The false Sage of Six Paths' so-called vision of peace and prosperity was unanimously met with scorn by the assembled shinobi.
Ninjas who held power—especially the Kage of the major villages—already stood at the summit of the shinobi world. They controlled countless resources and enjoyed untold privileges. How could they possibly accept a social structure that stripped them of all that?
At this moment, their true thoughts were laid bare.
All their talk about protecting their homeland, pursuing peace, fighting for justice, serving the people, striving for ideals, or upholding freedom... it was all complete bullshit!
They simply refused to give up their position.
They lusted after power, yet still put on that sanctimonious, righteous facade.
If the Sage of Six Paths had granted them authority over the Administrator system, they'd have welcomed the new era with open arms. But if it meant becoming just another face in the crowd—standing equal with the masses—they would never accept it.
However, the Sage of Six Paths wasn't here to negotiate. He was merely informing them of what would happen.
His mad declaration had already set this world ablaze.
Some called him insane. Others, especially the common folk, saw beauty in the world he described. After all, they were already being exploited and oppressed. Did it matter whether it was by the powerful or by the system?
But there was a difference.
If the Administrator system could truly ensure fairness and justice forever, that alone would already make it better than what they had now.
The commoners had their perspective. The elites had a different logic.
Inside his chambers, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire erupted in fury.
"That lunatic trying to seize power! He's not the Sage of Six Paths—he's a devil! The Land of Fire has always been governed by the Daimyō and the nobility. This system is heresy!"
"Contact Konoha immediately. I'm giving them ten times the funding. That demon must be destroyed!"
Elsewhere, other national leaders followed suit.
At this moment, the shinobi and nobility stood more united than ever—determined to eliminate the lunatic once and for all.
The lower classes looked forward to the arrival of a new era, while the upper class denounced the Sage as a force of chaos seeking to destroy the world's order.
"All shinobi must unite! I refuse to believe there's any monster that can withstand us all! And tell Konoha to fully activate Edo Tensei—revive all the legendary figures from the past!"
"Everyone, this battle concerns the fate of the entire world! We must give it everything we've got!"
"Wait, where's the First Hokage? Where did he go?"
"If we have the First Hokage on our side, our odds will rise significantly!"
...
At that very moment, the much-mentioned Senju Hashirama was having a deep conversation with the Sage of Six Paths.
Hashirama didn't fully agree with the Sage's philosophy of peace, but he couldn't pinpoint what exactly felt off. All he could say was:
"Something about what you're doing doesn't feel very righteous."
"Only the strong can enforce their version of justice. Tell me... what do you think justice is?" the Sage asked calmly.
"Uh... justice is... doing the right thing?" Hashirama tried to piece it together. He wanted to give an example to explain his definition, but he couldn't think of anything suitable.
The Sage replied, "Truth is, 'justice' doesn't have a universal definition. Whatever feels right to me, aligns with my values, and makes me comfortable—that's my justice."
"No way! That kind of mindset is twisted! What if someone enjoys killing and burning, and thinks that's the truth? Would that be considered justice too?" Hashirama argued.
"Why not?" the Sage said, unperturbed. "Don't assume that killing and arson are inherently evil. Soldiers kill enemies on the battlefield. Police shoot criminals. You kill someone you deem guilty. All of these satisfy someone's sense of justice."
"This whole debate is pointless. Perspectives differ. One man's hero is another man's villain. Your justice may be someone else's evil. Or, if you can justify it well enough, even slaughter and destruction can be framed as divine judgment."
"Even the law has loopholes. There are countless cases where the law fails to deliver justice. In those situations, we have to make choices that make the majority feel safe and comfortable. After all... the law is a set of rules that most people find acceptable. Justice works the same way."
The Sage looked down on Hashirama and issued a final ultimatum.
"That's enough. Our conversation ends here. Are you going to try and stop me?"
Once upon a time, Hashirama was willing to sacrifice anyone for the sake of Konoha.
Now, the Sage of Six Paths was willing to sacrifice anyone for the sake of his own utopia.
Their ideals were incompatible. In the end, it would come down to whose fists were stronger.
