---
The wind had stopped.
Mist hung low over the water, silent and unmoving like the breath of sleeping gods. Two figures stood across from each other at the base of the great statues—Hashirama and Madara, eternal rivals carved in stone, now witnesses to another tragedy.
The storm of chakra had passed, leaving only the weight of inevitability.
Naruto's clothes were torn and bloodied. His arms hung limp at his sides, chakra reserves finally depleted. The Nine-Tails' power had abandoned him when he needed it most—or perhaps when he'd refused to use it.
Across from him stood Sasuki Uchiha—dark hair wet and clinging to her pale face, crimson Sharingan spinning slowly in eyes that had seen too much. Rain mixed with tears she refused to acknowledge.
In her right hand, Chidori hissed with quiet intensity, lightning dancing between her fingers like caged fury.
"You should've stayed out of my way," she said softly, voice barely audible over the crackling electricity.
Naruto gave a weak grin, the same one he'd worn since childhood—defiant even in defeat. "You've said that like four times now."
"Then you should've listened."
He didn't answer. What was there to say? They'd already said everything that mattered during their battle. Words about bonds, about loneliness, about the weight of their respective burdens.
"Still gonna let me win?" she asked, and there was something fragile in her voice—a last desperate hope that he might finally fight back with killing intent.
He nodded without hesitation. "Of course."
A pause. Something in her expression tightened, her jaw clenching as if she were biting back a scream.
"You're too soft."
"You're too angry," he replied, meeting her gaze steadily. "We're both wrong, yeah?"
Sasuki lowered her gaze for half a second, and for that brief moment, she looked like the girl he'd known in Team 7—uncertain, hurting, human. The lightning in her palm flickered, as if responding to her wavering resolve.
Then, without warning, she moved.
The Chidori pierced cleanly—center chest, angled downward toward his heart. Lightning tore through flesh and bone with surgical precision.
Naruto's eyes widened slightly, then softened. He didn't cry out. Didn't curse her name or beg for mercy. Just let out a slow, shuddering breath as warmth spread across his chest.
"Guess... that's it..." he whispered, voice growing distant.
Sasuki's hand trembled as she pulled back. Blood—his blood—dripped from her fingers into the dark water below. The Chidori dispersed, leaving only the sound of rain and her ragged breathing.
Naruto stumbled. Fell to his knees. He looked up at her—not with hate, not even sadness—just quiet understanding, as if he'd always known it would end this way.
"Don't lose yourself... out there," he said, voice fading like smoke. "You're not as alone as you think..."
Then he fell, gently, as if the world had tilted him into sleep. His body struck the water with barely a splash.
The ripples spread outward in perfect circles, carrying his blood toward the base of the statues.
And that's when it happened.
Sasuki staggered. Her breath caught. The world blurred at the edges as something fundamental shifted inside her mind.
Memories flashed—childhood laughter, missions, ramen stands, their first real fight. The way he'd looked at her, always believing she could be saved. The way he'd smiled, even as she'd driven lightning through his heart.
Pain surged behind her eyes, white-hot and overwhelming.
The Sharingan spun—then shifted.
When she looked up again, the familiar tomoe were gone—replaced by a dark kaleidoscope of grief and resolve. Six pointed stars arranged in a perfect hexagon, spinning slowly like a weapon being forged in the fires of loss.
Mangekyō Sharingan.
She stood over the still water, her face unreadable. Power coursed through her veins, dark and intoxicating. This was what she'd wanted, wasn't it? Strength born from suffering.
"You idiot," she whispered to the ripples where his body had disappeared. "You were always in my way..."
She turned. The wind returned at last, carrying with it the scent of rain and regret.
Sasuki Uchiha disappeared into the trees—eyes changed, power awakened, heart quietly broken.
Behind her, the great statues continued their eternal vigil, indifferent to another tragedy played out in their shadow.
---
Darkness surrounded him.
Not pain. Not fear.
Just... quiet.
Naruto Uzumaki had died at the Valley of the End, smiling even as the lightning passed through his chest. He'd felt his heart stop, felt his chakra network collapse, felt the world fade to black.
Yet now, he found himself floating in a warm space that defied description. Stars shimmered above and below, and soft wind brushed against his face like feathers. It was peaceful here, wherever "here" was.
He opened his eyes slowly, surprised to find he still had eyes to open.
A woman stood before him.
She looked young and graceful, dressed in flowing robes that sparkled like the night sky. Her silver-blonde hair swayed gently behind her despite the absence of any wind. Her eyes were kind and apologetic, holding depths that spoke of eons.
"Ah. You're awake," she said, her voice like distant music. "You weren't supposed to die yet."
Naruto blinked, taking in his surroundings. "Huh?"
"I'm Éliviane," she said with a small bow. "A goddess. I watch over the flow of souls."
He stared at her blankly. Death, apparently, was a lot more bureaucratic than he'd expected. "So I'm dead?"
She nodded softly. "Yes... and too early. A minor error on my part."
Naruto scratched his head—strange that he could still do that. "Well... that explains a few things."
"I can't undo what happened," she continued, genuine regret in her voice. "The threads of fate are already rewoven. But I can offer you a simple gift."
He waited, curious despite everything.
"You will be reborn. And this time... I'll let you keep your memories."
Naruto raised a brow. After everything he'd been through—the prophecies, the destiny, the weight of being the Child of Prophecy—that seemed almost anticlimactic. "That's all?"
She nodded. "That's all."
There was no speech about destiny. No burden placed upon his shoulders. No secret mission to save another world. Just peace, and the promise of a second chance.
"Alright," Naruto said at last, finding himself smiling. "A new life with my memories, huh? Sounds like a decent deal."
Éliviane smiled warmly, and for a moment, the space around them seemed to glow brighter. "Then sleep once more... and wake when it's time."
As her voice faded, light gently wrapped around him like a warm blanket. The darkness wasn't frightening anymore—it was restful, like falling asleep after a long day.
"Thank you," he whispered, eyes drifting shut.
And so, Naruto's soul moved on—quietly, gently—toward a life unknown.
---
Back in the world of shinobi, rain continued to fall over the Valley of the End.
Sasuki Uchiha stood at the edge of the forest, her new eyes scanning the darkness ahead. The Mangekyō Sharingan revealed truths hidden in shadow, but it couldn't show her the path forward.
She thought about his final words: "You're not as alone as you think..."
Even in death, he was still trying to save her.
She pulled her cloak tighter and began walking. Somewhere out there, Orochimaru waited. Power called to power, and she had chosen her path.
But in the depths of her changed eyes, something flickered—a seed of doubt, planted by a boy who'd died believing in her.
The rain washed his blood from the water, but his impact on the world—on her—would ripple outward for years to come.
In another realm, another time, a child would be born with the memories of a ninja who'd lived and died believing in the bonds between people.
The wheel of fate turned ever onward.
---