The real Shinobi World
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi stood in his office, facing the window and gazing up at the young, radiant Minato Namikaze on the Heavenly Screen. His eyes were filled with complicated emotions. Minato was as composed as ever in the image, his golden hair shining in the sunlight and his blue eyes filled with determination and wisdom. His figure was like a ray of light, illuminating the entire battlefield and the memories deep within Hiruzen's heart.
The Nine-Tails' Attack more than a decade ago felt as though it had happened only yesterday. That disaster had plunged Konoha into an unprecedented crisis, and Minato Namikaze—the Fourth Hokage Hiruzen had personally chosen—had stepped forward at the most critical moment, sealing the Nine-Tails with his own life and saving the village. Hiruzen still remembered Minato's smile in his final moments. It had been the serene smile of a man with no regrets, as well as one filled with hope for the future.
"If I had been the one to sacrifice myself back then, Minato would surely have made Konoha an even better place..." Hiruzen murmured, his voice heavy with regret and self-reproach. He tightened his grip on his pipe, his fingertips trembling slightly. As the Third Hokage, he had spent his life working for Konoha's prosperity and peace, but he knew full well that Minato's talent and foresight far surpassed his own. The young man had possessed limitless potential. His wisdom, his Ninjutsu and his leadership had all been destined to lead Konoha to an even more glorious future.
Yet fate had played a cruel joke. Minato's death had not only robbed Konoha of a great leader, but had also deprived his child, Naruto, of his parents' love from an early age. Whenever Hiruzen thought of it, his heart filled with pain and regret.
"Minato, Kushina... if only I had noticed sooner, if only I had reached the battlefield in time, perhaps you wouldn't have..." Hiruzen's voice was low and hoarse, as though every word carried a heavy burden. He knew there were no ifs in this world and that the regrets of the past could not be undone, but he still could not let go.
The images on the Heavenly Screen continued. Minato Namikaze darted across the battlefield, his Flying Thunder God Technique, his composure and his wisdom inspiring immense admiration. As Hiruzen watched, a glimmer of pride gradually appeared in his eyes. Although Minato had passed away, his will and spirit had never disappeared. His son Naruto was carrying on his legacy, step by step, and becoming a pillar of Konoha.
"Minato, let Naruto inherit your dreams and your will," Hiruzen said quietly, a hint of resolve in his voice. "I'll do everything I can to protect this village and your child until the day he can stand on his own."
In Root's underground base, dim light fell across Danzo's grim face. He sat alone on a stone chair, his right eye tightly wrapped in bandages and his left fixed on Minato Namikaze's figure on the Heavenly Screen. Minato was composed in the image, his golden hair shining in the sunlight and his blue eyes filled with determination and wisdom. His every movement and every word seemed to mock Danzo's failure and unwillingness to accept it.
"Minato Namikaze..." Danzo murmured the name, a trace of teeth-clenched hatred in his voice. His fists clenched tightly, his knuckles whitening with the force. Memories from more than a decade ago flooded his mind: that time when he had believed he could control everything, only for it all to be utterly ruined by Minato Namikaze's appearance.
Back then, Danzo had carefully orchestrated a game of power. He had secretly supported Orochimaru, hoping to control Konoha indirectly through Orochimaru's position as Hokage. Orochimaru's genius and ambition had made him the perfect pawn, while Danzo remained behind the scenes, ready to use Orochimaru's human experiments as leverage to force him to step down at the right moment and take the Hokage Position himself as a matter of course. But Hiruzen Sarutobi, his old rival, had thrown all of it into disarray.
Hiruzen had long since seen through Danzo and Orochimaru's secret scheme. He had not only exposed Orochimaru's human experiments but also driven him to defect from the village. What Danzo found even harder to accept was that Hiruzen had chosen a young man—Minato Namikaze—to succeed him as the Fourth Hokage. That gifted, bright and upright young man did not fit Danzo's expectations of a Hokage at all. In Danzo's view, the Hokage Position belonged to someone like him, someone willing to pay any price for the village, not a naive idealist.
