High-dimensional perspective—commanding large-scale army operations.

Zoom in—directing elite or even hero units in battle.

Or relinquish command to the system and personally descend into the field as a pure warrior, leading the shinobi army into the fray.

In command mode, you could configure various formations, construct wartime buildings, gather resources through strategic operation, and use production buildings to "manufacture" various shinobi and special unit types.

In reality, the Five Great Hidden Villages were like the five major factions in the game, each with its own special units and traits, strengths and weaknesses.

For example, the Hidden Stone Village excelled at constructing fortifications and had a natural advantage in defensive warfare. Meanwhile, the Hidden Cloud Village specialized in assault tactics—their taijutsu was the strongest of the five villages, and their speed the fastest.

Each village had its own specialties. The game, though developed by the Hidden Leaf, didn't make the Leaf invincible. Instead, it struck a careful balance—each village had unique advantages, with no absolute victor. In the end, victory depended on the player's individual skill.

The promotional video for Shinobi World War gave a detailed explanation of the game's rich features. Even from the brief introduction, one could understand what a real-time strategy game entailed.

At that moment, both the Raikage and the Kazekage sat upright—clearly, these two Kage had seen the strategic value behind this new game.

It was a valuable tool for cultivating excellent commanders at low cost. If used effectively, it could nurture many capable leaders without the need for bloody wars and high casualties.

Traditionally, every commander in the shinobi world rose to prominence over countless corpses—many of them heavily invested by their villages. Yet combat couldn't be learned purely from books.

Such was the cruel reality of the shinobi world. All major powers had abided by this rule from the start.

This was precisely why geniuses were so prized. They had higher ceilings, grew faster, and offered far greater returns on investment than the average person.

Even if geniuses came with eccentricities, the shinobi world accepted pouring resources into them as natural—even to the point where others would willingly forfeit their own share to support them.

In this cesspool of a world, survival came first.

That's also why the defection of a genius inflicted tremendous loss on a faction. The sunk cost was simply outrageous. Often, even after defection, unless the genius had killed key figures or committed mass murder, the village would choose to look the other way—hoping sentiment might someday bring them back.

Take, for instance, the Hidden Stone Village's attitude toward the rebellious youth Deidara. They chose indulgence, hoping he'd one day return and shine for the village again.

Of course, that never happened. After committing acts of terror, Deidara eventually self-destructed—leaving only a masterpiece in death and rendering the Stone's investment completely wasted.

It was a painful case, but far from rare. Ever since the formation of shinobi villages, many such incidents had occurred. Deidara was just a typical example.

So when the Raikage and Kazekage grasped the strategic value of Shinobi World War, they couldn't sit still. The Mizukage and Tsuchikage would surely react the same when they saw this portion of the livestream.

All the Kage understood—this game would greatly reduce the cost of training battlefield commanders. Even if not entirely eliminating it, for large powers like theirs, any savings could translate to immense resource preservation.

Then, a bitter realization struck the Raikage and Kazekage: the version of Shinobi World War sold externally by the Hidden Leaf was surely a stripped-down version, while the full, uncensored build would be reserved for Konoha's own use.

This wasn't paranoia. Ever since the Hidden Leaf began releasing Genjutsu-based games, they had always followed this model—every time, the other villages had to pay a price to obtain the full version.

This time would be no exception.

And so, both Kage instinctively turned their gazes toward the Third Hokage seated between them. Upon noticing each other's looks, they understood: they'd have to bleed resources again.

If there was any choice at all, they had to pay the price for the full version of a Genjutsu game with strategic potential like this.

Otherwise, cutting corners now would backfire later—when war broke out, that meager saving would come back as a boomerang, smashing them in the face and mocking their stinginess.

Such was the natural order. The shinobi world operated under a miniature dark forest theory—a unique arms race. If a rival village advanced while you didn't, you fell behind. And once you fell behind, when the next shinobi war erupted, you'd be nothing but prey on the chopping block.

No major village could accept that fate—not even the Hidden Sand, a former loser in the previous two shinobi wars.

So yes, it would be another day of bleeding.

And naturally, the hatred for the Hidden Leaf would deepen. The Raikage and Kazekage resolved to prioritize destroying Konoha in the next Great War—not out of envy for its prosperity, but because the Leaf kept seizing their interests.

