Chapter 54: Rest of the world
The sun was just beginning to set as Ayumi and Yuki passed through the front gates of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Dust clung to their shinobi vests, and small cuts adorned their arms and faces.
Neither of them spoke much as they made their way toward the Hokage Tower—both were tired, bruised, and deep in thought.
Their mission had taken them far from the safety of Konoha, into the outermost territories where enemy scouts had been reported.
The objective had been simple: confirm the presence of enemy forces and eliminate any threats that could compromise the village's outer defenses.
But nothing about the mission had gone as expected.
Ayumi's face was slightly pale, her dark eyes distant. "I still can't believe that Chunin from the Hidden Mist ambushed us like that."
Yuki, walking beside her, nodded. His tone was unusually quiet. "He was good. Strong, too. If we hadn't worked together the way we did..."
Ayumi sighed. "I know. We got lucky."
By the time they reached the Hokage Tower, the guards posted at the doors gave them a silent nod, recognizing their battered appearances and understanding they were there on business.
Without hesitation, the doors were opened, and they stepped inside.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, sat at his desk reviewing documents with a lit pipe in one hand. He glanced up as they entered.
"Ayumi. Yuki. Welcome back. I take it your mission is complete?"
Ayumi stepped forward and offered a bow before beginning her report. "Yes, Lord Hokage. We discovered the enemy camp near the southern ridge. About twelve enemy shinobi, all from the Hidden Mist. Two of them were Jonin-level. The rest were Chunin and Genin."
Yuki added, "We believe they were probing the area, possibly trying to establish an outpost. We eliminated seven of them. The remaining five fled when they realized we had backup reinforcements nearby."
The Hokage nodded slowly. "I see. And injuries?"
Ayumi rubbed her arm unconsciously. "Minor, sir. Nothing life-threatening."
The Hokage puffed from his pipe again, staring into the smoke for a moment as though in thought. "You've done well. The village is grateful for your efforts. We will need to continue monitoring the south closely, but you've given us the breathing room we needed."
Just then, the doors behind them creaked open once more.
Ayumi and Yuki turned their heads as Naido-sensei entered the room with a solemn expression clouding his usually unreadable face.
Behind him followed 2 more familiar figures—Kakashi Hatake and Jiraiya of the Sannin.
The room shifted in atmosphere instantly.
Ayumi immediately straightened. Yuki took a step forward, sensing something was wrong.
"Sensei?" Yuki asked, eyes flicking between the 3 powerful shinobi and the Hokage.
Naido finally looked up. His eyes met theirs, unwavering yet filled with a kind of sadness neither Ayumi nor Yuki had ever seen in him before.
He took a breath.
"This isn't easy to say," Naido began. "But you deserve to know. Shikomu..."
He paused.
"Shikomu is dead."
The words slammed into the room with brutal force.
Ayumi's eyes widened instantly. Her mouth opened, but no words came. Yuki froze in place, his expression blanking out for a moment as his mind tried to process the statement.
Naido continued, voice heavy. "He died in the line of duty. It was an elite-ranked assignment, and he… he gave his life to protect the village's interests."
Yuki's fists clenched at his sides, and Ayumi finally forced her voice to work.
"What do you mean? When? Where was he? We never even heard he was deployed!"
Jiraiya stepped forward, raising a hand gently. "It was classified. He was working on something… incredibly sensitive. We couldn't risk the information getting out."
"Why him?!" Ayumi snapped, pain leaking into her voice. "He was still a Genin!"
"He was more than that," Kakashi finally said, voice low, almost regretful. "You two knew better than anyone — Shikomu wasn't a normal Genin."
Yuki looked down at the floor, the gears still turning in his mind. Even he couldn't argue that.
But this…this might have the stake of their entire future at stake! How the hell were they supposed to survive inside of this world without their leader?!
They didn't even know the punishment for a character dying inside of the game yet…
"We understand this is a difficult period," the Hokage finally spoke again. "And I know this war isn't giving us the time we need to grieve. But know that your teammate's sacrifice will not be forgotten. You will have some time… but not long. Konoha still needs you both."
Ayumi looked like she wanted to argue. Yuki gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She nodded after a long moment, both coming to an understanding.
"We understand."
The two left in silence. As the door clicked shut behind them, the tension inside the room shifted.
Jiraiya let out a slow, tired sigh and walked to the window, watching the sun rise over the village.
"I hate doing that," he muttered. "Telling kids someone they care about is gone — when he's not."
Kakashi exhaled and looked at Naido. "Do you think he'll be ready?"
