Beneath this superficial calm, undercurrents were brewing.
First, New Konoha was established.
This came as no surprise to the various villages; after all, they had already learned of this from the Sky Screen. The emergence of New Konoha was inevitable.
However... what did it mean that the First Hokage and Second Hokage had been resurrected?
What did it mean that, in order to quell public anger, the Second Hokage had personally executed his rebellious disciple?
What did it mean that Danzo had defected from the village?
And what did it mean that Danzo publicly claimed to have mastered the technology for extracting Honkai Energy antibodies as seen on the Sky Screen?
What did it mean that this was a "gift from the Sky Screen"?
In short, the news spreading from New Konoha was one shock after another. Under normal circumstances, other villages would have certainly sent people to gather intelligence.
However, at present, all villages tacitly regarded the Land of Fire as the territory of the First Herrscher. Before understanding that ancestor's temperament, few villages dared to make any major moves.
Even the site for New Konoha avoided the Land of Fire entirely; they directly occupied Kusagakure in the Land of Grass as the base for New Konoha.
During this process, they discovered Karin as an unexpected surprise.
Meanwhile, Danzo sought out Orochimaru, hoping to pursue a partnership. However, he was rejected by Orochimaru.
The reason was simple: the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, had personally invited him to co-construct New Konoha.
Originally, he had been hesitating, but the Second Hokage could be considered his idol. Coupled with the presence of the First Hokage, he agreed. Although he was surprised to receive the Second Hokage's invitation, he considered that the Rinnegan would not be easy to seize, especially with the variable of the Sky Screen in play.
Orochimaru had a premonition that staying in Akatsuki would eventually lead to an accident. This was another reason he accepted the invitation.
Orochimaru's rejection left Danzo furious, but he had no recourse. At this time, however, a mysterious man wearing a swirl mask sought him out.
Uchiha Obito was very interested in the technology Danzo possessed. One had to remember that he held an arm that could be called the strongest Honkai Beast. If he could utilize it...
Few could withstand such a temptation. Thus, he sought out Danzo.
Danzo had not expected that, despite hiding well, an accident would occur just after he contacted Orochimaru.
After a battle, Danzo was imprisoned by Uchiha Obito and secretly taken to the laboratory left behind by Uchiha Madara. Naturally, Obito did not let his subordinates go either; he captured everyone who could be taken alive.
Danzo originally intended to use the technology in his hands as leverage to increase his bargaining chips, but he did not expect that not everyone would grant him face.
Had it been anyone from the other villages, even though Danzo had been abandoned by Konoha, they would have responded cautiously, fearing a bite from this rat in the gutter. But he happened to encounter the schemer Obito.
And Obito happened to desperately need the technology in Danzo's hands. It could only be said that Danzo still failed to realize the heights of the heavens and the depths of the earth.
As for the other villages, while they were shocked by the various reports from New Konoha, they remained relatively peaceful. What else could they do? March to New Konoha for a fight?
Now, every village exercised extreme restraint, avoiding war as much as possible to ensure they had enough strength to cope with future changes.
Of course, not all villages were entirely peaceful.
Unbeknownst to everyone, a coup d'état quietly occurred in Kirigakure; the Fourth Mizukage died.
The Fifth Mizukage, Terumi Mei, took power.
Terumi Mei's ascension signaled the complete end of the Village of the Bloody Mist, and Kirigakure entered a phase of recovery. However, Kirigakure had been riddled with holes by the Fourth Mizukage—or rather, Obito—and had lost almost all its foundation. Only after truly taking over this mess did Fifth Mizukage Terumi Mei realize how rotten Kirigakure actually was.
If she could, she really wanted to pass the position of Mizukage down immediately! But unfortunately, that was impossible.
Terumi Mei cried herself to sleep in the restroom.
And so, time flickered by, reaching the third month since the appearance of the Sky Screen.
On this day, the Sky Screen changed once again.
Following a massive roar from the sky, the screen that had been pitch black, as if the power had been cut, showed a new transformation. Accompanied by a burst of thunder, the Sky Screen lit up once more.
Ordinary Ninja: "Has the Sky Screen, which has been quiet for three months, finally changed again?"
Ordinary Ninja 1: "The first two appearances of the Sky Screen were because a Herrscher was born. It couldn't be the same this time, right?"
At this moment, whether it was ninja or civilian, noble or the high-level officials of various villages, their hearts all sank. Things were likely moving toward the worst possible scenario.
Herrschers were continuing to be born!
"Could it be that the Ninja World is truly doomed to destruction?"
In New Konoha, looking at the changes on the Sky Screen, Jiraiya could not help but feel a wave of despair.
"Jiraiya boy, when the sky falls, there are taller ones (powerhouses) to prop it up. What are you afraid of?"
On Jiraiya's shoulder, a small toad wearing clothes spoke in a worldly, experienced tone. But its comfort had no effect.
Because Jiraiya's mind was filled with the words spoken by the Great Toad Sage.
"Jiraiya, I can no longer see more of the future. I can now only see one future, a future that is incredibly clear."
Jiraiya would never forget the Great Toad Sage's fear at that time; it was a despair born of seeing fate yet being unable to change it.
"...A future destined for destruction."
"But isn't there still a child of prophecy? You said the child of prophecy would end the war and bring peace to the Ninja World. As long as we find the child of prophecy, everything will be fine!"
Looking at the naive Jiraiya, the Great Toad Sage shook his head, closed his eyes, and did not say another word.
Jiraiya could only leave Mount Myoboku in a daze and return to New Konoha. Standing on his shoulder was Sage Fukasaku. Regarding the Great Toad Sage's predictions, while they did not believe them entirely, they did not dismiss them completely either. Most importantly, they refused to believe in that destructive future, so they decided to go to the Ninja World to see what could be done.
Thus, they came to New Konoha.
At this moment, the powerhouse Fukasaku spoke of was staring grimly at the Sky Screen.
Having executed some of the Third Hokage's old faction and used them as sacrifice for the Edo Tensei, Senju Hashirama was able to exert more influence. Yet even so, whether it was the First Herrscher or the Second Herrscher, he felt he was not their match.
What about the Third Herrscher?
Not just him, everyone was curious: who was the Third Herrscher, and what kind of power did she possess?
Thus, under the gaze of thousands, a new image appeared on the Sky Screen.
["Good evening, Miss Uzumaki Karin. Care to make a deal?"]