Boom! Boom! Boom!
Who knows how long it had been. Perhaps only a few seconds, perhaps as long as a century.
Under that terrifying roar, the passing of all life was silent, as was the flow of time.
When the deafening rumble slightly subsided, and the dust cloud obscuring a large part of the sky slowly ascended, the scene of the meteor impact's core region gradually became visible.
"..."
Hanzo's figure appeared in this area, his mouth agape, staring blankly at the sight before him.
Are you kidding me? What... what happened?!
A meteor was deeply embedded in the ground, radiating intense heat and a pungent odor.
The entire area was utterly silent. Life, buildings, terrain... everything had vanished, leaving only twisted, churning rock formations and ashes drifting on the wind.
The very few surviving ninja, far enough from the impact point, lay sprawled on the ground, their minds blank, their eyes dazed as they gazed at the hellish scene.
They felt no relief from their narrow escape, only a deep, bone-chilling fear and bewilderment.
"Damn it! 'Kage' and Nagato..."
Hanzo seemed to realize something, his body suddenly shivered, and he cried out, about to rush over.
Those two guys aren't here too, are they?!
However, the next moment he charged towards the meteor, from the dead silence at the meteor's center,
Whoosh!
A condensed, crimson beam of light, without warning, pierced through from within the meteor.
Like a precise cutting laser, it forcefully carved and melted a smooth-edged tunnel through the hard meteor.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Immediately after, several figures, like ghosts, lightly leaped out of the steaming tunnel, which had been pierced by the Cero, landing steadily on top of the meteor.
The leader was, naturally, 'Kage' in his black robes, the hem of his garment fluttering slightly in the scorching air. The shadow under his hood was so deep that even the red light emanating from the meteor couldn't illuminate it.
Beside him, 'Uzumaki's' pale body appeared even more eerie in the reddish glow. Nagato's Rinnegan swept over the utterly devastated battlefield below.
Kakuzu and Ōyashiro En's faces showed lingering fear from their narrow escape, but more so, astonishment at the power of 'Uzumaki' and the man in the sky.
"This is your so-called 'clearing the field'? You already knew that guy in the sky had this ability?" Kakuzu's voice was muffled and hoarse. "You truly are a complete lunatic."
If that female-shaped monster hadn't used that jutsu again, forcefully melting an empty hole in the meteor, even they wouldn't have survived.
No matter how many hearts he had, under the terrifying power of such a meteor, he couldn't have survived.
Compared to Kakuzu's fear, Nagato stood there silently, contemplating everything that had happened.
That man in the sky just now, how could he use the Shinra Tensei?
Also, so the Rinnegan's Universal Pull can do more than just what it's been doing?
This was the disadvantage of not being well-read.
He hadn't considered that the Rinnegan's gravitational power could also be used to pull down meteors.
The gravitational pull of Universal Pull could also produce power similar to the repulsive force of Shinra Tensei.
"Is this what 'Kage' wanted me to see?"
Nagato raised his head and deeply gazed at the figure before him.
Or rather, was he reminding me that the ninja world isn't that simple, and even with the Rinnegan, it doesn't mean I can achieve my aspirations?
"You're still alive, aren't you?"
'Kage' still stood there quietly, his tone amused, completely unfazed by Kakuzu's resentment. He looked down at the absolutely devastated area below, which had been completely flattened and devoid of any life.
This battlefield, along with all the struggling lives upon it, whether Hidden Leaf or Hidden Sand, had now completely fallen into deadly silence. Who knows how many ninja had lost their lives.
At this moment, he could feel that the limited space of the Box of Ultimate Bliss was already overflowing.
This time, it was truly a huge harvest.
"Unfortunately, the space of the Box of Ultimate Bliss is ultimately limited." 'Kage' sighed inwardly. "As expected, I still need to wait for Orochimaru to find the 'Space-Time Hole'."
The current Box of Ultimate Bliss was like a palace; no matter how vast its space, it was ultimately limited. It couldn't compare to an independent alternate world like Mount Myōboku.
Moreover, what was the deal with a bunch of low-level spirits crowding his palace?
He still needed to find the "Space-Time Hole" as soon as possible and drive the guys other than the Espada outside...
"Uzumaki," 'Kage' suddenly spoke. "Go back to Las Noches. Watch those guys for me."
Hearing the words "Las Noches," 'Uzumaki' paused for a moment, but quickly realized that it was the name of that space. He lowered his head slightly and responded, "Yes, Lord."
With that, under the gaze of Kakuzu and the two others, it turned and raised its hands, tearing open space once again, creating a hollow, dead silent Garganta, and stepped into it.
"You didn't... What was that?"
Hanzo's figure appeared on the meteor, just about to ask something, when he happened to see the moment the Garganta closed, and his pupils involuntarily constricted.
"Nothing."
'Kage' brushed him off lightly, stepping forward and seeing a figure that had fallen onto the meteor.
It was Ōtsutsuki Toneri's father.
At this moment, he had lost half of his body. Blood flowed onto the hot meteor surface, and his body was enveloped by rising blood mist. The life force of his life had weakened to its extreme.
But he was still alive.
Hearing footsteps from afar and seeing 'Kage's' figure approach, his unfocused pupils slightly narrowed.
"Cough!"
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but only futilely spat out blood.
"As expected of a pure-blooded descendant of Ōtsutsuki Hamura, your vitality is truly tenacious."
'Kage' walked closer, looking down at his disheveled state, and chuckled, "Unfortunately, vitality that doesn't match your strength is also a waste."
