The Desire in His Heart

After conducting repeated experiments, Naruto found that his blood didn't reject Sasuke's. He picked up the syringe filled with Sasuke's blood and injected it into himself.

There were, of course, enormous risks involved. No one knew what might happen. Madara Uchiha had provided a precedent, and the theory seemed sound, but who knew how he had managed it?

Besides, Naruto and Sasuke weren't Madara and Hashirama. Heaven knew what might happen.

But if it worked, Naruto would gain a Rinnegan of his own without any rejection, because it would be his own eye. After careful consideration, Naruto had decided that fusing Sasuke's cells with his own was the best way to obtain the Sage's eyes.

Not long after injecting Sasuke's blood, Naruto felt an extremely cold chakra emerge inside him and mingle with his own. The process was excruciating. He felt as though his whole body was being torn apart. He collapsed onto the bed, biting down on the blanket and sheets to keep from making a sound and attracting anyone's attention.

In the end, Naruto could bear it no longer. Gritting his teeth, he endured the unbearable pain. He spotted a stick beside the bed, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes, seized it, and brought it down hard on his own head. He immediately passed out. Just before he lost consciousness, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Once Naruto had lost all sensation in his body, he realized he hadn't actually lost consciousness. Instead, he had arrived in a dim space.

Naruto looked around and thought, Did I end up in the Nine-Tails' Sealing space? But no, this isn't like the Sealing space in my memories.

The Sealing space in my memories was somewhere like a sewer. This place is dark all around, and there's no water. Could this be a butterfly effect caused by my transmigration? And where's the Nine-Tails? I don't see it anywhere.

As Naruto wondered where he was, two people suddenly appeared before him. One was cloaked in a murderous aura, clearly an evil person. The other was his complete opposite, brimming with righteousness and kindness in his eyes.

More importantly, both of them looked exactly like Naruto. He warily fixed his gaze on the two strangers.

They, meanwhile, looked him over with a scrutinizing gaze.

Naruto edged backward, studying them just as cautiously. "Who are you? Where is this place? Did you bring me here?"

The kind-looking one smiled. "You don't need to be so tense. This is your soul space, and I did indeed pull your consciousness in here. As for who we are... well, simply put, that fellow covered in a murderous aura and I are both you. Don't believe me? Take a look. Can you see any difference between us and you?"

Naruto grew even more wary. "You're me? Ha! What kind of joke is that? Let me out right now, or I won't go easy on you." He took up a fighting stance, ready to attack.

"Ah, it seems you won't believe me unless I explain it clearly."

Good Naruto continued, "You have the memories of three lifetimes. You were reincarnated three times. You absorbed the Soul Fragment of Otsutsuki Koshiki and merged it with the original Naruto's soul. You also have a White Eye on your forehead, inherited from Otsutsuki Koshiki. You want to bring your parents back to life, and you injected Sasuke's blood to obtain Indra's chakra. Am I right?"

Naruto was stunned. These were his biggest secrets, things no one else knew, yet the person before him, who looked exactly like him, knew every detail. Once he had calmed down, Naruto believed what they had told him. But he still had questions that needed answering.

Naruto lowered his guard and asked calmly, "If you're me, why have I never known about you? When did you appear?"

Good Naruto paused, then said, "You believe me that quickly? Though I suppose it isn't surprising. I'm you, after all. I know everything you're thinking, so there's nothing strange about it."

Naruto said impatiently, "Stop wasting time. Just tell me everything I want to know."

Seeing Naruto's impatience, Good Naruto got to the point. "Simply put, when you merged the Soul Fragments of Otsutsuki Koshiki and Asura, you were still a fetus. Your body hadn't fully developed and was too fragile, while the emotions carried in the fragments of their memories were too powerful.

"They were far beyond what you could withstand. If you had merged with them directly, they would have caused irreparable damage to your brain. So, instinctively, you used the White Eye's ability to draw out those emotions. You could see the memories but couldn't feel the emotions. Those extracted emotions—the seven emotions and six desires—naturally rejected the 'desires' opposed to them.

"It was like yin and yang: they repelled each other and formed two opposing sides. These two masses of emotion also absorbed the remaining will of Otsutsuki Koshiki and Asura, and developed consciousness.

