"Let's go ahead and talk..."
While nostalgia for his homeland was nice, Orochimaru still wanted to deal with the sacrificial ritual first.
Now, half of the Ninja World was already under his control.
Only the Land of Wind and one more nation remained.
The Raikage had already returned home, but Killer Bee and the others stayed behind—they wanted to witness the miracle for themselves.
Now the village had to be dismantled.
The process wouldn't be pleasant.
But with Nagato following him, Kumogakure, the Village Hidden in the Clouds—just another toy in the hands of a stronger force—meant little.
The villagers were startled when they saw the return of Obito and Orochimaru.
Countless ANBU operatives signaled each other, trying to understand the situation.
The message that came down was simple:
Peace. No need to panic.
Peace? How could this possibly be safe? I just saw Uchiha Sasuke, the rogue ninja, return… Could Lord Naruto have made a mistake?
But there was something else strange the ANBU noticed.
None of the elders who had gone, nor Danzo—Root's leader—had come back.
Was Konoha about to change again?
And yet, as they watched the Legendary Sannin stroll casually down the road, some fell into a daze. The sight of the Sannin—once young and unstoppable—walking together down the street...
It was a familiar, surreal image.
Tsunade glanced at the hidden operatives moving in the shadows and called out to them:
"Don't keep guarding so tightly. Orochimaru isn't an enemy."
Not an enemy?
Had they already forgotten the cruel experiments he had performed on the children of the village?
Dark expressions clouded the faces of several shinobi.
Orochimaru had killed the Third Hokage.
He had committed countless sins.
That couldn't be erased with a few words.
Facing the wave of resentful glares, Orochimaru shrugged and sighed.
"You see? They still hate me. Sometimes, force is the only persuasion that works."
Tsunade rolled her eyes and snapped,
"Didn't you want followers? If you kill them all, where do you expect to find believers?"
"Hey... I'm just saying," Orochimaru replied casually, then turned to face the crowd.
"Everyone, among the Five Great Shinobi Nations, three are already in my hands. Do you still want to resist me?"
Everyone froze.
They didn't quite understand what he was saying at first.
"The Land of Water, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Lightning—all under my control. The Hokage group you see here? They're my prisoners."
"So now..."
"You'd best put away those hateful eyes—unless you want to die one by one."
"A bunch of fools. Not even worth the loyalty of a dog."
"Anyone with half a brain wouldn't have let Danzo use them like puppets."
"How do you think the White Fang of Konoha died?"
"Wasn't it because you people like to gossip and backstab? I'm here now—go ahead, keep staring at me, and I'll wipe out your whole family."
His venomous words sent chills through the air.
The entire Hidden Leaf Village fell silent, including the on-duty shinobi.
The Hokage, in their eyes… were now revealed as captives?
So that's why he was so unrestrained.
In an instant—
All the hateful glares vanished.
Doors and windows slammed shut.
The streets emptied.
Meanwhile, countless shinobi had begun gathering nearby, preparing for battle—ready to rescue their leaders.
Jiraiya sighed, "You scared everyone."
"What was I supposed to do?" Orochimaru snapped.
"I was dragged back here by you. Don't joke around. Maybe you can put up with this kind of humiliation, but I can't!"
"I represent the God of Eternity now."
"I'm the only priest in this world."
"Every word and action of mine is being watched."
Orochimaru scoffed at Jiraiya's discomfort.
"If you want to be arrested and humiliated, then go ahead and live in your little dream."
"It doesn't matter who calls themselves the master."
Rebuked, Jiraiya fell unusually quiet.
Yes… maybe he could kneel when needed.
But Orochimaru was a divine envoy—everything he did carried the weight of a god's will.
How could Jiraiya even compare?
"Alright, let's head to the Hokage's office. And summon Naruto while you're at it. I've been looking forward to meeting the Nine Tails sealed inside him."
Orochimaru strode off, excitement on his face.
As for those trailing behind?
He didn't care about them at all.
Shortly after Orochimaru left, a group of ANBU operatives gathered quickly in front of Tsunade and the others.
Their faces were filled with unease.
"Lady Hokage, what's going on?"
"Why would Orochimaru say those things?"
"Are you really being controlled?"
Leading them was Morino Ibiki, followed by the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.
Almost every capable Konoha shinobi who'd remained behind had shown up.
Tsunade shook her head and gave a bitter smile.
"You don't need to ask further. Everything Orochimaru said—it's true."
"The Land of Lightning has fallen. We've been captured. His strength surpasses us all."
"He is a divine envoy, blessed with power beyond any of us."
Silence blanketed the street.
Nara Shikamaru frowned and muttered,
"Could it be some kind of genjutsu? Or some trick? He's just one man..."
"Stop guessing." Jiraiya cut in, pouring cold water over everyone's thoughts.
"Kirigakure, Sunagakure, and Kumogakure are already his. Even if all of us teamed up, we couldn't stop him."
