"WOOOHHH!"
"It's Lord Naraku!"
"Lord Naraku is so handsome! I'm completely in love!"
"Tsk, stop being such a fangirl. Lord Naraku already has a girlfriend."
"Really? That's fine—I don't mind sharing!"
Shihouin Naraku led his returning forces through Konoha's main avenue, passing beneath the village gates to thunderous applause. The crowds lining both sides of the street erupted in celebration as their heroes returned home. At the end of the processional route, Fifth Hokage Tsunade waited with Konoha's leadership council.
"Well done! Welcome home!" Tsunade called out, her voice carrying over the crowd.
"Mission accomplished, Lady Hokage!" Naraku replied with a slight bow and an easy smile that sent another wave of cheers through the assembled civilians.
Among the welcoming committee, Uzuki Yugao caught her boyfriend's eye and discreetly gave him a thumbs-up, her ANBU mask hiding her proud smile.
After the public ceremony concluded, Naraku accompanied Tsunade to the Hokage Tower for a detailed debriefing. Meanwhile, Konoha Village erupted into village-wide celebrations that would last well into the night.
The festivities reached new heights when news arrived that Jiraiya had also achieved decisive victory against Iwagakure. With both fronts victorious, the village's joy became absolute.
"As expected of Lord Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin! I knew he'd pull through!"
"Actually, Lord Naraku deserves more credit. He finished his war first! If Cloud Village hadn't dragged their feet with the negotiations, it would have been over weeks ago."
"Don't be ridiculous—Lord Jiraiya trained Lord Naraku! Obviously the teacher is stronger than the student."
"Wait, isn't Lady Tsunade Lord Naraku's teacher?"
"You idiot! You don't understand anything!"
"What did you say?!"
"I heard Lord Jiraiya only won because Lord Naraku helped him too. Bet you didn't know that!"
"Is that actually true?"
With both wars concluded victoriously, Konoha's civilians finally felt safe enough to indulge in their favorite pastime—gossip and debate. The perennial question of comparative strength had found new subjects: Shihouin Naraku versus Jiraiya.
Everyone wanted to know which of Konoha's two victorious commanders was truly stronger.
Many supported Jiraiya based on his legendary reputation. As one of the Sannin, his decades of accomplishments had left deep impressions on the older generation. His name alone carried weight throughout the ninja world.
However, Naraku commanded even greater popular support. While many knew Jiraiya only through stories and reputation, Naraku's feats were fresh and visceral. Numerous merchants and civilians had personally witnessed the Flame Mountain—that eternal testament to his power in the Land of Lightning. They returned with tales that bordered on religious experience, speaking of flames that defied nature itself. As fellow villagers, Konoha's people naturally felt pride in these accounts and championed their young hero.
Though neither Naraku nor Jiraiya paid any attention to these debates, the villagers found endless entertainment in the arguments.
As Konoha's reputation soared, Shihouin Naraku's name spread to every corner of the ninja world.
Overwhelming strength. Catastrophic fire techniques. Peerless swordsmanship. The rare ability of flight.
Each retelling of his deeds grew more fantastic than the last, until Naraku had achieved something like mythic status. In the eyes of many, he now stood as the undisputed strongest shinobi in the world.
Some began calling him the new God of Shinobi—a title that carried enormous weight.
Others created nicknames based on his fighting style: The Phoenix, The Fire God, The Sword Saint.
More ominous voices whispered a darker title: The Asura of the Ninja World. The meaning was clear—they hoped Naraku would follow Uchiha Madara's path and turn against Konoha, preferably dragging down someone comparable to the First Hokage in the process.
Regardless of the ninja world's gossip or the intentions behind various nicknames, Naraku himself found the entire situation absurd.
Yet public opinion has its own momentum. As time passed, certain titles began to stick more than others. Of all the names attributed to him, one rose above the rest:
The Phoenix—Shihouin Naraku.
Perhaps it was his overwhelming mastery of fire techniques, combined with confirmed reports of his ability to fly, that made this moniker resonate. More importantly, witnesses had seen him literally transform his flames into phoenix shapes during battle, making the connection undeniable.
As for titles like "God of Shinobi" or "Asura of the Ninja World," while some used them, older ninja who remembered history recoiled from such names. They recalled too vividly what it meant when individuals bore such titles—an era when two men's rivalry shaped the entire world.