Naido finally moved to a chair and sat down, massaging his temple. "He doesn't have a choice anymore. If Shikomu's going to become what he's meant to, we have to play the part."
The Hokage remained seated, his expression unreadable.
"You're sure this is the path you want him to walk?" Hiruzen asked, voice slow and deliberate.
Naido looked up. 'You are acting as if we have a choice inside of this arrangement…we know the boy's talent.' We know how strong he can become in the future ...if the others find out we have the second coming of the God Of Shinobi with us….."
Jiraiya nodded quietly. "The boy's walking into a storm. But he's walking there with his eyes open."
For a long moment, none of them spoke. The silence of the room was filled only with the distant sounds of village life — and the weight of what they had just done.
Naido finally stood. "He'll return in a week. By then, the first step will be complete."
Kakashi looked towards the window, his eye narrowing. "And after that… we make him ready."
Outside, the wind rustled through the trees of Konoha.
A new shadow had begun to form.
And the boy the world thought was dead… was only just beginning.
Cut to the Village Hidden in the Clouds.
High atop the Thunderclap Tower, within the storm-wrapped Raikage's Hall, the mood was nothing short of grim.
The air crackled with intensity not from chakra—but from the mounting tension that permeated the room.
The Raikage sat on his raised platform, broad-shouldered and glowering, his fingers twitching slightly from the sheer restraint he exercised.
Beside him stood Killer B, the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki and his brother, arms crossed as he stared at the table below with a rare expression of solemnity.
This wasn't the time for rhymes or freestyle rapping. Seated around the long council table were the Hidden Cloud's most trusted elders and advisors—men and women whose eyes had seen generations of shinobi rise and fall.
And right now, every single one of them looked more than concerned.
"They refused?" one elder finally asked, as if not believing the message relayed just moments earlier.
The Raikage nodded, his brow furrowed deeper than ever. "We've sent six envoys. Each bearing increasingly generous terms. Trade routes. Mineral rights. Political favors. Even chakra-conductive steel... and they rejected it all. They won't return the Two-Tails."
Killer B's jaw clenched. "That cat… Yugito was one of our own. And they kept her. Didn't even bother with an official letter. Just silence."
"They didn't keep her," the Raikage growled, voice low with fury. "They killed her. And now they're hiding her corpse like it's a trophy."
That word—killed—hung over the room like a guillotine.
Silence once more gripped the council. No one dared speak, because they all knew what was about to be said.
"I had hoped," the Raikage began slowly, "that we could deal with Konoha diplomatically. I hoped that with time their ways would change, but they are no different from the corrupt elders of the past.."
He slammed his fist against the table, splintering the thick Cloudwood beneath his hand. "They are arrogant. They think the world still revolves around their borders, that they can capture another village's Jinchuriki and not answer for it."
"And what would you have us do, Lord Raikage?" asked one of the older shinobi. "Declare war? We are already currently at war. Everyone is fighting each other, it will be hard to make people follow an order to focus on the Leaf."
The Raikage's eyes flashed. "Then they don't need to follow blindly. They only need to see clearly."
He stood, walking down from his elevated platform to the center of the room. His shadow stretched across the council table like a storm cloud.
"Konoha has made itself an enemy of the world. Every village that has suffered their meddling—every clan that was erased under their boot—every ally they abandoned—will hear of this. I will call them together. One by one."
"The Village Hidden in the Mist. The Stone. The Rain. The Grass. The Sound. The Frost. Even the smaller rogue factions still nursing their wounds from the current war. All of them."
"You are proposing a summit?" Killer B asked, his voice carefully measured.
"No. I am proposing an alliance," the Raikage said firmly. "A true alliance. Not one based on ideals or treaties. One based on a common enemy."
The elders glanced at one another. Some are nervous. Some… intrigued.
"We call for a Council of Shadows," the Raikage continued. "A gathering of every nation and shinobi village that holds a grudge, a wound, a vendetta against Konoha. We gather them not to talk—but to plan. To unite. And when the time comes… we wipe the Leaf off the map."
Killer B exhaled. "You really believe this will work?"
The Raikage turned to his brother, eyes blazing.
"They stole one of our own. Then they silenced the world. That was their choice. Now the world will answer. And Konoha will burn."
The storm outside rolled in louder, lightning flashing behind the thunderclouds, casting jagged shadows across the faces of the men and women in the room.
The clouds of war were gathering—and this time, Konoha stood alone.
...
Authors note:
Really was tempted to rhyme with B...but it just seemed wrong
You can read some chapters ahead if you want to on my p#treon.com/Fat_Cultivator