Important intel: the Hidden Leaf Village has issued a public recruitment notice to the entire shinobi world. Anyone with a special skill or talent is encouraged to report to any local office of the Leaf's Game Guild. Those who pass the preliminary selection will be escorted to the Hidden Leaf by a Leaf-assigned convoy.

These convoys will post official missions to all the major villages. In response, the major villages will dispatch shinobi to collaborate with the Leaf personnel to ensure safe delivery.

The payment is extremely generous. The lowest-tier missions start at A-rank, and larger convoys are upgraded to S-rank. It's essentially the Hidden Leaf throwing money across the land to get everyone rich together.

The other villages are eager to cooperate, promising to accept as many missions as the Leaf issues, and vowing to complete them perfectly.

After all…

"So the Leaf really issued this recruitment to the entire shinobi world. Hmph. As expected, that village is already rotten. They're no longer a true shinobi village."

In Iwagakure, Onoki snorted coldly. His face showed disdain. Although the old man had respected the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and believed he wouldn't suddenly lose his judgment, the facts unfolding made it hard for Onoki to hold onto that belief.

When events surpass imagination and overturn long-held convictions—and when the force behind it hasn't proven its invincibility—people simply assume it's just asking to be destroyed.

Just like how America was perceived before World War II. Though modern folks know how powerful America became, with unmatched industry and economy, back then it was dismissed as an upstart. Without having proven itself in war, the world's powers mocked and excluded it from their power games.

Only during WWII, when America showcased its horrifying war production capabilities, did the world finally recognize its might.

Right now, the Hidden Leaf is in a similar position. Other shinobi villages see it investing heavily in agriculture and economic development, while its military growth seems stagnant. Internal corruption only reinforces the idea that the Leaf is in decline.

It's like how, after World War I, the major powers watched the British Empire fade. Though Britain became richer thanks to finance, the prosperity was hollow, and couldn't stop Hitler's Germany from rising.

Even Onoki, old and stubborn, had lost faith in the Third Hokage. He believed the Leaf had grown decadent after two shinobi wars, choosing the wrong path—abandoning strength for economic gain. Naturally, other villages felt the same.

In Kumogakure, the Third Raikage, A, burst out laughing. His booming voice echoed throughout the Raikage's office and even reached hundreds of meters away. Soon his son, the future Fourth Raikage, Ay, and several village elders joined in. They laughed wildly, mocking their greatest rival's collapse.

Once the laughter died down, Ay asked, "Pops, what do we do next? Do we sabotage the Leaf's talent recruitment?"

His face couldn't hide the ridicule. After all, what use was a talent pool that wasn't even filled with ninja?

Then—BAM!—Ay got slammed into a wall by his father's iron fist.

"Idiot! Why would we destroy it? If the enemy is willing to self-destruct, we should encourage it! Are you trying to remind them they're making a mistake?"

Looking at his son embedded in the wall, the Third Raikage shook his head in disappointment. Still, he didn't dwell on it and issued new orders.

"We're accepting the Leaf's escort missions. Pass the word: execute them flawlessly. Treat them like official missions from our village! Anyone who dares sabotage these convoys is our enemy. They will taste the wrath of the Lightning Will!"

"Our goal is to convince the Leaf that their path is correct—that all other villages are treating them with goodwill. Only then will they continue down this path. When the time is right, we'll make them pay dearly for it!"

The top brass of Kumogakure were elated. Maniacal laughter echoed through the room as they began scheming aloud.

They also planned to infiltrate the Leaf by sending spies disguised as recruits.

Kumogakure isn't exactly known for subtlety. Their people are too distinctive—burly, dark-skinned warriors. Anyone remotely observant would spot them instantly.

So after a careful selection, they sent out a few pale-skinned elites. One of them was a stunning blonde named Sakima, who could singlehandedly raise the village's beauty average.

Sakima never appeared in the original series because she died during the Third Great Ninja War. Her younger sister, however, is quite famous in the canon: Samui.

Yes, this Sakima is the older sister of Samui—the future disciple of the Raikage's brother. At sixteen, she's already in Kumogakure's Black Ops. Bright, efficient, with a sharp ponytail, Sakima was on the path to becoming a top strategist.

Due to her masked identity and the secretive nature of her missions, the world doesn't even know she exists.

That made her the perfect spy.

And so, Kumogakure's espionage plan began.

Meanwhile, in Kirigakure, the Fourth Mizukage Yagura had also received the intel. He, too, believed the Leaf was courting disaster, and was already drawing up plans—openly dispatching spies among them.

