[Divine Guard] Proposal Approved! Minato Grants Authority—Will the Uchiha Clan Become the Biggest Winner?

Hokage Office.

Minato Namikaze handled the mountain of accumulated documents, his brows slightly furrowed. With Danzo's downfall and Root's disbandment, the handover and follow-up handling of countless covert matters had consumed much of his energy.

A light knock came at the door.

"Come in."

Kamizuki Yu pushed the door open and entered, still wearing that carefree air.

"You look exhausted. Being Hokage isn't easy," Kamizuki Yu said as he pulled out a chair and sat down without ceremony.

Minato set down his pen and rubbed his temples. "Yeah, there's a thousand things to deal with. Did you come because you have something to discuss?"

"Yes. I have an immature idea regarding the restructuring of the village's ANBU forces." Kamizuki Yu leaned forward slightly.

Minato perked up. "Go on."

"Now that Root has been eliminated, ANBU's forces need to be reorganized as well. I propose establishing an entirely new special unit."

Kamizuki Yu paused, watching Minato's reaction.

"A special unit?" Minato repeated, signaling for him to continue.

"For now, it will be called the [Divine Guard]," Kamizuki Yu said, voicing the name. "Kamigami no Eitai—the guard of the gods. Or, more plainly, we could call it Yu's Shadow Guard, taking a character from my name to emphasize its special nature."

[Divine Guard]... Minato mulled over the name. It certainly sounded extraordinary.

"This unit will stand above the regular ANBU," Kamizuki Yu continued, dropping another bombshell. "It will possess some of the former Root organization's authority, such as independent intelligence gathering and the execution of secret missions."

Minato's expression turned serious. Above ANBU, with Root's authority as well—those were immense powers.

"But unlike Root," Kamizuki Yu added, "its operations will be completely open and transparent, under the joint leadership of the Hokage and the Chief Advisor."

Joint leadership. Minato tapped his fingers lightly against the desk.

"Members will be chosen regardless of background, based only on talent, strength, and most importantly—loyalty." Kamizuki Yu's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable force. "The Uchiha Clan's elites will form its core backbone. At the same time, talented individuals from every other clan in the village may be recruited as long as they meet the standards."

It truly was a bold concept. Minato rapidly weighed it in his mind.

After the Danzo incident, Hidden Leaf's current ANBU had suffered in both morale and efficiency. An elite trump-card unit with supreme combat strength and absolute loyalty held enormous appeal for Hidden Leaf.

Especially if Kamizuki Yu was leading it. No one could match his strength.

"What will its primary duties be?" Minato asked.

"Carrying out the most difficult S-rank and above missions, serving as the direct guard of the Hokage and Chief Advisor, handling special incidents involving the village's core secrets, and acting as a rapid-response strategic deterrent force." Kamizuki Yu laid it out clearly.

Those duties covered nearly every area that Hidden Leaf's highest-end combat power could reach.

Minato pondered for a moment. "The [Divine Guard] will hold too much power, Yu. How can we ensure it remains Hidden Leaf's blade rather than becoming the tool of one person or one faction?"

The question was sharp, striking directly at the heart of the matter.

Kamizuki Yu smiled. "That is why joint leadership is necessary. And loyalty comes first. I will personally handle selection and training, ensuring that every member places Hidden Leaf's interests above all else."

Of course, in his mind, "Hidden Leaf's interests" and "Kamizuki Yu's interests" could often be treated as one and the same. As long as Hidden Leaf remained under his control.

"As for command authority," Kamizuki Yu brought up on his own initiative, "nominally, supreme command will belong to the Hokage. But I, the Chief Advisor, will have full responsibility for daily management and mission deployment. Only major operations capable of changing the village's strategic landscape will require approval from both of us."

That was practically handing the actual control of the [Divine Guard] to Kamizuki Yu.

Minato looked at Kamizuki Yu. He trusted Yu, and that trust came from Yu's many great feats in saving Hidden Leaf and saving him. But as Hokage, he had to think further ahead.

"This unit sounds more like your personal guard," Minato said slowly.

"You can see it that way." Kamizuki Yu did not avoid the point. "Only an iron army that can absolutely carry out my will can achieve maximum effectiveness. Minato, there is no need for empty suspicions between us."

