I woke to shouting.
Not battle shouting. Something else.
NARUTO! WAKE UP!
Sasuke's voice. Raw. Scratched.
My eyes opened. The sky was blue. Real blue. Not the white of Kaguya's world.
I turned my head.
Naruto was on the ground. His face was grey. His lips were blue.
Kurama... Naruto whispered. His voice was a thread. Kurama is gone.
Sasuke knelt beside him. His hands hovered over Naruto's chest. Shaking.
Tch. Don't be stupid. The fox is inside you. Always.
No. Naruto's eyes were wet. When Shin took our power... Kurama went with it. I can't feel him. I can't...
HAH
A weak laugh. From Naruto himself. Bitter.
I'm empty, Sasuke. Like before. Like when I was a kid. Alone.
Sasuke grabbed Naruto's collar. Pulled him up.
Listen to me, you idiot. You are not alone. I am here. Kakashi is here. That ghost is here.
He pointed at me. His black eyes burned.
I pushed myself up. My body was heavy. My head was pounding.
The voice. My own thoughts. Not the system.
Kurama. Gone. Because of me.
I crawled to Naruto. Sat in front of him.
I'm sorry.
Naruto looked at me. His blue eyes were dull.
HAHAHAHA
He laughed. A horrible sound. Like glass breaking.
Sorry? You saved the world. You killed Kaguya. And you're sorry?
I blinked. Killed?
Sasuke nodded. His jaw was tight.
When the cage closed, she screamed. Then she turned to dust. Real dust. Not resurrection dust. Death dust.
Kakashi limped over. Sat down heavily. His visible eye was red. Tired.
The world is saved. No more Rabbit Goddess. No more infinite tsukuyomi.
He looked at me.
You did that, Shin. You.
I looked at my hands. Normal hands. Dirty. Bloody. Human.
But I took their power. Naruto's. Sasuke's. I almost killed them.
THUMP
I punched the ground. Dirt flew.
THUMP
Again.
Naruto grabbed my fist. Stopped me.
Stop. His voice was stronger now. You gave it back. I felt it. The power came back. But Kurama...
He touched his stomach. His hand shook.
Kurama chose to stay with you. When the power flowed back, he... he stayed.
Why?
I whispered the word. It hung in the air.
Sasuke answered. His voice was quiet. Not cold for once.
Because the fox knew you needed him more. To fight the Collector. To fight what comes next.
CRACK
A branch broke in the distance. We all turned.
Nothing. Just wind.
Kakashi sighed. His shoulders dropped.
We should go back to the village. The war is over. For now.
Naruto stood. His legs wobbled. He almost fell. Sasuke caught him.
Tch. Lean on me, loser.
Shut up, bastard.
They walked together. Limping. Leaning. Alive.
Kakashi looked at me. His eye smiled.
You coming, hero?
I stood. My body ached. My heart ached more.
Hero. That word felt wrong. Like a shoe that didn't fit.
I killed a goddess. I saved the world. But I also emptied my friend. Stole his oldest companion.
What kind of hero does that?
I followed them. The sun was setting. Orange and red. Like fire. Like blood.
Naruto looked back at me. His face was tired. But his eyes... his eyes were still blue. Still bright.
Hey, Shin.
What?
You're not alone either. Believe it.
Hah.
A laugh escaped my mouth. Small. Real.
Maybe.
We walked toward Konoha. Toward home. Toward a world without Kaguya.
But inside my chest, something whispered.
The Collector is still out there. The dead are still coming.
I know.
And Kurama is inside you now.
I know.
What will you tell Naruto?
I don't know.
The sun disappeared. Stars came out. A million tiny lights.
Somewhere in the darkness, a man in a mask was laughing.
HAHAHAHAHA
I heard it. In my bones.
The world was saved. But the war was not over.
Not even close.