(First, a note: This world is not the main Naruto timeline, so some contradictions are expected.)
The 63rd year of Konoha had been peaceful for a long time. The village thrived, its development steady and uninterrupted.
After completing a simple D-level mission, Team 7 ran into their instructor, Kakashi Hatake, who hadn't been seen for several days.
"Teacher Kakashi! How can you be such a terrible sensei? You led us for less than ten days and then disappeared, leaving us to handle the mission on our own!" Naruto shouted, frustration clear in his voice.
Kakashi, a seasoned veteran of the ninja world, didn't take offense at the complaint. He wore his usual unbothered expression and replied, "Ah, sorry, sorry. Recently, all the jonin in the village have been temporarily reassigned, so for now, you genin have to manage missions yourselves."
It was still unreasonable—but this time, Team 7 accepted it. After all, something strange had been happening in the ninja world.
"Is it because of that thing in the sky?" Sasuke asked calmly, hands in his pockets, pointing toward the ominous phenomenon.
Kakashi nodded, his expression growing serious as he glanced upward. "Yes. We need to understand it. If handled poorly… it could lead to war."
Above them floated a massive, rectangular black curtain, suspended seemingly out of thin air just below the clouds. It had appeared three days ago, stirring confusion and fear across the village.
Intelligence reports confirmed the curtain could be seen from anywhere on the Ninja Continent, and its position had remained unchanged. Attempts to approach or affect it had failed; it floated silently, indifferent to the world below.
Then, after three days of stillness, the curtain suddenly glowed.
Passersby froze, their eyes drawn upward. The streets, normally bustling, fell silent—then erupted in a mix of awe and fear. Those inside homes poured out to witness the spectacle, murmuring in shock as they stared at the luminous black screen.
"Calm down! Watch carefully before doing anything!" Kakashi warned, pressing a hand to his forehead to shield against any unknown attack. Naruto stopped shouting, but the tension lingered.
Every experienced ninja shared the same cautious reaction.
Beyond the Ninja World, the phenomenon appeared everywhere: the moon, the Pure Land, secret beast realms, alien spaces with intelligent life—even the belly of the God of Death. A faint light curtain hovered above each realm, identical and inexplicable.
In the Pure Land, the Six Paths Sage looked upward, then to the misty expanse below, frowning. "What is this? The souls… they're awakening."
A trace of worry flickered across his face before he vanished.
As the souls regained consciousness, the formerly silent Pure Land came alive. If not for the fact that souls gradually dissipate over time, the noise and chaos would have been overwhelming. Among them, Uchiha Madara, the Shura of the Ninja World, was the most formidable.
"This… is the Pure Land?" Madara said, quickly assessing his surroundings. Ignoring the other souls, he disappeared in a flash, finding a secluded spot to focus on the sky above.
At the far end, Hashirama Senju, the God of the Ninja World, sensed Madara's chakra. "That feeling… it's Madara." Without thinking, he stepped forward, intending to reconnect with his old friend—but kept a watchful eye on the sky.
Meanwhile, in the body of the God of Death, Namikaze Minato and Yin Jiuwei trained tailed beasts as usual. A dazzling light suddenly bloomed. Minato instinctively shielded himself, frowning as he studied the light curtain. "What… is that?"
Observers everywhere shared similar reactions. No one in the ninja world could fully understand the events in the Pure Land or other realms—but the threat was enough to unsettle everyone.
From the curtain came a roar: "You monster!"
Inside a magma-filled cave, a blond boy wearing a Konoha forehead protector appeared on the illuminated screen. Sharp-eyed ninjas immediately recognized the headband.
Other villages naturally assumed Konoha was responsible, heightening tension.
The Third Hokage silently set down his pipe, giving orders to the Anbu. "Alert the village. Second-level readiness. All ninjas halt tasks and await instructions."
Konoha's nerves were justified. The old generation of heroes was gone, and the new generation was untested. A conflict—even with only two other nations—could easily overwhelm the village.
Villages across the continent went on high alert. Civilians retreated to buildings for safety, while intelligence teams scrambled to interpret the images projected by the curtain.