Under the scorching sun of Konoha, after more than a decade, countless Leaf shinobi stared in terror at the shadow cast beneath the blazing sun.
Sealed-away memories of fear resurfaced, making the faces of many in Konoha fill with horror. Shouts erupted everywhere.
"Run!"
"I will make you feel my pain!"
Feel my pain!
Such familiar words. But this time, as the furious roar echoed above Konoha once again, everyone's faces showed only fear.
At this very moment, Naruto Uzumaki, the only one with the power to change things, could only watch, his eyes wide in anguish—he was being restrained.
Almighty Push!
With a thunderous shout from Nagato high in the heavens, a terrifying force of repulsion suddenly swept forth.
In the next instant, the ground of Konoha trembled. Houses collapsed in the blink of an eye, and the earth's surface was laid bare in the village's center.
That terrifying repulsive force, like a hurricane, swept violently in all directions.
In a flash, countless buildings in Konoha were flung to the outskirts like garbage, while a massive crater appeared in the heart of the village.
"No!"
At that moment, Naruto was being held back by Momoshiki Otsutsuki. Seeing the devastation unfolding in front of him, he howled in agony.
"Don't!"
But the power would not stop because of his anger. Instead, the countless structures that Konoha had developed over the years were instantly swept aside like trash.
Especially the village gate—under the might of this force, debris was blasted outward violently.
It looked as if only building debris was being expelled, but amidst the wreckage lay countless ninja corpses.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Watching from afar, Momoshiki and Kinshiki Otsutsuki sneered with mockery.
They didn't know exactly what was happening, but it was clear this was internal strife.
"Nagato!"
Naruto roared furiously, glaring at the figure above.
But Nagato, who once made Konoha relive its old fears, now looked back at Naruto with only cold indifference.
"Naruto, this is just returning things to how they were. Since you broke your promise, I'm simply restoring it all."
Nagato's cold voice echoed over the ruins of Konoha, where many battered shinobi remained.
One by one, these ninjas stared blankly at the destruction and the voice from above, and in that moment, realization dawned.
All of this had been caused by their own Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki.
"Demon Fox! I told you he would doom us…"
Amidst the chaos, a blood-covered chunin stared at the bodies of his family and friends and laughed maniacally.
He pointed at the golden Nine-Tails in the distance and shouted, "The demon fox only brings disaster! We had years of peace before it arrived. Since the fox appeared, Konoha has known nothing but calamity—even the whole ninja world!"
"It's all the demon fox's fault…"
Some ninjas, though still rational, choked back tears: "Lord Hokage, why did you break your promise…?"
"This is all because Hokage broke his word…!"
"Konoha's disaster was for such a ridiculous reason…"
Many shinobi were angry and sorrowful, but even more were lost.
That such a ridiculous reason could bring disaster to Konoha…
"No!"
Naruto roared from afar. In a flash, the Nine-Tails erupted, and he charged at Momoshiki and Kinshiki.
But in the ruins, Shirou watched with sudden clarity.
"Sage of Six Paths' tricks, huh? Not bad, but it's just a desperate struggle."
Shirou smiled calmly, then walked toward the Five Kage.
"Nagato, do you mean to erase everything Naruto has done?"
Upon seeing Konoha reduced to rubble, Kakashi Hatake charged at Nagato with purple lightning flashing in his hand.
Nagato, cold and unfeeling, fought Kakashi fiercely.
"Cough, Naruto…"
In the ruins, a weak voice came from the blood-soaked rebar. Skewered was none other than Shikamaru. His face pale, he managed a bitter smile as he gazed at the shattered village.
Suddenly, another figure appeared behind him.
"Heh, heh… Nara clan's brainy brat. Seems your luck's run out this time."
Kakuzu's cold voice echoed as his green eyes glinted. In Shikamaru's terrified gaze, Kakuzu's hand reached for his heart.
"No! Don't…"
No one can face death calmly—especially one too young to die. Shikamaru stared at his killer in terror and despair.
"Shikamaru!"
Squelch!
Blood splattered. Shikamaru's eyes widened as a hand pierced his chest, pulling out his still-beating heart.
"Heh, this is a ninja's fate."
Kakuzu was colder than anyone. He knew he was being used, but did it matter?
Ninjas were meant to die sooner or later.
"No… Don't…"
Staring at his own beating heart, Shikamaru trembled with hopeless terror. Another squelch—and his heart was crushed before his eyes faded to gray.
"Dead, huh?"
Kakuzu stood over Shikamaru's corpse, indifferent. For him, this was vengeance.
The body hanging from the rebar was lifeless. Shikamaru's eyes were gray; he'd already fallen into darkness.
"Shikamaru!"
From the ruins, Akimichi Choji wept as he saw his friend's corpse, charging forward in rage.
"I'll avenge Shikamaru!"
…
Meanwhile, in another fierce battle, the golden Nine-Tails was defeated before countless shocked eyes.
"Impossible!"
"How could Lord Hokage lose?!"
"Naruto!"
Though many resented Naruto for Konoha's disaster, his sudden defeat still struck terror into every shinobi.
Momoshiki and Kinshiki, with cold eyes, never spared a glance at Konoha's ants. They simply took the captured Naruto Uzumaki and left.
All of Konoha was plunged into chaos.
Shirou watched from a distance, a cold smile on his lips.
"Like the Eight-Tails' escape tactic, not bad at all."