With that, under the startled and angry gaze of Toneri's father, he raised his foot and lightly stepped on his neck.
"Don't worry."
'Kage' bent down slightly, looking at his Byakugan eyes filled with hatred, and chuckled softly, "I will extract your soul and turn it into a creation just like that woman."
"When your son comes to the ninja world again, you, with your memories erased, will kill him."
Toneri's father's unfocused pupils contracted. He opened his mouth, full of fear and rage: "You... cough! Gag!"
Crack!
Before he could finish speaking, 'Kage' applied light pressure with his foot, and his neck was twisted.
Watching a soul being forcibly dragged into the Box of Ultimate Bliss, a smile appeared on 'Kage's' shadow-shrouded face.
Even like this, carry your hatred, and continue to struggle and devour within the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
I will look forward to the day you meet Ōtsutsuki Toneri.
Thinking this, he placed the corpse into a scroll. 'Kage' turned to Nagato and the others, his tone amused: "Next, I'll leave this to you."
As his voice faded, without waiting for Hanzo and Nagato to respond, his figure vanished before them, like a pencil mark erased by an eraser.
(Note: The following plot is from the original anime, Episode 700, and is not a conspiracy theory.)
Meanwhile, in the Hidden Leaf Village, which was currently peaceful as dawn broke, unaware that most of the ninja on the front lines had been killed.
"Huff... huff..."
Naruto Uzumaki climbed the steep hillside with hands and feet, not caring that the loose stones were scraping his palms.
Finally, he gasped, reaching the highest point of the Hokage Rock, and plopped down onto the head of the Fourth Hokage's magnificent giant statue.
The morning glow of dawn dyed the entire Hidden Leaf Village a warm golden-red. Wisps of cooking smoke rose, and warm light shone through window lattices.
People bustled in the streets, children called to their friends and played, and the aroma of food faintly drifted through the cool air.
This was a scene Naruto had overlooked countless times—a Hidden Leaf that seemed enveloped in happiness.
However, none of it concerned him.
He hugged his bent knees, resting his chin on them, curled into a small ball.
The autumn wind swept across the high rock face, carrying a bone-chilling cold that penetrated his thin clothes.
In his line of sight, a powerful eagle circled up from the distant forest, cutting through the golden twilight.
Naruto's gaze unconsciously followed it, watching it fly higher and farther, a smile unconsciously appearing on his face...
But, the next moment, another hawk, with a crisp cry, flapped its wings and soared from beneath the rock face, accurately meeting it.
They lightly brushed past each other in the glow, flying together into the distant sky, their movements graceful and free, full of tacit understanding and vitality.
The smile on Naruto's face gradually faded.
At this moment, the scent of food was carried by the wind, faintly entering his nostrils.
Grrr...
His stomach suddenly groaned, as if reminding him that it was currently empty.
So, Naruto braced himself on the ground and stood up, patting the dust from his clothes, and walked towards the Hidden Leaf streets below.
However, when his small figure appeared on the street, the street, which had been filled with laughter, seemed to instantly grow a few degrees colder.
"I heard it's true..."
"It's that kid..."
Children who had just been chasing and playing were dragged into their parents' arms, and chatting women abruptly fell silent, sweeping strange glances at Naruto.
Their whispers were filled with malice and indifference.
The gazes from both sides of the street seemed to build an invisible, cold wall around him.
Though he didn't understand why, Naruto Uzumaki had long grown accustomed to these words and stares. He simply walked with his head down, trying to appear natural with each shuffling step.
He was too young to understand the complex hatred and fear, but he could clearly and personally feel the bitterness and loneliness of being seemingly rejected by the entire world.
Until, a rubber ball bounced with a thump-thump sound, stopping right at his feet.
Naruto instinctively crouched down, reached out and grabbed the ball. He looked up, a bright, sunny smile appearing on his childish face.
"Oh, it's him, so creepy..."
"Hey, don't play with him. Who knows what he'll do to you."
Harsh, shrill voices entered his ears. The man in front of him pressed down on his child's shoulder, his eyes lowered, looking down at Naruto Uzumaki, his gaze filled with indifference and distance.
The cold words pierced his young heart. The smile on Naruto's face instantly froze.
What did I do wrong?
I just wanted to return it to its owner...
That yearning to belong was crushed by those blunt words, and the rubber ball seemed to instantly grow scalding hot.
He merely stood up stiffly, the rubber ball falling to the ground.
Even though he was truly hungry, he didn't walk towards the bustling street again. Instead, just like in the past, he turned and left, sensibly moving away from crowded places.
His footsteps grew faster and faster, gradually turning from a walk into a run.
His small back was held stiffly, revealing a stubborn awkwardness, as he ran towards the less crowded areas.
He brushed past Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke instinctively turned his head, saw Naruto's retreating back, and muttered, "Strange guy."
"That's the kid, huh?" He heard adults talking nearby. "Did you hear? The Fourth died because of him..."
The Fourth Hokage died because of a kid?
What are these guys talking about?
Hearing this, the young Sasuke Uchiha frowned, but still turned to leave without much concern.
However, just then, a commotion behind him caught his attention.
Turning his head to follow the sound, he saw a figure standing in front of that child.
It seemed that the yellow-haired kid had bumped into him?
Seeing the figure's face, Sasuke Uchiha instantly recalled the person's name.
It was a name that his clan members had recently often spoken, mentioning it with sighs, jealousy, or annoyance.
—Hyuga Kawa.