The content displayed on the Heavenly Screen continued to play...
The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the Valley of the End, and the broken rock walls cast long shadows in the twilight, as if even the earth itself was lamenting the battle.
Sasuke slowly rose from the crater in the stone wall, pebbles falling in a flurry. A streak of blood trickled down his left eye, the patterns of his Rinnegan gleaming coldly in the twilight.
"Time and time again... time and time again... time and time again... time and time again..."
His voice was low and hoarse, as if he was suppressing some emotion that was about to erupt.
"Give up the struggle... just die obediently!!"
Naruto looked up at him from the bottom of the valley. The golden Chakra had dissipated, and his outer clothes were tattered, but his azure eyes remained as bright as ever.
"I can't do it..."
He raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, revealing a tired but determined smile.
"Because I am... the only one."
Sasuke's pupils contracted slightly, anger surging in his eyes, only to subside in an instant. He slowly raised his left hand, black flames crackling with lightning—
"Kagutsuchi -no- Chidori: Chidori!"
Black flames and lightning intertwined, transforming into a death spear that devoured light.
(Let's end it all with this one strike.)
Within Naruto, the voice of the Yang Nine-Tails was more solemn than ever before. "As expected... the Chakra I cultivated for you has been seized by him. He even used Kagutsuchi..."
The Nine-Tails' vertical pupils gleamed in the darkness. "Listen, kid. I'll give you all the rest of my Chakra... then I'll fall into a deep sleep."
"To prevent Chakra from being absorbed again... never use techniques unless absolutely necessary! However..."
The Nine-Tails grinned, revealing sharp fangs; its Rinnegan had just awakened and it couldn't absorb Chakra during the release of the technique!
Naruto paused for a moment, then turned and smiled at the Nine-Tails in his spiritual world.
"Thanks... Kurama."
He extended his left fist, and the Nine-Tails extended its right claw; their fists collided in the light and shadow.
"Bang!"
Deep within the realm of the mind, the crimson Chakra receded like a tide. The Yang Nine-Tails gazed at Naruto's battered yet still upright back, fragments of memory flickering in the darkness.
(What that kid said back then...)
"You can't even save Sasuke, so what makes you so determined?" Nine-Tails's sneer echoed in the cage.
"If you still have doubts about your decision, it's all over." A smile bloomed on the boy's face before it. "I will find a way to save Sasuke."
In his memory, Naruto smiled and said to it, "I hope that one day I can find a way to erase the hatred in your heart."
The roar of the real world pulled Nine-Tails back to the present. It looked at Naruto, who was covered in wounds but still charging forward, and the image of the Sage of Six Paths was reflected in its vertical pupils.
(Sage of Six Paths...)
(This is what you predicted...)
Kagutsuchi's black flames were almost upon them, and Nine-Tails's Chakra was rapidly depleting. Suddenly, it bared its sharp fangs, and the last of its Tailed Beast Chakra transformed into a dazzling golden meteor.
"Alright... go ahead."
"To us Tailed Beasts..."
"It was once the only one."
The surface of the sealed space suddenly calmed, and the crimson behemoth slowly closed its eyes. Countless Utakata of memories rose—the years of hatred from humans, the humiliation of being controlled by the Sharingan, and... that stubborn idiot who kept calling it "Kurama."
(Really... the worst...)
In the Heavenly Screen, the air of the Valley of the End seemed to freeze.
The wind stopped, the water became still, and even time seemed to stand still.
Naruto and Sasuke stood at the bottom of the valley and on the stone wall, gazing at each other. Their breathing was heavy, and blood dripped from their wounds, spreading dark red marks among the rubble.
A leaf drifted down slowly.
--Now!
"Drink it!!"
The two of them simultaneously mustered their last bit of strength and charged at each other!
Sasuke leaped from the height, purple Chakra gathering in his left hand, the cry of Chidori tearing through the silence; Naruto, on the other hand, leaped from the valley floor, his Rasengan spinning rapidly in his right hand, stirring up a violent gust of air.
This strike will decide everything!
In the instant the Rasengan condensed, countless figures seemed to flash through it—
Jiraiya's hearty laughter echoed in my ears, "Naruto, this is your Ninja Way!"
