The Hero Hidden in History

Sumire Kakei froze for a moment at his words and did not answer right away.

She gently closed the notes she had been reading and folded her hands on the table, her eyes thoughtful. After a moment, she spoke in a clear, calm voice:

"Official histories, including the textbooks we compiled here in Konoha, say very little about that period."

"They usually emphasize how Lord Naruto Uzumaki, who later became the Seventh Hokage, chose to put old grudges aside and look toward a greater future."

She paused, glancing at the doubt on Haimā's face, then continued, "But my father studied the history of the Shinobi World extensively. He left behind some private research notes."

"Those notes give a much fuller account of that dark period."

Sumire lowered her voice as she began to tell him the long-buried secret:

"According to his notes, the situation in the Shinobi World spiraled completely out of control toward the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War."

"Obito Uchiha joined forces with a mysterious dark organization called Nine Nether. Their combined strength was overwhelming, and they nearly drove the entire Allied Shinobi Forces to collapse."

"Worse still, under immense pressure and fear, old tensions resurfaced between the villages in the already fragile alliance. They blamed one another and shirked responsibility. The bonds of trust nearly broke altogether, and the entire Shinobi World stood on the brink of an abyss from which it might never return."

She looked up, her gaze deepening as though she could see that moment of despair:

"Just when everyone believed the situation was beyond saving, Orochimaru used Konoha's Forbidden Technique—Impure World Reincarnation."

"He summoned a great many fallen figures from the Shinobi World's history, including revered former Kage and legendary heroes from the various villages."

"Those predecessors who were brought back,"