The Land of Fire, an unnamed plain.

Cold winds howled, carrying the lingering echoes of the Warring States period that had only recently ended.

Yuuyi Gengetsu stood amidst it all, clad in gleaming silver armor adorned with the crescent-moon crest of the Yuuyi Clan on his arm guards. His expression remained impassive as his gaze swept over his surroundings, though the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

All familiar faces.

Retsuto. A. Byakuren. Ishikawa.

And then...

Yuuyi Gengetsu's eyes lingered on the man directly in front of him, clad in ceremonial robes of red and white, with the kanji for "Fire" inscribed on his conical hat.

Senju Hashirama.

The freshly minted First Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village.

Before that, he was known by other, far more infamous titles:

The Clan Leader of the Senju.

The God of Shinobi.

"Well, I'm flattered," Yuuyi Gengetsu said dryly, his voice tinged with bitter amusement. "The Five Kage, leaders of the great Hidden Villages, joining forces just to deal with little old me."

His eyes darted to the five hats representing "Fire," "Earth," "Water," "Wind," and "Lightning," strategically encircling him and cutting off all possible escape routes.

He couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.

What have I even done to deserve this?

No, wait—scratch that.

Is this really necessary?

He hadn't committed any atrocities, at least none that could justify this level of overkill. Ever since being reincarnated into this world, crushed to death by a rogue truck in his past life, Yuuyi Gengetsu had adhered to the noble values of a transmigrator.

Helping old ladies cross the street. Playing chess with grandpas. Buying candy for little girls. Providing porridge to the hungry. Repairing roads and bridges.

What good deed hadn't he done?

Sure, he'd occasionally "cleaned up" a few morally bankrupt bullies who exploited the weak. And, okay, he might've taken out some ruthless shinobi who slaughtered innocents without a second thought.

Admittedly, the scope of his "cleanup" operations may have unintentionally expanded over time.

After all, this world's chaotic state offended his sensibilities as someone raised under the ideals of universal education and civility.

And, conveniently, he had the power to do something about it.

Following the trail of corruption, Yuuyi's targets naturally escalated from petty thugs to gang leaders, oppressive landlords, corrupt officials, and even the long-standing aristocracy.

Nobles. Daimyō.

As for shinobi, he worked his way up from rogue wanderers to members of established clans and even the newly formed ninja villages.

This, of course, had earned him no shortage of enemies.

But Yuuyi Gengetsu didn't care.

He was the head of the Yuuyi Clan, a lineage as ancient and formidable as any.

Sure, the Yuuyi Clan had struggled in past conflicts with the Senju. But to have held their own against the mightiest shinobi clan for so long—and even forged a rare pact of cooperation with the proud Uchiha—was a testament to their strength.

Yuuyi Gengetsu's emergence as a prodigy only further cemented their prestige.

While Senju Hashirama was hailed as the "God of Shinobi," Yuuyi Gengetsu was widely acknowledged as his equal—a man whose talent and strength rivaled divinity itself.

He stood at the pinnacle of the ninja world.

And that was why he had never feared anyone.

But even the sharpest blade can slip.

This time, it seemed, he had walked straight into a trap.

The First Kazekage, Retsuto.

The First Raikage, A.

The First Mizukage, Byakuren.

The First Tsuchikage, Ishikawa.

And, of course, the ever-imposing First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.

These were not just any opponents—they were legends forged in the fires of the Warring States era, the very individuals who had ended that bloody age.

Even with his immense strength, Yuuyi Gengetsu couldn't guarantee victory against all five at once.

Especially not with Hashirama in the mix.

I'm doomed.

As if hearing the ominous cawing of crows overhead, Yuuyi Gengetsu took a deep breath, suppressing the storm of thoughts swirling in his mind. He glanced around at the Five Kage, then chuckled.

"Well, this is a rare honor. The Five Kage themselves, paying me a visit. I thought you were all busy with your Five Kage Summit, dividing up the spoils?"

At this, Byakuren, his face marked by a long scar over a blinded eye, calmly lifted his Mizukage hat and met Yuuyi's gaze.

"The spoils have been divided," Byakuren said flatly. "All that remains is the final dish: you."

Yuuyi Gengetsu arched an eyebrow but said nothing, instead shifting his attention to Hashirama.

The First Hokage, ever the honest one, sighed heavily under Yuuyi's scrutiny.

"The ninja world has finally achieved a fragile peace," Hashirama said. "No one wants to see it shattered.

"Gengetsu, you're too powerful. Your ideals are far too radical. After much deliberation, we had no choice but to act."

Yuuyi Gengetsu blinked, utterly baffled.

First of all, I'm not the Nine-Tails.

Second, radical ideals?

What did I even say?

He thought for a moment, then remembered. Oh, right. He'd casually mentioned once or twice that the Five Great Nations weren't a sign of peace, just a temporary truce; true peace required unification. He might've also joked about Hashirama being naive and Madara lacking vision.

But come on. Those were just words!

For someone well-versed in the art of online banter in his previous life, such remarks were second nature.

Do they seriously think I'd waste my life pursuing some grand unification scheme?

I'd rather spend my time developing new jutsu, raising a family, and enjoying a peaceful life.

But these people had taken him seriously.

Looking again at the Five Kage, all exuding murderous intent, Yuuyi Gengetsu finally grasped the consequences of his offhand comments.

So this is what happens when words come back to bite you.

"I was just talking nonsense. I never intended to follow through. Can't you believe me?"

He shrugged, speaking the truth with no expectation that they'd actually listen.

Sure enough, before Hashirama could respond, A clenched his fists impatiently.

"Doesn't matter!" the Raikage growled. "Yuuyi Gengetsu, whether you meant it or not, you must die!"

The others nodded in agreement.

Ishikawa, the Tsuchikage, added bluntly, "The Five Great Nations' structure is established. To ensure peace endures, we must eliminate you, the greatest threat outside our system."

Retsuto, the Kazekage, smiled thinly. "The daimyo are also dissatisfied with you, Gengetsu. You've upset the established order too many times. Blame yourself for defying the hierarchy."

And so, here they were, the Five Kage united in their goal to erase him from existence.

Well, this is awkward.

Yuuyi Gengetsu sighed, dusting off his armor. His gaze turned cold and sharp, like a predator preparing to strike.

At the same time, the Five Kage tensed, ready for battle.

Hashirama, however, looked regretful. He had always admired Gengetsu's talent and had once invited the Yuuyi Clan to join the Hidden Leaf, despite their bloody history. But that invitation had been declined, and now things had come to this.

"Enough talk," Hashirama said, his tone resolute as he reached for his hat.

The killing intent in the air thickened.

But just as Hashirama was about to make his move, Yuuyi Gengetsu raised a hand.

"Wait a moment," he said.

Hashirama froze mid-motion, his serious expression replaced by confusion.

The other Kage hesitated, equally puzzled.

Was Gengetsu about to beg for mercy?

Ignoring their confusion, Yuuyi Gengetsu focused inward.

Then, a mechanical ding echoed in his mind.

Finally, his long-awaited cheat system had arrived.