White Tiger soon arrived at the Uzukage Building and made his way directly to the Uzukage's office.
Inside, Shamrock sat behind his large desk, calmly reviewing and signing stacks of documents. Even though he possessed overwhelming strength, he still handled the countless administrative responsibilities that came with leading Uzushiogakure. Reports from every department of the village were piled neatly across his desk, and he was steadily working through them one after another.
A soft knock echoed through the room before White Tiger stepped inside. The veteran commander gave a respectful bow toward Shamrock. Unlike when he stood before Shanks, however, White Tiger did not kneel; he remained standing.
This was because he belonged to the old generation of the Shadow Guard—the elite force that had served under Shanks throughout his reign as Uzukage. Over the years, an entirely new generation of the Shadow Guard had been established. Those younger Shadow Guards answered directly to Shamrock and were completely loyal to him as their Uzukage.
The arrangement had been made intentionally. The older Shadow Guards had followed Shanks from the very beginning. Their respect for him went beyond simple loyalty to the office of the Uzukage; they regarded Shanks as their lord—a man whose overwhelming strength, leadership, and accomplishments had earned their unwavering devotion over decades.
That same relationship naturally could not be transferred to the next generation. It wasn't that the older Shadow Guards lacked respect for Shamrock. On the contrary, they respected both his strength and his position as Uzukage. However, formal gestures such as kneeling belonged solely to the bond they shared with Shanks. Those customs were reserved for the man they had personally sworn themselves to. The newer generation, meanwhile, had grown under Shamrock's leadership and naturally regarded him with that same level of loyalty.
Looking up from the document he had just finished signing, Shamrock smiled faintly. "Well, White Tiger, what brings you here today?"
White Tiger answered without delay. "Lord Shanks has sent me with a message."
Shamrock's expression immediately became serious.
White Tiger continued, "He instructed me to inform you that war is coming... in three days."
The atmosphere inside the office instantly grew heavy. Shamrock's face turned solemn. There was no need to ask which war White Tiger was referring to. Only one conflict had occupied the minds of the Uzumaki Clan for the past decade: the war against the Otsutsuki Clan.
After a brief moment of silence, Shamrock nodded. "I understand." His voice remained calm, but there wasn't the slightest trace of hesitation within it. "I'll immediately begin informing every major village so they can prepare."
White Tiger gave another respectful bow. "Yes, Lord Uzukage. That is also Lord Shanks' intention." Having delivered the message, he turned around and quietly left the office.
The moment White Tiger departed, Shamrock put aside the paperwork he had been handling. Without wasting a second, he began issuing orders. Under his direct supervision, urgent messages were prepared and dispatched throughout the ninja world.
The letters weren't sent only to the Five Great Villages. Every allied village, regardless of size, received the warning—large villages, medium villages, and even the smallest hidden villages. Everyone was informed. For the coming war, numbers alone wouldn't be enough; they needed every capable shinobi the world could produce.
Fortunately, this wasn't a sudden preparation. For the past ten years, the entire world had been quietly preparing for this exact day. During that decade, even many of the smaller villages had undergone remarkable growth. With continuous support from Uzushiogakure, they had received advanced ninjutsu, training methods, military resources, and countless forms of assistance that had significantly increased their overall strength.
It wasn't only Uzushiogakure that had contributed. The other major villages had also cooperated, setting aside old rivalries to strengthen their smaller allies. The goal had always been the same: produce as many elite shinobi as possible before the inevitable war arrived. Years of preparation had transformed the balance of power across the entire ninja world.
However, there had always been one lingering issue.
Nearly ten years had passed since Shanks first revealed the truth about the Otsutsuki Clan and warned the world that an invasion was inevitable. At first, everyone had believed him without question. But as year after year passed in peace, doubts had slowly begun creeping into people's minds.
Some quietly wondered whether the warning had been exaggerated. Others questioned whether the Otsutsuki would ever come at all. There were even rumors claiming that everything had merely been a strategy devised by the Uzumaki Clan to justify gathering all of the Tailed Beasts under Uzushiogakure's protection.
Such whispers had gradually spread throughout the world. People questioned Uzushiogakure's true intentions. Was the Otsutsuki threat actually real? Would they truly descend from the heavens one day? Or had the world spent an entire decade preparing for an enemy that would never appear? Those doubts had quietly taken root in the hearts of many.
Even so, almost no one dared voice them publicly. No nation was willing to openly challenge Uzushiogakure or accuse the Uzumaki Clan of deception. The reason was simple: the Uzumaki siblings still stood at the peak of the ninja world. As long as they remained alive, Uzushiogakure continued to be one of the most powerful forces on the planet, possessing enough strength to make every nation think twice before openly questioning its intentions.
When the day finally arrived and the news spread that the war they had doubted for so many years was now truly upon them, countless people were left stunned. For nearly a decade, many had quietly questioned whether the Otsutsuki would ever come. Some had become dismissive, while others had convinced themselves that perhaps the invasion would never happen.
Yet now, Shanks' prediction had come true exactly as foretold. The enemy was arriving.
