What exactly is going on in Konoha?
It wasn't just Orochimaru who was curious—at this point, the entire shinobi world had its eyes locked on the village.
Not long ago, a number of villagers had relocated from Konoha. And through their testimonies, a bizarre, unbelievable story began to spread far and wide—
One day, a massive screen suddenly appeared above the Hokage Rock. A harsh, mechanical voice blasted through every corner of the village. At the same time, blood-red characters began to appear on the screen:
[A Rule-based Kaidan is about to descend!]
[One lucky contestant will be randomly chosen from among the people of Konoha to enter the kaidan world and take on its challenges.]
[If the contestant clears the challenge, both they and Konoha will be rewarded. However, failure will bring the kaidan into reality.]
[The following are important rules of the Rule-based Kaidan. Memorize them well!]
[1. Within the Kaidan world, the contestant will lose all supernatural powers. Their physical capabilities will be reduced to the level of a normal adult.]
[2. Death inside the Kaidan means permanent death. No revival. A new lucky contestant will then be chosen.]
[3. Rules are everything. Break the rules, and the kaidan will manifest.]
[Countdown to start: 09:59…]
(T/N: Kaidan is a Japanese word, meaning "strange, mysterious, rare, or bewitching apparition")
Instinctively, no one in Konoha took the screen seriously at first. Most assumed it was some kind of enemy attack.
A person's knowledge, experience, and worldview all shape how they perceive the unknown. In ancient times, if someone saw a giant disc floating in the sky, they might drop to their knees and worship it, crying out, "The gods have come!" A modern person, on the other hand, would likely say, "It's a UFO!" and whip out their phone to take pictures. And someone who read too many web novels might immediately fantasize about aliens arriving—and themselves as the chosen one destined to save the world...
People instinctively interpret the unknown through their own lenses. So when the screen of the Rule-based Kaidan appeared, Konoha's shinobi immediately activated emergency combat protocols.
The Third Hokage personally led the ANBU to investigate and attempt to destroy the screen, only to find that no ninjutsu worked. Attacks simply phased through it, like it wasn't there at all.
Before long, the first "lucky contestant" was chosen—a completely ordinary villager.
Everyone in the village could watch the contestant's every move through the giant screen.
Even then, most shinobi in Konoha were still convinced this was an enemy plot—just a more... unconventional one. Perhaps some kind of time-space ninjutsu?
But who could have done this? Kumogakure? Sunagakure? Iwagakure?
The higher-ups in Konoha immediately locked down all comings and goings to prevent spies from leaking the incident. If word got out that something this weird had appeared above the Hokage Rock, it would be an embarrassment on an international scale.
The first contestant didn't last long. Nervous and completely untrained, the civilian quickly died in the kaidan world.
It was only after the contestant's failure, when the kaidan actually spilled out into the real world, that Konoha's shinobi realized something was seriously wrong.
A force this wide-reaching and precisely calibrated… could another hidden village really be behind it? Did they even have the capability?
In the Rule-based Kaidan, all supernatural powers were nullified—no ninjutsu, no chakra techniques. It relied on wordplay and the manipulation of logic. But most shinobi were trained for combat, not clever games. Intelligence wasn't exactly a universal trait in their ranks. And the kaidan didn't go out of its way to select smart people, either.
With one failure after another, Konoha eventually fell.
Now, the once-great village had turned into a tourist destination. Shinobi from all other hidden villages were sent to investigate. But strangely, no one who entered ever came back out. Naturally, that meant no useful intel ever got out either.
Whether the Rule-based Kaidan was real or not remained uncertain. Cynics like Ōnoki of the Hidden Stone were convinced it was all just a trap laid by Konoha, with some unknown objective. Maybe even a ploy to drag the other villages down with them.
When Orochimaru first caught wind of it, he was utterly baffled. Rule-based Kaidan? What the hell was that?
The gap between worlds was... a bit too big, wasn't it?
Wait!
Orochimaru suddenly remembered the shadowy figure stirring up chaos behind the scenes—and the Sage of Six Paths, who had supposedly lived for a thousand years.
Could this whole thing be their doing?
If power on that level was truly interfering with the shinobi world, Orochimaru knew what he'd do: run far, far away. Sure, he was curious—but he wasn't suicidal.
...
On orders from the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, a Chūnin from Iwagakure named Sōseki was now preparing to sneak into Konoha to investigate.
But his infiltration plan fell apart almost immediately—because Konoha had flung its gates wide open, welcoming all tourists with open arms.
Completely confused, Sōseki dumbly accepted a tourist brochure from the shinobi stationed at the village gates.
[Dear Visitor, Greetings! Welcome to Konoha Village. This is the official cradle for training licensed shinobi of the Land of Fire. We sincerely hope you enjoy your visit. While touring the village, please follow the rules below at all times.]
1. All Konoha shinobi wear green flak jackets and forehead protectors bearing the Konoha insignia. If you encounter someone claiming to be a Konoha shinobi who does not match this description, ignore them. Do not engage in any form of communication or contact.
2. Konoha shinobi do not form summoning contracts with crows, and villagers do not raise them. If you see any crows during your visit, please vacate the area immediately and notify a proper Konoha shinobi.
3. The Uchiha District is off-limits and not open to the public. There are no streets leading to the Uchiha compound. If a stranger claiming to be a Konoha shinobi tries to guide you there, ignore them.
4. If you see any human bearing an Uchiha fan crest or find a street that appears to lead to the Uchiha District, do not approach. Notify a proper Konoha shinobi immediately.
5. None of Konoha's shops sell crow-themed products. If you spot items with crow motifs or shapes, do not touch or purchase them.
6. If you see any tourists carrying crow dolls or wearing crow-shaped accessories, keep at least ten meters away. Do not acknowledge them or initiate any form of contact.
7. If you accidentally break any of these rules or begin to experience symptoms such as blurred vision, emotional instability, or reddened eyes, seek assistance from a proper Konoha shinobi immediately. They will escort you to the Hokage Tower.
8. You may only enter the Hokage Tower if you observe exactly four correct faces on the Hokage Rock. If there is any discrepancy, wait in place until the Hokage Rock returns to normal. Only then is the Hokage Tower safe to enter.
9. The Hokage Tower is a safe zone. If you encounter an unsolvable crisis or face mortal danger with no shinobi nearby to...
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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