"Hiruzen, you're always like this... willing to sacrifice the village's interests for the sake of so-called 'honesty and integrity,'" Danzo muttered, his voice full of scorn and dissatisfaction. A cold glint flashed in his left eye, as though he were plotting something.
The images on the Heavenly Screen continued to play. Minato Namikaze shone on the battlefield, his Flying Thunder God Technique, his composure and his wisdom inspiring immense admiration. To Danzo, however, they were especially grating. He watched the image coldly, his heart full of resentment and jealousy.
"Minato Namikaze, what gives you the right... what gives you the right to become Hokage? You don't understand true darkness or true sacrifice at all!" Danzo's voice was low and hoarse, as though it came from the depths of hell. His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest of the stone chair, making dull sounds.
Just then, a member of Root appeared soundlessly behind Danzo, dropped to one knee and said respectfully, "Lord Danzo, what are your orders?"
Danzo did not turn around. He simply said coldly, "Continue monitoring developments in the village, especially Hiruzen and that Nine-Tails brat. Our chance will come soon."
"Yes, Lord Danzo," the Root member replied quietly, then vanished into the darkness.
Danzo turned his gaze back to the Heavenly Screen, the corners of his mouth lifting in a cold smile. After years of modifications and experiments, his body had long since surpassed the limits of an ordinary person. Countless Sharingan had been transplanted into his right arm, each containing immense power. He believed he was younger and stronger than Hiruzen, and more qualified to become Hokage.
"Hiruzen, you're old... but I'm still quite young," Danzo said quietly, his voice full of confidence and ambition. "Just wait. Minato Namikaze is dead, and you... sooner or later, you'll step down too. When that time comes, Konoha will grow truly powerful under my control."
The images on the Heavenly Screen gradually faded, but Danzo's ambition burned ever hotter. He rose and walked deeper into the base, where the power and secrets he had accumulated over the years lay. He knew his chance was drawing closer, step by step, and that Konoha's future would ultimately be in his hands.
"For Konoha, I can pay any price... even if it means falling into darkness." Danzo's voice echoed through the empty underground base, like both an oath to his own ambition and a prophecy of the future.
In a secret base, Obito Uchiha stood silently, his figure blending into the darkness as though he were part of the void itself. Through his signature spiral mask, his lone eye gazed at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure of Minato Namikaze on the Heavenly Screen. Minato was as composed as ever in the image, his golden hair shining in the sunlight and his blue eyes filled with determination and wisdom. His every movement and every word seemed to awaken memories deep within Obito's heart.
"Sensei..." Obito murmured, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly. Images from years ago appeared in his mind: the gentle figure who had taught him Ninjutsu at the Ninja Academy, the Yellow Flash who had risked his life on the battlefield to protect his comrades, the man who had been like a father to him. Minato Namikaze had once been the person he admired most, and the person he had dreamed of becoming.
Yet all of it had been shattered on that cruel night. Obito's memories were drawn back to the Battle of Kannabi Bridge. His body had been crushed by a boulder, and Rin's subsequent death had sent him plunging into darkness. His heart was filled with pain and anger, as though a fire were burning inside him, consuming his reason bit by bit.
"You weren't late this time, Sensei..." Obito's voice was low and hoarse, tinged with sarcasm and self-mockery. He remembered the night of the Nine-Tails' Attack, when Minato Namikaze had sacrificed himself and Kushina to seal the Nine-Tails. Obito had been the one pulling the strings behind it all. He had watched his teacher give his life to protect the village, yet he had felt no remorse, only deeper hatred and despair.
"But this is how it should be." Obito's voice gradually turned cold, as though declaring an unshakable conviction. "Because this world... is hell."
