306-310

*Chapter 306: Team 7 Reunited? *

“Is that so?” Hearing this, Pain paused, then asked, “So, what is your purpose?”

“I’m here to defeat you and bring peace to the ninja world.”

“Is that so? Quite a lofty goal you have there.” Pain sneered, turning his back on Naruto and beginning his rebuttal.

As expected, the less-experienced Naruto quickly found himself overwhelmed in their verbal exchange.

Aizen and Jiraiya stood a short distance away, listening to their conversation.

Inwardly, Aizen assessed that, while Pain’s words were harsh, his reasoning was sound. His theory of peace was akin to the nuclear deterrence from Aizen’s previous life on Earth.

Though it didn’t completely eliminate the threat of war, it served as a powerful deterrent, preventing a third world war from erupting.

Still, countries like the Land of Rain, persecuted and vulnerable, continued to bear the brunt of suffering, sacrificed in the power plays of greater nations.

Overall, Pain’s approach was overly realistic.

Naruto’s, on the other hand, was excessively idealistic.

Hoping for peace through mutual understanding...

Even on Earth, deception and manipulation are everywhere. People betray each other for self-interest. It’s no different in this world of shinobi, where betrayal and violence are commonplace.

Thinking of this, Aizen couldn’t help but let out a self-mocking smile. Why think so deeply about all this? Whether the ninja world has peace or not—what does it matter to him?

He was just an observer, after all.

With a bitter smile, Aizen turned to Jiraiya and asked, “So, what do you think?”

Jiraiya looked down, his hair and torn robes swaying gently in the breeze, his eyes shadowed.

After a deep breath, he spoke, “I understand that everything Nagato says is true, but even knowing how things are in the ninja world, I still want to search for an answer.”

“I believe that one day, people will truly come to understand each other.”

Hearing this, Naruto’s eyes filled with determination, as if hearing Jiraiya’s words.

Unfortunately, determination alone wouldn’t help him now. Unless the Nine-Tails took over, Naruto had no chance of winning.

Aizen shrugged. “I have to say, you’re quite the optimist.”

“Even if what you say were to come true, it would only happen if there were a common enemy, like the Akatsuki organization.”

“If the Akatsuki didn’t exist, the Fourth Ninja War would have likely started already.”

“Once the Akatsuki is no longer a threat, perhaps there will be peace for a few decades. But in time, the ninja world will return to its usual cycle.”

“Just like with the First Hokage. After he passed, it didn’t take long for the First Ninja War to break out.”

“The root cause lies in the twisted shinobi system of this world.”

“Then…” Jiraiya hesitated, asking Aizen earnestly, “What’s your goal?”

He realized that the most dangerous person here wasn’t Pain, nor the masked figure who once controlled the Nine-Tails to attack the Leaf Village.

It was the young man standing before him.

“Who knows? Maybe I just want to witness the future of this world... or even create it.”

Aizen’s ambiguous answer was followed by a glance skyward. “It’s about time.”

As his words fell, a dark figure plummeted from above. Jiraiya, Pain, and Naruto all looked up.

They saw Sakura flailing in mid-air, falling in an almost comical posture, before hitting the ground with a thud.

“Ouch!” Her pained voice came from within the dust cloud.

As the dust settled, Sakura’s disheveled form appeared. “Huh? I’m... okay?” She slowly got up, realizing she only had a few scrapes and bruises.

In her confusion, Naruto’s voice came from nearby. “Sakura, what are you doing here?”

“Naruto?” Sakura looked over, startled by Pain standing next to him.

Where am I?

How did I end up here?

I haven’t even seen Sasuke yet—I don’t want to die!

A whirlwind of thoughts flashed through Sakura’s mind, all revolving around Sasuke.

“Backup?” Pain drew a black rod from his sleeve, gripping it tightly.

“Sakura, run! You can’t fight this guy,” Naruto urged, deeply touched that Sakura had come to help but also desperate to get her out of harm’s way.

Sakura swallowed hard, terrified as she looked at Pain. She neither fled nor attacked, her mind racing between staying alive to find Sasuke and risking her life in this fight.

“Was this your doing, Aizen? What’s your goal?” Jiraiya demanded, grabbing Aizen by the collar.

At this point, Jiraiya’s chakra had been sealed by Aizen, making it impossible for him to help Naruto.

