Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 489 A Planetary Funeral

Sasuke thought he would no longer be awakened by dreams, but it turned out he might have underestimated the dangers of the other world.

The television was reporting on a funeral that had shocked the world, and every household was immersed in shock and grief. The version of himself from that world had finally done something decisive; he stormed into the daimyo's mansion and, with overwhelming force, forced the daimyo to reveal its most hidden darkness.

This conspiracy against the Seventh Hokage was planned long ago. An omnipotent "god" showed him a true miracle, saying that taking Earth was as easy as taking candy from a baby. If he wanted to live and continue to be the ruler of the planet, he only needed to give up one person's life.

The Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki.

The daimyo's desperate and shameful act was witnessed by the world, and people spontaneously took up arms and took to the streets to demand justice for their hero. In the end, the daimyo's mansion was reduced to ashes in the flames. Neither ninjas nor samurai were willing to save a group of cowardly and power-hungry villains. This was the first rebellion of the people in a thousand years, and the overwhelming outcry made rulers all over the world walk on thin ice.

But the outside conflicts wouldn't disturb the funeral. Not only Konoha, but many more people came from all over, some even walking to Konoha to pay their respects to the hero who first stood up to unite the ninja world against the Otsutsuki. Coincidentally, the observatory had already observed a meteor that would pass over Konoha that night, almost like the last glance the deceased cast upon the world before departing.

Many people wait for the shooting star at night, hoping the night wind will carry their prayers. But some linger in the cemetery, reluctant to leave.

That incredible light suddenly illuminated the night sky. The moment he realized something was wrong, he immediately released his complete Susanoo, trying to save as many people as possible. But even hiding under the eaves was just a precarious existence, because that light could even melt objects! If the source couldn't be dealt with, the casualties would only increase!

"Take me with you." Before takeoff, the pink-haired woman, whose face bore the marks of time, put her hand on his shoulder. "Using Susanoo under these circumstances will definitely consume more chakra than usual, and Sarada's eyes also need me."

He didn't hesitate; there was no time to hesitate now. He nodded and flew away with Sakura. If he could, he wouldn't want to drag Sakura into this battle with no clear outcome—it was his responsibility and his guilt—but... in times of crisis, no one has the right to back down; to retreat means certain death.

Almost all the ninjas capable of flying amidst the light were in the sky. Under command, everyone entered their purple Susanoo forms to gather strength for the upcoming battle. Konoha was the ninja village that had preserved the most strength since the Otsutsuki War. Judging by their manpower alone, they seemed capable of stopping this disaster. However, his chakra was disappearing like flowing water, and the higher he flew, the stronger the feeling of being eroded became. Soon, his empty eye sockets began to sting, and a dark red blurred his vision.

A new person stepped forward from the crowd, tacitly taking over his task. As fewer and fewer people remained, their mood grew increasingly heavy. Even now, they still hadn't seen the source of the light, and all sides seemed to be on the verge of exhaustion.

"Let's take a gamble." The black-haired female ninja with red-rimmed glasses and bloodshot eyes said, "Let's attack the direction of the light with our strongest moves. In our current state, we probably won't be able to fight even if we fly there."

"That's too risky. What if the attack misses?" The white-haired youth with horns disagreed.

"We must at least retain some fighting strength." The blond youth with a scar on his right eye and a face that resembled Naruto's by seven points said, "I just tested it. The mechanism of light is most likely to decompose matter, and chakra is also considered matter."

"My suggestion is that some people should focus on attacking while conserving their chakra to land on the ground, while the others fly upwards in the shadow of the attack."

The proposal was approved, but no one reserved the so-called chakra to ensure their own safety. As a senior member of the older generation, he still fired his strongest arrow even with his Mangekyou Sharingan already overloaded, and then... he could only fall.

If the light that makes the night as bright as day is beyond human imagination, then everything in the Pure Land is another realm that humans cannot yet reach.

Sasuke never expected that he would see an old man with horns and the Rinnegan in his dream, and he never expected that he could see the wonder of the place where life and death meet as a living person.

It wasn't until the old man said that the "sun" on the horizon was actually centered on Naruto's soul, and that so-called faith could actually drive souls without self-awareness to actively approach and try to merge into the "god" in their hearts.

"Most 'gods' become more and more like the image people imagine as the number of souls they absorb increases. This is an unprecedented situation. I can't be sure if the 'god' that awakens again is still Naruto. But in any case, 'gods' will not betray people's strongest desires, so... it shouldn't be too different."

In his dream, after hearing all the pros and cons, he still tried to get closer to the "sun." Of course, the old man didn't dare let him go and immediately chased after him.

"A soul that has merged with 'God' can never become an independent individual again. Do you want to disappear forever?"

But he simply said, “There’s nothing wrong with becoming a part of him. Didn’t you say his soul was at risk of being scattered? Or even that he might become a completely different person after waking up? It’s okay, I remember everything about him, and I won’t let him forget himself.”

To the old man's disbelief, he ascended into the air, joyfully crashing into the sun's embrace. The feeling was far from pleasant, for he heard countless discordant noises within the sun.

"Seventh Hokage, please save us!"

"Help! I don't want to die, I don't want to die! Seventh Boss..."

Where is the Seventh Hokage?

"Please bless Boruto and the others, Naruto-kun."

"Can we win, Naruto?"

"Naruto, if only you were still here..."

"Naruto, our world is about to be destroyed."

He struggled to make his way through the turbulent waters when he suddenly heard a soft sob, a sound he would never mistake. Was he crying?

Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, "Naruto, I've come to find you."

He crashed into a black fog, screams and roars of despair almost engulfing him. The black fog seemed to contain all the hatred and despair in the world. They grew stronger under the cover of light, eyeing the true core covetously. But the surrounded souls did not yield. Even enveloped in pain, the core still maintained the purest light.

He suddenly understood what he had to do. Who could rival his hatred? His body was almost disintegrating in the black mist, and even this place acknowledged his hatred. But he wasn't just filled with hatred; the love hidden in his heart was the light he could leave for Naruto. He desperately pressed himself against the core light barrier, ripped open the chest of his soul form, and let the last ray of light fall.