The others looked toward Kakashi and the remaining elites.
But none denied it.
The silence was suffocating.
The truth was clear.
Shikamaru tightened his lips.
"Then… what does he plan to do now?"
"Publish the doctrine of the gods. Let us fully restore peace, and use the Nine Tails as the core of the altar. You'll understand in a few days."
Tsunade waved her hand impatiently and hurried toward the Hokage's office.
Half an hour later, news about the Eternal God spread throughout the entire Hidden Leaf Village.
It included detailed explanations—along with many classified secrets that were publicly revealed.
For example: the true history of Uchiha Obito, the formation of the Akatsuki, the dark deeds of Danzo, and the despicable conduct of the elder council.
Additionally, the truth about Naruto's father being the Fourth Hokage—Minato Namikaze—was made public.
Only then did people finally understand why this child, Naruto, had always been treated with disdain.
His father… was the Fourth Hokage!
Naruto saw Sasuke again inside the Hokage's office.
But what stunned him even more was the sight of Orochimaru sitting in the Hokage's chair.
The boy was clearly terrified.
"Y-You… h-he… Sasuke, what is going on?!"
Wasn't Orochimaru the villain who killed the Third Hokage?
Why was he now sitting in the Hokage's chair?
And why hadn't Lady Tsunade or Jiraiya stopped him?
Was this some kind of trick?
There were many people present—village elites and powerful figures—but no one seemed surprised.
"Listen, Naruto," Jiraiya said gently, "this situation is complicated, but the only thing you need to understand is this: from today onward, the ninja system is abolished."
"There's no more Hokage. The village will no longer be ruled by shadows."
"You no longer need to chase a title that no longer exists."
Jiraiya walked over and gently ruffled Naruto's hair. He looked at the boy with affection.
Such a kind-hearted kid.
Now completely overwhelmed.
"I'll explain," Tsunade said solemnly, seeing how disoriented Naruto had become.
"In short, the world is about to enter an age of peace. There will be no more war. No more missions. Which means... there's no longer any need for ninjas."
"As for your name, from now on, you can be called either Naruto Namikaze or Naruto Uzumaki. Whichever you prefer."
"Oh—and the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, is your father."
"As for why we never told you before... that was a decision made by the Third Hokage."
"I am deeply sorry for all the pain and isolation you've suffered over the years."
Naruto collapsed to his knees, clutching his head as tears streamed down his face.
As his closest friend, Sasuke Uchiha could only sigh.
How many sins had the Third Hokage and Danzo committed together?
The strong had all been destroyed under their rule, leaving only the old, weak, and corrupt.
They truly deserved this downfall.
Sasuke turned to Orochimaru.
"Let me speak to him. You can take care of the other matters."
"Go ahead," Orochimaru replied.
The two young men made their way to the roof of the Hokage residence.
Naruto, with tears still glistening in his eyes, suddenly swung his fist toward Sasuke's face.
But his sneak attack failed.
Instead, Sasuke struck back with a clean punch to the gut, dropping Naruto to his knees and sending him into a fit of retching.
"Ugh... Why are you so cruel?"
"Otherwise, how would you snap out of it, idiot?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes, his tone eerily similar to the old days when they were teammates.
After a long silence, Naruto slowly sat up, speaking in a low voice:
"Why are you helping Orochimaru? I thought you wanted revenge… and defected from the village."
Talking about the past—
Sasuke sat beside him, gazing up at the sky with a sigh.
"The Uchiha Massacre... from beginning to end, it was orchestrated by the Third Hokage and Danzo."
"Even with Obito's involvement, that fact doesn't change."
"That's why I chose to side with Orochimaru."
"Do you know why?"
"Because if I dedicate myself to spreading the divine doctrine… the gods can bring my dead parents back to life."
Naruto's eyes widened in shock.
Resurrect…?
They could really be brought back?
"Do you… want to resurrect your parents too?" Sasuke asked quietly.
Naruto stayed silent for a long while. Then, finally, he nodded—hard.
He wanted a home too.
"That's right," Sasuke said. "Let's work together. The Land of Earth is the last holdout. Soon, the entire ninja world will follow the teachings of the Eternal God. That's true peace."
A few hours later, the Nine Tails was extracted from Naruto's body.
But under Orochimaru's overwhelming power, the beast was completely subdued.
All it could do was glare in frustration.
It almost looked... a little cute.
Orochimaru chuckled.
"Don't be scared, little cutie. All the Tailed Beasts must be offered to the gods."
Kurama shuddered at his words—literal goosebumps rising on his fur.
A few days later, with the help of the newly converted followers, the Land of Wind was returned to Gaara's control.
As for the Land of Earth?
Well... that situation was a bit of a joke.
Once they learned that Tsunade's group had been defeated, the entire country went on high alert.
Then Deidara bombed them.
They surrendered immediately.