Above the blue planet, a vast field of flowers manifested. Then, the garden dissolved into countless ripples of golden light, raining down upon the ninja world. Naruto stared at the sky as the radiant drizzle descended; he wept uncontrollably, for he knew this was the last time he would ever see Kanon.
Amidst this light, the Infinite Tsukuyomi was dispelled, and consciousness returned to the masses. Then, the impossible happened.
As the light touched the ground, it formed shimmering gates. Ninjas who had long since perished began to manifest in the world of the living. From Shikamaru's peers to Neji and Shino, they were all reappearing. Ino looked at Neji and Shino in utter shock.
"You... weren't we all dead?!" Shino stammered.
"The word from the Pure Land is that Kanon has rewritten causality to bring us back," Shikamaru said, his eyes scanning the impossible scene.
"But why? Why would Kanon ignite the Fourth Great Ninja War for this?" Neji asked, bewildered.
Before he could finish, his expression froze, mirroring the shock on Shikamaru and Ino's faces. Emerging from the light was a man with white, pupilless eyes; it was Neji's father, Hizashi Hyuga. He hadn't just died in the Fourth War; he had been gone for years. In that moment, the true magnitude of Kanon's terrifying and magnificent feat became clear. Causality was shifting, space was rippling, and the rain seemed to envelop eons of history with a supreme, transcendent power.
Naruto moved through the battlefield, witnessing the return of countless souls he had never hoped to see again. Only now did he grasp the full weight of Kanon's words: "If it were truly possible to embrace lost loved ones and friends again, to mend those countless regrets, surely that would be worth trading everything to achieve."
Naruto's body shook. Those words echoed in his mind, and as he stumbled, nearly collapsing, he fell into an embrace. It was a warmth he had yearned for his entire life. Naruto opened his eyes to see a cascade of red hair. Tears streamed down his face, unstoppable.
"Mom..." Naruto choked out.
"Naruto... we're home..." Kushina was grieving too, for she had seen from the Pure Land what Kanon had done. Behind her, Minato was also weeping. They had been resurrected by Kanon's Infinite Flower Realm, manifesting within the golden rain. How he longed to see this scene of Naruto and Kushina embracing, but how he also longed for Kanon to be standing there with them. As the Fourth Hokage, he had missed Naruto's childhood, leaving him to endure endless pain, regret, and ridicule. Kanon had been the only light in Naruto's early life. How could he not be moved by her sacrifice?
It wasn't just Minato. Near Sasuke, the Uchiha clan began to materialize: Itachi, Mikoto, Fugaku… the entire lineage massacred on that fateful night. They all looked toward the sky; they knew they were here only because of Kanon. Whatever she desired, the Uchiha would do their utmost to honor.
Sasuke stared at his parents and his brother, tears flowing freely. Itachi hugged him, Mikoto collapsed to her knees, and Fugaku patted her back. Their youngest daughter had done something truly extraordinary; she had even washed away the ancient hatred of the Uchiha.
Fugaku looked up at the rain, whispering, "Kanon, you will always be our pride." Tears slid down his cheeks. In his final moments, she had resurrected even him, proving she still accepted him as her father.
Itachi hung his head in shame, his eyes brimming with tears. Shisui Uchiha walked up behind him and tapped his shoulder. "Kanon left with a smile. We, as her brothers, can't be the first to start mourning."
"Easy for you to say, you're crying too!" Beside Shisui, Izumi retorted, though her own eyes betrayed her grief. She hugged Itachi, whispering, "Kanon gave you a second chance, Itachi... don't lose your way again this time."
Beside Naruto and Minato, a giant toad suddenly appeared. Atop it, a white-haired old man declared flamboyantly, "The Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, Jiraiya-sama, has returned! You disciples, hurry up and welcome me!"
Before he could finish, a kick sent him sprawling. It was Tsunade. "You old fool, stop trying to look cool!"
