Makoto never expected that he would see Orochimaru again—especially under such circumstances.
He gazed at the figure standing at the doorway and quickly noticed something was off.
The chakra of this body felt far too familiar.
His brows furrowed as he asked in a deep voice, "What did you do to Anko?"
Orochimaru's expression remained calm. "Anko is dead."
Makoto's gaze grew increasingly menacing.
But Orochimaru suddenly curled his lips into a smile, then stepped into the room, ignoring both Unohana and even Kaguya, whose very presence once instilled fear in all who saw her.
"Anko died for me. Her death was meaningful because, in her heart, my place had already far surpassed her own life." Orochimaru spoke slowly.
"What's this? Did you actually consider Anko a friend?" He turned to Makoto and asked.
"How rare. Someone like you actually has friends."
Makoto's cold expression lasted only a few seconds before he suddenly sneered.
"Orochimaru, you don't have to put on this act. Deep down, you're in pain too, aren't you?"
Orochimaru was silent for a second longer than usual before replying, "Makoto, you always act like you understand me."
Makoto countered, "Is it so bad for someone to understand you? Do you not want me to understand you?"
Orochimaru said, "What a pity. We can no longer stand on the same side—not even as enemies. I miss how you were in your youth. You were so weak back then."
Makoto replied, "We are different people. I am also pursuing what I desire."
Orochimaru scoffed. "Mortal desires… Makoto, you should break free from them. You will evolve into an immortal being. These desires and attachments will only bring you pain in the future."
Makoto retorted, "Orochimaru, you once tried to sever everything, but did you truly succeed? After all your struggles, in the end, aren't you still living in the shadow of Anko's death?"
"..."
"If a person has no desires, are they still human? Orochimaru, you seek to transcend everything—but can you kill yourself? Can you kill Hakuryu?"
Orochimaru remained silent for a moment before saying, "I haven't succeeded yet."
At that moment, the door opened again.
The one who stepped inside was Sasuke.
Upon seeing Orochimaru, his eyes widened in shock.
"Orochimaru!"
Makoto narrowed his eyes slightly upon seeing Sasuke. "Why are you here?"
Sasuke's gaze shifted back and forth between Orochimaru and Makoto before he finally spoke to Makoto. "We came to rescue you."
Moments later, another person pushed the door open—it was Naruto.
His reaction was even more intense, not because of Orochimaru, but because of Kaguya.
In his original world, Kaguya was someone who had nearly destroyed everything!
Makoto pondered for a moment. "Who sent you?"
Sasuke immediately recounted everything that had led them there.
The third person to enter was Tsunade.
Upon seeing the people in the room, she did not seem particularly surprised.
However, her gaze lingered on Orochimaru for a moment longer than the others.
"Do you have something to say to me?" Orochimaru asked.
Tsunade shook her head. "What I wanted to say… I already said it earlier."
Orochimaru was momentarily stunned.
Makoto, however, interjected. "Why not say it again? Haven't you considered that Orochimaru might actually want to hear it?"
Orochimaru shot him a sidelong glance. "Makoto, this act of yours—pretending you understand me—is quite irritating."
Makoto simply gestured toward Tsunade, Sasuke, and Naruto.
"And yet, aren't they doing the same? They all seem to think they understand you. Compared to them, it seems you dislike my understanding of you even more, don't you?"
"..."
Tsunade looked at Orochimaru, who had suddenly fallen silent.
After a long hesitation, she finally spoke. "It's been a long time… Orochimaru."
At that moment, Hinata stepped through the door.
Orochimaru remained calm and simply responded, "Mm."
Makoto turned his gaze toward the window, looking at the massive shadowy figure gathering in the sky above.
"The seal has been lifted."
Orochimaru suddenly spoke. "That is the so-called omniscient and omnipotent 'god.'"
Makoto smirked. "Orochimaru, you underestimate me."
Omniscient and omnipotent—had it devoured Yhwach?
But how could true omniscience and omnipotence ever exist in this world?
In the next second, Makoto's figure appeared high in the sky, facing the massive shadow directly.
