Seeing Madara getting irritated, Hashirama's expression sank, looking slightly dejected.
"Is it really… noisy?!" he muttered in a low, depressed tone.
Seeing Hashirama like this, Madara frowned with clear disappointment. "Tch… hey, you look so dejected—haven't you changed at all since your death? You're supposed to be a legendary figure now. Can you at least act like a big shot?!"
Tobirama stepped forward, arms crossed, and interjected, "Big Brother only looks like this when he's with you. At all other times, I've never seen him make that face."
Hearing his younger brother's words, Madara let out a dismissive snort and crossed his arms, feigning disapproval. But deep inside, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of warmth.
After all, Tobirama's remark proved that he still held a special place in Hashirama's heart.
Nearby, Konohamaru stood frozen in shock. He never imagined that the legendary figures he had only heard about in history—Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, and Uchiha Madara—would be standing right before his eyes. The sight was almost overwhelming.
Soon, Konohamaru pieced things together.
So this was what Brother Naruto had been preparing—keeping the army of those brought back with the Impure World Reincarnation technique sealed away for future use.
But… future use for what?
After what exactly?
Konohamaru's mind spun with questions as his gaze shifted toward the Hokage Headquarters in the village center.
Meanwhile, inside the Konoha Intelligence Division, Shikamaru stood before rows of sealed coffins, each holding the restrained body of a reincarnated shinobi. Several ANBU operatives were stationed nearby, keeping guard.
Beside him, Yūhi Kurenai stood quietly, her eyes fixed on one of the seals.
"Shikamaru… is this your teacher's body?" she asked, her voice tense.
Shikamaru's gaze fell on the sealing script written across the coffin lid. He nodded. "Yeah, Kurenai-sensei… this is the body of Asuma-sensei, brought back through the Impure World Reincarnation."
Kurenai's brows furrowed deeply. "Why hasn't Naruto released Asuma from the seal and sent him back to the Pure Land?"
Shikamaru exhaled slowly before answering. "Kurenai-sensei… you know about Shisui and Itachi's resurrection, right?"
Kurenai blinked in surprise at the shift in topic, but nodded. "Yes… I know."
Shikamaru continued, "Before Naruto officially returned to the village, when he was still considered a missing-nin, he came here one night in secret. We talked… for quite a while."
Her expression tightened. "What did you talk about?"
His eyes lingered on Asuma's coffin. "He promised me… he would bring Asuma-sensei back to life."
Kurenai gasped, covering her mouth, disbelief etched on her face. But almost instantly, doubt followed. "But… that's dangerous. This is a forbidden technique. Why would Naruto—"
Shikamaru cut her off gently but firmly. "I thought the same at first. But after everything we've gone through in this war… I've come to believe that Naruto can change the future of the shinobi world."
He met her gaze. "Jiraiya-sama once said that Naruto was the Child of Prophecy foretold by the Great Toad Sage—the one even the Sage of Six Paths believed could save the shinobi world. If it weren't for Naruto, I don't think our world would still exist right now."
He straightened his back. "That's why I've decided… trusting him is the right choice."
A voice came from behind them. "You're right, Shikamaru."
Shikamaru turned in surprise. "Dad!"
Shikaku walked up, his eyes scanning the sealed coffins. "At first, I didn't fully understand Naruto's intentions. But he was chosen by the sages for a reason. Without him, this world might have fallen long ago. The so-called boundaries of 'forbidden techniques'… in our current reality, those limits no longer truly exist."
Shikamaru's chest warmed at his father's agreement.
Kurenai, however, was still taken aback. "Even you think so, Shikaku?"
He gave a small, self-deprecating laugh. "If I didn't trust Naruto… Shikamaru might not even be calling me 'Dad' right now."
At that, Kurenai felt a sense of relief settle over her. She turned her gaze back to Asuma's body.
Her hand instinctively rested on her stomach. Inside, the life she carried—their child—was growing. The thought of Asuma's return filled her heart with a bittersweet joy.
Shikamaru noticed her smile and felt his own resolve harden. He longed to see Asuma alive again, to fight alongside him once more. Taking a deep breath, he stepped outside, letting the sunlight wash over him. His eyes moved toward the Hokage's office in the distance.
Naruto was probably in a meeting there right now.
Elsewhere in Konoha, within the Uchiha district…
Itachi, Shisui, and Sasuke stood at the entrance to the clan grounds.
Shisui looked between the two brothers. "You're both sure you want to do this?"
Itachi glanced at Sasuke, who nodded firmly. "I can face this now."
Sasuke stepped forward first. Itachi sighed and followed, with Shisui trailing behind, shrugging lightly.
Walking down the familiar streets, the sights stirred old memories for both brothers.
Eventually, they reached the house they once shared.
Sasuke's eyes fell on the clan crest painted on the wall. Embedded in the fan emblem was a scar from a kunai strike. The memory surfaced—
After Shisui's death, certain Uchiha clansmen had come to confront Itachi, angry and suspicious. Itachi had nearly lost control in his fury, but Sasuke's sudden intervention that day had calmed him. That was when Itachi stopped, and avoided doing something he might never undo.
Sasuke stared at the mark. "Itachi… if I hadn't stopped you that day, would you have… snapped? Maybe things would have ended differently."
Itachi's gaze was fixed on the crest. After a pause, he answered quietly, almost to himself. "…I don't know."
The truth was, he really didn't. Shisui's death had cut him deeply. Facing his clan's narrow-mindedness, his patience had been on the brink of collapse. If Sasuke hadn't appeared, Itachi might very well have unleashed his Mangekyō Sharingan right then and there.
Luckily, Fugaku had returned home shortly after, preventing the situation from spiraling further.
Shisui spoke up. "Let the past go. If you hold onto it, you'll never be able to free yourself."
Sasuke nodded, then stepped toward the door of their old home. Itachi moved to stop him.
"Sasuke—"
Sasuke looked back at him with a small smile. "That's enough, brother."
The words silenced Itachi. Sasuke reached out, taking his brother's hand. "Don't lose yourself."
With that, he led the still-stunned Itachi inside. Shisui followed at a respectful distance, smiling softly.
From that moment, the rift between Sasuke and Itachi truly began to mend.
Later, the brothers sat together in front of the compound. Not wanting to intrude on their private moment, Shisui sat a few meters away.
Sasuke spoke first. "We used to sit here like this, didn't we?"
Itachi thought for a moment, then nodded.
Sasuke drew in a deep breath before letting it out. "Time flies so fast."
"…I'm sorry," Itachi said quietly.
Sasuke met his gaze, a faint smile on his lips. "It's okay."
Itachi's eyes softened, moisture gathering at the corners.
Then Sasuke stood, breathing deeply once more. "Naruto told me… he'd help me restore the Uchiha clan's glory."
Shisui's eyes narrowed slightly at the statement. He remembered Naruto mentioning something similar—to revive the Uchiha clan entirely. But to do that, they would need the blood and remains of their people. The ethical implications were staggering. Could Naruto really set aside such concerns?
Itachi, too, was about to question it, but Sasuke stopped him. "Brother… Naruto has his own plans."
With that, Sasuke leapt onto the roof, his eyes fixed on the Hokage Monument in the distance. Beneath those stone faces was the Hokage's conference room.
Inside, the Five Kage were gathered once again. Mifune, Jiraiya, Naruto, and Kakashi were all present…
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