Naruto, the Talk-no-Jutsu Master

"I'm sorry!"

"Senior, it was my fault!"

"I failed to protect Amegakure and keep my promise to you..."

Naruto lowered his head, his expression dark, and apologized sincerely.

Faced with the reality of Amegakure's ruins, even the Seventh Hokage's greatest Talk no Jutsu was useless.

Because this time, the boomerang hitting him was history itself—his own bold promise from the past.

Since he hadn't managed to keep it this time,

no matter how painful the slap from his past was, Naruto could only endure it. He had no right to kick up a fuss.

"I don't blame you."

"I know you wanted to change all this. You just didn't succeed, right?"

"That's no different from me and Yahiko back then..."

Nagato truly didn't blame Naruto. He'd simply lost his faith in Naruto's convictions.

After all, it was Konoha and the various nations in the past that had hurt Amegakure, not Naruto himself. And Naruto had been kind to Amegakure—or, rather, he was kind to everyone.

Still, failing to fulfill a promise was a kind of deception, even if it was unintentional.

Nagato didn't blame Naruto.

He only blamed himself for believing the grand words of a passionate young man instead of taking the village's future into his own hands.

So, after witnessing Amegakure's future with his own eyes,

Nagato had changed his mind completely. He'd decided to protect Amegakure himself! Unify the Ninja World himself! Change the future himself!

"I'm sorry, senior..."

Naruto felt even more ashamed, his face burning.

"No need. An apology doesn't mean much."

"Weren't you surprised earlier that I wanted to destroy Konoha?"

"Because I've decided to protect Amegakure's future myself and unify the world!"

Nagato answered calmly, clearing up Naruto's confusion.

"What?!"

"Unify the entire Ninja World?"

"Senior, you didn't just destroy Konoha—you also wiped