The road stretched far into the distance, cutting cleanly through the forest like a deliberate stroke across a canvas.
Its surface was firm beneath Naruto's feet—smooth, yet textured just enough to prevent slipping. There were no cracks, no uneven patches, no signs of decay. It was too precise, too refined to be natural.
Naruto slowed his steps slightly, observing.
This wasn't an ordinary road.
It had been shaped by chakra.
Earth Style—layered, compressed, and reinforced. Beneath the surface, he could sense faint inconsistencies in the flow, subtle breaks in continuity that revealed its construction in segments rather than as a single seamless technique.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"So… they've already moved toward specialization."
Earth Style users building infrastructure instead of weapons. A logical evolution. Efficient.
His perception expanded outward, sweeping across the Land of Fire.
Roads like this stretched in every direction, weaving together into a vast network. Along them moved merchants, civilians, and shinobi alike—no longer wary, no longer tense.
And on their faces—
There were smiles.
More than he remembered.
That alone told him everything.
A low rumble broke his thoughts.
Strange vehicles rolled along the road ahead, their metal frames reflecting faint sunlight. Marked with the insignia of the Xinghai Chamber of Commerce, they moved steadily forward, carrying goods at a speed no caravan could match.
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"Cars… already?"
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
"Kabuto's been busy."
They were still rare—too expensive for widespread use—but their existence alone spoke volumes. Knowledge had taken root. Ideas had begun to evolve into reality.
He withdrew his perception slowly.
Two years.
Only two years had passed since he left.
And yet—
The world had already begun to transform.
"Looks like Kabuto's the richest man alive now," he muttered under his breath.
Instead of teleporting back to Konoha, Naruto chose to walk.
Step by step.
He wanted to see it for himself—not just observe, but feel the changes.
Improved transportation led to smoother logistics.
Smoother logistics led to thriving trade.
It was a chain reaction.
An inevitable one.
But what truly caught his attention… was something else entirely.
What he didn't see.
No bandits.
No rogue shinobi lurking in the shadows.
No tension hanging over passing caravans.
Merchants traveled freely, their guards relaxed—or absent altogether. There was no urgency, no fear in their movements.
Naruto's expression grew thoughtful.
"If bandits are gone… merchants don't need protection."
"And if they don't need protection…"
He exhaled slowly.
"Then ninjas lose their purpose."
It was inevitable.
A peaceful world had no need for constant warfare.
Weapons would rust.
Soldiers would become unnecessary.
Unless—
New roles were created.
Otherwise…
Shinobi would fade into irrelevance.
Naruto's gaze hardened slightly.
"This was always coming."
Suddenly—
His attention snapped to the side.
Six shinobi from Konoha were moving swiftly through the forest, their footsteps light, their chakra controlled.
Naruto followed silently.
"…Let's see how things have changed."
They slowed near a clearing, scanning their surroundings.
"Finally here."
"Check the area."
"Relax," one of them said casually. "Hyuga eyes—nothing within ten miles."
Their posture loosened immediately.
"It's been so boring lately," another complained. "Everything's too peaceful."
"Yeah… no real fights anymore."
A third chuckled.
"I used to be scared every mission. Thought I'd die any day."
He shrugged.
"This peace? I don't hate it."
"…Then why are you here?"
"…Because it's boring."
Laughter followed.
Then—
They began changing.
Headbands removed.
Uniforms swapped.
Masks pulled over their faces.
In seconds, their identities vanished.
Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Not a mission."
One of them approached a tree and tapped it in a strange rhythm.
The bark shifted.
A hidden door appeared.
"…An arena."
They entered.
Naruto followed, slipping through effortlessly.
Inside—
A massive underground structure unfolded before him.
Tiered seating surrounded a central battlefield, packed with masked spectators. The air was thick with anticipation, excitement, something darker beneath it.
On the stage—
Two figures clashed.
Steel met steel.
Kunai flashed.
Ninjutsu erupted.
There was no hesitation.
No restraint.
Only violence.
One strike—
A blade cut clean across a throat.
Blood sprayed.
The body collapsed.
The victor stood, breathing heavily—
Then laughed.
"I won!"
A mechanical voice echoed overhead.
"Reward: 200,000 ryo."
Money fell like rain.
Naruto watched quietly.
Then—
His eyes flickered.
Something was off.
The corpse—
Dissolved.
Not into blood.
Into light.
And in the audience—
A man suddenly gasped, clutching his throat, his face pale with terror.
Naruto smiled faintly.
"I see…"
"They're not really fighting."
"It's happening in their minds."
A shared illusion.
Perfectly constructed.
Hundreds of participants—
All pulled into the same mental space.
The battles felt real.
Pain felt real.
Death—
Felt real.
Naruto's gaze sharpened.
"…Only one person could pull this off."
His awareness followed the threads of chakra.
Tracing them back—
To their source.
In a hidden chamber deep within the structure—
He found him.
Uchiha Itachi.
Itachi sat motionless, his expression calm, his eyes glowing faintly in the dim light.
Within those eyes—
Entire battlefields unfolded.
Fire surged.
Lightning cracked.
Wind howled.
Earth shifted.
Every detail—
Perfect.
Even the smallest sensation—
Flawlessly recreated.
Naruto watched in silence.
Then—
A genuine smile appeared.
"…He's gone beyond genjutsu."
This wasn't illusion anymore.
This was—
Creation.
A world formed entirely within the mind.
If given enough chakra—
Itachi could sustain it indefinitely.
People could live inside it.
Fight.
Die.
Repeat.
Without ever realizing the truth.
Naruto didn't interrupt.
He observed.
Carefully.
Deeply.
Then—
He snapped his fingers.
The forest around him shifted instantly.
A massive figure rose—
Senju Hashirama.
Wood Style exploded outward.
A towering Buddha emerged, thousands of arms descending like divine judgment.
The air trembled.
The ground shattered.
Apocalyptic force—
Contained within a moment.
Then—
Snap.
Everything vanished.
The forest returned to normal.
Untouched.
Naruto exhaled softly.
"Got it."
He had already replicated it.
Perfectly.
A new tool.
A new possibility.
"This will be useful…"
"A lot of training… without limits."
Far away—
Itachi paused.
His brows furrowed slightly.
"…Was I being watched?"
For a brief moment—
He felt something.
A presence.
But it vanished as quickly as it came.
He shook his head.
No distractions.
The data mattered more.
This arena—
Was only the beginning.
A prototype.
His real goal lay far beyond it.
Infinite Tsukuyomi.
A complete illusionary world
One that could encompass—
Everyone.
Itachi closed his eyes slowly.
"…It's not impossible."
And then—
He continued.
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