Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 291 Star Ninja Combat Power, 800 it is!

There was silence in the conference room.

Apart from Elder Yuan Shi, there were very few high-ranking members of the Misty Hidden Sect present, making it seem exceptionally deserted compared to its heyday.

The younger generation consists only of Mei Terumi, who possesses two bloodline limits, and Ao, who has one Byakugan.

Bloodline clans like the Kaguya Clan and the Yuki Clan have long been wiped out under the Blood Mist Policy.

The once formidable Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have now fallen apart, with some dead and others betraying them. Even the remaining member, Hozuki Mangetsu, is unable to shoulder the responsibility due to his worsening illness.

The new generation of talent has not yet fully matured, and the entire Hidden Mist Village presents a worrying situation of generational gap.

Everyone had mixed feelings.

On one hand, they were angry and disappointed that Yagura, as the Mizukage, had been controlled for so long, bringing great disaster to the village; but on the other hand, they also knew that Kirigakure was now beset by internal and external troubles and its strength had been greatly reduced, and Yagura himself was still a powerful fighting force.

At this moment, the Land of Wind and the Land of Stars have already gone to war, and the shadow of the Fourth Shinobi World War looms over the entire shinobi world. Dealing with Yagura at this time would be an unwise move.

Yuan Shi slowly opened his eyes, which were almost always half-closed, and his aged voice rang out in the conference room: "Lord Mizukage has taken the initiative to assume responsibility, and his heart is commendable. However, the current situation is turbulent, and Kirigakure is in dire need of capable people. The matter of recommending a new Mizukage is of great importance and can be postponed."

He paused, tapping his serpentine staff lightly on the ground, and continued, "The most urgent task is to stabilize our internal situation and unite against external threats. Furthermore, we must strictly control the flow of information; we must never let the outside world know that the Mizukage of Kirigakure was controlled by someone for several years! Otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Subsequently, under the chairmanship of Master Yuan, the meeting passed a resolution to restrict the power of the Water Shadow.

Although Yagura retains the title of Fourth Mizukage, his power will be constrained by the council of elders and the Jonin class, and he will need to undergo regular checks by Ao's Byakugan to ensure that he is no longer under the control of any genjutsu.

The meeting ended in a somber atmosphere.

After the other high-ranking officials left, Yuan Shi, Terumi Mei, and Qing stayed behind.

The Master's wrinkled bald head appeared somewhat dim under the lamplight. He squinted at the weary-looking Yagura and asked the most crucial question directly: "Lord Mizukage, is the person controlling you... the 'Shura' from the Land of Stars?"

This is currently the most prevalent speculation among the higher-ups at Fog Shadow.

The ability to control a Kage-level ninja for an extended period without being detected is something no ordinary ninja could achieve.

The "Shura," who has suddenly risen to prominence in the ninja world in recent years and whose strength is unfathomable, is undoubtedly the most suspicious target.

Yagura shook his head decisively. He tried hard to recall the memory of being manipulated, which was shrouded in a thick fog, and said with certainty, "No, it wasn't him. The person who controlled me... used Sharingan genjutsu. Moreover, I have a vague feeling... that the person who controlled me seems to have... some kind of grudge against Shura."

"A grudge?" Yuan Shi and Terumi Mei frowned simultaneously.

They had heard Yagura say before that he was controlled by the Sharingan, but the man wore a mask and was extremely mysterious; Yagura had never seen his true face.

Ao, standing to the side, also had a hint of surprise and doubt flash in his left eye, which was not covered by the sealing barrier: "Could it be that besides Shura, there are other powerful ninjas with such strength and ambition hidden in this ninja world?"

Mei Terumi placed her hands on the table and calmly analyzed, "It's not impossible. Elder Yuan Shi, do you remember the night three years ago when the Kaguya clan rebelled?"

"That mysterious person controlled the Mizukage to issue an order, sending out Hozuki Mangetsu, Suigetsu Hobuki, and Biwa Juzo, three members of the Ninja Swordsman, to intercept Shura, who happened to appear in Kirigakure. This clearly indicates that the mysterious person may have sensed Shura's infiltration through some special means, or even fought Shura but did not gain the upper hand, which is why he urgently sent out the Ninja Swordsmen to pursue him, attempting to kill him with a borrowed knife or to test him."

A look of recollection crossed Yuan Shi's wrinkled face as he slowly nodded. "Indeed... I remember. That night, the village not only lost the Kaguya clan, but also Suigetsu Hozuki and Juzo Biwa, and Hozuki Mangetsu returned wounded. There were also excellent ninjas like Zabuza Momochi who defected... It was a devastating loss."

Yagura tried hard to recall, and although his memory was hazy, he still managed to piece together the events: "That night, after I was attacked by Zabuza Momochi, inside the Mizukage Building... there did seem to be a brief but intense battle, and a mysterious ninja appeared... but I really can't remember the specific details..."

