Land of Water—the only island nation among the Five Great Shinobi Countries. Surrounded entirely by ocean, it consisted of countless islands of varying sizes, each with its own unique geography, traditions, and culture.
Because of its isolated location and thick, year-round fog, the nation had little contact with the outside world. Here stood Kirigakure, the Village Hidden in the Mist—one of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
At this time, Ryoma-sensei had yet to fully unify the Shinobi Villages.
On the pier, a large ship was moored quietly. More than a dozen people disembarked in an orderly fashion. Other than them, not a single soul could be seen nearby.
"Teacher Rin, something doesn't feel right," Sako whispered cautiously.
Rin nodded slightly. "Yes."
The mist was heavy, visibility low. After taking only a few steps forward, they spotted a figure seated cross-legged on a distant boulder—a man in black with the face of a shark.
Kisame Hoshigaki.
Rin's brows furrowed. "Sako, be careful. This one is dangerous."
Kisame slowly rose to his feet, lifting a massive blade—over two meters long and nearly forty centimeters wide. The Samehada, the Living Sword. He pointed it toward them, a grin full of jagged teeth spreading across his face.
"You must be the messengers from Konoha?"
Sako's eyes gleamed with fighting spirit. "Let's find out who's stronger first."
She had been training hard lately—and she was eager to test her progress.
"Do you want me to handle him?" asked Sakumo Hatake, Konoha's White Fang, from behind her.
"It's fine," Sako replied calmly, stepping forward. "Come at me with everything you've got."
Kisame snorted coldly and lunged forward, blade raised high. The stench of blood and slaughter filled the air as his sword came crashing down.
Ten minutes later, Sako was caught in the Water Prison Jutsu, struggling with an ugly grimace.
Bang!
The water sphere shattered explosively.
In that instant, Ryoma appeared between them.
When Kisame recognized him, his shark-like face twisted in shock. "Y-You—!"
He turned and fled without hesitation.
"Running already?"
Ryoma's figure flickered—and the next moment, Kisame's body was hurled backward through the mist.
Boom!
The ground erupted as he hit, a gaping hole torn through his abdomen.
Everyone stared in stunned silence.
Sako's lips parted slightly. Dad is too strong!
Rin's eyes shimmered, admiration plain on her face. As expected of Ryoma-sensei.
Kisame, still clinging to life, stumbled to his feet and scrambled away, vanishing into the fog. Ryoma merely glanced at him.
Persistent fool.
But his mission here wasn't to kill Kisame, so he let him go.
Soon, the towering silhouette of the Mizukage Building emerged before them—the administrative heart of Kirigakure.
Step.
Ryoma landed heavily in front of it. None dared to block his path.
The doors opened, and three figures stepped out—two men and one woman.
"Hokage-dono," the first man spoke coldly, "the noise you made coming here was... considerable."
From the reports Ryoma had read, these three were the current leaders managing Kirigakure's affairs in the absence of a Mizukage:
Marshal, Sensui, and the woman—Reigetsu, the former aide to the Fourth Mizukage.
Together, they had used iron-fisted rule to suppress the chaos following the Fourth Mizukage's death.
Marshal sighed. "There was no need to make such a scene, Hokage-dono."
He knew full well what Ryoma's arrival meant. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were dead. The Mist's elite forces—wiped out. They had no bargaining power left.
Ryoma's expression remained calm. "You know why I'm here. Yet you still sent your subordinates to stop me."
He shook his head slowly. "The shinobi world has been in chaos for far too long. When the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, stood at his peak, he could have unified everything—but instead, he left behind the seeds of division. It's time someone corrected that mistake."
Sensui's face darkened. "You're talking about rectifying the world—but what you mean is domination! Do you intend to unify the entire shinobi world under your rule?"
"That's right."
His reply was so matter-of-fact that Sensui froze, lost for words.
If anyone else had said that, they would have laughed him out of the room.
But this was Ryoma—the man who could make such a dream reality.
Reigetsu spoke hesitantly. "Is there truly no other way?"
