[On the screen, the future Naruto slammed his fist on the Hokage's desk. "So we just need to find the creep controlling the puppets and take him out!"]
[Tsunade's expression was grim. "It's not that simple, Naruto. The one in control isn't human. It's a demon from another realm. Its name is Moryo."]
[The name seemed to suck the air from the room. Naruto, who a moment ago was all bravado, visibly paled. "A... a real demon?"]
[Tsunade's voice took on the tone of a historian reciting a dark legend. "Long ago, during the Great Wars, a faction of shinobi sought to conquer the continent. They summoned Moryo and, using its power, created the Ghost Army." Quick, brutal images flashed across the screen: terracotta soldiers swarming over a battlefield, shinobi being overwhelmed, villages burning.]
*["Moryo nearly scoured the continent clean," Tsunade continued. "It was only stopped when the priestess of the Land of Demons, a woman named Miroku, used a powerful forbidden jutsu. She ripped the demon in two, sealing its body in a shrine deep within the Land of Swamps, and its soul in an underground palace in her own country."]
["The demon that has been resurrected is only the soul. It is now leading its army to the Land of Swamps to reclaim its body. If the two halves are reunited..."]
["...What happens then?" Naruto asked, his voice barely a whisper.]
[Tsunade looked him dead in the eye. "The world ends."]
The blunt finality of her words hung in the air. The barrage, which had been quiet during the history lesson, erupted into a firestorm of denial and posturing from every corner of the nations.
[That's an exaggeration. The Ghost Army was a threat, but they never came close to destroying the world!]
[That's because it was the end of the Third War. Every nation was exhausted. And Moryo was sealed before it could push past the Land of Fire!]
[Typical Konoha arrogance. The destruction of the Land of Fire equals the end of the world to them!]
[Hah! If Moryo had tried to invade the Land of Lightning, the Third Raikage would have punched it back to whatever dimension it came from!]
[A joke! Your Third Raikage fell to ten thousand of our Iwagakure shinobi! Only Lord Tsuchikage has the power to deal with a threat like that!]
[Please. Our Mizukage would have let you two behemoths beat each other senseless, then calmly claimed the continent while you were catching your breath. Work smarter, not harder.]
[Keep puffing your chests out. At this rate, the Konoha genin on the screen will be the one to beat the demon!]
In the Hokage's waiting room, Sakura felt a chill run down her spine. Destroy the world... Am I really going to fight an enemy like that? She looked down at her hands. They were the hands of a girl who had aced every test at the academy but had never faced true, life-or-death danger. A wave of inadequacy washed over her.
Kakashi noticed her turmoil. Instead of offering empty comfort, he spoke quietly. "Sakura. Medical ninjutsu requires the absolute finest chakra control. It's a skill few possess. Based on my observations, you have a natural aptitude for it. Perhaps for genjutsu as well. Potential is just a starting point, but yours is significant."
It wasn't a compliment so much as a statement of fact, a piece of data. But it was enough. It was a path. Naruto, overhearing, gave her a wide grin. "See? I told you you were amazing, Sakura-chan! Way better than some guys who just think they're all that!" he said, pointedly not looking at Sasuke.
Sasuke just snorted, his mind still on power, not on support roles.
[The scene on the screen changed. The newly formed Team 7 stood before the gates of Konoha, with Neji now clearly in the captain's role.]
["Listen up," Neji began, his tone crisp and professional. "Sakura. You are on protection detail for the VIP. Your medical skills are our emergency lifeline. Do not leave the target's side for any reason."]
["Understood," the future Sakura nodded.]
[Neji then turned to Lee. "Lee. You are primary combat. The enemy is an army of puppets. Your taijutsu, which relies purely on physical prowess, gives you the most versatility against an unknown threat."]
["You can count on me!"] Lee declared, striking a pose.
The barrage immediately began analyzing the intelligence leak.
[So the kid in green is a close-combat specialist. Good to know. Scribe, get that down.]
[Do you really need us to spell it out? Our intel divisions are already working overtime. We probably have portraits of these kids drawn by now.]
[Konoha's leadership must be having a collective heart attack. Their entire next generation's profiles, broadcast to the world.]
[This has to be a conspiracy against Konoha. No nation would willingly expose themselves like this.]
The Third Hokage didn't feel the least bit relieved. The damage was already done, and the screen showed no signs of stopping.
["Alright, let's move out," Neji said, turning to leave.]
[A furious voice stopped him. "Hey! HEY! What about me?!"]
[Neji glanced back over his shoulder at Naruto, his expression utterly blank. "Ah, yes. Your mission is the same as Lee's. You're on combat." His tone was so dismissive, so perfunctory, it was a miracle the words themselves didn't just fall to the ground.]
[Luckily, Naruto was completely oblivious to the slight. His anger vanished, replaced by a fiery grin. "ALRIGHT! Just leave it to me! If any enemies show up, I'll chase them to the ends of the earth and beat them down!"]
[That dismissive tone is an art form. The true genius is that the target didn't even notice.]
[He's hyperactive, that one. All energy and no focus.]
Naruto, watching in the waiting room, finally caught the insult he'd missed in the future. His face went red. This guy! he thought, glaring at the real Neji. He acts just like Sasuke! So arrogant!
Neji, feeling Naruto's stare, didn't even deign to look at him. He remained perfectly still, his pale eyes fixed on his future self, a silent and absolute confidence radiating from him.
(To be continued...)