There was no shortage of envoys from various nations coming to congratulate Shiraishi on his appointment as Kazekage.
Whether from Great Nations or small hidden villages, special commissioners had been dispatched.
Even the fractured Land of Rivers sent a minor civil official to observe. Shiraishi had some memory of this man—back when Shiraishi had interacted with Hiashi Hyuga, this was the official who had mocked the Hyuga clan leader.
Sadly, now that there was a blood feud between Shiraishi and the Hyuga (having killed Tenmon), he and Hiashi could no longer share tea and conversation as they once did.
"This humble official congratulates Lord Shiraishi on becoming the Fifth Kazekage."
Compared to Akimiya's previous etiquette, this minor official used much more solemn rites, prostrating himself directly on the ground, refusing to rise until his congratulations were finished.
"Rise. It isn't the first time we've met."
The official rose slowly. The light had long since left his eyes, and his face was gaunt. Though he was similar in age to Shiraishi, he looked like a man in his forties.
Unlike the relatively smooth negotiation with Akimiya, the atmosphere here was instantly awkward. After a long silence, Shiraishi spoke: "It must be exhausting to maintain that country, isn't it?"
Hearing this, the official prostrated himself again, whispering: "It is not exhausting. If I can secure a sliver of hope for the citizens, I am willing. I cannot change my fate as a son of the Land of Rivers; I can only strive for a better future."
"I can respect that."
Shiraishi motioned for him to sit. "I will also do my best to find a way to reunify the Land of Rivers—under the leadership of the Land of Wind, of course."
The official let out a bitter laugh. The Sand's ambition for its homeland remained fierce, while Konoha viewed it as a southeastern shield. Neither would let go easily. The future of the Land of Rivers would likely be even more arduous.
When it was first heard that the Land of Wind was annexing vast territories, many of his colleagues committed suicide in protest.
But this official had not. Instead, he was stronger than anyone, even traveling to the Sand to congratulate Shiraishi just to trade for a single chance at survival. His mentors and seniors had all been executed during Konoha's last purge.
After two years of bitter maneuvering, he was now the Chief Civil Official of his nation, yet he still lived as if walking on thin ice.
"Go and rest."
Seeing this, Shiraishi sighed and dismissed him. Such was the end for weak nations—their fates dictated by the strong. Had the Sand lost to Konoha, Shiraishi's own people would be in no better a position.
After the day's meetings, Maki organized the documents. Shiraishi's workload was growing, and there were many affairs requiring his attention.
"Lord Kazekage, do you still intend to train tonight?" Maki asked helplessly, seeing Shiraishi shed his Kage robes for a blue-and-white training suit.
"This strength is not enough. I must become stronger."
To stand still is to retreat. Only by constantly improving and mastering unknown trump cards could he remain invincible.
But tonight wasn't just for physical training. It was for the progression of the Round Eyes skill tree.
As Kazekage, Shiraishi now held the highest level of authority. Crucially, he had access to the Hidden Sand's vault of Skill Cards.
Over the decades, the village had collected sixty cards. This was the foundation of a Great Village. He could only imagine the hoards kept by Konoha or the Mist.
The cards were kept in the Forbidden Secret Area of the Oasis Ring. Despite the war, the vault remained intact. Shiraishi found the cards in a dusty corner—the village elders clearly didn't realize their true value.
After undoing the seal, Shiraishi prepared sixty replicas made of his Silver Sand metal to replace them.
He laid out the sixty cards. Among them, three were Gold Grade. Based on their attributes, they were: Electric, Fighting, and Ground.
Beyond the three Gold cards, there were three others that served as direct upgrades to Shiraishi's Round Eyes tree: Fairy Wind, Nature's Madness, and Moonlight.
Shiraishi prioritized these six. He would decode the remaining fifty-four later to see if they contained useful jutsus.
He pulled the three Fairy-type cards first. Fairy Wind (Green Quality) was the first to be unlocked.
It functioned similarly to a standard Wind Style jutsu, like a whirlwind blade. Upon unlocking, Shiraishi's proficiency instantly hit 100%.
Next was the Purple Quality skill: Nature's Madness.
This was a unique technique that absorbed natural energy from the surroundings and reflected it back at the opponent, causing massive stamina depletion.
It was a forced injection of "enraged" natural energy into a foe's body—somewhat similar to Orochimaru's Cursed Seal. It required immense chakra control to gather the ambient energy without being consumed by it.
The third was Moonlight, a support-type skill that used lunar energy to heal one's own injuries.
With the Fairy-tree complete, Shiraishi turned his gaze to the Electric Gold Card. The moment he touched it, he felt a powerful surge of static.
He activated his system. The decoding bar moved quickly, taking only ten minutes—a testament to Shiraishi's current chakra capacity and processing power.
At the moment of unlocking, the Cyan Flame within his body reacted violently.
Why is the flame reacting like this? One was Fire Style, the other was Lightning. Why did they resonate?
According to the system's explanation, this specific Gold Lightning skill carried a secondary effect: Genjutsu.
The massive power of lightning can create an ideal illusion!
This effect seemed to mirror the "True World" construction properties of his Cyan Flame...
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