The Sage of the Six Paths' words hung in the air, a fragile ember reigniting the dimming hope in Naruto Uzumaki's heart. The endless white void pulsed faintly, as if the universe itself held its breath, waiting for the next revelation. Naruto's tear-streaked face lifted, his cerulean eyes searching the Sage's ancient gaze for answers. The weight of his son's sacrifice pressed against his chest, but the promise of a chance—a chance to change the ninja world—stirred his resolve.
"What do you mean, Sage?" Naruto asked, his voice steadier now, though it trembled with the raw edge of grief. "Why am I here? What did Boruto do?"
The Sage's weathered face softened, his eyes glinting with a mix of sorrow and pride. "Aren't you curious, Naruto, why you stand before me in this place, long after I faded from the world?"
Naruto's brow furrowed, a flicker of realization sparking. That's right… The Sage of the Six Paths had vanished after the Fourth Great Ninja War, his chakra spent to empower Naruto and Sasuke against Kaguya. So how was he here now, in this boundless void? His heart raced, hope clawing its way through the despair. "You mean… Boruto made this happen?"
The Sage nodded, his robes shimmering faintly as he stepped closer. "You died in that final battle, Naruto, struck down by Kawaki's ninjutsu. But Boruto, with his awakened Pure Eye, preserved your soul. He used a forbidden technique of the Otsutsuki clan, etched into his very eyes, to send you here—to me."
Naruto's breath hitched, tears welling anew. "Boruto… my son…" His voice broke as he pictured his boy, fierce and defiant, sacrificing everything. "He gave his life for this?"
The Sage's right hand extended, revealing a cracked, metallic object that pulsed with faint chakra. "This," he said, "is the Plow, an Otsutsuki relic. Through it, Boruto channeled the forbidden technique, trading his life to bring your soul to this realm. He believed you could change the fate of the ninja world."
Naruto stared at the fractured relic, its surface etched with alien runes that seemed to writhe under his gaze. His mind reeled, questions tumbling over one another. "But how? How did Boruto know to do this? How did he learn the Otsutsuki's secrets? And why me?"
The Sage's expression grew somber, his voice heavy with the weight of ancient mistakes. "Before I answer, Naruto, I must ask you something." He paused, his piercing gaze locking onto Naruto's. "After all you've endured—the loss of Kurama, your friends, your family, the ruin of the ninja world—do you still believe in the path I set? The path of unity, of understanding, that you once championed?"
Naruto fell silent, the question cutting deeper than any blade. Once, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, he had stood before the Sage, defiant and full of ideals. When asked what he'd do if Sasuke sought to unify the ninja world through force, Naruto had sworn to stop him, to believe in a world where hearts could connect without bloodshed. That Naruto had believed in love, in trust, in the power of bonds to heal all wounds.
But that Naruto was gone.
The Fifth Great Ninja War had shattered his ideals. He'd watched Hinata fall, her gentle smile extinguished. Himawari's laughter, silenced. Sasuke's Rinnegan, destroyed by Boruto's manipulated hand. Gaara, Kakashi, Iruka, Shikamaru—all gone, their sacrifices piling upon Naruto's shoulders like stones. The Otsutsuki clan's power was a tidal wave, drowning everything he'd fought for. The ninja world lay in ruins, and his faith in universal love had crumbled with it.
"I don't," Naruto said, his voice low but firm. "Not anymore. The Otsutsuki are too strong. Kaguya was just the beginning. If we're to survive, we need power—real power—at any cost."
The Sage's eyes darkened, a shadow of regret crossing his face. "I see. Long ago, my mother, Kaguya, feared the same threat you now face. I dismissed her fears, sealed her away, and chose a path of balance. I was wrong." He looked at the Plow, its cracks glinting faintly. "My short-sightedness brought this calamity. But my brother, Hamura, foresaw the truth."
Naruto's eyes narrowed, curiosity battling his grief. "Hamura? What does he have to do with this?"
The Sage's voice softened, as if recounting a memory long buried. "When I sealed our mother on the moon, Hamura and his clan remained there, guarding her. Over time, he sought to understand her fears—her constant gaze at the stars, her dread of what lay beyond. Through his Pure Eye, Hamura glimpsed fragments of time and space, past and future, chaotic and fleeting. He saw the Otsutsuki clan, their unimaginable power, and the threat they posed."
Naruto's heart pounded. "The Pure Eye… like Boruto's?"
"Exactly," the Sage said, his voice tinged with awe. "Hamura's Pure Eye, known among the Otsutsuki as the Samsara Eye, granted him visions of destiny. He couldn't control what he saw, but he learned enough to warn me of the coming storm. I… chose to gamble, believing the ninja world could endure through unity. Hamura, wiser than I, insisted on a contingency—a failsafe."
Naruto leaned forward, hanging on every word. "What failsafe?"
The Sage's gaze grew distant, as if peering through the veil of time. "Hamura delved into the chakra of our mother, uncovering secrets of the Otsutsuki. He discovered the Plow and its forbidden techniques, capable of manipulating souls and time itself. He left behind a fragment of his chakra, a guide for a future descendant who would inherit the Pure Eye. That descendant was Boruto."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Boruto… knew all this?"
"Not consciously," the Sage replied. "Hamura's chakra, embedded in the Pure Eye, guided Boruto's actions. When he faced defeat, when the Otsutsuki claimed him as a vessel, the forbidden technique activated. He sent your soul here, to me, to give you a chance to rewrite history."
Naruto's fists clenched, a spark of defiance flaring within him. "Rewrite history? You mean… go back?"
The Sage nodded, his expression grave. "The Plow's power is not yet spent. It can send your soul back—to a time before the Fifth Great Ninja War, before the Otsutsuki's return. But there is a cost, Naruto. The Plow is damaged, and its power is unstable. You may not return to the exact moment you envision, and the changes you make could unravel the world you know in ways you cannot predict."
Naruto's mind raced, images of his fallen loved ones flashing before him—Hinata's warmth, Sasuke's loyalty, Boruto's fierce determination. The chance to save them, to stop the war, to protect the ninja world… it was everything he'd ever fought for. But the Sage's warning echoed in his ears. Unpredictable consequences.
"What about Boruto?" Naruto asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "If I go back… what happens to him?"
The Sage's gaze softened, heavy with sorrow. "Boruto's sacrifice was absolute. His soul is gone, consumed by the Plow's technique. But his will lives on in you, Naruto. You carry his hope, his belief that you can change the ninja world."
Tears streamed down Naruto's face, but he stood taller, his resolve hardening like steel in a forge. "Then I'll do it. For Boruto. For Hinata. For everyone. I'll go back and make things right."
The Sage smiled, a flicker of pride in his ancient eyes. "Very well, child of prophecy. The Plow will guide you, but the path you carve is your own. Be warned: the Otsutsuki are watching, and time is a fragile thread. Break it, and you may lose more than you save."
The void pulsed again, stronger now, the Plow glowing in the Sage's hand. Naruto stepped forward, his heart ablaze with purpose. The white expanse began to dissolve, replaced by a swirling vortex of light and shadow. As he reached for the Plow, Naruto's mind burned with a single thought: This time, I'll protect them all.
The vortex engulfed him, and the void fell silent once more.