A lone shinobi on patrol outside the village froze mid-step. His sharp eyes locked on the strange scene flickering across the heavens, projected like a giant screen. Instinctively, he flared his chakra toward the phenomenon to sense it more clearly.
What… are these images?
To his shock, the thought itself appeared across the sky as a glowing line of text.
Then, more messages followed, streaking across the black curtain like a storm of commentary.
["There are words on the sky!"]["Wait—you can actually post messages up there?!"]["What the hell is this thing?!"]["Do you even need to ask? This has Konoha written all over it! Look—those brats are wearing Leaf forehead protectors!"]["Nonsense! Konoha would never do something like this. It's a setup!"]["Fake! Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki just graduated. Their ages don't match what we're seeing!"]["Hinata Neji and Rock Lee graduated last year too. Their ages don't match either!"]
["Shut it! Don't go leaking village intel in public!"]["Hah! I just saw something unbelievable!"]["Listen carefully—the people on that screen do exist in Konoha. They're all Genin who've graduated within the last two years."]["So… how old are Konoha's Genin now?"]["About twelve."]["But look at them—they're fifteen, maybe sixteen. Could these be… images from the future?"]["Impossible! This is clearly some Leaf conspiracy!"]["Oh, please! If Konoha were behind this, why would they broadcast it for the whole world to see?!"]["Aliens. Has to be aliens. No one else could pull off technology like this."]
In the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage rubbed his temples, already feeling the headache coming. "Bring Kakashi and Guy with their teams—immediately," he ordered.
Before his aide could move, the door creaked open. Hiruzen didn't even have to look. "Danzo."
Without so much as a greeting, Shimura Danzo strode in. "Hiruzen, you saw it too. Whether those images are the future or not, the entire ninja world's eyes are now on Konoha. For the safety of the village, hand the Nine-Tails over to me."
Hiruzen's face didn't flicker. He'd heard this request too many times over the years. "No. I will not give Naruto to you, Danzo. Root is not suited to raising him. As for security, Kakashi will keep a closer watch."
Danzo's expression didn't change, cold and corpse-like. "Aren't you afraid of accidents?"
"We'll discuss this after we see everything the screen reveals." Hiruzen dismissed him with a wave.
Danzo's single eye narrowed. "Don't regret this, Hiruzen." Without another word, he turned and left—like a shadow slipping in just to remind the Hokage of his presence.
But Hiruzen barely noticed. His gaze had snapped back to the sky. A familiar figure had just appeared.
A blonde woman in a green cloak, the kanji for gambling emblazoned across her back, stood at a window. Her eyes were unreadable as a single thought drifted through her mind: So… it's fate after all.
The screen shifted.
["Whoa! Gorgeous lady alert! Anyone know who she is?"]["That's Tsunade, the Legendary Sannin—granddaughter of the First Hokage."]["Hah! Beautiful? Sure, but do you know how old she actually is?"]["Another Konoha ninja? Still think this isn't Konoha's plot?"]["TSUNADE-SAMA!!"]
The chaos of comments meant nothing to Tsunade herself. She stared, stunned, at her own image. Slowly, she set down her bottle. "This… never happened."
Shizune, clutching Tonton to her chest, hesitated. "Could it really be… the future? Like the comments say?"
"I don't know." Tsunade's brow furrowed. "Let's just keep watching."
In the Pure Land, Senju Hashirama halted in his tracks, eyes lighting up as Tsunade appeared. "So, my little Tsunade has grown up… so big!" he chuckled, leaving a passing comment that vanished unnoticed.
Nearby, Uzumaki Mito, Nawaki, and Dan Katō—all tied to Tsunade by blood and love—paused in shock, eyes fixed on the unfolding sky.
The vision shifted again.
A deep canyon. Five figures stood upon a cliff's edge.
At their head, a middle-aged man in black robes and long dark hair. Behind him, four others in white. Together, they stared down at a temple-like structure nestled below.
The man in black spoke, voice rough and hoarse. "The time has come. Tonight, with the power of forbidden medical ninjutsu, we'll awaken the demon and unify this world."
["Unify the world?!"]["Did he just say… demon?"]["No way—that thing?!"]["What demon? Does anyone know?!"]["It's classified. Ask your village elders—they'll know."]
Far away, in the Land of Demons, the shrine maiden Shion trembled.
Her attendant, Zuho, bowed low, soothing her in a steady voice. "Please, Lady Shion, don't be afraid. It's only an illusion."
"But the comments… they say this could be the future. That woman looked like… me. Older. If that's true, then the demon will return."
Zuho's tone remained calm. "Even if it is true, this vision gives us knowledge—and with your strength, Lady Shion, you will seal the demon again."
His words steadied her, but elsewhere, the man in black—Huang Quan—was anything but calm.
At first, seeing himself on the sky screen left him frozen. Then cold sweat broke down his face. He had survived before only because no one knew of his involvement in the demon's sealing.
Now, exposed before the entire ninja world, his anonymity was gone.
Cursing under his breath, Huang Quan began packing in haste. This village could no longer be his refuge.