"Having consciousness allowed them to contain the harm those emotions could do to you. So we're both parts of you, and we're your seven emotions and six desires. You merged with Sasuke's blood to obtain the Rinnegan, but awakening it requires an enormous emotional upheaval. Do you understand now?"

Naruto nodded. "I understand. You're my emotions, and to awaken the eye, I need my emotions to be whole. Or rather, my soul must be whole. According to Taoist teachings, people have three souls and seven spirits, and the emotions are the seven spirits, which govern the seven emotions and six desires.

"My seven spirits are incomplete, and you two are the missing parts, right? Then let's do it. Only by merging with you can I become whole and awaken the Rinnegan to bring my parents back."

Good Naruto looked at Naruto. "I should warn you: though we're part of you, we've developed independent consciousnesses. Even after we merge with you, our consciousnesses won't disappear. You'll still be in control, but we'll influence you. In other words, you'll gain two additional personalities. Do you still want to merge with us?"

Naruto replied calmly, "If I don't merge with you, I can't awaken the eye. And with your help, I'll have a better chance of bringing my parents back. Besides, you're me, aren't you?" Good Naruto stared at him for a moment. "That's true."

The Dark Naruto, who had been silent until then, looked at Good Naruto and said, "Idiot. And they aren't your parents. They're our parents." The last sentence was directed at Naruto. Good Naruto looked at the Dark Naruto in surprise. "You coldhearted guy—you have a sense of family love, too?"

"Even if I'm the embodiment of evil, I have consciousness. I'm not a machine," Dark Naruto replied blandly. Then he turned into a streak of dark light and burrowed into Naruto's soul. Good Naruto's lips curled slightly. He followed, transforming into a streak of white light that entered Naruto's soul.

Suddenly, Naruto felt many emotions he had never experienced before. As time passed, his emotions grew stronger and stronger.

His soul was shaken to its core. These emotions brought both joy and sorrow, bitterness and sweetness.

Naruto gradually felt his personality growing warmer, no longer as cold and detached as before. As his seven spirits became whole, his longing for his parents and hatred for the masked man grew stronger and stronger. At last, Naruto seemed to break through some kind of limit. Then his emotions slowly settled.

By the time Naruto woke from his faint, night had fallen. He got up, turned on the light, and went to the mirror. Seeing that his eyes looked no different than before, he said in disappointment, "Did I fail? Sigh." Just as his spirits sank—

Dark Persona's voice sounded in his mind. "Idiot, have your emotions overwhelmed you so much that you've lost your head? Gather chakra in your eyes and see what happens first."

Hearing Dark Persona's words, Naruto quickly gathered chakra in his eyes. Suddenly, he felt his vision change. He looked into the mirror and saw that his ocean-blue eyes had turned into Sharingan with a single tomoe.

Naruto gazed at the tomoe spinning in his reflection, so excited he wanted to shout with joy. Five years had passed—five whole years. Every moment of those five years, he had dreamed of eyes that would let him see his parents again, eyes that would let him bring them back to life.

Every day, Naruto could see Minato and Kushina's loving faces only in his dreams. Only there could he feel the love of his parents. Three lifetimes—three whole lifetimes. Only in this life had Naruto felt his parents' love. It had been brief, but he could never forget it.

Naruto thought to himself, Dad, Mom, I've found the hope of bringing you back. Soon, our family will be together again.

Early the next morning, Naruto was just about to head out to find Sasuke and train with him. As soon as he opened the door, he saw the Third Hokage. The old man greeted him with a cheerful smile. "Good morning, Naruto." Naruto paused, then replied, "Good morning to you too, Grandpa Third. Did you need something so early? Come in and sit down."

Naruto stepped aside, and after the Third Hokage entered, he asked, "Why are you up so early? Where are you going, Naruto?" "Oh, I'm going to find Sasuke so we can train together. I'm going to become a man who can protect the people he cares about!" Naruto said, clenching a fist and holding it up in front of his chest.

"Oh, Naruto knows he should protect the people he cares about now. Come on, tell Grandpa who they are," the Third Hokage asked, pretending to be surprised. "Sasuke, Hinata, Big Brother Itachi, Aunt Mikoto, Uncle Fugaku, and you, Grandpa Third."

The Third Hokage laughed heartily, deeply gratified. At the same time, he thought to Minato, Minato, did you hear that? Your child has inherited the Will of Fire. You must be proud.