"It's His Majesty!"
Down below, the members of the Ten Crown Guards, along with Jiraiya, all witnessed the scene, their faces lighting up with joy and excitement.
Makoto looked up at the shadowy figure and spoke. "During your slumber, the Sage of Six Paths continued your work. Why did you kill him?"
The shadow did not respond with words, but Makoto could feel its intent: The Sage of Six Paths had long since died. What remained was merely a lingering trace of chakra.
Makoto continued, "Are you still being influenced by that so-called 'evil'?"
The shadow replied: I am fully conscious. Nothing in this world needs to exist. If everything is destroyed, chaos will cease to be. Once I devour you and obtain the complete power of time, everything will come to an end. Perhaps, in a distant future, a perfect existence will emerge.
Makoto sneered. "Unfortunately for you, you won't have that chance."
As soon as his words fell, everyone noticed something extraordinary—the sky above was shifting.
A moon was rapidly rising, its golden radiance cascading down.
Countless space-time vortices opened above Konoha, and from within, numerous figures emerged.
Each one bore the same appearance as Makoto.
They had all come from the future.
And every single one of them was stronger than Makoto was now.
.............
Down below, Orochimaru watched the events unfolding in the sky before suddenly withdrawing his gaze.
He stepped toward the outer hall, approaching Kabuto, one of the Ten Crown Guards.
A small, pale white snake slithered out from Orochimaru's neck, coiling onto his arm, flicking its tongue toward Kabuto.
"This is…?" Kabuto asked in confusion.
"A gift for him," Orochimaru simply replied.
Kabuto, still wearing his special glasses, noticed something unusual—the small white snake contained a person's soul within it.
Realization struck him like a lightning bolt, and his pupils constricted.
"You're trying to escape, Orochimaru!"
Kakashi blocked Orochimaru's path.
Orochimaru merely cast him a sidelong glance. "You should start living for yourself, Kakashi."
Kakashi frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Tsunade approached and asked, "Are you leaving, Orochimaru?"
Orochimaru glanced at the countless Makotos densely filling the sky and said, "If I die, he will be lonely in the future. If I stay here, he will find it dull."
Above Konoha, a blue energy barrier suddenly activated.
It was the Tailed Beast Energy Station coming online—a defense mechanism used only in emergencies.
The last time it had been activated was when Namikaze Minato led the Seven-Tails in an attack on the village.
A massive purple giant suddenly rose into the sky—it was Sasuke's Susanoo.
He moved to stand alongside the countless Makotos, ready to fight by his side.
Golden light surged upward as well, manifesting into a colossal nine-tailed fox in midair.
Seeing this, Makoto grinned.
He activated his Tenseigan once more, opening over a dozen space-time vortices.
From within them emerged multiple versions of Naruto and Sasuke.
Naruto grinned. "I've always been pretty good at Shadow Clones."
Sasuke scoffed. "Idiot, this is completely different."
The shadow in the sky suddenly expanded, transforming into a colossal black serpent, so massive it could crush countless mountains beneath its weight.
With a deafening roar, it lunged toward them.
............
Ninja Academy.
The once-drowsy classroom suddenly grew restless as the sky outside darkened.
"Why did it suddenly get dark?"
"It's a solar eclipse! A solar eclipse!"
Someone shouted in surprise, pointing out the window.
"What's a solar eclipse?"
"You idiot, how do you not know what a solar eclipse is?!"
Naruto and Sasuke also turned to look outside.
Then, suddenly, a powerful storm erupted, and in the sky, a colossal purple giant and a massive golden fox came into view.
"What… is that?" Naruto murmured.
"I… don't know," Sasuke responded, momentarily stunned.
...............
A cataclysmic battle raged on, shaking the heavens and earth.
The "god" wielded the power to control life and death, but such power was ineffective against those who were too strong.
It had devoured nearly the entire world of the Shinigami, including the Soul King and Yhwach.
The powers it now wielded were those of the beings it had consumed.
This pitch-black serpent, bent on annihilating the world, unleashed an unimaginably terrifying might.