Although the revelation was shocking, panic never broke out. After all, the entire ninja world had spent the last ten years preparing for this very moment. Orders were issued almost immediately. Every major village began mobilizing its forces, while the smaller villages gathered their elite shinobi and dispatched them toward the designated battlefield. Military units that had rehearsed these emergency procedures countless times moved with remarkable efficiency. The preparations that had taken an entire decade were finally being put to use.
Throughout the world, countless shinobi quietly prepared themselves. Many returned home one final time before departing. Some embraced their parents. Some spent a few silent moments with their wives or husbands. Others picked up their children, smiling despite the heaviness in their hearts.
No one spoke the words aloud, yet almost everyone shared the same thought: This might be the last time... The last time I will see my family. The last time I will hear my children's laughter. The last time I will step into the home I have spent years protecting.
Because once they stepped onto the battlefield, there was no guarantee they would ever return.
The day of the battle arrived.
Inside the Uzumaki Clan Compound, Shamrock made his way back to his home before leaving for the battlefield. As soon as he stepped through the entrance, a cheerful voice rang out.
"Father!"
A little boy with blond hair, no older than five or six years old, came running toward him with tiny, hurried footsteps before throwing himself into Shamrock's arms.
A warm smile appeared on Shamrock's face. He bent down, effortlessly lifted his son into his arms, and gently patted his head. The child laughed happily, completely unaware of the weight his father carried today.
Just then, Ino walked out from inside the house. Her pregnancy was already quite noticeable, and her hands instinctively rested over her stomach. The moment her eyes met Shamrock's, the concern she had been trying to hide became obvious.
Shamrock gently placed his son back onto the ground before walking over to her. Smiling reassuringly, he asked, "Why are you worrying so much? Worry isn't something you should be carrying right now."
Ino looked at him helplessly. "How can I not worry?" she replied softly. "This war is extremely dangerous. Anything can happen."
Hearing that, Shamrock chuckled lightly. "You don't have to worry about me." He gently held her hands. "I'm not some weak shinobi anymore." A confident smile appeared on his face. "I've become very powerful. It won't be easy for those Otsutsuki to kill me."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "And don't forget, I'm not fighting alone. My brothers and sisters will be there. Our parents will be there too. With all of us together, you really don't need to worry."
His words were filled with confidence. Unfortunately, they weren't enough to erase the concern from Ino's face.
She lowered her eyes slightly. "It would've been better if I wasn't pregnant," she murmured. "Then I could've gone to the battlefield with you."
Shamrock smiled gently. He carefully placed a hand over hers, which still rested protectively on her stomach. "Don't think about that. Just take care of yourself... and take care of our son." His gaze briefly moved toward her stomach before returning to her eyes. "And our second child as well. I promise you... I'll come back safely."
Looking into his determined eyes, Ino slowly nodded. "I'll be waiting."
The two quietly embraced before sharing a gentle kiss. Neither of them spoke another word. Sometimes, silence carried far more meaning than words ever could.
A few moments later, Shamrock turned around and walked toward the door. Without looking back again, he left.
Today, the battle that would determine the fate of the world was finally beginning.
Elsewhere inside the Uzumaki Clan Compound, Shanks sat peacefully beside Mikoto. The two quietly held each other's hands.
Despite the many years that had passed, neither of them appeared to have aged much. Shanks still looked remarkably young. His profound mastery over chakra, combined with his complete control over Yin Release and Yang Release, had greatly slowed the effects of aging on his body. Mikoto's youthful appearance, meanwhile, was the result of the Hashirama Cells within her body, which continuously maintained her vitality.
For a while, neither of them spoke. Finally, Mikoto broke the silence.
"This time..." She looked directly at Shanks, a small smile appearing on her lips. "You're not going to stop me, right? Even if you try... I'm not staying behind."
Shanks looked at her for a few quiet moments before shaking his head. "Don't worry." A faint smile appeared on his face. "This time... I won't stop you from going to the battlefield."
Years ago, things had been different. Back then, while Shanks fought countless battles, Mikoto had willingly remained behind. It wasn't because she lacked the strength to fight, but because someone had needed to stay with their children. She had always feared that if something happened to Shanks on the battlefield, at least one parent would still be there to raise their family. That responsibility had always outweighed her own desire to stand beside him in battle.
But now, everything had changed. Their children had long since grown into capable adults. Their son and daughter were now married, and their family had expanded even further with grandchildren running throughout the compound. There was no longer anything holding Mikoto back.
This time, she would stand beside her husband on the battlefield. Not behind him. Beside him.
Across the compound—and throughout the entire ninja world—similar scenes unfolded.
Families shared quiet farewells. Husbands embraced their wives, and parents gave final words of encouragement to their children. Sasuke and Sakura shared their own farewell before departing. Naruto and Hinata did the same, quietly reassuring one another before leaving. Many of the heroes who had once been young had now built families of their own.
Even Gaara, whose fate had once been different, now had a family waiting for him. Having married Uta, he was now the father of a young son, and before leaving for the battlefield, he and Uta too spent a few precious moments with their son.
One after another, the world's greatest shinobi left their homes behind. Together, they marched toward the battlefield—toward the battle that would decide not only their own lives, but the future of the entire world.