The next day.
As the sun rose, heralding a new dawn—
Land of Lightning, Kumogakure.
A hawk cut through the clouds, descending onto the jagged mountain peaks of the Hidden Cloud.
Inside the Raikage's office, the Fourth Raikage frowned as he studied every word on the missive in his hand.
Bang!
His fist slammed into the desk, shattering it into splinters.
"Wood Style… how could it appear again? Didn't the Senju clan disband long ago?!"
The bloodline that had disappeared from history now resurfaced.
And that was troubling enough—
But worse still…
"A twelve-year-old boy wielded Wood Style to devastate most of Konoha's battlefield forces… and killed Orochimaru, one of the Sannin."
The Raikage's expression darkened further.
At that moment, two Kumogakure shinobi rushed in, startled by the wreckage of the desk.
"Lord Raikage, what happened?"
The Raikage lifted his gaze, eyes sharp and blazing. The intensity alone made the two shinobi falter.
At twelve years old, he killed Orochimaru. If that child grows unchecked… he could surpass even the First Hokage.
Why do talents like this never appear in the Cloud?
Raikage's rage simmered.
Konoha—cradle of geniuses. Over the decades, too many had risen from its soil.
Otherwise, that village would have crumbled long ago.
And yet… it still stood.
Land of Earth, Iwagakure.
In the Tsuchikage's office, the aged Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, hunched low, staring at the messenger kneeling before him.
Cold sweat trickled down the old man's wrinkled face.
"Are you certain this report is true?"
"Lord Tsuchikage, it's already spread throughout the entire ninja world. There can be no mistake."
Ōnoki slowly turned away, his voice heavy.
"An extraordinary child… miraculously inheriting the Wood Style bloodline."
Could it be… the Senju clan will once again rise in the shinobi world?
Unlike most, Ōnoki understood all too well how terrifying Wood Style truly was.
"Tsuchikage-sama," the messenger asked hesitantly, "can a twelve-year-old really kill Orochimaru, one of the Sannin?"
"Hmph." Ōnoki let out a bitter smile. "The ignorant are fearless. You cannot understand the might of Wood Style unless you've seen it firsthand. Its first wielder, Konoha's Senju Hashirama, was called the God of Shinobi."
"But this is just a child—a mere genin by age. How could he—?"
Ōnoki cut him off. "That's precisely what makes it terrifying. A genin… capable of this."
He could hardly imagine how strong the boy, Yuichi, might become in ten or twenty years.
Would he surpass Hashirama himself? Perhaps.
If so, the shadow of this boy would loom over all the other great villages… until the end of their days.
Ōnoki sighed heavily.
"Konoha… produces too many exceptional shinobi."
Land of Water, Kirigakure.
Terumi Mei studied the photograph laid before her—the image of Yuichi, alongside reports of the attack on Konoha.
"This boy… quite handsome. He'll surely become a charming man one day."
With a playful flick of her finger, she tapped Yuichi's picture.
At her side, Ao frowned. "Wood Style cannot simply be inherited at will. Since Hashirama's death, Konoha's Wood Style has been extinct. This child… he must be one of Konoha's test subjects."
Terumi Mei nodded lightly. "Likely so. Still, for one so young to defeat Orochimaru… that level of power is dangerous. Left unchecked, he'll become a threat to us."
But then she smiled faintly. "No need for us to move. There are others who won't sit quietly."
Her meaning was clear. The Cloud—second only to Konoha in power among the Five Great Nations—would not allow another "God of Shinobi" to rise unchecked.
At that moment, a Mist shinobi entered with a new report.
Ao unfolded the parchment, scanned it—then froze, eyes widening in shock.
"Impossible…"
"What is it?" Terumi Mei asked sharply.
"That boy… the one with Wood Style. It's not just that. He also shows immense talent with Water Style—just like the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama."
"Well, isn't that natural? Wood Style itself is formed from the fusion of water and earth chakra."
Ao shook his head. "No… that's not all. This comes from Sunagakure. Not only does the boy wield Wood Style—he's also mastered an instantaneous movement technique of terrifying power."
"An advanced Body Flicker?" Terumi Mei raised a brow, unimpressed. "That's hardly enough to be alarmed about."
But Ao's voice grew grave.
"A Sand shinobi jōnin witnessed it firsthand. That child used the Body Flicker to instantly kill Baki, one of Sunagakure's elite jōnin."
The room fell silent.
To kill Baki—instantly, with sheer speed—was no trivial feat.
Kirigakure's leadership understood well: Baki's reputation carried weight among the Five Nations. For a boy of twelve to erase him in an instant, with nothing more than a flicker of movement…
Sunagakure had already given him a name.
"The Flash God… Yuichi."
Terumi Mei rose slowly, her eyes narrowing.
"The Flash God Yuichi. That name will soon spread across the shinobi world."
Ao exhaled, almost in awe. "Yes. Soon, everyone will know it."
Another genius of Konoha had risen.
Somewhere in the ninja world, deep in a dark underground cavern.
Uchiha Obito stood, listening to White Zetsu's report of Konoha's upheaval.
When Zetsu finished, Obito's tone was calm, almost detached. "So… Orochimaru was killed by a child?"
White Zetsu's grin stretched, voice rasping. "Not killed. He escaped, but badly wounded. Close to death, really. Seems he's crawling to Tsunade to beg for healing."
Obito's lone eye glimmered. "And Konoha? The Third Hokage is dead. Who will they choose as the Fifth?"
"Danzo has the highest chance. With Jiraiya and Tsunade absent, he's the obvious pick."
"Really?" Obito's lips curved into a cold smile. "No… I think this Wood Style boy will be Hokage."