"This place is worse than hell."
The eerie scene of the village was still reflected in the Water Mirror, and the Second Mizukage Gengetsu Hozuki, unusually abandoned his usual carefree smile.
Wu Ning said in a low voice, "It's not Genjutsu!"
"I can sense that their bodies and wills have been completely transformed by some kind of force."
Hatake Sakumo did not respond; his gaze pierced through the night and landed on the figure in the village holding little Kakashi.
Kakashi, his son.
This son, who is in another world, is now teasing the child in his arms with exaggerated expressions and movements that he has never seen before.
"Father?"
Kakashi's voice, young and clear, sounded like a dull knife cutting into flesh to Sakumo: "When are we going to play ninja games again?"
"Tomorrow! Tomorrow!"
The adult Kakashi replied in a comical tone, "We want to play the most peaceful ninja game! No real Shuriken allowed!"
Hatake Sakumo closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
The cold desert night air filled his lungs, but it couldn't cool the burning sensation in his chest.
Although Kakashi in the main world is always late and addicted to bad reading, at least... at least he is a person with flesh and blood.
And what's in front of us...
" Hatake."
The First Raikage A, interrupted his thoughts with his deep voice, "Mission first."
Hatake Sakumo opened his eyes, nodded, and silently sheathed his short sword. "We need more information to figure out what's really going on in this world."
"Agree."
Wu floated in mid-air, the light from the Chakra detector in his hand like a faint Fire Fly in the darkness.
"From an energy perspective, this transformation is not a regional phenomenon; the flow of Chakra throughout the world points to the same source."
" The Land of Fire, also known as Konoha!"
The squad quickly withdrew from the outskirts of Sunagakure and headed towards the border area.
The pursuing Sunagakure stopped at the village entrance, silently gazing into the distance. Like programmed puppets, they waved goodbye in unison, their faces still bearing that chillingly bright smile.
"Long live peace! Welcome to visit again next time!"
The night was as dark as ink, and the desert wind, carrying fine sand, lashed against Hatake Sakumo's face.
He tightened the collar of his cloak, his gaze fixed straight ahead.
Behind him, the First Raikage A, the Second Mizukage Gengetsu Hozuki, and Mu followed silently, a heavy, oppressive atmosphere filling the air.
At this moment, the smiles of those 'people' from Hatake Sakumo still echoed in Sunagakure's mind—that hollow 'happiness' that seemed to be forcibly distorted by some force.
What's going on? Is this Infinite Tsukuyomi? But the moon in the sky is still perfectly normal!
So where exactly does the problem lie?
As they pondered this, the team stopped outside a small border town.
The lights looked especially warm in the night, and people were bustling about the streets, their laughter carried on the breeze.
"The people here... seem quite normal." Hozuki Gengetsu squinted, trying to observe the town's residents from a distance.
"Just the surface," Wu said coldly. " The Chakra detectors are reacting much more strongly than those from Sunagakure, indicating they've been 'modified' much more deeply."
Hatake Sakumo signaled everyone to take cover, while he quietly approached the edge of the town, hiding behind a dead tree and scanning the pedestrians on the street.
A young couple walked down the street with a child in their hands; the child's laughter was clear and melodious.
When Hatake Sakumo's gaze fell on their faces.
Their lips curled up in an unnatural arc, but their eyes were empty and lifeless, as if some force had forcibly fixed them on an expression of "happiness."
"Mom, we're going to the park again tomorrow!" The child looked up, his voice sweet as honey.
"Of course, darling!" the mother's voice flowed mechanically, "We'll play forever!"
Hatake Sakumo quietly retreated and returned to his squad.
"How was it?" the First Raikage asked in a low voice.
"Like Sunagakure,"
Hatake Sakumo's fingertips unconsciously traced the hilt of his sword; the rough texture reminded him that he was still in reality.
The further they ventured into the heart of the Land of Fire, the more unsettling the surrounding scenery became.
It wasn't that it became more bizarre, but rather that it became abnormally normal. The villagers' smiles were no longer stiff, their eyes were no longer empty, and even the flow of Chakra was frighteningly natural.
But that's precisely the most chilling part.
He recalled the mechanically waving figures at the Sunagakure, which at least revealed something unusual, but the merchants chatting and laughing and the children playing around in front of him were quite different.
If one hadn't witnessed the earlier anomalies firsthand, anyone would have thought it was just an ordinary village.
"It's too perfect..." he murmured to himself.
