"The Rinnegan… it's about time the plan started."
Deep within Amegakure, Obito watched Nagato's growth through White Zetsu's surveillance.
He was impatient, but he understood the cost of rushing. Konoha's defenses were too solid—there was no clean opening to exploit.
A cold smile tugged at his mouth.
If I can force Konoha to depose its new Hokage and put Hiruzen Sarutobi back in power… then Konoha's weakness will be laid bare.
White Zetsu stood at his side, an ugly grin creeping across his face.
"Kirigakure is in turmoil right now," it whispered. "That might be the perfect opportunity."
"Kirigakure?" Obito's gaze turned icy. "Then it's worth a visit."
He stepped into the shadows, vanishing as if swallowed by darkness.
Back in Konoha, Shuoye Uchiha was buried in endless affairs.
Night deepened, and just as his thoughts began to settle, urgent knocking shattered the quiet.
Orochimaru—the viper that once lurked in Konoha's darkness—slid into view like poison given form.
Shuoye turned.
Those eyes were as cunning and detached as ever, and a faint ripple passed through Shuoye's gaze.
He understood what Orochimaru's arrival meant.
Whether it was conspiracy or cooperation… it would never be simple.
"Shuoye," Orochimaru said, voice low and oddly musical, carrying a dangerous charm, "I heard your reforms have been quite effective. So I came."
He smiled thinly.
"Let's talk about that cooperation we mentioned last time."
Fugaku Uchiha and the others followed close behind, their eyes full of unease and vigilance.
Kushina Uzumaki knew Orochimaru's tricks too well. She tugged lightly at Shuoye's sleeve.
Shuoye caught the worry on her face. Warmth rose in his chest.
He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
For a heartbeat, everything seemed to pause—the air itself turning soft.
"You don't seem to welcome me," Orochimaru said with a faint, amused smile.
Fugaku snorted. "Your human experiments have been exposed. Konoha won't trust you again."
During the purge of Danzō Shimura's power, Orochimaru had inevitably been dragged into the fallout as well.
"Oh," Orochimaru replied blandly. "What a pity."
He didn't look bothered in the slightest. A darker glint flickered in his eyes.
"I'm not here to beg for trust. I'm here for a bigger plan—one that will make the situation between Konoha, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure… far more complicated."
Something in that stare made Fugaku's skin crawl, like a warning wrapped in silk.
If he wanted to stay ahead in this game of power, he'd have to see deeper—read every opponent's intent before they moved.
"Orochimaru," Shuoye said at last, voice calm and deep, like it could peel truth from bone. "Say what you came for."
Orochimaru's smile widened slightly, as if he'd been waiting for those words.
"Simple. Kirigakure's new Mizukage has taken the seat. This is the perfect time to shove them into a pit they can't crawl out of."
He tilted his head.
"And I can offer… some help."
"Interesting." Shuoye stroked his chin, direct as ever. "So what do you want in return? I don't believe you do charity."
"Shuoye, your growth is truly astonishing," Orochimaru said, voice smooth, eyes cold. "But this time you misunderstand me. I only want to resolve the… misunderstandings between us."
"Enough." Shuoye smiled, and it was the kind of smile that saw through masks. "Orochimaru—you're here for White Zetsu's corpse, aren't you?"
Orochimaru's pupils snapped tight.
After a brief pause, he nodded with a quiet, resigned voice. "So I can't hide anything from you…"
In front of this brat, every disguise is pointless.
"What you want," Shuoye said lazily, leaning back in his chair, "I can give you. Even more."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"But first—what can you bring me?"
The door shut.
The room sealed itself away from the world.
And the two of them entered negotiations—cold, precise, built on exchange and leverage—until they finalized a series of agreements that looked unfair at first glance, yet benefited both sides perfectly.
To Shuoye, Orochimaru's value was never just combat.
He was a born scientist—endless curiosity, endless hunger for the unknown.
That kind of research ability, in Shuoye's eyes, was one of Konoha's greatest treasures.
Shuoye understood a simple truth: only by giving Orochimaru enough freedom and resources could he squeeze out Orochimaru's full potential—and turn it into profit Konoha had never seen before.
