"The time has almost come," the Sage of Six Paths announced. "I must undo the Reanimation Jutsu that sustains the Five Kage and the others."
At these words, Naruto froze. Kanon scanned the surroundings; she hadn't expected even Tobirama, whom she had personally eradicated, to have been summoned from the Pure Land by the Sage.
Naruto looked toward Kanon, who tilted her head toward Minato, signaling Naruto to approach him. Naruto understood, and Kurama whispered, "Go."
Naruto nodded slightly and stepped before his father.
"Dad..." Naruto's voice trembled as he met Minato's gaze.
Minato smiled. "Right. There's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time. I'm sure Kanon already told you for us, though, didn't she?"
Naruto paused. To the east, the horizon began to glow. The dark shroud of night retreated, yielding to the coming dawn. A thin layer of clouds was dyed a faint blue, then a gentle pink, before exploding into a brilliant, golden light. The sunrise mirrored the endless shifts within the ninja world, always brimming with infinite possibility and hope.
As the sun crested the horizon, its edges softened by the clouds, it felt like a gift from nature, bestowing warmth and light upon the land. Sunlight pierced the mist, washing over the battlefield, the trees, and the rivers, bringing every inch of the land to life.
Watching this, tears shimmered in Minato's eyes. It was the guilt of a father who, along with Kushina, had failed his son. As Kanon had once noted, he wasn't exactly a stellar father, but he was deeply grateful to her for having accompanied Naruto through a tragic childhood.
Minato looked at his son, his lips parting softly. "Happy birthday, Naruto."
"You've grown into a remarkable young man, Naruto!"
Naruto nodded, his blue eyes shimmering. "Thank you..."
"We shouldn't exist here. We can't stay too long," Minato said. "It's time."
Naruto's expression shifted. He bit his lip, but ultimately gave a small, solemn nod. Minato knew how hard it was for Naruto to let go, but the reality of his death remained.
A white light began to envelop Minato's body. He closed his eyes, and the tears he had held back finally broke free. The Fourth Hokage, a man strong enough to shield the entire Konoha, wept openly, his voice trembling. "I will tell Kushina everything."
Seeing his father's reluctance to leave, Naruto's azure pupils quivered, but he forced a smile. "Dad... tell Mom I've been eating well. Don't worry about me."
"I'm not a picky eater. I eat everything. Though I love Kanon's cooking the best! Mom should know how delicious she makes things!"
"But Ichiraku Ramen is great too. Tonkotsu, miso, soy sauce..."
"Of course, it's not just ramen. I bathe almost every day, and once in a while, I even go to Konoha's hot springs."
"Even though everyone says I just 'skim the surface,' and that other thing, and the other thing..."
"I've made a lot of friends. Everyone is wonderful, especially Kanon. I really want to tell you both about her."
"And... even though my grades were at the bottom, I never lost hope. That kind of confidence… I'm stronger than anyone in that regard."
The surrounding crowd fell silent, listening to the dialogue between father and son. It was a story worthy of being remembered by everyone with a smile for a lifetime.
"Of course, I listen to Third-jiichan and Kakashi-sensei. I respect them. They're right here, you can ask them yourself."
"And about the 'Three Prohibitions for Shinobi'... Kanon and I learned a lot when we were with Pervy Sage."
"Even though I'm a mess at following the prohibitions, Pervy Sage, one of the Sannin, is incredibly cool. He's the person I respect the most."
"Right, Kanon?" Naruto shouted toward the distance.
"Yes. I respect Pervy Sage deeply as well," Kanon nodded, though her eyes were already damp with tears.
"I just turned 17 today. I haven't tasted sake yet, but Mom told me to find a good woman just like her..."
"But... this..."
Naruto looked toward Kanon. She looked back and gave a slight nod, a tacit permission for this moment, for this was the last time he would ever speak to Minato.
Naruto nodded and continued to smile at his father. "You see, Kanon is just like that. Mom would be very happy with her."
Minato looked on, his heart at peace. He gazed at Kanon, then at Naruto. His brows relaxed as his reanimated body began to dissipate into light. It was a heart-wrenching sight.