"Just trying to lighten the mood!" Jiraiya scrambled up and looked at the sky. Unlike the others, he looked up with a mix of pride and exhilaration. "Naruto... Kanon... trusting you two was the right choice after all. If you can't find the answer, leave it to your disciples to find it for you… perhaps that is what it means to pass on the torch, isn't it?"
Tsunade looked at Jiraiya with melancholy. She realized now what Kanon's true goal had been. Her previous arguments with Kanon felt like hollow words, for now, both commoner and ninja alike walked the earth once more.
Yet, there were two absences: the Third Hokage, Hiruzen, and Danzō did not return. Nor did the members of Team Hana. The souls of Team Hana had rejected the return; they had torn themselves away from the summons of the Pure Land, for Kanon was no longer in the ninja world. They refused to inhabit a world without her.
Near the battlefield, Konan and Nagato stood in shock. Nagato had shed his reanimated form, fully restored to his living self. They looked ahead, and there stood Yahiko.
"Hey! Konan, Nagato! I'm back!" Yahiko waved with a brilliant grin.
Seeing that smile, Konan and Nagato shared a look of pure relief.
"Our junior student is incredible," Yahiko said.
"Yes... Kanon... she really did change everything."
In the distance, Kakashi watched the reunions; families reunited, friends embracing. It was a beautiful, heartwarming scene that turned a battlefield into a place of warmth. Then, someone patted his back.
He turned to see Guy. "Hey! Kakashi, what do you think? My spring of youth has reached its climax! Though, I suppose it pales in comparison to Kanon's."
Behind Guy, Kakashi's eyes widened to their limits. Might Duy and Sakumo Hatake stood together, waving at him.
"Father..." Kakashi's expression was one of shock, but quickly overwhelmed by surprise and deep, resonant emotion. He took two steps forward, only to trip over his own feet. As he scrambled up, he looked at the one who had tripped him. His pupils dilated once more.
"Obito... Rin... you're back."
"Yeah, Kakashi. We're back." Obito held Rin's hand, who watched him with a blushing smile.
"Kakashi, it's been a long, hard road for you, hasn't it?" Rin asked with a tilt of her head.
Kakashi's initial surprise melted into uncontrollable weeping. Obito grinned, "Heh! Since I'm back, and Kanon gave Rin and me a second chance, don't think I'm just going to hand over the Sixth Hokage seat to you!"
"I'll be ready whenever you are," Kakashi nodded.
Madara, standing nearby, watched the scene with a wry smile. The battlefield had turned into a sea of flowers, and the dead had returned. This was the true dream. He had obtained peerless power, and Kanon's actions had effectively unified the entire ninja world. From this day forward, there would be no Five Great Nations, only the Ninja World. Kanon had entrusted the management of this new order to him.
Just then, he noticed a figure approaching. He froze. It was Hashirama. Madara smiled at him, and beside Hashirama appeared Izuna.
Madara gasped. Seeing Izuna, his composure finally broke. He sprinted forward and pulled his beloved younger brother into his arms, just as he had in the old days.
"Hashirama, Kanon's dream is complete. Now, it's up to us, Naruto, and Sasuke to unify the world!" Madara declared.
"You're right," Hashirama agreed. "No more five villages. Only ninjas. We can discuss new systems with the successive Kage."
"People will always have their differences, but isn't that what makes them human?" Madara smiled.
In this Infinite Flower Realm, in this garden of dreams, everyone was embracing what they had lost.
Otogakure.
Flowers covered the ruins. This had once been the place where Kanon lived, a place where she had once curled up in despair. Now, it was a ghost town. On the spot where she once practiced, the cabin had long since been buried by rubble, but stuck into the earth was a single banner: the crest of Team Hana.
It was the flag she had planted before her assault on Konoha. It had long since fallen. As flowers bloomed around the base of the mast, the sturdy, growing petals eventually toppled the flag entirely.
The last member of Team Hana, the creator of the team herself, Kanon Uchiha, had finally departed.
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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]