The Arrogant Little Kingdom of Yelang, the Omen of Itachi and Izumi's Split

These ninjas shared a common trait: they were all women.

They were dressed much like Anbu ninjas, their gear outlining their slender figures.

The kunoichi at the very front looked up, revealing a faint black mole beneath her left eye.

Her greenish hair swayed in the snowy wind, as vibrant as a leaf in a mountain stream.

It was none other than Ari.

"Rise."

Shimizu spoke.

These ninjas were all Cursed Seal Ninjas he had arranged to be in the Land of Snow in advance.

And the one leading them was, naturally, Ari.

Not only was she gifted with the ability to perform hand seals with her pupils, but she had also been implanted with half of the One-Tail, giving her chakra levels that far exceeded those of the other Cursed Seal Ninjas.

"Lord Shimizu, this is..."

Uchiha Izumi widened her eyes slightly, failing to grasp the current situation.

Why had a whole group of ninjas suddenly appeared and knelt before Shimizu?

Was this part of the Uchiha Clan's business abroad?

Why had she never heard of it?

A bit bewildered, Izumi glanced at the blue-haired Guren.

Guren's expression remained indifferent; she clearly knew something about the inside story.

Itachi, standing to the side, was as expressionless as ever.

Izumi couldn't tell whether Itachi knew about this or not.

"They heard of the Uchiha Clan's reputation and were willing to bow before me and work for me," Shimizu said with a straight face.

"Lord Shimizu speaks the truth; we have voluntarily submitted to his charisma," Ari, who had received professional training, immediately followed Shimizu's lead.

"Re... really?"

Deep down, Izumi felt like she was being played.

Could a Konoha ninja cultivate a force outside the village that didn't belong to it?

Suddenly, Izumi thought of the coup d'état that had