And now, with Sakura being thrown into the fray, Jiraiya couldn’t shake the feeling that Aizen’s intention was for Naruto to witness Sakura’s death at Pain’s hands, pushing him into a Nine-Tails rage.

“You’ve already figured it out, haven’t you? This is the only way Naruto can turn things around. And I’m sure you don’t want him to be captured by Pain, right?”

Aizen calmly brushed Jiraiya’s hand away, straightening his collar.

“You’re despicable,” Jiraiya spat, storming toward Pain and shouting, “Nagato, enough! Stop this!”

Before he could take a step, however, pain shot through his back as if he’d been struck. He couldn’t move.

Behind him, Aizen’s voice rang out. “Don’t waste your energy. They can’t see or hear us.”

“Besides, there’s something I want to confirm.”

At that moment, with a poof of smoke, Sasuke appeared beside Naruto.

Dressed in a dark cloak with red clouds and a hood, he wore a cool expression.

“Sasuke…” Naruto and Sakura gasped, unable to believe their eyes.

Pain looked on with interest, his Rinnegan gleaming as he sized up “Sasuke.”

“Well, this is quite the surprise. Uchiha Sasuke, isn’t it? I believe this is our first formal meeting.”

“I am the leader of the Akatsuki, Pain.”

“So, why are you here? Are you here to save your former teammate, the Nine-Tails?”

Pain’s eyes gleamed coldly.

“No, don’t misunderstand. I only came because Aizen said the Nine-Tails capture was nearly complete. I never expected to see anyone else here besides Naruto.”

“Sasuke” replied coolly.

“Oh? This just gets more interesting.”

Pain paused his assault, though he remained on guard against Sasuke.”

After all, he was considerably weakened at the moment.

“Sasuke, is that really you?” Tears welled in Sakura’s eyes, her fear and anxiety replaced by a calm at the sight of Sasuke.

---

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 307: Sakura Haruno, You’re All Looks*

“Ah,” Sasuke nodded, with a cold, distant look. “Of course it’s me.”

“You’re just an illusion created by genjutsu, aren’t you? Don’t think you can fool me.”

Sakura still looked unconvinced, speaking earnestly.

“Don’t you have the ability to break genjutsu? Test it and see if it’s real or not.”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly, then slowly reopened them, revealing his Sharingan, gleaming in scarlet.

“Sharingan!” Sakura was taken aback. Seeing the Sharingan, she practically collapsed emotionally.

She tried to “break the genjutsu,” but Sasuke still remained Sasuke.

Tears began streaming uncontrollably as she moved shakily toward Sasuke, throwing herself into his arms and sobbing.

She repeated Sasuke’s name again and again, “Sasuke… Sasuke… I thought I’d never see you again.”

Sasuke said nothing, allowing Sakura to cling to him this way.

Everyone’s expressions were different.

Aizen looked on with disdain.

Jiraiya, understanding this was Aizen’s genjutsu, appeared increasingly serious.

Naruto, on the other hand, looked relieved and pleased, even forgetting that he was currently pierced by Pain’s black rods.

As for Pain, he could hardly stand it anymore and said impatiently, “Save the chatter for later, Uchiha Sasuke. Should I assume now that you plan to betray the Akatsuki and return to the Leaf? Are you here just to catch up with this girl?”

As he spoke, Pain’s Rinnegan narrowed, emitting a dangerous and strange aura.

“No,” Sasuke shook his head, turning to Naruto. “Naruto, I heard you’ve been chasing after me?”

“Of course! I will bring you back to the Leaf because you’re my brother.” Naruto replied seriously, still firm despite his own peril.

“Brother, huh?”

Sasuke suddenly burst into laughter—the iconic laughter of the rogue Uchiha.

“Sasuke…” Sakura, jolted out of her “joyous reunion,” stepped back a few steps, feeling a cold, unfamiliar presence in Sasuke.

When his laughter faded, Sasuke said in a low voice, “Naruto, you’re too naïve. My only true brother is dead—killed by people from your Leaf.”

Uchiha Itachi?

Pain, Naruto, Sakura, and Jiraiya all thought of the same name.

Sasuke then confirmed their suspicions by recounting the story of the Uchiha clan’s demise and how Itachi died by “his own” hand.

Of course, he only shared what the real Sasuke knew.

For instance, he didn’t mention that Mrs. Mikoto was still alive.

