The Hokage Building.
Smoke swirled in the air as Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Ninjutsu Professor hailed as the strongest Hokage, wore a solemn expression, continuously puffing on his pipe.
Asuma knelt on one knee before him, with two logistics Chūnin, Yakushi Kabuto, Uzumaki Naruto, and Hyūga Neji standing behind him.
After a moment of silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice emerged from the swirling smoke. "This matter is too bizarre. Do you have any evidence?"
Even though he knew that Sarutobi Asuma was his own son and a loyal elite jōnin of Konoha, without absolute proof, he still had to remain skeptical.
That was the mindset a Kage of the strongest ninja village must possess.
Asuma remained in his half-kneeling position, extending his hand as a faint white light flickered.
A novice short sword appeared out of thin air.
"No chakra fluctuations…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's wrinkles twitched, and his eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze on the sword.
Objects appearing out of thin air weren't rare in the ninja world.
Whether through ninjutsu scrolls or expensive ninja tool pouches, items could be stored and summoned using chakra.
As a Ninjutsu Professor, he had mastered and understood many secret techniques.
But all of them required chakra to be activated. Even senjutsu couldn't escape the influence of physical and spiritual energy.
One could say that chakra was the foundation of all supernatural abilities in the ninja world.
"A mysterious game that can transport people to another world, a marketplace where even Kekkei Genkai can be exchanged, and a power system where leveling up makes you stronger…"
Hiruzen muttered, deep in thought.
That black tower that had appeared out of nowhere, he had already sent ninjas to investigate.
The conclusion: it couldn't be touched.
It was clearly visible, yet it seemed to be separated by an invisible temporal and spatial barrier, making it impossible to interact with by any means.
After a long pause, Hiruzen exhaled a stream of pale smoke and said solemnly, "If this is real, do you understand what this means?"
War.
He didn't say the word, but the look in his eyes revealed his thoughts.
Maintaining even a temporary peace in the ninja world had not been easy.
Even now, rogue ninjas and missing-nin caused trouble everywhere, though the conflicts were small and localized.
But the emergence of Reincarnation Game
A game where in-game items could be brought into reality, where talent limitations and long-term training could be bypassed, where hunting corrupted creatures granted power, and where the marketplace offered countless Kekkei Genkai and miraculous items…
Even someone like him, who had lived through countless storms, felt his heart pound just thinking about it.
He did not believe the other four great nations could resist such temptation.
Hiruzen took a deep breath and spoke with grave seriousness.
"Sarutobi Asuma, I hereby approve the S-rank mission you proposed. You will serve as the overall commander of this mission."
"You must make contact and recruit all Fire Country civilians, nobles, and their guards who have appeared in the Reincarnation Game."
"Report any developments immediately!"
For such a significant matter, he would normally deploy an elite team composed entirely of jōnin.
But without a way to become a player themselves, for now, Asuma would have to lead a group of genin to investigate.
"Yes!"
Asuma responded solemnly, bowing slightly.
Yakushi Kabuto kept his head low, the glare from his glasses obscuring his eyes. Being so close to a powerful figure like the Hokage made it difficult to maintain his disguise.
Fortunately, Hiruzen's full attention was on the Reincarnation Game, allowing him to remain undetected.
Normally, missions were reviewed and issued directly by the logistics department.
Only a select few were personally stamped and assigned by the Hokage.
The S-rank mission concerning the Reincarnation Game was stamped and swiftly sent to the Konoha noble clans involved, including Hyūga Neji, and to Hatake Kakashi, the jōnin in charge of Uzumaki Naruto.
~Elsewhere, at a Training Ground~
Haruno Sakura looked on curiously and asked, "Hey, idiot, what kind of mission is it? Why so secretive?"
Uchiha Sasuke continued throwing shuriken, each one striking dead center on the target. He acted uninterested, but his ears were subtly perked up.
Naruto scratched his head, about to speak
Only for Kakashi to appear behind him in an instant, one hand resting on his shoulder.
"I don't know the Hokage's exact plans," Kakashi said, closing his copy of Icha Icha Paradise, "but an S-rank mission is highly classified. You absolutely cannot talk about it."
"I understand, Kakashi-sensei."
Naruto stifled his excitement. He had been eager to brag to Sakura and that arrogant Sasuke, but now he had to hold his tongue.
Turning to Sasuke, he made a face. "Hmph! Sasuke, I'm gonna be way stronger than you soon!"
"Idiot."
Sasuke barely spared him a glance, his expression filled with disdain.
A dropout who nearly failed the ninja academy graduation exam dared to talk big?
Seeing Sasuke's dismissive gaze, Naruto grew irritated.
He glanced at the bullseye Sasuke had hit, took a deep breath, and pulled out a shuriken from his pouch.
Whoosh!
The shuriken flew through the air
And completely missed the target, instead lodging itself deep into a thick tree trunk.
"Pfft!"
Sakura couldn't hold back her laughter. Looking at Sasuke with admiration, she said, "Naruto, you were always at the bottom of the shuriken-throwing class in the academy. Do you really think you can compete with Sasuke, our top student?"
Kakashi closed his fingers, slipping Icha Icha Paradise back into his ninja pouch. His lone eye glanced at the shuriken embedded in the tree.
In a blur, he appeared next to the tree, pulled out the shuriken, and handed it back to Naruto.
Feeling humiliated in front of Sakura but touched by his teacher's kindness, Naruto said, "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei!"
Kakashi waved him off with a smile. "No problem. S-rank missions are incredibly dangerous. Even I might not survive this one. I just wanted to return your shuriken before it was too late."
Naruto's face turned pale.
Before he could react, a messenger ninja arrived, calling him to assemble.
Naruto forced a grin, said something cocky, and hurried off.
Sasuke watched his departing figure, then turned his gaze to the tree where the shuriken had hit.
Though the shuriken had been removed, it had left a deep mark.
"Did the deadlast's strength suddenly increase?"
As his teammate, Sasuke was well aware of Naruto's abilities. Just yesterday, Naruto had picked a fight with him and been beaten easily.
Whoosh!
Standing where Naruto had just been, Sasuke flicked his own shuriken, landing it precisely next to Naruto's mark.
Walking over, he pulled it out
And saw that his mark was slightly shallower than Naruto's.
Sasuke frowned. What's going on?
~Meanwhile~
The other four great ninja villages were also in turmoil. Some had even entered a state of emergency.
Civilians with player status were swiftly found and taken away by nobles and ninja villages through various means.
Even uninformed ninjas with keen instincts felt uneasy
Was another great ninja war about to break out?
Though the Reincarnation Game hadn't been publicly exposed yet, word of it was spreading rapidly through various channels.