The angle of the fingers that the proprietress who sells tricolor dumplings bends when she takes money, the rhythm of the old craftsman hammering iron on the street corner, and even the trajectory of cherry blossoms falling from the trees all exude a carefully designed harmony.
Hatake Sakumo suddenly realized that this was like watching a play that had been rehearsed a thousand times.
Each actor perfectly embodied their role, but in doing so, they lost the imperfect realism of being a living person.
The First Raikage's breathing became heavy behind him, clearly indicating that he had also noticed something was wrong.
Hatake Sakumo couldn't help but think of Konoha in the main world, of the ninjas who were always late, the quarreling couples, and the clumsy rookies on the training field.
Those flawed truths.
At that moment, two Genin were sparring by the roadside. Their Taijutsu was so fluid that it was like a reflection, and every attack and defense seemed to be precisely calculated.
This is not a battle, but a dance, a performance whose ending was already predetermined.
What made his heart pound the most was the little girl skipping by, her blonde hair tied into familiar twin tails, a spitting Tsunade.
When she turned her head and flashed a bright smile, Hatake Sakumo almost blurted out her name.
But at the last moment, he noticed a glint of blue in the girl's eyes, like the reflection at the joints of a marionette, reminding him that it was all a carefully crafted lie.
Hatake Sakumo gazed at the distant, faintly visible Hokage Rock, where the Third's statue smiled in the setting sun.
He suddenly had a terrible premonition.
When they finally arrive in Konoha, they may find a world so 'perfect' it's almost despairing.
Everyone there is happy and healthy, without war or suffering, but they have also forever lost the possibility of struggling, growing, and changing, like a carefully pruned bonsai, beautiful but never truly growing again.
The gate is just a stone's throw away.
The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the entire Konoha in a golden hue, wisps of smoke rose from chimneys, pedestrians came and went on the streets, and the laughter of children could be faintly heard.
Everything seemed so... normal.
" The Chakra detector is not responding."
A silent voice came from behind him; the screen of the instrument in his hand was blank. "From the moment we entered the border of the Land of Fire, the readings have gradually dropped to zero."
What does this mean?
"First Raikage A," A asked in a gruff voice, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.
"Either the world has suddenly become completely normal..." Hozuki Gengetsu, unusually serious, "Or we've lost the ability to distinguish what's normal."
Hatake Sakumo's fingertips trembled slightly.
He recalled the eerie smiles in Sunagakure and the unrealistically perfect interactions in the border town.
Now, the Konoha before me looks so harmonious, a harmony that is terrifying.
"We'll split up," he whispered. "Meet outside the village at midnight! Remember, don't trust anyone, including... including anyone you know."
The group nodded and then dispersed and disappeared into the woods.
Hatake Sakumo took a deep breath, tightened the hood of his cloak, and silently infiltrated Konoha.
Everything on the street felt both familiar and strange.
The barbecue sign was still greasy and shiny, the aroma of Ichiraku Ramen wafted in the air, and even the way the calico cat yawned by the roadside was exactly the same as he remembered.
But the more this was the case, the stronger Hatake Sakumo's unease became.
" Sakumo- sama?"
A gentle female voice came from behind.
Hatake Sakumo froze, then slowly turned around. It was Uchiha Mikoto, who was holding a baby in her arms and smiling at him.
"It really is you!" Her smile was warm and sincere. "You're back from your mission? Kakashi was talking about you the other day."
Hatake Sakumo's throat tightened.
This Mikoto looks so real, her eyes sparkling with the light of life, completely different from those empty puppets in Sunagakure.
He could even see the fine lines that appeared at the corners of her eyes as she smiled, and smell the milky scent of a baby.
"Ah! Yes," he answered cautiously, " Kakashi... where is he?"
"Didn't you know? He went to Sunagakure on a mission!" Mikoto adjusted the baby in her arms.
Hatake Sakumo forced a smile and nodded, then turned and left. After taking a few steps, he couldn't help but look back one last time.
Mikoto remained standing there, waving goodbye to him.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on her; everything was so... natural.
On the training field, two figures were engaged in a fierce battle, while Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki watched from the sidelines with smiles of satisfaction on their faces.
Hatake Sakumo stood in the shadows of the trees at the edge of the training field, watching the battle unfold.
Naruto and Sasuke's figures intersected in the setting sun, sparks flying from Kunai collision of their kunai, carrying a tacit understanding he had never seen before.
" Sasuke! To the left!"
