*Konoha*
Most of the ninja had already been sent to the front lines, leaving only a handful behind to guard the village.
Uchiha Itachi was one of those left behind.
Logically, a powerhouse like him, whose strength rivaled that of a Kage, should have been an ideal candidate for the vanguard.
Unfortunately, the Konoha higher-ups didn't trust him.
He'd been out undercover within the Akatsuki for so long, and now his younger brother has defected to the Land of Waves. With a resume like that, it was really hard to earn anyone's confidence.
Besides, he'd personally killed his entire Clan.
Even though the Konoha higher-ups had more or less given their tacit approval for that, the fact that he actually went through with it was enough to make people wary.
If you could kill your own parents, what couldn't you do?
With that mindset, the Konoha higher-ups' attitude toward Uchiha Itachi was… complicated. They gave him high-status to keep him pacified, but they also built an impenetrable wall to keep him confined.
Itachi knew this, so he never made any demands of the higher-ups.
These days, his eyes and expression seemed to reflect a sense of detachment from everything. When he had time, he would just sit quietly on the roof of the Naka Shrine, watching the clouds for hours on end.
Today was no different.
Dressed in Konoha's iconic jōnin flak jacket, he gazed emotionlessly at the clouds drifting slowly across the sky.
"I knew I'd find you here, Itachi-kun." A hoarse voice sounded from behind him.
Itachi didn't turn around. He already knew who it was just from the voice.
"Still as tight-lipped as ever, I see." Orochimaru stepped forward in his wooden sandals, a smirk spreading across his face. "Does being here bring back memories of your clan? Or perhaps make you think of your little brother?"
Itachi didn't respond, but the look he gave Orochimaru carried a hint of coldness.
"No malice intended, just curiosity." Orochimaru chuckled. "It's truly astonishing, you know—an army of a hundred thousand shinobi, completely wiped out… Even more dramatic than I expected."
"What did you expect?" Itachi finally spoke, his tone indifferent.
"Four days." Orochimaru offered the number with a light laugh. "The four-pronged offensive by the Allied Shinobi Forces should have held out for at least four days. But alas, the outcome wasn't quite what I predicted. Hayashi Yuto—now he's something else!"
"Has the Land of Waves' strength inspired even someone like you to feel awe?" Itachi remarked flatly.
"Now that's an interesting way to put it, Itachi-kun." Orochimaru gave a soft laugh. "In your eyes, am I really such an impressive figure? But I still lost to you."
Itachi fell silent again, his gaze returning to the clouds.
"The Allied Shinobi Forces have been crushed. From now on, it's Hayashi Yuto's era." Orochimaru's tone was tinged with complexity. "Even I never imagined such a path could exist. A shinobi world without shinobi—can it still be called the shinobi world?"
"Shinobi will not disappear." Itachi paused briefly, then spoke with firm conviction. "The Will of Fire will never fade."
"Oh my, Itachi-kun. You really are–"
Before Orochimaru could finish, a thunderous voice suddenly boomed across the sky.
Looking up, they saw the entire sky suffused with a blood-red haze. Gradually, the haze coalesced into lines of text.
[*Announcement from the Land of Waves! The four great shinobi villages. Konohagakure, Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure have admitted to their acts of aggression and, urged by the citizens of the Land of Waves, have signed a ceasefire agreement!*]
"A ceasefire agreement?" Itachi was taken aback, his eyes widening slightly.
"How fascinating. The Kage of all four great villages have conceded defeat." Orochimaru licked his lips, grinning slyly. "How on earth did Hayashi Yuto pull this off?"
It wasn't just the two of them—the entire village of Konoha was in an uproar.
"An… a ceasefire agreement?"
"No way, this has to be a joke!"
"Four of the five great villages… surrendered?!"
The ordinary residents of Konoha didn't know the specifics of the war, but this announcement from the Land of Waves was hard to swallow.
They lost!
The allied forces of the five great villages actually lost to some backwater country like the Land of Waves? And not just lost—they signed a surrender agreement?
Disgrace!
If this was true, it would be an unprecedented humiliation for Konoha!
And it wasn't just Konoha.
At that moment, the skies across the entire world were dominated by this message. Even those living in seclusion without human interaction now knew the news of the four great villages' defeat.
*Land of Waves, soap factory assembly line*
A large screen on the wall broadcasted the details of the ceasefire agreements signing. Leaving every prisoner in the soap factory stunned.
"The… the Hokage…"
"He really decided to surrender?"
Yamashiro Aoba and Raidō Namiashi inhaled sharply, expressions of disbelief on their faces.
"At this point, there's not much else to be done." Kakashi, wearing a mask, took it in stride, continuing to pack soap as he spoke. "The five great villages have already been reduced to this state. Do you really think we still have a chance to turn things around?"
"B-but!"
Yamashiro Aoba wanted to say more, but another bolded message scrolled across the large screen.
[*Warm congratulations on the upcoming Valley of the End Challenge Tournament! Focus on training your main hero! Qualify for the tournament and win the finals to receive a mysterious grand prize from the Land of Waves!*]
"Damn it, not this cursed Valley of the End game again!" Yamashiro Aoba gritted his teeth, his face dark. "Hayashi Yuto is really throwing away his ambitions for frivolity!"
"Now, now, that's not quite fair," a bearded Iwa shinobi said, walking over and clapping him on the shoulder. "The Valley of the End might just be a game, but at least it brings us some joy! There's nothing like killing a couple of rounds after a long day of work!"
"You people…" Yamashiro Aoba frowned, looking at him. "The Tsuchikage is still imprisoned, and you actually have the heart to play games when you get back?"
"Aren't we all imprisoned ourselves?" The bearded ninja raised an eyebrow.
"Exactly!" another Iwa-nin chimed in. "We're all prisoners here. Are we not even allowed a little entertainment? Besides, computer lessons are mandatory in the Land of Waves. Have you got a way to skip them?"
"I—at least I'm not an addict like you guys! That damned game is nothing but a trap set by Hayashi Yuto!" Yamashiro Aoba retorted loudly.
"You can yell a little louder if you want," the bearded ninja said scornfully. "Go ahead and call the guards over so we can get extra rations today!"
"Enough, all of you." Kakashi stopped what he was doing and turned to the bearded ninja. "Which lane are you in? Want to duo queue tonight (in the game, perverts)?"
"You!" Yamashiro Aoba looked as if he'd been struck by lightning, staring in disbelief at his friend. "Kakashi, how could you too…"
"Let it go, Yamashiro," Kakashi shook his head, turning away and muttering softly, "It's not like I didn't see you lose five matches in a row last night."
Yamashiro Aoba immediately choked up, lowering his head, falling silent.
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