Chapter 33 — Echoes of Another Life
The night deepened, but none of them slept. The fire had burned low, shadows licking the walls of the cave. Jiraiya hadn't moved from where he sat, his elbows on his knees, eyes locked on the boys in front of him.
Finally, he spoke. His voice was low, almost hoarse.
"…You've told me things the world itself doesn't know. Not the Hokage. Not the elders. Not even me. So I'll ask once more… how? How do two brats know about Obito, Madara, and monsters that sound older than history?"
The silence stretched. Naruto rubbed the back of his head, hesitant for once. Sasuke glanced at him, then back at Jiraiya.
"…The answer won't be easy to swallow," Sasuke said evenly.
Naruto sighed, his usual grin nowhere to be found. "It's not just something we read in a book. What we told you… it's because we already lived it."
Jiraiya blinked. "…What?"
Sasuke's voice didn't waver. "Everything we warned you about—the war, the enemies, the Sage of Six Paths… all of it already happened. In another life. In another world that played out before this one."
Jiraiya stared, lips parted, searching their faces for any trace of a joke. There was none.
Naruto leaned forward, his voice softer, almost wistful. "We fought. We bled. We lost people we loved. But in the end… we won. Together."
"And we died," Sasuke added quietly. His eyes lowered, a rare shadow crossing them. "That was the price. We didn't survive the victory."
The cave was silent but for the crackle of dying embers.
Jiraiya's chest tightened. "You're telling me… you've carried memories of a war no one else remembers? Of deaths that haven't happened yet?"
Naruto nodded slowly. "…Yeah. Guess you could say we got a second chance."
Jiraiya's fists clenched against his knees. His voice broke, raw and human. "Dammit… you're just kids! You shouldn't be talking about dying like it's some story from a scroll."
Naruto gave a weak laugh. "Yeah, well… guess life didn't get that memo."
Sasuke's gaze softened, if only slightly. "…Don't mistake us, Jiraiya. We're not saying this for pity. We're saying it because this time, we'll be ready. This time, we won't lose everything."
Jiraiya shook his head slowly, disbelief and pain wrestling in his eyes. "Past lives, future wars… it's insane. And yet…" He looked at them, really looked at them—their composure, the weight in their words, the fire that didn't belong to children. His throat tightened. "…And yet I believe you."
Naruto's eyes widened slightly. "You… do?"
Jiraiya managed a crooked smile, though it trembled at the edges. "I've seen a lot in my years. Monsters, gods, power that should never exist. Maybe this world really is cursed to repeat itself until brats like you change it. But hear me, both of you."
His voice hardened, cutting the air like a blade. "Even if you've lived and died before, even if you carry the weight of a thousand battles—you're not alone this time. Not while I'm here. Got it?"
Naruto's throat tightened, eyes stinging. "…Pervy Sage…"
Sasuke gave the faintest nod. "…Hn."
For a moment, none of them spoke. The fire finally burned out, leaving only the glow of the moon at the cave's mouth. Three shadows sat in silence, bound not by secrets anymore, but by something stronger.
A shared resolve.
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