With One Blade, Overturning Konoha!

The war-torn Ninja World was slowly regaining its vitality. When the world's vitality reached a certain point, new conflicts would inevitably arise. Transforming this world required time and resolve. And the key to that transformation lay with a certain individual in Konohagakure, within the borders of the Land of Fire.

Konohagakure.

At the end of a certain street, Jiraiya, ice lolly in hand, repeated these words almost to himself, oblivious even as the old lolly in his grasp began to melt.

“Need something?”

A voice drew his attention. Jiraiya turned his head to find a familiar figure sitting beside him. Taking the ice lolly Jiraiya offered, Hakken looked slightly puzzled.

ANBU, ANBU reserves, and Night Owl members had all been dispatched. It wasn't that Jiraiya enjoyed special treatment and didn't have to carry out missions. After witnessing Nagato and Konan's transformations, he felt lost and had taken leave to return to Mount Myoboku, missing the departure. Once he figured out why Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko had changed, he would rejoin the team.

Hakken wasn't the unreasonable type, and neither was Jiraiya. When they couldn't figure something out, they'd keep mulling it over. But despite his seemingly unfocused demeanor, he was the most dependable companion in critical moments.

“But if you're confused, just be confused. Why come find me?”

Taking a bite of the ice pop, Hakken exhaled a puff of breath. These past few days, he'd been playing around pretty wildly with Konan, basically staying in her room the entire time. If not for Yugito cleaning up the mess thoroughly, the room would have become uninhabitable. In return, Hakken shared some secrets about Akatsuki's background with Konan.

Today, after hearing everything, Konan fell completely silent. Even stiff as she was, she didn't resort to genjutsu to escape. Instead, she proactively began a new round of service. It was clear she was more confused now than before learning the truth.

Was Akatsuki's entire existence merely a pawn in someone else's game? Using Nagato to revive Madara Uchiha? Then what had they been pursuing all along? The Sage's Eye appearing in a mortal wasn't meant to change the world—it was just one man's conspiracy...

This blow hit her hard. The future held no glimmer of hope. Ironically, it was in the arms of the man who had taken everything from her that she found a sliver of security. A wild thought even began to take root within her.

If Nagato's path was blocked, what about Hakken Yoru? What could he bring to this world? Konan was eager to see.

However, the Hakken had said all they needed to say. How Konan chose to proceed from here was entirely up to her.

Leisure time had passed. Hakken planned to depart for the moon that very day. Unexpectedly, Jiraiya called him over early.

“If possible, could you accompany me to Mount Myōboku?”

After a long silence, Jiraiya suddenly spoke.

“The Great Toad Sage wishes to see you.”

The Great Toad Sage?

“Gamamaru?”

Hakken froze, blurting out the three words. If anyone else had addressed the Sage by his full name, Jiraiya might have been annoyed. But with this particular person, he could only shake his head and sigh.

Gamamaru was indeed the Great Toad Sage's name.

Lately, however, after a confused Jiraiya sought him out for a chat, things had become rather complicated.

“The prophecy seems to have changed, though I can't quite put my finger on how.”

Scratching his head, Jiraiya spoke with some confusion. Before, the Great Toad Sage had only said that his disciple would be the Child of the Prophecy who would change the world. But now, another prophecy had emerged! A prophecy he couldn't understand at all!

“The path of change has gained another route.”

“Failure will bring the destruction of the Ninja World. Success will usher in true peace.”

Jiraiya couldn’t make heads or tails of these words. That’s why he wanted Hakken to visit Mount Myōboku personally, so that the Great Toad Sage could figure out what had gone wrong with the prophecy.

Mount Myōboku, huh? Hakken sank into thought while eating his popsicle. Truthfully, he didn’t have much affection for the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku. The first reason being their involvement in instigating Ōtsutsuki Hamura and Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo to seal away his parents. Another story of sacrificing one’s own mother for the greater good. It reminded him a lot of Itachi Uchiha’s actions in the original story.

