Inside the conference room, Shisui's eyes gleamed faintly in the dim light. The youthful boy he once was had long vanished — in his place stood a calm and capable leader.
"From the Uchiha Clan, you said?"
He tapped his finger lightly against the table's surface, the sound sharp and clear in the quiet room.
Naruto was currently away from the Umbrella Organization, having gone to oversee another major base — Sasuke had accompanied him.
Neji and several others were stationed here, but his current rank wasn't high enough to attend a strategic meeting like this.
Shisui's gaze swept over the assembled shinobi. "Zabuza, report the situation."
Zabuza stood up, his tone heavy with shame.
"The intruders were from Akatsuki. One of them… was an Uchiha — and he possessed a Mangekyō Sharingan."
At the mention of "Mangekyō," Shisui's pupils tightened slightly, but he didn't interrupt.
"Judging by his ability, his Mangekyō technique seems to be space-time–related. He bypassed multiple barrier layers and infiltrated our central stronghold directly."
"Two of our shinobi were killed, and the damage is estimated at several million ryō," Zabuza continued grimly.
"I believe this was a deliberate provocation — a test of our strength."
He made a slashing gesture across his throat.
"Should we… retaliate?"
Shisui's expression didn't change.
"Not yet. Naruto mentioned that Akatsuki is composed entirely of S-rank rogue ninja. Starting a war now would only benefit the Five Great Nations."
His tone was steady, but the next words carried a sharp edge.
"However, we can't allow Akatsuki to act without consequence."
Shisui's eyes spun — his Sharingan flaring to life, the tomoe revolving slowly. A pressure filled the room, cold and heavy.
"Izumi," he said, turning to her, "you'll lead a small team. We'll make a move — otherwise, they'll start thinking we're weak."
His voice softened a fraction. "But first, inform Naruto. He knows more about Akatsuki than anyone."
The Umbrella Organization had been focused on development lately, and Naruto hadn't shared much about Akatsuki's inner workings. But even with the limited intelligence they possessed, Shisui understood just how dangerous the group truly was — a collection of S-rank missing-nin, each capable of matching a Kage in power.
Such an organization could not be underestimated.
"Alright," Shisui continued, "let's move on to internal affairs. Uchiha Yu — report on your division."
Uchiha Yu rose immediately, giving a detailed report. Development was stable, with no major issues.
Next came Izumi's turn. Her division handled intelligence and assassinations — the sharpest edge of Umbrella's operations. Zabuza managed construction and defense, while Shisui oversaw overall strategy.
Each played their role perfectly.
Meanwhile, far from the meeting, Naruto received Shisui's encrypted message.
"Obito…" Naruto's lips curled into a cold sneer.
"I haven't even come looking for you — and you show up on your own?"
A dangerous gleam flashed in his eyes.
He held no sympathy for Obito.
Though Obito had once claimed to act out of love for Rin, his heart had long since been consumed by darkness — a mere puppet dancing to Black Zetsu's strings.
He was no longer the Obito of the past. His so-called "regret" in the original timeline only deepened Naruto's disdain.
Regret could never wash away his crimes.
Obito had a direct hand in his parents' deaths. If it weren't for Naruto's plan to let Akatsuki remain the visible threat — drawing the world's attention while Umbrella grew in the shadows — Obito would have been long dead.
In truth, Naruto even considered poaching certain talents from Akatsuki for his own organization.
Now, as Umbrella's influence began to spread, Akatsuki would serve as the perfect distraction — the storm on the surface concealing the true power rising beneath.
If his guess was right, Obito's sudden intrusion wasn't his idea at all — it was Black Zetsu's manipulation. That ancient schemer had been plotting from the shadows for a thousand years.
But this wasn't the right moment to confront them. Naruto sent a concise reply to Shisui and turned toward the towering structure ahead.
Nestled deep within the mountains, the steel fortress loomed — a symbol of the future he was building.
His heart burned with anticipation.
Because within this facility lay something that could change everything.
Before him, metal and machinery gleamed beneath the light — an industrial marvel.
A bespectacled man stood before Naruto, bowing respectfully.
"Lord Naruto, the preparations are complete. Would you like to begin the next phase?"
"Lord Naruto, our current inventory stands at two hundred thousand standard firearms, ten thousand chakra-powered rifles, and one thousand sets of Chakra Armor! In addition, the Chakra Cannon is nearing completion!"
That's right — firearms.
Using theories from his previous life combined with some of his own innovations, Naruto had given these scientists — who had long been bound by the limits of shinobi-era thinking — an entirely new direction. And through that breakthrough, they had found treasure.
Given the current level of technological advancement in the world, the production of firearms had been surprisingly smooth.
This facility was the beating heart of Umbrella — its military factory.
Carved into the side of an entire mountain, the complex extended deep underground. Its defensive barriers were on par with those guarding the Snow Country base — perhaps even stronger.
The so-called "standard firearms" weren't designed for shinobi, but for Umbrella's ordinary members. With such a vast organization under his command, it was impossible to train every recruit as a ninja.
Not everyone in the shinobi world possessed chakra or the talent for taijutsu and ninjutsu. Firearms offered those ordinary people a fighting chance — enough power to rival a Genin.
And these weapons, mass-produced and disciplined, were the foundation of Naruto's power — the means by which Umbrella could stand against the entire shinobi world.
But that wasn't enough.
Naruto had also initiated the development of chakra firearms — weapons that channeled and amplified chakra to enhance range, penetration, and precision while reducing recoil and noise.
Only Chūnin-level users and above could wield them effectively; ordinary firearms drained too much chakra for Genin-level reserves to sustain.
For Genin and standard recruits, ordinary firearms were more practical — their lethality exceeded that of kunai or shuriken, and though their rate of fire and accuracy varied, their range was far superior.
Against Genin-level opponents, even a conventional firearm could be deadly. A skilled shinobi's perception and reflexes could still detect a bullet's motion or the faint sound it made cutting through air — but in ambushes or long-range engagements, even they could be caught off guard.
A Chūnin could usually evade ordinary gunfire with ease, but that didn't mean they were invincible — a well-placed shot still had the potential to kill.
Chakra firearms, however, were a different story. They could seriously injure — or outright kill — most Chūnin-level shinobi. Weaponizing chakra itself was the logical next step in the evolution of warfare in this world.
It was simple in theory — combine a chakra storage module with a chakra-shaping device, and you had a weapon that could rival advanced ninjutsu while still being usable by trained personnel.
But the pinnacle of Umbrella's research was the Chakra Cannon.
The scientists were only beginning to understand the underlying principles of the technology. In the original timeline, the Hidden Cloud Village had once possessed such a cannon — a weapon powerful enough to strike the moon itself.
Of course, the moon of this world was no ordinary celestial body — it was the creation of the Sage of Six Paths, much closer to the world than one might imagine. Still, it demonstrated just how devastating a Chakra Cannon could be.
Umbrella's prototype hadn't yet reached that level, but its destructive power already rivaled a single strike from the Five Kage combined.
A true weapon of war.
However, it was not without its limits. The materials required for the chakra-condensing core were extremely rare. Each cannon demanded large quantities of chakra metal — resources that could not yet be mass-produced.
Even so, Naruto's lips curved into a faint smile.
Umbrella was no longer just an organization. It was becoming a nation of its own — one that would soon stand above all others.
...
TN:
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