Ryoma clenched his fists, his voice low but firm. "I've already said what I came to say. Now it's your turn to decide. I don't wish for unnecessary bloodshed."
"Madman!" Sensui shouted, his voice trembling with fury. "Do you realize how many will rebel against you? The daimyō of every nation will never surrender their power! You're declaring war on the entire world! You'll face endless assassins, betrayals, and bloodshed—"
His words cut off abruptly.
A flash of chakra—then darkness.
His severed head hit the floor with a dull thud.
Ryoma flicked the blood from his hand and looked coldly at the two survivors. "Do either of you have anything else to say?"
Under his gaze, Reigetsu's body trembled, her head bowing instantly.
Ryoma's eyes shifted to Marshal, whose expression turned grim. After a long, heavy silence, he exhaled and spoke solemnly:
"…We are willing to follow your command, my lord."
"The one who understands the times is the true wise man."
Ryoma nodded in satisfaction.
"I'll be visiting the remaining two Hidden Villages next," he said calmly. "Someone will remain here to help you… clean house. When I return, I expect to see a new Kirigakure—reborn from the ashes."
As soon as his words fell, Ryoma's figure vanished into the mist, leaving the two trembling Mist Elders in silence.
The Sand Hidden Village
In Sunagakure, every civilian had already been evacuated to underground shelters nearby.
Hundreds of shinobi stood ready throughout the village, their eyes scanning every direction, their nerves stretched taut.
A sudden, deafening boom echoed from above—an air explosion that split the sky.
Cold sweat formed on countless foreheads. A crushing pressure descended, smothering the entire village in an oppressive weight.
Then, a black shadow tore through the heavens, descending from an altitude so high it was almost invisible to the naked eye—falling straight toward the heart of Sunagakure.
"Shinra Tensei!"
"Void Wave — Meteor Fall!"
The moment they spotted the dark figure, dozens of Sand ninja reacted at once. Fireballs, wind blades, and air bullets shot skyward, converging on the intruder.
But before any attack could land, a blinding white light flared across the night sky.
An instant later, every jutsu detonated midair—repelled by an unseen force.
And as the glare faded… the falling figure's features came into view.
Ōtsutsuki Urashiki.
Terror gripped every shinobi present. They had heard the reports: this strange man used threads of red chakra as fishing lines—lines that could restrain his opponents, while his hooked weapon could steal their chakra directly.
The ensuing devastation lasted barely a minute. When the tremors ceased and the dust settled, screams and wails filled the air.
Sunagakure was gone.
Where once stood proud buildings now lay only shattered ruins—collapsed earth, broken stone, and fragments of walls jutting up like gravestones from the rubble.
Chiyo and Ebizō crawled free from the debris, their faces pale and their eyes hollow as they took in the destruction.
"…We are the sinners of the Sand Village…" Chiyo whispered, her voice trembling.
They had made the wrong decision—and this was the price.
Suddenly, a chill ran down their spines. A suffocating presence loomed behind them.
Slowly, they turned.
Ryoma hovered in midair, arms folded across his chest, looking down upon them with unreadable calm.
"Hokage-sama! You're finally here!" Chiyo called out desperately, her voice cracking with relief and fear.
Ryoma's gaze swept across the ruins below—expressionless.
Still too late.
Urashiki had already departed.
He looked down at the two elders, his tone cold and steady. "I warned you before… but you didn't listen, did you?"
"Lord Ryoma, we were wrong!" Chiyo pleaded. "We are willing to submit—Sunagakure will join your alliance and follow your command!"
Both she and Ebizō bowed deeply, trembling.
After witnessing the overwhelming power of the Ōtsutsuki, they no longer had the slightest illusion of resistance.
Even at their peak, the Sand Village could never have withstood Ryoma—much less now, in their ruin.
The Stone Hidden Village — Fortress of Defiance
Far away, nestled within the harsh mountains of the Land of Earth, stood Iwagakure.
Surrounded on all sides by towering cliffs, it was a fortress carved from stone—a natural citadel nearly impossible to invade.