He looked away from the Heavenly Screen and toward the distant night sky. There was not a single star in the pitch-black sky, only endless darkness. Rin's smile appeared in Obito's mind. The girl who had once brought him warmth and hope had now become an everlasting pain in his heart. Her death had been the spark that sent him into darkness, and his reason for destroying this world.
"Rin, Sensei, Kushina... we'll meet in another world," Obito said quietly, his voice gentle yet full of resolve. "In that world, there'll be no war, no pain, no betrayal... only peace and happiness."
His fingers gently traced the cracks in his mask, as though caressing his own shattered heart. Obito knew that nothing he had done could be forgiven, but he had long since stopped caring. He had only one goal: to create a dream world without pain, an illusory world filled with nothing but beauty. For that, he was willing to sever every bond with this real world, even if it meant becoming enemies with his former teacher and comrades.
"This world is beyond saving." Obito's voice was low and firm, as though he were swearing an oath to himself. "I'll sever it all and create a brand-new world... a world that belongs to us."
The images on the Heavenly Screen gradually faded, but Obito's resolve grew ever stronger. His figure slowly melted into the darkness, as though becoming one with the void. He knew his path was destined to be lonely, but he could no longer turn back. For Rin, for that illusory dream, he was willing to pay any price.
"Just wait, Sensei..." Obito's voice echoed through the darkness, like both a farewell to the past and a declaration to the future. His figure vanished completely into the shadows, leaving only endless darkness and silence.
Uchiha Itachi stood silently beneath a tall tree, looking up at Minato Namikaze's radiant figure on the Heavenly Screen. His every movement and every word seemed to remind Itachi what a true ninja was, and what true responsibility meant.
Yet there was no peace in Itachi's heart. Though his eyes were fixed on the Heavenly Screen, his thoughts had long since drifted back to the night that had changed his life—the Nine-Tails' Attack. That disaster had not only inflicted heavy losses on Konoha, but had also thrust the Uchiha Clan into the eye of the storm. The village's leadership had begun to suspect that the Uchiha Clan was connected to the Nine-Tails' rampage, even regarding them as a potential threat. The Uchiha Clan had been ostracized and placed under surveillance, and the clan members' discontent and anger had grown by the day. Itachi, a double agent between the village and his clan, had endured torment that ordinary people could scarcely imagine.
"If the Nine-Tails' Attack had never happened, perhaps everything would have been different..." Itachi murmured, an almost imperceptible bitterness in his voice. The faces of his clan members appeared in his mind: the elders who had once placed great hopes in him, the companions he had grown up with, and his beloved younger brother, Sasuke. Yet after that night, everything had fallen apart.
As the bridge between the village and his clan, Itachi knew his responsibility well. He had tried through his own efforts to ease the conflict between the Uchiha Clan and the village, but it had all collapsed after Shisui's death. Shisui, the man he had regarded as an older brother and a close friend, the genius who possessed the strongest Genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami, had chosen to take his own life to stop the Uchiha rebellion. His death had struck the blow that shattered Itachi's last defense.
"Shisui... you bought a brief peace with your death, but I... I can't be like you." Itachi's voice was low and hoarse, full of pain and helplessness. He knew he could no longer maintain this fragile balance. The Uchiha Clan's rebellion was imminent, and the village's leadership would never stand by and do nothing.
It was then that a mysterious man calling himself "Madara Uchiha" had approached him. The man wore a spiral mask, and his voice was low and persuasive. He told Itachi that the Uchiha Clan's fate had long since been sealed, and that the only thing Itachi could do was end it all with his own hands in exchange for peace in the village and Sasuke's safety.
"Sacrifice the clan, protect the village..." Itachi quietly repeated the words, as though trying to convince himself. Resolve flashed in his eyes, but there was far more pain. He knew the decision he was about to make would leave him burdened with infamy and guilt forever, but he had no choice.
