"What's going on tonight?"
"Not sure. I heard the Uchiha are celebrating something."
"Figures. That clan always keeps to themselves, but I'll admit—the fireworks are stunning."
"Yeah, even the New Year's festival doesn't compare."
"Whoever set them up really knows their craft. And did you see that girl just now? She was kind of cute."
"Yeah… until she literally blew up."
"…"
Land of Fire.
Konoha.
The night sky was lit with vibrant bursts of chakra-infused fireworks, the kind only a skilled shinobi could pull off.
Villagers stirred from their homes, benches were dragged out, sake bottles uncorked. Nobody knew what the Uchiha were celebrating, but no one dared question it either.
If not for Lord Bai Ye being from the Uchiha clan, most villagers might still harbor resentment. But when the sky is painted with color and light, even bitterness takes a back seat.
And hey—free fireworks are free fireworks.
The people laughed, cheered, and toasted under the sky, unknowingly honoring the birth of Qilin.
Meanwhile, on the quiet cliffs behind the Hokage Monument—
Kakashi stood still, a short sword in hand, staring at a strange symbol etched in chakra on a nearby rock, lost in thought.
"You're not resting?"
A familiar voice called out. Hatake Sakumo stepped forward, his face calm and wise.
Kakashi had been training under his resurrected father's tutelage for three years now. Under Sakumo's guidance, he had re-honed his sword skills—once abandoned after his father's death. Now, combined with the Sharingan and Raikiri, Kakashi's sword style was evolving into something deadly.
Sakumo was proud.
In another world, this would be called kendo—a blend of technique and soul. Kakashi had stopped practicing after the trauma of Sakumo's suicide, throwing himself into missions and becoming the famed "Copy Ninja."
But now, with his father returned and aiding Tsunade's new administration, Kakashi had found a second chance.
"Everyone makes choices—even with the truth," Kakashi muttered, glancing at his gloved hand.
He could still feel the phantom warmth of Rin's heart, pierced by his own Raikiri.
Blood had stained his hand that day.
And even now, guilt gnawed at him.
He clenched the sword tighter, as if trying to banish that memory.
"Chūnibyō again?" Sakumo sighed with exasperation.
He blamed Uchiha Satoshi, one of Kakashi's recent comrades in the Guard. The guy had a flair for the dramatic, and his odd friendship with Kakashi was rubbing off in unexpected ways.
Still, Sakumo didn't disapprove. Satoshi was competent and principled.
But he had no idea…
Kakashi wasn't just lost in fantasy.
He was reliving the moment his own blade had taken Rin's life. The moment he chose the mission over his heart.
A moment he would never forget.
With a cry, Kakashi slashed forward, lightning sparking from his blade, splitting the air.
The guilt, for a brief second, vanished.
"This blade…" he whispered.
Sakumo nodded. "It's a killing tool, but it's yours."
"If I had this back then," Kakashi murmured, "I could've carved away the curse mark on Rin's heart. Saved her… not destroyed her."
Too late.
One chance, one mistake.
He paid for it ever since.
Never again.
Tonight, the warmth in Konoha's streets was starkly different from the cold resolve in Kakashi's heart.
**
Inside the Hokage's office, the light was dim, filtered by fireworks bursting outside the window.
Tsunade lay across Bai Ye's lap, cheeks flushed with the exhaustion of both political duty and physical intimacy.
With a grumble, she pulled a document from the side drawer and slapped it onto his chest.
"Do some real work for once."
"You're saying that wasn't important?" Bai Ye grinned.
He opened the file, expecting more Konoha bureaucracy.
But his playful expression faded.
A personal letter from Terumi Mei.
Along with it—a sealed scroll.
He activated the seal.
Boom.
A white cloak fell onto the floor.
Spattered faintly with blood.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "It looks like our Guard's Cloak of Justice… but the tailoring is different."
"Kirigakure wants a Guard Division too?" she muttered.
She'd long suspected Terumi Mei had deeper intentions. Since the day the Mizukage boldly announced Kirigakure's alliance with Bai Ye three years ago, there was more beneath the surface.
Every exchange between Tsunade and Mei since then had only confirmed her intuition.
All these women, she thought grimly, swooning for the same man.
She shot Bai Ye a sideways glance.
What a headache.
"It's not a Guard cloak," Bai Ye said, pulling the cloth up.
"It's a Marine officer's coat. In that world, anyone ranked lieutenant or above can wear the word 'Justice' on their back."
He stood, stretching lazily, and walked toward the window.
Outside, Konoha gleamed under fireworks and lanterns.
His character panel flickered into view.
---
Host: Uchiha Bai Ye
Age: 23
Basic Attributes:
Strength: 887 cal
Speed: 845 cal
Constitution: 907 cal
Stamina: 1124 cal
Mental Power: 933 cal
Chakra: 517 Ōtsutsuki Kaguya units
Charm: "Lady-killer" rating
Advanced Stats:
Ninjutsu Power: 547 Madara units
Taijutsu Power: 664 Eight-Gate Guy units
Genjutsu Power: 741 Itachi units
Dōjutsu Boost: 424 Hyūga Neji + 308 Indra units
Bloodline: 175 Indra Yin Release + 121 Ashura Yang Release
Bloodline Evaluation:
348 Ōtsutsuki Tier—Surpassing the main royal branch, entering an unquantifiable realm. Using bloodline powers multiplies all base stats.
Other: [Hidden]
Bai Ye didn't bother checking further.
He barely glanced at his attributes anymore. Not since the day-to-day gains as Captain of the Guard became routine.
His real interest was in his quest log.
A few days earlier, something odd appeared after a vortex formed over the Land of Water.
A new mission:
---
[Disciplined Captain of the Guard]
Your discipline strengthens your village. Complete daily duties and maintain peace to receive cumulative rewards.
Bonus: Massive rewards upon long-term completion.
New Sublimation Option Detected:
Sublimate to [Ninja World Guard]?
---
And below it:
---
[Dimensional Barrier and World Lord Conflict]
The host has erased the fabricated reincarnation cycle by obliterating Ashura and Indra's souls, exposing flaws in the world system. Now, a dimensional convergence is imminent.
Options:
1. Become World Lord. Reshape laws, stabilize the world. Prevent future collisions.
2. Allow sublimation. Initiate multiverse integration. Ninja World becomes central hub.
3. Do nothing. Your power is enough to ignore all consequences.
Note: The first collision was harmless. Further ones may not be. Proceed at will.
---
Bai Ye closed the window lazily, muttering:
"So the World Government's beyond the sea…"
He yawned.
The meaning was clear.
He didn't fear the world crashing into others.
Because at this point, the ninja world was his.
And if he willed it, it would devour all others.
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