Kaguya vanished from the sight of Naruto and Sasuke, replaced only by the hollow shell of a Chibaku Tensei.
Kanon looked around, then brought Sasuke, Kakashi, and Sakura together.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had been cast into the Flower Realm dimension, and the space they occupied began to collapse.
After Naruto finished dealing with Black Zetsu, he returned to the group, giving them a thumbs-up. "The sealing is complete."
"Although Kanon took Kaguya into her own dimension, you must have your own reasons, right?" Naruto asked.
"Yes."
"Then do it. I believe in your dream," Naruto said with a smile.
Kanon froze, staring at him in surprise.
"You've always believed that I could become Hokage... Kanon. So this time, I want to believe in you!" Naruto beamed.
In that moment, tears welled in Kanon's eyes. Her pupils were deep, as if they could swallow all light; the tears were crystal clear, precious as pearls. They were not a sign of sadness, but a release of emotion, a cherishing of this fleeting moment.
Her smile was gentle and pure, the corners of her mouth lifting with indescribable beauty.
Naruto was stunned for a moment, but before he could speak, Kanon walked slowly toward him.
Her eyes were filled with resolve and tenderness. The world seemed to stop, leaving only the rhythm of their hearts. Kanon reached out, her movements slow and delicate, as if afraid to break the stillness.
Naruto smiled and opened his arms to accept the embrace.
As Kanon leaned into him, time stood still. Distance melted away. She wrapped her arms around the boy's waist, resting her head on his shoulder, listening to the familiar scent and the steady thrum of his heartbeat.
"Naruto... thank you for believing in me..."
"We will always be best friends."
"Yeah..." Naruto nodded.
The other three watched, smiling. Even Sasuke allowed a faint smirk to grace his lips.
Kanon pulled away and waved a hand, manifesting nine massive rose-shaped vortices. From the Flower Realm, the nine Tailed Beasts emerged.
"Ahhh! Kurama!"
"And everyone else!" Naruto cheered.
Sakura felt the tension lift and stretched. "Ah... I really need a bath. I need to wash off all this sweat and dirt!" She paused, shouting, "Wait, what about us? How are we getting out of here?!"
"Ah! I forgot! Dammit..." Naruto mimicked her, eyes rolling back.
In the distance, the Tailed Beasts laughed at the display. Only Kurama looked on with disdain.
"Everything that needed to be done is done, and yet he's still such an idiot."
Kanon chuckled and turned to the group. "I'll use my ocular technique to take us home."
Amenominaka activated.
Everyone and the Tailed Beasts vanished, reappearing in the Ninja World.
However, the Edo Tensei Hashirama and Hiruzen, along with Minato and even the Sage of Six Paths, looked at Kanon with apprehension. They understood: she was now the final power in the ninja world.
In the distance, a figure stepped forward. It was Madara. He wore no armor, his pace was slow, and his face was lit with a smile.
He and Minato spoke in unison:
"Welcome back, Kanon!"
"Welcome back, Naruto!"
"Madara-jiichan..." Kanon's eyes filled with tears. Looking at him, she knew that of everyone in the ninja world, he was the one who missed her the most. In the Flower Realm, Konin was already refining Kaguya, turning her into fuel.
Kanon rushed forward, throwing herself into Madara's arms.
"Madara-jiichan!"
"Hahaha... you succeeded, didn't you?" Madara smiled, stroking her hair like a doting grandfather.
"Yes! I did."
"That's our Uchiha child for you!"
"Madara-jiichan, our dream is about to come true..."
"Except..."
Madara noticed something off. Kanon's expression dimmed, though she forced a smile. He saw through the act immediately and pulled her closer. "Except what?"
"No... it's nothing." Kanon shook her head.
Nearby, Naruto stared at Minato, stunned.
Sakura pointed at the Sage of Six Paths. "Naruto, who is that?"
"Old man Sage..." Naruto started, then stopped.
"Naruto, Sasuke, everyone... you have saved the world," the Sage of Six Paths said, smiling.
"Are you the legendary..." Kakashi began, but the Sage interrupted.
"I am Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, known to many as the Sage of Six Paths."