After Momoshiki and Kinshiki left, the destructive battle ceased, and only the cries of the people echoed over the ruined village.
Outside Konoha's gate, Boruto Uzumaki, bloodied, watched the battle's end in panic.
"Father…"
He had been ready to become a missing-nin, but seeing his father captured…
Just then, a hoarse laugh came from the half-White Zetsu, controlled by Black Zetsu.
"Heh, Boruto, you worry too much. Naruto Uzumaki is the Child of Destiny, blessed by the Sage of Six Paths. He won't die so easily.
Remember, even the Rinnegan can't see through Shadow Clone Jutsu, let alone advanced clones like the Eight-Tails' trick…"
As Black Zetsu's voice echoed, Boruto's face turned to shock.
"You mean—my father—Naruto Uzumaki wasn't captured?"
White Zetsu looked at Boruto, his eyes filled with mockery and vengeful excitement.
It was Naruto who had sealed his mother and even him in the Dimensional Sphere.
Revenge!
He wanted revenge!
White Zetsu said with a mocking, hoarse voice: "Boruto, Naruto is fine, but if you stay in Konoha, you're doomed. After all, you just killed so many villagers."
Swish!
Boruto's pupils shrank. He looked down at his bloodstained hands, at the corpse he'd just killed.
"No! I can't be caught!"
Consumed by darkness, Boruto fled toward the forest.
Meanwhile, Leaf shinobi discovered the scene.
"It's Boruto Uzumaki! He killed our comrades—after him!"
"Damn it! Traitor Boruto!"
"Chase the traitor!"
Angry shouts echoed from the forest as Boruto fled, full of resentment and fury.
"Why should whatever the Hokage says go? How was using scientific ninja tools cheating? If you think like that, no one in the ninja world should use advanced tools or jutsu… What kind of ninja is that? Even samurai aren't this stubborn…"
Boruto's anger flared as he thought of his unfair treatment.
His hands were already stained with blood; there was no turning back.
"Boruto, there's no going back now. You've killed so many Leaf shinobi. Unless your father protects you, but do you think he will?"
White Zetsu's hoarse voice taunted him, making Boruto's face grow even more furious.
No!
Looking at Naruto's hypocritical face, Boruto knew his father cared more about being Hokage than about him. Anyone who threatened that, even his son, was an enemy.
Boruto fell into utter despair. He roared:
"You monster, there's no going back for me! I don't care what your goal is—I'll sell my soul to you, even if you're a demon! I just want power. I'll destroy Konoha, destroy what he cares about most. I want revenge! I want him to know what a mistake it was to abandon me!"
Twisted ninja world ideals, combined with Naruto's stubbornness, had dragged the world back into the old ways after the Fourth Great Ninja War.
It was under these twisted beliefs that so many tragedies were born.
Boruto was one of them. Out of love turned to hate, he wanted revenge—he wanted to see Naruto's tears of regret.
"Good, I accept your soul."
Watching Boruto's fall, White Zetsu grinned with excitement.
"Now I'll help you sense your pursuers. Do as I say and escape first. I'll give you power. In exchange, nothing of yours will be your own anymore, hahaha…"
White Zetsu's hoarse, excited laughter echoed. The thought of turning Naruto and his son into bitter enemies thrilled him.
"Don't worry, Boruto. Momoshiki and Kinshiki just left, everyone's wounded, and there are two more enemies in the village.
Nagato and Kakuzu might not be the strongest, but Konoha is at its weakest now. They'll be too busy to chase you…"
As White Zetsu spoke, more sounds of battle erupted from within Konoha.
Boruto lowered his head and ran.
…
Konoha.
"Why! Why did you do it?!"
Naruto Uzumaki, battered and furious, smashed his fist into Nagato's face.
At the same time, Sasuke and others unleashed their strongest jutsu in anger.
"Naruto Uzumaki! I once entrusted the ninja world to you, thinking you'd lead us to a new future.
But not only did you break your word, you let us stay stuck in the past. That proud smile on your face—what have you ever done all these years?"
Nagato roared in fury as he was beset from all sides.
He could tolerate Naruto's broken promise, but not this.
"What have you brought to the ninja world? Do you think this is peace? The world is still full of misery.
So now I'll make you feel pain like never before—only then will you have the resolve to change the world!"
With a furious shout, Nagato clapped his hands.
Seeing this, Sasuke shouted, "Naruto, be careful! That's Chibaku Tensei!"
Chibaku Tensei!
As Nagato shouted, a black orb floated into the sky from his palm.
The earth trembled as countless ruins were drawn upward, forming a massive stone sphere in the sky.
Naruto stared, eyes bloodshot. Too much had happened in one day.
His son had defected—killing so many villagers.
The Otsutsuki had come, nearly killing him. If not for the Sage of Six Paths, he would have died.
And now, Konoha had suffered disaster again—at the hands of Nagato, of all people.
Tears of regret streamed from Naruto's eyes as he screamed:
"No! Why must I face all this? I won't allow anyone to destroy Konoha! Not even my friends, my son, my family!"
With a furious roar, Naruto summoned the giant golden Nine-Tails and fired a massive Tailed Beast Bomb at the Chibaku Tensei above.
Boom!
A blinding flash filled the sky as the Chibaku Tensei exploded. Debris rained down on Konoha.
And once more, cries and screams for help filled the village.
PS: Boruto verse getting hated so much.