Disappearing from the battlefield with a faint shimmer in space, Naruto, Kurama, Kara, and Pamela found themselves enveloped in a blur of motionless time. Kurama had warped them away—no hand seals, no effort, only a sheer exertion of will. When the light settled and the distortions faded, the group stood in the center of a massive underground sanctuary.
The air was still and heavy with the weight of ages.
Ancient stone pillars, tall as trees, lined the wide hall. Their surfaces were inscribed with long-forgotten symbols, faint glows still pulsing through their weathered etchings. Dust hung in the air like a veil of memory. Vines had pushed through cracks in the walls, some glowing faintly from the latent chakra in the earth. The temperature was cool, untouched by sun or wind.
This was Kurama's home—the birthplace of the Tailed Beasts.
A place lost to history, buried beneath the shifting sands of time after Indra's assault had shattered the fragile peace once shared between the Bijuu. No human had found it since. No one even remembered it had existed.
But Kurama had never forgotten.
He stood silent for a moment, amber eyes roaming the shadowed walls. His claws curled slightly. Here… here was where he had opened his eyes for the first time. Where he had laughed with his siblings, where he had laid beside his father, Hagoromo, under a moonless sky. The place where, for one fleeting span of eternity, he had felt whole.
Kurama slowly exhaled.
With a flick of his clawed fingers, hundreds of glowing orbs emerged from his chakra, floating upward like fireflies. They spread across the ceiling, slipping into ancient light wells and between arches, illuminating the forgotten temple in soft golden hues.
The grandeur of the hall was revealed: murals of the Sage, the Bijuu, and the earliest days of the world painted across the ceiling and walls—artworks untouched by time. The floor beneath them glistened with fine crystal dust, reflecting their images like a sacred mirror.
Pamela and Kara looked around with quiet reverence. Even Naruto, who had seen countless worlds and altered reality itself, felt something stir in his chest—a peace older than war and deeper than vengeance.
But before they could speak, a presence made itself known.
A gentle glow materialized at the far end of the hall, floating a few feet off the ground. His long white robes shimmered softly, and his serene expression was instantly familiar.
Naruto blinked.
Kurama froze.
"…It would have been better if you didn't hurry," the figure said, voice calm and timeless. "I could have told you directly about the cure."
Kurama's breath caught. His golden eyes widened in disbelief. "Father…"
Floating before them, as if time had never taken him, was Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths. His gaze was warm, serene as a mountain breeze, and his staff hovered weightlessly by his side. The ancient ghost looked unchanged, untouched by decay or burden.
For Kurama, the sight hit like a thunderclap.
Memories surged through him—not of war, but of quiet evenings, his father's voice telling stories, the peace before the chaos. And with it came the guilt.
He had let his siblings suffer.
He had ignored their cries.
He had failed as the strongest.
Kurama lowered his eyes, unable to meet that gaze, his small form trembling slightly.
But Hagoromo understood. He always had.
The Sage floated closer, his hand reaching out. "Kurama," he said gently, "don't berate yourself for things you couldn't control. This… all of this… it's my burden. I gave you a good life for only a fleeting moment. You've endured centuries of pain, of hatred… and yet you still care. That's more than enough."
He pulled the chibi Kurama into a gentle hug, large hand cradling the beast like a father would a child.
"I'm proud of you."
Kurama sniffled softly, hiding his face in his father's robes. The glow of his fur shimmered.
Then Hagoromo turned his gaze toward Naruto.
"I hope you can bring them back," he said solemnly. "Your power now reaches beyond even mine. But time… time is against us. All nine of them are sealed inside my mother. Their chakra is fading. Their souls are unraveling. They're at their final moments."
His voice wavered slightly. "They were never just weapons. They were my children. My legacy."
Naruto stood tall, flanked by Kara and Pamela, both of whom had placed their hands on his shoulders.
He looked into Hagoromo's eyes and nodded. "I'll fix it."
Simple words. Certain words.
