[The Valley of the End—this battlefield that influenced the rise and fall of Konoha. After Hashirama and Madara, countless battles have played out here. From Naruto and Sasuke's first clash to the earth-shattering battle of Six Paths Naruto and Sasuke, every inch of this land is etched with the marks of history, the glint of blades, and the shadow of conflict.]
---
[Valley of the End]
The waterfall roared like thunder, mist billowing.
Two colossal statues faced each other across the chasm—the silhouettes of the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara silently confronting one another in the sunlight, yet quietly watching over the restless ground below.
And at the feet of the statues, two young boys were fighting with their lives.
Naruto was drenched in blood, his clothes torn, a crimson tailed beast cloak draped over his body.
The Nine-Tails cloak writhed like a living thing, swelling and pulsating.
Naruto's pupils had changed, his nails had grown longer and sharper. His teeth had become more feral, and the sounds escaping his throat were nearly bestial.
Sasuke's body was half-covered in black curse mark patterns, spreading up his neck and across his cheek.
His three-tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly, tracking every subtle movement Naruto made.
"Chidori!"
Thunder cracked, and blue-white lightning tore through the air, illuminating both their faces.
"Sasuke!!"
Responding to it was Naruto's hoarse roar.
The two fought from the ground into the water, then burst out of the torrential current, sending towering columns of water soaring dozens of meters into the air.
Fists and feet clashed, chakra collided, and the roar of the waterfall made the scene breathtakingly intense.
Unfortunately, there had been no audience here originally.
But now, people from across different timelines of the Shinobi World were watching.
The two tumbled through the water—one punching the other in the face, the other kicking the first in the chest, neither willing to fall first.
In the final moments, Sasuke activated the second stage of his curse mark, and black, wing-like protrusions unfolded from his back. Naruto, meanwhile, was completely enveloped by the Nine-Tails' chakra, his crimson aura nearly solidifying into substance.
Yet even so, there was no killing intent between them.
Using every ounce of their strength, one formed a Rasengan, the other a Chidori, and they struck at each other one last time.
The moment they collided, chakra coalesced at the meeting point into a pitch-black sphere.
And the next moment—
BOOOM!!!
A blinding white light consumed everything.
When the light faded, Naruto lay collapsed in a pool of water, completely unconscious.
Sasuke staggered to his feet.
One of his arms hung limp at his side, unable to rise. His forehead protector slipped off and clattered to the ground with a sharp clink.
He glanced down at the unconscious Naruto.
His expression was indifferent, but he did not look back.
Dragging his nearly useless arm, he limped toward the depths of the dense forest.
Behind him, all that remained was Naruto's faint, murmuring voice:
"Sa… suke…"
The voice was soft, but Sasuke heard it.
His steps faltered just for a moment—then he continued forward.
In truth, both had held back. Sasuke had pulled his attack away from Naruto's chest at the last moment, and Naruto had struck only Sasuke's forehead protector.
The screen froze on the edge of the forest—on a lone, retreating silhouette fading into the distance.
[Naruto; For the first time in a desperate situation, unleashed one tail of the Nine-Tails' chakra, using a vermillion Rasengan saturated with that power. Sasuke; Adapted to the curse mark, mastered its second state, and unleashed the blackened 'Crying Chidori.' Result: Sasuke defeated Naruto, and the score between them became 2:0.]
[Thus, from the outcome; at this point, base Sasuke was slightly stronger than base Naruto. Curse Mark Stage 1 Sasuke was stronger than base Naruto. Sasuke was weaker than Naruto's 'Red-Eyed' form before awakening his three-tomoe, but after awakening the three-tomoe, his overall combat ability exceeded Naruto's. Finally, the One-Tail form and Curse Mark Stage 2 were roughly equal in power, but in the end, Sasuke held a slight edge.]
[Of course, if Naruto had summoned Gamabunta at the Valley of the End, they probably wouldn't have needed to film Shippuden.]
[According to the databook "Tō no Sho" for this period, their base stats were:
Naruto: Ninjutsu 6, Taijutsu 4, Genjutsu 2, Intelligence 3, Strength 6, Speed 6, Stamina 8, Hand Seals 2 — Total 37.
Sasuke: Ninjutsu 7, Taijutsu 5, Genjutsu 3, Intelligence 5, Strength 6, Speed 7, Stamina 6, Hand Seals 6 — Total 45.
Sasuke was still stronger than Naruto, but the gap between them was clearly shrinking.]
---
[Konoha, Year 60. A valley outside Konoha]
Silence hung over Team 7's location. Even crucial information like "Six Paths Naruto and Sasuke" failed to affect their moods in the slightest.
Naruto stared blankly at the screen—at himself lying in the rain—then turned his head to look at Sasuke beside him.
Sasuke was looking at the screen too, his expression unreadable.
"Sasuke… Naruto…"
Sakura's gaze flickered between the two, her eyes full of concern.
Naruto's lips moved. "So… I was still that far behind Sasuke?"
He forced out a smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"But you weren't in great shape either. Your clothes were all torn up."
Sasuke didn't respond.
Silence stretched between them, broken only by the crackling of the campfire.
"Sasuke," Naruto called out again.
"Hmm."
"I'm not going to let you leave."
Sasuke finally turned to look at him.
Naruto's face was devoid of its usual goofy grin. His eyes were fixed on Sasuke, the firelight reflected in his pupils.
"Idiot, I already said that's a future thing. I'm not going anywhere now."
Naruto's tone was serious. "Important things need to be said over and over. No matter if it's the future or now, I won't let you leave. Sasuke… you're my friend."
Friend.
The word came from Naruto's mouth without a moment's hesitation.
"Friend…"
Sasuke repeated the word softly. Then he turned his head away, presenting the back of his skull to Naruto.
"You're really annoying."
Kakashi stood to the side, watching his two students, a mix of emotions flickering in his eyes.
He thought of the figure on the screen dragging a broken arm into the forest—then looked at the young boy before him, who had his head turned away, the tips of his ears faintly red.
Kakashi felt somewhat convinced that Naruto and Sasuke would most likely not walk that path.
Unlike him and Obito.
Jiraiya leaned against a tree, inwardly surprised.
The two on the screen looked almost unchanged from their present selves. And given how fast young teenagers developed, this was clearly something that would happen within the next year or two.
In their normal states, they both seemed to be at Chūnin level, and that final clash had even reached Jōnin-level in power.
Their rate of growth was indeed astonishing.
Still, Sasuke had ultimately defected, so how had Naruto brought him back?
He thought of himself and Orochimaru—and all the time that could never be reclaimed.
"You two," he suddenly spoke, his voice lower than usual. "Don't pick up the bad habits of your predecessors!"
"Fight if you must. But after you fight, come home and eat."
Naruto grinned. "Jiraiya-sensei is right!"
Sasuke didn't say anything, but the corner of his mouth twitched.
Sakura looked at one, then the other, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She planted her hands on her hips. "Exactly! You two—if you're going to fight, do it in the training ground. No going to the Valley of the End!"
"Why?" Naruto looked genuinely confused.
"Because it's too far, and I can't be bothered to go collect your bodies."
"Sakura, you are so cruel!!"
Naruto's wail echoed through the valley.
*****
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