While the Akatsuki organization gathered in secret, discussing their next move—
The Shinobi World had already begun to shift.
News had spread like wildfire.
That the new Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, Uzumaki Naruto, had caused the impossible to happen.
That Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure—three of the Five Great Hidden Villages—
Had surrendered to Konoha.
And naturally, this revelation shocked the world.
Even those within the three great villages themselves—
Ninja of the Mist, the Cloud, and the Rock—
Could hardly believe it.
Their own Kage—Mizukage, Raikage, and Tsuchikage—had traveled to Konoha, supposedly to attend the ceremonial inauguration of the Fifth Hokage.
But the result?
Their villages had surrendered—completely and unconditionally.
"What happened in Konoha…?"
"How could our Kage fall like this…?"
Confusion and disbelief rippled through the ranks of their shinobi.
But they were not the only ones rattled.
Across the continent, in the cracks between the great nations, countless smaller countries and minor ninja villages looked on with mounting dread.
For decades, the Five Great Shinobi Nations—Konoha, Kirigakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure—had formed the core balance of power.
They had waged war, made peace, and fought again.
But never had one of them conquered the others.
Until now.
Now, Konoha stood alone above all.
It had succeeded where no one else in history had. And that fact shook the world to its core.
Because Konoha was already considered the strongest of the five.
And now, it had absorbed the military might of the remaining four.
"How long until they come for us?"
That question haunted the minds of every daimyo and every small shinobi village leader.
After all, with the strength of five great nations united under one banner…
What small village could hope to resist?
If Konoha wished to subjugate the rest of the continent, it would be as easy as curling a finger.
And if it was so easy—
Why wouldn't they?
That fear, that creeping sense of inevitability, began to spread like a sickness.
But fear alone would not halt the path of Uzumaki Naruto, the Fifth Hokage.
His ambition was clear:
Step one: Unify the Five Great Ninja Villages.
Step two: Bring the smaller hidden villages into line.
Step three: Replace the current fragmented countries with a unified Shinobi World.
And Uzumaki Naruto was not the kind of man to stop halfway.
The shinobi world watched with breath held tight—
As the future began to accelerate.
And while the world reeled, the Akatsuki had already taken action.
From their hidden base, Nagato, the true leader behind the Six Paths of Pain, made his move.
Accompanied by Konan, his ever-faithful partner, Pain set out for the Land of Fire.
His goal: confront Konoha directly and capture the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki—Naruto Uzumaki—himself.
As they crossed the border into Fire Country, Pain and Konan couldn't help but notice the change.
The people of the Land of Fire—
Were different.
There were no more hollow stares, no more faces clouded with anxiety and starvation.
People had enough to eat.
There was purpose in their stride.
There was light in their eyes.
Full of hope for a better future.
As Nagato and Konan made their way through the Land of Fire, they couldn't help but notice the transformation taking place all around them.
The roads leading to Konoha were wide, clean, and perfectly maintained—a stark contrast to the war-torn paths that scarred much of the shinobi world.
Rows of tall streetlights lined both sides of the road, casting a steady glow even as night fell.
There was no darkness to fear here.
No uncertainty hiding in the shadows.
Even during the quietest hours, the roads were brightly lit—warm, welcoming, and full of life.
It wasn't just infrastructure.
There was a sense of safety, of stability, that permeated the air.
People no longer stumbled in fear through the unknown.
They walked with confidence, with purpose.
And when Nagato and Konan finally arrived at the gates of Konohagakure—
They were stunned.
Because the village before them…
Was no longer the Konoha they remembered.
It had changed.
Completely.
...
TN:
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