"Now," Naruto said, golden eyes gleaming, "tell me what the cure is."
The light in the sanctuary grew brighter.
The ancient Sage's expression turned serious, and the chamber seemed to hold its breath as he began to speak.
"Thank you, Naruto," he began softly. "The sickness you suffer from… it's not entirely unique. It happens when a body is pushed beyond its natural limit—when incompatible energies are forced to coexist within a mortal frame."
His voice echoed across the great hall, mixing with the gentle hum of chakra in the air.
"I experienced the same thing when the Juubi was sealed inside me. Even with immortality, my chakra system was poisoned over time. The body doesn't adapt well to divinity. My powers began to fail, one after another, as the disharmony spread."
Kurama's ears twitched. Kara listened intently, her hands folded behind her back. Pamela stood by Naruto, ready to lend strength at any moment.
"I searched for a cure," Hagoromo continued, his gaze distant, as if seeing through time. "In the ancient times, this planet teemed with powerful creatures—monsters that modern humanity has long since forgotten. Among them was the Light Dragon… a creature of purity and balance, said to be able to mend the rift between energies."
He raised his hand, and a glowing image appeared in the air—an elegant dragon of radiant white, its wings like veils of sunlight, soaring across a dawn sky.
"I discovered its blood could purify and stabilize mutated chakra systems. I tested it on myself… and it worked. I was cured."
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Will it work on me?" he asked.
"My condition came from the Juubi," Hagoromo nodded. "But yours… yours is a more complex mutation. Olympian energy… Senjutsu… Kurama's chakra… and Otsutsuki lineage—each one vying for dominance inside your system."
Pamela frowned in concern, but Naruto remained calm.
"The root cause is the same," Hagoromo assured him. "Instability. With a slight modification, the Light Dragon's blood should work. It can harmonize the opposing forces."
"Good," Naruto said. "Where is the dragon?"
Hagoromo's expression darkened.
"I sealed the corpse in stasis, far beyond this planet—embedded in a drifting meteorite. The blood is still fresh. Time doesn't pass inside the seal."
He paused.
"But the meteorite… is no longer empty."
With a wave of his hand, a massive star map formed in the air, displaying the deep expanse of space. A particular object caught their eyes—a titanic meteorite, drifting across the stars. It was accompanied by a sleeping leviathan curled on its surface.
A Void Dragon.
It was monstrous—five hundred meters long, with scales the color of lifeless stone. Twin horns crowned its skull like jagged blades, and obsidian spikes lined its tail. Even in slumber, its aura warped the space around it. The stars dimmed in its presence.
A field of nothingness surrounded it—a vacuum of erasure. Asteroids, solar winds, even fragments of light were consumed before they reached its body.
"It sleeps," Hagoromo explained. "But even in rest, it defends the meteorite. It enjoys the drifting solitude… has claimed it as its home. I am no longer in a state to challenge it—and I couldn't risk drawing attention from the higher realms. But you…"
His eyes turned to Kara, who met his gaze without flinching.
"Give us the coordinates," she said confidently. "We'll get the corpse."
The Sage looked at her, then at Naruto—at Kurama, Pamela—each one of them shining with potential and unity. He smiled, and for the first time in centuries, felt something he thought long lost.
Hope.
Reaching into the air, he created a golden compass—a star-shaped construct brimming with cosmic chakra. "This will guide you to the meteorite. Trust it. It knows the path."
He hovered forward, handing it to Naruto.
"And with this, I bid you farewell. The time has come for me to return to the void."
"No."
Naruto's voice rang out like thunder.
Kara's eyes widened. Hagoromo blinked, confused.
"My brother," Naruto said, golden eyes glowing, "doesn't want you to leave."
A surge of divine energy poured out from him, folding space, bending the laws of reality. And with those words, the impossible occurred.
Hagoromo's soul was anchored.
Time and space twisted around the Sage as his ghostly form gained substance. A mortal body formed around his soul, one woven from Naruto's will, restored in full.
Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki—the Sage of Six Paths—was resurrected.