If he could, Hakken really wanted to ask: When the so-called greater good stood with Konoha, he was willing to destroy Konoha for it. But when Konoha stood against the ninja world, and the greater good stood with the ninja world… Would he have destroyed Konoha with his own hands then?

Likewise. Ōtsutsuki Hamura and Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, those unfilial sons, killed their own mother. They seemingly saved the world. But in reality, the clumsy Kaguya Uzumaki used the Infinite Tsukuyomi merely to cultivate a weapon that could protect the world in the future. Her method was flawed. But it wasn’t impossible to change. She didn’t try to persuade her mother with words. Instead, she fought her own mother non-stop for months, ultimately sealing her away. After months of battle, the surrounding land turned into a barren wasteland, and more people died than those trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

So how can you say you saved the world? From Kaguya's perspective, she too wanted to protect the world from an invasion by the Ōtsutsuki Clan—creating a resistance force. So who truly represents the greater good? Who truly holds the righteous cause? No one can fully explain it. Only Gamamaru from Mount Myōboku—he’s truly despicable! Anyone who encourages others to kill their own parents is scum in Hakken’s eyes.

That’s why he looks down on Danzō and Sarutobi. Without their coercion and schemes, Itachi wouldn’t have fallen into such despair in the original story. Well. When did I become so hypocritical? But now that he had come to this world, Itachi had taken the gourd of sake Hakken offered him at just the right moment. So everything had already changed.

If Gamamaru truly had prophetic abilities, then it made perfect sense that he’d notice the shift in the world’s trajectory. Shoving the rest of his popsicle into his mouth, Hakken exhaled and glanced at Jiraiya.

“I was going to say, if a bunch of toads want to see me, they can come themselves. I’m not you, so I won’t call toads ‘Sage.’”

“But Mount Myōboku has indeed helped Konoha quite a bit, so I can give them this favor.”

“Just this once. Next time, they’ll need to make an appointment in advance.”

Standing up, Hakken tossed the popsicle stick into a nearby trash can and twisted his waist. Today at Konan’s place, he hadn’t just played dead. Only after stepping on the gas did a whole new world open up before him. Of course, it was good exercise for his waist.

Huh. Agreed.

Jiraiya let out a sigh of relief. If Hakken had truly refused to go to Mount Myōboku, he would have been out of options. If that had happened, the confusion in his heart might have only cleared when the day of the Ninja World’s revolution arrived.

Clearly, Jiraiya didn’t have the patience to wait for that. The moment he saw Hakken, he had already decided that the latter was the Child of the Prophecy. That’s why he was so focused on the changes in the prophecy.

What he feared the most was Hakken changing his mindset. If that happened, the entire Ninja World would likely suffer the consequences.

“Let’s go. You lead the way.”

Grabbing Jiraiya’s body, the two soared into the sky. Sign a contract, then perform reverse summoning? It was convenient, sure, but Hakken never wanted to be treated as a toad’s summoned beast. The ugliness of it was one thing; the bigger issue was that he completely didn’t trust Gamamaru from Mount Myōboku.

The ninja world wasn’t that big. With his ability to fly, he might as well enjoy the scenery on the way.

…

Mount Myōboku.

A place of legacy, alongside the Shikkotsu Forest and the Ryūchi Cave. Regarded by the outside world as one of the Three Great Sage Regions. The beings within can harness natural energy, a power known as Senjutsu.

Carrying Jiraiya along the way and admiring the scenery of the Ninja World, the two finally arrived at the foot of Mount Myōboku. After opening the barrier and stepping inside, Hakken furrowed his brow. The natural energy here was far denser than outside. Those with heightened perception could even clearly sense the natural energy drawing near.

Hakken’s perception was naturally strong. Curious, he extended his hand, and a colorful butterfly passing by landed fearlessly on his fingertip. Without rushing forward, the youth crossed his legs and sat down before Jiraiya. The butterfly on his fingertip fluttered its wings, then settled onto Hakken’s shoulder.

