(A Flawed Arc — Skipped Over in Hindsight)
"Hey, do you have the Third Hokage's holo card? If you do, I'll trade you my Sannin Jiraiya!"
"What?! You've already got Lady Tsunade's card? Be honest—does her figure really look that good in real life?"
"Seriously?! You bought out an entire street's worth of holo packs just to complete the Uchiha combo?! Is that set really that broken?!"
"This Uchiha Ran is so handsome! And that skill—Kyōka Suigetsu—it's insane! Sisters, does anyone have more info on him?!"
In less than three days, the card game swept through all of Konoha.
Life in the village had always been peaceful—perhaps too peaceful. Day after day, the same routines dulled the senses. The villagers had long been craving something new, something exciting to break the monotony.
And then, almost overnight, a game called Ninja Card Battle appeared across Konoha's streets and alleys.
The rules were simple and easy to grasp. Players only needed to use the cards in their hands to battle one another.
Each card featured exquisite illustrations of famous ninja. Children adored rare and powerful characters. Young and middle-aged men gravitated toward cards like Tsunade's. "Mom-fans" flocked to Uchiha Ran and Hatake Kakashi. Meta chasers obsessed over ultra-rare cards and the Uchiha deck.
Different card combinations unlocked unique skill synergies.
By building their own decks, players could develop diverse tactics and strategies, clashing with others in endlessly varied matchups.
It was a game for all ages.
From children to the elderly, everyone was drawn into the craze.
All across Konoha, groups of excited players could be seen sitting together, enthusiastically exchanging strategies and discussing deck builds.
The game didn't just bring entertainment—it brought people together.
The card illustrations vividly portrayed the ninja's heroic bearing and dazzling techniques, allowing players to truly feel the power and charm of shinobi.
Many people even spared no expense collecting their favorite cards, proudly displaying their collections as proof of both taste and strength.
The card game injected fresh vitality into Konoha.
Matches became more than contests of skill—they turned into a new form of social interaction.
Villagers made friends through duels, shared insights, and even compiled strategy guides.
Just like that, Konoha entered a brand-new era of entertainment.
The card game filled the empty spaces of daily life with laughter, excitement, and passion.
Whether on the streets, in game halls, or inside private homes, joyful shouts and the clatter of fierce card battles echoed everywhere.
It became the village's shared topic of conversation.
The game sold spectacularly well.
And through it, the Uchiha clan became known.
Villagers came to understand that the Uchiha Police Force upheld Konoha's laws and followed the Hokage's rules. They also discovered—much to their amusement—that the Uchiha were full of proud, stubborn personalities.
"R-Ran?! Your image is on a card too?!"
An excited voice rang out.
Uchiha Ran, who was inspecting card sales around the village with Uchiha Inabi, turned toward the sound.
"Oh—it's Brother Kusado," Ran said with a smile. "How's business today?"
The speaker was Kusado, the owner of a yakitori shop.
"Thanks to this card game, business has been booming!" Kusado laughed. "Customers come in to eat, then sit around playing cards—it's great!"
Seeing the man's beaming face, Ran knew the plan had succeeded.
When even a middle-aged shop owner like Kusado was fully aware of the game, it meant nearly everyone in Konoha knew about it.
"Ran-kun, could you sign this for me?" Kusado asked eagerly. "My daughter absolutely loves your illustration on the card!"
"No problem," Ran replied warmly. "Here on the back?"
"Yes—thank you so much!"
"No need to be so polite," Ran said. "You always took good care of me when I ate at your shop."
As Ran turned to leave, Kusado suddenly called out again.
"Ran-kun… are you really able to control people's senses like in the card? That illusion—Kyōka Suigetsu?"
Ran didn't seem to notice Kusado's lowered head—or the way his gaze subtly avoided eye contact.
He answered naturally.
"This game was developed by the Uchiha clan. Most card skills are based on abilities the characters actually possess—like Madara's Mangekyō Sharingan, or Lord Hashirama's Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence."
"So yes. I do have an illusion similar to Kyōka Suigetsu."
"Amazing!"
"We'll be going now, Boss Kusado."
"Take care, Ran-kun! Come by often—I'll save the freshest yakitori just for you!"
Kusado's voice faded into the night wind.
"Inabi," Ran said quietly as they walked, "did you notice something odd just now?"
"That guy—asking about your genjutsu?" Inabi snapped angrily. "He's just a civilian! Everyone knows ninja battles revolve around intelligence! Secret techniques are a shinobi's lifeline—how could he ask so openly?!"
"Because," Ran replied calmly,
"he was asking on behalf of Elder Danzō—from Root."
"…Root? Danzō?! That old dog?!" Inabi's anger flared instantly.
"Oh?" Ran glanced at him. "You know Elder Danzō?"
"I once went on a mission with Shimura Fū," Inabi said darkly. "One night, he and another teammate tried to lure me into a Kirigakure trap. They claimed it was Danzō's direct order."
"I used my Sharingan and read their lips."
After a pause, Inabi continued, his voice steadying.
"So I played along—and arranged an 'accident' that killed them."
"When I returned, I looked into Shimura Danzō."
The night breeze rustled softly.
And beneath the cheerful surface of Konoha's card-game craze, unseen currents continued to churn.
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