Chapter 17
"Getting thanked for saving the world, huh?" Kushina sat down by Naruto's bed, laughing. "And thanked by the Sage of Six Paths himself, no less."
After sitting in the hokage's basement for so long, it was decided that everyone take a break for a day before coming back.
"Well, it wasn't easy saving the entire shinobi world, after all."
Naruto sat up just as Minato walked in with bowls of soup, passing them to Kushina and Naruto.
"Why'd you look so uneasy, Naruto?"
"I... got some news from Kurama. I know when the chakra in my body will run dry, and I'll return back to the future."
"When is it?" Minato asked softly.
"When the memories reach the point where Sasuke and I collide my Rasengan and his Chidori, it'll have caught up to the present, and I'm going back." Naruto laughed.
"I don't even know if I should be sad or happy to be going back."
Ruffling his own hair, Naruto hummed, "Well, this timeline is definitely going to be different from the one I'm from, seeing as now Itachi wouldn't be joining the Akatsuki, Sasuke wouldn't be a brooding prick and Obito wouldn't be dying."
"Count on it." Minato shook his head resolutely.
"What else would be changing... Oh! I guess I won't be Kurama's host in this timeline."
"I'll make sure you'll be great friends with Hinata, since she'll become the new Uzumaki heir."
As the day dragged on the afternoon, the trio made their way back to the hokage's basement, walking past many of the iconic places in Konoha.
"Good afternoon all." Hiruzen said as he leaned back into his chair, Inoichi reciprocating the greetings as he waited for Naruto.
As everyone settled down, Naruto nodded to Inoichi and the technique began once more.
"Hey! Kurama!" Naruto jumped and waved, "Were you lonely being separated from me?! I missed you!"
"Quit yelling so loudly! I wasn't lonely at all!" Kurama flipped Naruto off, "You got half of me inside of you, remember?!"
"The nine tails is so cute when it's embarrassed and flustered!" Kushina giggled.
"I'll close an eye on these antics, since the fourth war has finally finished." Tsunade shook her head.
Hagoromo laughed, "This is what I had once envisioned. That there would one day be a shinobi who could move even the tailed beasts to cooperate."
"Even Obito's turnaround was Naruto's doing. He restored Obito to himself." Kakashi sighed.
"Thanks again, Naruto. For bringing me back and not giving up in me, even when I did." Obito nodded his head towards Naruto, "Even when I gave up in myself."
"Believe it!" Naruto gave a thumbs-up.
Minato and Kushina smiled.
"Looks like I'm not done yet." Obito laughed as he nudged Kakashi's shoulder, watching their chakras latch onto Naruto again.
"I ought to get going."
Obito looked down and shook his head sadly, "I really made a mess of the shinobi world, so much that I don't even know what to say to you in parting."
"Just say thanks and that you're sorry! It's not that difficult!"
"Sure, I guess you could say 'Sorry for destroying the shinobi world'." Kakashi joked.
Kakashi smiled, "We were able to say goodbye as friends, not enemies. And I got to see the old you one last time. Always late because you were helping others, that's plenty enough for me."
"Kakashi!" Obito cried as ugly tears streaked down his face, "You're my best friend!" He whined as he tried to cling onto him.
"Agh, get off!" Kakashi tried to escape.
"Thanks, Kakashi." Obito's form started to shift away, "Well then, I'll be going, I've been keeping Rin waiting."
"You have an excuse for being tardy?"
"I already told her I'd be helping you."
"I see." Kakashi laughed as his Sharingan faded away.
Obito bawled his eyes out as he watched the screen.
"All wells ends well." Kakashi sighed.
The exhaustion hit Kakashi as he swayed and fell back, caught by Sakura, "Kakashi sensei!"
"Sorry, Sakura..."
"Kakashi sensei! Your eyes!"
"Yeah... Kakashi of the Sharingan is no more." He joked, as he laughed with Sakura.
"Is that Madara?" Jiraiya asked.
"Looks like your son really is blood thirsty, right Fugaku?" Minato asked as he watched Sasuke run to Madara, probably to finish the job.
"W-we Uchiha just like to be thorough when we have a duty!"
"Remind me not to come over for your family celebrations anymore."
"Excuse me?" Mikoto looked mock shocked, "I remember you coming over and emptying my entire stock of premium sake!"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Minato said seriously, before he broke out into a fit of laughter.
Sasuke was stopped mid-run by Hagoromo, "Madara was a host for the tailed beasts, even if temporarily. Emptied of the tailed beasts, he won't last long."
"His own fault for trying to use such things." Sasuke scoffed.
"Sasuke..." Hagoromo looked on, "Naruto, behold the end of your predecessors. Watch closely now."
The audience leaned closer.
"I... I want to see how grandfather finishes this." Tsunade nodded.
"They both were enemies this time, but I feel like they were always good friends."
"I too, share that sentiment." Hiruzen nodded, "They were always brothers, never truly enemies."
