Land of Fire, an unnamed plain.
A cold wind howled, carrying with it the lingering tension of the recently ended Warring States period.
Clad in silver Warring States-era armor, the emblem of the Sanshi Kōgetsu ninja clan etched onto his armguard, Yuyi Kurotsuki swept his gaze expressionlessly across his surroundings—before his lips twitched violently.
They were all familiar faces.
Retto, A, Hakuren, and Sekkō.
And—
Yuyi Kurotsuki's eyes lingered on the man standing directly before him, dressed in a red-and-white sacred robe, a conical hat bearing the character for "Fire" resting atop his head.
Hashirama Senju!
The freshly appointed First Hokage of the newly founded Hidden Leaf Village.
Before this title, he had been known by another, far more infamous one.
Leader of the Senju Clan!
The God of Shinobi!
"You really think highly of me," Yuyi Kurotsuki remarked dryly, forcing a humorless smile. "The Five Kage of the great hidden villages, joining forces just to deal with little old me?"
His eyes flicked between the five Kage hats—Fire, Earth, Water, Wind, and Thunder—positioned around him, sealing off any possible escape route.
What did I do to deserve this?
No—
Was this even necessary?
He hadn't committed any atrocities.
True to the noble qualities of a transmigrator, ever since being isekai'd by a truck-kun's mercy, he had lived a life of kindness.
Helping old ladies cross the street, playing shogi with elderly men, buying lollipops for little girls, distributing food to the needy, building roads and bridges—what charitable deed hadn't he done?
At worst… he might have casually eliminated a few thugs who bullied the weak and oppressed the innocent.
And perhaps a handful of cold-blooded shinobi scum who treated human lives like trash, slaughtering without remorse.
Of course, it was only natural that the scope of his "cleanup" had expanded over time.
How could someone who had undergone nine years of compulsory education—and wasn't a complete failure—not be disgusted by the state of this world?
Especially when he had the power to do something about it.
So, starting from petty thugs, his targets had gradually escalated—corrupt landlords, tyrannical officials, and even the long-standing, high-and-mighty nobility.
And among shinobi? His purges had expanded from rogue ninja to certain clan members, and even the newly emerging shinobi of the hidden villages.
This had undoubtedly earned him many enemies.
But Yuyi Kurotsuki didn't care.
Who was he?
The current head of the Kurotsuki Clan, a lineage of ancient prestige and fearsome reputation.
Sure, the Kurotsuki had faltered in past conflicts against the Senju.
But the fact that they had fought against the strongest shinobi clan in the world for so many years—and even secured a mutual cooperation pact with the notoriously arrogant Uchiha Clan—spoke volumes about their might.
And with his rise, the Kurotsuki's influence had only grown.
While Hashirama Senju was hailed as the God of Shinobi, Yuyi Kurotsuki was recognized as the greatest genius among shinobi, a man who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with a god.
His power had long since placed him at the pinnacle of the shinobi world.
That was why he had always acted without fear.
But even the most careful walker would eventually slip.
This time… he might have stepped into a bottomless pit.
His heart sank as he took in the figures before him.
First Kazekage: Retto.
First Raikage: A.
First Mizukage: Hakuren.
First Tsuchikage: Sekkō.
And Hashirama Senju, the man who still made him wary even now.
All five were Kage who had clawed their way out of the brutal Warring States period, ultimately bringing an end to that era.
Yuyi Kurotsuki was strong—but even he couldn't confidently claim he could take on all five at once.
Especially when one of them was Hashirama Senju, a man who might as well have been cheating.
I'm screwed. Completely screwed.
It felt like a murder of crows was circling above him, cawing his doom.
Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the storm in his mind and forced a smirk.
"What an honor! The Five Kage themselves, gracing me with their presence. Weren't you all supposed to be at the Five Kage Summit, dividing up the spoils?"
Hakuren, the First Mizukage—a man with a long scar running through his blind left eye—adjusted his hat and replied calmly,
"The spoils have already been divided. The only dish left unclaimed… is you, Yuyi Kurotsuki."
Yuyi Kurotsuki glanced at him but didn't respond, instead turning his attention back to Hashirama Senju.
Hashirama, ever the straightforward man, sighed under his gaze.
"The world has finally achieved a fragile peace. No one wants to see it shattered."
"Kurotsuki… you're too strong, and your ideals are too extreme. After much deliberation, this was the only solution."
Yuyi Kurotsuki blinked.
First of all, I'm not the Nine-Tails.
Second—extreme ideals?
What did I even say?
He wracked his brain for a few seconds before recalling—
Oh. Right.
He might have mentioned that the Five Great Nations and their hidden villages weren't a true peace, just a twenty-year ceasefire.
That true peace could only come through unification.
That he laughed at Hashirama's lack of foresight and Madara's lack of wisdom.
