After the Battle, Danzo

Menma's question about "peace" was like a stone tossed into a deep pool, sending heavy ripples spreading through young Sasuke's heart, unable to settle for a long time.

He fell silent. Too many thoughts, too many memories, too many cruel realities that could not be easily put into words clogged his throat.

Peace?

After the Fourth Shinobi World War, after countless sacrifices had been made, Otsutsuki Kaguya had been sealed, and he and Naruto had ended the destined entanglement between Indra and Asura, the shinobi world had indeed entered a relatively stable period.

A few years later, Naruto achieved his wish and became Konoha's Seventh Hokage, devoting himself to advancing the peace and understanding he idealized.

The Five Great Nations and the Five Great Shinobi Villages signed new alliances, exchanges between them increased, and conflicts were significantly reduced.

On the surface, the flames of war seemed to have moved far from this land, and people began rebuilding their homes and enjoying a peace they had not known in so long.

The shinobi world seemed to have truly stepped into an "era of peace."

However, that was only "on the surface."

Young Sasuke, who had long wandered alone through the shadows of the shinobi world, investigating the remnants of the Otsutsuki Clan and all kinds of potential threats, understood the fragility and hypocrisy of this "peace" better than anyone.

Behind the courteous diplomatic language of the upper ranks of the Five Great Shinobi Villages lay deep-rooted suspicion, covert competition in military development, and the secret plundering of other nations' resources and talent.

This so-called "peace" was built more upon Naruto's absolute strength, which surpassed the level of the Kage, and upon the deterrence of himself, an "Uchiha" who roamed outside the system yet could intervene at any moment.

It was a