Naruto closed his eyes as tears streamed down his cheeks.
"In short! As for Mom's requests..."
"I haven't fulfilled them all, but I'm trying!"
"I have a dream, too. I've sworn it to Kanon. I will become a Hokage even greater than you, Dad, greater than all the Hokage before me! I will do it!"
As Minato's soul drifted away, Kanon stood nearby, her Rinnegan trembling. She, too, was weeping, a heartbroken girl whose face was streaked with tears, beautiful yet devastating. Such a parting moved her deeply, and it only hardened her resolve to unleash the Infinite Flower Realm.
"Go and tell Mom over there... she has absolutely nothing to worry about..."
"I'm going to live a good life!"
"I understand. I will tell her everything about you and Kanon-chan..."
As Minato's soul ascended, Kanon stepped to Naruto's side and patted his back. The others had begun to fade as well, leaving only the three Hokage before Naruto. Seeing Naruto and Kanon standing together, the crowd had forgotten Kanon's status as an adversary; they were unknowingly drawn to the two of them.
"I leave it all to you now..." Hiruzen said. "Kakashi, Kanon, Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto..." And with that, he vanished.
"Anija," Tobirama sighed. "I made many mistakes because of my fear of the Uchiha. My grudge with Madara is settled; the rest I leave to the future."
Hashirama nodded, his soul body looking at Naruto. "Naruto Uzumaki... Kanon Uchiha... Sasuke Uchiha. You all must have an ending different from ours."
"No... it must be different."
With those words, Hashirama's soul ascended and began to dissipate.
The curtain fell. The Tailed Beasts smiled.
"We're finally free! I'm going back to the Water Curtain Cave!" the Four-Tails shouted. For the Tailed Beasts, the ability to go home finally felt like a dream.
"Eight-Tails? What about you?" Kurama asked.
"I'm going back to B. I've grown addicted to that guy's annoying rap."
"What about you, Kurama? What are your plans?" the Eight-Tails asked in return.
Kurama glanced at Naruto. Words caught in his throat, but the Sage of Six Paths saw through it. He addressed them all: "All of your chakra... a small portion remains within Naruto. He acts as your meeting hall."
"If there is anything to discuss, you can use your chakra to consult within him."
"Kurama, you shall remain in Naruto's body and manage the meeting hall. It's hardly a painful task anymore, is it?"
"Fine... since the Old Man said so."
The other beasts laughed, with Shukaku laughing the loudest.
"What? What's so funny?! You one-tailed pest, you've got no right to laugh at me!"
"What?! You want to fight?!" Shukaku retorted.
"Bring it on! I'm not afraid of you!"
Watching the bickering between Kurama and Shukaku, Naruto laughed.
"You're still just as stubborn as ever, Kurama," Matatabi chuckled.
Seeing the Tailed Beasts squabbling like this, Sakura smiled. "The Ninja War is finally over."
"Yes..." Kakashi nodded.
The Sage of Six Paths turned to Naruto and Sasuke. "I asked you before, after battling my mother, Kaguya, has your answer changed?"
Naruto smiled. "My answer hasn't changed. I have an idea. It might be rude to the Old Man, but after fighting Kaguya, from the bottom of my heart, I really feel that my mother, Kushina, was wonderful."
"Kaguya is different from the enemies I've fought before. She seems... without a heart."
The Sage nodded, and after explaining Kaguya's past, he turned to the group. "All that remains now is to release the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
"How do we do that? Do you need us to step in?" Kurama asked.
"No need. As long as Naruto, who possesses the chakra of all the Tailed Beasts, and Sasuke, or Kanon, who possess the Rinnegan, perform the Seal of the Rat together, the Infinite Tsukuyomi will be undone."
"I never imagined it would be so simple!" Kurama laughed.
The Sage looked at Sasuke. "And now, Sasuke... what of you?"
Before Sasuke could answer, Kanon interrupted.
"Enough with the answers. There's only one thing left to do, isn't there?"
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NOTE: This fic has been completely translated. If you want to read the whole story head over to my p-atre-on: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]