Reverse Fate

[After all, there was no such thing as a free lunch, especially when the aid was this generous.]

[The Four Elders had braced themselves to pay a steep price—even their clan's Sharingan.]

[But Morpheus's answer stunned them all.]

[His cold face shifted almost imperceptibly, as though forming the faintest hint of an expression.]

["There is no price."]

["Or rather, you need not pay us anything."]

[The Four Elders froze. They looked at one another, disbelief written across their faces.]

["Impossible!" the Third Elder blurted. "Then why would you go so far to help us?"]

[Morpheus's projection leaned slightly forward, as if studying these "test subjects" caught between confusion and ecstasy.]

[His deep voice echoed through the Stone Chamber, carrying an air of mystery, as though he were pronouncing their fate:]

["This is not a transaction, leaders of the Uchiha."]

["It is merely an attempt to observe how a 'Variable' might reverse fate."]

["Use the power I have given you freely. Let us see whether introducing these 'Variables' can completely rewrite the tragic fate that was once set for you."]

["When you need more, press the button again."]

["Finally, good luck."]

[The Light abruptly faded. Morpheus vanished without a trace, as though he had never been there.]

[The four Uchiha elders stood motionless in the dim Stone Chamber, reeling from the windfall that had landed in their laps.]

[Yet his final, cryptic words sent an indescribable chill through them.]

[No price? An observation? Reversing fate?]

[They could not understand the Paradise Organization's true purpose, but the aid before them was far too tempting.]

[That faint chill was quickly swallowed by the feverish hope of men who had glimpsed a way out.]

["Make preparations," the First Elder finally said. His voice trembled with excitement, and desperate resolve shone in his eyes. "This will be the Uchiha's last chance!"]

The Canopy Screen's vision ended there.

Inside the Hokage's Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi crushed the pipe in his hand in his excitement.

The moment he saw the Paradise Organization's support for the Uchiha, he realized it was an organization with immense potential in war.

"This... this is no Ninjutsu!" The Third Hokage's voice trembled with disbelief. "To create Jonin-level fighters by force, even if only temporarily, and mass-produce military supplies... If Konoha could wield such power..."

At the same time, a chill crept into his heart. If the Paradise Organization could grant such aid to the Uchiha clan so easily, could it one day grant the same aid to another shinobi village and turn it against Konoha?

The very existence of such an ability threatened to overturn the Shinobi World's established order and balance of power!

Inside the Raikage's Office in Kumogakure, Fourth Raikage A stared at the unbelievable account on the Canopy Screen and smashed the wall beside him to pieces with one punch. "Bullshit! How could that be possible?"

He roared, but he could not deny the Canopy Screen's truth. "Create Special Jonin temporarily? Mass-produce Explosive Tags? What damned clan could do that?"

"Did that old bastard Ōnoki dig up a relic of an ancient civilization?!"

What would such an ability mean in war? It meant the enemy could churn out troops and weapons without end! The taijutsu and military production that made Kumogakure formidable would become a joke in the face of such power!

In the Tsuchikage's Office in Iwagakure, Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki sat in his chair as the documents in his hand slipped to the floor.

For the first time, his aged face showed a shock so profound it bordered on stupor. "The... Paradise Organization!" he murmured, all his usual composure gone. "To bypass training and grant power directly, to create something from nothing... This... this borders on the power of creation!"

He understood better than anyone what it meant. This was no Ninjutsu. It was a different kind of power, almost like a law of nature. "What are they trying to do? With power like this, why did they use it to support a Uchiha on the brink of destruction?"

Ōnoki felt a deep, primal fear—the fear of facing something he could not begin to understand.

In Kirigakure and Sunagakure, Mei Terumi and Rasa were likewise stunned into silence by what they saw on the Canopy Screen.

Their first thought was: Was the information true? If it was, the balance of power in the Shinobi World would be shattered!

They feared that the Paradise Organization's ability might spread—or fall exclusively into the hands of one great nation.

If that happened, the Shinobi World might not be far from the Fourth Shinobi World War.

In the Land of Rain, Deva Path Pain stood silently atop the Central Iron Tower, which rose into the clouds.

His Rinnegan reflected the figure that called itself the "Paradise Organization" on the Canopy Screen, along with the inconceivable power it had displayed.

Konan stood quietly beside him. The slight trembling of her paper betrayed how shaken she was.

"Nagato," Konan said softly, worry in her voice, "we don't know where this power comes from or what its purpose is. It's too dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Deva Path Pain slowly turned his head, the ripples of his Rinnegan seeming to revolve. "Konan, have you forgotten the pain we endured?"

"Have you forgotten how much this country, this village of Amegakure, has suffered while trapped between the three great nations?"

His voice remained steady, yet carried a heavy force.

"We suffered because we were weak. The great nations trampled us because we lacked resources. Yahiko's dream requires power to become reality."

"And peace requires absolute power to endure!"

His gaze returned to the barren land outside, forever soaked by rain and scarred by war.

"If... if we could put that power to use." A note of longing entered Deva Path Pain's voice.

"Imagine it, Konan." He raised a hand as if sketching out a vision. "Our loyal Rain Shinobi Warriors could gain the strength to defend their home in an instant, without years of brutal selection and training!"

“We would no longer have to worry about scarce Ninja Tool. When enemies came, we could arm every villager willing to fight for their home in an instant!”

"Amegakure would no longer be weak! We would have true military strength! Would those great nations still dare bring war to our land so easily?"

"But Nagato," Konan said, still cautious, "we don't know what that organization wants. It clearly had ulterior motives when it helped the Uchiha. Cooperating with them would be like bargaining with a tiger. The risk is too great."

"We don't need to trust each other," Deva Path Pain replied coldly. "We only need to use them."

"We can try making contact first and test them. If possible, we'll find a way to learn how this technology works."

"Even if we can't obtain the core technology, a limited exchange for temporary enhancements or supplies could be enough to turn the tide at a critical moment."

He paused, a glint of unwavering resolve passing through his Rinnegan.

"What matters is the result. The process and methods are irrelevant."

"Have Zetsu intensify the search," Pain ordered. "Our primary objective remains unchanged, but divert some effort to investigating the Paradise Organization."

"I want to know everything about it—its origins, its purpose, the limits and weaknesses of its power, and whether we can 'use' it."

"If it truly can 'reverse fate'..." Pain's voice dropped, heavy with almost obsessive determination. "Then it's time Amegakure's fate was reversed as well."

"This power may be another key to true peace."

Silence returned to the sealed chamber. Only the faint sound of rain could be heard from outside.

Konan watched Pain's unyielding figure, the worry in her eyes deepening.