Konoha was still a new village, slowly rising from the ashes of war.
As the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama was buried in paperwork, frowning in frustration.
"How long is Tobirama going to take?" he muttered.
At that moment, a strange voice echoed in his mind:
[Welcome to the Ninja World Group Chat]
"Huh?"
Hashirama looked around, confused.
Then he laughed.
"Madara! Is this one of your new genjutsu tricks?"
But no Madara appeared—just a strange translucent screen in front of him, displaying:
Yue Shinomiya:
Welcome to the group chat.
You probably have a lot of questions, so feel free to ask—I'll explain.
Hashirama blinked, clearly puzzled.
The same thing happened to Obito and Minato.
All three assumed they had been trapped in some kind of genjutsu.
They remained skeptical—until Yue clarified that this was no illusion.
Uchiha Obito:
Huh? A group chat? Is this some new invention?
Senju Hashirama:
I've never heard of it either.
Honestly, I thought this was Madara playing tricks again.
Speaking of which—Uchiha kid, have you seen Madara?
Uchiha Obito:
Wait… Senju Hashirama?!
You're the First Hokage?!
But you've been dead for decades…
Senju Hashirama:
...Do I look dead to you?
Hashirama sighed.
What's wrong with this Uchiha boy?
The village had only just been founded—how could anyone forget him already?
Uchiha Obito:
But really, you are supposed to be dead…
Senju Hashirama:
...Should I just leave then?
Just then, the office door opened.
Tobirama:
Brother, I'm here. Wait... what are you doing?
Tobirama frowned. Hashirama was lying across the desk looking absolutely defeated.
Hashirama:
Tobirama… apparently, I've been dead for decades.
Tobirama:
…What?
Hashirama pointed at the floating screen only he could see.
Hashirama:
This Uchiha kid said I died years ago.
Tobirama rolled his eyes.
Tobirama:
There's nothing there, brother.
You're clearly overworked and hallucinating again.
Go home and rest—I'll take care of this.
Despite Hashirama's protests, Tobirama ushered him out.
Left with no choice, Hashirama returned home and laid down in frustration.
Meanwhile, in the group chat, Yue decided it was time to clarify things.
Yue Shinomiya:
@Uchiha Obito @Senju Hashirama
You both seem confused—let me explain.
Uchiha Obito:
Of course I'm confused! The First Hokage died decades ago.
Who are you, anyway?
Senju Hashirama:
She's the group leader.
Uchiha Obito:
Wait, how do you know?
Senju Hashirama:
It literally says "Group Leader" next to her name…
Uchiha Obito:
Oh. Haha, missed that.
Also, sorry for calling you a ghost.
Senju Hashirama:
...When did I become a ghost?
They were clearly getting off-topic again.
Luckily, Hashirama was sharp enough to return to the main point.
Senju Hashirama:
So, as the leader… could you explain what exactly this is?
Yue Shinomiya:
I was trying to… but you interrupted me.
Senju Hashirama:
Ah. My bad.
Yue Shinomiya:
This is a group chat. A place to communicate.
The difference is: everyone here comes from a different timeline in the ninja world.
For example—Hashirama, you're from the 2nd year after Konoha's founding.
Obito is from Year 47.
So for him, you are long dead.
Yue Shinomiya:
And I come from an even later era.
Senju Hashirama:
Incredible… So the future generations can communicate across time?
Uchiha Obito:
So Shodai isn't a ghost?! Man, that scared me.
Sorry, again.
Senju Hashirama:
It's fine.
But come on—this is time travel! Where's your sense of shock?
Yue watched this unfold, slightly speechless.
They were surprisingly calm about the whole thing.
At this point, Minato Namikaze, who had been silently observing, finally joined in.
Minato Namikaze:
Is it true… this chat connects people from different timelines?
Timeline: Year 48 After Konoha's Founding
This was the year Minato became the Fourth Hokage.
Despite his promotion, his heart remained heavy.
He had recently lost two of his students—Obito and Rin.
That morning, he was buried in Hokage duties when a strange voice pulled him into the group chat.
He had seen messages from "First Hokage" and "Uchiha Obito" and assumed someone was being cruel—mocking the dead.
He kept silent, observing from the shadows, looking for signs of illusion or deception.
But as Yue explained the group's function, he began to realize something...
Could this chat really be real?
Could Obito… be alive in his own timeline?
If Obito was still alive in Year 47, this wasn't a genjutsu.
It was real.
His thoughts were interrupted by a direct message from Yue:
Yue Shinomiya:
Yes, it's all real.
You're from Year 48, and Obito is from 47—very close.
Obito, meanwhile, had just noticed Minato's presence.
Uchiha Obito:
Minato-sensei?! You're here too!?
Even though this Minato was slightly older than the one he knew, Obito still spoke with deep respect.
Uchiha Obito:
Sensei, tell me—will Rin say yes if I confess to her?
Minato Namikaze:
Obito...
Minato froze.
How was he supposed to respond?
He knew that in just a short time, Obito would die on the battlefield—partially because he, Minato, hadn't made it in time.
After Obito's death, Rin would be kidnapped by Kirigakure, turned into a Jinchuriki for the Three-Tails, and choose to die by Kakashi's hand to protect the village.
Minato lowered his gaze, heart heavy with guilt.
Throw stones of power at me