"BOOM!"
The third ultra-weighted meteor tore through the clouds and slammed into the tail of the second meteor.
The crushing burden cascaded downward like a collapsing mountain—
and landed squarely on the shoulders of the three giants of Konoha.
It was a weight the Will of Fire could not bear.
Kurama's golden chakra body burst apart instantly.
The Akimichi father and son collapsed to their knees.
In the blink of an eye, the three massive figures—along with the tiny lights clinging to them—were swallowed by the falling shadow of the meteors.
"BOOM!"
At the moment heaven and earth met—
the ground caved in from the point of impact.
Buildings along the path were annihilated.
Together with the four Chibaku Tensei spheres hanging in the sky, everything was crushed into a torrential flood of rock and earth that smashed through Konoha's outer walls.
Even the Hokage Monument, which had stood since the founding of the village and survived countless wars without ever truly collapsing—
was utterly destroyed.
"Whoosh!"
Obito and Madara moved through the shattered landscape using intangibility, drifting through broken mountains and rivers.
Remembering the past, Madara murmured with melancholy:
"…Konoha has died."
In terms of life experience, Obito could never match Madara.
But in terms of emotional ties to Konoha—
Obito's ran far deeper.
After all…
He had once been Uchiha Obito, the boy who dreamed of becoming Hokage.
"Konoha is like a great tree," Obito said quietly.
"It has a shell—the village itself."
"And a soul—the Will of Fire."
"If only the shell is destroyed, the tree will eventually grow again."
"But if the soul dies…"
"Then Konoha truly ceases to exist."
Madara nodded in agreement.
He glanced toward the chaotic torrent of debris where shadowy figures of shinobi struggled to stay afloat.
"…Tell me."
"Do you think Konoha is dead?"
"BOOM!"
Mountains trembled.
Forests shuddered.
Was it a roar of defiance?
Or the final cry of despair?
The tide of history never pauses for anyone.
Where Konoha would go from here—
only the living could decide.
Meanwhile…
"BOOM!"
Sasuke, who had been unconscious since being struck by Uratarō's fishing rod attack in a dark alley, woke up to the earth-shaking explosions.
"Sasuke, you're awake."
Kakashi looked at Sasuke's left eye—
still missing its tomoe.
His heart sank.
The Rinnegan's power hasn't recovered…
First Akira drained it, then Hyūga Tarō stole its chakra…
It's seriously damaged.
Sasuke looked up.
"Kakashi… why are you here?"
"Hyūga Tarō disappeared after attacking you," Kakashi replied.
"To be safe, I was assigned to guard you."
Sasuke lowered his gaze, piecing together his fragmented memories.
"…When I was attacked, I felt something flying toward me from behind, but I couldn't dodge it in time."
"So it really was someone from the Hyūga clan?"
"And you still haven't found them?"
"Where is this place?"
"A shelter outside the village."
"A shelter…?"
Sasuke's eyes sharpened.
"Has the village been invaded again?!"
"Who's the enemy?!"
Kakashi sighed softly.
"According to Shizune, who came to summon Sakura for reinforcements…"
"The attacker… is Uchiha Akira."
"…What?!"
Through the reinforced shockproof glass, Kakashi stared toward the distant smoke rising above Konoha.
His voice grew heavy.
"…Judging by that explosion just now…"
"The village may already…"
"Damn it!"
Sasuke grabbed his cloak and rushed outside.
"Sasuke!" Kakashi chased after him.
"In your current condition you can't change anything!"
"At least wait until your Rinnegan recovers!"
"I can't wait!"
Right now, Sasuke's mind was consumed by the name Kawaki had revealed during interrogation.
Jigen…
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
Akira isn't the opportunist Shikamaru thinks he is.
Isshiki really exists.
He's the true leader of Kara.
Akira learned about him earlier through his own channels.
He even warned us in his letters.
But we never took it seriously.
We misunderstood him completely.
He had countless chances to kill us.