That's it?
That was just talk!
For someone who had spent his past life mastering the art of keyboard warfare, this was just casual banter.
Did he actually have any intention of unifying the shinobi world through sheer effort?
Hell no.
He'd much rather spend his time researching jutsu, expanding his clan, and living a quiet, comfortable life.
Why the hell were they taking him so seriously?
His eyes swept over the five Kage, their killing intent palpable.
For the first time, he truly understood the consequences of running his mouth.
"I was just talking. I never actually planned to do any of it. Believe me?"
He shrugged, offering a final, honest explanation—though he didn't expect them to buy it.
Sure enough—
Before Hashirama could respond, the First Raikage, A, clenched his fists impatiently.
"Does it matter? Yuyi Kurotsuki—you're dying today."
The other four Kage nodded in agreement.
Sekkō, the First Tsuchikage, cut straight to the point.
"The Five Great Villages have already been established. To ensure this peace lasts… you, the greatest external threat, must be eliminated."
"The daimyō despise you," Retto, the First Kazekage, added with a grin. "They've been begging for your head. Blame yourself for overstepping as a shinobi and offending your betters."
The Land of Wind was a harsh place—mostly desert. To fund his village, Retto had even given up his claim to tailed beasts in exchange for financial support.
Many daimyō and nobles, fearing they'd be next, had placed a hefty bounty on Yuyi Kurotsuki's head.
And as the nominal rulers of the hidden villages, the daimyō controlled the funds the villages desperately needed.
Crossing them was a death sentence.
Add to that the fact that Yuyi Kurotsuki—independent of the Five Great Villages—was a thorn in their side…
Well.
It was no surprise that after finalizing the world order and dividing the tailed beasts at the Five Kage Summit, the Kage had seized the opportunity to ambush him.
One-on-one? Even if they could win, Yuyi Kurotsuki could easily escape.
Five-on-one?
There was no running.
From the moment they arrived, his fate had been sealed.
In the future, Madara Uchiha would earn the distinction of fighting all five Kage alone.
But now, decades earlier, Yuyi Kurotsuki was being granted that same "honor."
And with Hashirama Senju in the mix?
He had no illusions left.
As Sekkō said—whether because of his ideals, his defiance, or simply because his right foot had stepped on an ant…
He was a threat that had to be removed.
All for the sake of the Five Great Villages' dominance.
"I got careless."
Yuyi Kurotsuki shook his head.
He had considered that his existence might make him a target.
But with his strength, he hadn't worried much.
Complacency was deadly.
He'd assumed the Five Kage Summit was just about dividing the tailed beasts and forming alliances.
Instead, they'd pulled this stunt.
The Five Kage, ganging up to ambush a young man like me!
You should be ashamed of yourselves!
But—
Did they really think they could walk away unscathed?
His expression darkened as he brushed the dust off his armor.
His gaze sharpened, dangerous.
At the same time—
Sensing the shift in his aura, the five Kage tensed, readying themselves for battle.
Hashirama, however, wore a trace of regret.
He had always admired Yuyi Kurotsuki.
When Konoha was first founded, he had even invited the Kurotsuki Clan to join.
Despite their bloody history.
Despite the fact that his younger brother, Tobirama Senju, had died at their hands.
If he could welcome the Uchiha, why not the Kurotsuki?
But Yuyi Kurotsuki had refused.
As someone who knew the future, he had no interest in bowing his head to a village destined for endless strife.
He knew exactly how the Senju and Uchiha would end up.
And his clan would never accept living alongside their former enemies.
Unlike the Uchiha—proud as they were—the Kurotsuki had too much history with the Senju.
Thus, in the decades after the Warring States period, the once-great Kurotsuki Clan faded into obscurity.
(Though, compared to the Senju and Uchiha—who would eventually be reduced to a handful of survivors—the Kurotsuki's fate wasn't that bad.)
Unaware of this future, Hashirama could only sigh.
Normally, he would never agree to something like this.
But the Fire Daimyō had insisted.
The other Kage had unanimously supported it.
And his brother, Tobirama, had pushed relentlessly.
In the end, he had no choice.
All for Konoha.
His hand touched the "Fire" character on his hat.
His gentle eyes hardened.
The wind itself seemed to freeze.
A killing intent so dense it choked the air settled over the battlefield.
Hashirama prepared to strike—
When suddenly—
Yuyi Kurotsuki raised a hand.
"Wait."
Hashirama paused, his momentum broken.
Confused, he and the other Kage stared at Yuyi Kurotsuki.
Was he begging for mercy?
Or about to curse them out?
But Yuyi Kurotsuki paid them no mind.
His focus was entirely inward—
Because at that moment—
A mechanical ding echoed in his mind.
The system he had been waiting for…
Had finally arrived.