What is he doing?

Though curious, Jiraiya didn’t interrupt Hakken, quietly observing the changes unfolding. But the next second, his expression abruptly shifted. As someone who had also mastered Sage Mode, he understood exactly what was happening to the youth before him.

At that moment, natural energy was surging into Hakken Yoru’s body at a terrifying rate—exceeding even the amount stored within him when he was fully immersed in Sage Mode!

Delight?! No, terror was the word. As the sage who taught him Senjutsu, Fukasaku, had warned, recklessly absorbing natural energy could cause one to explode! To master Sage Mode, novices must first attempt absorption through Toad Oil.

Interrupt him?

A flustered Jiraiya grabbed a Taiseki nearby, preparing to smash it down. But a toad emerged from the corner.

“Young Jiraiya, don’t move rashly.”

Fukasaku!

Shaking his head at Jiraiya, the old toad’s eyes held profoundly complex emotions. True animals perceive natural energy with far greater clarity. It observed the energy burrowing into Hakken Yoru being absorbed with remarkable stability! Not stored, but absorbed—assimilated. Ultimately, he was beginning to fuse with nature itself!

“He’s cultivating his own perfect Sage Mode. It’s best not to interrupt him.”

Fukasaku shook his head, his mind filled with confusion. Animals could absorb natural energy because they were inherently closer to nature. But how could this kid, born into the Ninja World, maintain such a mindset? He simply couldn’t understand. Sometimes treating people too much like people is itself a form of misguidance.

After reviewing some materials on Sage Arts, Hakken formed an idea. Humans are primates themselves—why must they resort to other methods, transforming themselves into neither fully human nor ghostly beings, just to absorb natural energy? Therefore, this Sage Mode inherently contains a fundamental flaw. Humans are animals. Everything humans create stems from transformations driven by the goal of survival. But fundamentally, humans are the primate species standing at the apex of the food chain.

Given that, why resort to external methods to absorb natural energy?

Yet precedents exist. Hakken dared to absorb directly because his physique was monstrously enhanced, granting him two hundred percent control over his own body. Even Konan admitted that if he’d chosen to kill her with his first Genjutsu, she would have been exhausted to death. This statement starkly revealed the extent of this man’s bodily mastery!

Almost there.

Five minutes later, Hakken’s eyes snapped open!

BOOM! The instant his eyes opened, a faint golden light surged from his pupils straight toward the boulder ahead. Without fail, the boulder shattered instantly. As for the features that should have been affected by Sage Mode, they all converged into a golden star positioned right in the center of his forehead.

“Is this what Senjutsu chakra feels like?”

“Nothing special.”

As if recalling a scene from the original story, Hakken clenched his fist, appearing utterly nonchalant. Hmm, Madara said that too, but he still ended up using it in the end.

What the hell is this?

Jiraiya swallowed hard, his face a picture of defeat. What happened to Sage Mode being incredibly difficult to master? What about the frog-like features that were supposed to appear when entering Sage Mode? Why are you looking even cooler? And don’t you think you’re mastering Sage Mode a bit too quickly?

Even when Hakken was at his strongest, Jiraiya still believed he could become Hakken’s master in reality, teaching him step by step to become a sage when the time was right. But now... This blow was too much.

“Yoru... Hakken?”

Fukasaku Sage was somewhat calmer than Jiraiya, leaping before Hakken and nodding.

“The Great Toad Sage sensed you were coming to Mount Myōboku and sent me to greet you.”

A premonition?

Hakken nodded and followed behind him. That earlier remark was pure bluff. Sage Mode was indeed powerful; Ninjutsu Amplification by natural energy far surpassed ordinary techniques in potency. But truth be told, he didn’t rely on ninjutsu.

It wasn’t exactly embarrassing—just that from today onward, his basic strikes gained another passive ability. Where others wield blades to kill men, he wields his to slay gods! Every swing of his blade carried natural energy! Absurdly so. Thus Sage Mode still served him well.

