At this moment, Konoha was in a state of chaos after the [Konoha Crush Plan] orchestrated by Orochimaru and Danzo.
That's right, according to Makoto, the current dire state of Konoha was caused by the alliance of Orochimaru and Danzo.
After all, this statement came directly from Makoto, the personal disciple of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, so no one doubted it.
Well, if Makoto had named anyone else, there might have been some suspicion.
But the person he named was Danzo.
Everyone felt such thing is a matter of course.
Especially since Danzo was already dead, leaving no witness to verify the claim.
Even if smarter individuals like Nara Shikaku and Hatake Kakashi had their doubts, they couldn't find any evidence.
They couldn't exactly use Edo Tensei to summon him and ask, could they?
Meanwhile, the veteran players like the Aizono sisters, Utaha, and Megumi, seeing the dilapidated and ruined Konoha waiting to be rebuilt, were momentarily lost in memories, feeling somewhat emotional.
Thinking carefully, it had been nearly half a century since they had last been here. They had almost forgotten this other world, the first one they had ever traveled to.
To be honest, after experiencing so many world jumps, returning now somehow felt like going back to their hometown for the New Year.
As for the first-timers entering this other world, like the Sakurajima mother and daughter, Kitagawa Marin, Kuroko Tetsuya, and the others, each and every one of them showed looks of shock.
Marin stood before the great gate of Konoha, her pupils slightly trembling as she stared motionlessly at the row of huge, partially destroyed Hokage Rock in the distance.
"There... there really is... another world..."
Just then, the voice that had resounded in their minds earlier spoke again.
[Welcome, everyone, to this round of the Reincarnation Game.]
[Current Dungeon World: Ninja World.]
[Each round will issue a designated objective. Completing the mission will allow you to return to the real world. Rest assured, time in the real world will be completely frozen during the game.]
As before, the prompt from the Reincarnation System echoed in the ears of new players like Marin and Kuroko.
Kise Ryota looked left and right.
His pupils reflected the post-war ruins, busy Ninjas, the half-destroyed Hokage Rock in the distance, and the strange people wearing unfamiliar gear whom he had never seen before.
"A... are we... is this what they call Isekai in light novels?"
There was a hint of disbelief in his voice, but deep in his eyes, there was a subtle excitement.
Aomine Daiki looked down at his body, his pupils contracting sharply.
He had gone from a high school student to the form of a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy.
"I... turned into a kid?"
Kagami Taiga stood beside him, looking down at his palms, then touching his shoulders.
His height had shrunk significantly. That physical advantage that had once overwhelmed opponents on the basketball court was now gone.
"Wh... what should we do now...?"
There was a hint of unease in his voice.
Murasakibara Atsushi stood there silently. After a few seconds, he looked towards a chubby kid not far away who was devouring a bag of potato chips.
He wanted some.
Momoi covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide open.
"Th... this isn't a dream, is it..."
She reached out and touched the cracks in the wall beside her. The texture her fingertips felt was rough and real… an undeniable trace of the ravages of war.
But honestly, since bizarre people and superpowered individuals had already appeared in the real world, the existence of another world didn't seem that strange anymore.
Then, the other members of the basketball club also looked curiously at this dilapidated village.
Just as they were looking around, they suddenly saw a figure in a green jumpsuit with a bowl-cut hairstyle walking towards them, carrying a large piece of lumber.
"Hey! You young lads over there, come and give me a hand!"
Guy's smile was as radiant as the sun, his pearly white teeth reflecting a blinding light under the sun.
Kagami, Murasakibara, and the other taller guys were momentarily stunned, then quickly stepped forward, eager to avoid suspicion and join in Konoha's reconstruction efforts.
While helping with the reconstruction, Momoi, the basketball club's manager, chatted quite enthusiastically with Guy.
Momoi seized the opportunity to ask questions indirectly.
To be honest, if it had been someone slightly more sharp-witted like Kakashi or Shiranui Genma, they probably would have suspected Momoi of being a spy.
But Guy was thick-headed. Faced with the questions of such a cute young girl, he basically answered everything he could, quickly spilling the details about the village.
Of course, he wasn't stupid enough to reveal classified information.
Then, Guy's expression turned sad, and his voice dropped lower.
"Though I knew Danzo had been coveting the Hokage position, I never imagined he would be so audacious... to dare to attack the Third Hokage..."
He clenched his fists, grinding his teeth in anger.
Momoi's smile froze slightly.
Before the basketball club's members could respond, Guy looked up again and gave everyone a thumbs-up.
"But, with Makoto and you young, vibrant people, I believe Konoha will become great again!"
At the mention of the name 'Makoto', the faces of Momoi and the basketball club's members changed drastically.
Momoi's pupils shrank sharply.
"Makoto? Uncle Guy, you don't mean... Nishikawa Makoto-sama?"
"Who else would it be?"
Guy asked in confusion, then scratched his head.
Seeing Guy's suspicious look, Momoi quickly waved her hands to smooth things over: "No, no! We were just a little surprised, since Makoto-sama is about the same age as us..."
Her voice sounded a bit hollow, and fine beads of sweat emerged on her forehead.
Fortunately, Guy didn't dwell on it. He smiled and said, "Although Makoto is very young, considering his current strength and maturity, I think he's already capable of being Hokage. But he is indeed too young. If he were Minato-sama's age, he would be perfect for the Fifth Hokage position."
His tone was full of appreciation and trust for Makoto… a genuine, unreserved recognition that made Momoi pause again.
After speaking, Guy went back to carrying lumber, enthusiastically throwing himself into the reconstruction.
"Let's burn, Youth!"
His voice echoed through the village.
Meanwhile, the basketball club's members discussed among themselves.
Akashi Seijuro stood at the edge of the group, his expression calm but observant.
"Nishikawa Makoto and the others must have gained superpowers in this world. And they've been here more than once."
Akashi stated confidently.
"Otherwise, that Mr. Guy wouldn't have said those things."
Aomine punched his fist, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
"Meaning we can also gain superpowers in this world? Interesting."
The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, anticipation in his eyes.
To be honest, he had essentially become unbeatable in basketball and was starting to find it boring.
Seeing Makoto and his wives' battles against monsters had made his blood burn with excitement, wanting to jump in.
Unexpectedly, the chance had come so soon.
"People with that kind of thinking are the ones who die the fastest."
Just then, a voice came from behind the basketball club's members, dripping with sarcasm.
Aomine immediately turned his head in anger, instinctively about to say, "Who the fu—"
Before he could finish, the voice got caught in his throat, stopping abruptly.
Ishigami Yu!
The other basketball club's members had similar expressions.
Aomine's throat felt like it was being squeezed, unable to utter a single word.
Momoi quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry, Ishigami-sama. Aomine didn't know it was you..."
Fortunately, Yu didn't dwell on it. He simply walked past the basketball club's members, muttering to himself, "Tch... where did Senpai go?"
Only when Yu's figure gradually disappeared around the street corner did the basketball club's members collapse to their knees, one by one, as if all their strength had been drained.
Compared to the first-timers like the basketball club's members, the Kessoku Band girls, although they had never traveled to the same world as Makoto before, had experienced world travel before and were much calmer.