Time flew by like a fleeting white colt; in the blink of an eye two years had passed.
By June of Konoha Year 66, the uproar over the Infinite Tsukuyomi and Izayoi becoming the strongest in the shinobi world had long since subsided.
During these two years, the shinobi world changed markedly.
Shifts in international atmosphere
Relations among the great nations became strikingly clear‐cut.
In the past, when traveling abroad, the battle‑hardy Kumogakure shinobi radiated confidence, for their village had once been the overall strongest in the shinobi world. Even Konoha had to tread lightly around them a decade ago.
Now, that confidence is gone. Confronted with Konoha ninja, the former warmongers of Kumogakure have turned timid. They dread leaving any pretext that might invite retaliation from the savior himself—for the present‑day Kumo is far too weak.
Killer B and Yugito Nii have lost their tailed beasts; afterward, the Fourth Raikage, Darui, C, and other elites had their chakra reclaimed, stripping them of shinobi aptitude.
The once‑formidable village now cannot field a single ace combatant.
Without chakra, the Fourth Raikage could no longer stay in office, and the favored successor Darui lost the right to become the Fifth. Yet a great village cannot go without a Kage, so Kumogakure produced its first female Raikage: Samui, Killer B's disciple.
Samui is now the village's strongest. The Fourth and the others even feel fortunate that she escaped the chakra purge—otherwise, a new Raikage might have sacrificed them to curry Izayoi's favor. Because of her bond with Killer B, Samui would never lay hands on her teacher or the Fourth Raikage so long as Izayoi himself did not.
Samui's first act in office was to travel to Konoha and offer apologies to Izayoi. No one knows the details, but upon her return she issued a decree: if Kumo shinobi encounter Konoha ninja during a mission, they must withdraw unconditionally and will face no punishment afterward.
If the village once second only to Konoha in high‑level power and superior overall strength is taking that stance, the other Great Villages need hardly be asked.
Ōnoki, realizing that Izayoi alone now dictated the shinobi world, breathed easier when he saw no move to abolish the one‑country‑one‑village system. Knowing large‑scale war would be impossible for decades, he finally retired, passing the Tsuchikage position to his granddaughter, Kurotsuchi.
After her inauguration as Fourth Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi too rushed to Konoha to apologize. If Samui did it, she dared not do otherwise; Ōnoki had told her often: Izayoi is no First Hokage—he holds no compassion for the entire shinobi world. His failure to overturn the system likely stems from apathy toward these parasites; even his silence about the final battle shows his indifference. It is a divine arrogance deeper than Ōtsutsuki Toneri's.
Even united, the shinobi world could not defeat Uchiha Madara, who could easily control it all—yet neither Madara nor the moon‑dwelling, aloof Ōtsutsuki Toneri was Izayoi's match.
People, however, change with age. Izayoi is still under‑age, pouring his abundant energy into training and growth. Once he peaks and can no longer improve, once he finds no worthy opponent, he may start unleashing that power—then the Great Villages will suffer. As his strength wanes in old age, things could grow even worse: if this God of Shinobi fixes his gaze or grudge upon a village, it could be reduced to ash in an instant. The mere image makes Kurotsuchi shudder—and now she understands how the first Five Kage felt. Facing such a being is utter despair.
After paying respect, Kurotsuchi issued the same order as Samui on her return. Seeing two newly‑minted Kage behave thus, Mei Terumī and Gaara dared not be the exceptions; they too came to Konoha, then gave identical directives back home.
Nagato also escaped the chakra reclamation. He visited Izayoi, talked at length, and on returning announced Akatsuki's dissolution. Its members were branded with Izayoi's curse seals; the Great Villages were instructed to lift their bounties and restore their registries, turning the former missing‑nin fully into citizens of Amegakure.
Watching Izayoi bypass the daimyō and issue orders directly to the other Kage, Konoha ninja finally felt what it meant to have a God of Shinobi on their side.
Different from the First Hokage's benevolence toward all, Izayoi manages only Konoha. Those who understood his temperament flocked in with money; in two years the village transformed drastically.
The outer wall was torn down, the village expanded into a city reaching the Naka River.
Uchiha Sasuke, who now owns deeds to both the clan compound on Main Street and land along the river, became one of the world's wealthiest without lifting a finger. Though his strength is below the original timeline, in every other way he is a winner: captain of Anbu, second only to one man, fabulously rich, handsome, and powerful.
His popularity in Konoha and the shinobi world is surpassed only by Izayoi—and he is idolized by countless girls.
