"Pervy Sage," Naruto muttered under his breath.
He pressed his face against his master's back, his cheeks puffed out like a child's. This sixteen-year-old boy had just single-handedly carried the entire village's hopes on his shoulders!
Kakashi and the others beside him watched with gentle eyes.
"Jiraiya-sensei," Yahiko greeted his former mentor, his expression filled with deep shame as he stood with Nagato and Konan.
After piecing everything together in Konoha, he and Kakashi Hatake could no longer hold back. They had arrived ahead of time, following the advice of Katsuyu.
The others stayed behind in Konoha, as Naruto had hoped, continuing to wait for their return.
Though Yahiko had been revived, it was Nagato who seemed reborn.
Facing the teacher who had once tried to guide him—yet whom he had once hurled insults at and ultimately murdered—Nagato's self-reproach became almost unbearable.
"Sensei..." he murmured softly, his head bowed low.
"Jiraiya-sensei," Konan said, her voice full of sorrow. The four disciples had come to this.
Even though Jiraiya harbored a mountain of grievances, seeing the youth on Yahiko's back—pale-haired, skeletal, once the quiet boy he had entrusted with the hope of changing the ninja world—he sighed heavily within.
It wasn't just him and Konoha facing this ordeal; countless villages across the ninja world had suffered under Akatsuki's oppression.
Whether it was him, Obito Uchiha, or even the former Madara Uchiha, Black Zetsu had exploited their human weaknesses, manipulating them utterly.
"I've heard all about your story from Tsunade after the Second Hokage revived me through the Edo Tensei Reincarnation," Jiraiya told Nagato and Konan.
Nagato lowered his head, his pale, brittle hair obscuring his haggard and aged face.
Jiraiya spoke softly, "Use those eyes to atone properly." That was the only sentence Jiraiya had left for Nagato.
"Yes, Jiraiya-sensei," Nagato replied.
Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan all understood. At least Jiraiya-sensei still accepted Nagato's title of 'Sensei' without objection. This was the greatest leniency he could show for Nagato's past actions.
Meanwhile, the masked Obito pondered how he could resurrect those who had died because of him. The Rinnegan and the Edo Tensei Reincarnation technique felt like cheating, and he couldn't help but wonder what Madara Uchiha would think, knowing his eyes were most suited to the Second Hokage he despised.
A slight, vengeful satisfaction flickered in his thoughts.
Before long, the group had emerged from the dense forest.
Jiraiya set Naruto down from his back, and the boy still looked a bit dazed.
He wondered why they hadn't reached Konoha yet. Was he really that heavy, leaving the Pervy Sage exhausted?
As Jiraiya stopped, the others around him did too: Kakashi Hatake, the two Obito Uchiha (one large, one small), Yahiko carrying Nagato, and Konan.
Emerging from the dense forest, the heavy gloom seemed to lift as sunlight washed over them.
In the distance, Naruto faintly heard someone calling his name.
Lifting his head, he saw the ninja of Konoha, along with ordinary villagers—young and old alike—gathered together. There were easily over ten thousand people.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the entire village had turned out.
Everyone was cheering and celebrating the hero's return.
If it weren't for the Konoha ninjas maintaining order, these people would have rushed forward the moment they saw Naruto.
Nagato, Yahiko, Konan, Kakashi, young Obito, adult Obito, and masked Obito all turned their gazes toward Naruto Uzumaki.
"It really is…" Jiraiya smiled with deep emotion. "Even the Hokage-sama might not receive such a welcome, right?"
Looking at his former student, Jiraiya couldn't decide if he felt more awe or more moved. From that fox-cursed boy who had been despised by the entire village to becoming the hero of the ninja world today—Naruto's growth had been nothing short of remarkable.
"Naruto, witnessing your step-by-step growth... it truly... it's truly wonderful."
"Jiraiya-sensei, you..."
Yahiko gasped in shock, noticing that there were tears welling up in Jiraiya's eyes.
Jiraiya tilted his head back. Standing at nearly six feet tall, no one could see the moisture in his eyes when he looked up.
"Ah, as one gets older, emotions become harder to control," he murmured.
Naruto froze, momentarily lost for words. He wasn't sure what had just happened.
Kakashi turned toward him. "Everyone's been waiting for you here."
Perhaps others didn't understand, but Kakashi, who had always been in the village, knew exactly how Naruto had been treated by the villagers since childhood.
He was the container sealing the demon fox. He was the vessel that housed the monster. The monster that had killed the Fourth Hokage. The cause of countless ninja deaths sixteen years ago.
These prejudices had weighed like mountains on the fragile figure of the young Naruto, earning him the loathing, exclusion, and isolation of everyone around him.
People had hated the very child who should have been the hero—the most innocent and pitiable victim of the entire Nine-Tails incident.
