Second Shinobi World War Ends

The hospital morning began amid the smell of medicine and faint groans. Kyohaku woke from a restless, chaotic dream, where fragments of Chen Cheng's memories of the future intertwined with scenes of explosions from Kyohaku's own memories.

Year 40 of Konoha, the Second Shinobi World War has ended... This realization weighed on his heart like a heavy cornerstone. He not only knew where he was, but also how cruel this world's future would be. This "foreknowledge" brought not an advantage, but a suffocating sense of urgency.

A new wounded man had been placed in the neighboring bed, his entire left arm tightly wrapped as a medical ninja changed his dressing. Kyohaku immediately pricked up his ears—this was the perfect chance to verify his memories and learn the details of the current situation.

"Those Sunagakure bastards..." the wounded man cursed through gritted teeth. "That last wave of attacks cost us three more brothers..."

The medical ninja soothed him gently. "The war is over, Kento. What you need now is rest and recovery."

That confirms one thing: the war truly has ended, and one of the opponents was Sunagakure. Kyohaku thought, just as the major enemies in my memories of the Second Shinobi World War. He lowered his head and pretended to fiddle with his cup, hiding the concentration that did not belong on a five-year-old's face.

"Yeah, it's over." The wounded man named Kento sighed. "But how much did we pay for it? I heard Iwagakure didn't come out well either. That old fox, the Third Tsuchikage..."

Ōnoki... Iwagakure... These keywords further anchored his understanding. A chaotic battle among multiple sides—it really is the pattern of the Second Shinobi World War. He needed more information to assess Konoha's exact state and his own circumstances.

"Kid, were you a victim of the war too?" Kento noticed the unusually quiet child, and his tone softened.

Kyohaku nodded, pointed at his bandaged leg, and answered simply in a childish voice, "The day of the entrance ceremony..." He carefully controlled the conversation, avoiding any display of knowledge beyond what a five-year-old should possess.

"Ah, I know about that." Kento's expression darkened. "I'm sorry about your parents. They were heroes."

Kyohaku lowered his head at the right moment and put on a sorrowful expression. It suited the role he was playing and spared him from further discussion.

That afternoon, he used the excuse that he wanted to learn to read and asked the medical ninja to take him to the hospital library. He hoped to find more official records to confirm the details of history.

"I want to learn about... the village," Kyohaku explained, trying to sound like a curious child. "Dad always said he wanted me to become an excellent ninja who protected the village."

The medical ninja smiled approvingly and helped him pick out several introductory readers with plenty of pictures.

However, while the ninja was not paying attention, Kyohaku swiftly pulled out a copy of Konoha Annals: Recent Years and hid it beneath the picture books.

After returning to the ward, he eagerly began flipping through it. The text was obscure, but with the aid of his fused memories, he struggled through it.

Year 37 of Konoha: Border frictions escalate, and conflict with Sunagakure and Iwagakure erupts in full...

Year 39 of Konoha: Fierce fighting within the Land of Rain, with unidentified forces suspected of being active... He spotted a note that made his heart tremble.

Midyear, Year 40 of Konoha: A decisive victory over Sunagakure in the Land of Rivers...

Autumn, Year 40 of Konoha: All sides sign a ceasefire agreement...

Closing the book, Kyohaku took a deep breath. The course of history largely matched his memories, but the note about unidentified forces sent a chill down his spine—those distant threats were not mere fantasies. Their roots had already been planted long ago. (Root?)

Toward evening, a roar of voices and cheers suddenly rose from outside the window. Kento struggled to sit up and looked outside. "Are the troops returning from the front?"

Kyohaku looked out as well. Crowds surged along the main road, hurling flowers and cheers toward groups of returning ninja, dusty from the road but still standing tall. The setting sun edged them in gold, and the air of victory infected everyone.

Triumphant return... Kyohaku watched the scene, yet felt little joy. They cheer now, not knowing this is only the lull before an even greater storm.

The end of war was always accompanied by cheers, but Kyohaku knew clearly: how long could this illusion of peace last?

He touched his still-aching injured leg, and a cold, urgent sense of crisis seized him. In this world destined to be full of danger, he had to gain strength as quickly as possible and find his own way to survive.

"The war is over," Kyohaku murmured, his gaze passing over the cheering crowd toward the silent Hokage Rock in the distance.

The real trial for him—an Uchiha orphan who knew the future and bore a disability—had only just begun.