No matter how much he tried, Naruto couldn't bypass the red barrier. His glowing sapphire eyes remained locked on the shimmering chakra wall that separated him from the rooftop battle, but nothing he did made a difference. The barrier stood firm, undisturbed by his presence.
Inside, Hiruzen Sarutobi fought alone against Orochimaru and the reanimated First and Second Hokages.
Naruto's fingers curled into a fist. He had to stop this.
If he couldn't break through from the outside, then—
His gaze flicked downward.
The ones maintaining this thing were below.
Without hesitation, he vanished.
The four Sound shinobi standing at the corners of the barrier never saw him coming.
The first one barely managed to let out a startled breath before Naruto's foot crashed into his ribs, sending him flying into a nearby wall with enough force to leave a crater. The second and third had just begun to turn their heads when his hands closed around their skulls, lifting them effortlessly before slamming them back down against the ground. A sharp, wet crunch echoed through the battlefield.
The last one—some kind of two-headed freak—stumbled back, his body trembling. His lips parted, a jutsu forming—
Naruto's hand shot forward, gripping his face.
A moment later, he twisted.
The body fell limp, lifeless.
He exhaled, letting the corpse drop to the ground.
The barrier remained.
His expression didn't change, but something in his chest tightened. He had stopped the casters. The jutsu should have ended.
But it didn't.
His glowing eyes turned upward.
On the rooftop, something was happening.
Sarutobi finished a hand seal.
And Naruto felt it before he saw it.
A presence.
A terrible, familiar, suffocating presence.
No, no, no…
A clawed, skeletal hand emerged from the void.
And then it appeared.
The Shinigami.
Naruto's body locked up, his breath catching.
He knew this thing.
It had torn him apart before. It had ripped his soul to pieces over and over again. He had felt it consume him in countless lives, in countless deaths.
And right now—
Right now, it was here.
The air grew heavy. The rooftop seemed to blur, darkening as if the world itself was recoiling from the entity's presence.
Naruto watched as the Shinigami's monstrous maw opened, as its spectral hands reached, as it ripped the souls of the First and Second Hokages from their reanimated bodies.
And then—
It turned to Sarutobi.
The old man… smiled.
Naruto's body twitched, but he couldn't move.
Hiruzen cast one final look toward him—
And then—
Gone.
The Sandaime's soul was devoured.
His body crumpled.
The air fell silent.
Naruto stood frozen, staring at the lifeless form of the man who had protected this village for decades.
A man who had cared for him, in his own way.
A single tear slipped down Naruto's cheek.
And then—
The world roared.
The ground beneath him trembled. The air cracked with unseen force. A gust of wind—unnatural, violent—whipped through the battlefield, sending debris and bodies flying.
The sky darkened.
Thunder rolled.
Lightning split the heavens.
And Orochimaru—
Orochimaru, who had just lost the use of his arms, felt it.
A chill crawled up his spine, a primal, bone-deep terror sinking into his very marrow.
His body knew.
His instincts screamed.
He had to run.
If he stayed, he would die.
His throat tightened. His mind, sharp and calculating even in crisis, came to one undeniable conclusion—
Naruto Uzumaki was about to erase him from existence.
No jutsu. No tricks. No escape.
Just pure, undeniable annihilation.
Orochimaru turned and fled.
His subordinates followed, scrambling after him as he vanished into the chaos of the retreating invasion forces.
Naruto didn't chase him.
His eyes were still locked on the corpse of the old man.
A low rumble of thunder filled the silence.
Rain began to fall.
Not a light drizzle.
A storm.
The skies wept, and the earth trembled beneath the weight of the unnatural energy radiating from Naruto's still form.
He took a single step toward the barrier.
Then another.
The red chakra flared, warning him to stay back.
He didn't care.
He kept walking.
If he had to, he would walk through it.
If it burned him, so be it.
If it killed him, so be it.
He lifted his foot—
And then—
Arms wrapped around him from behind.
A warmth against his back.
A voice.
"Calm down, Naruto."
Soft. Gentle. Firm.
A voice that was not afraid of him.
A voice that pulled him back from the abyss.
Yūgao Uzuki—or Neko, as she was known—held him tight, her arms locked around his waist. Her cheek pressed lightly against his shoulder.
"It's fine," she murmured. "It's fine."
Naruto's body remained tense.
The storm raged.
But something in his mind—something deep—shifted.
The sky cleared.
The thunder faded.
The unnatural energy that had saturated the air receded.
His breath evened out.
The red barrier flickered—
And then disappeared entirely.
Naruto barely noticed.
His eyes trailed to the battlefield.
The village still stood.
Burned, broken, bleeding.
But it stood.
Orochimaru had already escaped.
"He's gone," he murmured.