"That you... Hashirama?" Madara weakly asked.
"It is."
"Man, I'm starting to feel bad for Madara, the guy looks like a mess." Obito spoke.
"I guess... neither you nor I... could achieve what we wanted."
"It's never that easy!" Hashirama put up a fist, "Our job is to do all that we can do while we're alive. And then bequeath the rest... for future generations to accomplish."
Madara laughed as he wheezed, "So simplistic, as usual... Heh, you were always so... optimistic."
"But... perhaps that is the correct way." Madara's eyes started to close, "My dream... was squashed. But yours, is still relevant and ongoing."
"I'm about to start bawling." Mikoto sighed.
"Shinobi usually show their true selves at the point closest to death, I still believe that... Madara was a good person, just going about it the wrong way." Fugaku solemnly said.
"He wasn't used to the support that Lord Hashirama was giving, as he was too used to the hatred in his life and used to doing things by himself." Fugaku continued.
"We were both too hasty, we didn't need to fulfill our dreams ourselves. It was more important to cultivate those who would come after us."
"Which means I would've failed anyway." Madara coughed, "Since I always hated... having someone stand behind me."
Hashirama gave a grin, "When we were kids, you once said 'we're shinobi, we never know we might die', that for neither side to die, we'd both have to reveal our true intentions, and pour each other drinks like brothers."
"But we're both about to die," Hashirama's smile grew wider, "Right now, we can drink as war buddies."
Madara contemplated it for a moment, before his eyes closed, "War buddies... huh. Well, I... guess that's okay... by..."
The Uchiha members in the room wiped their tears quietly, the others giving a moment of silence to offer their respects.
"Ah... looks like this is where we say our goodbyes, Naruto." Minato smiled.
Before Hagoromo undid the reanimation, the screen changed to Naruto leaping in front of Minato.
"Dad!"
"That's right, there's something I meant to tell you." Minato spoke as the sun started to rise over the horizon, bathing the once battlefield in its bright orange hues.
"Happy birthday!" Minato beamed, "You've become a really splendid ninja, Naruto."
Naruto and Minato shared a moment, smiling at each other.
"We're an existence outside of the rules, we can't just remain in this world forever, it's goodbye."
"Boo!" Kushina wailed, "You're so lame, Namikaze! Just stay with our son!"
"K-Kushina?!"
"Outside of the rules? I don't remember you being so uppity about rules! You could've just stayed as a reanimation a-a-and!" Kushina couldn't continue her sentence as tears streaked down her lips, "And stayed with our son, y-yeah know?!"
"I promise... to tell Kushina everything."
Naruto looked at Minato for a moment, before bursting out into a big smile, "Tell her not to worry, that I'm eating properly! Lots of different stuff without being picky! Tonkotsu ramen, miso ramen, shoyu ramen... Oh! Not just ramen, I swear!"
"I bathe almost everyday too! Even going to Konoha's bathhouse once in a while! Though everyone tells me my baths are only lightning quick dips! Let's see, what else, what else!" Naruto laughed, "I've made lots of friends, they're all good guys!"
Kushina started crying hard as she held onto Minato, whom was also tearing.
"My studies they didn't go anywhere close to well, but I made sure not to get down on myself at all. Confidence is something that I got more of than anyone else!"
"And of course, I obeyed third and Kakashi sensei! I respect them both, since they're here, you can ask them yourself!"
Hiruzen started chuckling softly as he watched the screen.
"Oh! And those three prohibitions of shinobi?! I learned a whole lot about them when I was with pervy sage! He was pretty bad regarding them, but pervy sage was an awesome shinobi and I respect him the most! I do!"
Jiraiya beamed to himself, inwardly patting himself on the shoulder for a job well done. "Looks like that old frog's prediction came true after all."
"I just turned seventeen today, so I still don't know much about alcohol or girls! But about mum telling me to find someone like her, I dunno... that's um..."
"S-someone... l-like me." Kushina laughed as she continued wailing.
"Anyways! Not everything mum told me about went well, but! I did the best that I could! And I've got dreams too! I'm gonna be an even greater hokage than you! I swear I will!"
"Tell mum when you see her, that she doesn't need to worry about me at all!" Naruto started crying and sniffling, "That I'm doing just fine!"
"Don't worry," Minato wiped his tears, eyes still red, "I'll make sure to tell her everything."
"I love you so much." Kushina planted a kiss on Naruto's forehead. "So much."
"As do I." Minato spoke out.
"I know that, yeah know." Naruto shakily said, "I know."
He gave them both an endearing hug.
"We're leaving the rest to you, Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto!" Hashirama cheered.
"Elder brother, you finally settled things with Madara, as Saru says, let's leave the rest to the next generation." Tobirama laughed.
Hashirama looked at Madara once more, nodding towards him, "Indeed."
"You will probably find a different conclusion than they did." Hiruzen smiled, "No... make sure to do so, Uzumaki Naruto."