He had no need to contend with the Hokage for power, because his strength alone was enough to obtain everything he wanted. What he wanted was a tool that fit comfortably in his hand, a sharp blade.

Minato's thoughts raced.

He needed Kamizuki Yu's strength to stabilize Hidden Leaf and deal with all kinds of threats that might emerge in the future, such as the mysterious Akatsuki and other restless ninja villages.

The combat power of an elite unit forged by Kamizuki Yu was beyond question.

"In principle, I agree with your proposal." Minato finally nodded. "We will need to discuss and formulate the specific regulations, selection criteria, and operational details in depth."

A faint smile appeared on Kamizuki Yu's face. "Naturally."

He knew Minato would agree. Minato was an idealist, but he was also a pragmatic Hokage.

"This will also need to pass the two elder advisors," Minato added.

"They will have their reservations," Kamizuki Yu said evenly.

"I will persuade them." Minato stood and walked to the window, looking out over Hidden Leaf below. "Hidden Leaf needs reform, and it needs greater strength to protect this new beginning."

Not long after, the atmosphere in the Hokage Office was somewhat heavy.

After hearing Minato's proposal for the [Divine Guard], the two elder advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, both looked displeased.

"Above ANBU? And inheriting part of Root's authority?" Koharu Utatane's voice was somewhat sharp. "Minato, isn't that equivalent to creating another Root?"

Homura Mitokado adjusted his glasses. "And the daily management and mission deployment of this unit will be entirely handled by Advisor Kamizuki? That is against the rules!"

Kamizuki Yu sat to one side, quietly drinking tea as though the matter being discussed had nothing to do with him.

Yet his mere presence exerted an invisible pressure.

Minato patiently explained, "Elders, times are different now. Danzo's Root became a malignant tumor because it was unsupervised and acted in extreme ways. The [Divine Guard] will be different. It will operate openly and transparently, under the joint supervision of Advisor Kamizuki and myself."

"The Uchiha Clan will become its core backbone?" Koharu Utatane seized upon another point she considered sensitive. "The Uchiha issue was only just settled, and now you intend to place such an important force in their hands?"

"It will not be placed in their hands. We will choose based on merit," Minato corrected. "The [Divine Guard] will not consider background, only ability and loyalty. The Uchiha Clan has talented people, so naturally they should be used. The same goes for every other clan."

"But Kamizuki Yu..." Homura Mitokado hesitated, but ultimately said it. "His strength is already too great. If he is given such an elite unit as well, then if something were to happen..."

"There will be no if." Minato interrupted him, his tone carrying unquestionable resolve. "I believe in Kamizuki Yu. Hidden Leaf owes much of its current stability to Yu. We need his strength, and we need a unit like this to face the challenges ahead."

The two elders fell silent.

Minato's attitude was resolute.

More importantly, they could not refute Kamizuki Yu's contributions to Hidden Leaf, nor could they ignore his unfathomable strength. If Kamizuki Yu truly harbored other intentions, they likely would not be able to stop him anyway.

Rather than oppose it, they might as well go with the flow. At least in name, the Hokage still possessed supreme command authority.

"Since Lord Hokage has already made his decision..." Koharu Utatane's tone softened somewhat. "Then we have no objections. But the specific regulations must be strictly controlled."

"Of course." Minato nodded.

After the meeting ended, Kamizuki Yu and Minato walked out of the office side by side.

"It seems they still don't quite trust me." Kamizuki Yu gave a soft laugh.

He knew exactly what those old fools were thinking. It was nothing but impotent rage, harmless enough.

Minato patted his shoulder. "Take it slowly. They will understand."

Kamizuki Yu neither agreed nor disagreed.

He did not need their understanding. He only needed their obedience.

"When will the [Divine Guard] selection begin?" Minato asked.

"The sooner, the better." Kamizuki Yu did not slow his pace. "I already have several candidates in mind."

Those Uchiha brats he had seen at the training ground, along with several other hidden gems in the village, would all be his targets.

A storm that would sweep through Hidden Leaf's younger generation was about to begin at his hands.

This unit would become the sharpest spear in his hand, as well as his strongest shield.

The divine guard that answered directly to him, Kamizuki Yu.

The corner of his mouth curved upward.