The Fourth Ninja War had begun.
Although Konoha hadn't made an official announcement, the Third Tsuchikage Onoki's granddaughter had stayed in Konoha for three years without hiding it. Now she'd returned to Iwagakure.
This alone meant little, but Onoki's granddaughter Kurotsuchi publicly announced she would succeed as the Fourth Tsuchikage.
Suddenly, the situation was clear.
The Fifth Kazekage Pakura, Fifth Mizukage Mei, and now Fourth Tsuchikage Kurotsuchi—all had been pulled into Konoha's alliance, leaving only the Cloud Village.
Cloud Village.
In the Raikage's office, the Fourth Raikage A pounded his desk in fury.
"Damn old Onoki—he played me all this time!"
He'd thought Onoki was an ally, but the old man hedged his bets. When he saw his granddaughter's strength, he chose Konoha.
One, he saw Konoha's true strength. Two, Iwa finally had someone to take up the mantle.
"Raikage, what now?"
"Reporting, Raikage! According to intel, Iwa, Suna, and Kiri ninjas are gathering—and so are Konoha's!"
"Raikage, Konoha has announced our collaboration with the Akatsuki's mysterious man!"
With each bad report, A's face darkened.
With such massive mobilization, it was obvious what was coming.
"Damn! Announce to the world: Konoha uses women to seduce and secretly steal the three villages, this is the ninja world's true darkness! Cloud vows to defend our land!"
"Yes!"
"Raikage! Bad news—Amegakure has pledged allegiance to Konoha! The person who killed Hanzō was the real Akatsuki leader..."
One blow after another, A was left battered and furious.
"Damn Amegakure!"
Amegakure was the strongest minor village, and this set a bad precedent.
Especially with the info that the true leader was the Rinnegan user Nagato and the real Akatsuki leader!
Nagato not only led Amegakure to bow to Konoha but also exposed the masked traitor's intel to the world:
[The Akatsuki traitor, the masked man, was once Uchiha Obito. He possesses the Mangekyō Sharingan, the Kamui ability... and a stolen Rinnegan, seeking to create the ultimate weapon and trap the world in genjutsu.]
This news shook the ninja world.
Uchiha Shirou had ambitions—everyone knew that. Since becoming Hokage, he'd never hidden it. At most, he was called a man of ambition.
But Obito's plan—to cast the world into an illusion—was pure madness!
As Cloud prepared for war, Konoha's leaked info shook the world.
Uchiha Shirou aimed to become the god of the ninja world, create new rules, elevate ninja status, and bring down the daimyo and nobility.
Even a full reform plan was leaked.
...
Land of Wind, Sunagakure.
"Pakura! This can't be true, can it?"
In the Kazekage office, the long-retired Chiyo had returned, holding the reform plan, her face full of disbelief. Many Suna jonin were present.
Pakura, in Kazekage's seat, looked at Chiyo's shock with calm as she glanced at the leaked reform.
"Didn't expect it to leak."
Her calmness made Chiyo's pupils contract, and the others gasped.
"So this is the Hokage's reform!"
"It's... inconceivable!"
"Abolishing the current daimyo and nobility—no, eradicating them!"
The jonin were all shocked, and Chiyo paled,
"Madness! This will destroy the ninja world!"
Pakura just smiled lightly,
"Elder Chiyo, you've grown timid with age. Reform means total change—not just merging the Five Great Villages, but changing everything."
She looked around at the jonin, the backbone of Suna.
"Ever since the ninja world began, those of us with world-shaking power have been controlled by the daimyo and nobles, used as tools!"
"Now, Lord Shirou's Will of Fire will ignite the world. We're here at the perfect time! Ninja will become the true masters of the land!"
Chiyo trembled, pointing at Pakura.
"You're mad! Don't you see this will destroy the world? We need the daimyo and nobles to maintain order!"
"Chaos?"
Pakura smiled.
"You think this plan was hastily made?"
With that, Chiyo stiffened, especially seeing Pakura's calm face. She blurted:
"You leaked this on purpose!"
Pakura nodded, "This plan began over ten years ago since Lord Shirou became Hokage. And the world never noticed."
"First, in the Land of Fire, Konoha's retired and wounded ninjas were trained to protect every town and village..."
As Pakura spoke about the decade-long plan, Chiyo's face changed, disbelief clear in her eyes.
This was a revolution planned since Uchiha Shirou became Hokage!
Even if the daimyo and nobles disappeared now, there would be little chaos—the transition would be swift.
"Besides, we're not destroying the daimyo and nobles. Those with power among them will keep their positions, so there won't be chaos."
