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Chapter 205 - Chapter 205: Relics of the Old Era Belong in the Old Era

"You're talking nonsense!"

"The current Fifth Hokage is Lady Tsunade, not you!"

Mitokado Homura clutched his swollen face, fury burning in his eyes as he shouted.

"You think making up a story will make people believe you? A seven-year-old Chunin? A twelve-year-old Hokage? There's never been a Hokage that young in the history of the ninja world!"

He glared at Naruto with deep resentment.

He absolutely refused to believe that the boy in front of him was the Fifth Hokage.

"You're members of Akatsuki—terrorists of the ninja world! Criminals everyone has the right to kill! How many of our Konoha ninja have died at your hands?"

"The son of the Third Hokage—Asuma—was killed by Akatsuki!"

"All of you standing here are enemies of Konoha! Do you think you can invade the village? Don't even dream about it!"

"We Konoha shinobi will never surrender. We'll fight your organization to the death!"

The burning pain on his face only fueled Homura's rage further.

He raised his arms, trying to rally the Konoha ninja behind him.

"That's right!"

"Akatsuki is nothing but a group of rogue ninja from every village!"

"They're villains! We don't need to reason with them!"

"We just attack and eliminate them!"

Koharu Utatane shouted loudly as well.

The Konoha ninja grew agitated.

Hatred burned in their eyes.

Naruto glanced at them calmly and spoke quietly to Uzumaki Naruto beside him.

"Look carefully."

"Don't they look exactly like the villagers you saw when you were a child?"

"Those twisted faces that looked like they wanted to skin you alive."

Uzumaki Naruto turned slowly.

His eyes passed across the crowd.

Many of those looks felt painfully familiar.

The same anger.

The same hostility.

The same chilling hatred.

"I'll show you how to make them change."

Naruto patted his shoulder, then smiled brightly toward the Konoha ninja.

"Finished talking?"

"Good."

"Now it's my turn."

"As the Fifth Hokage of my world, I've always been very tolerant toward my village and my people."

"So I forgive them for their mistakes."

"But you…"

"You're not my people."

"You're not my village."

"So I don't have the patience to keep chatting with you."

Naruto's voice was gentle—like a spring breeze.

But the moment his words ended—

Silence swallowed the battlefield.

The shouting Konoha ninja suddenly fell quiet.

Even Homura and Koharu began sweating uncontrollably.

Naruto hadn't moved.

He had only glanced at them.

Yet everyone felt as if the sky itself had flipped upside down.

It was as if a pair of massive eyes had appeared high above them.

Cold.

Indifferent.

Merciless.

Like a god staring down at ants.

"Kneel."

Naruto's voice turned cold.

"KNEEL."

THUD!

Homura and Koharu collapsed to their knees instantly.

Many Konoha shinobi nearby felt their blood surge violently.

Their limbs went numb.

One after another they dropped to the ground.

Only the strongest jonin managed to remain standing.

Moments ago Konoha had looked powerful and defiant.

Now the entire formation had shrunk.

Like grass flattened by a storm.

"See that?"

Naruto said to Uzumaki Naruto.

"Peace. Justice. Fairness."

"In front of power… they mean nothing."

"This world listens to fists."

"Whoever has the bigger fist decides what's right."

He was teaching his parallel-world self.

After all, that boy was still far too naïve.

He swept his gaze across the Konoha shinobi.

Most of them lowered their heads.

None dared meet his eyes.

Naruto felt like a dark cloud covering the entire village.

Everyone could only bow beneath the pressure.

Even Tsunade stood stunned.

The sheer force of his power left her speechless.

"You're wrong!"

A clear voice suddenly rang out.

"There is justice in this world!"

"And I will never bow to your strength!"

"I'll protect Konoha Village!"

Uzumaki Naruto stood straight.

His eyes burned with determination.

All thoughts about his past or his identity vanished from his mind.

Right now, he had only one belief.

Konoha must not bow.

Someone had to stand up.

If no one else would—

Then he would.

His words made many Konoha ninja suddenly raise their heads.

Shame flashed in their eyes.

Their fighting spirit reignited.

Tsunade took a deep breath and stepped forward, pulling Naruto behind her.

"Who exactly are you?"

She asked again.

"I already told you."

Naruto grinned.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto."

"The Fifth Hokage."

"What, you have a problem with that?"

Tsunade stared deeply into his eyes.

Naruto's gaze was clear and calm.

But beneath that clarity was something vast and immeasurable.

Like a galaxy.

Jiraiya quickly stepped forward.

"Tsunade, calm down."

"Parallel worlds."

"Another ninja world very similar to ours."

"In that world, Naruto became the Fifth Hokage."

"Parallel worlds?"

Many Konoha ninja were stunned.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that Naruto over there is real—but he's not our Naruto."

"He's Naruto from another world."

"Wait… if he became Hokage there…"

"Does that mean our Naruto might become Hokage someday too?"