Arriving at Mount Myōboku, mastering this technique alone was sufficient. Considering this alone, meeting Gamamaru wasn’t such a bad idea.

After trekking onward, they finally reached the grand hall atop the mountain. Jiraiya and the Sage of Shinsaku hadn’t followed him up. As an ancient sage who’d lived since the era of Kaguya, Gamamaru held the highest authority on Mount Myōboku. He wished to see only Hakken alone.

Stepping into the hall, Hakken still maintained Sage Mode, the golden glow on his forehead particularly striking. Looking up, an enormous toad made Hakken frown. A Buddhist rosary hung around its neck, with a “Maru” character at its center. Gamamaru—no mistake about it.

“You’ve come.”

“The one who will pacify this chaotic world.”

Perhaps it slept daily to sustain its life, but today it was unusually alert.

“I’m not worthy of such praise. Speak plainly if you have business.”

Bajian nodded at Gamamaru and got straight to the point.

“Good. I appreciate your directness.”

“Then I’ll ask plainly.”

“To protect this world, would you choose to create weapons using Infinite Tsukuyomi, just like Kaguya Ōtsutsuki did?”

The old man has... something.

Hakken froze. Infinite Tsukuyomi. Protecting the world. How could it know what Kaguya faced? Impossible.

“Don’t doubt it. This world originally possessed its own inherent power.”

“Like the shrine maiden of the Land of Demons—it's something chakra can't explain, because to us...”

“Whether chakra, the God Tree, or Kaguya herself, they’re all outsiders.”

“But a thousand years have passed. The original heritage has vanished almost entirely, while chakra has persisted, becoming what should have existed all along.”

Gamamaru began explaining again.

The original heritage belonging to this continent? Hakken nodded.

Indeed, the shrine maiden of the Land of Demons and the yōkai had nothing to do with chakra. Yet they still existed. The heritage was severed, and the current world system had matured anew. Chakra was now the dominant force. This was the world of ninja.

Consider Gamamaru as a being that originally existed on Earth. After being invaded, it began scheming to overthrow this foreign intrusion, but it failed. The wars of this world had never ceased.

So you've found the answer you sought?

“Kaguya’s method was wrong.”

After a long silence, Hakken shook his head. “I am not like her. If you call me the pacifier of chaos, it’s because I’ve glimpsed something.”

“I cannot give you the answer. If you wish to see it, you must continue living.”

“The only thing I can tell you is…”

“This world, in my eyes, is absolutely not the nursery of the Ōtsutsuki Clan!”

After that, Hakken didn’t continue speaking to Gamamaru. If it truly possessed prophecy, it had already seen the outcome. What good would more words do? Having mastered Sage Mode, Hakken saw no need to linger here.

As for his final words—they came from the heart. Why should this Earth be treated as a nursery by the Ōtsutsuki Clan? If it is a nursery, then it is mine!

And the so-called end of the ninja era? Sorry, but when the Kara rears its head, he’ll use his blade to show Kawaki that ninjas are still the real deal. That kind of answer... is quite good.

After Hakken departed, Gamamaru nodded within the grand hall, finally closing his eyes. The instant his eyes closed, the last flicker of life within him vanished.

Prophecy demands an equal price. He paid with his final breath, yet this time, he felt no regret. A thousand years ago, his choice had been wrong, bringing more calamity to this world. Now, he chose to believe in the person foretold by prophecy. Perhaps only such a person could truly change and protect the land beneath their feet.

…

"The Great Toad Sage has passed."

At the exit of Mount Myōboku, Jiraiya, who had been chasing after them, spoke with a hint of sorrow.

"Mm, I know."

Hakken, whose soul was exceptionally sensitive, could clearly sense that Gamamaru had been on his last legs the moment he saw him. Was he clinging to his final shred of consciousness, desperate for answers?

Sighing, Hakken stroked his Zanpakutō.

"You should return. I have a new mission for you."

