Naruto's naked declaration—placing the fate of the entire shinobi world on a gambler's table—completely enraged the Kage present.
"Don't get so full of yourself, Naruto Uzumaki!"
"We are the ones who bear the title of Kage!"
"We will never allow you to act however you please!"
Faced with the Five Kage's furious rebukes, Naruto's expression held nothing but open contempt.
He lifted a hand casually, as though brushing away a swarm of annoying insects.
"You're nothing more than dust," he said coldly.
"Not even worth half my attention."
At last, his gaze returned to Sasuke.
That look was impossibly complex—regret, resolve, and perhaps a trace so faint it was almost invisible…
A farewell.
Then—
His figure vanished before their eyes, as if he had never existed at all.
All that remained was devastation—and a proclamation that had opened the door to the end of the world.
The Present Shinobi World
Deathly silence.
The Fourth Shinobi World War…
Initiated by Naruto Uzumaki of Konohagakure?
One battle to decide everything?
The sheer weight of that future was so overwhelming that no one could process it immediately.
"What kind of place is Konoha?!"
"First an Sasuke Uchiha who can intimidate the Five Kage—now an Naruto Uzumaki who wants to destroy the world?!"
"Does Konoha specialize in producing saviors and world-destroyers?! What gives them that right?!"
Amid the chaos of discussion, accusations toward Konoha grew louder and sharper.
Distrust fermented rapidly—from civilians straight up to the highest levels of leadership.
Almost the moment the Heavenly Screen fell silent, official letters from the other four great villages flooded into the Hokage's office like snowflakes.
Each was sternly worded, but their demand was the same:
Konoha must explain Naruto Uzumaki and the world-ending crisis he represented—and take immediate action.
Among them, the Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure was the most aggressive.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen! Hand Naruto Uzumaki over immediately!
Kumogakure will take custody of him!
We will not allow him to become a future threat!
If Konoha shelters him, you declare yourselves enemies of the entire shinobi world!"
Konohagakure – Ninja Academy
"N-no… that's not true!"
No matter how slow or optimistic Naruto was, the looks of fear, disgust, and monster-like revulsion made his situation painfully clear.
Future him…
A world-destroying villain?!
"That's impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Naruto jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, waving his arms frantically.
"How could I destroy the world?! I'm gonna be Hokage! A Hokage everyone acknowledges!"
In his panic, he blurted out something reckless, pointing at Sasuke.
"If anyone's gonna destroy the world, it's gotta be Sasuke! Just look at that smug face—he totally looks like a bad guy!"
But his defense sounded pitifully weak.
"Fox demon… just as expected…"
"So it really is him… the source of disaster…"
"Stay away from him…"
Those hushed, malicious whispers pierced Naruto's ears like icy needles.
In the simple moral logic of his classmates, Naruto had always been the "Nine-Tails brat."
Bringing calamity felt inevitable.
And when compared to the Heavenly Screen's image of Sasuke Uchiha—cool, composed, unmistakably heroic—
Versus Naruto Uzumaki, declaring the destruction of the world—
They instinctively chose to believe the one who looked more righteous.
Yet despite this belief, no one dared confront Naruto openly.
An instinctive fear held them back.
They expressed their rejection only through glances and whispers, unconsciously widening the distance between themselves and him.
Naruto stood alone in the center of the classroom.
A hollow circle surrounded him.
Fearful, hateful eyes stared back.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something—
But his throat felt blocked.
A crushing sense of injustice, and a bone-chilling loneliness, flooded over him like a tide.
Heavenly Screen – The Future Continues
The scene shifted.
After the Five Kage Summit, the great villages moved into emergency war preparations.
Sunagakure.
Kumogakure.
Iwagakure.
Kirigakure.
Upon returning, each Kage issued a highest-level mobilization order.
Shinobi were recalled from posts, training grounds, even leave.
Troop assembly.
Logistics deployment.
The entire shinobi world—like a dormant war machine—was forced awake under the threat of annihilation, operating at unprecedented efficiency.
For the present-day world watching, it was staggering.
No one had ever imagined that the Five Great Nations—locked in generations of conflict—would truly unite.
Konohagakure – A Subtle Difference
When the screen turned to Konoha, however, the atmosphere shifted.
Fifth Hokage Tsunade issued a mobilization order of her own.
Clan heads gathered and voiced their support.
"Hyūga Clan—deploying one hundred and twenty shinobi!"
"Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi—one hundred and fifty combined!"
"Aburame Clan—"
The numbers were reasonable—dozens, perhaps just over a hundred—what one would expect from a major clan.
Then—
Everything changed.
A young clan head stood abruptly.
Though still carrying traces of youthful vigor, his eyes were strikingly steady.
His voice cut cleanly through the hall.
"For the Will of Fire. For the shinobi world!"
"The Sarutobi Clan will form a force of three thousand shinobi, to be placed under the Hokage's command!"
"Th-three… thousand?!"
Gasps rippled through the hall.
Shock and disbelief were written across the faces of every clan head present.
And in the real shinobi world—
Everyone watching froze.
One clan.
Three thousand shinobi.
What did that even mean?
That was nearly the full military strength of some minor nations.
The Sarutobi clan—
Had quietly grown to such terrifying proportions?
Sarutobi Clan Grounds
The scene shifted again.
A young Sarutobi Konohamaru returned to the clan compound, summoning the elders for discussion.
One elder spoke with visible concern.
"Clan Head… three thousand is too many. The clan's foundation—"
He didn't need to finish.
The risk of catastrophic losses was obvious.
Konohamaru glanced at him.
His eyes were far too calm for someone his age.
His tone was flat, yet carried undeniable weight.
"If this war is lost," he said,
"what do you think happens to the Sarutobi clan?"
"Do I really need to explain that?"
The elder stiffened.
Images flashed through his mind—
Naruto Uzumaki.
A world-ending purge.
Post-war reckoning.
Cold sweat instantly soaked his brow.