Konoha – Hokage's Office
The wrinkles on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face seemed to deepen in an instant.
His eyes widened in shock. Both hands clawed unconsciously at his graying hair.
The pipe slipped from his fingers and hit the floor—he didn't even notice.
"Sasuke Uchiha…" he muttered, voice thick with disbelief and a faint, creeping dread.
"He… he managed to suppress that brute of a Raikage with nothing but his presence?"
Hiruzen knew A's temperament and strength better than most.
A man who preferred fists over words—someone whose fury could only be restrained by one thing.
An overwhelming gap in power.
"Could it be…"
Hiruzen swallowed hard.
"Has he already reached the level of the First Hokage… or even Madara Uchiha?"
The thought sent a chill down his spine.
He couldn't comprehend how an Uchiha orphan could grow to such heights in merely ten years.
In the end, he could only attribute it to one thing.
"The Uchiha bloodline… their dōjutsu truly is terrifying."
Suddenly, his expression changed.
"No—this is bad!"
He barked sharply toward the empty corner of the office.
"Immediately assign additional personnel! Covertly protect Sasuke Uchiha at the highest alert level!"
"No one—especially Root—is to be allowed anywhere near him!"
Although Root had been officially disbanded, Hiruzen knew Danzō Shimura far too well.
Danzō would never allow an Uchiha with such monstrous potential to grow beyond his control.
Sasuke's sudden prominence had pushed him straight to the edge of a deadly precipice.
Konohagakure – Streets and Ninja Academy
The entire village exploded.
"Sa-Sasuke-kun… future Sasuke-kun is amazing!"
"Even the Raikage has to respect him!"
"Is Sasuke going to be the one who saves Konoha's future?!"
Exclamations, heated discussion, and disbelief echoed everywhere.
At the Ninja Academy, the girls who had already admired Sasuke now looked as though stars had filled their eyes—adoration and worship written plainly on their faces.
A powerful, reliable guardian of the future—
That was how they already saw him.
Only one person reacted completely differently.
"No way! Absolutely no way!"
Naruto Uzumaki pointed furiously at the Heavenly Screen, hopping in place.
"That stuck-up Sasuke?! There's no way he gets that strong!"
"I'm the one who's gonna be Hokage! I'm supposed to be the hero!"
And at the center of it all—
Sasuke Uchiha himself.
Staring at the future version of himself—cold, composed, overwhelmingly powerful—his heart nearly burst out of his chest.
He almost lost control of his usual stoic expression.
Then—
A flood of exhilaration surged through him like magma.
That strong…?
So that's my future…
Then one name burned into his thoughts.
Itachi Uchiha.
If I became that strong…
Then I must have killed him.
I must have avenged my clan.
The thought made his body tremble.
Shock turned into blazing hatred—and an even stronger drive to grow powerful.
He clenched his fists, nails biting deep into his palms, eyes fixed on the figure in the sky as if drawing strength from his future self.
Heavenly Screen – Five Kage Summit (Future)
With Sasuke's intervention, the summit finally reached a fragile consensus.
An unprecedented Allied Shinobi Force would be formed to confront the crisis together.
Just as the meeting concluded and everyone's guard lowered—
Something went wrong.
"Susano'o."
Without warning, Sasuke—standing behind Tsunade—spoke softly.
His eyes transformed instantly into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
A massive, purple skeletal warrior of chakra manifested out of thin air, towering like an impregnable fortress.
In a heartbeat, it enveloped and protected the Five Kage and their guards.
At almost the exact same moment—
BOOOOOOM!!!
A colossal sphere of energy—immeasurable in scale and saturated with annihilating force—descended from the sky like a meteor.
It struck the summit building with terrifying precision.
The explosion roared across the heavens.
Blinding white light swallowed everything.
The fortified conference hall—and vast swathes of the surrounding area—were erased instantly, reduced to nothing but a massive, smoking crater.
Even through the Heavenly Screen, the destructive power felt overwhelming.
When the energy finally dissipated, the purple Susano'o faded away.
The Five Kage stood frozen, faces deathly pale.
They had survived—
Barely.
"Damn it… it's him!"
The Fourth Raikage was the first to roar, lightning chakra erupting violently from his body as he glared skyward.
Everyone followed his gaze.
High above—
A lone figure hovered in midair.
He wore a strange white robe reminiscent of ceremonial attire.
Brilliant blond hair fluttered in the lingering shockwaves.
Most chilling of all—
The cold, emotionless smile on his face.
And the oppressive presence that felt like a god gazing down upon mortals.
When his face was displayed clearly across the Heavenly Screen—
Time itself seemed to freeze.
Konohagakure – Hokage Office
Thud.
Hiruzen Sarutobi staggered back as though all strength had drained from his body, collapsing heavily into his chair.
His face was ashen. His lips trembled—no sound came out.
Mito Homura and Utatane Koharu, who had rushed in without realizing it, looked no better.
"This… this can't be…"
they whispered in disbelief.
In the shadows of Konoha, Danzō Shimura's single eye widened in shock once more.
"Impossible… how could it be…?"
Both Sasuke Uchiha—and this newly appeared figure—were shattering everything he thought he understood.
"That was… a Rasengan?"
Jiraiya's carefree expression vanished completely, replaced by grave seriousness.
He didn't know the man—
But instinct screamed at him.
This is the one.
The true Child of Prophecy.
The disciple fate has chosen.
Land of Rain – Outside the Akatsuki Base
"What the hell…?"
The Akatsuki members stared in disbelief.
Even Itachi Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan contracted slightly.
Not Pain?
Across the shinobi world—
In that instant—
Countless hearts were seized by an invisible hand.
A single name erupted uncontrollably in everyone's mind.
The World-Ender.
Konohagakure – Ninja Academy
"Whoa… th-that jutsu is insane!"
Naruto gawked at the devastation, eyes shining in awe.
Then he scratched his blond hair, frowning.
"…Huh? That guy feels kind of familiar."
As soon as the words left his mouth—
He realized.
The silence around him was absolute.