Because…

There was yet another rebellion in Kirigakure.

Yep, traitors again. Just another Tuesday for the Village Hidden in the Mist.

Since its founding, Kirigakure has never known peace. Even by the Boruto era, the pattern continues.

Some of Yagura's own subordinates joined this latest coup, even attempting to assassinate him. Though they failed and Yagura survived, the attack left him wounded and on leave—officially, anyway. Whether anyone believed it was another matter.

Those who fled became rogue ninja, now officially wanted. Among them were members of the Hōzuki and Yuki clans—important bloodlines in the village.

It felt like a nightmare from the Third Mizukage's era was repeating.

Still, Yagura issued arrest orders but didn't hold the clans accountable, offering them reassurance. The rebellion was quickly quelled.

Some of the defectors decided to go freelance. Others saw the Leaf's recruitment notice and were moved. They changed identities and applied at Game Guild offices across the land.

That summarizes the state of the major villages.

In addition, smaller countries and minor villages took action. Many talented individuals began flocking to recruitment centers, hoping to join the Leaf.

Of course, such bold moves caught the attention of nobles and daimyōs. After all, the Leaf was essentially poaching their labor force.

Carpenters, for example—nobles normally paid them peanuts. But the Leaf offered high salaries and stole them away. Naturally, the traditional elites weren't pleased.

However, the Leaf had already anticipated this—more precisely, Uchiha Kei had predicted it. His countermeasure: limit the recruitment numbers and offer nobles a cut of the profits through bribes.

Money talks. The nobles looked the other way.

Thus, the Leaf's recruitment campaign proceeded far too smoothly—everyone cooperated.

Far to the northwest, in the Land of Snow, their daimyō read the Leaf's recruitment order. Unlike other nobles, he valued technology. He'd even built railroads and dreamed of changing his nation's snowbound climate.

He was nothing like the conservative, decaying elite of the shinobi world. His ideas were so radical that he seemed more like a transmigrator than a native.

Unfortunately, radical thinkers often end up targeted. This daimyō would eventually be betrayed and assassinated by his own brother—with no one else batting an eye.

In the shinobi world, those who think too far ahead are often seen as threats.

The Land of Snow was small, covered in ice year-round, with little agriculture. It relied on mineral exports to survive.

The daimyō, Fubuki Kazehana, believed he was alone in his vision. But upon seeing the Leaf's recruitment order, he was deeply moved.

Due to the nation's remote location, intel reached them slowly. But this time, the message came fast because the Land of Demons next door had already opened a Leaf Game Hall.

After careful thought, Kazehana decided to visit the Leaf in person to discuss technical cooperation.

He left his brother, Kazehana Nadare, in charge while he traveled—trusting him completely. That would prove to be his fatal mistake.

Nadare was stunned… then thrilled. He'd long desired the daimyō title. With this new authority, he could inherit it without suspicion—so long as something happened to his brother.

Yes, Nadare fully expected his brother to die.

And where there's a will, there's a way.

But Nadare's ambitions were foiled.

You see, major villages were taking the escort missions very seriously. Kazehana, smart as he was, decided to travel with an escort team—a brilliant move.

What started as a simple inquiry with Game Guild staff ended up saving his life.

Nadare's plot was uncovered by elite shinobi and taken very seriously—as a threat to the mission itself. Shinobi from Fire, Earth, and Wind countries launched a joint operation, captured Nadare, and presented him to Kazehana.

The daimyō was stunned and heartbroken. His own brother tried to kill him.

A heated argument followed.

Kazehana spared Nadare's life, but sentenced him to Blood Prison—permanent incarceration.

To Nadare, this was unacceptable. A former noble, a powerful minister—he couldn't accept a life behind bars.

So, he waited… and then took his own life.

And just like that, the first villain of the original Naruto movie's timeline was erased.

Another butterfly flapping its wings thanks to Uchiha Kei.

Not that Kei was aware. Snow Country drama was the least of his concerns.

He had other things to deal with.

Because the man he just revived wasn't exactly… friendly.

"You Uchiha brat—what the hell is going on here? Why am I alive again? And where the hell is this place?"

Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, glared coldly at Uchiha Kei. The pressure he radiated was terrifying—like a dormant volcano about to erupt.

After all, Kei had revived Tobirama solo. And that didn't exactly earn him any goodwill.

The situation could've been avoided. He could've just called Tsunade, Nawaki, or even Hashirama.

But… where's the fun in that?

Kei held no goodwill for the inherently evil old Tobirama.

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