The Third Ninja War was over.
It has been said that history is written by the victors, and through the efforts of one man, Konoha was recognized as the dominant power of the land. The Third Hokage, sensing the gravity of the moment, decided to pass on the mantle of Kage to the person he felt would ensure Konoha would remain on top for decades to come.
There was a reason the Third Hokage was called the Professor.
The newly-elected Fourth Hokage was the very sort of leader needed for a power like Konoha to ascend to superpowerdom. A once-in-a-millennium leader, not unlike the First Hokage, the Fourth had ideas and plans far ahead of his time. The Fourth was obsessed with perfection and efficiency, and ordered for research in all areas of ninja arts. An idealist, the Fourth Hokage was willing to listen to any radical idea, as long as there was a lot of thought put into it.
Three decades later, Konoha had been modernized to the point of unrecognizability. Buildings made of glass and steel dominated the skyline. Artificial intelligence was prevalent throughout the village. Konoha's military forces were heralded as the best in the land. The common Konohanian soldier was equivalent to 2 or 3 soldiers of any of the other villages. Konoha's economy was booming, as the Fourth had the idea of making Konoha a logistics hub, a brilliant idea considering Konoha was already blessed with natural resources. Many people felt Konoha was in its Golden Age.
Then the Kyuubi.
The destruction the Kyuubi wrought on Konoha was unparalled. The infrastructure was rendered rubble and many good souls perished in a futile effort to contain the Kyuubi. The Fourth decided to place his hopes on using a seal he had been working on in order to suppress the Kyuubi. After hours of bitter struggle, the Konohanian forces were successful in sealing the Kyuubi.
The Kyuubi attack ushered in an era of uncertainty and fear for Konoha. It would be the spark that triggered many a nefarious scheme. It was also then that immitigable darkness would spread all over the land.
This was also the beginning to the story of a boy, who, in many ways, would prove to be the ultimate underdog.