On the third-floor lookout of a wooden housing block—
A sleepless Chunin leaned against the railing, letting the night wind cool his thoughts.
He crushed out his cigarette and turned to go inside—
Then froze.
Down below, on the dirt road—
Naruto was walking past.
Holding a boy's hand.
"…That kid…"
His eyes widened violently.
"…Isn't that Kawaki!?"
He rushed back inside, telling the others.
Shock turned to fury.
Thirty people in the building knew within moments.
Then—
It spread.
One to ten. Ten to a hundred.
Within half an hour—
The entire camp knew.
Naruto's residence stood in the southeast corner of the valley.
A simple Japanese-style house.
Just as he reached the entrance—
He stopped.
He didn't need to turn.
He could feel it.
The anger behind him.
With his newly gained Six Paths-level power, Naruto's perception had evolved.
He no longer sensed just malice—
But all negative emotion.
Kawaki's voice trembled.
"…Dad…"
Naruto replied calmly.
"Don't be afraid."
"We have to face this."
Voices erupted behind him.
"Seventh! Is this your answer!?"
"You brushed us off with pretty words—and brought the problem home!?"
"Do our feelings mean nothing to you!?"
"We know we're weak! Maybe we're burdens in battle!"
"But if you look down on us—just say it!"
"Don't let us pretend we're still Konoha shinobi!"
"Hokage! Look at us and answer!!"
The door opened.
Hinata stood at the entrance.
Dressed in black mourning clothes.
A white flower pinned to her chest.
Her left eye—gone—covered with a black ribbon.
Naruto had wanted to restore it with Yang power.
She refused.
Her remaining eye was dim.
Silent.
She took in the scene instantly.
Naruto spoke low.
"Hinata… I'll explain later."
"Take Kawaki inside first."
Hinata nodded.
Stepped aside.
Kawaki hesitated—
Then entered.
The door closed slowly.
Naruto inhaled deeply.
Turned.
Faced them.
In the dead silence of night—
He dropped to his knees.
"!!?"
Shock rippled through the crowd.
"…Seventh… what are you doing?"
Naruto bowed his head.
His voice—
Heavy.
Each word piercing.
"I know keeping Kawaki hurts you."
"But I cannot abandon him."
"No matter what."
"I understand—nothing I say will change your view."
"Nothing will bring the dead back."
"But… please."
"Remember… during the Nine-Tails battle—he risked his life against Uchiha Akira."
"Give him one chance to make amends."
"Just once."
"I will take responsibility."
"I will raise him into a true Konoha shinobi!"
"I swear—by the name of Hokage!"
"Kawaki—and anyone who seeks him—will never harm this village again!"
"Absolutely!"
"After what I've gained… I have power greater than ever before!"
"Jigen, Akira—anyone!"
"I will not lose!"
"I am not someone who worships power…"
"But this time—it's different!"
"I believe it!"
"If I break this promise…"
"I will step down as Hokage!"
Silence.
Everyone knew—
What that title meant to Naruto.
"…He swore on it…"
"And… he's never been someone who boasts about strength…"
"But now he is…"
"…Did he really gain that much power?"
They couldn't argue anymore.
Even if it tasted bitter—
They swallowed it.
Because they were Konoha.
Because of the Will of Fire.
Because—
He was Naruto.
"Please… stand up, Lord Hokage."
"Yeah… don't kneel like this. What would other villages think?"
Their voices—
Had warmth again.
The tension eased.
Naruto's eyes filled with tears.
"…Thank you."
"Thank you, everyone…"
From above—
Sasuke watched.
Calm.
Clear.
The resentment hadn't vanished.
It was buried.
Wrapped in expectation—
Forged from Naruto's authority and past achievements.
If that expectation broke—
Konoha would explode.
A powder keg.
And Naruto—
Would lose everything.
Sasuke couldn't judge Naruto's obsession with Kawaki.
Because that same obsession—
Had once saved him.
But still—
"…Naruto."
"There's something you still don't understand."
"Something I didn't either… until now."
"It wasn't your ideals that gave you power."
"It was your power… that allowed your ideals to work."
"You've got it backwards."
"We are stronger now."
"Stronger than before."
"But…"
His eyes darkened.
"Do you really think…"
"…Uchiha Akira didn't already account for that?"
—
"Burp~"
Akira set down his empty meal box.
Kaguya still stood there—
Staring at the night sky.
Unmoving.
It had been nearly twenty hours since she fell into Izanami.
Millions of cycles.
Still no awakening.
"She's still cooking, huh…"
"No rush."
"Take your time."
"Buzz—"
The six tomoe returned to his Rinnegan.
"Good. My eye's recovered."
He carefully wiped Hikari's lunchbox clean.
Sealed it.
Stored it in his time pocket.
A glance—
The discarded tissues disintegrated.
He stretched lazily.
"Lost twenty hours recovering."
"But no matter."
"With the natural energy here…"
"The Ten-Tails reaching its next stage…"
"…will only take minutes."
His gaze sharpened.
"Time to become…"
"The Ten-Tails Jinchuriki."
—Summoning: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!
"BOOM!"
The statue emerged in smoke.
Akira released the complete Nine-Tails from his time seal.
Kurama's bloodshot eyes glared.
"Uchiha Akira—you—!"
"Shut up."
"Crack—!"
A red wooden spike pierced through its mouth—
Silencing it instantly.
He had once considered coexistence.
Not anymore.
Naruto's stubbornness had killed that idea.
"Relics of a bygone era…"
"Though… Baryon Mode was interesting."
"If possible…"
"I'd rather get along with the Ten-Tails itself."
Chains snapped into place.
The statue devoured Kurama.
The Gedo Statue screamed—
Its nine eyes bleeding.
A monstrous roar shook the world—
As it stood—
A towering horror with a crimson eye.
Wind howled.
From afar—
Madara watched.
"Oh?"
"It's begun."
Obito nodded.
"Yes."
"The era of Akira…"
"…is about to begin."
Some things—
Were too complex for words.
But Madara and Obito—
Said it all in just two sentences.
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