"I figured," Sakura said, her voice flat. She was too exhausted to be surprised anymore. Between Madara, Kanon, and Kaguya, her worldview had been completely shattered.
The Sage looked at Kakashi. "You must be Kakashi Hatake."
"I am."
"It was you who led them to seal my mother. That act alone is a miracle."
"Hardly. I barely contributed. It was their effort, the efforts of their comrades, and the help of a former friend that brought us here," Kakashi said, looking at his Sharingan. Beside him lay Obito's cold body.
"And yet, I say you led them. You stood amidst the confusion and held firm as their teacher. Had you failed, my mother's plan would have succeeded."
Naruto approached Kurama, waving. "Hey! Kurama, were you lonely being separated from me for so long? I missed you!"
"Why are you yelling?! I wasn't lonely! Half of me was literally inside you!" Kurama roared.
The Sage turned his gaze toward Madara and Kanon. That child, Kanon Uchiha... like Naruto, she is a child of prophecy. Her power is beyond even my vision; it is unreachable.
From here on, the ninja world will be hers to command... with such absolute power, what is her true dream? The moment the second child of prophecy changes the world, the end also approaches.
He watched Kanon and Madara bickering, an old man and a young girl trading playful jabs, then looked back at Naruto and Kurama. Even Kurama is flustered, but this fits my ideal. A ninja exists who even the Tailed Beasts want to help.
Kakashi nodded. "Actually, Obito owes a lot to Naruto... he was the one who helped Obito find himself."
"Is that so?" The Sage nodded. "I shall ask Obito about that myself, in the other world."
"He hasn't..."
Just as the Sage looked puzzled, in the depths of Kakashi's mental realm, Obito appeared once more.
"I have to go."
"I see."
"I turned the ninja world into a mess, created Kanon, founded the Akatsuki... even now, I don't know what to say before leaving."
Kakashi's eyes trembled. As tears fell, he smiled. "At least we can part ways as friends, rather than enemies."
"You're still that same guy who was always late to help others, and for me, that's enough."
Obito hung his head, shifting back into his childhood form. "Thank you, Kakashi."
"Goodbye. I'm leaving." Obito's body radiated a soft blue light.
"Did you come up with an excuse for being late?" Kakashi asked.
"I'll just tell Rin I was busy helping you," Obito replied.
"I see... same here. Thank you, Obito."
The Mangekyō Sharingan in Kakashi's eye faded, returning to his natural state.
Sakura supported him. "Kakashi-sensei."
"Sakura, forgive me..."
"Sensei, your eye."
"Yes... there is no more 'Sharingan Kakashi'."
In the distance, Madara held Kanon's slender hand, watching Hashirama approach.
Hashirama smiled at the sight. "You finally have a child just like you," he said warmly.
"Indeed, Hashirama."
The two rivals locked eyes, both smiling.
"You and I, we are the same. Both chasing what we could not attain."
"It was never going to be easy," Hashirama chuckled.
"The things we could accomplish in our lifetimes were limited, so we had to entrust the rest to others. The next generation will complete what we started," Hashirama said, patting Kanon on the shoulder like a proud elder.
"You're still as naive as ever. You were always so optimistic, but... perhaps that is the correct way," Madara said with a smile. "My dream fell apart, but Kanon's dream lives on. I want to entrust all my hope to her... perhaps this is what you meant by 'inheritance,' Hashirama."
Hashirama nodded. "Madara, I am already dead, otherwise I would love to have a drink with you."
"We were too impatient back then."
"If we couldn't achieve it, it didn't matter. Cultivating those willing to follow in our footsteps and inherit our dreams was more important."
Madara looked at Kanon, gripping her hand a little tighter, and joked to Hashirama:
"That, I cannot do. I hate having people standing behind me, this little one excluded, of course."
Hashirama laughed, nodding slowly.
"When we were children, you told me: we are ninjas, we could die at any moment. If there is a way for us to survive, it is to be honest with each other, to raise our cups and become brothers. Now, at last, we can have a drink as comrades."
"Comrades? Very well." Madara nodded at Hashirama.
"In that case, let us... have a drink together." Tears flowed from Madara's eyes, and Kanon reached into her pocket, pulling out a handkerchief to gently wipe them away.
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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]