"Wha—?" the Sage gasped, stumbling as he felt the ground beneath his feet. He looked at his hands—solid, youthful, brimming with power. He was in his prime once more.
Cough!
Naruto staggered, a violent cough escaping him. Golden blood, radiant and ethereal, splattered onto the floor. It shimmered with unimaginable power, and the very planet seemed to react—absorbing it like sacred nectar. Trees outside the sanctuary stirred as if awakening from sleep.
"Naruto!" Kara caught him before he fell.
Kurama and Pamela instantly surrounded him, glowing with healing chakra as they stabilized him. A warm aura wrapped around Naruto as golden veins pulsed across his skin. The sickness was flaring. Using his powers like that was no longer safe.
But his expression remained calm. Even while weakened, Naruto's gaze never wavered from Hagoromo.
As Naruto's body trembled slightly, the weight of the sickness flaring within him, Hagoromo stepped forward and placed his palm against the ancient stone floor. A deep hum pulsed through the sanctuary like a heartbeat.
In response, the sanctuary awakened.
Intricate patterns of light raced across the walls, spiraling into the center of the chamber. The chakra reacted to its creator—the Sage of Six Paths—and manifested his will. From the glowing floor rose a massive, serene bed of soft white silk and energy-imbued stone, surrounded by softly glowing trees and calming streams of light. It was a place of healing, a safe haven carved from the memories of the world's beginnings.
"You've worsened your condition with that act," Hagoromo said gently, his voice lined with both concern and awe. "But now that I'm here, I can help you directly. Rest, Naruto. Let us bring the cure back for you."
But Naruto slowly shook his head, his golden hair glowing faintly under the sanctuary's lights. "No," he said with quiet strength. "I'll be in Konoha."
The Sage blinked in surprise. Kurama narrowed his eyes. Kara and Pamela turned sharply toward him, worry flashing across their faces.
"I brought you back not for myself, but for Kurama," Naruto said, looking at Hagoromo with firm eyes. "You're needed in this world. You can help rebuild it… guide it. But my place is with my people."
The girls moved closer, uneasy at the idea of leaving him in this state.
Naruto reached out, his fingers brushing against their cheeks—warm, tender, filled with love. He lingered on their lips with a soft caress, an unspoken promise shared between their souls.
"Relax," he whispered. "I'll be fine. You all… fight without worry. Stick together, cover each other's backs. I don't want anyone getting hurt."
Pamela held his hand a moment longer, her eyes searching his. Kara touched his chest where his heartbeat fluttered weakly, memorizing the moment. They both knew they had to let go, but it was never easy.
Naruto smiled, kissed Kara softly, then turned to Pamela and gave her a lingering kiss of gratitude and warmth.
"I'm blessed," he whispered, "to have your love."
With a small nod from Kurama, a pulse of red chakra surrounded Naruto—a transportation seal built into the fox's chakra space—and in a flash of golden-red light, Naruto vanished.
Above the Hokage Monument, a golden swirl of chakra crackled in the air before Naruto appeared, hovering gently over the familiar stone faces. The village of Konoha lay spread out below, bathed in the soft hues of twilight.
The breeze carried the scent of cherry blossoms, the sound of children playing, the distant clamor of the marketplace winding down for the day. It was peace—the kind he had fought for all his life.
And waiting for him at the edge of the cliff… was Hinata.
Her lavender eyes locked onto him immediately, tears welling in her gaze as she stepped forward. She had known he would appear here—it was instinct, born from a lifetime of love and shared moments.
"Welcome home," she whispered, catching him before he could stumble.
Naruto chuckled softly and leaned into her embrace. "I knew you'd be here…"
Hinata held him close, not caring about his condition, only that he was alive and with her. "Always," she whispered. "Wherever you go, I'll be waiting."
Far behind them, the sun dipped lower, casting golden rays across the valley and illuminating the faces of the Hokage carved into the mountainside—a symbol of legacy, of struggle, of hope.