"Father…"
"Ugh…"
"Itachi… big brother…"
Sasuke's mouth fell open. His entire body trembled as he stared at the scene before him.
When the second black-robed figure appeared, he had already begun to suspect the truth—but even then, reality was far more shocking than anything he had imagined.
Not only was Uchiha Itachi alive, but the rest of the Uchiha clan was standing there as well—alive, whole, and unmistakably real.
That meant only one thing.
The Uchiha clan had never been wiped out.
All those years of madness.
All that obsession with revenge.
All that pain he had carried—
It suddenly felt like a cruel joke.
"Sasuke."
Uchiha Fugaku stepped forward and placed a hand on his son's shoulder.
Under the countless gazes fixed upon them, no matter how many words Fugaku had bottled up inside, none of them could be spoken. He could only stand there in silence.
Uchiha Itachi did not step forward. He simply stood where he was, calm and quiet.
"Lord Hokage…"
Uchiha Shisui approached Naruto and bowed respectfully.
As the current head of the Uchiha clan, there were countless matters to be handled regarding their reintegration into Konoha.
"Shisui, the affairs of the Uchiha clan will be discussed later."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Shisui stepped aside with the excited members of the Uchiha clan and Sasuke.
"This kid has been hiding far too much," Jiraiya muttered.
"Even without the Uchiha, with his own strength alone, he could've controlled the entire village," Tsunade said quietly. "Hokage clearly isn't the limit of his ambitions."
The two exchanged glances, shock written plainly in their eyes.
They had thought they already understood Naruto's limits.
But once again, he revealed that he was still holding cards no one had seen—and no one knew how many remained.
"People of Konoha," Naruto said calmly, his voice carrying across the square, "you've all heard of the Uchiha massacre. The real culprit, Shimura Danzo, has already been captured. Now that the Uchiha clan has reappeared, I'm sure many of you have questions."
"Let me explain."
"Back then, the Uchiha clan sensed the crushing pressure coming from Shimura Danzo. They knew extermination was imminent. After careful deliberation, they chose one final gamble—using the Sharingan to cast a massive illusion, deceiving the heavens themselves."
"They left behind substitutes, convincing Danzo that the clan had been wiped out."
"From that day on, the Uchiha lived in hiding, never daring to show themselves to the world—until recently, when the transition between old and new Hokage created an opportunity. They came to me, seeking to return to Konoha."
"I considered it… and I accepted."
"Where leaves dance, fire will burn forever. You all know the Will of Fire—but have you ever truly thought about what the leaf and the fire represent?"
"The leaf represents the Senju—the founders of Konoha. The fire represents the Uchiha—its other founder."
"Few of you know this: the brothers of the First and Second Hokage, Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, died at the hands of the Uchiha. And Uchiha Madara's brothers died at the hands of the Senju."
"They were mortal enemies. Blood enemies."
"And yet—even so—they chose to set aside hatred and build Konoha together, dreaming of a world where children wouldn't be forced onto the battlefield."
"You've all seen the past of the ninja world on Red Sun TV. Centuries of war, bloodshed, rivers of corpses—wars fought for countless reasons, both deliberate and accidental."
"In every village, there are people who long for peace. But hatred keeps spreading, generation after generation. People fail to understand one another. They only glare with red eyes, fueled by resentment, and keep fighting—making the ninja world weep, making civilians suffer."
As Naruto spoke, both the crowd in Konoha and the viewers across the ninja world fell silent.
At first, they had been focused on the shocking return of the Uchiha clan.
But gradually, Naruto's words pulled them in.
From the Will of Fire to the roots of war, he dissected the ninja world with brutal clarity—explaining conflicts not as isolated events, but as an unbroken chain of hatred.
People listened, transfixed.
"Yes… that's exactly it."
"The chain of hatred can't be broken."
"The five great villages, the small nations—it's all the same."
Rain Village.
Nagato leaned forward toward the screen, eyes fixed, breathing slow and heavy.
Naruto's words resonated with him—deeply.
They went even further than his own thoughts.
For the first time, Nagato felt genuine hesitation. For the first time, he considered abandoning his plan and supporting this Hokage instead.
"War has created too many tragedies," Naruto continued. "And each tragedy breeds even more conflict. Peace is desired, yet it never lasts. Something always goes wrong."
"That's unacceptable. Completely unacceptable."
Naruto looked directly into the camera.
His eyes burned with fierce resolve.
Through the screen, his fighting spirit surged—making countless viewers feel their blood boil.
"This broadcast is reaching every corner of the ninja world. Right now, countless people are watching."
"So here and now, I, Uzumaki Naruto—Fifth Hokage—invite the daimyo of the Five Nations and the Kage of the Four Great Villages."
"As the leaders of this world, let's talk—openly—about how to truly achieve peace."
Naruto waved his hand.
A round table was carried onto the platform. Chairs were placed in rapid succession.
In moments, the ceremony turned into a summit.
The daimyo and Kage stiffened.
Under Naruto's piercing gaze, they had no choice but to sit.
"This is coercion," Tsunade whispered.
"He's forcing a Five-Kage-level summit… with the daimyo present," Jiraiya said grimly. "That's unprecedented."
Naruto's approach was aggressive—shockingly so.
Before the ceremony had even ended, he had forced the entire leadership of the ninja world into negotiations.
"Move, move!" Karin shouted.
"Adjust the cameras! Every single person must be in frame—no exceptions!"
"This is history in the making!"
The Red Sun TV staff moved frantically, encircling the table with cameras.
Naruto sat at the head, composed and unreadable.
Onoki glanced at the powerful Uchiha nearby, then at Jiraiya and Tsunade, sighed, and sat down.
Yagura looked calm—but his feet trembled slightly beneath the table.
Rasa leaned back, oddly relaxed. Whatever happened next, it couldn't get much worse.
Raikage A clenched his fists, rage burning in his eyes—but he held it in.
"Wow… so this is my dad when he was young?" Boruto whispered, eyes shining. "That presence… it's unreal."
"No," young Sasuke said quietly, shaking his head. "This isn't the Naruto I knew. He never had this kind of dominance."
Even Sasuke felt himself being drawn in—subconsciously compelled to listen, to follow.
Something about this Naruto was overwhelming.
Yet Sasuke forced himself to focus.
Something was deeply wrong with this world.
"Uzumaki Naruto… is this really your answer?" Nagato sighed. "Even if you force everyone to sit down, even if a treaty is signed—treaties are made to be broken. Don't you understand that?"
"And if peace truly comes…" Black Zetsu murmured coldly, eyes gleaming, "…then my Infinite Tsukuyomi plan collapses."
"Peace is difficult to build—but easy to destroy."
He stared at Naruto on the screen, killing intent flickering.
Peace?
He would never allow it.
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