Scene: The Rift Crucible – A Realm Outside Time
Reality tears.
Ben, Naruto, Obsidian, and the soul-fragmented girl are ripped from the collapsing Nexus and hurled into a new dimension: a crucible of pure choice.
It's dark.
Infinite.
A swirling storm of what-ifs and never-weres.
At its center is a spire of broken thrones—each seat once held by a different version of Ben.
The Rift whispers through the air:
"To decide who you are…
you must defeat who you were."
And then—they arrive.
Ben vs. Ben
First comes the Void Tyrant—Ben who embraced power and ruled the universes with a black gauntlet, erasing free will for order.
"They feared me… and that made them behave."
Then the Bitter Hermit, robed in shadows, who walked away from everything after losing Naruto to Rift corruption.
"Love makes you weak. Alone, I survived."
Next, the Child of Flame—Ben who merged with Ignara and burned every timeline where he failed.
"What's a universe… if I have to suffer through it?"
And finally… The Hollow One.
No soul. No eyes. Just emptiness.
The one Naruto tried to save, but failed.
They surround our Ben.
Obsidian's voice echoes from the sky:
"Go ahead, Rift King. Choose your throne."
Naruto Intervenes
Naruto throws himself in front of Ben.
"You don't need to do this. This is his game."
But the Crucible pulses.
A force field slams Naruto back, locking him in a suspended cage of time.
Ben screams, "NO—!"
The Hollow One steps forward.
"You chose them. And every time, they died."
He attacks.
The Battles Begin – Trial of the Self
Ben spins into combat—no longer just fighting powers, but ideologies.
Against the Void Tyrant, he battles sheer control—dodging iron chains of forced fate.
The Bitter Hermit casts illusions of everyone Ben ever failed—making him relive Naruto's death, over and over.
The Child of Flame ignites the sky with wrath, raining hellfire shaped like Ignara's face, whispering "burn it all."
Ben staggers.
Bleeding.
Exhausted.
He looks up—and sees the Hollow One is just watching.
Smiling.
"You're not fighting us. You're fighting you.
And you're losing."
The Soul Fragment Speaks
From the side, the girl—his soul—steps into the Crucible.
She places her hand on the ground.
The broken thrones begin to glow.
"You were all him. But none of you are me."
A beam of pure memory floods the arena:
Ben sharing laughs with Naruto under the stars.
Ignara helping him understand love, not destruction.
The first time he saved someone—not to win, but because it was right.
The darkness falters.
The Broken Bens reel as those memories pierce their twisted logic.
Ben Stands – Not Alone
Ben rises, wrapped in violet lightning and gold Rift flame.
He looks at the Tyrant.
"You used fear. I'll use hope."
He looks at the Hermit.
"You ran. I'll stay."
He faces the Child of Flame.
"You burned the world. I'll heal it."
Finally, he steps toward the Hollow One.
They stare.
Then Ben reaches out.
"You're the pain I never faced. The void I kept feeding."
"Come home."
Resolution – The Broken Gods Fade
Each version of Ben begins to glow—and dissolve.
Not destroyed.
But accepted.
Integrated.
The thrones vanish.
Only one remains.
And Ben, crowned and calm, sits upon it—not as king.
But as himself.
Obsidian Reacts
In his hidden realm, Obsidian slams his fist into the throne room wall, cracking the walls of space.
"No… no! He was supposed to choose!
Not become all of them!"
The Heir steps forward, shaking.
"What do we do now?"
Obsidian snarls.
"Now? We bring him in."
From the shadows… a door opens.
Chains rattle.
Something vast, ancient, and forgotten begins to stir.
Final Scene – Naruto Freed
Naruto collapses as the Crucible fades.
Ben catches him.
No words.
Just understanding.
But both look up as they feel it:
A new Rift opening.
And from it…
Steps a being whose face is hidden behind a cosmic veil of stars and blood.
The true master of the Rift.
"Benjamin Cael. Naruto Uzumaki.
This is your final cycle."
[CHAPTER END | NEXT: The One Who Remains – The Creator of the Rift]