Konoha.
Naruto slowly descended from the sky, landing on what was once the most prosperous street of the village.
This place, which carried so many bitter memories for him, was now nothing but ruins.
The level of destruction surpassed even Pain's "Super Shinra Tensei." Except for a handful, most of Konoha's villagers had completely vanished.
And yet, despite unleashing such an overwhelming technique, Naruto himself had barely consumed any stamina.
Just as he had said, all he did was plant a seed—the rest was the villagers' own malice.
What he did was simply gather all that malice, and return it to them.
The ones who destroyed Konoha were the villagers themselves.
The ones who killed them… were themselves.
If they had never harbored ill will toward Naruto, they would have been completely unscathed—just like Jiraiya, who stood unharmed.
However, the power of the Ominous Flower: Altered was not something that could serve as a regular move, nor did it truly represent Naruto's strength. Its scale fluctuated far too greatly—at its weakest it might not cause even a fart, but at its strongest it could theoretically obliterate everything in existence.
Not suitable for battle. It was a technique reserved solely for Konoha.
"The world of the future will undergo great upheaval. And the only one who can change it is the Child of Prophecy.
This child will bring about an unprecedented peace to the shinobi world—or its destruction.
His choice will lead the world either to peace… or ruin.
Jiraiya, go and find this 'Child of Prophecy.' Take him as your disciple, and guide him down the right path."
Jiraiya's expression was complicated as he stared at Naruto. The words of the Great Toad Sage, spoken long ago during his training on Mount Myōboku, echoed in his mind.
He had spent his entire life searching for the Child of Prophecy, never realizing that child was right here in Konoha—and was the son of his own student.
He once thought the prophesied child was the boy he met years ago in the Rain Village—the one with the Rinnegan, the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths.
He once thought it was his student, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
But he had been wrong. It wasn't them. It was the boy before him—Naruto Uzumaki.
"The Child of Prophecy is Minato's son?"
"Naruto is the one?"
"So all this time, I never truly found him…"
At this moment, Jiraiya felt only deep regret. If only he had returned earlier… if only he had taken Naruto as his disciple sooner.
If Naruto had received his guidance, he would never have walked this path.
But the world had no "if onlys" or "what ifs."
Naruto became like this… it must be Danzō's fault. He must have poisoned the boy's heart.
"Someone who destroys Konoha—I cannot just stand by and watch."
Before his words even finished, a green blur struck faster than sound itself, arriving before Naruto with a fierce gust of wind. It was a lightning-fast kick.
BAM!
Naruto calmly raised his hand, catching the strike effortlessly.
The attacker was none other than Konoha's Blue Beast—Might Guy.
Because Guy bore no malice toward Naruto, he had survived the devastating jutsu unharmed.
"Guy-sensei."
Naruto was about to speak, but Guy cut him off, refusing to listen to any excuses.
"Even if you're Kakashi's student, I won't hold back." Guy's expression darkened as he stared intently at Naruto. That single exchange had already told him—Naruto was a monster at taijutsu.
"Gate of Opening—open!"
A surge of power erupted from Guy, his chakra aura exploding outward like a shockwave. The brilliant blue quickly shifted into crimson.
"Gate of Rest, Gate of Life, Gate of Pain, Gate of Limit, Gate of View—open!"
In one breath he opened six gates. His skin flushed red, his body radiating waves of chakra that warped the air as he moved at blinding speed.
"Morning Peacock!"
With rapid, burning fists, Guy pounded the air. Each strike compressed and ignited it, forming countless flaming shockwaves that rained down on Naruto like a peacock unfurling its feathers.
A barrage of air cannons.
Tch. These thickheaded types are the worst… never give you a chance to explain anything.
"Adadadadada!"
Seeing Guy relentless, Naruto had no choice but to swing his arms wildly, shattering each incoming air blast.
Now that he could casually withstand energy blasts, such attacks were nothing.
Six-Gates Guy's strength… still not enough.
Not even on par with Shinnō, after he obtained the Zero-Tails' power.
So even Six Gates aren't enough? Then… I'll have to open the Seventh—Gate of Shock!
What, am I about to get Madara-level treatment already?
Sensing Guy's intent, Naruto prepared to unleash his Yang Release Chakra Mode, planning to subdue him before he could open the Seventh Gate.
But before either could move, a smaller green figure jumped between them.
Radiating the same crimson aura, with skin flushed red—Rock Lee.
"Lee! What are you doing?!"
Seeing his beloved student, Guy hesitated.
"Guy-sensei, if you insist on fighting Naruto-sensei, then you'll have to go through me first."
"Lee! Step aside! That boy destroyed Konoha!"
"Naruto must have had his reasons for doing this. I believe in him." Lee stood firm at Naruto's side.
"Guy, hold back for now. Let's hear them out first." Kakashi had arrived as well.
Like Guy, he bore no malice toward Naruto—and so he too remained unharmed.
His affection for Konoha's villagers had died along with his father. Their treatment of Sakumo's death was something he could never forgive.
If not for Obito, Rin, and the Fourth and his wife, he might have long ago become nothing more than an empty husk that only knew how to complete missions.
And now, with those precious bonds gone, he wasn't far from being that husk again.
If forced to choose between Konoha and his teacher's son, he would likely side with Naruto—or at the very least, refuse to oppose him.
"Guy-sensei, calm down." Seeing the opening, Naruto began his ultimate jutsu—Talk no Jutsu.
"Haven't you noticed? Konoha has already rotted away, despite being founded only decades ago.
The leadership clings to power, refusing to step down. For decades, it's been the same few old men at the top. And yet, in all this time, countless brilliant shinobi have appeared.
So why is it still them?"
"That's because of the will of the people. It's what they want." Guy answered naively.
Exactly the reply Naruto was waiting for.
"'The will of the people,' huh? Guy-sensei, the will of the people is the easiest thing to manipulate. Foolish, ignorant… and hateful.
This is a world where strength rules. And yet all those brilliant shinobi—why is it they end up dead, or gone? Have you ever thought about that?"
Guy fell silent. Compared to the other villages, Konoha had far too many powerful shinobi who chose to leave. That was indeed suspicious.
"You must have noticed it too. There are too many things that don't make sense."
Naruto first raised questions, then affirmed Guy's doubts. Without realizing it, Guy's thoughts began to follow his lead. And not just Guy's—Kakashi and Lee were being drawn in too.
"There are conspiracies everywhere… countless hidden schemes."
"…What I'm about to say might offend you, Guy-sensei."
Having set the stage, Naruto dropped the bomb.
"Guy-sensei, have you ever wondered…
Why, during that mission years ago, did the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist just so happen to show up there?
Why did your father just so happen to appear there as well?"
Kishimoto is just a manga artist. Once you start poking at the plot, it's full of holes—scenarios forced into place just to drive the story forward. If you really think about it, it's nothing but conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory. It's people devouring people.
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