The uproar outside Amegakure had reached a boiling point.
The ninja from Konoha and Kumogakure in particular bore accumulated grudges that left them with no goodwill toward Naruto. They all clamored for him to show himself and explain everything!
At last, after countless demands, Naruto appeared.
The ninja of Konoha and Kumogakure immediately united against their common enemy, ready to denounce Naruto first. But when they saw the faces of the ninja following him, they swallowed their accusations!
"Hey, hey, this has to be... a joke, right?"
"Th-that's the First Hokage, isn't it?"
"The Second, the Third, the Fourth... they're all here!"
"The Fifth is here too, and even Lord Jiraiya, who died!"
"Uchiha Itachi... didn't he die when Sasuke took his revenge?"
"That's Body Flicker Shisui, right?"
"Obito Uchiha-wasn't his body just discovered outside Konoha not long ago?"
"Who's that long-haired ronin walking beside the First Hokage? Why does he look familiar?"
"I-isn't that the man whose statue stands beside the First's at the Valley of the End? Look closely. He's identical..."
"N-no way! That's Madara Uchiha! He died back when Konoha was first founded!"
An overwhelming gap in their knowledge collided with reality in an instant. The shock was enough to make them question their entire lives as ninja.
Naruto Uzumaki paid no mind to the ninja's varied expressions. Holding Hinata's hand, he stopped before the assembled force and swept his profound Rinnegan gaze across the crowd.
He nodded in greeting to Shikaku, Shikamaru, Hiashi, Hanabi, and his former classmates, then spoke in a steady, forceful voice.
"I explained my reasons for gathering you here very clearly in my letters. Some of you may doubt me, but just moments ago, the Infinite Tsukuyomi was activated. Apart from Amegakure, which is protected by a barrier, every human outside has