He did, however, mention that Aizen had slaughtered the Sarutobi and Shimura clans for Uchiha Izumi and then defected from the Leaf, making a different choice than Itachi.

“How could this be?!”

Everyone was stunned—even Pain.

He knew very little about the Uchiha massacre, only that Aizen had rescued Mrs. Mikoto and Izumi from Itachi on the night of the massacre and later had a daughter with Mrs. Mikoto.

“Look, this is the village you all love—the Leaf you hold so dear.” Sasuke spread his arms. “Built on the blood of the Uchiha.”

“Sasuke…” Sakura grew more and more terrified, trembling as she took a few steps back from Sasuke.

Then Sasuke said, “Sakura, didn’t you once say you wanted me to take you with me when I left the Leaf? Fine, I’ll give you a chance. Kill Naruto, and I’ll take you with me.”

“Sasuke, I…” Sakura’s gaze wavered as she looked at Naruto, torn.

Seeing this, Sasuke added an even more convincing offer, “Maybe I didn’t express it clearly. Let me put it another way: if you strike down Naruto right now, I’ll marry you.”

“You should know that the Uchiha clan is now nearly extinct, except for the woman Aizen saved. I’m the only one left. To revive the Uchiha clan and restore its glory, I need a woman to marry and bear my children.”

“And you, Sakura, are my ideal choice.”

“M-Marry?” Sakura’s face turned red as her mind raced, even coming up with names for their children.

If it’s a girl, she thought, she’ll be named Uchiha Sarada.

If it’s a boy…

“Yes, marry.”

Not giving Sakura much time to think, Sasuke moved behind her, wrapping one arm around her waist while guiding her hand toward her kunai pouch, ready to throw.

“No, Sasuke, don’t…”

Sasuke’s grip wasn’t strong, being only a creation of the hypnotic illusion of Mirror Flower Water Moon.

If Sakura had wanted to break free, she could have done so easily, even without using the monstrous strength Karin taught her.

But she didn’t.

She kept verbally rejecting him, but her body betrayed her.

Naruto’s pupils trembled slightly, and the Nine-Tails inside him began to stir. He couldn’t believe that his former friend, whom he saw as a brother, would want to kill him.

Sasuke ignored this, continuing to coax her. “That’s it, slowly… You can’t defeat Pain anyway, nor save Naruto from him.”

“So instead, you might as well choose your own happiness. Death is quick; Naruto won’t feel much pain.”

“If you kill Naruto and sever ties with the Leaf, we can be together forever.”

“Don’t you want to be with me?”

Hearing these absurdly transparent lies, Sakura would have easily spotted Sasuke’s deception on any other day. But now, swept up by the idea of “marriage” and her brain in a daze, she couldn’t summon any resistance.

Two voices argued within her.

Outer Persona: This isn’t right. Naruto has his flaws, but he’s our comrade. I can’t do this.

Inner Persona: Go ahead. Kill him, and you’ll be with the Sasuke you love forever.

As they argued, Sakura gave in, letting Sasuke take control.

Just as Sakura was about to throw her kunai, Jiraiya panicked, disregarding his own genjutsu restraints. He shouted, “Sakura, what are you doing? Stop it now!”

“Relax; Pain won’t let her kill Naruto.” Aizen appeared behind Jiraiya and released his genjutsu.

Sure enough, just as Sakura threw the kunai, Pain stopped it with a controlled Shinra Tensei, scattering the kunai effortlessly. “The Nine-Tails is a vital Jinchuriki—I can’t let you kill him.”

Watching Naruto narrowly escape death, Jiraiya didn’t feel relieved and pressed on, asking, “Aizen, what’s your real purpose?”

*Chapter 308: Sakura Is Finally Hit*

"Nothing much, really. Just the last time I'll be helping Konoha, for Tsunade and Chika's sake, and to confirm something." Aizen shrugged. "Now you've seen it too, Jiraiya. Naruto's lifelong pursuit of Sakura… but it's all just a facade."

"Just a facade?" Jiraiya muttered, staring blankly at Sakura. Her helpless expression left him deeply disappointed.

Now, he finally understood why Tsunade had been reluctant to personally train Sakura.

A person who, at the slightest provocation, would abandon her comrades to their fates… 'Just a facade' might be the perfect way to describe her.

“Hahaha,” laughed Uchiha, reappearing with his gang of four. He released Sakura, gazing at Naruto's face, filled with confusion and pain, and sneered openly, “See, Naruto? This is the village you’re trying to protect, the comrades you want to save."