Minato Namikaze gazed at him tenderly. "Believe in yourself, son."
Kushina Uzumaki's voice was filled with pride. "You've always been our pride!"
Kakashi offered a nonchalant yet determined encouragement. "Don't lose, Naruto."
Tsunade gently placed her fist on his shoulder. "Don't tarnish the title of Hokage."
Sakura's tears and cries. "Bring him back... please!"
Gaara, Shikamaru, Hinata, Choji, Ino, Ino, Rock Lee, Guy-sensei...
All those who trusted him and fought alongside him along the way—their beliefs, their expectations, their bonds—
Everything is concentrated in this one strike!
"Sasuke--!"
Naruto roared, and the light of the Rasengan suddenly surged, the golden Chakra shining as brightly as the sun!
This light was reflected in Sasuke's Rinnegan, and the black flames and lightning of Chidori intertwined, transforming into the final killing move!
"Naruto--!"
The two attacked--
They collided with a deafening roar!
"Boom--!"
A blinding white light engulfed everything, and a terrifying shockwave swept across the Valley of the End!
The remaining stone statues of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju were completely shattered into dust by this force! The rock layers at the bottom of the valley were blown away, the lake water evaporated, and the entire land collapsed into a huge crater!
Beyond the Heavenly Screen, the entire Shinobi World was blinded by this light.
Is this the final ending?
The real Shinobi World...
The Konoha ninja stood in the middle of the street, unable to recover for a long time.
"That guy... is still so reckless..." He grinned, but couldn't hide the shock in his eyes. Akamaru whimpered softly in his arms, seemingly moved as well.
"What do you mean by 'the only one'... really..." Shikamaru looked up at the Heavenly Screen, his tone helpless, but a slight smile played on his lips. "So troublesome... but that's definitely like him."
Choji silently put down his potato chips, unusually not continuing to eat, and muttered to himself, "Naruto... he really can do that..."
Ino looked at Naruto and Sasuke, who were covered in blood in the Heavenly Screen, her eyes reddening slightly. She turned to look at Sakura, only to find that she was already in tears.
"Sakura..."
Sakura didn't respond, only biting her lip tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks. She watched Naruto's figure, fighting with all his might, in the Heavenly Screen, her heart churning with countless complex emotions.
(Naruto... he really can bring Sasuke... back...)
Hinata stood at the edge of the crowd, her pale fingers tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, her lips trembling slightly. "Naruto-kun..." Her Byakugan clearly saw every wound on Naruto's body in the Heavenly Screen, and her heart ached so much that she could hardly breathe.
Kakashi leaned against the Hokage Rock, his copy of "Icha Icha Paradise" already closed. He gazed at the Heavenly Screen, a mixture of relief and emotion flashing in his single eye.
Field...
In the forest, Naruto sat on a rock, silently gazing at the Heavenly Screen.
Karin stood beside him, looking at his clenched fists, and softly comforted him, "Naruto-kun, don't make that face..."
Naruto didn't respond; he just stared intently at the final showdown between himself and Sasuke in the Heavenly Screen, his eyes resolute.
(Sasuke...)
(No matter what the future holds, I'll definitely beat you awake...)
(Because we're partners!)
Jiraiya leaned against a tree trunk, his gaze deep. He looked at Naruto in the Heavenly Screen, then at his current disciple, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Deep in a dark forest
Sasuke stood beneath the waterfall, the icy water washing over his body.
The images on the Heavenly Screen flickered in his eyes, and Naruto's words echoed in his ears—
Because I am the only one!
Sasuke clenched his fist slightly, but quickly relaxed it.
(A boring bond...)
(But why...)
He didn't continue thinking, but suddenly opened his eyes, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan flashing crimson in the shadows.
"Chidori!"
A deafening clap of thunder ripped through the silence, and he once again threw himself into training.
--It's as if doing this can sever all those wavering emotions.
Gaara stood atop a sand dune in the Demon Desert, the sand flowing silently around him.
(Naruto... is this your answer?)
In Kirigakure, Mei Terumi leaned against the railing of the Mizukage Building, her red lips slightly upturned.
"These kids from Konoha... they're getting more and more interesting."