The Chaos Begins

(Chapter 1: Chaos Approaches)

The Third Hokage's orders were executed with absolute thoroughness. His prestige within Konoha remained immense, and his commands were carried out to the letter. Even in private, no one in the village dared to discuss the Nine-Tailed Fox, treating the entire affair as a taboo.

However, matters concerning the Uchiha Clan began to ferment slowly among the populace. While the Third Hokage's ban on discussing the Nine-Tails had quieted the chatter, the voices regarding the Uchiha Clan did not fade; in private, many continued to talk about them, ensuring the subject was not forgotten.

Konoha Year 48.

The Nine-Tailed Fox attacked Konoha, the Fourth Hokage fell in battle, Naruto Uzumaki became a jinchūriki, and the Third Hokage returned to power. Historical events rolled forward relentlessly. The Third Shinobi World War had just concluded; relying on its formidable strength and a host of exceptional ninja—the Fourth Hokage, the Legendary Sannin, and other outstanding talents—Konoha had secured a decisive victory. Its power surpassed the other four great shinobi nations, establishing it as the premier shinobi superpower and forcing the Land of Wind into a humiliating treaty under the walls.

Yet, the departure of the Legendary Sannin, the death of the Fourth Hokage, and the Nine-Tails' assault shattered Konoha's advantage in an instant. Today's Konoha was like a tiger without teeth; while its majesty remained, it was no longer the invincible force it once was.

Several shinobi nations that had been restless finally seized this opportunity of Konoha's weakness to initiate conflicts with the Land of Fire. These great nations had long understood Konoha's resilience through years of war, and they knew that if they did not strike now, they might never get another chance.

With the exception of the Land of Wind, which had signed a peace treaty, the other three great shinobi nations began dispatching ninja to cross the borders, probing and attacking the Land of Fire. The Land of Lightning committed the largest force, as their strength remained the most intact.

Mirai continued his daily routine of attending school and returning home. Beyond learning the most basic knowledge, he trained arduously. He did not know how many dangers lay ahead—Uchiha Obito, Shimura Danzō, and the situations that would follow one after another—all of which drove him to constantly grow stronger.

Failing to last even a single round against Uchiha Obito was a testament to the gap in their strength. His true self was currently no match for Uchiha Obito, but he was not one to admit defeat, and naturally, he had to continuously improve his own power.

In just over a month, Mirai's strength had improved significantly. The few friends who trained with him called him a monster; even though they had been striving to catch up, they could clearly feel the gap between them and Mirai widening further.

Mirai did not display his hand-seal speed in front of them, fearing it would only discourage them further. Fortunately, they genuinely regarded Mirai as a friend; though they felt some envy, there was no jealousy, only happiness for his progress. They even joked that their safety would depend on him in the future, to which Mirai smilingly agreed.

Coming to this world and making a few sincere friends made Mirai feel quite happy. He still lacked a sense of belonging to Konoha and felt even more detached from the Uchiha Clan, but his feelings for his friends were genuine, and he taught them some of the ninjutsu knowledge and techniques he knew.

Walking down the street, Mirai would occasionally visit Ichiraku Ramen on his days off to enjoy a bowl of noodles.

"Hey! Did you hear? Our people have lost quite a few men at the border again," suddenly, the sound of two customers talking reached Mirai's ears, and it was about...

"Bang!" One of them slammed his hand on the table and said indignantly, "Those damn bastards, taking advantage of the Land of Fire's heavy losses to kick us while we're down! If the Legendary Sannin and the Fourth Hokage were still here, we wouldn't tolerate such arrogance from these countries!"

"Sigh! The Third Shinobi World War just ended, and we were the victors. We should have been in a period of rapid development, yet we encountered that disaster. The Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha caused far too many casualties; our losses were truly too great."

"It's all the fault of the Nine-Tails and the Uchiha Clan. It's very likely that..." Before the man could finish, his companion covered his mouth.

"Shh! Don't say that! The Third Hokage has already issued a ban; don't talk about such things. And look over there..." The man gestured with his chin toward Mirai's position. Mirai was wearing the clothing of the Uchiha Clan, with the clan's crest printed on his back.

Seeing Mirai, the man curled his lip and said mockingly, "It's just a brat from the Uchiha Clan, what's there to be afraid of? He'll likely turn out the same way..."

"Aren't you afraid he'll go back and tattle to his elders?"

Hearing the end of their conversation, Mirai chuckled lightly, not caring about what they said. They were just villagers who didn't know the truth, reminding him of a strange type of creature on the internet back on Earth called "trolls."

People who didn't know the truth but arrogantly spouted nonsense—his country had many such people, though the ratio was likely similar in every nation; it was just that China had a larger population, so there were more trolls. If you think you're so capable, then you go! Go to the battlefield, fight, and slay the enemy. In the end, it's all just talk.

Mirai wouldn't have paid them any mind back on Earth, so he certainly wouldn't care what these people said now. If they had insulted him directly, he wouldn't have minded breaking their legs.

"Bang!" A loud noise echoed through the ramen shop. The two men were startled, and Mirai also looked over in surprise to see Ayame placing two bowls of ramen in front of them, saying loudly, "Eat up!"

The two looked at their bowls and saw the broth was as clear as water, lacking any substance, and the noodles seemed barely cooked. Honestly, they lost their appetite the moment they saw it.

"Hey! This isn't normal ramen, is it?"

Ayame put her hands on her hips and said, "Take it or leave it. If you think I'm too young, you can talk to my elder directly and see what my father has to say!"

"Boss! What kind of attitude is your daughter showing!" one of them shouted at Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, who was busy working.

"You two should leave. This shop doesn't welcome customers like you," Teuchi said to them. The two men hadn't expected the usually amiable shop owner to say such things to them.

"Hmph! What an attitude! We're never coming back!" After throwing out their threats, the two slunk away.

"Pah! Customers like you had better never come back! How dare you bully Mirai," Ayame shouted, seemingly still unsatisfied.

Mirai smiled bitterly from the side and said, "Uncle Teuchi, Ayame, isn't it bad to drive customers away like that? Just let them be; it doesn't affect me."

"You might not be angry, but I am! Two grown men bullying a child—how shameless," Ayame retorted.

I don't think I was being bullied, Mirai thought, but he didn't say it out loud, feeling that if he did, Ayame would never stop.

Uncle Teuchi smiled at Mirai and said, "It's fine. Even though I'm just a ramen seller, I was very dissatisfied with those two. It's better if such customers come less often. Since they didn't eat these, I'll go back and cook them properly for you to eat. On the house."

Mirai didn't know what to say and just nodded, feeling moved. These two were the first to show him kindness, and Mirai decided he would repay them well in the future. However, he had also gathered quite a bit of information from the two men. It seemed Konoha's current situation was truly grim. He had originally intended to study for another year and a half before graduating, but now, it seemed he would have to move that timeline up.