"Where… is this place?"
"I… didn't I die in my battle with Kawaki?"
The Seventh Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto, opened his bleary eyes, confusion clouding his expression as he looked around.
He was surrounded by an endless white void—no horizon, no sound, no trace of life.
Naruto raised his voice and called out, "Is anyone there? Hello?!"
But—
No one answered. Not even an echo came back to him.
He let out a long sigh. So this is ten, huh… he thought.
Memories began to flood his mind—
When he was born, his parents were already gone.
He endured a miserable childhood, shunned by the villagers, often going hungry.
Even so, he never gave up on his dream.
At twelve, he met Iruka-sensei, who handed him his first forehead protector, marking his start as a genin of Konoha.
Then came Kakashi-sensei, under whose guidance he graduated from the Ninja Academy.
On the mission to the Land of Waves, he faced Zabuza, and through pain and blood, learned the true heart of a ninja.
In the Chūnin Exams, he defeated Neji and began to shine—the "Nine-Tails brat" finally stepped into the light.
Soon after, he defeated Gaara, saving the village and making a name for himself in Konoha.
Later, he trained under Jiraiya, finding both a master and a mentor he could rely on.
He helped rescue Gaara from the Akatsuki, preserving peace between Konoha and Sunagakure, earning the respect of the village.
At sixteen, as a Sage, he defeated Pain—the scourge of the ninja world—and became Konoha's hero, forever shedding the label of "monster."
Then, with Killer Bee's help, he mastered the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
He fought in the Fourth Shinobi World War, forged a true bond with Kurama, and became the perfect Jinchūriki. Together, they fought side by side.
Later, alongside his brother-in-arms Sasuke, he received the power of the Sage of Six Paths, and together they sealed Kaguya, bringing long-awaited peace to the ninja world.
During Kakashi's term as the Sixth Hokage, Naruto repaired his severed arm, advanced to jōnin, and, in time, confessed his feelings to Hinata.
They fell in love, married, and had children—a blissful family life.
At thirty, when Kakashi stepped down, Naruto succeeded him as the Seventh Hokage, finally fulfilling his lifelong dream.
His friends too had found their paths, families, and happiness. The shinobi world basked in peace.
Everything was perfect—until it wasn't.
Kaguya's fears of something beyond the stars came true.
The Ōtsutsuki clan returned—Kinshiki, Momoshiki, Urashiki, Isshiki…
Each more terrifying than the last.
Compared to them, Kaguya had been nothing.
In his battle against Isshiki, Naruto lost Kurama—the comrade who had been with him all his life.
And Sasuke… his closest friend… lost his Rinnegan when Boruto, under mind control, struck him with a kunai.
Though Naruto knew Boruto had been manipulated, Sasuke's loss tore at his heart.
Unable to face such overwhelming power, Naruto sought aid once again.
At Mount Myōboku, the Great Toad Sage gave a new prophecy:
"In my latest vision, Boruto will be the one to change the fate of the ninja world."
Holding onto that hope, Naruto poured everything into training his son.
And Boruto did not disappoint.
With his awakened Jōgan and Ōtsutsuki power, guided by Sasuke himself—wielding Sasuke's sword, cloak, and forehead protector—Boruto rose beyond every Hokage, becoming the strongest ninja alive.
But fate has a cruel sense of humor.
During his training, Boruto befriended a boy named Kawaki—who bore the same diamond mark as him. They got along well, and Boruto, ever kind-hearted, brought him to Konoha to recover.
Yet in time, under the influence of the "Kara" organization, Kawaki turned against him.
Driven by the dream of reviving the Infinite Tsukuyomi and planting a new Divine Tree, he sought to destroy the shinobi world.
Thus, the Fifth Great Ninja War began.
Naruto clenched his fists at the memory.
He had watched his family, friends, and comrades fall one after another—Hinata, Himawari, Sasuke, Gaara, Iruka-sensei, Kakashi, Shikamaru… so many names, so many losses.
Without Kurama's power, Naruto had been forced to stay in the rear, protected by others.
The pain was unbearable.
In the end, only he and Boruto remained.
And to save his son, Naruto had fallen—to Kawaki's jutsu.
Tears welled in his eyes as he whispered to the void, "Why… why must it be this way…?"
He looked up at the endless white sky. I wonder how Boruto's final battle went… Did he save our world?
Then—a calm voice echoed through the emptiness.
"He and Kawaki both failed. They were defeated by the power of the Ōtsutsuki."
Naruto's eyes widened. He turned toward the voice, watching as a silhouette slowly took form in the mist.
His pupils dilated. "Grandpa Sage of Six Paths?!"
The Sage of Six Paths smiled gently. "We meet again, Child of Prophecy—Naruto."
Naruto rushed forward, asking urgently, "What did you just say? Kawaki and Boruto both failed? Wasn't Kawaki with the Ōtsutsuki?!"
The Sage sighed. "After your death, Boruto and Kawaki fought. But in the end, Kawaki awakened to the true meaning of the Eye of the Moon. He and Boruto joined forces against the Ōtsutsuki… yet they both failed. Both became vessels."
Naruto's heart pounded wildly. His eyes trembled. "No… no way! That can't be true!"
Then, as if struck by a cruel thought, he shouted, "Didn't the Great Toad Sage prophesy that Boruto would change the shinobi world?! Why did it end like this?! Why must everything be destroyed again?!"
His cry echoed in the emptiness.
The last spark of hope in him shattered.
He dropped to his knees, clutching his head as tears streamed down his face. "Why… why did it have to end this way…"
The man once called the strongest Hokage—the indomitable Naruto Uzumaki—was broken.
The Sage of Six Paths watched in silence for a long moment, then finally spoke:
"The Great Toad Sage's prophecy… was not wrong."