“I only needed to whisper a few pretty words, and she was ready to betray you. Isn't it ironic?”

Sakura was stunned. This couldn’t be real; Sasuke, who had been so kind to her moments ago, had just admitted he was deceiving her.

She thought of this, and tears, which she had only recently stopped, began flowing once more.

Only this time, it wasn’t because she was happy to see Sasuke.

It was because Sasuke said he had been lying to her.

Sasuke had never intended to marry her.

"Sasuke, you—" she started to say, but Sasuke interrupted her with a cold shout, "Shut up. You’re just a tool for me to confirm whether there's anything left in Konoha worth my attention."

"Now I've confirmed it. This Konoha is better off destroyed."

 Sasuke turned his gaze to Pain. “Pain, since you've already captured the Nine-Tails, this woman is useless. Do with her as you wish. I plan to hunt down the remaining Konoha ninja—to avenge my clan.”

With that, Sasuke's figure vanished from sight.

"Do as you please," Pain said indifferently, his Rinnegan pupils dilating. He raised his hand toward Naruto, preparing to use the Almighty Pull to capture him.

At this moment, Sakura finally reacted. She didn’t pursue Sasuke but instead launched a powerful punch at Pain.

Boom.

Pain leapt back effortlessly, evading her blow.

The ground where he had stood shattered instantly, and when the dust cleared, Sakura’s imposing figure was revealed.

She shouted furiously, “Pain, I won’t let you take Naruto!”

“Interesting… Just now, you wanted to kill the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, and now you want to protect him. Is this your attempt at redemption?”

Pain showed no urgency to strike back.

“Sakura, you…” Naruto looked at her, a mix of emotions in his gaze.

Facing Pain's taunt and Naruto’s complicated expression, a brief flicker of sadness crossed Sakura’s face. She didn’t respond, channeling her shame and anger into strength, and struck the ground with another mighty punch.

The ground shattered once more, dust filling the air.

“Here’s my chance,” Sakura thought, taking advantage of the cover to do what Hinata had done in the past.

She knew she couldn’t possibly defeat Pain.

So she decided to remove the black rods from Naruto’s body to restore his freedom.

However, she overlooked that these black rods were receivers for Pain’s chakra.

The moment she touched them, Pain’s Almighty Pull activated.

“Aaah!” Sakura screamed as she was flung into the air, then fell to the ground.

"Foolishness."

After that debacle, Pain had lost all tolerance for this traitor. So, without a second thought, he pulled out a black rod and thrust it through her as she fell.

Blood began to stain the ground.

"This is fitting," Pain remarked, looking at Naruto, "My parents were murdered by Konoha ninja, right in front of my eyes. You like this woman, don't you? But she's not worthy of your affection. Love brings sacrifice, sacrifice breeds hatred, and only through hatred does one understand true pain."

A gust of wind blew through, lifting dust and the scent of blood into the air.

Sakura, ultimately, did not rise again.

“Sakura…” Naruto gazed at her fallen body, rendered speechless by shock, his mind blank.

Inside him, the Nine-Tails sensed his fury, and his eyes turned crimson.

A deafening boom rang out.

A terrifying aura spread through the air.

The air around Naruto seemed to explode outward, creating a violent gale that quickly expanded in all directions.

Within a hundred meters, the ground was torn apart like fragile paper, disintegrating into fragments, which then turned to ash under the continuing onslaught of power.

Even the Konoha ninjas being held back at the village gate by Aizen's shadow clone had to shield their eyes from the approaching whirlwind.

Those with weaker abilities were even blown backward by the force.

As the storm subsided, all the ninjas steadied themselves, mouths agape.

In the distance, a massive scarlet pillar of light shot up from a crater, piercing the sky, accompanied by the raging roar of the Nine-Tails.

"That’s…" A Konoha ninja who had survived the Nine-Tails’ attack in the past recognized it, his voice trembling, "It’s the Nine-Tails," he stammered, unable to finish the word.

"What in the world happened? Hinata," Tsunade asked, having never witnessed a full Nine-Tails rampage, and turned to Hinata for an explanation.

Hinata thought for a moment and answered as simply as possible, “Um, well, it’s complicated.”