Even under the relentless assault of countless Makotos, Narutos, and Sasukes, it refused to fall.
As the deity that governed life and death, how could it possibly be killed?
Watching as the monstrous black serpent endured countless Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosions, only to fully regenerate each time, Makoto suddenly understood something.
Without hesitation, he dismissed the future versions of himself and the others, sending them all back to their respective timelines.
Then, he lunged forward, seizing the black serpent and forcefully teleporting it to the moon using his spatial abilities.
"It's pointless. I am immortal!"
The god's will resonated in his mind.
Makoto gazed at the entity and replied, "I may not be able to kill you, but I know someone who can deal with you."
Inside the Hamura Shrine, the golden Tenseigan suddenly radiated a blinding light, sending a beam straight toward them. A massive space-time vortex slowly formed.
This vortex was larger than any before, and through it, the scene on the other side was visible—
Earth!
A figure slowly emerged from within the vortex.
A dagger clamped between his teeth, prayer beads in hand, a face like a vengeful ghost, and a form akin to a monstrous demon!
This was a "Death God" from the past!
An absolute enforcer of justice—an impartial and selfless god of death!
The moment this Death God appeared, Makoto immediately sensed the overwhelming waves of panic emanating from the pitch-black serpent.
"Time... again, it's time! Why do you wield the power of time?!"
Makoto remained expressionless, barely holding himself up with his weakened body.
Forcing himself to endure, he activated the golden Tenseigan once more, opening yet another space-time vortex—summoning another Death God from the past.
"This world has the right to exist! No one can take that away!"
Amidst the black serpent's enraged and despairing cries, multiple Death God lunged forward in unison.
..............
Konoha.
Everyone was waiting for the Emperor's return.
A full day had passed, yet no one knew the outcome of His Majesty's battle against the "god."
In the front hall of the imperial palace, Ayari, Ayano, Kushina, Mikoto, and Natsu arrived with their three children.
They all knew that Makoto had gone to fight a "god," and their hearts were filled with deep concern.
"The Emperor can summon his future selves to aid him in battle. If his future selves exist, then that means he must have won. There's no need to worry," Sasuke reassured everyone.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke were circling around Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto, carefully examining them.
This was their first time seeing their grown-up counterparts.
Though, calling them "themselves" wasn't entirely accurate.
After all, they came from different worlds, and even their appearances were somewhat different.
However, Sasuke did resemble Uchiha Sasuke quite a bit—likely due to inheriting their mother Mikoto's features.
"Will I really become as strong as you in the future?" Sasuke asked Uchiha Sasuke.
"Why do you want to become stronger?" Uchiha Sasuke replied calmly.
"If I become stronger, I can help Dad! I can fight alongside him!"
"…You will. But you'll have to train hard."
Sasuke nodded firmly, while Naruto quickly chimed in, vowing to train hard as well.
Uzumaki Naruto nudged Uchiha Sasuke's arm with a grin.
"You know, I suddenly feel like it'd be kinda nice if we were real brothers."
Uchiha Sasuke shot him a sidelong glance, then looked at little Sasuke.
He suddenly lowered his voice and said, "To gain eternal light with the Mangekyo Sharingan, one must transplant a sibling's eyes. Tell me, do you think I'd take your eyes to become stronger?"
Uzumaki Naruto shivered instantly.
On the other side, Hyuga Hinata leaned against Uzumaki Hinata, both of them gazing at Naruto.
"…Why did you fall for that guy?" Hyuga Hinata asked.
Uzumaki Hinata smiled gently. "When you fall for someone, you'll understand. If you truly like someone, you have to hold on to them no matter what."
Hyuga Hinata crossed her arms and said coolly, "Anyone I like has to at least be stronger than my dad."
Upon hearing this, the people nearby all had the same thought: Well, looks like you're destined to be single forever…
In a quiet corner, Tsunade sat alone with Jiraiya beside her, her gaze fixed on the children.
"Jiraiya, do you know why I came to this world in the first place?" she suddenly asked.
