[Organization Event — Heaven and Earth Battlefield:]
[1. Battle begins at 21:00 on Wednesday;]
[2. Organizations founded for more than two days and with over half of their members having participated in Blessings during that period are eligible to compete;]
[3. Members who have joined an eligible organization for more than 24 hours may participate.]
[4. Matching begins at 20:45, lasting five minutes. Organizations that fail to find an opponent will automatically advance;]
[5. This event matches opponents randomly within the same server. Each battle will feature three organizations in a three-way arena clash;]
[6. The battlefield is divided into Heaven Battlefield and Earth Battlefield. Each organization can send five members into each field, and once selected, choices cannot be changed;]
[7. Final rankings will be determined by the total points accumulated in both Heaven and Earth Battlefields;]
[8. The organization with the highest score will have all participating members receive the full Asuma Sarutobi Card reward.]
"Asuma, huh… it's about your turn."
Kakashi leaned against a tree, carefully reading through the event details for the organization activity that would begin in two days.
Neither Asuma's debut nor the introduction of a large-scale group event like this surprised him.
Konoha was the strongest among all the ninja villages in the world, but the number of Jōnin was actually quite small.
The most well-known within the village were Hatake Kakashi, Might Guy, and Sarutobi Asuma.
Now, the three of them had gathered once again — though this time, inside the game.
And as for organizations — there was nothing to explain. The moment they were unlocked, Kakashi knew this feature would eventually arrive.
"Looks like I can't really refuse Naruto's invitation anymore."
He casually tapped the invitation that had just popped up on his phone.
Naruto had approached him not long ago. Though Kakashi had replied that he'd think about it, in truth, he had no reason to refuse.
Events like this one would only become more common in the future, and having an organization made everything much more convenient.
Putting his phone away, Kakashi walked toward a nearby spot where a memorial stone stood, engraved with countless names.
He gently ran his fingers over one of them.
"Obito, you'd never imagine how much the ninja world has changed. Everyone's busy preparing for this..."
He paused, unable to find the right word to describe the situation. A helpless smile crossed his face before he turned and walked away.
From the shadows of the very tree Kakashi had just leaned against, a dark figure silently stood.
The person was completely wrapped from head to toe, a mask covering his face. His presence was so quiet that not even Kakashi could have sensed him.
Who else could it be but the very one Kakashi had been mourning?
Obito tilted his head slightly, watching Kakashi's departing back, and then muttered a single line before vanishing.
"This... is called the New Era."
...
"Damn it! I'm not talking to you anymore!"
In the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage watched helplessly as an angry Naruto stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Naruto had come, of course, to discuss the organization matter. And admittedly, the boy was quite enthusiastic about it.
Unfortunately, the Third had turned him down — gently, but firmly.
Unlike Naruto, who saw it as just a fun activity, Hiruzen had already sensed the deeper meaning behind this "organization event."
After all, why did Ninja Mobile Game intentionally divide servers by region?
Surely it wasn't because one server couldn't hold all the players in the ninja world.
Only now did the Third truly understand.
The Heaven and Earth Battlefield was said to be "same-server matchmaking," meaning that this event — like the Ranked Matches — would pit players only against those within the same server.
Konoha couldn't interfere with other villages' affairs, and vice versa.
But this also hinted that in the future, there would inevitably be an event where players from all servers — that is, all villages — would be brought together.
That would practically be the Fourth Great Ninja War all over again!
So, to prepare early, the Third Hokage decided to form an elite strike force.
Strictly speaking, this would be an organization composed of Konoha's strongest players.
This group would become the village's greatest guarantee of strength when facing other ninja village factions in the future.
And at the very least, they could serve as a defense force.
"That's my idea."
After Hiruzen finished, the other three advisors in the office fell into thoughtful silence.
But there wasn't much to debate. Even if concentrating power in one organization made others a bit weaker, this was a special case requiring special measures.
"No objections here. But the personnel must be chosen carefully," said Homura Mitokado after some thought.
"The ANBU has probably gathered data on everyone's ranks by now… but tell us, Hiruzen, you already have candidates in mind, don't you?" Koharu Utatane asked.
"Indeed. I've decided that I'll personally lead the organization — 'Hokage' — along with nine other elites."
The Third paused for a moment before listing the names.
"Hatake Kakashi! Sarutobi Asuma! Might Guy! Kurenai Yuhi! Yamato! Hayate Gekkō! Anko Mitarashi! And... Jiraiya! Tsunade!"
"Yamato?" Koharu raised an eyebrow at one of the names. "That Wood Release ninja?"
"Yes. His power is of great use — and his PK skills are excellent as well," said the Third.
"Those people… they're the pillars of the village," Homura said after a moment of thought, nodding in agreement.
However...
"You plan to summon Jiraiya and Tsunade back?"
It wasn't just Homura and Koharu who were puzzled — even Danzo, who had been silent all along, looked doubtful.
Given their circumstances, those two hadn't returned to the village in years. Could they really be persuaded to come back now?
"In order to deal with any unforeseen emergencies," Hiruzen sighed, "there's still time. We'll take it one step at a time."
"What about the clan ninjas?" Koharu asked again.
"I've discussed that with Shikaku. Each major clan will form their own organizations independently," said the Third.
"Fools! Can't they even distinguish between the importance of clan and village?" Danzo scoffed coldly.
"Enough. Their thinking aligns with mine. We're gathering the strongest — promoting the finest and most reliable among them," the Third explained patiently.
Seeing Hiruzen's calm composure, Danzo sneered inwardly, filled with disdain.
Clan-born ninjas naturally placed their family above the village — constantly weighing one against the other.
And wasn't Hiruzen the same?
Just look at the people he had named — weren't they all his loyal supporters?
The great clans were still waiting for their chance to strike deals, and Hiruzen clearly intended to use this opportunity to promote his own people, raising their influence and further consolidating the Hokage's authority.
No one knew what Danzo was thinking, and he certainly wasn't about to say it aloud — because his...
Rank was lower than the Third's!
That alone infuriated him.
He couldn't beat the Hokage politically — and now not even in the game.
He really couldn't lift his head anymore!
In such a situation, giving Hiruzen a hard time would only end up humiliating himself.
What else was there to say? He'd just leave.
Without a word of farewell, Danzo stood up and walked out.
The two remaining advisors exchanged awkward glances.
The Third Hokage didn't try to stop him — he merely watched in silence, his eyes deep and unreadable, like a still, bottomless well.