Sadly, he has no desire for a girlfriend.
Yamanaka Ino, unable to win him, gave up over a year ago; only Haruno Sakura persists despite repeated rejection. Seeing Sakura fixated on Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, who liked her, finally gave up after yet another failed confession.
Stripped of the "chosen one" halo when the Sage of Six Paths died, lacking Kurama and without awakening Wood Release, Naruto fully inherited Jiraiya's mantle and became "Naruto the Sage."
To compensate him, Izayoi once more used the late Shimura Danzo's memos and publicly revealed Naruto's true identity. Learning he was the Fourth Hokage's son and a hero made a jinchūriki at birth, villagers felt crushing remorse for their harsh words.
Naruto's popularity surged to just below Sasuke's. The sudden approval took him long to adjust to, but, encouraged by Jiraiya and Iruka, the Mount Myōboku Sage abandoned the dream of Hokage and chose another important teacher's path—to become a great teacher.
Thus, once the dead‑last who could barely mold chakra, Naruto began an inspirational comeback that moved Iruka to tears. "Naruto, you didn't become Hokage, but your teacher is still proud of you!"
As the rookies became chūnin and jōnin, they entered various departments:
Nara Shikamaru and Yamanaka Ino joined Intel and Interrogation, apprenticing under Shikaku and Inoichi—future pillars of those units.
Akimichi Chōji and Inuzuka Kiba inherited family trades supplying pills and ninken.
Tenten helped run the family ninja‑tool shop.
Aburame Shino, finding himself even less noticed in Anbu, resigned to become a teacher like Naruto.
Haruno Sakura finished her internship and is now a qualified nurse; with her chakra‑control talent she will be an excellent medic even without Tsunade.
Rock Lee and Hyūga Neji became jōnin instructors. With no Fourth Shinobi World War and Neji spared death, his heart is clear—Hiashi told him the truth and, as in the original story, knelt to apologize.
To compensate, Izayoi used Yin–Yang Release to remove Neji's Caged Bird. He lifted the seal for all branch members, abolishing the main/branch house system over Hiashi's head.
The main family dared not voice any dissatisfaction; like the daimyō who accepted tailed‑beast gifts from the First Hokage, they knew better.
The Hyūga are now the foremost clan, with the future son‑in‑law of the clan head as savior; no one dares covet their Byakugan. For branch members, Izayoi is their true savior.
With the rookies coming of age, the new generation is visibly replacing the old. A flourishing era of peace is close at hand.
Yet Izayoi—the savior and Sixth Hokage—has become an almost mythical figure. The Hokage's office is legendary: the age of the hard‑working Third and Fifth is long past.
The Hokage building now has a mission‑commission hall and departments for routine affairs; only matters of great importance reach the Hokage's secretary, who issues orders in his name.
Apart from elders like Tsunade and Anbu Captain Sasuke, even elite jōnin such as Hatake Kakashi cannot freely ascend to the top floor; the Anbu guarding the building remain below, while Izayoi's personal guard occupies the summit.
To those who know him, the mystery is simple: he is lazy. With strength great enough to mask his presence at will, no one knows whether the Izayoi in the office is real or a Wood Clone.
…
Ring, ring, ring…
One morning, the piercing alarm sounded. It cut off in less than three seconds but still woke Izayoi. Opening his eyes, he saw Hinata already sitting up, fastening her breastplate.
"Why up so early? If I remember right, you're not on duty today," he murmured, half‑asleep.
"Anata, you're awake?" Hinata turned, glared playfully, leaned down to kiss his cheek, and smiled. "Sorry I woke you. I promised Hanabi we'd take a trip today."
"A trip? For what?" Izayoi asked reflexively.
"Shhh—secret." She put a finger to her lips and winked mischievously.
Izayoi's drowsiness vanished. He rolled over, pinning Hinata beneath him, hands braced by her head, and growled, "Looks like I was too gentle last night. Since you won't tell me, you're not leaving today."
With that, the light armor she had just put on was stripped away.
"Ah—no, stop!"
Amid the girl's cries, the heat of exertion quickly dispelled the morning chill. Yet Izayoi underestimated his own stamina: even after biting him hard at the end, Hinata recovered to full strength with only a short rest and left without a hint of fatigue.
Fortunately, Izayoi's life‑force had risen to extraterrestrial levels; otherwise, even he might not endure long term. For the first time he felt healing stamina was a curse—no sense of accomplishment at all. It seems that, to punish Hinata henceforth, he will need new tricks so she can't treat him like a walking blood bank!