"Why?" Jiraiya responded.
But after asking the question, Tsunade didn't answer.
Instead, she let out a wistful sigh.
"It doesn't matter anymore."
"Then why ask me in the first place?" Jiraiya said in confusion.
"Can you just shut up, you idiot?" Tsunade suddenly snapped.
Then, without another word, she stood up and left.
"Tsunade, where are you going?"
She walked all the way home, pushing the door open to find two Shizunes and another Tsunade waiting inside.
"Has His Majesty returned?" Tsunade asked.
"…Not yet."
"I see." A hint of worry flashed in Tsunade's eyes.
Hokage Tsunade couldn't help but mutter, "Wouldn't it be better if he just died?"
The other Tsunade, however, replied, "If he dies, the world will be doomed. Everyone will die."
Hokage Tsunade slumped onto the sofa, feeling powerless.
She knew this too.
Otherwise, back when she was asked to save the Emperor, she wouldn't have struggled before ultimately choosing to do it anyway.
..............
Yesterday's abnormal events didn't cause much of a stir in Konoha—just some puzzling rumors that gave people something to talk about.
The Ten Crown Guards and the empire's officials had done their jobs well, ensuring that the citizens remained calm and undisturbed.
Konoha Hospital
Rin stared at the medical report in her hands, feeling an indescribable mix of emotions.
She had a hunch before, but she hadn't expected it to be true.
If she had known, she wouldn't have gone to see that guy so often...
Now that she was pregnant, what should she do?
For some reason, she suddenly recalled the time when Kushina had been pregnant.
Back then...
Makoto—he probably liked children, didn't he?
If she told him about this, would he be happy?
Would he say he wanted to bring her into his home?
Rin wasn't too keen on living in Makoto's house.
The thought of being around so many older women, including Kushina, felt strange to her.
But every time Makoto talked to her about this, the feeling of being cared for and cherished always made her heart warm.
Now that she was having a child, their relationship would have to be made public.
She wondered how Kurenai and Shizune would react.
Perhaps she should find a time to bring Anko along and confess everything to them first.
Kakashi… he would probably give her his blessing, right?
............
Palace Front Hall
"The Emperor has returned!"
A sudden shout rang out, instantly igniting excitement among everyone present.
The crowd immediately stood up and surged toward the entrance.
Makoto stood just outside the main hall doors.
His clothes were intact, but his expression carried exhaustion.
"Your Majesty!"
"Makoto!"
"Daddy!"
Voices called out one after another.
The children rushed to the front, clinging to his legs and arms.
Makoto ruffled their hair, then gestured to Toneri and Jugo, who were standing off to the side, and ruffled their hair as well.
Only then did he turn his gaze to Ayari and the other women, smiling.
"I was too exhausted. I took a nap before coming back. Sorry to make you all worry."
Ayari's eyes instantly turned red.
Ignoring the presence of others, she reached out and tightly embraced him.
The other women also stepped forward, taking turns hugging him while murmuring reassurances.
Meanwhile, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke stood to the side, watching their mothers embracing a man they didn't recognize.
The feeling was… strange, to say the least.
"Alright, everything's fine now," Makoto said to the others.
"Tomorrow, just go about your usual business. For now, let me get some proper rest."
He was truly exhausted—so much so that he failed to notice the extra figure in the crowd.
"Makoto."
Just as everyone was about to leave, a voice suddenly called out.
Makoto hesitated slightly and turned his head.
A young woman stood there, hands clasped behind her back.
Her short hair rested neatly at her shoulders, and her delicate features were as lovely as ever.
Compared to before, she seemed to have lost some of her firmness and coldness, replaced by a gentler softness.
She took slow steps toward him, stopping right in front of him.
She hesitated for a moment, glancing down at her toes as if unsure of what to say.
Makoto's gaze softened. "As long as you're still here, that's all that matters."
"Mm..."
Author Note : The ending felt a bit rushed, but it was time to bring things to a close. There are still extras to the main story to fill in the parts that weren't fully written.
Lastly, thank you all for your support and companionship!