Across the ruins of the Valley of the End, Truth-Seeking Orbs lay scattered everywhere. The nine Kurōjirō brothers were devouring them with wild abandon, gobbling up every orb in sight!
These were all Truth-Seeking Orbs copied by Ōmononushi. Leaving them behind would be wasteful, taking them along would be a hassle, and granting souls to every single one was out of the question. So, Naruto opted for internal recycling!
In the middle of the feast, Kurogorō and Kurokurō both reached for the same orb.
"I found this one first—go eat somewhere else!"
"Like hell you did! I saw it first!"
"Little brothers should always let big brothers have their way!"
"Nonsense! Big brothers should let little brothers have what they want!"
"Still mouthing off, huh? Stupid little brother, looks like you need a lesson!"
The two of them tussled, neither able to overpower the other. In the end, they decided to split the orb—only to turn around and see that Kurohachirō had already snatched it away!
Watching this from afar, Naruto was completely unfazed. He'd seen it all before.
The souls granted by Futsunomitama on a whim were always unpredictable. Aside from their unwavering loyalty to Naruto, their personalities ranged from honest to downright mischievous.
He didn't expect much—obedience was enough.
After all his ups and downs, Naruto had grown much colder, and he knew it.
But when it came to Sasuke, he still held onto that same purity—a near-limitless tolerance and willingness to forgive.
"Mmm…" By the crackling campfire, Sasuke opened his eyes. Seeing Naruto sitting quietly nearby, he immediately understood what had happened—and turned his face away, sulking.
Gentle firelight danced in Naruto's eyes as he tossed another log onto the flames. His voice was warm. "Let me guess what you're thinking, Sasuke. You're probably thinking, 'Ugh, here we go again—this guy's about to start preaching at me, isn't he?'"
"…" After a moment of silence, Sasuke clenched his fist. He hated how easily Naruto could read his mind, but he couldn't argue—because any protest now would just make him look like a sulky kid.
So, he chose silence. He ignored Naruto and stewed in his own frustration.
Naruto, long used to Sasuke's temperament, just smiled. "Relax, I'm not going to lecture you this time. You didn't do anything wrong—so why would I?"
Sasuke turned back, his voice sharp. "Easy for you to say. That's just the arrogance of a winner. If you'd lost, would you still be so calm?"
Naruto replied evenly, "If I'd lost—if I'd been beaten by you in this life—it would only mean that's all I was capable of. The future I want to protect would be nothing but a fantasy…"
Sasuke was quiet for a moment. "I can't out-talk you. But I don't agree with your way of doing things, and I never will!"
With that, he turned away again.
Naruto remained gentle. "I get it. You heard the Sage of Six Paths' explanation, then looked at everything I've done lately, and you just assumed I was the villain in all this…"
"But you know, Sasuke, a lot of people—including every Hokage in history—chose to stand with me after seeing the future I showed them. Among them… was your brother, Itachi."
At the mention of "Itachi," a ripple passed through Sasuke's dark eyes. His clenched fists loosened, then tightened again.
His voice came out strained. "So you're saying I'm more short-sighted than them? That I made the wrong choice? Then tell me—what was I supposed to do? When the Sage of Six Paths came to me, was I supposed to just reject him, swear I'd blindly support your reckless ideas? Would that have been right?!"
Naruto shook his head. "Of course not. I said you didn't do anything wrong, and I meant it. From your perspective, you made the only choice you could. I'm not preaching at you, Sasuke—I just want you to understand what I really think, and why I've done what I've done. Can you hear me out?"
"…Fine. I'll listen." Sasuke turned back, finally moved by the sincerity in Naruto's eyes.
The fire crackled as Naruto gazed into the past.
"Where should I start…? I guess from the very beginning—when Kaguya, burdened by her clan's mission, first came to Earth."
"Maybe the Sage already told you some of this. But deep down, he's afraid of his mother, Kaguya, so his version is colored by that fear. Mine will be more objective. Listen to both, and you'll get a fuller picture of who Kaguya really was…"
So Naruto told Kaguya's story—her virtues and her flaws—without embellishment, just as it was.
When he finished, Sasuke was silent, lost in thought. At last, he said, "In your version, Kaguya really does seem pitiful. But using Infinite Tsukuyomi to hurt humanity—that's still a fact…"
Naruto answered calmly, "I used to think the same way. But when I really thought about it—she's from a godly clan. We humans are nothing like her. To be blunt, she sees us the way we see ants."
