The blazing inferno continued to rage across the once-dense forest. What used to be the lush western outskirts of Konoha was now replaced by a terrifying crater several kilometers wide. From a bird's-eye view, the center of the pit still radiated waves of residual energy, left behind by the meteor's impact.
When the sky unleash their fury, no one can stand in defiance.
Even outside the core blast zone, the surrounding area had been utterly devastated.
Countless craters, ranging from one to a hundred meters in diameter, were scattered across the scorched land. Deep fissures tore through the terrain, shredding the once-vibrant forest beyond recognition.
Thick smoke and storm clouds covered the sky like a funeral shroud. This mountainous woodland region had been thoroughly wiped off the map, its geography erased, its history rewritten.
This so-called "natural disaster" had shaken the shinobi world to its core. Yet what frustrated the other great nations the most was that, despite the cataclysm, Konoha Village had emerged unscathed. Rather than fixate on the "disaster," their attention was drawn instead to the attack that had erupted during the Chūnin Exams.
The rogue S-rank ninja Orochimaru had conspired with the Sand Village to assault Konoha. Though the enemy was eventually repelled, the price was steep, numerous casualties among Konoha's shinobi, and more critically, the death of the Third Hokage, the once-revered leader of the village.
Yet even this wasn't enough to stir the great nations into action. After all, they remembered well the terrifying might Konoha had shown during the three previous shinobi wars.
In its prime, the Leaf had taken on all four other major villages, Cloud, Stone, Mist, and Sand, without being outmatched. Its military prowess remained unmatched in shinobi history.
What did unsettle the other villages, however, was a disturbing piece of uncertain intelligence smuggled out by their embedded spies:
Not only had the Third Hokage fallen… but Shimura Danzo, the Hawk of Konoha and an intimidating symbol of deterrence, had also died under mysterious circumstances.
Though Konoha's top brass tried to seal off this information, the spies from other villages had already caught wind of it, and immediately moved to investigate.
Unfortunately for them, Danzo's position had always been shrouded in secrecy. While he was indeed one of Konoha's highest-ranking figures, only a small inner circle truly understood the extent of his influence.
Thus, despite their efforts, the villages could uncover little more about the specifics of Danzo's death.
Still, that didn't stop speculation.
The Cloud Village suspected that Danzo had perished in the very same "natural disaster" that had obliterated the forest near Konoha.
Another theory proposed by their analysts was even more disturbing: the "disaster" wasn't a natural event at all, it was an experimental weapon that Konoha had been developing, and Danzo had been leading the project. If true, his death may have been the result of a catastrophic failure during testing.
The Stone Village drew a different conclusion. Their spies believed Konoha was dealing with a rogue shinobi of unprecedented power. Someone who had worked from the shadows, possibly in league with Orochimaru, and assassinated both the Third Hokage and Danzo in rapid succession.
Some even believed Danzo might not be dead at all.
The Mist Village, still recovering from internal turmoil, focused on rebuilding and had little energy to spare on foreign affairs. For the time being, they remained neutral, offering no strong opinions.
The Sand Village, however, had already capitulated.
After their failed attack on Konoha, and fearing swift retribution, they immediately surrendered unconditionally. Konoha had every reason to punish them, after all, they had broken the alliance and launched a sneak attack.
But given Konoha's current weakened state, war was ill-advised. What's more, it was revealed that Orochimaru had assassinated the Fourth Kazekage and manipulated the Sand into attacking.
Reluctantly, Konoha accepted their surrender. A new alliance treaty was signed, under duress.
Throughout the shinobi world, the death of Shimura Danzo remained shrouded in mystery. Rumors swirled about a powerful S-rank traitor emerging from within the Leaf, but no official statement from Konoha confirmed or denied it.
Still, the deaths of both the Third Hokage and Danzo were indisputable facts.
No matter the cause, the confirmed demise of these two influential figures was enough to reignite ambition across the Five Great Nations.
In the world of shinobi, power, not morality, determines strategy.
Unlike the Sand, who held only barren deserts and little strategic value, Konoha controlled vast, fertile plains. The land was rich, and more importantly, wide open, from the borders of the Land of Fire to the village itself, there were no natural defenses or mountainous chokepoints.
Without a strong military presence, Konoha would be seen as a ripe target for invasion.
And in truth, that moment had already arrived.
Once Cloud confirmed the intelligence from their spies, their notoriously warlike leadership immediately began preparations for war. The Stone quickly followed suit.
Even the Mist, still focused on internal stability, responded by dispatching a combat-ready force to the border of the Land of Water, to defend themselves if war broke out.
As for the Sand Village, now ruled by its elder council following the Kazekage's assassination, they began softening their alliance with Konoha, playing both sides as tensions escalated.
Inside Konoha, the leadership was fully aware of the danger closing in on all sides.
They swiftly summoned the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya and Tsunade, back to the village. Jiraiya was located, but Tsunade's whereabouts remained unknown, leaving Konoha's upper ranks increasingly desperate.
And while all of this unfolded...
In the shadows of the shinobi world, a mysterious organization that had long remained hidden from public awareness began to stir.
Its name,
Akatsuki.
Meanwhile, the man behind the unfolding chaos…
The one who had unleashed the meteor, annihilated Shimura Danzo, and triggered this era-defining shift in power…
Kirito was calmly completing his final task:
Escorting the princess safely back to the Daimyō's palace.
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💥> Naruto: Mind Control (Highly Recommended)
💥> Bleach: Sephiroth Template
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