(Disclaimer: This world is not the main timeline of the Naruto storyline. Any inconsistencies with the original plot timeline are perfectly normal.)
Konoha Year 63. An era of prolonged peace. The Village Hidden in the Leaves flourished, radiating prosperity.
After completing a routine D-rank mission, Team 7 was on their way to report when they literally bumped into their elusive sensei, Hatake Kakashi, whom they hadn't seen for days.
"Kakashi-sensei! What kind of teacher are you?!" Naruto Uzumaki yelled, frustration boiling over. "You ditched us after barely ten days, leaving us to do missions alone!"
A seasoned shinobi like Kakashi was immune to such minor complaints from his subordinates. He wore the same utterly unapologetic expression he always did when late. "Ah, sorry, sorry. All the jōnin in the village got roped into some temporary assignments. Had no choice but to let you genin handle things solo for a bit."
While his flippancy was par for the course, this time the reason was actually plausible to Team 7. After all, something truly bizarre had happened in the shinobi world.
"Is it because of that thing in the sky?" Sasuke Uchiha cut in coolly, hands tucked in his pockets, pinpointing the cause of Kakashi's absence.
Kakashi nodded, his lazy demeanor vanishing as he glanced upwards, his voice dropping lower. "Yeah. We need to figure out what it is. If this isn't handled right… it could easily spark a war."
Following his gaze, a massive, rectangular black curtain hung suspended beneath the clouds. It had appeared without warning three days prior, causing significant panic within the village.
Current intelligence confirmed the phenomenon was visible with perfect clarity from anywhere across the entire shinobi continent, its angle unchanging. Every attempt to interact with it – physical force, ninjutsu, anything – proved futile. It remained utterly impervious, impossible to even approach. The black curtain simply hung there, silent and ominous, its future impact on the world a terrifying unknown.
Suddenly, the motionless curtain flared to life.
People milling about froze, instinctively looking up. The noisy streets plunged into a brief, stunned silence before erupting into frantic chatter several times louder than before. Those indoors, drawn by the commotion, spilled outside, pointing and speculating as they watched the spectacle unfold.
"Calm down! Assess the situation first!" Kakashi snapped, silencing Naruto's excited yelps. His hand flew to his forehead protector, body tensed for a potential attack from the sky.
The same scene played out with every experienced shinobi across the world.
Simultaneously, identical glowing screens materialized in the most unexpected places: the Moon, the Pure Land, the hidden realms of summoning beasts, other dimensions housing intelligent life, and even within the belly of the Shinigami itself.
In the Pure Land, the Sage of Six Paths first observed the screen above, then frowned, shifting his gaze to the swirling mists below. "What is that?" he murmured, a note of concern in his voice. "The dormant souls... they're regaining consciousness!" His form flickered and vanished.
True to his words, the souls within the Pure Land stirred, confusion erupting as they questioned their circumstances. The once deathly silent realm buzzed with sudden, chaotic life. Only the natural dissipation of souls over time and the fact that only those of significant power persisted here prevented the din from becoming utterly overwhelming.
Among the souls remaining, none held more sway than the one known as the Shinobi World's Asura: Uchiha Madara.
"...The Pure Land?" Madara regained awareness and instantly grasped his situation. Ignoring the other spirits, he vanished in a flash, reappearing in a secluded spot. After a swift scan of his surroundings, his intense focus locked onto the glowing screen.
Elsewhere in the Pure Land, the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, instantly felt the familiar chakra surge. "This presence... Madara!" Without hesitation, he set off to find his old friend, eager for a reunion chat. Even as he moved, part of his attention remained fixed on the screen above.
Within the Shinigami's stomach, Minato Namikaze was deep in his daily Tailed Beast transformation training with the Yin half of Kurama. Suddenly, harsh light flooded the dim space. Minato reflexively shielded his eyes, blinking rapidly before focusing on the screen. "What... is that!?" he breathed, brow furrowed in alarm.
Similar reactions echoed through every other dimension witnessing the screen.
Naturally, the living world remained oblivious to the upheavals in the Pure Land and other dimensions. Even if they knew, they had no resources to investigate; the situation unfolding above them was already demanding their full, frantic attention.
Fortunately, after flaring to life, the screen didn't unleash any anticipated attack. Instead, a single, furious shout echoed from it:
["YOU MONSTER!"]
[The screen illuminated, revealing a blonde boy wearing a Konoha headband. He stood defiantly within a gloomy cavern, rivers of molten lava glowing around him.]
Sharp-eyed shinobi instantly recognized the headband.
Shinobi from other villages immediately attributed the phenomenon to Konoha, their expressions hardening with deeper suspicion and wariness.
Konoha's leaders could easily guess the other villages' thoughts.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, silently set down his pipe, his face grave. "Alert the village," he commanded the ANBU beside him, his voice tight. "Initiate Level 2 Alert Status. All active missions are suspended. Every shinobi is to stand by for immediate orders."
His tension was justified. One misstep could reignite war, and Konoha would undoubtedly be the prime target. The village couldn't withstand major conflict now. The older generation of powerhouses was gone – dead or departed. The new generation hadn't yet matured. Present-day Konoha could scarcely handle a joint assault from two Great Nations, let alone the combined might of four like during the Third War.
One by one, villages activated their defenses. Civilians who had been watching the screen in the streets hurried indoors on official orders, seeking shelter from potential attacks. Intelligence units scrambled, analyzing the footage, desperate to decipher the meaning behind the images the Sky Screen displayed.
(To Be Continued)