That night, the Uchiha Clan's compound was stained red with blood. Itachi moved through the clan grounds like a ghost, a Kunai in his hand. Every swing took a life. The screams and pleas of his clan members were like blades piercing his heart. But he did not stop, because he knew this was the only way to protect the village and Sasuke.
"I'm sorry... Father, Mother... I'm sorry, Sasuke..." Itachi's voice was low and trembling, as though he were confessing to the departed souls. Tears of blood flowed from his eyes, but his hands did not stop. In the end, only he and Sasuke remained of the entire Uchiha Clan.
The images on the Heavenly Screen gradually faded, but Itachi's heart remained immersed in endless pain and self-reproach. He knew he could neither turn back nor be forgiven. The only thing he could do was continue to bear this guilt and protect the future of the village and Sasuke.
"Sasuke... you must grow stronger, strong enough to kill me," Itachi said quietly, his voice gentle yet resolute. "Only then can you leave the shadow of hatred behind and find your own path."
From a high point in Konoha, Kakashi looked up at Minato Namikaze's familiar figure on the Heavenly Screen. "Sensei..." he murmured, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly.
Kakashi's life, however, had been full of twists and pain. When he was a child, his father, Konoha White Fang Hatake Sakumo, had been blamed by the village for a failed mission and had ultimately chosen to take his own life. His father's death had left an everlasting scar on Kakashi's heart. He had become cold and withdrawn, shutting himself away in missions and rules until he met Obito and Rin.
Obito, the passionate boy who was always late, had changed Kakashi through his actions. His sacrifice had taught Kakashi the importance of comrades, and his Sharingan had become Obito's final gift to him. Yet fate had played another cruel joke on Kakashi. In a later battle, he had mistakenly killed Rin, the girl he had sworn to protect. At that moment, Kakashi had broken down completely, sinking into deep self-reproach and pain.
"Obito, Rin... if only I'd been a little stronger back then, perhaps everything would have been different..." Kakashi's voice was low and hoarse, full of pain and regret. His fingers gently touched the Sharingan beneath his Forehead Protector, as though he were caressing a past that could never be recovered.
Kakashi's pain had not ended there, however. During the Nine-Tails' Attack, his teacher Minato Namikaze and his teacher's wife Kushina had sacrificed themselves to protect the village, leaving young Naruto behind. When Kakashi looked at the lonely child, he seemed to see his former self. He had wanted to do something, only to find himself powerless. The pain and confusion in his heart had left him in a daze for a time, living like a walking corpse.
"Sensei, Kushina... I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you, and I couldn't take good care of Naruto..." Kakashi said quietly, his voice heavy with self-reproach. He looked away from the Heavenly Screen toward the distant Hokage Rock. Minato Namikaze's likeness still stood there, as though watching him and reminding him of the responsibility he bore.
As time passed, however, Kakashi gradually regained his convictions. He realized there was no point in dwelling on the pain of the past. The only thing he could do was carry on his teacher's will, protect Naruto and safeguard the village. He began to pull himself together, becoming Naruto's teacher and a mainstay of Konoha.
"Naruto... that child has grown up." The corners of Kakashi's mouth lifted slightly, and a glimmer of pride flashed in his eyes. He remembered Naruto's energetic smile and his indomitable figure in the Heavenly Screen's video. The child who had once been so lonely had now become a ninja capable of standing on his own, even a hero of the village.
"Sensei, can you see? Naruto has inherited your will, and he's working toward his own dream," Kakashi said quietly, his voice touched with pride and emotion. "This time, I'll protect him. I'll never let anyone hurt him again."
The images on the Heavenly Screen gradually faded, but Kakashi's resolve grew ever stronger. He knew his mission was not yet over. As Naruto's teacher and a ninja of Konoha, he would continue to protect the village and the people he cherished.
"Obito, Rin... if your spirits are watching from above, please watch me," Kakashi said, his voice low and firm, as though swearing an oath to his departed comrades. "This time, I won't lose my way or run away anymore. I'll protect this village and Naruto in my own way."