The Flashback Arc takes place twelve years before the current timeline, during the Peace Restoration Period (平和復興時代, Heiwa Fukkō Jidai), a fragile era where the five great nations outwardly pursued diplomacy while secretly preparing for another inevitable war. In the wake of widespread conflict, nations scrambled to expand their borders, secure tailed beasts, and eliminate clans or individuals considered threats to their dominance. Smaller villages, long exploited as battlegrounds, began to resist, demanding the same respect and sovereignty as the great nations. Though treaties were signed and councils were held, blood continued to spill across the land, and the Curse of Hatred—rooted in vengeance, fear, and pride—infected shinobi, clans, and entire villages. Amid this growing unrest and mistrust, one question echoes through history: How did such a brutal and divided past give rise to something as unified as the United Shinobi Alliance?