Naruto lifted his tear-streaked face, confusion clouding his tearful eyes.
Chapter 1 – The Seventh Hokage, Naruto, Awakens
"Where is this…?"
"I… wasn't I killed in that battle with Kawaki?"
The Seventh Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto, slowly opened his groggy eyes. The scene before him was pure emptiness—featureless, endless, white.
He looked around in bewilderment.
He couldn't see an edge, couldn't sense a wall or a floor—only boundless space stretching in every direction.
Naruto called out loudly, "Hey! Is anyone here?"
But—
No answer. Not even an echo.
Naruto exhaled, a hint of resignation in his voice. So this is it… this must be ten.
His life replayed before him like a film—
When he was born, both his parents were already gone.
He grew up an orphan, hated and feared by the villagers, scraping by, often with an empty stomach.
But even through all that, he never gave up on his dream.
At twelve, he met Iruka-sensei, who acknowledged him for the first time and tied that Konoha headband around his forehead. He became a genin.
After that came Kakashi-sensei. Naruto graduated from the Ninja Academy and took his first steps as a real ninja.
On the bridge in the Land of Waves, he fought Zabuza and Haku. Through pain and blood, he understood what it meant to walk the path of a ninja.
In the Chūnin Exams, he defeated Neji and began to shine—the "Nine-Tails brat" made his mark.
Then he fought Gaara, saved the village, and made his name known throughout Konoha.
Afterward, he trained under Jiraiya—finally finding both a master and a father figure he could depend on.
He helped rescue Gaara from the Akatsuki, safeguarded peace between Konoha and Suna, and won the village's recognition.
At sixteen, as a Sage, he defeated Pain—the scourge of the ninja world—and became Konoha's hero, shedding the "monster" label for good.
Later, under Killer Bee's guidance, he mastered Kurama's chakra.
He fought in the Fourth Shinobi World War, becoming Kurama's true partner and a perfect Jinchūriki.
Alongside Sasuke, he received the power of the Sage of Six Paths and sealed Kaguya, bringing long-awaited peace to the world.
During Kakashi's tenure as Sixth Hokage, Naruto repaired his lost arm, became a jōnin, and finally realized his feelings for Hinata.
They married, had children, and lived happily.
At thirty, Kakashi retired, and Naruto fulfilled his dream—becoming the Seventh Hokage.
His friends also found happiness and started families. The shinobi world was peaceful.
Everything was perfect.
Until it wasn't.
Kaguya had always feared something among the stars—and that something finally came.
The Ōtsutsuki clan returned—Kinshiki, Momoshiki, Urashiki, Isshiki…
Each one stronger than the last.
Compared to them, Kaguya was nothing.
In his battle with Isshiki, Naruto lost Kurama—his lifelong partner and friend.
Sasuke, his brother-in-arms, was struck by his own son Boruto's kunai—losing his Rinnegan.
Though Boruto had been under control, Sasuke's loss tore Naruto apart.
With his power diminished, Naruto sought help once again.
At Mount Myōboku, the Great Toad Sage gave a new prophecy:
"Boruto will be the one to change the fate of the ninja world."
Naruto believed in it. He poured all he had into training his son.
Boruto did not disappoint.
With his awakened Jōgan and Ōtsutsuki power, and under Sasuke's personal guidance, wielding Sasuke's sword, cloak, and forehead protector, Boruto rose beyond all previous Hokage—becoming the strongest ninja alive.
But fate is cruel.
During training, Boruto befriended Kawaki, who bore the same diamond seal. The two became close, and Boruto, kind as ever, brought him to Konoha.
Yet later, deceived by the "Kara" organization, Kawaki turned on him.
He sought to destroy the world and recreate the Infinite Tsukuyomi—to plant a new God Tree.
Thus began the Fifth Great Ninja War.
Naruto clenched his fists, his heart heavy with grief.
He had watched as family, friends, and comrades fell one by one—Hinata, Himawari, Sasuke, Gaara, Iruka-sensei, Kakashi, Shikamaru… so many names, so much loss.
Without Kurama's power, everyone protected him instead. The Hokage could only watch from behind.
Tears streamed down his face.
In the end, only he and Boruto remained.
And to protect his son, Naruto fell—to Kawaki's jutsu.
He looked up into the endless white and whispered, "Why… why must it end like this…?"
What about Boruto…? Did he win? Did he save our world?
Then—
"Both he and Kawaki failed,"
a calm voice echoed through the void.
Naruto turned sharply. A silhouette took shape in the white haze.
His eyes widened. "Sage of Six Paths—Grandpa!"
The Sage smiled. "We meet again, Child of Prophecy—Naruto."
Naruto hurried forward. "What did you say? Kawaki and Boruto both failed? But Kawaki was with the Ōtsutsuki!"
The Sage sighed. "After your death, they fought. But in the end, Kawaki awakened—he realized the true meaning of the Eye of the Moon. He and Boruto joined forces to fight the Ōtsutsuki. But they both lost. They became vessels."
Naruto's heart trembled. "No… that's impossible!"
Then, remembering something, he shouted, "Didn't the Great Toad Sage prophesy that Boruto would change the ninja world? Why did it end like this? Why must everything be destroyed again?!"
His cry echoed through the void.
His final hope shattered.
He fell to his knees, clutching his head as tears streamed down his cheeks. "Why… why did it have to end like this…"
The once indomitable Seventh Hokage—the man who never gave up—was broken.
The Sage of Six Paths gazed at him silently for a long time, then finally said:
"The Great Toad Sage's prophecy… was never wrong."
Naruto slowly lifted his tear-streaked face, confusion flickering in his eyes.