In the 128th year of Konoha, on an unknown island a hundred miles off the coast of the Land of Water, a dimly lit cave hid a man nearing the end of his life.
He lay silently on a stone bed, his hair white, his face wrinkled and worn. If not for his emerald eyes and the three familiar whisker marks on his cheeks, no one would have believed he was once the Seventh Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto.
His life had been a journey of hardship, triumph, and, ultimately, misery.
At 12, he graduated from the Ninja Academy and became a Genin of Konoha.
At 16, he defeated Pain and became the hero of the village. That same year, he fought in the Fourth Great Ninja War, joining forces with Uchiha Sasuke to seal Kaguya and bring peace to the world.
But true peace never came.
Soon after, enemies from beyond, Otsutsuki Kinshiki, Momoshiki, Urashiki, Isshiki began their invasions, one after another.
In the battle against Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, Naruto lost Kurama, and Sasuke lost his Rinnegan.
With no other choice, they entrusted the future of the ninja world to the next generation led by Boruto.
Boruto did not disappoint. Through trials and battles, he surpassed his father's prime with the power of Jougan and Momoshiki's Ōtsutsuki strength.
He resolved crisis after crisis and led the ninja world into a new era of prosperity.
But that peace was short-lived.
A divine-style attack from the Ōtsutsuki descended a force far greater than even Kaguya.
The ninja world fought back with everything it had.
And lost.
Naruto's closest friends, his wife, his children, his friend... all died in the final battle.
Their screams and final words haunted Naruto's heart, echoing through his soul day and night leaving behind a man broken by grief and regret.
"Naruto, our strength… it's not enough…"
"Naruto-kun, please live on… and forgive me for not staying by your side…"
"Father… I did my best…"
"Seventh Hokage, fall back! You're our last hope!"
In the final moments of the war, a wounded and exhausted Naruto was sent away by Kumo Shinobi using a forbidden technique.
When he regained consciousness, the battle was over.
The enemies were gone.
The ninja world had become a scorched wasteland.
Naruto knelt in silence, his tears flowing until there were none left.
With a heart full of grief and regret, he began a lonely life in exile.
He wanted to do something, anything but age had caught up with him. His body, once strong enough to protect a world, could no longer fight.
After giving his all for so long… he was finally ready to say goodbye.
Beside a flickering candle sat an ancient-looking turtle, an artifact known as Plow, a time-traveling relic of the Ōtsutsuki clan.
It was once brought to this world by Urashiki, passed through many hands, and eventually found its way to Naruto.
But Plow was damaged. It had lost its power to cross time, and even its voice.
Still, in his final years, it became Naruto's only companion.
"Heh… you know, Plow," Naruto said softly,
"my greatest mistake was underestimating that clan…"
In his long battle with the Ōtsutsuki, Naruto uncovered a bitter truth:
Far beyond the stars, there lies a planet called Takamagahara, the origin of the Ōtsutsuki.
There, beings far stronger than Kaguya dwell…
and they are watching.
"Back then, we sealed Kaguya together… then defeated Momoshiki. I thought that was the extent of our enemies."
"I was too naive….believing that as long as we stood together, we could defeat any threat from beyond our world."
"We humans… we lost from the very beginning. The truth is, the Sage of Six Paths' path wasn't perfect."
" Everything Kaguya feared has come true. In the end… we were just too short-sighted…"
cough, cough
Naruto's coughing grew heavier, and his vision blurred.
The candle beside him flickered, its flame nearly gone.
Time was running out.
Then, after years of silence, Plow finally spoke.
"If you could do it all over again… would you seek revenge on them?"
Naruto thought it was just a final hallucination before death. He didn't respond right away.
His eyes were calm, his voice heavy with the weight of a lifetime.
"Revenge only brings more hatred. I won't walk that path."
"But if I could start over… I would do whatever it takes to gain the strength to stop them. Only then could I truly protect the people who mattered most…"
Plow was silent for a moment, then said, "At any cost… that doesn't sound like the Naruto I know."
Naruto slowly closed his eyes. A faint, sorrowful smile appeared on his face.
"That idealistic Naruto Uzumaki died the day his nation fell and his family was lost…"
Plow stayed silent for a long time. Then finally said,
"Maybe… I can grant your wish."
Naruto murmured, "Can you send me back to the past…?"
Plow replied, "If it's only your soul, I can do it. But it's a one-way trip. You'll never return to this era. You'll be stuck in that time… forever."
"Even so, are you willing?""
Naruto laughed softly.
"There's nothing left for me in this world…"
Plow said, "Then reach out your hand."
With the last of his strength, Naruto reached out his trembling hand…
Whoosh!
The final trace of chakra in his body was drawn into Plow!
Buzz!
The ancient treasure activated.
Naruto's soul broke free from his body, swept away through the stream of time
Whoosh!
and the candle went out.
At that moment, Naruto closed his eyes forever.
Snap! Snap!