Orochimaru himself didn't fully understand the weight Shuoye placed on him.
This kid… he's not as stiff as that old man Hiruzen, Orochimaru thought, eyes flickering.
Shuoye would let him conduct research openly, without hiding in the shadows like before.
That secret thrill left Orochimaru with a complicated feeling he didn't quite name.
Rapid footsteps interrupted the quiet.
A shinobi rushed in, breathless.
"Lord Fumō! Lord Hokage! News from the front—the Four Kage Summit has officially been established!"
He swallowed.
"They're even refusing to recognize Lord Fugaku's status as Fourth Hokage!"
"What?!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes flashed with a light so faint it was almost invisible—like hope returning from the dead.
But Fugaku's teeth clenched, fury and humiliation churning in his chest.
Shuoye, however, looked almost indifferent.
He patted Fugaku's shoulder, voice steady. "You are Hokage now. No matter what they say outside, you are."
Then Shuoye leaned closer and murmured a few words into Fugaku's ear.
Fugaku's expression tightened in confusion, but he still nodded. He understood.
As negative rumors about the Land of Fire and Konoha spread across the four great villages like wildfire, unease seeped into the soil itself.
"What is that Sarutobi doing? Letting the Uchiha take power?"
"Exactly! And the moment they arrive, they start 'reforming' everything—ridiculous!"
"Now the Land of Fire is everyone's target! That brat Shuoye is to blame!"
The nobles erupted in outrage. They questioned Shuoye's leadership, claiming the reforms brought short-term prosperity but threatened the status and interests they'd held for generations.
"These nobles don't understand anything!" the villagers gritted out, suffocating with frustration.
They had watched Konoha transform under Shuoye's hand—yet they were helpless against the outside world's prejudice and misunderstanding.
In the Hokage's office, Fugaku sat with his brow knotted, emotions tangled.
Can I really hold this Hokage position?
Just as he began to slip into the pit of doubt, Shuoye patted his shoulder again.
"Fugaku," Shuoye said, voice heavy and controlled, "don't keep stepping into the same hole you fell into before. Don't disappoint me."
His gaze sharpened.
"Now we prove everything with action."
At that moment, the system's voice sounded in Shuoye's mind, and his eyes lit up.
[System Notification]
Task Triggered: Sabotage the Four Kage Summit
Reward: S-rank Ninjutsu — Perfect Version: Big Ball Rasengan
The reward would push Shuoye's strength forward—and serve as the best answer to every doubt thrown at Konoha.
Shuoye's eyes cooled. A thin, dangerous smile formed.
"The Four Kage Summit?" he murmured. "Then it's time to teach them a lesson."
He turned to Fugaku.
"Fugaku—where is the summit being held?"
"Where…?" Fugaku stared at him, stunned. "Shuoye, you…"
One hour later, Tsunade's roar shook the Hokage's office, her emotions boiling over.
"What?! Shuoye went to the Four Kage Summit alone? Is he insane?!"
"Fugaku! You just let him do this?!"
Shuoye had already proven he could crush three Kage-level opponents by himself—that should have been reassuring.
But heading alone to the summit site, where monsters gathered and danger waited in every shadow?
It made hearts seize.
The Four Kage Summit was being held near the border of the Land of Wind.
Sandstorms tore across the horizon, as if even the sky trembled at the storm about to break.
The four great villages each occupied their own position, their presence heavy and guarded under shifting light and shadow.
Elder Chiyo spoke first, voice slow, unease hiding under composure.
"Konoha still hasn't moved at all?"
The acting Raikage and Yagura grew darker at the question.
The acting Raikage slammed the point hard, rage sharp in his tone.
"They dared detain our Kage and our tailed beast. That's an insult to Kumogakure and Kirigakure! We must teach them a lesson they'll never forget!"
Yagura nodded, revenge burning in his eyes.
"The one in charge is too young," a Jōnin sighed, shaking his head with disdain. "He doesn't understand respect or the meaning of peace."
Then—
A disturbance broke outside, cutting through the tension like a blade.
