Konoha.
With the mighty Ninja Allied Forces marching out, the gates of Konoha saw a spectacle never before witnessed since the village's founding.
A black sea of ninja, thousands strong, left in organized formations under their elite Jonin captains.
Inside the castle.
"War, huh?"
Watching the countless ninjas outside, Kaguya frowned slightly—she hated war.
"Kaguya, do you see? This is our kingdom."
Shirou looked at Kaguya with admiration. In just a month, she had made remarkable progress—even with her former power sealed.
"Kaguya, you were born with immense chakra. The Rasengan and Shadow Clone techniques suit you well. I believe in your abilities."
He shook his head, recalling how the progenitor of chakra was sealed by plot armor. But now, things were different. Kushina and Mikoto personally trained her, and Kaguya's talent meant she only needed to see something once to learn it. She was rapidly absorbing battle experience.
Kaguya, once a blank slate, soaked up the deceptive tactics of ninja combat.
"Husband, though I don't remember the past, my heart tells me that when night falls, our enemies are out there in the sky. They will come, sooner or later."
A trace of fear flickered in her eyes as she voiced her inner anxiety—a trauma rooted deep in her soul.
"Kaguya."
Shirou gently embraced her, soothing her fears.
"You're not alone anymore. We'll face our enemies together."
Her heart gradually calmed, and she gazed quietly into his eyes, feeling protected for the first time in her millennia of loneliness.
Fragments of memory flashed through her mind, making her more aware of the threat she feared.
"Husband, if in the future I become a villain from the stars—a destroyer of peace—will you still protect me?"
Her calm voice took Shirou aback for a moment.
Had Kaguya regained her memories?
No—not all, just some.
"Destroy peace? If it wasn't you, someone else would come to destroy it. And you said 'villain'? I never claimed to be a good person."
Shirou smiled. He never pretended to be a hero; peace was just a side effect of his ambition.
But for the world, peace was essential.
Hearing this, Kaguya's lonely heart warmed, and she smiled.
"My husband, I trust you."
Kaguya was truly naive—otherwise, as the progenitor of chakra, she wouldn't have ended up like this.
She looked at the departing ninja army, and as Shirou prepared to leave for battle the next day, she remembered Kushina's advice on how a wife should behave.
"Husband…"
She slipped off her high heels, revealing flawless feet and legs beneath her royal robes.
"Someday I'll tell you everything. We are one, always…"
Kaguya, lonely for a thousand years, found fulfillment in these days—having someone to protect her, even learning how to please her husband.
Left alone in her luxurious palace, Kaguya gazed at the moon, murmuring:
"Ootsutsuki! Divine Tree! I'm not alone anymore. I won't be afraid or repeat my mistakes from a thousand years ago!"
Kaguya's memories had fully returned, but behind her strength was a void she now filled with love. She greedily wanted to hold onto this feeling of being protected.
So, she pretended to still have amnesia in front of Shirou.
"The traitors born from the Divine Tree's fruit—I won't be soft this time. I'll turn you back into pure chakra."
Thinking of her two children, Kaguya caressed her full belly and smiled.
"Shirou-sama, this time, we'll reclaim the Divine Tree's power and nurture our child."
A thousand years ago, the Divine Tree's power and endless loneliness led Kaguya to create two children out of fear. She had hoped not to be alone but was betrayed.
This time, she had let go of her anger.
"Hamura and Hagoromo, you made your choice. Now it's time to return what's mine—or I'll take it back myself."
Kaguya gazed quietly at the moon.
Before that, she needed her power back.
Note: In Kishimoto's manga data, Kaguya was revered as the Rabbit Goddess, giving birth to two children through the people's prayers. The anime invented the Land of Ancestors.
...
In the forest, countless ninjas head for the front.
"Sasuke, this time I'll prove I'm stronger than you!"
Sixteen-year-old Naruto Namikaze, now a famous elite jonin, smiled brightly, earning everyone's trust.
With his father's Flying Thunder God and vast chakra, he was among the strongest.
"Tch, I'm not bad either."
This world's Sasuke Uchiha, less cold and more cheerful, had mastered the Nine-Tails and was exceptionally powerful.
Their vice-captains, Itachi and Shisui, exchanged smiles.
"Minato-san, Naruto's progress is amazing."
Itachi commented, and Minato replied humbly:
"Naruto is strong, but still lacks battle experience."
No father wouldn't be proud of such a son.
"But I heard, among Naruto and Sasuke's peers, the Hyuga heiress is the strongest."
Suddenly, Kakashi appeared, his words leaving Itachi and Minato speechless.
Both wanted to boast about their younger kin—but Kakashi's words shut them down.
Kakashi feigned innocence, but his eyes sparkled mischievously.
Hinata Hyuga, after her Byakugan evolved, could even see spatial ripples, countering space-time ninjutsu.
Despite Naruto and Sasuke's hard work, she remained the mountain they couldn't surpass.
"Kakashi, when I was your age, Naruto was already in ninja school."
Minato's gentle jab made Kakashi's eye twitch.
So Minato is secretly savage!
"No rush. After the war brings peace, I'll get married too."
Kakashi said calmly. In this world, Uchiha Shirou cared for the elite jonin, even arranging marriages for them, especially for Kakashi, who had inherited a Sharingan.
Kakashi's future partner was an Uchiha woman, and he was secretly happy—his children would inherit the Sharingan, and he could teach them its secrets.
"Minato-sensei, this time Shirou-sensei has uncovered the Akatsuki's secrets—or rather, the traitorous masked man!"
The mention of Obito made Minato fall silent.
Obito's betrayal was a heavy blow.
Kakashi was indifferent; in this world, he and Obito were only classmates, not close teammates.
Mentioning Obito made Itachi and Shisui serious.
As Obito's former captain, Minato listened as they declared:
"After learning what he's done, Shirou-sensei, as Uchiha clan head, has expelled him from the clan and erased his surname.
Our mission: reclaim the Sharingan from this traitor!"
That was the Uchiha stance.
They had stripped Obito of his name and focused on reclaiming his eyes.
Itachi and Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan glinted.
"Obito is no longer a Konoha ninja. He's the most wanted traitor!"
Minato sighed.
"It's my fault. I failed to see Obito's true nature, and he twisted under pressure."
Only Minato felt any sentiment for Obito; the others had none.
"As his former captain, it's my responsibility."
But given everything Obito had done, Minato's resolve hardened.
He would fix his past mistakes personally.
From afar, Jiraiya watched the ninja march, sighing.
"Never thought I'd live to see such a massive war, with Sand, Stone, and Mist all involved."
A deep, raspy voice startled Jiraiya—Orochimaru was beside him.
"Hey, you two, don't cause trouble!"
There were two Orochimarus—one from this world, and one revived from another world.
Both eyed Jiraiya with mocking amusement.
"Edo Tensei—looks like Obito got the technique from Danzo, or planned it long ago.
Many strong ninjas failed Edo Tensei—either because their souls were sealed or because they were already summoned!"
The two Orochimarus exchanged excited glances, licking their lips. The ninja world's secrets would soon be revealed; this was why even they joined the war in person.
But their obsession with the truth only left Jiraiya feeling miserable—he was alone, while even Orochimaru had company.
In the forest, thousands of ninja marched openly—their destination clear:
The Land of Lightning!
The last piece of the unification puzzle.