As for the thoughts of the two Kage, the Third Hokage was unaware. He had no intention of speculating either. He was practically retired. Village matters now fell to Tsunade and the others.

Still, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew a little of what the new leaders like Tsunade planned to do with the Genjutsu game advantages.

They'd once told him—and he had been stunned. His mind could only scream: "They can actually do that?!"

Their plan was to differentiate pricing and shipment volumes for games like Shinobi World War based on the buyer village.

For strong nations: high prices, limited copies. For weaker ones: lower prices, more units shipped.

Two separate justifications would be offered. To the weak: "We value our friendship and thus are more generous with price and stock."

To the strong: "We value your friendship too, but we're closer to the smaller nations. They gave more, so we couldn't refuse them."

Of course, this wouldn't be handled crudely. It would be precise, and not from the official channels. It'd be done through the Hidden Leaf's PsyOps Bureau.

Currently, the Konoha PsyOps Bureau had already shaped public opinion so that outsiders believed its members were just a bunch of corrupt Konoha bureaucrats. So when they spoke, other villages were more likely to believe it than if Konoha's leadership said it directly.

After all, people always preferred to believe what aligned with their existing views.

The actual execution would be left to the professionals. And at present, the PsyOps Bureau had extremely high skill levels and experience, far surpassing equivalent personnel from other factions.

Especially now, with Konoha enjoying absolute dominance, its professionals could maneuver with ease.

Without a doubt, things had become very easy for the Hidden Leaf.

Yet while people like the Raikage and Kazekage focused on the game's strategic potential, others saw only joy: the thrill of commanding armies, of leading charges into battle.

This joy was multi-faceted—the satisfaction of standing tall and directing an army, the adrenaline of frontline combat, and the intellectual delight of outsmarting opponents.

And that was just the beginning. The true joys of this new game would only be discovered through actual play.

For now, all the people could do was imagine.

Still, shinobi, civilians, and nobles alike were brimming with anticipation.

Especially the nobles—they were beyond excited.

Although the shinobi world had endured two Great Wars, and the Warring States era lasted a millennium, the noble class had little involvement in warfare since the founding of the shinobi system.

They could fund missions, influence war developments, and supply logistics, but that was about it.

Actual battle was beyond them. Most never even got to see the frontlines, relying solely on written reports to fantasize.

Unlike commoners, nobles had time and money to spare. Cultivating refined tastes came naturally—and ninja warfare fascinated them.

But lacking chakra, they couldn't go to the battlefield. Nor could they witness the chaos. Their curiosity remained forever unfulfilled—because as much as they longed for the blood and fervor of war, they also feared death and cherished their lives.

And then came Shinobi World War—a game that let them experience the thrills of battle without risk.

It was irresistible.

Many nobles couldn't wait to play.

Fortunately for the VIP guests present, they knew that as per past launch events, once the official ceremony concluded, they'd get immediate hands-on experience.

As VIPs, they'd receive premium service—no need to queue or win lotteries like regular attendees.

Furthermore, once the event concluded, the game would go on sale. Pre-order customers could play right away. Shinobi World War had adopted a pre-sale model, and over 100,000 pre-orders had already been placed. Those buyers would be first in line.

The Konoha Game Association had long prepared for launch. Many shops had hired delivery staff—some even included shinobi.

When it came to service, Konoha's gaming industry was cutting-edge—thanks to guidance from the transmigrator, Uchiha Kei.

Now, many who hadn't pre-ordered were full of regret. They swore they'd never hesitate again.

Of course, not everyone liked the game.

Those who loathed war, or had no interest in commanding others, found the idea distasteful—even repulsive.

People had different perspectives. Naturally, reactions would vary.

Still, this game was destined to be a hit. A cultural wave was coming. Esports would soon ignite the world.

Soon after the gameplay explanation ended, Hyūga Ruyun and Yamanaka Hakuta took the stage. Their rousing voices stirred the crowd, heating up the atmosphere.

They announced the event schedule: once the official launch ceremony ended, the audience could use their entry passes to experience the new game.

The crowd erupted in cheers. Though they had expected this, hearing it confirmed made them ecstatic.

But the two hosts weren't done.

Because besides this new game, something else would be unveiled.

Without these, the event wouldn't have been so grand.

Then came the two long-awaited announcements:

—The essential ranked ladder feature for competitive gaming, and the fully prepared livestreaming system!

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