"What's going on?!" voices snapped.
The Kage looked at one another, suspicion rising.
The acting Raikage stood up, expression hard.
"Don't tell me Shuoye is crazy enough to come here. Does he not realize this is Sunagakure's territory?"
Others scoffed. Impossible.
They had shinobi stationed all around the venue—none below Jōnin. More than enough to crush any sudden threat.
"Even if Shuoye is reckless," someone sneered, "he wouldn't dare come alone."
Before the sentence even finished—
Several blood-soaked heads rolled into the hall.
They hit the ground with a dull, heavy thud.
Silence slammed down.
Every gaze locked onto the severed heads, shock and disbelief tightening throats.
"This… this is…" The acting Raikage's voice shook. He pointed, unable to form the rest of the words.
The others went pale.
They finally understood: a crisis unlike anything before had arrived.
That infamous madman—
He really came.
Outside the meeting hall, Shuoye's figure emerged.
He stood atop rubble, eyes cold and bright.
The Kage-level threats and furious shouting washed over him like meaningless noise.
He smiled faintly, almost amused.
"Four Kage Summit," he said, clicking his tongue. "And none of you even dare show your real bodies?"
His gaze sharpened, and he saw through it at once—these were chakra clones.
Shuoye's voice stayed calm.
"If you're not satisfied, come fight. I, Shuoye Uchiha, will wait."
Then he moved.
Like a shadow slipping between breaths, he swept through the venue, hands flashing through seals as chakra surged.
Light flickered—
And in front of everyone, the Kage's chakra clones were shattered one after another, dispersing into nothing.
Faces changed across the hall.
Shock hit like a punch to the chest.
Shuoye's eyes finally settled on Elder Chiyo.
"Sunagakure," he said evenly. "You were the first to stand up and provoke Konoha."
His tone was quiet, but it carried the weight of a verdict.
"Then you'll be the beginning of this storm."
Elsewhere, when the four villages' Kage-level figures learned their clones had been scattered so easily, rage erupted.
"Konoha is out of control!"
"Shuoye must pay for this!"
They swore to mobilize every force they had—to punish Konoha and reclaim their pride.
Back in Konoha, when Hiruzen Sarutobi heard that Shuoye had stormed the Four Kage Summit alone, a cold fear crawled up his spine.
He knew Shuoye was strong.
But he feared what Shuoye's action could bring down on Konoha.
You crazy brat… Hiruzen thought bitterly. Even if you won't let me take the seat again, you don't have to drag all of Konoha into disaster.
The nobles of the Land of Fire panicked even harder.
They feared Shuoye had enraged the other villages so badly that the Land of Fire would be swallowed by war.
So they submitted a joint petition to the daimyo:
Shuoye must be handed over to appease the four great villages.
When the daimyo received the petition, his head throbbed.
He understood what was at stake—one wrong step could ignite a world war.
In the end, he decided to go to Konoha personally.
He needed to speak to Shuoye face to face—find a way out before the fire spread.
Meanwhile, in Kirigakure, Obito had only just infiltrated when he heard the news: Shuoye had slaughtered his way into the Four Kage Summit.
He froze for a beat—then smiled, amused.
"Looks like Shuoye is even more interesting than I expected."
His gaze turned darker.
"In that case, I'll speed things up. Let the world become a little more chaotic."
His hands moved faster as he prepared to stir an even bigger storm inside Kirigakure.
In Sunagakure, Elder Chiyo sat in her aging office, brows locked tight, unease threading through her thoughts.
"That Uchiha brat Shuoye… he's insane! Even more unpredictable than Hashirama Senju was!"
"To attack the Four Kage Summit directly… that's declaring war on the entire shinobi world!"
Her mouth curled into a cold smile.
"Fine… that saves me the trouble of talking the other villages into an alliance…"
Yet even as she said it, something felt wrong—especially when she remembered Shuoye's glance, those deep, merciless eyes that still left a chill in her bones.
She tried to shake it off.
Then hurried footsteps sounded outside.
A retainer rushed in, voice urgent.
"Kazekage-sama—Konoha's envoy has arrived!"
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