Taking a swig of sake, Hakken patted Jiraiya's shoulder thoughtfully.

"Protect Konohagakure until I return to the village. I have matters to attend to."

…

Bidding farewell to Jiraiya, Hakken soared skyward and sped forward.

He descended only upon reaching the entrance of a cave bordering the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.

In the movie, the Ōtsutsuki Clan on the moon used this very passage to spy on Earth's affairs.

Calculating Naruto's age, the current Toneri Ōtsutsuki should have been born by now, and internal strife had erupted.

So going there now, eliminating Toneri Ōtsutsuki and his father would allow him to seize the Tenseigan and everything on the moon in one fell swoop.

Hakken felt no sympathy whatsoever for those two lunatics.

The ninja world created by Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki was indeed flawed, but even if it needed correction, outsiders had no right to interfere.

Moreover, their future plans to invade Earth and even covet Hinata had already sealed their fate.

Thud!

Kicking aside debris blocking the passageway entrance, Hakken stepped inside.

The bizarre spectacle from the movie unfolded before his eyes.

Yet for Hakken, whose spiritual pressure bordered on monstrous, the influence of Genjutsu was negligible.

"Father."

On the moon, within a resplendent palace, two figures sat together.

Silence reigned, broken only by puppets occasionally sweeping the immaculately clean floor outside the hall.

A civil war had erupted here 3.4 years ago.

Only two had survived.

Believing themselves burdened by destiny, they awaited the arrival of that moment.

The palace was spotless, yet the bloodstained aura left behind after slaughtering countless kin had become intertwined with their very souls.

It was a sin no amount of scrubbing could ever wash away.

"Mm, I sense it."

Nodding to Toneri Ōtsutsuki beside him, The Ōtsutsuki gently activated the nearby mechanism.

"Let the puppet handle it. The descendants of the Rikudō Sennin cannot comprehend this power."

He spoke with absolute confidence.

Yet the very next second, the Ōtsutsuki instantly lost the presence of the Ōtsutsuki Puppet!

Dead?

How could that be?

Gathering their child, the two rushed outside.

…

"The branch family's lunatic sure picks names at random. This thing was called the Otokage Puppet, I think."

In the air, Hakken flicked his Zanpakutō, feeling somewhat bored.

This thing was controlled by Urashiki Ōtsutsuki in Boruto. Since it was Boruto, its combat power was... well, everyone knew.

Looking down, two figures appeared beneath Hakken's feet.

One was a man bearing a striking resemblance to the future Toneri Ōtsutsuki, cradling a child born blind.

Undoubtedly the last two survivors of the Hamura lineage.

"Stranger, I sense no trace of the Rikudō Sennin's aura within you."

The Ōtsutsuki, eyeing Hakken cautiously, spoke first.

"Father, is he a vile Earthling?"

"Kill him now."

Toneri Ōtsutsuki's pitch-black pupils "glared" at Hakken. Thıs text ıs hosted at novel·fire·net

"A despicable Earthling?"

Hakken laughed, his grin growing more savage.

He had intended to grant them a swift end, but suddenly changed his mind.

He'd heard this boy could cultivate the Tenseigan.

Killing him would be a waste!

His Zanpakutō rose high, the surrounding atmosphere abruptly thickening.

"Your life is now mine to command!"

"God's Tears!"

Hum!

A blade of light shot skyward, a black blade flash rivaling the Golden Wheel Rebirth Explosion, slicing downward!

The lunar surface began to tremble.

A massive fissure slowly opened!

Seen from above, the entire moon was instantly split in two, revealing eerie sealing patterns and chakra within the gap.

"I spare your life. Enjoy the rest of your days bearing the title of Tenseigan Machine."

Gripping Toneri by the throat, Hakken tilted his head, shouldered his Zanpakutō, and strode toward the moon's interior.

Within, he sensed a chakra steeped in sorrow and agony.

It belonged to Kaguya Ōtsutsuki!