Yet he held back every time.
He was trying to show sincerity.
He isn't our enemy.
At least not until the real enemy is defeated.
Naruto…
Please don't make an irreversible mistake because of impulse!
The dust settled.
Ruined walls.
Broken buildings.
Cries of the wounded everywhere.
Sakura collapsed unconscious after exhausting the Strength of a Hundred Seal.
The slugs protecting the villagers vanished into smoke.
Konoha's surviving shinobi slowly regrouped on the devastated battlefield.
They survived because of three things.
First—
Chōza and Chōji held the meteor long enough to give everyone time to escape the impact zone.
Second—
Naruto burned away Kurama's golden chakra avatar and turned it into the fox cloaks protecting everyone.
Third—
Sakura imitated Tsunade's actions during the war, summoning Katsuyu with the Strength of a Hundred to shield the survivors.
"126 dead."
Sensory unit jonin Yamanaka Santen spoke heavily.
Considering the scale of the attack—
that number was almost miraculous.
But no one felt like celebrating.
Aburame Shino voiced everyone's thoughts.
"Even though we minimized casualties…"
"The outlook of this battle is extremely grim."
"The Hokage's Kurama chakra and Sakura's Strength of a Hundred—our two greatest sources of protection and recovery—are both exhausted."
"From now on…"
"Against Uchiha Akira's attacks…"
"We are essentially fighting naked."
"Total annihilation is possible at any moment."
The shinobi turned their darkened gazes toward Konoha's final beacon—
Uzumaki Naruto.
He stood atop a jagged stone like a nail hammered into the earth.
His eyes burned as he scanned the battlefield ahead.
He knew—
that man would come back.
The man who never stopped until he achieved his goal.
He would come.
He had to come.
"Whoosh!"
A spatial gate opened.
The black-robed figure stepped out and landed before Naruto.
Akira glanced behind him.
"Fewer casualties than I expected."
"But your reserves are exhausted, aren't they?"
"They didn't have to die."
"But adults must pay the price for their choices."
"Naruto."
"The state of Konoha behind you is the price you chose to pay."
Naruto's eyes were bloodshot with rage.
"Uchiha Akira!"
"I'll return those words to you exactly as they are!"
"You will pay for today's atrocities!"
Only by defeating him—
could he protect Kurama.
Only by defeating him—
could he protect everyone.
Inside Naruto's mindscape—
Kurama looked at Naruto's back with complicated emotions.
"Naruto…"
"The price of this new mode…"
"is your life."
Kurama couldn't bring himself to say the truth—
that the life to be lost wouldn't be Naruto's.
It would be his own.
Only this way…
Only this way can Akira never claim my power.
Only this way can I protect you.
It's the only solution I can think of… Naruto.
Unaware of this truth, Naruto's eyes burned with determination.
"Yeah."
"I'm prepared."
"Even if I die—"
"I'll eliminate Uchiha Akira from the ninja world!"
"Otherwise, how could I face the Konoha comrades who died today?!"
A shadow of sorrow crossed his heart.
After I defeat Akira…
After the leader of Kara, Jigen, is defeated…
Rebuilding Konoha will fall entirely on you…
Sasuke.
Forgive my selfishness.
"Kurama!"
"Yeah!"
Kurama brought his hands together.
"BOOM!"
A massive cloud of smoke engulfed Naruto.
Akira watched silently.
When he decided to kill without restraint, he had already predicted this outcome.
"…So it's finally here."
His gaze grew solemn.
"No matter what happened before…"
"And no matter what happens afterward…"
"Naruto."
"In this moment…"
"You are truly worthy of being my opponent."
Akira raised two fingers before his chest in salute—
a gesture of respect for the brief yet brilliant final moment left by Uzumaki Naruto in Boruto.
— Baryon Mode.
The smoke cleared.
Naruto stood there—
his cloak blazing crimson.
His resolve absolute.
"Come at me, Uchiha Akira."
Baryon Mode.
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