“Basically, Sakura suddenly showed up on the battlefield, and then Sasuke appeared too. Sasuke wanted Sakura to kill Naruto, and he held her hand, making her throw a kunai at Naruto, but Pain stopped it.”

“Then Sasuke vanished, Pain tried to capture Naruto, Sakura tried to save him, Pain defeated her, and she’s now unconscious… Naruto unleashed the Nine-Tails' chakra.”

“And now he’s overpowering Pain, and the two are moving away from the village.”

The crowd was dumbstruck by this chaotic turn of events.

Only Chika and Tsunade seemed to understand that Aizen held a deep grudge against Sakura—no surprise this was one of his designs.

“Damn it, at this moment,” Tsunade muttered, looking up at Aizen's shadow clone in the air. “Is this your goal?”

Using Sakura to trigger Naruto’s rage, inciting the Nine-Tails’ fury, and pitting it against the powerful Pain.

The shadow clone remained expressionless, glancing back at the crimson pillar of light, confirming the success of his mission, then made a hand sign, dissipating into smoke and disappearing from sight.

End of Chapter

*Chapter 309: The Strange Everlasting Younger Sister*

"Damn it." Tsunade gritted her teeth, immediately issuing commands, "Chika, Hinata, while Naruto is chasing after Pain and is away from the village, come with me to rescue Sakura. Karin, Yamato, be ready to seal the Nine-Tails at any time."

"Everyone else, return to the village to search for survivors and be prepared for any unknown dangers."

With that, Tsunade leaped off the earth flow wall and sped toward Sakura's location.

"Yes!" came the unified response from the Konoha shinobi behind her. Karin, Chika, and Hinata quickly followed.

Hearing the call, Yamato, who was tending to the unconscious Gai, hurriedly handed him over to nearby medical personnel and joined the group.

Tsunade's brows knitted tightly as she raced, her heart heavy with frustration:

To think Naruto was pushed to the brink of the Nine-Tails' rampage… Damn it, what is that guy Aizen thinking?

A hand suddenly thrust out from the rubble, revealing Jiraiya, covered in smoke and dust.

He lay on the ground, breathing heavily and occasionally coughing from the smoke. Clearly, the whirlwind of Nine-Tails chakra had taken its toll on him.

"How does it feel?" Aizen's voice suddenly sounded as he emerged from the ground, looking down at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya glanced at the unconscious Sakura nearby, his brow furrowing even more deeply. "Is this what you wanted to see?"

"No, the real excitement is yet to come." Aizen turned his gaze toward Konoha. "Tsunade and Chika will arrive soon, so it seems this woman, Sakura, is fairly lucky. I plan to watch the showdown between the Rinnegan and the Nine-Tails next. Interested?"

"Do I have a choice?" Jiraiya gave a bitter smile.

If he tried to stay, Aizen would likely seal him back in that life-draining alternate dimension. And even if he stayed, there wasn’t much he could do to help Konoha.

So, he might as well go watch.

Besides, he was curious about the fates of his two students.

Not long after the two of them left, Tsunade’s group arrived.

Standing in a massive crater, they gazed at the astonishing level of destruction, all feeling a sense of fear. If this attack had been unleashed in the village center, who knows...

The battle between Pain and the Nine-Tails-empowered Naruto did not last long.

After the Nine-Tails transformed Naruto managed to counter both the Almighty Pull and Universal Push, Pain’s Deva Path brought him to an area within Nagato’s safe range and used the Chibaku Tensei.

"So this is the power of the Rinnegan and the Nine-Tails? It's truly awe-inspiring, far beyond the scope of ordinary shinobi."

Aizen, observing from a distance with Jiraiya, watched the Chibaku Tensei sphere that nearly blocked out the sun and the Nine-Tails, which was struggling to break free, its eight tails extended.

Even Jiraiya, usually calm, couldn’t help but be astonished.

"Of course," Aizen said with a faint smile, showing no surprise or concern, as if this level of Chibaku Tensei was something he could easily slice through with a single strike.

"To be honest, you should be grateful. Pain unleashed that super Shinra Tensei that could destroy all of Konoha before battling Naruto; otherwise, even if Naruto fully transformed, the outcome might be uncertain. Though it was all part of my plan, anyway."

"So your plan was for Naruto to unleash the Nine-Tails against Pain?" Jiraiya looked at Aizen with a serious expression, discontent in his tone. "Do you realize that if the Nine-Tails fully awakens, it will take over Naruto's body, and Naruto will die?"

