Konoha.
Within its maze of starlit alleys lived ninjas from every clan. The grand and imposing Hokage Rock now bore four massive carved faces, and below it, the Hokage Tower stood out prominently.
Ninjas moved swiftly through the streets, while ANBU operatives hid among them.
Beyond the village, towering walls loomed high. Border patrol units remained on constant alert day and night, while the Barrier Team continuously monitored fluctuations in chakra.
The elderly and children within the village lived peaceful, quiet lives.
The clouds in the sky were scattered by the wind.
And everything changed.
At this moment, Konoha lay in ruins.
Massive summoned beasts rampaged wildly, bombs of all kinds exploded in every direction, and both civilians and shinobi suffered countless casualties. Cries of agony filled the air.
Atop the Hokage Tower—
"It seems Naruto isn't here," Deva Path Pain murmured softly after receiving intelligence from the Human Path.
"Mount Myoboku!"
"What?!"
Tsunade spun around abruptly, staring at the man who had spoken, disbelief written all over her face.
Only a handful of people knew that Naruto was training at Mount Myoboku.
Who had leaked that information?
For a moment, she couldn't believe it.
"Mount Myoboku… that should be the hidden village of the toads," Deva Path Pain said in a low voice. "It seems there's no meaning in staying here any longer."
At this point, Tsunade heeded her subordinates' advice and did not rashly launch an attack.
The pressure Pain exerted was simply too overwhelming.
With just a handful of people, he had turned all of Konoha upside down.
Even an elite shinobi like Hatake Kakashi had fallen in battle!
Pain turned his back without the slightest guard, his tone cold and heavy.
"It seems you've already understood my power. But before overwhelming force, everything is meaningless. This has already been proven by your great nations."
"As long as you continue to see yourselves as the protagonists of this world, you will never consider your own deaths. You indulge in the shallow illusion of peace."
"To kill is to one day be killed. Hatred binds the two together."
As his voice fell, a vortex of energy spun beneath Deva Path Pain's feet. His body rose straight into the sky above the center of Konoha.
"One bag of rice to carry to the first floor… one bag of rice to carry to the second floor… one bag of rice I'll carry more… one bag of rice I'll wash… every mouth stained with mud… who gave you this bag of rice… Shinra Tensei!"
A blinding flash engulfed everyone in Konoha, their figures swallowed by pure white.
Boom!
The earth churned violently as a crushing wave of air expanded outward with unstoppable force.
From the very center, Konoha's surface was stripped away, revealing deep yellow soil beneath, spreading rapidly in all directions.
Debris from countless buildings mixed with the surging earth, smashing through the massive outer walls of the village.
Endless dust and smoke blotted out the sky, covering all of Konoha.
When it was over—
Everyone was stunned.
Sakura dropped to her knees, staring blankly at the devastation before her.
"Why… did it turn out like this…?"
Her emotions spiraled out of control as tears streamed down her face. She cried out at the top of her lungs—
"Na—ru—to! Come back…!"
"Please… Naruto!"
Bang!
As a cloud of white smoke dispersed, Naruto looked around in disbelief at the scene before him. Once he realized that everything had been caused by Pain in order to capture him, fury surged within him.
Clenching his fists, he moved instantly, taking down the Asura Path that charged toward him. Just as he was about to speak—
"Hm?"
Naruto suddenly realized—
He couldn't move.
He was in Sage Mode.
And yet, whether it was chakra, senjutsu, or even his most basic physical strength—everything had vanished.
He couldn't even lift a finger.
Rumble—
A massive peal of thunder echoed across the sky.
[Ding! Dual Viewing System activated. Retrieving relevant individuals…]
[Ding! Dual Viewing Chatroom initializing…]
In the sky above—
A colossal screen suddenly appeared!
The screen was split into two halves: the left framed in white, the right in red.
An overwhelming pressure descended from above, freezing everyone in place!
"Pain! Konoha is already destroyed—what more do you want?!"
Feeling the violent tremor from moments before, Tsunade could no longer hold back. She screamed hoarsely.
If everything just now had been the result of an S-rank technique—
Then this…
This felt like it could shatter the entire Land of Fire!
"…"
Pain looked up at the massive screen stretching across the heavens, his confusion only deepening.
This didn't resemble a ninjutsu at all.
It was more like… a television?
[Ding! Relevant individuals successfully retrieved!]
[Ding! All participants may freely chat in the viewing chatroom and take part in reward-based quizzes and support voting during the viewing process!]
[Each quiz round will reward the top three participants!]
[In the support voting segment, choosing the correct side will grant rewards!]
[Rewards include: chakra, D-rank, C-rank, B-rank, A-rank ninjutsu and forbidden techniques, kekkei genkai, kekkei mōra, physical attributes, tailed beasts, special items, resurrection items, and more…]
[Please participate actively and strive to obtain rewards!]
[Note: During the viewing period, the entire world will be enveloped in an energy suppression field. All abilities and actions will be disabled. There is no need for concern—at this moment, the world is peaceful…]
The voice from the heavens echoed in everyone's minds.
All were stunned.
They stared in disbelief at the screen above.
How was this possible?
The entire world… had stopped?
And the rewards—
Ninjutsu, chakra, kekkei genkai, even tailed beasts… even resurrection?
Resurrection could already be achieved through Impure World Reincarnation—wasn't this redundant?
No…
Could it be…?
Senju Hashirama: "Hey, hey, is anyone there? Does this thing actually work? Tobirama, come say something—I want to see if anything changes…"