"Sasuke, even the kindest person—can they honestly say they've never stepped on an ant in their life?"
"…No," Sasuke admitted, falling silent.
Naruto continued, "From Kaguya's perspective, she was already remarkably kind. She once set aside her pride as a goddess to live peacefully with mortals. At the same time, she bore the pressure of her powerful kin, terrified they'd threaten this world. The choices she made out of fear weren't perfect, but I think they deserve understanding—even forgiveness."
Sasuke considered this. "She's not one of us. Even if she had her reasons, she still chose to stand against humanity. The Sage of Six Paths had no choice but to seal her. You really think you can change someone like that? I think it's impossible…"
Naruto smiled. "I have to at least try. If it doesn't work, there's always sealing her again. At worst, things won't get completely out of control…"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "And just for one attempt, you'd drag everyone into this? To revive Kaguya, you'd have to cast Infinite Tsukuyomi…"
Naruto's smile turned bittersweet. "Yeah. Twenty years ago, I'd probably curse myself for even considering it. But after living through that terror, I can understand Kaguya a little better…"
Sasuke looked at Naruto searchingly. "Are you sure… this isn't just corruption, Naruto?"
Naruto extended his fist. "See for yourself, Sasuke. Decide with your own eyes whether I've fallen."
"…Fine." Sasuke hesitated, then raised his hand and bumped fists with Naruto.
Pop~!
Ripples spread across the lake of his heart.
Memories from a previous life—emotions tangled and raw—flooded Sasuke's mind, shaking him to his core.
"This…" His eyes went wide, trembling. "Did you really… live through all of this?"
Memories could be faked. But feelings? Never.
Lowering his fist, Sasuke was overwhelmed by the shock.
Naruto waited quietly for his answer.
At length, Sasuke let out a long, heavy sigh.
Thinking of everything Naruto had done, he felt deeply ashamed.
The proud boy finally faced himself—and reality.
"I was so narrow-minded, Naruto. While you carried the weight of the future, fighting alone, all I cared about was beating you—just to satisfy my own petty pride…"
"The Sage's request was just an excuse. I only wanted the power to fight you…"
"Maybe it's too late to say this, but I have to: I lost. Not just this battle, but in every way."
Naruto smiled, finally at ease. Then—
Sasuke: "Idiot, are you crying?!"
Naruto: "I'm not crying! It's just… too much ocular power, that's all!!"
…
All was well.
"Can't… eat another bite… burp~!"
The Truth-Seeking Orbs rolled over to Naruto's side, hiccuping contentedly.
Naruto stood up. "Sasuke, come back with me. The ninja world's about to erupt in war—I need your help…"
Sasuke: "Alright. I'll do everything I can, but…"
Naruto: "Don't worry about the Land of Lightning. Once the war's over, we'll clean things up—no rush."
Sasuke nodded. "Yeah… guess that's all we can do."
BOOM…!
Just as they were about to leave, an enormous barrier surged up, sealing off the ruins of the Valley of the End!
Naruto's eyes grew sharp. "The Flying Thunder God technique isn't working. This is—"
Rustle!
The Truth-Seeking Orbs buried deep underground during the battle crumbled to ash. From those ashes, a white spirit rose, floating high above to look down at Naruto and Sasuke.
It was the Sage of Six Paths, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo!
Naruto spoke quietly. "So this time, you're going to step in yourself…"
The Sage ignored Naruto, turning to Sasuke. "Sasuke, is this your decision?"
Sasuke spread his hands. "That's right. After hearing Naruto out, I've made my choice. I won't fight him anymore. Take back your power if you want!"
"So it's come to this after all…"
The Sage of Six Paths murmured, then turned to Naruto.
"Naruto, Indra is about to become the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki. To prevent the worst, I can't let you leave! Until Indra and Black Zetsu are stopped, you'll remain here!"
Naruto's gaze turned grim. "Sage of Six Paths, you were once my benefactor. I really don't want to fight you—so please, just let me through."
"I can't face you directly. So I'll leave it to the Kage of the past!"
The Sage pressed his palms together.
—Six Paths: Pure Land Summoning!
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