The world burned, and screams filled the air. All the eye could see was rubble and ruin. The Village Hidden in the Leaf was under attack by forces no shinobi, let alone citizen, could hope to stop. They all had their hopes on one man to save them all, but while many prayed for his success, even more were already gone.
In one of the worst-hit districts, nothing moved except the ever-dancing flames that spread from ruined home to ruined home. A man in green shinobi wear appeared, and just as quickly found his way to a humble home, or at least the remnants of one.
"It's all gone. They're all gone. Brother, I'm sorry. I… I couldn't fulfill my promise."
Takeshi Senju, a recently promoted Jōnin, had lost everything. His parents both died in the Third Great Ninja War. It had made the brothers closer than ever, but not long after, his brother was taken too by bounty hunters. His exploits during the Third Great Ninja War as a high-level jōnin had put a target on his back, one with a big payday. After the funeral—one with no body—Takeshi promised his brother he would protect his family in his stead. He failed.
As Takeshi was about to break, he noticed something: an orb. It bulged as if it was about to explode, but while it did this, it pulsed with colors of tranquil green, shining yellow, harsh white, soothing blue, and violent crimson. It descended into the ruined house.
Takeshi just watched in bewilderment and warily backed off when suddenly he heard it: "Waaah!" In less than a fraction of a second, he leaped towards the rubble, carefully shifting it, trying to get to the source of the shrill cry. And he succeeded, pulling up a half-naked baby boy covered in dust, grime, and blood.
"Kenji, thank the gods you're alive." Looking closely at him, Kenji seemed uninjured, just scared and missing his mother. Takeshi looked over the rubble, wondering if his mother could have survived as well, but after calling out her name for a little while, he gave up. It defied logic that Kenji survived.
The attack was still happening, and he needed to get Kenji somewhere safe. So Takeshi took Kenji and rushed for the village's underground shelters. Quickly arriving, Takeshi reluctantly handed Kenji over to an overseer.
"This is my nephew Kenji Senju. Please take care of him; he has no one else, and I have to do my part as a shinobi in defending the village."
"No problem, thank you for your service to the village. Go, I'll take care of him." Panic clear in her eyes. " Good luck out there."
Takeshi just nodded. He looked at Kenji in the overseer's arms, and his heart and mind fought. On one hand, he didn't want to leave the last of his family alone, not while the village was under attack. But on the other hand, it was not only his duty to help defend the village, his home, but the sooner the conflict ended and the farther it happened from the shelter, the better. So he resolved himself and, with a kiss to the top of Kenji's head, said, "I'll be back soon, nephew."
And for the second time that day, Takeshi couldn't keep his promise.