The gates of Konoha appeared at sunrise.
Wood. Old. Burned in some places. But standing.
I had never seen them from this side. Not really. I was always inside. Always a shadow.
Now I walked through them. With Naruto on my left. Sasuke on my right. Kakashi behind.
CHEERING
Loud. Too loud.
People lined the streets. Faces I did not know. Names I had never learned.
THE HEROES ARE BACK!
NARUTO! SASUKE!
Someone threw flowers. Petals landed on my shoulders. Red. White.
Naruto raised a weak hand. Waved. His smile was there. But his eyes were not.
Sasuke walked with his head down. His jaw tight. His fingers twitching toward his sword.
BANG
A child ran into me. Small. Brown hair. Big eyes.
Sorry, mister! Are you a ninja too?
I looked down at him.
Yes.
Did you fight the bad guys?
Yes.
He smiled. A gap where a tooth should be.
You're so cool!
He ran away. Laughing.
HAHAHA
I stood there. Petals on my shoulders. Dirt on my face. Blood under my nails.
Cool.
Hah.
A small laugh. From me. Bitter.
Naruto turned. His blue eyes found mine.
You okay?
I don't know.
He nodded. Like he understood.
Come on. Tsunade wants to see us.
The Hokage tower. Big. White. Paperwork on every desk.
Tsunade sat behind her desk. Her face was pale. Bags under her eyes. Her hands were bandaged.
She looked at us. One by one.
Naruto. You look like shit.
HAH. Naruto laughed. True.
Sasuke. You're still alive. Disappointing.
Tch. Sasuke looked away.
Kakashi. You lost an arm.
Kakashi shrugged. His empty sleeve moved.
I've lost worse.
Tsunade's eyes landed on me.
And you. Shin Anaro. The ghost who killed a goddess.
Silence.
The room was quiet. Too quiet. I could hear my own heartbeat.
THUMP THUMP THUMP
I killed Kaguya. Yes.
Tsunade stood. Walked around her desk. Stopped in front of me.
She was shorter than me. But her presence filled the room.
Do you know what happens now?
No.
The villages will want to celebrate you. The people will want to touch you. The nobles will want to use you.
She leaned closer.
And the enemies will want to kill you.
I said nothing.
Tsunade stepped back. Her eyes were hard. But her voice was soft.
You saved the world, kid. That means the world owns you now.
CRACK
A chair leg broke. Sasuke had been leaning on it. His face was dark.
The world doesn't own anyone. Not anymore.
Naruto stepped forward. His fists were clenched.
We didn't save the world so people could put chains on us. We saved it so everyone could be free.
Tsunade looked at him. Her lip twitched.
HAH. You really are just like your father.
Naruto blinked. My father?
Stubborn. Loud. And completely blind to politics.
She walked back to her desk. Sat down.
There will be a ceremony tomorrow. You will attend. All of you.
She looked at me.
Especially you, hero.
The word hit my chest like a stone.
Hero.
I walked out of the tower. The sun was higher now. Hot on my neck.
Naruto caught up to me.
Hey. Wait.
I stopped.
He stood next to me. His shadow mixed with mine.
What's wrong? You've been quiet since we got back.
I looked at the sky. Blue. Empty. No Kaguya. No white dimension.
I feel... strange.
Strange how?
Like this body is not mine. Like I'm wearing someone else's skin.
Naruto was quiet. Then he spoke. His voice was low.
After Pain destroyed the village. After I beat him. Everyone called me hero. Shook my hand. Bought me ramen.
He kicked a stone.
TINK It bounced down the street.
But at night. Alone. I felt empty. Like the hero was someone else. And I was just... me. The loud kid with the monster inside.
I looked at him.
What did you do?
He smiled. A real smile. Small. Tired.
I ate ramen. Trained. Cried. And then one day, the empty feeling got smaller.
He punched my arm. Soft.
You'll be okay, ghost. Just give it time.
He walked away. His orange jacket was torn. His sandals were falling apart.
But his back was straight.
I stood there. In the middle of Konoha. The village I had saved. The village I had never belonged to.
HAHAHA
A laugh. From somewhere. A child. A woman. I didn't know.
The sound bounced off the buildings. Off the faces. Off the sky.
Hero.
The word tasted wrong.
Like ash. Like blood. Like flowers on a grave.
I walked toward the cheap apartments. Where the ghosts like me used to live.
The sun was warm. But inside my chest. Something was cold.
The Collector was still out there.
And the strange feeling in my gut?
It was not pride.
It was the fear that this was just the beginning of something worse.