Walking down the street, he had been the target of whispers and scornful glances. Worse still, people had gossiped behind his back and hurled insults at him.
Not just ninjas—many ordinary villagers had even refused to sell him anything.
"I will become Hokage, and make everyone in the village acknowledge my existence!"
Kakashi, when he had just become the leader of Team 7, had once thought that Naruto's dream was too ambitious. Yet now, he felt a deep certainty that if anyone could achieve it, it was Naruto Uzumaki.
The young Obito knew that Naruto would one day become the Seventh Hokage, but this time, he remained silent. Perhaps it was better to let the surprise and the future unfold for the people of this world to witness themselves.
Swish – –
The resurrected Minato Namikaze flashed in front of Naruto Uzumaki with his Body Flicker Technique.
"Fourth—"
Naruto paused before finally realizing who the man before him was. He hesitated, unsure of whether he should address him like everyone else as the Fourth Hokage.
"What?" Minato Namikaze teased. "Or do you still want to call me Fourth Hokage-sama?"
Naruto rubbed the back of his head, his blond hair tousled, and gave a sheepish grin. He apologized for the angry words he had spoken earlier.
The Second and First Hokage appeared next, using the Body Flicker Technique. Both of them looked at Naruto Uzumaki with eyes filled with relief.
The village children were the first to break through the ninja security line and rush toward him.
"Naruto!!"
"Welcome back!"
"Give me your autograph!"
"Thank you, Naruto!"
Having never experienced such overwhelming attention, Naruto was in a state of complete bewilderment. He wondered what on earth was happening. The gazes of the Pervy Sage, Kakashi-sensei, his father, the Hokage, and every villager before him felt utterly unfamiliar. Never before had anyone been so joyful at his return.
Katsuyu emerged from Naruto's tracksuit and spoke.
"I've already told everyone in the village about your victory over Pain," the slug sage said. "However, I haven't mentioned Uchiha Obito or Nagato yet. I think it's best to wait until you and Tsunade-sama discuss how to handle revealing those events."
Naruto nodded. There were still many things he didn't fully understand. He knew that the masked man was Kakashi-sensei's former comrade, his father's student. Everyone had thought he was dead, but he had joined Akatsuki.
If he had to draw a parallel, it would be like his relationship with Sasuke.
In that case, it was better to wait for Kakashi-sensei to decide how to handle it, wasn't it?
The children swarmed around Naruto, eager to talk to him and hear firsthand how he had defeated Pain. His fellow Ninja Academy students, who had watched him persist despite being shunned, shared a sense of pride. He had finally succeeded.
"You're something else, taking down Pain single-handedly and saving everyone," Shikamaru chuckled.
Kiba added, "Not bad for my classmate! You've got some skills, Naruto!"
Shino teased, "Your abilities and background are worlds apart."
They had learned the truth: the boy once bullied by the village was actually the son of the Fourth Hokage, the great hero.
Girls like Sakura, Hinata, and Ino were so stunned by the news they couldn't find words for a moment.
Hinata was naturally happy for Naruto, while Sakura felt a bit flustered. Ino, on the other hand, was even more envious that Sakura had been assigned to Team 7.
Seeing Hinata shyly greet him, Naruto inquired about her injuries, thanked her, and then asked, "By the way, where's Iruka-sensei?" Without activating his Senjutsu mode, he couldn't sense everyone's presence through chakra.
Hearing his question, nearby acquaintances also joined in to help look for him.
However, the Konoha ninjas were so excited in that moment that Naruto's surroundings remained chaotic. Before they could locate Iruka Umino, the great hero, Naruto, was already being tossed into the air amidst cheers.
"Hey! Hey, wait a minute—!!"
Naruto jumped in surprise, mostly because the sudden, overwhelming warmth from Konoha's villagers left him feeling a bit overwhelmed.
...
Obito Uchiha and Nagato, who had once sought to collect the tailed beasts, knew full well how Jinchūriki were treated in each village. Seeing Naruto Uzumaki receive such trust and recognition stirred a complex mix of emotions within them.
At this moment, even Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan felt a sudden conviction welling up within them: 'Peace truly could be achieved through him.'
The adult Obito was overcome by an indescribable emotion. If only he had held onto his original resolve back then, might there have been a different outcome?
Just imagining himself in Naruto's place, surrounded by everyone, made Obito Uchiha's throat tighten and his eyes sting with bitter sorrow.
...
"Iruka-sensei, let's go over there too," Konohamaru offered his arm to the injured Ebisu.
Iruka Umino watched the blond youth being welcomed and acknowledged by the crowd, his heart heavy with emotion.
"Right here... is enough."
Snap—
A figure suddenly materialized beside him.
"Fourth Hokage!"
Ebisu and Konohamaru exclaimed in surprise.
Iruka looked at the Fourth Hokage in confusion. "Why aren't you going over?"