Infinite green lights flickered across the sky, restoring the lives of every shinobi who had fallen in the battle for Konoha.
Fukasaku sat up abruptly, turning to Shima. "Ma? Where are we?"
"Aaahhh!" Shima shrieked in disbelief.
Confusion rippled through the ruins. No one understood how bodies that had grown cold, or those whose remains had been completely obliterated, could return to life.
What had happened?! Throughout the village, shinobi who had just lost their loved ones wept as they embraced those standing back up.
Watching the mass resurrection, Inoichi Yamanaka's pupils contracted sharply. "Is this...?"
"It looks like things have concluded on Naruto's end," Shikaku Nara said softly.
…
Naruto stared at Nagato, whose hair had turned a deathly white. His eyes widened in shock. "What's going on? What's happening?!"
From Naruto's sleeve, Katsuyu spoke in a gentle voice: "The people in the village are being brought back to life."
"What?! That's..." Naruto was at a loss for words.
Nagato provided the answer for him. "There is still time to save those I killed since Kanon and I arrived at Konoha."
"Consider this a final act of atonement..."
"You..." Naruto looked at Nagato, his expression a swirl of conflicting emotions.
"War brings death and injury to both sides."
"The more precious a death is, the harder it is to accept. You convince yourself that those important to you shouldn't have to die."
Blood began to spill from Nagato's mouth and nose.
"It is especially difficult for your generation, who has never known true war."
"You seek meaning in death, and a place to vent a hatred you don't know how to handle."
"Dying like insects."
"A cycle of eternal hatred and pain that never heals... even having your best friend turn their blade against you."
"That is war..."
"Naruto, this is what you will have to face from now on."
"Whether it was the book or meeting you, I feel as if someone arranged all of this."
"No... perhaps this truly is the work of a higher power..."
"It seems my mission ends here..."
"I'm sorry for undoing what Kanon worked for, but I think she will understand me."
"Naruto... if it's you and her, maybe you really can..."
Finally, Nagato drew his last breath, bringing the nightmare to an end.
Kanon had single-handedly destroyed Konoha, and Nagato, in his final moments, believed he had helped pay for her "sins."
As Nagato passed, Konan wrapped his body in her paper, her gaze heavy with sorrow. She likewise encased the Deva Path in paper; after all, it was the body of Yahiko.
"Are you taking him back too?"
"Yes," Konan replied. "This Deva Path was made from Yahiko's remains."
"He is very precious to us."
"What will you do now? I assume you won't be returning to the Akatsuki."
Konan looked at Naruto.
"I don't know... As Nagato said, I have no quarrel with you. Right now, I want to be with Kanon..."
"To me, Yahiko and Nagato were everything. Now that Nagato has entrusted his hopes and dreams to you and Kanon, I choose her."
"But I won't lose faith in you, either. Since Nagato chose to believe in both of you, let me see what happens."
Naruto nodded slightly. "Thank you. Take care of Kanon."
"The name Naruto, the guts to never give up, and the pain..."
"I inherited those from my master and my senior disciple. Kanon and I will definitely reach a different conclusion!" Naruto declared firmly.
Watching him, Konan manifested a bouquet of paper flowers, much like the ones she had once given Kanon, and handed them to him.
"I once gave flowers like these to Kanon. As for you... I acknowledge you as a fellow disciple."
…
In a clearing within the forest, Naruto stood with his hands pressed together before a memorial he had built for Jiraiya. Beside it, he placed the kunai Kanon had left on the cliff long ago, the one engraved with her name, along with The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Ninja and Konan's paper flowers.
He used three kunai connected by thin wire to mark the site. The center grave was for his master, Jiraiya; the other two were for Nagato and Yahiko.
Naruto leaned against a tree for support, trying to make his way back to the village.
His strength failed him. He stumbled, expecting to hit the ground, but instead landed on someone's back.
"Good job..."
"Kakashi-sensei..." Naruto smiled weakly.
