The First Year of Konoha
On the Hokage Rock, Wakato stood gazing at the construction of Konoha Village below, momentarily stunned by the realization.
There was no doubt about it—he had indeed traveled through time! And it wasn't just any ordinary world of "Naruto" he had landed in, but a complex matrix composed of seven parallel versions of the Hokage world. Each one was similar to the original timeline, except the points in time varied.
The system had given him a daunting main mission: "Choose a faction in each timeline to unify the ninja world and ensure peace and stability for twenty years after unification."
Completing this mission would grant Wakato an enticing reward—Immediate Immortality and Eternal Life.
There was some good news: he had the system to aid him, and it promised rewards. But the bad news? The main missions were extremely challenging, demanding nothing short of monumental effort.
This was, after all, the world of Hokage. A place where violent jutsu like Planetary Devastation could appear at any moment, a realm where tailed beasts could lay waste to entire regions with ease.
Just minutes earlier, Wakato had been an ordinary student in the modern world. Now, he was tasked with leading a faction to dominate the entire ninja world? And not just one world—there were seven of them!
Even though Wakato knew the history of the ninja world by heart, the level of difficulty here was off the charts.
Thankfully, the system wasn't leaving him completely defenseless:
Wakato could travel between different timelines at will, with ten chances each day and no restriction on how long he could stay.After binding with a faction, he would receive a newbie gift pack.Unifying a world would yield system rewards and unlock new capabilities.
Wakato thought that with the help of these system perks, he might just have a chance to pull this off. After all, the ultimate reward—Immediate Immortality and Eternal Life—was too tempting to pass up.
"Let's see what the newbie gift pack offers first," Wakato said, as he selected Konoha Ninja Village as his faction in the system interface and opened the gift pack.
Why choose Konoha?
Because it would make things easier. Although Wakato wasn't particularly fond of some individuals in Konoha, the village was, historically, the strongest and most stable choice for unifying the ninja world. It had always been the most powerful across different eras, and besides, there were the reincarnations of Asura and Indra to consider.
Choosing Konoha would be like starting on easy mode, whereas other factions would be like opting for a nightmare difficulty. Wakato was no masochist; his priority was to complete the main mission.
[Ding!—Newbie gift pack opened]
[Congratulations, you received a pair of (Rinnegan)!] (Automatically equipped)
[Congratulations, you acquired a ninja tool (Qiankun Bag)!]
[Congratulations, you obtained three (Modern Physical Exchange Coupons)!]
Wakato's excitement soared as he took out his phone to examine his new eyes. The rippling pattern of the Rinnegan had replaced his own, greatly enhancing his dynamic vision. He could even count the facets of a fly's compound eyes from afar.
It took him some time to adapt to the heightened sensory input, but he quickly noticed that he couldn't use any other abilities associated with the Rinnegan. The reason was simple: he had no chakra in his body and didn't know how to refine it.
Nonetheless, just having these eyes would be enough to command respect and caution. Otherwise, approaching someone like Senju Hashirama would be incredibly dangerous.
The system, it seemed, was indeed powerful, and the gifts from the newbie pack were quite useful.
"Alright, time to meet the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama," Wakato declared, looking towards the direction of the Hokage Building.
This was the ideal period for unifying the ninja world. The major villages were just being established, and Konoha had a nearly overwhelming advantage. With Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara together, they could practically sweep through the entire world.
But this very fact also made things difficult. Convincing powerful figures like Hashirama and Madara, who were resolute and strong-willed, to change their beliefs and align with his goals would be no easy feat. One wrong step, and negotiations could crumble, leaving Wakato to face the Susanoo-clad Hashirama alone.
...
[Timeline: First Hokage Era
Year: First Year of Konoha
Unification Progress: 30%]
Outside the Hokage Building, Senju Hashirama, just finishing his work, pushed open the door with a cheerful expression. From inside the building, Senju Tobirama's voice boomed:
"Brother, where are you going?"
"Uh..."
"Are you heading out to gamble again? Don't forget your duties; you've still got official work waiting for you!"
"No, no..."
"Or are you meeting Madara again?"
"Tobirama, how did you know?" Hashirama replied, rubbing his head with a sheepish smile.
"Hmph! The only time you're this excited is when you're meeting him!" Tobirama retorted with crossed arms.
"Hahaha, Madara asked to meet at the Uchiha clan's Nanga Shrine. It must be something important," Hashirama said.
"Nanga Shrine? That guy has been acting more and more withdrawn lately. Be careful, brother! Don't let him manipulate you again!" Tobirama warned, knowing he couldn't keep his elder brother from meeting his old friend.
"Alright, alright! Just let Mito know I won't be home tonight..."
Tobirama's expression darkened, his silence showing his disapproval.
Just as Hashirama was about to leave, a figure appeared in the hallway seemingly out of thin air. It wasn't the Flying Thunder God technique—this was far more secretive, with no chakra signature or warning at all. Hashirama's body tensed as he noticed the stranger's deep, rippled eyes resembling the legendary Rinnegan.
Maintaining his composure, Hashirama asked, "Who are you?"
"First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, do you have time to talk?" Wakato responded.
His hunch had been correct—Hashirama was the kind of person who, despite his strength, preferred diplomacy over force. If he had approached Madara, however, he might have been met with the instant activation of Susanoo and a deadly sword slash.
Tobirama instantly appeared beside his brother, drawing his katana as he confronted the mysterious visitor.
"Who are you?" Tobirama demanded.
"Tobirama, stand down!" Hashirama commanded, his authoritative tone leaving no room for argument. "Clear the room. I will speak with this gentleman alone. You may guard outside."
Tobirama obeyed reluctantly, his lips pursed as he exited without further protest.