Inside the mysterious space.
Yin An leaned comfortably in his 'director's chair,' looking at the system interface, which resembled a control panel. The 'film' that the heavenly screen was about to play was displayed on it.
A mischievous smile hung on his lips, and his eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Yin An's finger gently pressed the virtual 'play' button.
In an instant, the entire Ninja World, no matter where they were or what they were doing, had their gazes firmly drawn to the heavenly screen, which had finally begun to change.
The picture became clear.
Konoha Year 66!
Four huge and clear characters were etched onto the screen in the sky like a brand, deeply shocking everyone who looked up at it.
Immediately after, the scene shifted, revealing an aerial view of Konoha Village.
The familiar Hokage Rock, new buildings, bustling crowds on the streets—a scene of prosperity and peace.
"The... future? Is this Konoha's future?!"
The entire Ninja World, after a brief silence, erupted in an uproar even more intense than when they learned of the Uchiha Clan massacre!
If the Uchiha Clan massacre was a shocking 'present,' then what the heavenly screen was now showing was a 'future' capable of changing the entire Ninja World's landscape!
The high-ranking officials of the major Ninja Villages, after a moment of shock, immediately fell into frantic activity.
"Quick! Record! Record every frame! Analyze every detail! Building layouts, personnel attire, possible changes in fortifications!" The Fourth Raikage's roar echoed through the Cloud Gorge.
Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Hidden Mist—all intelligence departments operated at full throttle as if wound up.
This was no longer just watching a show; it was an unprecedented intelligence war!
Through this window into the future, they might grasp the trajectory of Konoha's future development and even uncover its weaknesses!
Inside Konoha Village, the Hokage Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face was ashen, and his fingers, gripping his pipe, were slightly white from the force.
The shock in his heart far surpassed that of others.
Why would the heavenly screen show the future?
Would it... also expose the past?
For example, the truth of the Uchiha Clan massacre, or those secret dealings between him and Danzo?
At this thought, a chill shot from his feet to the top of his head, making him feel an unprecedented panic.
But he forcibly suppressed this unease, staring intently at the prosperous Konoha on the heavenly screen.
"Under my leadership, the future Konoha... is actually so peaceful?"
A trace of imperceptible relief and pride temporarily replaced his panic.
Hiruzen Sarutobi yearned to see more, to prove that his governance was correct.
Outside the Akatsuki Organization's base, amidst the rain.
Uchiha Itachi looked up, his Mangekyo Sharingan locked onto the familiar Konoha scene on the heavenly screen.
His cold heart was now stirred, and a strong thought emerged:
"Sasuke... are you there in the future? How are you doing? Have you become strong? Have you... restored the prestige of the Uchiha Clan?"
This was his only hope for his brother, bought at the cost of everything he sacrificed.
Konoha Village, Ninja Academy.
"What is this? Is it the Village? It looks so familiar!" Uzumaki Naruto pointed at the sky, shouting loudly and carelessly.
He felt that the place in the picture looked a lot like Konoha, but also a little different.
However, no one had time to pay attention to his shouting at the moment.
Everyone was absorbed in the shock of glimpsing the future and concern for their own destinies.
Sasuke clenched his fists tightly, his fingernails almost digging into his palms.
Uchiha Sasuke looked up with his small face, the light and shadow of the heavenly screen reflected in his black pupils, filled with endless hatred and obsession.
He wanted to know if his future self had killed that man!
On the heavenly screen, under everyone's gaze, the scene continued to advance.
In the heavenly screen, the scene of the Hokage Office was clearly visible.
A figure walked to the desk, and her proud, explosive figure instantly attracted the attention of the entire Ninja World. Many civilians and even some young Ninja blushed, their eyes burning.
"It's Lady Tsunade!"
"She... she became Hokage?"
Gasps of surprise erupted within Konoha Village.
And outside a certain hot spring in the Land of Fire, Jiraiya first froze, then slapped his thigh and burst into laughter: "Hahaha! Tsunade, you really became Hokage! That figure... it's been outrageously good for decades!"
As he laughed, his face suddenly turned red, and two streams of nosebleed gushed out uncontrollably, drawing glances from passersby.
But compared to the excitement of ordinary people, the faces of the high-ranking officials of the major Ninja Villages instantly darkened.
"Tsunade Hime... one of the 'Three Sannin,' the Senju Princess, she became the Fifth Hokage?"
Fourth Raikage A frowned deeply, his tone heavy, "Compared to that indecisive Hiruzen Sarutobi, this woman is much stronger and harder to deal with!"
"The Medical Saint, unmatched in monstrous strength, plus her identity and decisiveness... Konoha's future will probably be harder to shake than we imagined." Tsuchikage Ōnoki floated in mid-air, his old face filled with solemnity.
All Kage-level powerhouses realized that if Tsunade governed in the future, Konoha's recovery speed might far exceed expectations.
A bustling Gambling Street somewhere.
Tsunade herself was holding a handful of dice, and upon seeing herself on the heavenly screen, her golden pupils suddenly constricted. The dice in her hand clattered onto the table.
"I... became Hokage? What kind of joke is this?"
Tsunade muttered to herself, no joy on her face, but instead a strong sense of unease.
She knew herself too well.
Unless Konoha in the future reached a desperate situation of life or death with no one else to turn to, she would never go back to take over that mess.
Connecting this to the recent Uchiha Clan massacre and this strange heavenly screen, a chill enveloped her.
"Shizune!" Tsunade suddenly stood up, ignoring the curious or awed gazes of the surrounding gamblers. She pulled Shizune, who was holding the piglet Tonton, and quickly disappeared around the street corner.
She had to find out what happened in the future as soon as possible!
On the heavenly screen, the story continued.
The future Fifth Hokage Tsunade no longer had her usual carefree demeanor; it was replaced by deep fatigue and solemnity.
She held her forehead and slowly spoke, her voice echoing throughout the Ninja World through the heavenly screen:
"War... is inevitable."
This sentence was like a thunderclap, exploding in everyone's hearts!
Everyone was startled. Could the Fourth Great Ninja War happen ten years from now?
Thinking of this possibility, the Kage of each Village almost simultaneously issued similar orders.