Master Yuan took a deep breath, his hunched body seeming to bend even more, and his grip on the snake-shaped wooden staff tightened slightly: "It seems... that Asura may very well possess important information about this mysterious enemy!"

Mei Terumi interjected, "But Shura's appearance on the night of Kaguya's rebellion is also suspicious. According to the intelligence we have gathered, during the battle between the Land of Stars and the Land of Snow, there were bloodline limit users who appeared to be Kaguya's 'Shikotsumyaku' and the Snow Clan's 'Ice Release'."

The battle between the Land of Stars and the Land of Snow within the territory of the Land of Darkness was witnessed by many people, including not only ninjas from both sides, but also a large number of ordinary soldiers, wandering samurai, and refugees, making it difficult to completely suppress the news.

The intelligence networks of each ninja village had already collected these fragmented pieces of information and were analyzing them internally.

"The Kaguya clan's Corpse Bone Pulse... the Yuki clan's Ice Release..." Yagura muttered to himself, a look of pain on his face.

These two bloodline ninja clans, once a source of pride for Kirigakure, perished under the oppressive policies he implemented while under his control.

Now, their bloodline abilities have appeared in the Star Kingdom thousands of miles away, which is undoubtedly a huge irony.

Yuan Shi's narrowed eyes were almost completely closed as he said in a deep voice, "According to intelligence sent back by spies from Konoha, the branch families of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans have also experienced large-scale defections, ultimately all going to the Land of Stars. It seems that the number and variety of bloodline limit ninja clans gathered in the Land of Stars are probably... more than our Hidden Mist Village and Hidden Sand Village combined."

"What?!" Qing was shocked upon hearing this, as he knew all too well how difficult it was to gain the loyalty of these powerful bloodline families.

He himself only managed to acquire this Byakugan by luck during the Third Shinobi World War, through a sneak attack on a Hyuga main clan squad, at a great cost.

And that Asura actually had a way to make the proud Uchiha clan follow him, and even break the Hyuga clan's "Caged Bird" curse seal that controlled the branch family.
This is simply unbelievable!
Mei Terumi snorted softly, a smile that was both gloating and somewhat solemn curving her red lips: "It seems... Sunagakure has really bitten off more than they can chew this time. Even if Konoha joins the war in the end, they probably won't gain much advantage."

The master looked at Yagura and offered his advice: "Lord Mizukage, the most urgent task is to restore the village's vitality as soon as possible and obtain more information about the outside world, especially about the Land of Stars and that mysterious enemy. I suggest that we immediately send out elite ninjas skilled in infiltration to find a way to infiltrate the Land of Stars."

Yagura nodded wearily, delegating all authority: "Elder Master, I entrust this matter entirely to you. I am currently... merely a criminal."

"Before the next Mizukage officially takes office, the only thing I can do is to do my best to cooperate with you and everyone else to clean up this mess that I have personally made as mess as possible."

His words were filled with the pain of helplessness and deep remorse.

Star City, Military Zone Operations Command Center.

The atmosphere inside the huge circular conference room was somber and heavy.

A huge map of the ninja world hangs on the wall, with the border area between the Land of Wind and the Land of Stars marked in striking red.

In the center of the room is a well-made and detailed sand table that clearly simulates the terrain of the "Death Sand Sea" and the surrounding oases and towns.

Menma sat upright in the main seat, wearing his signature black robe with red trim, his heterochromatic eyes calmly sweeping over everyone present.

To his left sat the Minister of Administration, Uzumaki Kaoru, and the Minister of Military Affairs, Uchiha Hikaru; to his right were the Minister of Finance, Miyagi En, the Captain-Commander of the Anbu, Hoshigaki Kisame, and other core combatants such as Uchiha Shisui, Hyuga Hizashi, and Natsumi, who were participating in the military council.

A sense of tension and barely concealed excitement, as if a great battle was about to begin, filled the air.

Uchiha Hikari stood up, her fair skin accentuated by her crisp, dark blue clan uniform. Even with her Sharingan closed, her eyes still exuded a sharp aura.

Holding a scroll in her hand, she reported to Mianma, and also to everyone present, in a clear and calm voice:

"According to the latest statistics, the number of registered ninjas in our Star Country has exceeded 800, reaching a scale of 807."

This number caused some of the new members, such as Uchiha Shisui and Hyuga Hizashi, to exchange slightly excited glances.

It should be noted that even the five great ninja villages have a regular ninja force of only about two thousand people, and the number only doubles during full mobilization in times of war.

For example, during the Fourth Shinobi World War, the entire shinobi world only formed an 80,000-strong Allied Shinobi Forces. Excluding the samurai from small shinobi villages and the Land of Iron, as well as wandering shinobi and wandering samurai, the number of shinobi from the five great nations probably accounted for only half. Divided up, each village had less than 8,000 shinobi.

