The End of the World.
Surrounded by vast land, the land of the Hokage world is shaped in a ring, encircled by the ocean.
Fire Nation, Konoha Village.
"Master Hokage, we've received information from the Land of Fire. It's said that there's an endless sea to the west of Yeluo City!" Kakashi appeared in Hokage's office, reporting to Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"A sea?" Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned. "What sea? Where are you talking about?"
"It's to the west of the Land of Fire!" Kakashi repeated.
"To the west? Kakashi, are you drinking too much? To the west of the Land of Fire is the Land of Sand, not the sea!" Sarutobi Hiruzen scolded, thinking that Kakashi might have been daydreaming.
Kakashi shook his head. "No, no, no. I'm talking about the area where the Kingdom of Sand used to be. The Kingdom of Sand is gone now, and in its place, there's only sea, stretching as far as the eye can see. Anbu sent people to investigate."
"What? The Kingdom of Sand is gone?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widened in shock.
If Kakashi wasn't lying, this was a terrifying development.
But Kakashi wasn't one to lie—especially not about something so serious.
"How did this happen? Could it be that the Kingdom of Sand was destroyed by the earthquake?" Sarutobi Hiruzen murmured, his mind racing.
Just then, a playful voice came from outside the door. "The Kingdom of Sand is fine. They're now to the south of the Land of Fire."
The figure who stepped in was Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin.
He'd used his network of informants to discover that, after the earthquake, the five great ninja nations had undergone massive changes. Not only that, but the effects varied greatly from nation to nation.
Sarutobi Hiruzen turned to look at his apprentice. "Jiraiya, where did you come from?"
Jiraiya was known for his tendency to disappear without a trace, making him hard to track down. But this time, he had taken the initiative to bring valuable information.
"It seems things are serious this time," Sarutobi Hiruzen said.
"Master, have you learned anything new?" Kakashi asked, his tone serious.
Jiraiya took a swig from his wine gourd and sat down at Hokage's desk. "Based on the information I've gathered, not only the Land of Fire, but other ninja nations have changed as well. The entire world seems to have been reformed. All the countries are now connected to the sea at their borders!"
Jiraiya shared the shocking information.
"A land reorganization?" Sarutobi Hiruzen whispered, his mind reeling. "What kind of power could do something like this?"
He looked at Jiraiya, then asked, "Could the Toad Sage at Mount Myōboku have done it?"
"No!" Jiraiya shook his head firmly. "I asked them. They said it's impossible."
"Not even with Sage Mode? If that's the case... then there's only one possibility!" Sarutobi Hiruzen's face darkened with worry.
"You mean... Uchiha?" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"I can't be certain, but the possibility is there. What if we're caught in an illusion right now? What we're seeing may not be real at all!" Sarutobi Hiruzen analyzed seriously.
"I'm real," Kakashi immediately spoke up.
"Me too," Jiraiya added with a shrug.
"Nonsense! How can a phantom admit to being fake?" Sarutobi Hiruzen shot a glare at both of them.
Kakashi and Jiraiya were left speechless.
"Teacher, he's getting old. He might not be able to accept such a bizarre situation for now, so let's give him some time," Jiraiya said with a shake of his head. He stood up and made for the door.
Kakashi immediately followed, flashing a smile. "Master Jiraiya, is the next episode of your... heavenly book coming out soon? I've been your fan since I was five!"
"Don't bring it up. I'm still looking for material. Without good material, I can't write the next chapter!" Jiraiya sighed.
"That's such a pity. I've watched the last episode a dozen times already. I'm just waiting for the next one!" Kakashi said with a grin.
"Don't worry, it'll come out soon enough," Jiraiya reassured him with a chuckle.
The two continued their conversation as they walked out of the office.
Yinyin Village.
Orochimaru led his subordinates to the edge of an endless sea, his expression pensive.
"What happened to this world? Why did such a change occur?" he muttered to himself.
Tayuya, one of his subordinates, scratched her head in confusion. "What kind of ability can change the landscape like this? Master Orochimaru, do you know?"
Orochimaru shook his head slowly. "This is beyond the power of any human."
As a researcher who had studied ninjutsu for years, Orochimaru was confident in his judgment. Changing the landscape of the world was beyond human capability.
"Look! What's that?" Jirōbō suddenly pointed toward the distant sea, his voice full of astonishment.
Everyone turned their attention to where Jirōbō was pointing and saw something floating toward the shore with the waves. As it drew closer, their expressions turned grim.
These objects weren't just debris—they were human remains.
The corpses were numerous and varied, floating toward the shore.
If Finn had been there, he would have recognized these as the bodies of pirates who died during the final battle between the pirates and Marines. Due to the world's reorganization, these remains had been carried by the new ocean currents to the junction of the ninja nations and the sea.
"Master Orochimaru, we should leave," Tayuya suggested, her voice filled with unease.
Orochimaru, however, stared at the corpses intently. "Wait. How are these people dressed?" He noted that their clothing didn't resemble that of any ninja.
This wasn't the clothing of the ninja world—this was something entirely different.
Suddenly, Orochimaru had an idea. He grabbed one of the corpses, a fat arm, and ordered one of his subordinates to bring him a prisoner.
With a flick of his hand, Orochimaru performed the Impure World Reincarnation.
Clatter!
A coffin burst from the ground with a deafening noise!
Boom!
The coffin lid crashed open, and out stepped a chubby woman. Her eyes scanned the surroundings, radiating a powerful aura.
It was Charlotte Linlin, one of the Four Emperors of the Sea, who had died in the last battle!