From above, the entire village looked like a city embedded within the mountains themselves.
"It really won't be easy," murmured Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, standing on a distant ridge.
Though Iwagakure had lost its Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, in the recent turmoil, their overall strength had suffered the least among the Great Villages.
His son, Kurotsuchi's father—Loess, had since taken leadership. A shinobi of shadow-level power, he commanded a village protected not only by powerful jutsu but also by its near-impenetrable terrain.
Even for Minato, infiltrating it was no simple task.
But then, the arrival of the Ōtsutsuki had once again disrupted the balance of the world.
Urashiki's brief appearance here had left behind only fear and confusion before he vanished just as suddenly.
The new Tsuchikage, Sekiei, the younger son of Ōnoki—known as Red Earth—now stood in charge.
A sudden whoosh of displaced air came from behind Minato.
When he turned, Ryoma stood there.
"How is it?" Ryoma asked quietly.
"Iwagakure's defenses are extremely tight," Minato replied. "Their geography makes direct assault impractical. I already sent envoys… but they refused to surrender."
Ryoma exhaled softly, shaking his head. "Then they're fools who don't know the time."
His expression hardened. "We'll do this my way."
A surge of power erupted beneath his feet—the ground cracked under the force.
In the next instant, Ryoma's body vanished, leaving only a shockwave in his wake as he soared into the sky.
From above, a dark silhouette descended toward Iwagakure, surrounded by roaring white chakra.
Then came the sonic boom—
A single shockwave that rippled across the entire Stone Village.
Countless Iwa shinobi looked up into the heavens, where a lone figure hovered above the clouds. Waves of chakra pressure rolled outward from him like a storm tearing through the sky.
That man was Ryoma.
"I am Ryoma," his voice thundered across the mountains. "You have one minute. Those who wish to live—leave this place now."
The chakra lacing his voice resonated through the air like rolling thunder, spreading across the entire Hidden Stone Village and echoing for miles.
"WE WILL NEVER SUBMIT TO A DEVIL LIKE YOU!"
A voice roared back from below.
The speaker was tall, broad-shouldered, and clad in the red armor of an Iwa commander—Sekiei, the second son of the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, and the current leader of Iwagakure.
Ryoma exhaled softly. "I already gave you your warning."
He raised both arms slowly, palms outward. The very air around him distorted.
"Ultra—Shinra Tensei."
The words had barely left his mouth when the world erupted.
An immense wave of repulsive force burst from Ryoma's body, spreading outward like an expanding sphere of pure destruction.
It was invisible—but its effects were not.
Mountains split apart. The earth cracked and folded. The village below was shredded by an unseen pressure so overwhelming it left nothing standing. Buildings crumbled in an instant, swept away in a maelstrom of rock, fire, and dust.
The roar of the cataclysm drowned out every scream.
Ten seconds later, all fell silent.
Where Iwagakure once stood was now a crater—vast, lifeless, and deep as if a meteor had struck the earth.
Ryoma descended through the settling dust.
Standing some distance away, Minato Namikaze frowned as he looked upon the destruction.
"If we'd given them a little more time, perhaps they would've—"
Ryoma cut him off coldly.
"They've had time, Minato. Decades of it—ever since the First Hokage tried to bring peace."
Minato fell silent, unable to refute him.
Fortunately, the village's civilians had been evacuated beforehand, but nearly all of Iwagakure's shinobi lay buried beneath the rubble. Only a few survivors remained—broken and terrified.
"I can still sense life," Ryoma murmured, his gaze turning to the east.
"Ōnoki's son, he's still alive, barely."
He turned to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Old man, take the medical corps and tend to him. If he's willing to serve me, save him. If not—end him."
His tone was indifferent, but his reasoning was precise.
The knowledge and resources of the Great Villages were valuable—but so was manpower. Konoha lacked both the numbers and the experienced administrators to govern every captured territory.
If some of the local elite could be turned, it would ease the burden of unification.