Hashirama stood in silence for two seconds, then turned and walked away.
The Nine-Tails, who had been standing guard nearby, quickly followed. Though he had wanted to chat with the old man for a bit, the Sage was clearly acting off. Besides, he was more interested in continuing to beat up Hashirama anyway.
...
The high and mighty had finally sensed a real threat.
To protect their interests, they were more determined than ever. If the Sage's system was fully implemented, the entire upper class would be wiped out.
With the Daimyō leading the charge, opposition quickly swelled. They used administrative orders, media campaigns, and every tool at their disposal to rally the public to their side.
"Per our superiors' orders, all employees must unconditionally support the Daimyō and firmly oppose the Sage of Six Paths' Administrator system. Failure to comply will be treated as voluntary resignation."
"The Administrator system is inhumane and defies the natural progression of human civilization. If implemented, it will plunge us into darkness!"
"Human beings are born free. Not even a Sage can take that away!"
Unfortunately for them... all these tried-and-true political and media strategies had zero effect this time.
When real benefits are at stake, fiery speeches and grand ideals are nothing but pretty bubbles.
As long as people followed the system's rules and completed its tasks, they could enjoy food, shelter, and comfort without worry—far easier than working themselves to death under the old way.
Despite the pressure from above and the media blitz, most people remained silent.
The silent majority expressed their discontent in silence—protesting without a word against the elites who had always looked down on them as worthless insects.
Media propaganda? Pretend it doesn't exist.
Forced to take a side? Lie flat and do nothing.
After all, the system was still handing out rewards and sustenance. Some of the smaller shinobi villages had already fallen under its sway.
The Five Great Shinobi Villages, however, remained united in their opposition.
They formed a Shinobi Allied Army, with the Fourth Raikage acting as supreme commander, and set out to purge the "corrupt and evil" Sage of Six Paths.
"We have the support of millions behind us! No matter how powerful you are, you can't defeat the will of the entire world!" the Raikage declared confidently.
Though the general public wasn't fully on board, most shinobi and nobles had aligned themselves against the Sage.
They believed they spoke for the world. As for the fickle, fence-sitting commoners—their will and opinions didn't matter.
...
Facing the overwhelming force of the Allied Army, the Sage of Six Paths didn't lash out with mass slaughter.
Instead, he carved out a separate territory and threw all the dissenters into it.
They would no longer be under the system's Administrator. They could do whatever they pleased.
Consider it a control group.
...
"Welcome to the Administrator System. From this moment on, the Sage of Six Paths will fulfill his promise to bring everlasting peace to the world. The Administrator System will provide benefits to every individual. Each person will earn points by completing system-assigned tasks..."
"Tasks will be reasonably assigned according to your talents and aptitudes..."
"This system includes a morality monitoring module. Every individual begins with a default morality score of 100. Violations of law and order will deduct morality points. The system will refresh and recalculate scores daily at midnight. Anyone whose morality falls below the passing threshold will be sent to perform reformation labor. Those who break the law will be punished according to the relevant legal statutes."
"In areas covered by the system, temperatures will remain within a comfortable range. Rainfall and humidity will be regulated. There will be no more droughts, typhoons, earthquakes, or other natural disasters..."
When the system's cold, mechanical voice finished speaking, civilians in the Wind Country's desert were shocked to find the temperature around them had dropped. The air was no longer dry, and the environment had become incredibly pleasant.
"This is a miracle! Thank you, Sage of Six Paths!" countless voices cheered.
Faced with such earth-shaking power, they bowed their heads in awe.
The climate control only applied within residential areas. Natural landscapes remained unchanged. The temperature difference triggered air currents, and the force of the wind was somehow redirected and applied where it was needed.
This day would go down in history. Countless people found it impossible to sleep, for tomorrow they would awaken in a brand-new era.
...
By the next morning, people waking from sleep felt as if they had crossed into another world—one governed by an extraordinarily high standard of morality.
The streets were spotless.
Restaurants used fresh cooking oil—no more worrying about food safety.
Jaywalking, reckless lane changes, and traffic chaos had practically vanished.
No one spat on the ground anymore. Schools saw no bullying.