"Yeah!"
The orb fizzled and changed screens.
"Now we're all free too. I'm going home to Suirendo!" Gokuu screeched.
"I think I'll hunker down in a forest." The five tails spoke.
"I think... I'm gonna go back to Bee. Even his annoying rapping has ended up growing on me." Eight tails laughed, "And you?"
"A little piece of each of your chakra, is already inside Naruto." Hagoromo spoke, "In short, Naruto is like a gathering place for you. If you want to discuss something... you can speak to each other through your chakra within Naruto."
"Kurama, I'd like you to stay inside Naruto as overseer of the gathering place. It's no longer a hardship, is it?"
"Well... I'll do it if you insist, old man." Kurama grumbled.
Naruto laughed.
"Finally! A happy ending!" Obito cheered.
"So, it looks like you're leaving then, right, Naruto?" Minato asked.
The audience looked shocked. Obito was the first to voice himself, "What?! You're leaving?"
"Yeah, when the memories finally catch up with the present me, I'll be going back to the future." Naruto grinned.
"Can't have two Narutos running around Konoha, yeah know. Time paradoxes and all that timey-wimey crap."
"I'm gonna be your sensei!" Obito had stars dancing in your eyes.
"At least, this time, I'll have mum and dad with me." Naruto looked at Minato and Kushina.
"This time! We're not going anywhere!" Kushina hugged her son.
"He's not leaving yet, there's still something else." Tsunade said, "That."
She pointed to his missing arm. "You said that there was a final battle with Sasuke. I'm not looking forward to how that happened."
"Apologies for my son being a even bigger villain than Obito." Mikoto bowed her head, "And also about your arm."
Naruto laughed, surprising everyone in the room, "Don't sweat it, before I crashed on the roof of the old man, Sasuke and I were already done duking it out, and we were laughing together. So, I think I finally beat some sense into him!"
"Thank you, Uzumaki Naruto." Fugaku said, "Thank you for not giving up on my son."
"I was his closest friend; I'm just doing what I know he'd do for me if the tables turned."
"Come, let us watch the finale." Hiruzen nodded, taking a long drag from his pipe.
"Naruto and Sasuke," Hagoromo began, "Having battled my mother Kaguya, is there any change to the answers you gave me?"
Sasuke kept silent but Naruto spoke up, "My answer's the same. And I'm sorry super gramps, but there is one thing I feel strongly about after fighting Kaguya."
"I'm just so glad... my mother was Uzumaki Kushina."
"Oh, hell yeah!" Kushina jumped from her seat, "Uzumaki pride!"
"Wh-what about the Namik-."
"Shut it, Namikaze!" Kushina put a hand to his mouth.
"You already had enough of the spotlight... I wish I were reanimated too." Kushina whined.
Minato imagined Kushina reanimated on the battlefield, crushing the shinobi's heads like tomatoes. "Red Hot Habanero..."
"What was that?" She smiled.
"Nothing, dear..."
"Now then, all that's left is to undo the infinite Tsukuyomi."
"But how, specifically? Do you need our powers too?" Kurama asked.
"No, you're fine. All we need for the technique to completely come undone, is for Naruto, who possesses all the tailed beast's chakra, and Sasuke, who possesses the Rinnegan, to weave the sign of the Rat at the same time."
"Shucks, that's it? It's really that easy?"
"I researched thoroughly how to undo mother's infinite Tsukuyomi, there's no mistake." Hagoromo nodded his head, sure of his answer.
Hagoromo turned his head to face Sasuke, "Now then, the rest is up to you, Sasuke."
"Yes..." Sasuke slowly said, "But first, I'm executing the current gokage inside the infinite Tsukuyomi."
"What?!" Jiraiya whined, "Aw c'mon!"
"I wonder who he takes his villain traits from?" Mikoto asked, looking at Fugaku.
Fugaku shyly looked away and dry coughed.
"Plus... the tailed beasts, I'm putting all of you under my control, and eventually, I'll get rid of you as well."
Sasuke activated his Rinnegan and put all the tailed beasts under his technique, "Naruto, it has ended up as I expected. I've no choice but to trust you to handle this. I cannot stay in this world any longer, I shall soon fade away." Hagoromo sighed.
"Incredible, he casted his illusionary technique and it affected all of them with a single glance."
"Yeah, and I'll apologise for this too, but it ain't gonna go like it did with your kids."
"I ain't Ashura!" Naruto nodded, "And Sasuke ain't Indra, either!"
"What is my son's current dream?! Is he still saying that he's still seeking vengeance?!" Fugaku stood.
"I used to only want to destroy and achieve vengeance. It's different now."
"Wha-?"
"Now I want to destroy and rebuild. A village without darkness. I will reform the shinobi world!"
"Dude thinks he's the next messiah..." Obito facepalmed.
"This is why we can't have nice things, maniacs like Sasuke have to come and destroy everything."
"What I'm touting is... revolution!"