When the song ended, Naruto and the Nine-Tails in his inner world stared fixedly at that person.
Awen slowly rose to his feet. The piano and bench turned into an ice sculpture, shattering like glass into fragments that filled the sky.
"You..." Naruto had countless words in his heart. He had so much he wanted to say.
"Why are you playing the piano here...?"
"Just a passing whim, Naruto Uzumaki. As far as I am concerned, this is our first meeting."
Awen's voice was cold. Standing atop the ice platform and looking at that expressionless, indifferent face, Naruto and the Nine-Tails in his inner world both felt their hearts tighten. This was somewhat different from the Awen Naruto remembered.
"You... why are you here...?" Naruto's emotions surged. In Sage Fox Mode, he could sense overwhelming malice emanating from Awen. This was more than simply wanting to kill him.
Awen gave Naruto a faint glance and slowly said, "Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki, the Limited Tsukuyomi World and the real world share many similarities, but they also have many differences. The two worlds are complete opposites. I never want to experience that soul-rending pain again."
Naruto's pupils trembled. The Nine-Tails in his inner world split off a tiny, doll-like version of himself on Naruto's shoulder. It looked somewhat cute.
The Nine-Tails spoke to Awen. "You mean the part of your soul that was torn away was absorbed by Naruto, while your main body took possession of Menma from the Limited Tsukuyomi World, right?!"
Awen raised his eyes toward the strangely churning clouds in the sky. A bolt of lightning tore through the heavens, and his expression was complicated.
"Kurama of this world, you guessed wrong. Back then, I was too weak to resist at all. That pain made me want nothing more than