The reason Senju Haruto spoke with such conviction was not out of naïve assumption.
He was not originally a part of this world, and thus he was not bound by the same historical limitations as Hashirama, Madara, Nagato, and the others.
Haruto was a traveler from another reality. Before coming into this world, he had been born in a nation with several thousand years of history.
The dilemmas that the shinobi world of Naruto struggled to solve had, in his homeland's long history, already found their answers.
In fact, there had once been an age in his original world known as the Warring States Era, a time whose power structure bore uncanny similarities to that of this world.
That era was dominated by seven great powers, with countless small states existing only in subservience.
Wars raged endlessly. Ordinary people lived in despair. Peace was such a distant dream that no one even dared to imagine it.
And yet, out of that human purgatory, one nation rose. After six generations of relentless struggle, it swept across the land and completed a true and total unification.
Although that regime eventually collapsed, reigniting warfare, the fact remained: internal peace had, at last, been achieved.
If his homeland could accomplish such a feat, then surely the same solution was possible here.
Haruto spoke his mind in one unbroken breath, laying bare his true vision. His words left Sarutobi Hiruzen frozen in place.
Even though the Third Hokage had faintly suspected something of this nature, hearing it spoken aloud still shook him to his very core.
"I…"
It took Hiruzen an uncomfortably long moment before his senses returned. His throat worked as he gulped down air, his chest rising and falling as if the ground beneath his feet had shifted.
"I think… I need a moment to breathe…"
The kiseru pipe slipped from his fingers, clattering onto the floor. Hiruzen braced himself heavily against his desk, his legs unsteady, his body feeling as if even his blood pressure had spiked.
I need to sit down.
Swallowing hard, he forced himself back into his chair with great effort.
When Haruto seemed ready to speak again, Hiruzen immediately raised a trembling hand, motioning for silence.
Not now. He couldn't hear any more.
He needed time to process this.
The revelation was simply too staggering.
And in that moment of stunned silence, Hiruzen found his thoughts drifting back to something Jiraiya had once confided in him.
Long ago, when Jiraiya had first inherited the legacy of Mount Myōboku, the Great Toad Sage—who could foresee the threads of destiny—had spoken of a prophecy.
A "Child of Prophecy" would appear one day, bringing true peace to the shinobi world.
Now, Hiruzen's eyes widened, and he found himself staring at Senju Haruto with growing intensity.
Could it be…?
Could Haruto be that Child of Prophecy?
The boy not only carried the power of Senju Hashirama's Wood Release, but had also inherited the Mangekyō Sharingan of Uchiha Madara.
Every fiber of his being radiated legend.
And above all, he was of the Senju clan.
Hashirama had founded the shinobi village system.
Tobirama had perfected its laws and structure.
Tsunade had created the medical corps, a cornerstone of modern shinobi warfare.
Every generation, the Senju produced figures whose deeds shaped history itself.
But if Haruto truly succeeded in his ambition, then all the contributions of his predecessors would pale in comparison.
What would Hashirama and Tobirama say if they knew? Hiruzen's heart swelled with complex emotions.
Meanwhile, Haruto simply waited in silence, giving the Hokage time to recover from the shock.
"True peace…"
At last, Hiruzen spoke again, his voice weary yet steadied. "But to accomplish such a thing… it won't be easy."
"Of course," Haruto replied calmly. "But I have no need to rush. The wisest path is to move slowly, expanding our influence step by step and strengthening our power. That way, you can be assured—I won't recklessly declare war against the great nations."
"In truth, the fact that Kumogakure has sent envoys with a peace agreement only proves they've recognized the gulf in strength. They know their best option is not to fight.
Kirigakure has suffered even greater losses—they've lost both their Mizukage and their Tailed Beasts. They won't recover for years.
As for Sunagakure, Rasa will never betray us.
That leaves only Iwagakure. But if it came to a one-on-one war, Konohagakure would have little to fear.
That said, I don't believe they'll make such a move. Their Tsuchikage is still Ōnoki, and at his age he has grown too cautious to lust for battle like the Fourth Raikage.
Especially after witnessing the defeats of both Kumo and Kiri, Iwagakure will hesitate."
Haruto's analysis of the geopolitical landscape was calm, detailed, and precise.
His confidence was born not only from reason, but from the intelligence he had already acquired.
Hiruzen found no grounds to refute him.
"In the years ahead, I believe the Five Great Nations will enter into an unspoken era of peace," Haruto concluded.
"Which means," he continued after a pause, "that our focus should turn to the smaller nations. While we strengthen our power, we should bring their lands under Fire Country's rule."
If he remembered correctly, the Land of Grass had even sent shinobi to participate in Konoha's Chūnin Exams at the beginning. But not long after, the nation itself had been wiped out.
If their fate was already to be eradicated, then why not seize their territory now?
Expanding Fire Country's borders was hardly a bad thing.
And with the Daimyō system abolished, the Fire Country's economy now fell entirely under the Hokage's control.
That meant more resources could be funneled into the military, ensuring a new generation of shinobi.
After all, Sunagakure's decline was due in no small part to its Daimyō's constant slashing of funds.
It was for this reason that Haruto believed—before unifying the shinobi world, Fire Country itself had to be completely unified.
But as he was speaking, a familiar voice echoed inside his mind:
"Please proceed to Kusagakure for your next sign-in. A reward will be granted upon completion."
"Kusagakure…?"
Haruto blinked, caught by surprise, though a smile quickly curved his lips.
No matter the circumstances, the system's rewards had never once failed him.
Hiruzen, listening, found himself overwhelmed once more.
Haruto spoke so reasonably, so logically, that refusing him felt impossible.
And yet—
Somewhere deep inside, Hiruzen could not shake a surreal feeling.
What they were discussing was no mere policy or mission.
They were speaking of unifying the entire shinobi world—a feat of mythic proportions.
This wasn't children playing at make-believe.
But then, Haruto suddenly grew thoughtful, as if recalling something.
The shinobi world had no concept of "recruiting talent."
Once someone was branded as a rogue-nin, they became the hunted prey of the Five Great Nations.
But Haruto saw things differently. If a rogue-nin possessed power and skill, why not bring them into his fold?
He didn't voice this thought aloud. Hiruzen, as the embodiment of traditional shinobi order, would never accept such an idea.
Besides, the number of rogue-nin Haruto truly considered worth recruiting was small enough that he could handle the matter personally.
And so, he decided.
When he traveled to Kusagakure for his sign-in, he would also take the opportunity to seek out a certain rogue-nin.
Orochimaru.