Yūgao sighed. "I know."
"I could've killed him."
"I know."
A pause.
"But we can't destroy the village the old man died for, neh?"
Naruto was quiet.
Then, finally—
He exhaled.
"…Yeah."
—ToT—
The sky was gray, overcast with thick clouds that seemed to press down on the village. A gentle but steady drizzle fell, dampening the earth, soaking into the soil, making the air heavy with the scent of rain and mourning. It wasn't the kind of storm Naruto had summoned in his grief. It was quiet, natural, and deeply somber.
The village was silent.
A sea of black gathered in front of the Hokage Monument. Shinobi, civilians, and even visitors who had been caught in the chaos of the invasion stood together in mourning. The Third Hokage had died. So had many others—shinobi who had fought to protect their home, civilians caught in the crossfire, guests who had come to witness the Chūnin Exams and instead lost their lives.
Naruto stood among them, clad in dark robes like the rest, his hands tucked into his sleeves. His expression was calm, his glowing sapphire eyes reflecting the flickering candles and the incense smoke that drifted into the gray sky.
The funeral had begun.
Soft voices murmured prayers. Monks chanted, their words blending into the sound of falling rain. The Sandaime's portrait stood tall before them all, placed on an altar adorned with white flowers and offerings. He was smiling in the picture, just like he always had in life. Kind. Warm. Wise.
Naruto's gaze lingered on the image.
It felt strange.
The old man had always been there, always watching over the village, always carrying the weight of Konoha on his tired shoulders. Even when Naruto was younger, causing trouble, painting the Hokage Monument or sneaking into places he shouldn't, the Sandaime had never been truly angry with him. There had been disappointment, maybe. Annoyance. But never anger.
And now… he was gone.
The fire he carried had been extinguished.
Naruto had seen death before. He had fought, killed, watched enemies crumble under his fists. But this was different. This wasn't a battle. It wasn't an opponent falling before him.
This was loss.
Permanent.
Final.
Naruto exhaled quietly, staring up at the darkened sky.
He felt Iruka shift beside him. The man was standing still, his jaw tight, his eyes red. He had been one of the first to take Naruto seriously, to treat him as something more than the demon child everyone whispered about. Naruto had always thought of him as someone solid, someone steady. But right now, Iruka looked like a man struggling to keep himself together.
Naruto turned back toward the altar, watching as people stepped forward one by one to pay their respects. Tsunade wasn't here. Jiraiya wasn't here. The village needed a new leader, but that hadn't been decided yet.
Naruto spoke, his voice quiet.
"Iruka-sensei."
Iruka flinched slightly, as if pulled from deep thought. "Yeah?"
Naruto tilted his head. His red hair, still slightly damp from the rain, clung to his forehead. "What's the point?"
Iruka blinked. "What?"
"The point of all this," Naruto murmured. "Of dying for a place that never really cared about you."
Iruka turned fully to look at him now, something sharp and sad flickering across his face. "Naruto…"
Naruto didn't look away from the Hokage's portrait. "Almost nobody here cared about me. Almost nobody saw me as human." His fingers curled slightly. "I could've let them all die."
Iruka's breath hitched, but he didn't interrupt.
Naruto continued, his voice calm, steady. "I could've let this village burn, and it wouldn't have changed much. They would have died hating me, the same way they lived." He paused. "But I didn't."
Iruka swallowed thickly.
"Why?" Naruto asked, finally turning to face him. "Why do people fight for a place that doesn't love them? Why do they die for it?"
Iruka stared at him, eyes shining with something raw. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Because it's home."
Naruto's expression didn't change. "And if home never loved you back?"
Iruka inhaled shakily. "Not everyone in the village hated you, Naruto."
Naruto tilted his head slightly, waiting.
Iruka licked his lips. "The Sandaime didn't." His voice was rough, uneven. "He protected you, watched over you, did what he could within his limits. I know it wasn't perfect. I know you suffered. But he cared."
Naruto glanced back at the portrait, silent.
Iruka took a slow breath. "And it's not just him. There are people who care about you, Naruto. Maybe it's not the whole village. Maybe it never will be. But that doesn't mean there's no one." His gaze softened, a hint of desperation in it. "Kakashi cares. Your teammates care. Jiraiya—he'll care, once he stops being an idiot. And I—" His voice caught for a brief second before he pressed forward. "I care, Naruto."
Naruto blinked.
Iruka swallowed hard. "You're not alone."
A drop of rain slid down Naruto's cheek, mixing with the tear that had fallen earlier. His gaze lowered slightly.
He didn't say anything.
But for the first time in a long while, something in his chest felt a little lighter.
The funeral continued.
