Sasuke's Susanoo instantly stabilized and became even more solid. Silver radiance shone from within its skeletal frame. It was light formed from pure spiritual power—the light of Uchiha Sasuke's own will.
"My path is one I chose myself. Whether revenge or protection, they are all choices I, Uchiha Sasuke, made! It's not your place, you fake, to point fingers at me!"
The Kusanagi Sword in his hand was no longer wrapped in mere lightning. A layer of silver radiance, like starlight, now coiled around it.
It was the perfect fusion of Yin Release and his own will.
"Disappear!"
He swung his sword.
There was no earth-shattering momentum.
But this slash did not cut space or matter.
It cut definition.
He severed the law-thread named "Uchiha Itachi" that Kai had imposed upon this illusion space.
The surrounding sea of blood, mountain of corpses, and Uchiha compound cracked inch by inch like a shattered mirror.
For the first time, Itachi's illusion showed a look of program-like shock.
"Illogical… Emotion… can actually override fact…"
At the final moment before he vanished completely, he looked at Sasuke one last time.
That cold gaze seemed to soften slightly.
"So… that is how it is… Sasuke…"
The illusion shattered.
Sasuke was still standing in the desert, the Kusanagi Sword held in the posture of his completed swing.
His face was a little pale, but his eyes were incomparably clear.
"A beautiful answer."
Kai clapped, his expression one of pure admiration.
"Emotion takes priority over logic. Memory can be subjectively revised… Another precious sample."
"Uchiha Sasuke, you have given me a new understanding of the variable called 'love.'"
He seemed completely unconcerned that his attack had been broken.
His gaze passed over Sasuke and landed on the final target.
The most important one in his eyes.
"Then, the final experiment begins."
Kai looked at Naruto, and his face revealed an unprecedented smile—an obsessive smile, like a child discovering a new toy.
"Uzumaki Naruto, let me see what the structure of your ability to change everything—your so-called Talk no Jutsu—really is."
Kai's figure instantly appeared in front of Naruto, so close that Naruto could almost feel that inhuman, absolute calm from him.
But Kai did not attack.
He merely stretched out one finger and lightly tapped Naruto's forehead.
Naruto's vision blurred.
Everything around him changed.
He was no longer standing on a battlefield filled with yellow sand.
He was standing in a sunlit village.
Konoha.
A flawless Konoha he had never seen before.
The streets were clean and orderly. The villagers' faces were filled with happy, satisfied smiles. There were no quarrels, no prejudice. Everyone lived in harmony.
"Yo, Naruto!"
A familiar voice called out.
Naruto stiffly turned his head and saw a silver-haired man wearing a mask.
"Kakashi… sensei?"
"What sensei? We're comrades."
Kakashi smiled and patted his shoulder.
"Come on. We're going to attend Minato-sensei's Hokage succession ceremony. If we're late, Big Sis Kushina will scold us again."
Minato-sensei…
Big Sis Kushina…
Naruto's mind went blank.
He saw it.
In the crowd, a blond figure wearing the Hokage robe was gently waving to the villagers.
It was his father, Minato Namikaze.
Beside his father stood a woman with fiery red hair, hands on her hips, looking at him with an expression that said, "If you don't hurry up, you're dead."
It was his mother, Kushina Uzumaki.
Not far away, Jiraiya was holding a small notebook and grinning foolishly at a pretty girl passing by. Tsunade sent him flying with one punch while cursing him as an shameless old pervert.
The Uchiha compound had not been destroyed.
Itachi and Sasuke were playing around on the street like ordinary brothers. Itachi gently tapped Sasuke's forehead with his finger and said, "Forgive me, Sasuke. Maybe next time."
Farther away were Yahiko, Nagato, Konan…
All of Akatsuki had come to attend the celebration as representatives of Amegakure.
No war.
No death.
No hatred.
Everything he had lost.
Everything he regretted.
It was all here.
"How is it?"
Kai's voice sounded in Naruto's mind.
"This is the world I prepared for you."
"A world without pain or sorrow, where everyone understands each other, and every wish can come true."
"Here, you are not the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki. You are only the son of the Hokage."
"Your parents are alive. Your teachers are here. Your friends have never left you."
"Is this not the peaceful world you have always pursued? A world where everyone can understand each other?"
Naruto looked at the scene before him, so happy it felt unreal, and his eyes grew wet.
He saw Iruka-sensei, who was holding his hand and trying to introduce him to his parents.
He saw Sasuke standing coolly to the side, though there was a faint smile on his lips.
He saw Sakura arguing with Ino over who was standing closer to Sasuke.
Everything was so beautiful.
"As long as you nod, this world will be yours."
Kai's voice was filled with temptation.
"You won't need to fight anymore. You won't need to bear any heavy destiny."
"You only need to… accept."
"Accept this perfect world and become part of it."
Naruto stretched out his hand, wanting to touch everything before him.
His father was waving to him.
His mother was smiling at him.
"I…"
Naruto murmured.
But just then, his nose twitched.
He smelled something familiar.
A scent that made his very soul tremble.
That was…
The aroma of pork-bone broth!
He followed the scent and saw that familiar shop on the street corner.
Ichiraku Ramen.
Teuchi was standing inside with a cheerful smile, kneading noodles with all his strength.
Naruto instinctively walked over.
"Old man! One deluxe miso chashu ramen, extra narutomaki!"
He called out skillfully.
"Coming right up!"
Teuchi responded brightly.
Soon, a steaming bowl of ramen was placed before him.
Golden noodles.
Rich broth.
Chashu with the perfect balance of fat and lean meat.
And his favorite narutomaki.
Perfect.
Naruto picked up his chopsticks impatiently, grabbed a huge mouthful of noodles, and slurped them into his mouth.
Then, he froze.
His chewing stopped.
The expression on his face changed from anticipation to confusion, then finally into an indescribably strange look.
"How is it? Delicious?"
Kai's voice asked.
"This is the taste I perfectly replicated based on your memories."
Naruto did not answer.
He picked up a slice of chashu and put it into his mouth.
Then he picked up a slice of narutomaki and put it into his mouth.
Finally, he lifted the bowl and drank a mouthful of soup.
Then, he put down the bowl and chopsticks and let out a long sigh.
"I mean…"
Naruto lay weakly on the counter.
"Do you maybe have some kind of misunderstanding about ramen?"
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> [email protected]/SorenSwiftTL (replace @ with a)