"Just stay right there on my back."
And so, Kakashi carried Naruto toward the village.
"You've gotten heavier, Naruto..."
Suddenly, the cheers of the entire Konoha erupted. Everyone was there to welcome him back.
At this moment, Naruto was no longer the "brat" with no home, no longer the "Demon Fox." He was the Hero of Konoha.
He had truly done it. He had gained the recognition of every shinobi in the village.
"You really worked hard, Naruto," Kakashi murmured.
Naruto was stunned as a crowd of children rushed toward him. From his collar, Katsuyu peeked out.
"I have shared the full story of what happened with everyone..."
As the children surrounded him, fussing over him and cheering, Hinata stood in the distance, tears streaming down her face.
"Thank goodness... Naruto..."
Atop Gamakichi, Fukasaku and Shima wore gratified smiles.
Yet, Naruto wasn't as happy as one might expect.
His eyes scanned the surroundings. For a fleeting second, he thought he saw the silhouette of the person who had first recognized him, the one who truly believed he would become Hokage, standing in a far corner.
Startled, Naruto rubbed his eyes. He thought he saw that warm smile from the cliff when they were six years old. He saw the eleven-year-old girl sitting with him outside the courtyard, counting stars and telling him that his hollow heart needed comrades to fill it.
But when he looked again, she wasn't there. A pang of regret hit him.
He had become the Hero of Konoha, but she was gone. The girl who had first accepted him was no longer the sincere, vibrant person she once was.
Sakura stepped out from the crowd, pulling Naruto back to reality.
"You're always so reckless, you idiot!" Sakura shouted, punching Naruto's forehead protector.
Naruto stumbled, only to be pulled into a tight hug.
"Thank you, Naruto..."
Watching this, Hinata smiled warmly. Nearby, Lee and Guy gave a thumbs-up.
"You did it, Naruto!"
"Yes! That is the power of youth!"
Shikamaru, supported by Choji, nodded slightly. "I can't believe you actually pulled it off alone."
"The guy's actually pretty capable. As expected of my classmate," Kiba boasted.
"You two are worlds apart," Shino deadpanned.
"Shut up! I'm gonna catch up next time!"
Seeing Iruka's smile, Konohamaru shouted excitedly, "Iruka-sensei, let's go over there too!"
"No... let's stay here."
"But—!" Before Konohamaru could argue, Ebisu cut him in.
"He's truly incredible, Naruto..."
"At first, myself included, everyone saw him as a nuisance."
"Because we feared his destiny, everyone distanced themselves. No one wanted anything to do with him." Ebisu smiled as he watched the village fawning over Naruto. "Do you know who stayed by his side the whole time?"
"Who?" Konohamaru asked.
"Kanon Uchiha."
"Eh! Her?!" Konohamaru was shocked.
"Yes. Even though she is the one who devastated the village, it's undeniable that she was the one who walked beside Naruto. Now that she's gone, I'm sure Naruto is hurting inside."
"However, through his own hard work, Naruto earned everyone's respect step by step. Everyone saw his 'never give up' attitude and his straightforward ninja way."
"Gradually, they had no choice but to acknowledge him."
"Now, everyone truly believes in him, worries for him, and expects great things from him."
"He really has changed a lot of hearts!"
Hearing Ebisu's words, Iruka looked at Naruto with pride.
But in Naruto's shadow, he still saw Kanon. She had once been just like Naruto, straightforward and determined, but now she walked the opposite path.
The Uchiha girl who witnessed her clan's massacre at six and fled the village at eleven... what had she endured?
If only he had paid as much attention to her as he did to Naruto, perhaps she would be standing there now, smiling with relief.
Thinking of this, Iruka sighed with regret. No one knew the truth of the conflict between Kanon and the village; the higher-ups had leaked nothing.
But now, the rift between her and Konoha was irreparable. She was destined to stand against the village, and destined to become Naruto's enemy.
————
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