Dog walkers all used leashes.
There was no longer any form of fraud.
Even criminal organizations had vanished without a trace—there was simply no soil left for them to survive in.
All of this was thanks to the system's punishment mechanisms.
Any violation was instantly punished. No one could dodge consequences by pleading mental illness or youth.
Under the system, all beings were equal.
Politics and capital were taken over by the system. Countless enterprises and departments were deemed valueless by the system and were thoroughly abolished. Brand concepts vanished. Excess production capacity was entirely eliminated. Luxury goods, advertising, sales, finance, and similar industries disappeared on a massive scale. Society's entire structure was overturned overnight.
Factories no longer needed to overproduce for profit—only to maintain quality and adequate quantity. The system could allocate resources with maximum efficiency, minimizing waste born from profit-seeking.
Everything seemed to be heading in a bright, beautiful direction.
...
On the other side, ninjas, nobles, and summoning beasts who refused to accept system management were assigned a separate area of land. From then on, they could only live within its borders. At first glance, it didn't seem much different from before.
The Sage of Six Paths said that if they could develop a social structure superior to that of the administrator system, he would revoke the system and return the world to human hands.
These people rolled up their sleeves, convinced they were the elite of humanity and would surely surpass the system-controlled commoners in no time.
Then they were stunned.
Because among them, there was a critical shortage of basic laborers!
Ninjas didn't engage in production—they only fought and killed. The daimyō cried out for servants. The nobles and capitalists only knew how to give orders, but now there was no one left to execute them.
They all stared blankly at one another. Without the foundation of the masses, the so-called upper class instantly turned into a castle in the air. It was clear—class had to be restructured.
But no one wanted to be at the bottom of the new pyramid.
The daimyō still wanted to maintain their exalted status and ordered the ninjas to farm and work, using ninjutsu for production. Efficiency skyrocketed.
At first, the ninjas didn't quite grasp the change and continued to obey the daimyō to some extent, maintaining the original order. But soon they realized—ninjas held the military power and now also the productivity. The bloated and pampered daimyō and nobles… were completely unnecessary burdens.
No one knows who first realized this, or who acted first. But within just three months, the land was left with only ninjas and summoning beasts. Ninjutsu was reengineered for farming and construction...
...
In the void, the demon looked upon the new world he had crafted, red light blazing in his eyes.
"If this continues for just one generation, the administrator system will become absolute truth. Humanity will grow accustomed to its presence!"
The Lamp God spoke.
"But they've lost the most important thing—freedom. Everyone runs on a predetermined path under the system's supervision. In the short term, they'll be grateful for the ease and comfort it brings. Compared to the old social structure, the system's tasks for the working class are laughably simple. But once they get used to it, desire will drive them to ask for more.
"Human desire is endless. When material needs are met, spiritual needs will emerge. Some will crave dominance—stepping on others, enslaving them, will bring immense satisfaction. They'll seek breakthroughs, seek change, seek freedom. They'll yearn to feel superior. Eventually, the system will be seen as 'shackles.'"
The demon waved dismissively.
"What does that have to do with me? I only created this world on a whim, because I found it interesting. I did this purely to amuse myself. What it becomes in the future? I couldn't care less."
"But right now, I have a more pressing question."
He stared at the Lamp God, calm and unblinking.
"Black is the color of my magic. So why has it turned red? When did this happen?
"Am I still a demon? All this time, I've referred to myself only as 'the demon,' subconsciously ignoring my true name. The name Sargatanas… feels so unfamiliar. At this very moment—who am I, really?"
He narrowed his eyes.
"You… so-called Lamp God. Are you truly the genie born from the wishing lamp?"
The Lamp God met the demon's gaze.
"Does that matter? You wished to escape the Abyss, to carve out your own domain, to gain overwhelming power—I fulfilled all of that for you. But you…"
...were useless.
The demon was silent for a while.
"Back then, I used parasitic souls to influence Sasuke, Neji, and Gaara—shaping them into what I wanted. And now, I too have been influenced. Without realizing it, I've been corrupted, eroded, turned into a puppet of some hidden existence."
