Akira responded to Madara.
"This game," he declared confidently, "is called… Football."
Akira continued cheerfully,
"The rules are simple. There are two goals on two opposite sides of the field. Each team has seven players. And the objective is to push the Target ( ball ) into the goal within a set time. The team with the highest goals wins."
Madara blinked.
Hashirama tilted his head.
Tobirama squinted like he had just heard the stupidest thing in all five nations.
But Akira raised a finger.
"Oh, but—this time, we won't be using a ball.
It's not interesting."
A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes.
"We will use… two targets."
Every shinobi swallowed.
Then Akira's gaze slid maliciously toward…
Tobirama Senju and Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The battlefield froze.
Akira announced proudly,
"Instead of balls, we will release two mice into the field."
Tobirama twitched.
"And each team must score by kicking the mouse into the goal. First to score three goals wins."
Madara's eyes widened.
Then slowly… a grin.
A very evil grin.
"This," Madara murmured, "is an excellent game."
But a thought struck him.
"How do we prevent the 'mice' from escaping the field?"
Akira puffed his chest.
"My Mangekyō Sharingan has a spatial-freeze ability. I'll freeze the entire perimeter. Not even Flying Thunder God can escape."
Madara was genuinely impressed now.
"A terrifying ability…"
His chakra surged with excitement.
Tobirama, on the other hand, looked ready to commit homicide.
His voice dropped like a thunderbolt.
"You inherently evil Uchiha brat…
How dare you even think of something like this!?"
Akira didn't even glance at him.
Instead, he turned to Hashirama with a serene smile.
"Well then, First Hokage, Hashirama Senju… the choice is yours."
He spread his arms like a benevolent savior.
"If we play this game, there is no need for war. No one else has to die. Peace will be restored.
You select seven players, I select seven players, and whoever scores three goals first… wins the Ten-Tails."
The entire Allied Shinobi Force stared at Hashirama.
Their world—literally their entire future—was now riding on this man.
Hashirama gulped.
He could feel the weight of thousands of lives on his shoulders.
Tobirama's eyes widened.
A shiver ran down his spine.
He had a very bad feeling.
"Brother!" he barked.
"You can't listen to an inherently evil Uchiha! This is obviously a trap! Let's fight them! I'd rather die than be humiliated like this!"
---
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't behave like Tobirama—at least on the surface.
Inside, however, he was boiling.
He did not want the legendary Third Hokage, once hailed as the "Strongest Hokage," to become a plaything in some twisted Uchiha game.
If there was going to be a game, Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to join as a savior of the Ninja world, not… the ball being kicked around.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen also knew something else:
He couldn't influence the First Hokage.
Not like Tobirama.
So Sarutobi Hiruzen did the one thing he excelled at.
Manipulation—disguised as morality.
He stepped forward, voice right on the verge of tragic nobility.
"First Hokage-sama," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, bowing slightly, "you don't have to worry about me. Even if I am HUMILIATED in front of tens of thousands of people… even if the THIRD HOKAGE of KONOHA suffers disgrace…
If the ninja world can be saved by humiliating me, then so be it."
It was a perfect speech.
The kind that would make normal people cry blood at the sheer righteousness.
And on someone like Hashirama Senju—kind, emotional, overflowing with compassion—it should have worked flawlessly.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen forgot one thing.
Hashirama Senju wanted peace more than anyone else.
He wanted to save everyone, even at the cost of himself.
Hashirama heard Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, looked into that trembling heroic act—and instead of refusing the act of humiliation, instead of protecting Sarutobi Hiruzen's dignity…
Hashirama Senju nodded.
Gravely.
Calmly.
With absolute sincerity.
"I understand," Hashirama said. "Akira… I agree to your terms."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart shattered.
This was NOT how his plan was supposed to go.
Being noble was supposed to protect him…
Not throw him directly into the jaws of humiliation.
Even the crowd was stunned:
Was Hashirama really giving the Third Hokage ZERO face in front of tens of thousands of shinobi?
Sarutobi Hiruzen's heroic façade trembled.
His smile cracked.
Inside, he was screaming.
On the other hand…
Tobirama Senju was so furious that if he weren't in Edo Tensei form, he would've spat out several liters of blood.
He slowly turned toward the Third Hokage, eyes colder than the bottom of the Nidaime's Water Dragon.
"Monkey…" Tobirama muttered, voice trembling with rage.
"…I'll deal with you later."
---
Akira simply watched the chaos unfold below him, with amusement—like someone watching a comedy movie.
Finally, he clapped once.
"Alright. First of all… let's start the match in three hours."
His voice echoed across the battlefield, carrying authority that made even tailed beasts flinch.
"During these three hours, our ten-tails will remain sealed inside the Four Red Yang Formation.
After that, we conduct the match as per the rules."
He paused, letting tension build.
"The first side to score three points wins."
Gasps echoed across the battlefield.
Akira added calmly:
"You may choose seven people. I will also choose seven people—from my own world, of course."
A faint smirk touched his lips.
"Choose freely. We won't interfere."
The moment he finished speaking, Akira raised his hand.
A raging gravitational force engulfed a piece of land directly beneath the four of them.
The earth trembled, cracked, then lifted into the sky in a massive floating platform.