He trailed off, unable to imagine a repeat of the Nine-Tails Night tragedy—and with the Nine-Tails host, no less. That would truly spell Konoha’s doom.

"Of course I know. That’s part of my plan too." Aizen deflected the question with one of his own, "But do you really think the Fourth Hokage left no contingency in Naruto? He even left the key to unseal the Eight Trigrams Seal. Don’t you think he anticipated this?"

"What are you implying?" Jiraiya’s eyes narrowed as if he had thought of something.

Aizen nodded slowly, a mysterious smile appearing on his face.

He then added, "And the Nine-Tails isn’t as strong as you think."

The Nine-Tails was now just one step away from complete release.

In the dark and gloomy sealed space, Naruto lay on his back in a pool of blood, muttering words of pain.

In front of him was a giant iron gate with a sealing talisman, holding the Nine-Tails within. The beast continually tried to manipulate Naruto.

Under the Nine-Tails’ influence, Naruto’s eyes turned blood-red, and the seal on his abdomen started to dissolve, black ink flowing out of the sealed space.

Naruto slowly approached the iron gate with the talisman, and just as he was about to touch it, the chakra of the Fourth Hokage, sealed along with the Nine-Tails, appeared.

The Fourth Hokage stopped Naruto.

The Nine-Tails, who had been working on breaking free for sixteen years, was suddenly restrained again, and it roared in frustration, "Fourth Hokage!"

"You are… the Fourth Hokage…" Naruto gasped in shock, staring at the man who suddenly appeared, with the words "Fourth Hokage" on the back of his white robe.

"Naruto, once even the Eight-Tails seal breaks, I will appear in your mind space, although I didn’t want to see this happen. I never wanted to see the Nine-Tails again."

The Fourth Hokage looked at the snarling, helpless Nine-Tails in its cage and ignored it, focusing instead on Naruto, a gentle, proud smile crossing his face. "But to see my grown-up son… it’s bittersweet."

"Son?" Naruto froze, still reeling from the shock. He pointed to himself, uncertain. "Son? Me? And… how do you know my name?"

"Yes, Naruto, you are my son. I gave you your name; it comes from the protagonist of Jiraiya-sensei’s novel." The Fourth Hokage smiled and nodded.

Naruto was stunned again. He had grown up without parents, knowing nothing of family, and was at a loss for words, tears flowing uncontrollably.

Just then, the Nine-Tails roared from within its cage, "Fourth Hokage, get over here! I’ll tear you apart!"

"You want to tear me apart, but you can’t," the Fourth Hokage retorted, looking back at Naruto with a warm smile. "This isn’t the right place to talk. Let’s go somewhere else."

With a snap of his fingers, the dark and bloody seal space disappeared, replaced by a peaceful world bathed in warm sunlight.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 310: The Endgame*

The Fourth Hokage continued, “It seems the Third really didn’t tell you anything. About the Nine-Tails, maybe…”

Before he could finish, Naruto punched him.

A brief flash of pain crossed the Fourth Hokage’s face.

Naruto’s punch dissipated most of the little chakra he had left. But he didn’t mind; meeting his son after death was more than enough for him.

“Why? Why did you seal the Nine-Tails inside your own son? Because of you, I’ve endured people’s scorn since I was a child. I trained so hard, then I met Brother Aizen, Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, and Ero-Sennin. It made me so happy to have people who believed in me, who helped me grow stronger.”

“But then Brother Aizen left, even joining the Akatsuki. Kakashi-sensei and Ero-Sennin were killed by the Akatsuki leader, Pain. I don’t even know what to say anymore.”

Naruto choked out his frustrations, years of resentment finally pouring out.

“I see…” When the Fourth Hokage heard Aizen’s name, he was briefly taken aback, but then he smiled warmly. “You’ve had a tough time all these years. But it’s not over yet.”

“What?!” Naruto wiped his tears, looking confused.

The Fourth Hokage didn’t answer but instead moved on. “I know about the Akatsuki. I also know what happened with Aizen and Jiraiya-sensei. All these years, I’ve been silently watching from within you.”

“Was it Pain who controlled the Nine-Tails to attack the Leaf Village back then?” Naruto quickly asked.

That attack had cost many their parents: Aizen, Iruka-sensei, and even himself.

Sometimes, Naruto wondered if Aizen would have stayed if the Nine-Tails hadn’t attacked the village.

