The assembled Kage had no time to waste.
"Return at once!"
Haku's voice was sharp as she spoke, glancing back at Naruto without another word. Naruto simply nodded in silence.
The matters of Kirigakure were best left for Haku to handle. Meanwhile, Kurotsuchi and Darui also departed swiftly; they had no time to spare for Sunagakure or the tailed beasts. Their own villages were in turmoil, and that took priority.
Watching the Kage disperse one after another, Naruto let out a helpless sigh. His gaze shifted to the spot where Sasuke had stood moments before.
I hope Sasuke can fix that thing soon... Otherwise, these ninjas from the past are going to throw the entire shinobi world into chaos.
"Lord Hokage, should we offer them any support?" Sai asked.
But Shikamaru shook his head. "No... We can't. The alliance between the villages is in a delicate state right now."
"This isn't the time for that."
Shikamaru glanced at Naruto, unsure if he had noticed.
Though the current crisis stemmed from the arrival of these past shinobi, the underlying issue was that within the Five Great Nations, there were still those who refused to accept the Allied Shinobi Villages. They clung to the old ways, seeking to dismantle the unity that had been built.
If not for them, even with these past ninjas appearing, the situation would be troublesome but manageable.
Yet, because these reactionaries longed to restore the old system of the Five Great Nations and Five Hidden Villages, the past shinobi had instantly become a major threat.
In the end, it all came down to the stubborn traditionalists of this era.
And it wasn't just Kirigakure; even Konoha had its share of dissenters.
Even within the Hyūga clan, Naruto's own in-laws, there were those who sought to undermine the Allied Shinobi Villages.
Even a small faction of the Nara clan harbored such thoughts.
Normally, this wasn't a problem. The minority had to submit to the majority, so their voices remained unheard.
But in times of crisis, those voices grew loud and disruptive.
Suppressing them wouldn't be easy.
"Right now, we need to focus on our own village."
Naruto's expression darkened as he looked at the two. "What worries me most is that we might face the same situation here."
But after a moment of thought, Naruto reassured himself Konoha was in a better state than the other villages.
The others were far more politically unstable.
For the past shinobi, launching a coup would be far easier elsewhere.
In Konoha, it would be the most difficult.
Yet, just as Naruto was thinking this—
BOOM!
An explosion shattered the silence outside the window.
Naruto whipped his head toward the sound.
That direction... my house?!
For a split second, he froze. Then, in the next instant, he burst through the window, streaking across the sky like a comet.
From the air, Naruto confirmed it: his home had been attacked.
"Hinata!"
"Himawari!"
"Boruto!"
CRASH!
As he landed, he saw the wreckage of what was once his house.
Boruto lay on the ground, gasping for breath, while Hinata shielded him. Thankfully, Boruto wasn't seriously injured, but Hinata herself was...
"Hinata!"
Naruto rushed forward, pulling her up as Boruto frantically steadied her.
"Mom! Mom, are you okay?!"
Hinata forced a smile. "I'm fine, Boruto!"
Then she turned to Naruto, her voice strained.
"Naruto... Himawari, she's—!"
WHOOSH!
A dark figure shot out from the flames.
And in that instant, Naruto saw it clearly.
The intruder was carrying his daughter.
"Don't worry. Himawari will be safe."
Hinata stared at her husband's youthful face, feeling an odd dissonance.
It was almost like... looking at a younger brother.
No, more like a son.
After all, Naruto, in his current state, wasn't much older than Boruto.
Yet, his eyes were the same as ever.
Steady. Unshaken.
It reassured her. He was, after all, the strongest Hokage in history.
"Boruto, stay with your mother. I'll bring Himawari back."
Boruto stiffened. "I'm coming too!"
But Naruto was already gone.
Boruto clenched his fists, frustration boiling inside him.
Always late when it matters... What kind of father disappears when his family needs him?!
He wanted to chase after his sister, but Hinata was injured. She needed him.
As he helped her up, Konoha shinobi began arriving at the scene.
Meanwhile, Shikamaru and Sai moved to follow Naruto.
But before they could even leave the Hokage's office, a barrier erupted around them.
Shikamaru's eyes widened in shock.
"This barrier... Impossible. Only Konoha shinobi should know this technique!"
And in this era, where ninjas relied too heavily on scientific tools and lacked real combat experience, there were no shinobi left who could perform it.
For this barrier to activate now meant at least three jonin-level ninjas had cast it simultaneously.
How?!
"The Konoha of today... is truly disappointing."
A cold voice echoed through the room.
"Letting a mere jinchūriki become Hokage... Establishing this so-called Allied Shinobi Villages..."
"With the power to unify the Five Great Nations, why settle for an alliance?"
"A coward like him doesn't deserve the title of Hokage."
As the figure stepped into view, Shikamaru's breath caught.
Sai, too, recognized him instantly.
This man was—
"Danzo."
Shikamaru's pupils constricted.
So the past shinobi who arrived in Konoha... was Danzo?!
And from the sound of it, he hadn't just arrived. He had been here for a while, long enough to fully understand this era.
Which meant...
He likely hadn't come alone.
"Danzo... What are you planning?"
Shikamaru's hand drifted toward his weapon.
The look in Danzo's eyes left no room for negotiation.
This would be a fight.
"What am I planning?" Danzo's voice was icy.
"The question is, what should a Hokage be planning?"
"When I first arrived in this era, I was astonished. Konoha had changed so much."
"But what a pity... The Hokage is weak."
He stepped closer, his gaze piercing.
"Konoha could have been greater."
"Yet because of an incompetent leader, it stagnates."
"With the power to dominate the entire shinobi world, to make Konoha the undisputed strongest... he chose surrender."
"All for the sake of peace?"
Danzo's voice dripped with disdain.
"And what of Konoha's people? Sacrificing their interests for hollow ideals?"
"I am... deeply disappointed in Naruto."
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