People spoke of the Sandaime's kindness, his wisdom, his leadership. They spoke of his sacrifices, his dedication, his unwavering love for the village. Stories of his youth, of his time as a student, a teacher, a Hokage—all of it was shared.
And then, finally, the fire was passed.
Not literally, not yet. But the Will of Fire—this thing Konoha clung to so desperately—was spoken of as something eternal, something that burned in the hearts of those left behind.
Naruto listened.
He didn't believe in those words, not fully.
But maybe, just maybe—
There was something worth protecting after all.
—ToT—
The apartment was quiet, save for the occasional sound of bubbling broth and the rhythmic chopping of vegetables. The scent of something warm and savory filled the small space, clinging to the air with a sense of domesticity that Naruto wasn't used to.
He sat cross-legged on the couch, barely moving, a butterfly perched on his head like it belonged there. His glowing sapphire eyes were half-lidded, lost in thought as he absentmindedly observed the creature. It flexed its wings lazily, its tiny legs gripping onto his red hair.
Across the room, Karin was busy at the stove, adjusting the flame under the pot and humming softly to herself. She was wearing one of Naruto's oversized shirts, sleeves rolled up, her red hair tied messily behind her head.
"You're spacing out again," she said without looking. "Thinking about the funeral?"
Naruto blinked once, then sighed. "No."
Karin gave him a look over her shoulder. "Liar."
Before Naruto could reply, there was a sharp knock on the door, followed by it swinging open with no regard for privacy.
Jiraiya stepped in like he owned the place, eyes immediately scanning the apartment. His white hair was slightly damp from the lingering drizzle outside, and he carried the faint scent of sake and ink.
"Well, well," he mused, smirking. "This is cozy."
Karin glanced at him, unimpressed. "Who are you?"
Jiraiya blinked. "Who am I? Kid, I'm the Legendary Toad Sage, the Great Jiraiya!" He struck a ridiculous pose, waiting for a reaction.
Karin squinted. "Never heard of you."
Jiraiya twitched. Naruto, meanwhile, remained unmoved, the butterfly still comfortably sitting on his head.
Jiraiya gave Naruto a long look before grinning. "You just gonna sit there, kid?"
Naruto finally spoke. "You didn't knock."
Jiraiya chuckled. "Oh? You worried about privacy now?" He wiggled his eyebrows, then his grin widened as he gestured to Karin. "I mean, I get it. You're living with a young girl, huh? Got yourself a little housewife already?"
Karin, stirring the soup, nearly dropped the ladle. "What?"
Naruto didn't even blink. "She's my cousin."
Jiraiya's smirk didn't fade. "Still, I gotta admit, it's kinda cute. You two playing house in here—"
Karin scowled, holding up the knife she was using to cut vegetables. "If you finish that sentence, I will personally see to it that you won't be able to speak for the next month."
Jiraiya took a step back, holding up his hands. "Alright, alright, relax, firecracker." Then his expression shifted, something more serious settling over his features.
Naruto immediately picked up on it. His eyes focused fully on Jiraiya, waiting.
The older man exhaled. "The village wants me to be Hokage."
Karin froze. Even the butterfly on Naruto's head fluttered its wings slightly, disturbed by the shift in atmosphere.
Naruto tilted his head slightly. "And?"
Jiraiya ran a hand through his hair. "And I declined."
Karin turned fully now, brow furrowed. "Why? Wouldn't you be good at it?"
Jiraiya chuckled dryly. "Maybe. But I know someone better."
Naruto blinked once. "Who?"
"Tsunade."
Karin frowned. "Who?"
Jiraiya waved a hand. "One of my teammates. A legendary medic, a monster in strength, and honestly, one of the few people I'd actually trust with the job." He stretched slightly, then grinned. "And I'm gonna go get her."
Naruto exhaled. "Good luck."
Jiraiya's eye twitched. "Hey—! No, you're coming too!"
Naruto stared at him. "Why?"
Jiraiya shrugged. "I dunno. But I think it'll cheer you up."
Naruto's expression remained unreadable. He glanced at Karin.
Karin wiped her hands on a towel. "You should go."
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"It'll be a distraction," she said simply. "Better than sitting around brooding in here."
Jiraiya watched the exchange with mild interest, noting how Naruto didn't argue. The kid was stubborn, strong-willed, and usually did whatever he wanted. Yet, when it came to Karin… he actually listened.
Jiraiya smirked. Interesting.
"Well, that settles it," he announced. Then, without warning, he grabbed Naruto by the back of his shirt and hoisted him up like a stray cat.
Naruto's expression didn't change. "Put me down."
"Nope."
Karin snorted, covering her mouth.
Jiraiya leaped out of the window with Naruto in tow, laughing as he bounded toward the village gates.
Naruto sighed. "I hate this already."