The Main World.
Summer, year 26 of Konoha.
Ocean Planet, Navy Headquarters, the fleet admiral's office.
Sunlight streamed through the windowpanes, casting pale patches of light and shadow across the dark wooden floor. The sea lay as still as a vast blue mirror. Several warships were leaving the harbor, the Empire's flags flying from their masts: a red sun on a white field, with a golden character for "abundance" embroidered in the center.
Nagato sat behind his desk, his dark red hair gleaming purplish-black in the sunlight. A thick roster lay open before him, printed on high-quality paper freshly shipped from the Empire, its edges neat and its ink clear. His name appeared at the very top-Fleet Admiral, Nagato. Below it were the names of naval officers of every rank, from admiral to ensign, packed densely across more than a dozen pages.
Yahiko stood at the window with his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant sea. He wore a dark blue naval uniform with presidential epaulets on his shoulders, his short orange hair stirring gently in the sea breeze. He, too, held a list, thinner than Nagato's but more varied in content-a roster of representatives from the Oceanic Federal Government's member states, a map of naval bases, and reports on proposed observation station sites.
"Ocean Planet really does have geniuses everywhere these days!" A hint of wonder colored Yahiko's voice as his eyes settled on the unfamiliar names on the list. "The nearly thousand people on this list alone... all have the potential to become Kage-level fighters."
Nagato did not look up, his gaze still moving slowly down the roster.
"When a whale falls, all things thrive." His voice was calm. "Now I finally understand what that means. Ōtsutsuki Fūshū and Ōtsutsuki Yashū's true chakra, karma marks, and