No one wanted to relive those days. So even those who believed Naraku might surpass those legendary figures preferred the less ominous "Phoenix." Even if Shihouin Naraku's strength truly came to dominate the ninja world, people would rather engage in comfortable self-deception.
Across the ninja world, different villages had visceral understanding of Naraku's power.
Cloud Village ninja had experienced it firsthand, and the Flame Mountain still burned as eternal proof.
Iwagakure had been struck twice—first by what seemed like a falling star, then by the Great Spiraling Sphere that annihilated their reinforcements.
Sunagakure had nothing to say. Naraku had single-handedly defeated over a hundred of their elite forces.
Only Kirigakure remained untouched by his power, too consumed by internal strife to participate in recent events.
Despite wild exaggerations and rumors, the major villages' silence spoke volumes. Gradually, through their lack of denial, the ninja world came to accept Shihouin Naraku as its strongest warrior.
Thus, after decades, Konoha and the Fire Country once again experienced the pride of standing supreme above all others—a dominance not seen since the First Hokage's era.
Behind the scenes, both village and country reaped countless benefits from Naraku's reputation. Trade agreements favored them. Diplomatic disputes resolved in their favor. Minor villages sought their protection. The soft power of fear and respect proved as valuable as any military victory.
In one of Konoha's traditional tea houses, where retired shinobi gathered to gossip...
"Strange, isn't it? I don't remember the Fire Country having this much influence even when the First Hokage was alive. It's like other nations are tripping over themselves to curry favor. Am I imagining things?"
"No, you're absolutely right."
The elderly ninja nursed their tea, comparing their memories of the past with current reality. Many had lived through the First Hokage's era and found themselves puzzled by the differences.
These stubborn old veterans had initially resisted Naraku's rapid rise. But after witnessing the tangible benefits to their village and seeing how their grandchildren's futures had brightened, their attitudes had shifted dramatically.
"Even Lord First didn't create this kind of... deference from other nations. The respect, yes, but not this barely concealed fear."
"So what's different? Why does one young man create more international tension than the God of Shinobi himself?"
Some among them began to understand.
Mitokado Homura, occupying the seat of honor, gazed at the assembled elders with knowing eyes. "The answer is simple. Other nations alter their behavior because Shihouin Naraku is Shihouin Naraku—not Senju Hashirama, and not Uchiha Madara."
Several elders scoffed at what seemed like circular logic, but the quicker minds grasped his meaning immediately.
Indeed—Naraku was uniquely himself.
Senju Hashirama had possessed overwhelming power coupled with a generous, idealistic personality. He would bow his head for peace, even sacrifice his interests for the greater good. Such a man, while never bullied, was ultimately predictable and manageable.
Uchiha Madara, equally powerful but far more terrifying in temperament, had been balanced by Hashirama's restraining presence. Their rivalry created a tense but stable equilibrium.
The ninja world had adapted to that balance.
But Shihouin Naraku represented something entirely different. He possessed power potentially exceeding both legends, yet his personality remained an enigma. If he shared Hashirama's idealism, other nations could relax. If he mirrored Madara's ambition, they could at least predict his actions.
The problem was that Naraku fit neither mold. He showed neither Hashirama's self-sacrificing nature nor Madara's obvious hostility toward the system. He was simply... himself.
And worst of all—there was no counterbalancing force. No equal and opposite power to check his ambitions, whatever they might be.
The unknown terrified people far more than any declared intention. This uncertainty drove other nations to desperately court the Fire Country's favor, hoping to avoid whatever undefined catastrophe might arise from offending its new champion.
"The First Hokage gave us peace through his idealism," one elder mused. "Naraku gives us peace through fear of the unknown."
"Which peace do you think will last longer?" Homura asked quietly.
No one had an answer.
Outside the tea house, Konoha's celebrations continued. Children played ninja, arguing over who got to be "Lord Naraku" in their games. Merchants tallied profits from increased trade. Clan heads quietly celebrated improved marriage prospects for their heirs as other villages sought connections to Konoha's rising star.
The Phoenix had spread his wings, and the ninja world held its breath, waiting to see where he would choose to fly.
----------------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion