Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 9 Determination

"I don't know if this is the right path, or where it leads. All I know is that if we don't do something, we may perish."

...We've already walked that path of the old era once; we won, and we lost.

"This is not an easy task. It will likely be more difficult than any previous reform. Our generation may not live to see the day when the world is truly at peace, and our descendants may not be able to follow the same path." Naruto raised his eyes, which shone with an unprecedented light, like a ball of fire.

"But we have been here, and we will surely leave our mark on this world."

After his rebellious speech, Naruto sat down, looking at no one. His gaze pierced through the candlelight on the table and landed on the curtain at the entrance. The trees outside swayed, but the curtain remained motionless, and not a single leaf rustled. The room was eerily quiet, save for the breathing of the two men. The dead need not exchange life energy with the living. He awaited the decisions of his predecessors, appearing calm on the surface, but his heart pounded with anxiety.

The ninja clans had developed in a dispersed manner for far too long, long enough for the so-called nobles and daimyo to have obedience ingrained in their very bones. It wasn't until he faced the Otsutsuki clan that he truly considered whether it was truly reasonable for humanity to be ruled by nobles. They had done far too many things detrimental to a unified front, seemingly only interested in internal strife. Then, he was betrayed by the humans themselves; they were always exceptionally adept at killing their own kind.

The heavy memories ended with Hashirama's second question. Aside from this legendary figure who ended the Warring States period, no one else present had the courage to immediately accept it.

"I think I understand what you're trying to do." Hashirama's gaze held a hint of scrutiny. "Then, can you tell me why you stood by and watched the Uchiha clan be wiped out?"

To stop all of this from happening, all that's needed is to summon the First Hokage. His body, which is almost identical to his power in life, is enough to silence the Konoha leadership forever.

"The Uchiha have reached a dead end. They can't see their own shortcomings and only blame all their difficulties on external factors." Naruto commented mercilessly, "Only after fully witnessing their own weakness can the proud Uchiha face the world squarely."

"But we can't generalize and condemn them all! That's the life of an entire clan!" Fugaku couldn't help but slam his fist on the table. He had only swallowed his anger because he didn't want to fight Itachi, but it was a different story when it came to others.

"Six hundred and seventy-three lives. I know that. I personally collected the body tissues of most of them." Naruto clenched his fists under the table, but appeared very calm. "Do you know? There is a technique in this world that can revive even if the body is completely destroyed, as long as it is reanimated by the Impure World Body."

This was another bombshell dropped on the five of them, but this time it created a huge splash. Tobirama was the first to stand up; his usual composure and indifference vanished for the first time, replaced by a hint of fanaticism in his blood-red pupils.

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Have you heard of the Rinnegan?" Naruto smiled calmly. "The legendary Sage's Eye, which only the Sage of Six Paths once possessed. In addition to the Six Paths it gave birth to, there is another technique called Rinne Rebirth. It is a ninjutsu that can reverse life and death, but the price for activating it is the life of the user."

Tobirama was already showing some eagerness, but Hashirama grabbed his younger brother and said, "You said it yourself, those are the legendary eyes."

“There’s only one pair in the ninja world right now.” Naruto pointed lightly to the place where the three great nations meet. “Here, the leaders of Akatsuki.”

The information about Akatsuki was obtained through repeated questioning by Tobirama and Shisui, which is precisely why they didn't raise any doubts. They both knew that those eyes were real!

"Akatsuki? Isn't that a mercenary organization?" Fugaku felt like he was falling behind.

"That's true at the moment, but their real target is probably the Tailed Beasts. They claim to be fighting for world peace and want to create an organization that surpasses the Five Great Nations to deter the world, thereby achieving peace." Shisui regained his voice, and the contradiction in his mind suddenly became clear. He did not question the accuracy of Naruto's information at all, nor did he think that the Impure World Reincarnation was a shackle. After all, Naruto had not controlled the Second Hokage even once in the past two years, had he?

"This method won't work, right?" Although there were still many questions, Hashirama was always good at grasping the key points. "The Impure World Reincarnation requires sacrifices, and the Rinne Rebirth also involves exchanging lives."

“There are still many of your sacrifices in Tobirama’s laboratory. As for Rinne Rebirth, as long as the caster’s life force and chakra are strong enough, he can revive many people in one go.” Naruto forced a smile and said, “Actually, the Senju clan is also in my Impure World Reincarnation plan. I think this is a great opportunity.”

"If neither side dies, it doesn't matter how many fights we have, right?"

The five-person trial didn't end until dawn, and that was only because Naruto was going to be late for school if he didn't go soon. Because of the Uchiha incident, the entire village was under martial law; the Anbu were short-handed, and no one was even keeping an eye on Naruto, the harmless Nine-Tails Jinchuriki for seven years. But Naruto didn't feel relieved; instead, he stared intently at Sasuke's empty seat, his mind preoccupied.

