Chapter 398: A New Era
With Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God Technique, Madara and Izuna Uchiha swiftly returned to Konoha's administrative building, bringing along a battered Fourth Raikage. Entering the meeting room, Madara and Izuna's attire immediately stood out both were clad in traditional Warring States period armor, a stark contrast to everyone else.
Ye Wen couldn't help but wonder about their choice of armor. For shinobi, samurai armor seemed impractical and heavy. However, power speaks volumes, and no one dared question the Uchiha brothers.
In addition to the Uchiha duo, the office was already filled. Among the gathered were Konoha's top officials and the leaders of the remaining major villages:
Kazekage Rasa, Mizukage Yagura Karatachi, Tsuchikage Onoki.
Noticing Madara's return, Kakashi nodded calmly. As the designated First Apostle of Ye Wen, Kakashi held a distinguished place. Looking around, Kakashi felt a swell of emotion such a gathering was unprecedented, even beyond the traditional Five Kage Summit. And soon, the world as they had known it would change forever.
"The era of the shinobi has ended," Kakashi declared with relief.
After a millennium of war, the ninja world was finally experiencing true, lasting peace. To mark this departure from the past, Kakashi had also consulted Ye Wen about renaming the realm upon its unification. With Ye Wen's approval, the former "Shinobi World" became the "Han World," with the newly unified nation christened the "Holy Nation," a world dedicated to the god of the Han Sea.
Ye Wen was more than pleased to accept, as a unified and peaceful world offered the perfect grounds for cultivating faith. The power of belief, after all, held its own value, and Ye Wen had personally brought about this peace and unification, earning this reverence rightfully.
With the Han World established as a sacred realm, Ye Wen was determined to eradicate potential threats. Though the shinobi era was over, the land was still a supernatural one. The shinobi's chakra was an artificial energy system, derived from the forbidden science of the Otsutsuki, limiting their power. It prevented anyone in the Han World from ever achieving true divinity.
Thus, Ye Wen used his divine power to end the chakra era entirely. With his blessing, he infused the Han World with a new sacred water that nullified chakra, granting those who drank it a new, innate supernatural strength. Having practiced chakra manipulation, these warriors easily adapted to their new power, and Ye Wen established a new cultivation system focused on vitality, spirit, and longevity.
The era of bloodline supremacy also came to an end. Whereas before, only those with privileged shinobi lineages could excel, the new system rewarded talent and effort, breaking the barriers that had previously limited ordinary people. Ye Wen had no need to nurture divine level powers in the Han World, as the land's long history had produced only a handful of individuals with truly exceptional potential.
However, a curious situation soon emerged: Jiraiya, one of Konoha's legendary Sannin, had begun covertly encouraging Kakashi to turn against Ye Wen. To Ye Wen, the whole affair felt absurdly familiar.
It was, in fact, reminiscent of the Sage of Six Paths, who had once been manipulated into betraying his own mother, Kaguya. Ye Wen found it laughable that the old Toad Sage, supposedly a seer, would be so naive. Surely it knew of Kaguya's true power and the dangers of the Otsutsuki clan. Even defeating Kaguya would only leave the realm vulnerable to the wrath of her clan.
"To think he's too narrow minded to grasp the true power of the divine," Ye Wen mused. "Then let him pay the price."
Jiraiya's antics reached their peak one day as he approached Kakashi, eyes serious beneath his ninja headband.
"Kakashi," Jiraiya urged, "the god you're following is an evil deity, destined to bring catastrophe to our world. You must take up the mantle of saving the ninja world."
Now the undisputed ruler of the Han World, Kakashi sat behind his desk with an air of authority reminiscent of an older, more mature Naruto. Having recently married Rin Nohara, who was now expecting their first child, Kakashi felt grounded and fulfilled.
Hunched over paperwork, Kakashi looked tired and indifferent, a picture of quiet resolve. Jiraiya's words brought a flicker of irritation to his eyes. He gave his former mentor a sidelong glance.
"The shinobi era is over, Jiraiya," Kakashi replied coolly. "I suggest you stop wearing that outdated attire."
Jiraiya, struggling with the weight of the Great Toad Sage's prophecy, remained firm, slamming a hand on the table.
"Kakashi," he implored, "you have to believe me! That god you revere is an evil one, destined to bring disaster to our world. The Great Toad Sage fought alongside the Sage of Six Paths to save us once before. It wouldn't lie."
But Jiraiya wasn't prepared for what happened next.
In a flash of energy, Kakashi's aura exploded outward, knocking Jiraiya back. Kakashi's control over his new energy was precise; he hadn't even disturbed the papers on his desk.
Stepping forward, Kakashi looked down at Jiraiya, eyes as cold as steel.
"I've tolerated you because you were once my teacher. I even overlooked your refusal to accept the sacred water," Kakashi said icily. "But slandering the Holy Lord is crossing the line, heretic! Go, and spend some time in prison reflecting on your blasphemies."
With that, Kakashi's energy flared as he prepared to subdue Jiraiya.
(End of Chapter)
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