Naruto gazed at his parents before him, tears streaming down his face. Though he wept, his expression was alight with a smile. "I... I'm home, Mom, Dad."
Yet, echoing in his mind were the words Kanon had once spoken: "If it is truly possible to allow people to embrace their lost loved ones and friends once more, to make amends for those countless regrets, surely, that is worth trading everything to achieve."
Looking at Minato and Kushina now, he didn't know what expression to wear. This happiness before him had been bought with everything his dearest friend had to give.
Seeing the conflict on Naruto's face, Minato and Kushina felt a pang of helplessness; they, too, knew what had transpired. Minato stood, welcoming Jiraiya and Naruto inside. Once Kushina had set the prepared meal upon the table, the four of them sat down together.
"Naruto," Minato asked gently. "Are you thinking of Kanon?"
"Yeah..." Naruto made no effort to hide it. "She always used to say she wanted to find that brilliant, shining field of flowers, and that she wanted to see me become Hokage."
"But now... she's let everyone else mend their countless regrets, while she herself has vanished..."
Hearing Naruto's words, Kushina wiped away her own tears. She and Minato had witnessed, through the bond within Naruto, how Kanon had accompanied him throughout his lonely childhood.
There was no denying it. Kanon had helped Naruto immensely. Back when Naruto had failed to graduate from the Ninja Academy, sitting alone on the swing while watching his peers celebrate with their families, he had felt nothing but crushing isolation. It was that girl who had reached out and pulled him up.
"Someone who believes they can become Hokage is already as amazing as the Hokage himself."
Even Minato and Kushina had heard that memory. Unbeknownst to them, they had become captivated by that little girl who longed for a peaceful field of flowers. Now, she had turned the impossible into the possible; if not for Kanon, how could they possibly be sitting here, watching over Naruto?
Minato and Kushina, already burdened by their absence during Naruto's childhood, felt even deeper remorse, yet their hearts overflowed with gratitude for her.
Jiraiya and Minato both placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto," Minato said softly, "Kanon would never want you to remain this dejected. Cheer up. In order not to let a single day that Kanon brought to this ninja world go to waste, we must all live well... Even if it's just to live on for her sake, you cannot stay like this, can you?"
Naruto looked at his father and nodded slowly. Though his expression remained quiet, his heart felt a little lighter.
Just then, the lights went out. Naruto started, looking back in confusion. Kushina had already left her seat, and in that moment, she returned holding a cake topped with 17 glowing candles.
It was exactly like the cake from the first birthday Kanon had ever celebrated for him, only this time, there were 17 candles instead of eight. It marked his 17th year. Yet, when he thought about it, he realized he hadn't actually celebrated many birthdays with Kanon; she had left the village when she was only 11.
Watching Kushina walk out with the candles, the image overlapped with the memory of Kanon celebrating his birthday for the first time. Naruto smiled, but he also cried, unable to stop the tears from flowing.
"Naruto! Happy 17th birthday!" Kushina set the cake on the table.
As Minato and Jiraiya rose to their feet, a knock sounded at the door. Naruto's group froze. Minato looked puzzled, but Naruto gave a slight nod. The moment he opened the door, three party poppers exploded at once.
"Naruto! Happy birthday!"
It was Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko! Indeed, the current Akatsuki had been reborn as an organization led by Yahiko, with Madara acting from the shadows. Having officially gained the recognition of the ninja world, they had become an established organization. They were free to enter and exit Konoha, or rather, following the proposal by Madara and Hashirama, "Konoha" no longer existed. There was only "Ninja Village."
The Five Great Nations had shed their old names, as had the smaller lands. The protectors on their foreheads no longer bore the emblems of individual villages; they simply read Shinobi.
Jiraiya's former team had come to celebrate as well.
"It's you lot!" Jiraiya chuckled, playing the host and inviting the three inside. Minato and Kushina were long accustomed to his tendency to act like he owned the place. They were deeply curious about Nagato, after all, this was the man who had created the Six Paths of Pain. In truth, Minato and Nagato were of the same generation.
Konan handed a bouquet of paper flowers made from currency to Minato. The fact that Nagato had also come to celebrate touched Naruto deeply.
They swapped to a larger table and added three more sets of plates.
"Nagato-senpai..."
Nagato nodded slightly, looking at Naruto. "It seems Kanon succeeded. That we can all sit here together, is this not a form of peace itself? A world where people can truly open their hearts to one another has finally arrived."
"It has," Naruto agreed.
Before Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan could even settle in, the doorbell rang again. Minato opened the door this time, only to be stunned into silence.
"Naruto! Happy birthday!"
Pop!
Another party popper went off. It was Obito and Rin.
"Obito, Rin... Kakashi..." Minato was astonished.
"Sensei..." Obito looked at Minato with guilt. He still considered himself a sinner, but Kanon had given him a chance to start over, even bringing Rin back into this world. He felt he had to apologize to Minato and Kushina in person.
Rin smiled, greeting Kushina and Minato warmly. Because Kanon had unleashed the Infinite Flower Realm, they were granted this chance to be here as they were now. As Minato and Kushina looked at Obito, Minato was the first to offer a gentle smile.
"Come in and sit."
"Thank you, Sensei..." Obito bowed to Minato and Kushina, even falling to his knees in tears, until Rin and Minato hurried to help him up.
"Obito, it's alright. Though you walked a dark path, Kanon gave us a chance to start from the beginning, didn't she? Don't lose your way again!" Minato patted Obito on the back.
Watching this, Jiraiya, who was sitting with Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan, spoke softly: "The era where people can finally understand one another has arrived. Since everyone has returned to life, what grudges could possibly remain? The greatest regret is simply the loss of time, but this technique of Kanon's will stretch time out. Everyone will have so much time to slowly reach an understanding, and the Infinite Flower Realm will slowly soothe these emotions."
Seeing the scene, Jiraiya recalled the days he spent training Kanon and Naruto. "The era where people can understand one another will surely arrive. I believe in that. If I don't live to see that era, I will pass this ideal on to you two disciples. You will live until that era for me."
Back then, Naruto and Kanon had fallen asleep, both resting on his lap. Looking at the two children, Jiraiya had smiled. Now, in the present, that era had truly arrived. It was exactly as he had envisioned.
But his own disciple... was gone.
Kakashi looked at Naruto and greeted him, "Yo, Naruto."
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto beamed.
Behind him, Sasuke and Sakura arrived as well.
"It's you guys," Kakashi turned to see them, along with Iruka.
"We're here to celebrate Naruto's birthday, too. Oh, Kakashi-sensei, you and Obito are here too?"
Soon, the members of Team 7 were ushered in. The house was now packed; there was no room for anyone else. Watching this unfold, Iruka felt genuine joy for Naruto, yet he was filled with a sorrow for Kanon that he couldn't even put into words.
Countless people had seen their regrets mended, but was Kanon herself not a regret?
Watching Naruto surrounded by his family, glowing with warmth and laughter, Iruka smiled. His own family had returned, and only Kanon was missing. He felt a profound gratitude toward her, this, his very best student.
By now, Kanon's renown across the ninja world had surpassed even the Sage of Six Paths; she had become a god. Even someone like Iruka, who viewed himself as a mere minor character in history, had been granted this happiness.
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NOTE: This fic has been completely translated. If you want to read the whole story head over to my p-atre-on: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]