“No.” The Fourth Hokage shook his head. “The true mastermind is someone else. I suspect Pain was being used as well. The real culprit is that masked man in the Akatsuki.”

“Him?” Images of Tobi flashed in Naruto’s mind.

“Yes,” the Fourth Hokage nodded with a slight smile. “But from what I’ve seen, the Leaf Village has raised some impressive ninjas—like that young girl, Chinatsu, who managed to corner the masked man like that.”

At this, Naruto looked a bit jealous, as if thinking, Really? Praising someone else’s kid in front of your own son? And she’s just a kid…

The Fourth Hokage seemed to read Naruto’s mind and added with a smile, “And my own son—you’re impressive too. You’re not one bit less talented than that girl.”

“Heh-heh…” Naruto thought the Hokage meant Tsunade when he said “that person” and scratched his head awkwardly. He then asked, “Is it true what Sasuke said about the Third Hokage? That he and Danzo ordered Brother Aizen and Itachi to slaughter the Uchiha clan?”

“I wasn’t there personally, so I can’t give an objective answer,” the Fourth Hokage replied with a frown. “The Uchiha matter is complicated.”

“There were historical issues, and the Leaf’s leadership played a part. If I hadn’t died, maybe things could have been different.”

“As for Aizen and Itachi, the Third and Danzo went too far.”

“They each made extreme choices. One chose to sacrifice his entire clan to protect his brother and keep the village from descending into war. The other chose to protect those he cherished, even if it meant targeting the Third and Danzo’s people.”

“It’s hard to say who was right or wrong.”

The Fourth Hokage sighed and added, “Maybe Aizen was right; as long as the ninja system exists, things like this will keep happening, and peace will remain elusive.”

Naruto froze. “Brother Aizen said that?”

The Fourth Hokage nodded. “Pain should have asked you about peace. As long as love exists, so will hatred. Ninjas are consumed by that hatred—Pain was, too.”

“And that hatred will spawn new Pains, leading to all of this. So perhaps it’s not Pain himself, but hatred…and the cruel ninja system.”

As they spoke, the Fourth Hokage’s body began to turn translucent. A look of peace washed over his face.

Then, in Naruto’s surprised gaze, he reached out to touch his son’s head. “But if it’s you, I’m willing to believe in you—just like Jiraiya-sensei did.”

“I…” Naruto felt an unprecedented sense of affirmation and asked uncertainly, “Can I really do it?”

“Of course, because you’re my son. I believe in you,” the Fourth Hokage said seriously.

“If even the Fourth Hokage says so, then I’ll take it on,” Naruto responded confidently.

Then, noticing the Hokage’s fading form, he said, “Dad, you’re…”

“It’s almost time. I have to go,” the Fourth Hokage said, his now translucent hand pressing against Naruto’s abdomen. “I’ll repair the seal for you, but this will be the last time.”

“In the end, I’m so glad I got to see you all grown up.”

As he finished, his figure faded back, becoming increasingly transparent until he disappeared from Naruto’s sight completely.

“I will, Dad,” Naruto lifted his arms as if to embrace him, tears of joy streaming down his face.

*Outside*

With a “bang,” the Nine-Tails, which had almost broken free from the Chibaku Tensei, vanished, revealing Naruto.

Due to excessive chakra depletion, Nagato was forced to release the Chibaku Tensei.

Under the power of the protagonist’s determination, Pain was soon defeated.

“Naruto, you did it.” Watching Naruto’s victory over Pain, Jiraiya, standing beside Aizen, shed tears of joy.

“Is that necessary? A grown man crying like this?” Aizen sneered at Jiraiya.

“Shut up! Do you even know what this means?” Jiraiya replied, wiping his tears. “It means the prophecy of the Great Toad Sage was true. Naruto is the Child of Prophecy, the one who will change this chaotic ninja world.”

“The Great Toad Sage? Prophecy?” Aizen looked more disdainful. “You’re so naïve. It’s just an old toad with a bit of clairvoyance. Seeing only a tiny glimpse of the future is nothing impressive.”

“Hey! Don’t be disrespectful to the Great Toad Sage!” Jiraiya shouted.

“Let’s go meet this ‘prophecy’ you’re so fond of,” Aizen said, placing his hand on Jiraiya’s shoulder, and in a flash, they disappeared with the Flying Thunder God Technique.

(End of Chapter)