system," Naraku mused to himself. "My current position and authority will definitely change once Tsunade-sensei returns to the village and officially assumes the role of Fifth Hokage. That means my next opportunity for a ten-draw sequence should be coming relatively soon."
Settling into his chair behind the desk, Shihouin Naraku allowed his thoughts to turn toward the mysterious lottery system that had become such an important part of his development as a ninja.
That's right - not long ago, he had qualified for five additional draws from the system's lottery mechanism.
These five lottery qualifications had been earned as a direct result of his appointment to the newly established Executive Committee that was currently governing Konoha Village during the transitional period.
Although Tsunade had been officially confirmed as the next Fifth Hokage, she had not yet physically returned to the village to assume her duties. During this interim period, the various administrative affairs of both Konoha Village and the broader Land of Fire required capable leadership and oversight. The newly formed executive committee had been created specifically to handle these responsibilities until the transition of power could be completed.
The members of this executive committee consisted primarily of the department heads and senior administrators from Konoha Village's major governmental divisions. Given his rank, reputation, and administrative experience, Shihouin Naraku had naturally been selected as one of these committee members.
This appointment was not something he had manipulated or engineered for his own benefit. Rather, it was a legitimate position that carried real authority and significant responsibilities within the village's power structure. Since the role represented genuine advancement and recognition within Konoha's hierarchy, the system had automatically acknowledged it and awarded him the corresponding lottery qualifications.
The acquisition of these five additional draws had been an unexpected but very welcome surprise.
Intelligence Reports and Strategic Planning
"Naraku-sama, here are the latest intelligence reports concerning the activities of Iwagakure and Kumogakure," announced one of his subordinates as they entered the office and placed several sealed documents on his desk.
"Very good. You may go," Naraku replied with a dismissive nod.
"Yes, sir!"
After his subordinate departed, Shihouin Naraku broke the security seals on the intelligence documents and began reading through their contents carefully. However, he had barely made it through the first few lines of the report when his eyebrows rose in concern.
"Iwagakure ninjas have been spotted operating within the borders of the Land of Grass," he read aloud. "Does that old man Onoki really want to start trouble with us at a time like this?"
He quickly scanned through the remainder of the intelligence reports covering both major ninja villages, then leaned back in his chair to consider the implications of what he had learned.
"Iwagakure's movements are becoming increasingly bold and obvious," Naraku analyzed. "They're no longer even attempting to hide their activities from public view. If even the civilian population of the Land of Grass has noticed the presence of Iwa-nin in their territory, it means we can expect some kind of probing attack or border incursion in the very near future."
He turned his attention to the second report. "Kumogakure's situation is somewhat puzzling, though. Our previous intelligence indicated that they were engaging in various suspicious activities and military preparations. Now, suddenly, they appear to have settled down and reduced their aggressive posturing. What changed?"
Shihouin Naraku was far too experienced and intelligent to underestimate the shinobi of Kumogakure, despite their village's reputation for favoring direct, muscle-bound warriors over subtle strategists. Anyone who dismissed the Cloud ninja as simple-minded brutes was setting themselves up to be completely outmaneuvered by their opponents.
Kumogakure had a long and well-documented history of engaging in complex political conspiracies and underhanded schemes. They had attempted to kidnap the Nine-Tails jinchuriki Uzumaki Kushina during a previous conflict, and they had also tried to abduct Hyuga Hinata, the heir to the prestigious Hyuga clan. Both of these operations demonstrated a level of strategic thinking and long-term planning that contradicted their village's reputation for straightforward tactics.
"Someone come here immediately!" Naraku called out.
"Yes, Naraku-sama!" came the prompt response from outside his office.
"Dispatch messengers to all of our border garrison units. Instruct them to increase their vigilance and patrol schedules immediately. If enemy forces dare to cross our borders or attempt any form of incursion, I am authorizing our troops to engage them with full defensive force."
"Understood, sir!"
As his subordinate departed to carry out these orders, Shihouin Naraku gathered up both intelligence reports and prepared to present them at the next meeting of the executive committee.