Pakura continued calmly. Since becoming Kazekage, she'd enacted the plan.
"Ninja, samurai, onmyoji—anyone with supernatural power will be the true master. The daimyo and nobles are no longer above all."
"The ninja world will have real gods and real nobility—those who can protect it..."
In short, the daimyo and nobles would lose their supreme status, falling to mere managers.
"Destruction was never our aim. Among the daimyo and nobles, some had power but were ignored. So there won't be chaos."
Pakura's words echoed in the office. The Suna jonin, though raised to think this was wrong, couldn't help but imagine their future status as the elite.
None of them acted out. Instead, they exchanged awkward glances.
...
Land of Fire, Daimyo's Mansion.
"What are you doing? I'm your uncle!"
"Sorry, uncle. Times have changed. You can still live in luxury, but your former status is gone."
Within the daimyo and noble families, many overlooked branch members were only trained as samurai or ninjas, helping maintain the clan.
But now, in the revolution, these people replaced the old masters, excited to take their positions.
More importantly, the new reforms told everyone they could become the elite.
As long as you became a strong ninja and could protect the world, you could enter Konoha and become new nobility.
The old order wasn't overthrown; it was burning in the fire, and a new order was born from the flames.
"Lord Shirou is the god of the ninja world! Only he can make us strong!"
"Long live Lord Shirou!"
In the Fire, Wind, and Water countries, change was happening quietly, with little chaos—since no overwhelming force was used.
Unwilling nobles and daimyo fled, heading to the Cloud Village.
"Madman! Uchiha Shirou is a madman! He must be overthrown!"
"Even by joining with the enemy, we must resist this tyranny!"
The turmoil was limited to the nobility. Nobodies with power took over, excited to be in the positions previously based only on bloodline.
Across the world, nobles mostly fled to Cloud, but local nobility remained—just replaced by those with strength.
...
Land of Water, Daimyo's Mansion.
"Win or lose, at least our bloodline continues."
Nobles watched their mansions fade into the distance, angry and sad.
But for the great clans, survival of the bloodline was everything.
Konoha's ambition or Akatsuki's arrogance—it didn't matter. They hedged their bets.
The daimyo of Fire, Wind, and Water were all replaced by powerful clans.
...
Land of Earth, Iwagakure.
"Hey, old man, why are you in a daze?"
Kurotsuchi, now wearing the Fourth Tsuchikage's hat, called out as Onoki sighed.
"Uchiha Shirou is even more terrifying than Madara. His methods are way beyond Madara's!"
To Onoki, Shirou had always been another Madara. But now he saw an even greater Uchiha.
Madara believed only in power, with no detailed plans.
But Shirou had Madara's power and Tobirama's methods.
"Old man, your time is over—it's my era now."
Kurotsuchi smiled but felt sorry to see her grandfather sad. But she had to do it—it was Iwa's best choice.
Onoki sighed:
"Yeah, my time is gone. I can't understand this era—it's even crazier than when the villages were founded."
From Iwa, one could see many angry nobles fleeing toward the Land of Lightning.
They'd lost their high status, and their resentment drove them on.
"What a plan—letting them go reduces upheaval to a minimum. Some families are even hedging their bets."
Onoki shuddered. Shirou's Will of Fire was a grand scheme.
Now, resistance only meant bloodshed—Shirou had all the power. There were only two options: compromise, or rivers of blood.
But compromise left too much resentment, and the root of chaos was heading to Lightning.
Shirou's message was clear—he wasn't stopping anyone from leaving. Otherwise, with no way out, many would choose mutual destruction.
"Old man, get ready. Reform always brings blood, but this will be the least blood possible."
Kurotsuchi didn't comment further; she only knew that Shirou's planned future was a world all ninjas would admire.
"When the Will of Fire burns across the land, a new era will dawn—the ninja world unified..."
Kurotsuchi murmured, speaking of a bright new world.
Her crisp voice echoed, making Onoki's face full of sorrow. Was his era truly over?
As expected, when an era abandons you, it doesn't say goodbye.
"Peace! Under absolute power, maybe after a hundred years, all the old hatred between nations will fade away..."
Onoki gazed at the village he'd fought for all his life. Iwa would still exist, but not like this.
He'd decided for one reason: the news Kurotsuchi brought back!
Immortality! The lifespan of a god!
If Shirou were just a stronger Madara, Onoki would never have given in. But a god who could live for a thousand years—he might create a new world.
Even Kurotsuchi was evolving under the curse seal, with research showing life itself was evolving!