Forged Beyond

Back in Konoha

Smoke and dust choked the air. Fires crackled from the remains of shattered buildings. The once-bustling streets of Konoha were now nothing but ruins—twisted wood, broken stone, and the scent of blood lingering in the devastation.

The shockwave had torn through everything in its path. Craters lined the ground where homes once stood. The Hokage Tower, a symbol of Konoha's strength, was reduced to rubble, barely standing, its upper floors entirely gone.

Bodies lay scattered—some unmoving, others groaning in pain, barely clinging to life. Cries for help filled the air, but they were weak beneath the suffocating weight of the destruction.

And amidst it all, Pain stood at the heart of the ruins, untouched.

His Rinnegan eyes surveyed the wreckage, cold and indifferent.

"This is the price of peace," he murmured to himself.

A few hundred meters away, a pile of debris shifted. A heavy slab of concrete lifted as Chōza Akimichi pushed himself up, blood trailing from a gash on his forehead. His expansion jutsu had shielded him and the others, but the impact still left them dazed.

Shikaku Nara groaned, pressing a hand against his ribs as he struggled to stand. He looked around at the destruction, his mind already racing. This wasn't just an attack. This was an execution.

Beside him, Inoichi Yamanaka coughed violently, dust filling his lungs. He wiped the blood from his mouth, turning towards the others.

"Everyone... sound off," he rasped.

A few meters away, Hinata stumbled to her feet, her vision blurred from the aftershock. Neji was beside her in an instant, his Byakugan active, scanning for threats.

Izumi Uchiha coughed, clutching her shoulder as she pulled herself free from the wreckage. Her mind was spinning. Where was Danzo? Where was the Hokage?

"Where's Lord Third?!" Hinata shouted, her voice hoarse as she turned in all directions.

No one had an answer.

And then—

"We have survivors!"

The shout came from medic-nin rushing through the ruins, already tending to the wounded. ANBU operatives flickered into view, their movements urgent as they scanned the area.

But there was one thing everyone noticed—

Danzo was gone.

Izumi's blood ran cold.

"That bastard ran!" she seethed under her breath.

And as the dust slowly settled, revealing the full scale of the devastation, one thing became painfully clear—

The Hidden Leaf... was on its knees.

The air felt thick, buzzing with an invisible force. A Pain clone stood motionless, its Rinnegan eyes void of emotion as it fixated on its targets—Neji and Hinata.

Hinata's breath was steady as she positioned herself in front of Izumi and the others, her stance unwavering despite the destruction surrounding them. Neji, just a few feet ahead, took an offensive stance, his body tense as he studied the enemy in front of him. His sharp gaze immediately picked up the details—the multiple face piercings, the two black rods gripped in its hands.

"What are those...?" Neji thought, his Byakugan veins bulging as he focused harder. But before he could analyze further—

A sudden, crushing force yanked him forward.