"Maybe the Sixth… or Seventh Hokage?"

"Then… we shouldn't call him a demon fox anymore…"

The shinobi began whispering among themselves.

Their gazes moved back and forth between the two Narutos.

Even Uzumaki Naruto himself trembled slightly.

A strange pride surged in his heart.

He had always shouted that he would become Hokage.

But deep down he knew it seemed impossible.

Now—

His belief solidified.

Tsunade spoke again.

"What do you want?"

"If you came here with Akatsuki members, it can't just be a friendly visit."

Naruto smiled faintly.

"I came to Konoha to deal with a small matter."

"And while I'm here…"

"I'll announce something."

"A Five Kage Summit."

"The Five Kage Summit?"

"That's right."

Naruto looked toward the distant Hokage Monument.

"This ninja world has endured endless turmoil."

"One ninja war."

"Then another."

"And another."

"Every decade or two, war erupts again."

"Schemes, conspiracies, power struggles."

"No one ever agrees with anyone."

"So this time…"

He smiled slightly.

"We'll do it the simple way."

"I'll host the summit."

"We'll solve every problem in the ninja world at once."

"Cut through the chaos with one strike."

"And prevent the Fourth Great Ninja War from ever happening."

His words stunned everyone present.

Nagato.

Obito.

Zetsu.

Even they stared at Naruto in disbelief.

They had followed him here out of helplessness.

Nagato had once thought Naruto's talk about world peace was just nonsense.

But now…

Naruto seemed completely serious.

"Solve everything… at once?"

Nagato murmured in disbelief.

His own plan had been far more limited.

Use the Ten-Tails to create fear.

Force peace through deterrence.

But solving the world's problems entirely?

He had never even imagined it.

"That's impossible."

Tsunade shook her head.

"There are too many conflicts in the ninja world."

"No summit can solve them all."

Naruto shrugged.

"That's my problem."

"Your job is simply to inform the other four villages."

"Tell them Akatsuki has issued a challenge to the entire ninja world."

"They should come discuss the tailed beast issue together."

"Don't be late."

Tsunade blinked.

For a moment she realized she had just accepted instructions like a secretary.

The absurdity of it made her speechless.

Naruto suddenly stopped in front of Homura and Koharu.

He looked down at them coldly.

"You two relics from the Third Hokage's era."

"You should stay in that era."

"Konoha has already entered the age of the Fifth Hokage."

"Isn't it time for you to retire?"

"The cycle of old and new is natural for every organization."

"If old fossils refuse to step down, how can new blood rise?"

"People who cling to their positions without doing anything…"

"Are just eyesores."

Both elders turned pale.

Their minds buzzed.

Tsunade had shown her displeasure toward them before.

But she had never exposed the conflict so directly.

Naruto's words tore away the curtain completely.

And in front of Konoha's elite ninja no less.

There was no hiding it now.

If they refused to step down—

They would look like greedy old men clinging to power.

"Ohoho…"

Orochimaru walked past them laughing.

"Two elders."

"It's time to retire and enjoy life."

"Stop getting in the way."

"Orochimaru! You launched the Konoha Crush and killed the Third Hokage—!"

"Ah, that's ancient history."

Orochimaru waved his hand lazily.

"This is the era of the Fifth Hokage now."

"I'm useful to him, so I can walk freely in Konoha."

"As for you…"

"You should obediently retire."

Homura and Koharu gritted their teeth.

But they couldn't say a word.

The Konoha shinobi nearby simply looked away.

The Konoha Crush had happened years ago.

The wounds had long begun to heal.

And no one dared oppose Naruto.

"Hey, Naruto—"

"Hmm?"

"I wasn't talking to you!"

Tsunade rolled her eyes when the younger Naruto responded.

The boy shut his mouth awkwardly.

Apparently, he wasn't the only Naruto in the village anymore.

Tsunade looked at the Akatsuki group behind Naruto.

Her expression remained grim.

"Just tell me what you're planning."

"Walking into Konoha with this many Akatsuki members…"

"This isn't exactly reassuring."

The group behind Naruto contained nothing but dangerous individuals.

Each one was a potential catastrophe.

Tsunade would never willingly allow them into the village.

But with Naruto leading them—

She couldn't stop them either.

Naruto suddenly stopped walking.

"We're here."

Everyone halted instantly.

The air itself felt tense.

"Your ninja world isn't very different from mine."

"So the same bastards should still be here."

Naruto smiled.

"Yes."

"Exactly the person you're thinking about."

"Let me deal with that old bastard."

"I've been wanting to have some fun."

He stepped forward.

"Earth Style: Earth Rift."

BOOM!

The ground split apart.

A massive crack opened beneath them.

Deep underground, a huge hidden base was revealed.

At the end of the underground hall—

An old man wrapped in bandages looked up in shock.

His eyes met the crowd above.

He froze in confusion.

It was Shimura Danzo.

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