Still, his eyes were sharp when he added: "But remember—if he'd rather die, grant his wish."
With that, Ryoma vanished once more, leaving only a rush of wind in his wake.
The rest—cleanup, recovery, and reconstruction—was beneath his concern now.
A sigh escaped his lips. "Finally… a unified shinobi world."
But before he could dwell on the thought, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Ding—Main Quest: Unite the Shinobi World — Incomplete.]
[Reason: The world is not yet fully unified.]
Ryoma froze.
Not complete?
Taki, Kusa…? Do even the minor villages count?
The system offered no explanation.
He shrugged it off. For now, there were more pressing matters. The final battle was drawing near. Urashiki Ōtsutsuki would return—and this time, Ryoma intended to end it.
The Training Ground — One Week Later
The Wood Release Training Grounds were silent except for the faint hum of nature.
On the flat stone mesa, surrounded by countless pillars of rock and trees, four figures sat cross-legged: Ryoma, Sako, Kushina, and Rin.
Their eyes were closed, bodies still, their breathing in rhythm with the pulse of the world around them.
Time passed quietly.
When they finally opened their eyes, Ryoma spoke in a calm, teacher's tone.
"Remember—this is the foundation of Sage Arts. Feel the natural energy around you, draw it in, and refine it until your body becomes one with nature itself."
As he spoke, he paused mid-sentence.
His eyes lifted toward the sky.
The once-clear heavens were now covered in swirling black clouds—dark, heavy, and unnatural.
He rose to his feet slowly.
A familiar, mocking voice echoed through the air.
"Ryoma… your time of death has come."
Sako, Kushina, and Rin immediately stood ready, chakra flaring around them.
Ryoma's tone was low but firm. "Urashiki Ōtsutsuki. Stop hiding and face me."
"Oh?" The voice chuckled, sharp and cruel. "You've grown stronger, little human… but you're still far beneath me."
A deep hum resonated above as a black portal split open in the air.
From its depths, a figure emerged—Urashiki, fully restored. His chakra surged even stronger than before.
"I've been busy," Urashiki sneered. "Absorbing chakra—preparing for this moment."
Behind him, Kushina's Adamantine Chains burst forth, glowing with golden light.
"Attack!"
Rin lunged first, surrounding Urashiki with hundreds of explosive tags that wrapped around his body. At the same time, Sako's Susanoo rose behind her, a colossal, armored warrior drawing back a chakra bow.
In a flash, a giant arrow of pure energy shot toward the enemy.
Their teamwork was flawless—years of training condensed into a single second of coordinated assault.
Ryoma watched silently, pride flickering in his eyes. They've improved.
But his gaze hardened. Not enough.
Urashiki smirked. With a wave of his hand, he absorbed Kushina's chakra chains. The explosion tags peeled away as if brushed by the wind. The energy arrow from Susanoo shattered in his palm.
"You've all grown," Urashiki said mockingly, "but you're still insects before a god."
Ryoma stepped forward calmly, eyes steady. "They've done enough. The rest is my fight."
Urashiki laughed. "Let's see how long that calm mask lasts."
A red chakra hook formed in his hand. "This time, Ryoma, I'll kill you for real."
The ground trembled as his chakra surged.
He opened his mouth wide, swallowing the hook whole.
"Crane State."
An explosive wave of chakra erupted from his body.
Black markings spread across his face, golden eyes burning with divine fury. His horns extended and reshaped—white and curved like a crane's wings. His arms elongated into sharp, blade-like wings; his legs transformed into talons of black steel.
And most terrifying of all—a golden Rinnegan opened in the center of his forehead.
The Crane State—Urashiki's ultimate form.
In this mode, he sacrificed his dōjutsu abilities for raw, unrestrained power, speed, and the ability to teleport and devour ninjutsu at will.
Sako and the others gasped as the air around them grew heavy.
The ground cracked beneath their feet. Their bodies trembled under the crushing weight of Urashiki's aura.
It felt like carrying a mountain on their backs—and even breathing became a struggle.
...
TN:
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