Naruto suddenly shouted and conjured a Rasengan in his hand.
"Too slow, bottom of the pack." Sasuke's lips curled into a slight smile. He flashed forward, and the lightning of Chidori pierced straight at Naruto's opening.
Just as they were about to hit each other, the two changed their moves simultaneously. The Rasengan and Chidori collided in mid-air, bursting into a dazzling light.
There was no destruction, no injury, only perfect teamwork.
"Beautiful!" Minato Namikaze clapped and laughed, "Your teamwork is getting better and better."
Kushina, hands on her hips, said, "But Sasuke, if that move had actually hit Naruto, you wouldn't be getting any Anko rice tonight."
Sasuke put away his Kunai and smiled, a rare occurrence for him. "Understood, Auntie."
Hatake Sakumo squinted.
This was completely different from the Team 7 he knew. Naruto was no longer loud and boisterous, Sasuke was no longer cold and aloof, and even their fighting styles had become so harmonious.
" Sakumo?"
Minato Namikaze's voice brought him back to his senses.
Before he knew it, the blond youth was standing in front of him, a gentle smile on his face.
"I heard from the Lord Hokage that you went on a top-secret mission." Minato Namikaze patted him on the shoulder. "That kid Kakashi Tenten pestering me for news about you."
Hatake Sakumo instinctively tensed his muscles and replied, "Just got back."
"Just in time for dinner,"
Kushina Uzumaki walked over and enthusiastically took his arm. "Let's have hot pot tonight, come join us!"
"Um... or..."
Hatake Sakumo could refuse, Naruto bounced over excitedly, "Uncle Sakumo, come on! Even Sasuke said my chili sauce is delicious!"
Sasuke snorted coldly, but did not refute, and simply wiped his Kunai silently.
This unusual harmony made Hatake Sakumo feel uneasy. How could Naruto and Sasuke from the main world be so harmonious?
Unable to refuse due to his own feelings, Hatake Sakumo eventually followed Minato Namikaze and his family to their residence.
The moment the door was pushed open.
The rich aroma of hot pot wafted through the air, and the table was already laden with fresh ingredients.
"Uncle Sakumo, please sit here!"
Naruto enthusiastically pulled out a chair, while Sasuke quietly handed him a bowl of prepared dipping sauce.
Hatake Sakumo took the bowl, Kushina Uzumaki immediately put a slice of beef into it.
"Try this, it was just delivered from the ranch today."
Hatake Sakumo picked up a slice of beef as thin as a cicada's wing and dipped it lightly in the sesame sauce.
The tender texture of the meat bursts with flavor on the tongue.
The flavor is so realistic; the aroma of the fat, the layers of seasoning, and even the texture of the beef fibers are all impeccably perfect.
The broth in the copper pot bubbled and steamed, with red oil slowly spreading on the surface, releasing a rich, spicy aroma.
Various ingredients floated and sank in the boiling soup, the slices of meat turning from bright red to an enticing light brown, and the vegetables unfurling in the heat.
Hatake Sakumo's bowl was piled high with food that everyone had brought him, and the sauce slowly slid down the rim, leaving dark marks on the porcelain surface.
Naruto's plate had been emptied three times already, and he was completely unaware that there was sauce on the corner of his mouth.
Sasuke's eating manners were much more elegant, but his chopsticks moved with remarkable speed.
Kushina Uzumaki was busy serving everyone food, while Minato Namikaze stirred the soup from time to time to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the pot.
As the steam from the hot pot gradually rose, the temperature inside the room increased, and everyone's cheeks flushed slightly.
The night was deepening outside the window, but the lights inside kept out the cold, and a thin layer of mist condensed on the glass.
Occasionally, laughter would pierce through the steam and echo in the room.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Hatake Sakumo's forehead as he unbuttoned the top button of his cloak, and the heat immediately seeped into his collar.
"Speaking of which," he asked seemingly casually, "Do you know who Shukaku is currently sealed with?"
There was a moment of silence at the dining table.
" Shukaku?"
Minato frowned in confusion. "Who is that? Why seal him away?"
"Father, you're confused!" Naruto said with a grin, " Shukaku is the name of the One-Tail."
Then, looking at Hatake Sakumo, he asked in confusion, "Uncle Sakumo, don't you know? The Tailed Beast have long since lived in peace with humans thanks to the First Hokage's mediation. Shukaku is now living in a temple in Sunagakure, playing chess with the monks Tenten!"