The committee meeting that followed was predictably contentious, with various members arguing about the appropriate response to the developing threats. However, despite the heated debates and conflicting opinions, Naraku's proposed course of action ultimately received approval from the majority of the committee members.
The final decision was to dispatch several teams of elite jonin to provide additional support and reinforcement to the existing border defense forces. Simultaneously, supply convoys would be organized to transport additional weapons, food, and medical supplies to the frontier positions at an accelerated pace.
Based on input and suggestions from other committee members, they also agreed to send diplomatic envoys to both Kumogakure and Iwagakure. These diplomats would be tasked with directly inquiring about each village's intentions and attempting to defuse any potential conflicts through negotiation before they could escalate into open warfare.
Given the current state of both Konoha Village and the Land of Fire, which were still recovering from the devastation of recent conflicts, the prevailing sentiment among the leadership was to avoid military confrontation whenever possible. Everyone agreed that it would be far better to prevent any new wars, regardless of their scale or scope, until Konoha had sufficient time to fully recover its strength and resources.
Throughout the entire executive committee process, Shihouin Naraku held a position of significant influence and authority. In most cases, the resolutions and proposals that he put forward were approved and implemented without major modifications.
The older generation of ninja leaders, primarily represented by Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, found it increasingly difficult to oppose or block Naraku's initiatives. At best, they could offer supplementary suggestions or minor amendments to his proposals, and even these alternative ideas were not guaranteed to receive support from the other committee members.
When the executive committee had initially been formed, both Koharu and Homura had assumed that their seniority and long-standing influence within the village would allow them to maintain control over the decision-making process.
However, they had not anticipated that nearly all of the other department heads and senior administrators would align themselves with Shihouin Naraku's leadership. The only notable exception was Nara Shikaku, who maintained a more neutral stance during committee discussions.
This shift in political alignment was actually quite logical and easy to understand when examined from a practical perspective. Beyond the personal connections and alliances that Naraku had cultivated over the years, and the political network that his father Shihouin Harumoto had established before him, most of the village leadership recognized the simple reality that opposing Naraku at this point would be politically unwise.
After all, everyone in the village knew that Tsunade was about to become the Fifth Hokage, and everyone also knew that Shihouin Naraku was Tsunade's direct student and apprentice. Antagonizing the future Hokage's most trusted disciple would be an act of political suicide for anyone hoping to maintain their position and influence within the village hierarchy.
Therefore, during this crucial transitional period, virtually all of the Executive Committee's major decisions and policy implementations had been carried out according to Shihouin Naraku's strategic vision and preferences.
The Sunagakure Delegation Crisis
"The diplomatic delegation from Sunagakure is scheduled to arrive in Konoha within the next few days," announced Mitokado Homura as he folded his hands and looked around the conference table at each member of the executive committee. His gaze lingered meaningfully on Shihouin Naraku as he continued. "We need to decide how we're going to handle this situation. Do we simply allow them to come and go without incident? Do we demand compensation for the damages their village caused during the recent conflict? Or do we consider this an appropriate time to declare war on the Sand Village?"
Shihouin Naraku considered the question carefully before responding. "Given that both Kumogakure and Iwagakure are currently positioning themselves for potential aggressive action against us, this is definitely not the appropriate time to create additional conflicts with Sunagakure. From a strategic standpoint, I believe our best course of action is to let this matter go without pursuing major consequences."
"Let it go?" Homura responded with obvious incredulity. "Are you joking? Who exactly is going to be responsible for compensating Konoha Village for all the losses we suffered? Will you personally cover those costs, or should I?"
"That's absolutely right," agreed another committee member. "Our village sustained massive damage during this conflict, and many of our ninja were either killed or seriously wounded in the fighting. We cannot simply allow Sunagakure to escape without facing any consequences for their actions."
"So according to your reasoning," Naraku replied calmly, "you believe we should declare war on them instead?"
"Pursuing accountability and demanding explanations is reasonable," offered another voice, "but I would suggest that we forgo any demands for financial compensation. After all, Sunagakure was once our ally, and that relationship should count for something."
"Hah!" came a bitter laugh from across the table. "Sunagakure certainly didn't consider Konoha to be their ally when they decided to attack us!"
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