The cheers and screams below blurred into distant noise as Akira and the others vanished from all sensory detection again—like gods fading behind a curtain.
---
On the battlefield
What should have been a battlefield filled with death, dust, and blood…
…had suddenly become a talent selection panel.
A very awkward one.
Tens of thousands of shinobi stood around, whispering, arguing, elbowing each other—all wanting the same thing:
To be chosen.
This wasn't just a match.
This was the future of the ninja world condensed into a game.
Whoever participated would be etched into history for generations.
But the problem?
There were only seven slots.
And four were already locked.
1. Hashirama Senju
The God of Shinobi. No discussion needed.
2. Madara Uchiha
The actual God of Shinobi's rival. Also no discussion needed.
3. Naruto Uzumaki
Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. World-saver. Obvious choice.
4. Killer Bee
Eight-Tails Jinchūriki. A must-have powerhouse.
And then came the real strategic issue:
If they were going to fight other monsters in this type of game, space-time users were essential.
So naturally…
5. Obito Uchiha
Kamui, Broken, Enough said.
6. Minato Namikaze
Flying Thunder God. Teleportation king. Also obvious.
Which left…
One. Single. Slot.
And suddenly the entire alliance army turned into a political election.
Kages, clans, and jonin were bargaining, pushing, flexing, bragging, begging—everyone trying to grab that final golden ticket into the history books.
---
Three hours passed in the blink of an eye.
The sky rippled like disturbed water, and finally Akira and his team descended back to the ground. Dust swirled around them as they landed.
Akira stepped forward with a casual wave.
"Hello everyone. I hope you've all decided your team.
We'll introduce ours first—you can go after."
He cleared his throat dramatically.
"The first player is myself, the Captain of course."
No one was surprised.
"Second: Nagato Uzumaki."
A ripple of murmurs went through the Alliance.
"Third: Kakashi Hatake."
Kakashi simply nodded, arms crossed.
"Fourth: Sasuke Uchiha."
Sasuke didn't even look at the others—he simply clicked his tongue.
"Fifth: my summoning beast… Yatagarasu."
Akira tapped the ground.
BOOM—PSSHH!
A cloud of smoke exploded outward and a massive black raven materialized, its crimson eyes sweeping over the battlefield.
A few shinobi below screamed. Understandable.
"Sixth: Itachi Uchiha."
Akira casually activated his Rinnegan ability.
Kagami no Hikan
Reality twisted, and Itachi appeared beside him, blinking in confusion as if he'd just been yoinked away from breakfast.
"Seventh: Shisui Uchiha."
Another twist—Shisui appeared too, confused but still smiling nervously.
Both Uchiha stared at Akira.
"…why did you just kidnap us?" their eyes silently screamed.
Akira winked once.
Kakashi immediately stepped forward and placed a hand on both their shoulders.
"Come," he said, dead serious. "You two need… context."
And the two Uchiha legends followed him with the expression of men being taken to HR.
---
Ninja Alliance Side
The entire alliance was stiff. Every member on Akira's side was either a Mangekyō user, a Rinnegan holder.
Madara finally stepped forward like a proud peacock.
"Our team is decided."
He raised a hand.
"First, the captain—me, Madara Uchiha."
Nobody argued.
"Second, Hashirama Senju."
Hashirama gave a peace sign.
"Third, that idiot brat Naruto Uzumaki."
Naruto exploded immediately, "STOP CALLING ME THAT!"
Madara ignored him completely.
"Fourth, Uchiha 'Sasuke."
Two Sasukes glared at each other across the field.
"Fifth, Obito Uchiha. He returned from Kamui space a while ago and already knows everything."
Obito nodded solemnly.
"Sixth, Namikaze Minato."
The Yellow Flash smiled politely.
"And seventh… Might Guy."
Akira nodded. He understood. Power, teleportation, tailed beasts—this was the correct lineup.
Akira pointed to the ground.
"Well then, let's form the playground. Radius: five kilometers from here. Center point: this location."
Madara grunted and nodded.
"What will be the goals?"
Akira pointed at two mountains on opposite sides of the horizon.
"Those."
Then he raised his hand.
Electricity howled around his arm, forming a glowing spear of lightning.
THHHHRUMMMM—BOOOOM!!!
The attack blasted into the mountainside, carving out a perfect cave—a goal.
Akira turned and did it again.
BOOOOM!!!
Two goals created. Football field: complete.
Akira dusted his hands dramatically.
"Well, everyone, I request all non-participants to leave the five-kilometer radius immediately.
If you die, I'm not responsible."
The Alliance didn't need to be told twice—they left at top speed.
Once the area cleared, Akira activated his Mangekyō ability.
"Kūkai no Kago — Cage of Emptiness."
A dome of frozen space instantly wrapped around the field—unbreakable, undodgeable, inescapable.
Not even Flying Thunder God could bypass it.
Then Akira turned toward the two "footballs" of the match:
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Tobirama Senju.
Both of them looked like they were already reconsidering their life choices.
Akira clapped once.
"So, everyone—are you ready?"
Madara didn't answer, but Hashirama, Naruto, and Might Guy all shouted with bursting energy:
"YOUTH! YES!"
And just like that…
The Greatest Football Match in the History of All Worlds Began.
---