Cracks spread across Plow's body. It was on the verge of total collapse...
"I have seen countless worlds in my travels, Uzumaki Naruto," Plow whispered.
"If anyone can stop that cursed clan, it's you. Go now, to a point in time not too early, not too late. Begin again."
Naruto felt his consciousness sinking into a vast tunnel.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a gray, sealed space.
In his hand… was a familiar book, The Legend of the Strong and Perseverant Ninja by Jiraiya.
In front of him sat a frail, thin Nagato, and beside him stood Konan.
"What's going on? Is this a dream?" Naruto muttered, confused.
He pinched his leg hard pain shot through his body.
This wasn't a dream.
Nagato, his eyes filled with sorrow, said quietly:
"If the protagonist changes… the story changes, too."
"I'm your senior," Nagato said quietly.
"We have the same teacher… and I've always felt a connection with you. I once said we could understand each other."
He smiled faintly. "At first, I was only half-joking… But you're an incredible guy, Naruto. You remind me of who I used to be…"
"Nagato…" Konan's voice trembled. She could sense something was wrong.
"I couldn't fully believe in Jiraiya back then. Honestly, I'm not even sure I believed in myself.
But now… I feel it."
"The path you're walking—it leads to a different future than mine."
"So I've decided… I'll believe in you, Uzumaki Naruto."
Right after speaking, Nagato tore free from the bindings on his arms and formed a powerful, unforgettable hand seal
"Gedō: Rinne Tensei no Jutsu!"
"Nagato! what are you doing!?" Konan cried out in shock.
Nagato looked at her with calm determination.
"Konan… it's enough. I've found a new choice. The one I once gave up."
Naruto's eyes widened. "What… is this!?"
Konan, thinking he was confused about the technique, explained quickly,
"Those with the Rinnegan don't just control the Six Paths of Pain. They say they can even defy the cycle of life and death itself. Nagato's true ability… is to bring the dead back to life."
"I know…" Naruto muttered, clenching his fists tightly.
What he truly knew was that the voice he had heard before his death wasn't a dream.
It was real.
It was Plow.
I'm back… I really came back…!
Naruto's heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst. His hands trembled uncontrollably, not sure where to rest, and the cover of the book in his hands was drenched in sweat.
He looked around this was right after the battle with Pain, right after the talk with Nagato.
The Naruto standing here was the same on the outside, but inside… his soul had returned from the future.
Of course, Konan didn't know any of this. She turned to Nagato, her expression full of worry.
With what little chakra Nagato had left, using this jutsu would be the end for him.
She glanced at Naruto and sighed to herself.
This boy… he changed Nagato.
"Gedō…!" Nagato gritted his teeth, forming the hand seal with trembling fingers.
Sweat poured down his thin frame, and the last of his strength drained away.
His once-bright red Uzumaki hair faded to pale white.
The technique was complete. His arms fell to his sides, limp.
"…Think of this as a small act of atonement," he whispered.
Rustle!
A small movement came from Naruto's clothes
It was Katsuyu, crawling out slowly.
She looked up and said, "The villagers… they're coming back to life."
"…Yeah. I understand," Naruto said quietly.
Everything around him was familiar, he had lived through it before.
But now, his heart was different. Stronger. Steadier.
Nagato, barely clinging to life, used his last breath to speak:
"War always brings death… to both sides."
"The more important the person is, the harder it is to accept their death."
"But those who matter to you—don't have to die."
"For your generation, who never truly experienced war… there's no way to understand…"
"I wanted to find the meaning behind death…"
"But all I found was pain. Hatred with no end."
"People dying like ants… hatred that never fades… pain that never heals…"
"That's war."
"Naruto… this is what you'll have to face from now on."
He paused, his voice fading.
"…It looks like this is where my mission ends. But if it's you… maybe there's still hope."
Rustle…
The giant tree Nagato used as a disguise slowly turned to countless fluttering paper slips, scattering in the wind.
Naruto lowered his eyes, his face hidden in shadow.
"…Yeah. I understand now, brother. Everything you said today, I've already experienced it in the future. And I'll never forget it."
"Your pain… I feel it even more deeply now than I did back then."
"That's why I came back… to change everything."
Nagato gave a faint smile. "Whether it's that book… or you showing up like this… I feel like it was all arranged. No, this must be the will of the gods."
Konan reached out, her expression filled with sorrow.
Swish!
Her paper jutsu began to wrap gently around Nagato's body.
Swish!
Suddenly, Naruto took a deep breath, then grabbed the tiny Katsuyu from his shoulder and clenched his fist.
Bang!
"Ah!!" With a small cry, Katsuyu disappeared.
Konan was stunned. "Naruto… what are you doing?"
Naruto looked at her seriously and said in a deep voice,
"This next part… isn't something others should hear. Konan-san, for the future of the ninja world"
"I will inherit Nagato's Rinnegan!"
.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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New chapter, New journey, hope you guys love it!