Reincarnated as an Impure World Reincarnation, he wasn't truly alive, nor was he completely dead. He pondered how to subtly reveal the truth, but another path was still undecided, and he didn't know if his predecessors would even listen to him. Exterminating the nobles would be easy, but Naruto's goal was to dismantle their hearts and their rule. In his previous life, there had been a life-or-death crisis with the Otsutsuki invasion; the contrast between the Daimyo's cowardice and the ninja's bravery was too stark. No one wanted to become fertilizer for the Divine Tree; even in death, they prayed for victory.

What about this time? We can't repeat the same mistakes.

"Hey, Naruto!" The girls, who usually only glared at him from behind, suddenly ran up to him. Ino, hands on her hips, slammed her hand on his desk. "Do you know how Sasuke is doing?"

Naruto genuinely hadn't expected his rekindled conversation with his old friend to happen at this time. The thought of Sasuke made him anxious and he had absolutely no desire to talk to him. The Yamanaka clan held a position of power in Konoha's upper echelons, and Ino must have heard something from her father, hence her eagerness to confirm. But was she serious about coming to ask him? He was an orphan Jinchuriki, after all.

"Ino, even if Naruto and Sasuke are close, he shouldn't know everything about him, right?" Shikamaru, sitting behind him, unusually spoke up. The Ino-Shika-Cho clan had cooperated on the battlefield for years, fighting side by side, and the children in the family had grown up together and knew each other very well. Shikamaru was intelligent from a young age and realized from the atmosphere at home that what was happening to the Uchiha clan was probably very troublesome, so he didn't want his friends to discuss it. After all, Naruto had a really good personality, and as long as you didn't have any prejudices, most people liked being around him.

Sakura, who had been following Ino with a long face, couldn't help but step forward and said anxiously, "But Sasuke hasn't come for two days! I also heard that Usagi from the other classes..."

"Don't mention things that haven't been announced yet!" Naruto suddenly stood up. He was usually all smiles, but when he wasn't smiling, he looked particularly intimidating. After saying that, he turned around, jumped onto the windowsill, and then jumped out of the window and left.

Choji dropped the potato chips in his hand, eliciting a scream from the chip's owner, "Ah! It's all Naruto's fault! Why did he suddenly get angry?"

Choji's interruption snapped the children out of their shock. After a few casual words, they went their separate ways. Naruto, the only one without a home, was once again controlled by instinct, and by the time he came to his senses, he was already at the hospital entrance. Of course, he couldn't go in; not many medical staff were welcoming to him, and the ANBU guards at the gate were unreasonable. He could only linger downstairs, gazing at the window of Sasuke's ward from afar. The curtains were drawn, and he couldn't see anything inside. He could only sense Sasuke's condition through his senses. His mood was still so low; the vibrant colors in his chakra had faded. He could only wait until Sasuke was discharged before trying to find a solution.

Naruto, feeling dizzy and lightheaded, returned to his apartment, not even bothering to eat, and rushed off to his next destination. Upon landing, he found three adults huddled around a map, each with a different expression, arguing amongst themselves. But upon seeing him, Tobirama was the first to fly away, leaving behind two white, half-human figures and two glass bottles. One bottle contained flesh and blood, while the other contained a strand of hair.

"The training of White Zetsu is still in the experimental stage. Only these two are usable for now. Please summon these two; they are useful." Before Naruto could ask any questions, Tobirama quickly explained.

"Oh, okay." Naruto was amazed by the strong ability of adults to accept things. They had already decided who to summon first so quickly. Without thinking, he drew two upgraded Edo Tensei runes on the spot, completely unaware of Fugaku's slightly distorted face.

Looking at the two figures gradually taking shape before him, Naruto felt something was off. That unruly black hair, that Uchiha's distinctive high collar, and one of them looking remarkably like Sasuke—they were practically carbon copies. Had they really chosen two Uchiha? He'd thought the two clans would at least recruit a Senju to maintain balance. At this moment, Naruto wasn't worried about not finding any graves in Konoha; after all, there was Tobirama who knew the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Two pairs of bright red eyes opened, and the tomoe in the eyes of the person who looked just like Sasuke changed shape almost instantly, staring straight at Naruto's back.

"Tobirama? You're dead too?" The man was momentarily agitated for some reason, then put on an indifferent expression. "Tsk, looks like you didn't live much longer either."

...Are all Uchiha so two-faced? They're clearly heartbroken, their anger practically burning inside them.

Naruto quietly started his gossip-watching mode and tried to stay away from the center of the conflict, but the Uchiha didn't ignore him and suddenly shifted the topic to him, "How come this child is alive? Wait, where am I!"

"Izuna, use genjutsu on me to save time." Tobirama's voice was calm, showing no sign that asking a Mangekyou Sharingan user to use genjutsu on him was tantamount to suicide.

