A full week had passed since the incident at Sunagakure.
In those seven days, the names of three individuals had spread across the entire ninja world like wildfire.
After all, an open and violent invasion of one of the Five Great Ninja Villages was impossible to hide. Spies from every nation had witnessed it with their own eyes.
The identities of the intruders were soon revealed.
Namikaze Kirito — son of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
Uchiha Itachi — the young head of the Uchiha clan.
Orochimaru — one of Konoha's former Sannin.
Any one of these names alone was enough to shake the ninja world.
And yet, the three had formed an alliance.
What shocked the nations even more was the fact that the one standing at the center—the one even Orochimaru acknowledged as leader—was still a teenager.
More terrifying than his age, however, was his power.
And so, after the tragedy at Sunagakure, a new title began circulating among the shinobi of every country.
The Enma.
The son of the Yellow Flash had not been overshadowed by his father's legacy.
If anything, he was more frightening.
Unlike Namikaze Minato, whose reputation was built on precision and restraint, this young man showed no regard for human life at all.
Konoha Village
Inside the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat in silence as the three elders stood before him.
The atmosphere was heavy.
"Hiruzen," Mitokado Homura said gravely, "Sunagakure has already sent envoys to question us. The Wind Daimyō is also pressuring the Fire Daimyō. This situation can't be dragged out."
"That's right," Shimura Danzō added immediately, his tone sharp. "And yet you're still protecting Itachi. The Uchiha clan's rebellious intent is obvious now. We should deal with them exactly as I proposed before."
Danzō's eyes flickered with calculation.
He had coveted Namikaze Kirito's terrifying power for a long time. Now that the boy had grown strong enough to escape control, targeting him was no longer realistic.
But the Uchiha clan?
That was another matter.
"What exactly are you planning?" Utatane Koharu asked quietly.
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the three elders before him and felt a familiar bitterness rise in his chest.
Time truly spared no one.
The passion, ideals, and youthful recklessness of the past had long faded.
All that remained now were interests and compromises.
"Leave Itachi alone," Hiruzen said calmly. "He will provide us with the information we need."
The elders frowned.
"Since the Uchiha have already made their stance clear, there's no need to move against them. Keeping the clan intact restrains Itachi—and preserves Konoha's military strength."
"If another conflict breaks out with Sunagakure, we can prioritize deploying the Uchiha."
Hiruzen spoke smoothly, confidently.
He still believed—perhaps naively—that Itachi would act as he always had.
A double agent.
Then Homura frowned again.
"And what about Namikaze Kirito? He's Minato's child. No matter how you frame it, he has ties to Konoha. And don't forget—your favorite disciple, Orochimaru, is involved as well."
The orphan of the Fourth Hokage.
The former disciple of the Third Hokage.
The head of the Uchiha clan.
No matter how one looked at it, they were all connected to Konoha.
Sunagakure would never accept a flimsy excuse.
Hiruzen's headache worsened.
"Negotiations," he said slowly. "We'll seek a diplomatic settlement."
"Orochimaru is already classified as a missing-nin."
"Itachi… will also be listed as a missing-nin."
"And as for Namikaze Kirito…"
Hiruzen fell silent.
That name alone was a problem.
Declaring the Fourth Hokage's orphan a traitor?
It would be the greatest joke in the ninja world.
The villagers would never accept it.
But Sunagakure had too many witnesses. If Kirito was not addressed directly, the Wind Country would never let this go.
Hiruzen was no longer the shinobi he once was.
If Konoha's former powerhouses were still alive, would he even need to explain himself to anyone?
"…Issue a notice," Hiruzen finally said.
"State that Konoha is unaware of Namikaze Kirito's actions."
"And express our willingness to compensate Sunagakure for part of their losses."
Kumogakure – Land of Lightning
Towering mountains pierced the sky, wrapped in rolling clouds. Thunder echoed endlessly.
Inside the Raikage's office, the atmosphere was far more aggressive.
"The Enma?" the Fourth Raikage, A, scoffed as he looked over the intelligence report. "A bunch of skinny brats."
He tossed the file aside, utterly dismissive.
"Raikage-sama," Mabui said calmly. "That Namikaze Kirito possesses a Kekkei Genkai ability never recorded before. According to our spies, it can suppress other abilities and includes an extremely powerful illusion."
"The Fourth Kazekage fell into a coma because of it."
Mabui's dark skin and emerald eyes were steady as she analyzed the situation. Calm, rational, and perceptive—she had long been the one restraining A's explosive temperament.
A burst into loud laughter.
"Mabui, do you really think a brat like that could stop a body I've trained thousands of times over?"
He flexed his massive arms proudly before finally settling back down, chin resting on his hands.
"…Still," he muttered, "we can't ignore this."
"The kid's the son of the Yellow Flash."
During the Great Ninja War, A had fought alongside his brother against Namikaze Minato and failed to gain the upper hand.
Now Minato was gone.
And his son had risen in his place.
Even as an enemy, that legacy commanded a certain respect.
"Send agents to Konoha," A ordered.
"Get everything we can on those three."
"And confirm whether Konoha is backing them."
"If they are… we reinforce immediately."
"Yes, Raikage-sama," Mabui replied.
"If Konoha is truly involved, then they're planning something big. We must be ready."
A stood up and cracked his neck.
"Good. Now I'm done sitting around."
"My muscles are going to rot if I stay in this office any longer!"
Land of Hot Water
Inside a hot spring villa, steam drifted lazily through the air.
Tsunade listened quietly as Shizune finished her report.
"…That brat," Tsunade muttered. "Doesn't he know what 'keeping a low profile' means? And he even teamed up with Orochimaru of all people."
Despite the scolding, worry flickered in her amber eyes.
"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune said excitedly. "Kirito-kun is incredible! Everyone's calling him The Enma now!"
Unlike Tsunade, Shizune was practically glowing with admiration.
Tsunade snorted.
"Hmph. Idiot."
But her gaze drifted away, thoughtful.
The ninja world was moving again.
And this time...
it was moving around him.
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