As he spoke, the red in the demon's eyes grew more intense. The black color could no longer resist and was gradually swallowed up, leaving only the last flicker of darkness.
The Lamp God smiled.
"Do you remember the story I told you not long ago? About the Heavenly Continent—the land of eternal peace? On that stage, there was always only one protagonist.
"Some side characters thought they were shining, thought they had become the new leads. But they never realized they were merely dancing in someone else's palm, from the beginning to the final curtain.
"I was always the true protagonist pulling the strings behind the scenes!"
"My name is... "
...
Throughout the myriad worlds, countless divine lamps existed. The moment anyone came into contact with one, they were already ensnared. Everything that happened afterward was simply the process of cultivating the fruit. Once ripe, it would inevitably be harvested.
The demon melted into lamp oil.
An unspeakable fog surged from some unknown void, permeating everything. It engulfed the divine lamp, pulling it out of the material universe—off to find its next bearer...
(The End)
Author's Note:
This has all been wild rambling—thank you for putting up with it.
I wrote this story because I've long been fed up with Naruto fanfics. I couldn't stand how so many fanfic protagonists acted like masochistic fools. I finally couldn't take it anymore, so I started writing myself. I had no outline—I wrote whatever came to mind, so the whole story ended up a chaotic mess.
Honestly, I first started reading female-targeted webnovels. I thought only they had so many doormat protagonists—the kind who'd say, "You slaughtered my whole family and dug out my organs, but I still love and forgive you!" Just thinking about it made my stomach hurt.
Then I switched to male-targeted novels. I figured a 'Fire'-type protagonist would be more decisive. But I was sorely disappointed.
The so-called 'ruthless' male protagonists only seemed ruthless to other men. When it came to pretty women, they got all wishy-washy. For example, the protagonist has two enemies—one male, one female. He kills the man viciously but makes excuses for the woman (as long as she's beautiful), like:
"She'll be useful to me later, so I'll keep her alive."
"She has a special Physique worth studying."
"She was just misled. She's not inherently evil."
"I'll convert her into my spy."
That kind of old-school webnovel trope was everywhere. I even read a trashy novel where a woman stabbed the male lead and killed many of his subordinates, but in the end, he added her to his harem. One of his followers confronted him:
"She murdered our men—aren't you going to avenge them?" And the male lead answered all high and mighty: "She's my woman. No one touches her!"
I nearly puked.
Even in male-oriented fanfics, it's the same mess. Like in Naruto fanfics—I mentioned this before—Itachi killed the protagonist's family, yet the MC bends over backward for Sasuke. I've read stories where someone transmigrates into a ninja from Iwagakure, Sunagakure, or some small village—and they still suck up to Konoha. They're especially generous and forgiving toward Kakashi, Sasuke, and Naruto, even after being harmed, cursed, or outright attacked.
Recently, I was reading fanfics and found a whole wave of the same nonsense.
Wanting to ally with canon characters is fine. But that doesn't mean groveling to be someone's servant. And many of those canon characters are downright cruel—paranoid, oppressive, or outright abusive to the transmigrator MC. And yet, these MCs still cling to them.
I've really had enough of this kind of masochistic fiction!
What I want is a fanfic MC who collaborates and helps canon characters as equals. If a transmigrator helps her within reason, I'd love to read that. But if you're already barely surviving, and you're on the opposite side of the canon protagonist—yet you still bend over backwards to please them?
Yeah… I'm out.
These are just my personal thoughts. I know many readers may not agree with my selfish view. But hey—there's beauty in diversity. Let's just respect each other.
(T/N: I wanted to offer you something very new, so I started working on this fanfic, I've never seen anything like it, and unfortunately this fanfic is unpopular, maybe expected, but in any case a sad moment. If you're here, I hope this fanfic has brought you some joy or at least helped pass the time.
If you enjoy the fanfic translations, any support would mean a lot. Translating everything from start to finish takes time, and donations really help me stay motivated and carve out more time to work on next fanfics. It also helps me get through the next fanfic faster. If you'd like to chip in, you can do it over on my Patreon: Jixo. Thanks so much!)