Izuna glanced at Tobirama, who was now dead, then at Hashirama, who was also dead, and at the two other members of his clan who were also dead next to him. He sensed that something was amiss. Tobirama's death wasn't surprising, but Hashirama's death was truly strange! He knew perfectly well whether his own brother could actually defeat Hashirama!

"...So, so many years have passed." After summarizing the general situation in one breath, Izuna's eyes welled up with tears, yet she glared fiercely at Hashirama. "It's still the same as before, Hashirama Senju! You kept saying you wanted to let go of your hatred, but you still killed my brother!"

...Actually, they didn't kill him; he lived for many more years.

Naruto knew everything, but he couldn't say anything, which was incredibly painful. He also had a feeling something was about to happen, but he couldn't just leave, so he huddled in a corner with the other two Uchiha. The three tried to pretend they hadn't heard what was happening on the other side by whispering to each other.

"Naruto-kun, how is Sasuke?"

"I'm sorry, Izuna. I originally wanted him to come back too, because I saw a completely new path. But his... body was completely burned back then, and what I left behind has also been lost. We cannot resurrect him with Edo Tensei." Hashirama's sorrow was genuine.

“He’s in the hospital, being watched by more than a dozen ANBU members in shifts. I really can’t infiltrate.” Naruto’s nerves were incredibly strong.

"But I promise I won't let him wait alone in the Pure Land! I've decided to give up on resurrection and wait until the new path is truly effective and there's a suitable guide before I go to accompany him." Hashirama's promise was resolute, he was practically about to perform a dogeza (a deep bow in apology), but Tobirama grabbed him by the collar.

"...So how does Konoha plan to announce the Uchiha matter to the public?" Fugaku's worldview was crumbling. He turned his body away, trying to hide it from everyone.

"I really want to see my and Ban's dream come true with my own eyes, but it would be too meaningless if I couldn't witness it with him. If we can be born and reunited in a new era, we will definitely be able to truly understand each other and never be separated again."

"The rumors circulating include the part about Itachi massacring the clan, so I guess Itachi will take all the blame." That's a truly touching statement, just like his and Sasuke's. But you guys will most likely survive to witness the new era; how could the fight against the Otsutsuki be without you? Naruto nodded in deep agreement.

"Hashirama Senju! I'll fight you to the death!!" This was Izuna's heartfelt shout; he had even drawn his sword. He'd already killed his brother and he was still thinking about it—what a despicable scoundrel!

"Big brother, shut up! Don't make things worse!" This was Tobirama trying to mediate. He grabbed Izuna, and seeing that Izuna wasn't too anxious, he decisively unleashed his killing move. "Izuna, there are many Uchiha children around here. We finally managed to settle them down. They're already very scared and can't take any more fright."

The clan had always been one of Izuna's Achilles' heel. The turbulent chakra around him indeed calmed down, but Izuna still plunged a scalpel into Hashirama's head, viciously twisting a hole in his skull before he was satisfied. No matter how many times you kill someone with the Edo Tensei body, it's meaningless; all that comes out is ashes. Even the feel of cutting into it is different, offering no pleasure whatsoever.

Meanwhile, the two Uchiha in the corner were practically falling apart. History books are all rubbish! Who said the First Hokage and Madara had a bad relationship? Is this really a bad relationship? So, the bond of life and death is called mortal enmity after all!

In the end, Naruto stepped in to put an end to the chaotic situation. He had no intention of getting involved in the love-hate relationship between the three of them; he was just curious about something.

"Um, you guys seem to get along quite well. You'll have time to catch up later." The three of them were put on pause, and all six eyes turned to look at them. However, Naruto's smile remained unchanged as he asked, "But it's almost dawn. May I ask if you've decided to join me today?"

The answer is to join in uniformly.

“Naruto-kun, you have shown me a perspective on the world that I have never seen before, and made me realize that everyone’s suffering is interconnected. In the past, I was limited by my role as a ninja and never thought that ending war would be equivalent to ending everyone’s pursuit of desire. If we can create a world where everyone can have a good life and guide desires in a harmless or even beneficial direction, then peace might really come.”

"The world you speak of, I wish to see it."

"I'll keep an eye on that Thousand-Armed bastard and make sure he gets back to the Pure Land!"

"Naruto-kun, the future of the Uchiha clan is in your hands. I will wait until the day my promise is fulfilled."

"Thank you for your trust." Naruto felt a lump in his throat, a slight soreness welling up inside him, but he showed no sign of distress, even smiling more broadly. All the preparation and effort he had put in to gain the support of two powerful ninja clans was well worth it! In the past, he had been constantly restricted in policy decisions because he lacked the backing of a clan, and the elders always seemed to cause him trouble at crucial moments. Although it felt somewhat like a form of coercion, he genuinely hoped that these two once-brotherly clans could truly reconcile.

The moment his nerves completely relaxed, the accumulated fatigue instantly overwhelmed his small frame. A heavy drowsiness washed over him, and Naruto's vision went black as he lost consciousness.