Chapter 45: The Glow of Seishin
The void shimmered faintly, the silence heavier than stone.
Itachi's words still echoed: "This path is yours, little brother."
Sasuke's breathing slowed. His eyes, dark with countless storms, met Naruto's golden gaze. For the first time, the decision wasn't about revenge. It wasn't about hatred. It was about whether he had the right to hope again.
"…Yes," Sasuke said finally, voice rough but steady. "Bring them back."
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Naruto's golden Byakugan lit up, its glow spilling across the void like sunlight piercing through storm clouds. From his back, streams of radiant chains unfolded—not heavy iron, but luminous strands of chakra woven with light. They hummed like a heartbeat, each link carrying warmth instead of pain.
Itachi's eyes widened, Mangekyō reflecting the glow. "These chains…"
"They aren't what brings people back," Naruto said, his tone calm but carrying weight. "They're the guides. The light that searches for souls in the void… so they don't get lost. So they don't wander forever."
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Naruto raised his right hand, and suddenly his Seishin eye ignited—brilliant, blinding. The golden tomoe within spun slowly, pulsing with power that felt neither of life nor death but something beyond both.
Sasuke frowned. "…Why does your Byakugan have tomoe?"
Naruto shook his head slightly. "These tomoe… they aren't for combat or copying jutsu. They're markers of the soul. They guide the chains, showing the path of life and death, ensuring every soul finds its way back. Without them, even I couldn't anchor them safely."
"This," Naruto said, pointing to his glowing right eye, "is what calls them back. Seishin. It reaches into the other side and brings the soul to me."
From his other palm, yin and yang chakra swirled into harmony—darkness and light circling like twin dragons. "And with Yin–Yang Release, I can restore the body… not a puppet of Edo Tensei, not a hollow imitation. Flesh, blood, life. As if they never left."
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The air quivered. The void itself seemed to bend under the power gathering inside Naruto.
Sasuke's fists clenched. For so long, he had lived with the emptiness of loss. For so long, he had carved his path through hatred. And now… now his clan could breathe again. His voice trembled despite himself.
"…You can really do it. Not just one or two… but all of them?"
Naruto nodded slowly. "Yes. If their souls haven't been completely erased, I can find them. The Uchiha. My parents. The Uzumaki. All of them."
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Itachi stepped forward, eyes wide with disbelief. "Naruto… do you have any idea what kind of power this is? You are wielding the authority of gods."
Naruto's golden eye dimmed for a moment, his smile weary but firm. "I'm not a god, Itachi. I'm just someone who refuses to let precious people be nothing more than names on a grave. If power like this was given to me, it's not to sit and fear it—it's to use it for something better."
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The golden chains stretched further, glowing brighter, reaching into the unseen. The void began to ripple, faint voices echoing—whispers from beyond.
Sasuke's heart pounded. He could almost hear them. His father's stern tone. His mother's gentle voice. Shadows of people long gone, brushing against the edges of reality.
Tears burned at the edge of his eyes, but he forced them back. He whispered hoarsely, "Father… Mother…"
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Naruto gritted his teeth, the Seishin eye blazing. "Sasuke… once I start, there's no turning back. Their souls will return, their bodies will be remade. They'll be alive—completely. But until the world is ready, they must remain here. Hidden. Safe."
Sasuke gave a single, firm nod. "…Do it."
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The void trembled as golden light poured out, chains spreading into infinity, searching, guiding, pulling.
Itachi could only watch, silent and shaken, as the impossible began to unfold before his eyes.
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