Hokage's Office
The Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, stood before the wide window of her office, watching the orange glow of fire flicker beyond the rooftops of Konoha.
She had barely settled into her role as Hokage, and already—an enemy invasion. The sheer audacity of it stung like a slap to the face.
Jiraiya was gone. Naruto was away training. Guy's team was out on assignment.
Who would dare strike now—when the village was at its weakest?
"Barrier Unit, report!"
A swirl of chakra and a blur of motion—one shinobi appeared, kneeling before her desk.
"Lady Hokage, we detected a breach over the village barrier. Initial reading showed one intruder, but within seconds it multiplied—multiple hostiles confirmed."
Whoosh!
Another figure materialized beside him—an ANBU in a black cloak and cat-faced mask.
"Analysis Division reports enemy combat power equivalent to three entire divisions," he said grimly.
Tsunade's brow furrowed, her arms folding tightly across her chest. To slip through their defenses unnoticed and attack with such force… there was only one group capable of that.
"Report!"
"Visual confirmation of the enemy! Black cloaks—red cloud insignia!"
Tsunade's eyes darkened.
Akatsuki… so it's finally come to this.
In her mind, she heard the voice of the Great Toad Sage:
"I only pray the Child of Prophecy is that boy. Little Jiraiya placed all his hopes in him."
Her heart tightened. The memory of Jiraiya's smile flickered through her mind, followed by the faces of those she had lost—her brother Nawaki, her lover Dan.
They were all there, watching her from somewhere beyond, their eyes filled with quiet encouragement.
Strength welled inside her, sharp and unshakable.
"Sound the emergency alarm!" she commanded, her voice ringing through the office.
"And recall Naruto—immediately."
Konoha Council Office
In another building, two of Konoha's senior advisors—Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado—sat quietly sipping tea. The distant explosions made their cups tremble, tea spilling over the edges.
"What's all this noise?" Koharu muttered.
Homura stepped toward the window—but before he could speak, a low, gravelly voice came from behind them.
"Akatsuki's attack has begun."
They both turned.
Leaning on a cane, his right arm hidden beneath the folds of his robe, one eye and half his face wrapped in bandages—stood Danzō Shimura. The shadowy leader of Root, Konoha's covert foundation. Next to the Hokage herself, none commanded more loyalty—or fear.
"Akatsuki's attack? Are you certain?" Koharu asked sharply.
"Yes," Danzō replied. "The one who defeated Jiraiya—the Akatsuki leader himself, Pain—has come."
Homura's expression darkened. "He killed Jiraiya… and now he dares to invade Konoha?"
Danzō nodded. "They've been hunting the jinchūriki of every village—collecting the tailed beasts. Even the One-Tail from Sunagakure has fallen into their hands. I suspect most of the others have, too."
At that, both elder advisors went pale. They were of the old guard—veterans who had devoted their entire lives to Konoha. Nothing terrified them more than seeing the village in chaos.
Koharu's voice trembled slightly. "Then what's their real goal in coming here? What could they want from us?"
Danzō's single visible eye narrowed.
"One thing," he said slowly, his voice like a blade drawn in the dark.
"The Fourth Hokage's legacy… Uzumaki Naruto."
Danzō's tone was cold, deliberate. Then it shifted, heavy with accusation.
"But now, in a time like this, the Fifth Hokage intends to summon him back to the village."
Homura's eyes widened in alarm. "That's madness! Wouldn't that just make things worse—throw fuel on the fire?"
A faint, unreadable smirk flickered in Danzō's one visible eye before his expression hardened again.
"Exactly. If we blindly obey her command, Konoha will fall."
While those words echoed through the council room, far across the village the Human Path of Pain stood amidst smoke and ruin, his hand gripping the head of a masked Root operative. A thin smile curved his lips.
So Danzō had gone to the council chamber, then—to whisper in the advisors' ears, to turn them against Tsunade. They would rush to the Hokage's office to pressure her, while Danzō himself would lie in wait nearby. When the messenger toad left for Mount Myōboku to recall Naruto, Danzō would strike it down.
And that, Pain thought, is where I'll be waiting too.
The irony was delicious—two enemies, side by side in the shadows of the Hokage's tower.
With a flick of his wrist, the Human Path tore the man's soul free, and his body crumpled to the ground. Then Pain vanished, flickering through the air in a series of swift teleportations.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The explosions crept deeper into the heart of Konoha. From a modest house on the street, Kurenai Yuhi, visibly pregnant, stumbled outside, eyes wide with horror at the chaos unfolding.
"Stay back! Don't go out there!"
Shikamaru came sprinting down the lane, his usual lazy calm replaced with grim focus. Though he always complained about troublesome missions, he never turned away from responsibility—especially this one. Before dying, Asuma had entrusted him with protecting Kurenai.
"Shikamaru! What's happening?"
"Akatsuki's in the village," he said flatly.
He barely got the words out before the building opposite split apart, and a massive centipede-like summon burst through the rubble, shrieking as it lunged toward them.
Shikamaru's hands flew through seals. His shadow darted forward like a spear.
Shadow Sewing Technique!
Black tendrils solidified into razor-sharp spikes, stabbing through the creature's body again and again.
The centipede froze—but Shikamaru could still sense its chakra. He'd only immobilized it temporarily.
"Kurenai-sensei, please—get back!"
Kurenai didn't argue. She knew she couldn't fight, not in her condition. She turned and hurried toward safety.
Shikamaru's expression hardened. His shadow stretched again, this time fishing a handful of kunai from his pouch—each tagged with explosive seals. He whipped them toward the pinned summon.
"Let's end this!"
The kunai struck six points along the creature's body.
"Kurenai-sensei, duck!"
He threw himself between her and the blast, shielding her as—
BOOM! BOOM!
The centipede exploded into fragments, the shockwave rolling through the street.
"You okay?" Kurenai asked, voice trembling.
"I'm fine," Shikamaru said, catching his breath. "But you need to head to the shelter—now. I'll escort you halfway."
He met her eyes, deadly serious.
"If anything happens to Asuma's child… I'll never be able to face him again."
Kurenai's lips curved in a small, proud smile. For the first time, she saw it clearly—the next generation of Konoha's shinobi had grown strong enough to bear real responsibility.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The explosions intensified. Buildings collapsed. Civilians screamed, crushed beneath falling debris.
Running through the smoke, Sakura stopped short at the sight of bodies littering the street—but she didn't have time to grieve. The hospital needed her. There were too many wounded still waiting to be saved.
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Don't forget to drop some Power Stones!💎💎💎