The eight hundred ninjas, who are also a standing force engaged in full-time combat, are second only to the five great ninja villages in size.

You should know that when Ma Gang took over Xingnin Village three or four years ago, he only had a little over two hundred ninjas under his command, and their quality was uneven!
Uchiha Hikaru continued with detailed data: "Among them, there are 602 Genin, 159 Chunin, 32 Special Jonin, and 14 Jonin."

She read out the list of Jonin, each name representing a formidable fighting force.

"The Jonin include: Uchiha Hikaru, Uzumaki Kaoru, Natsumi, Hotaru, Miyagi En, Miyagi Jin, Gota, Hoshigaki Kisame, Yakushi Nonou, Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Izumi, Uchiha Inahisa, Hyuga Hizashi, and Hyuga Tokuma."

This list encompasses almost all of the Star Kingdom's top combat forces that are currently publicly known.

These are only the registered ninjas who belong to the ninja army.

People like Yoru, the former Hoshikage and current Minister of Justice; Kakuzu, who is responsible for protecting the business activities of the Gato Group; Hiruko from the laboratory; and Sakuto Otsutsuki, who is in a semi-retired state but still has combat power, are not included in the calculation.

If we add Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze, who were resurrected using Edo Tensei, the actual number of Jonin-level or higher combatants available is close to twenty.

Among them, Shisui and Kisame both possess the strength of a powerful Kage, while Uchiha Hikaru is even a Super Kage.

Meanwhile, Minato and Kushina, resurrected through Edo Tensei, were at the peak of their power!
This power is enough to rival the five great ninja villages!
The list of Jonin also gave everyone present a boost of confidence.

Although its total military strength is far inferior to that of the Great Ninja Village, the quality of its high-end combat forces is remarkable.

Compared to six months ago, the significant increase in the high-end combat power of the Star Country is mainly due to the overall addition of the Uchiha clan and the Hyuga branch family, which brought a large number of experienced ninjas.

The improvement in mid-to-lower-level combat power is attributed to the gradual deployment of revolutionary equipment such as the "Chakra Kinetic Armor".

This armor not only greatly enhances the user's physical fitness and defense, but its built-in scientific ninja tools also enable ordinary elites in the police force to stably perform some basic ninjutsu after training. Its overall combat power is comparable to that of an ordinary genin, and a few outstanding individuals can even reach the level of chunin.

Miyajo En, who had been appointed as the chief of staff of the Star Ninja Army, walked to the huge sand table, picked up a slender baton, and pointed to the vast area marked "Death Sand Sea." His expression behind the orange sunglasses also became serious.

"Based on the General Staff's comprehensive assessment of intelligence from various sources, the Sand Village in a state of war can conservatively mobilize around three thousand regular ninja. If they were to conduct a full-scale war mobilization, under extreme circumstances, they could potentially muster five thousand, or even six thousand ninja!"

This number made the atmosphere in the conference room even more tense.

Eight hundred against three thousand, or even possibly five thousand or six thousand!
"Although the vast majority of Sand Village ninjas are genin with limited combat power, we must consider the worst-case scenario." Miyajo En's baton swept across several key points within the Land of Stars.

Those are the major cities, railway hubs, large warehouses, bridges, ports, and other important facilities of the Star Kingdom...

"If the enemy adopts a strategy of breaking up large forces into smaller units and sending a large number of small units to infiltrate our territory to carry out indiscriminate harassment and sabotage operations, they will not need to engage us in a direct confrontation. They only need to destroy our transportation lines, supply depots, and important facilities, which will be enough to slow down our war pace, cause huge economic losses and public panic. At that time, just clearing out these roaming 'rats' will keep us busy and consume a lot of the troops that should be used on the main battlefield."

He slammed his baton down on the signs of several oases and towns in the southern part of the "Death Sands," emphasizing his voice: "Therefore, the General Staff is in complete agreement: we cannot remain passively defensive; we must take the initiative! Advance the battle line into the Land of Wind!"

"Two days ago, after receiving Lord Shura's order, Lord Guang ordered the formation of the First Legion as the vanguard, consisting of twelve detachments, supplemented by medical teams and logistics support teams, totaling one hundred and seventy people. Currently, they have entered the Death Sand Sea and successfully controlled eight key oases and four cities in the southern part of the sand sea, initially establishing a forward defense line."

"Our strategic objective is to firmly control the war within the Land of Wind through proactive offensive operations. This will force Sunagakure to concentrate its main forces on the frontal defenses, leaving it unable to attend to other matters, thereby fundamentally eliminating the possibility of its large-scale infiltration and raids into our heartland!"

"Then we'll push the battle line all the way to Sunagakure! Forcing Sunagakure to either surrender or have its village overrun!"

[PS: While I was looking for pictures today, someone sent me a swimsuit picture, but it turned out to be a swimsuit version of Chiyo! So cool!]

(End of this chapter)