When you've been raised with a singular purpose since childhood, and your entire youth is centered around a grand goal that won't come to fruition for decades, you don't immediately feel the burden of that responsibility. How could you? You may have been told this mission is vital and should be taken seriously every day, but as a child under ten years old, how deeply can it truly impact you?
Only after you grow up, only when you come to understand your own situation and the responsibilities you must bear, will you realize its significance. Over time, this realization slowly sinks into your awareness, bringing pressure along with it. But this isn't unusual—almost every aspect of life works this way. Only when you mature further, acquire necessary knowledge, and begin reflecting on your past will you finally see how even the smallest, seemingly trivial things hold profound significance.
What really burdens you is realizing you're pursuing absolute pinnacle strength, and you're the only one who can bear this burden. When you first truly comprehend how vitally connected your future is to loved ones—and even to complete strangers—you'll finally understand what all of this truly means.
This awareness doesn't become clear over time—it strikes you suddenly, all at once. Perhaps one morning as you wake up, eating breakfast while gazing through the window at your familiar village, you'll suddenly realize, "One day, I'll be the one protecting this entire village."
…Then you freeze, feeling utterly overwhelmed by the unbearable weight of that thought.
That was exactly how Naruto felt in this moment.
It wasn't because he doubted his capability. Many people believed he could do it: Danzo, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Maki, Sai, everyone within Root, Gaara, Yugito Nii, and his friends—they all believed in him.
Nor was it due to unpreparedness. He knew he still had much to learn, but that wasn't the main issue. Tsunade had already stated she would mentor him for several years after the war to prepare him for becoming Hokage.
The true source of pressure lay in the sheer gravity of this responsibility. He would bear everything on his shoulders, responsible for the safety of every villager regardless of circumstances.
No matter how significant past events might have been, Naruto always found ways to resolve them, discovering solutions step by step. He advanced steadily forward, continuing forward even as matters grew increasingly complex and difficult.
So long as he stayed composed and focused on immediate concerns, he could overcome any challenge. This is precisely why he conquered ever-stronger opponents and calmly faced every trial—he'd grown used to moving forward, one step at a time.
Even now, he's ready to fight Pain or Nagato. To him, this represents the logical next step.
In this war, their only goal was to defeat them and force Amegakure to surrender.
Though the battle held great significance, Naruto still believed it was well within his capabilities, for he was a warrior entrusted with protecting Konoha.
Yet when Tsunade told him she would train him to become Hokage, it transformed him from a tool of war into a future leader.
It wasn't that he objected; of course he wanted to be Hokage. But perhaps Tsunade could have broken the news more gently, especially since there might be some distant blood relation between them.
At dawn, Naruto dressed and stared out the window at the familiar village below.
He quickly bandaged his wounds before glancing back at Tamako, still asleep in bed. Since his return from Mount Myoboku, the brave girl had remained at his side.
Brushing his fingers gently across her cheek, Naruto gave her a lingering kiss on the lips, then turned and vanished into the dawn light.
"Rest well, Tamako. Sleep just a little longer. I don't have time," he murmured, though time had always been too fleeting for him.
Before finalizing the plan to attack Amegakure, Naruto had other matters to attend to.
******
Sai watched Naruto leave with an enthusiastic high-five, his right hand still throbbing faintly. He studied his hand impassively before turning toward the direction Naruto had disappeared. "...What was that supposed to mean?"
"You did well, Sai," Naruto said, noticing the bandages wrapped around Sai's body—proof of his sacrifices for the village. "Did you get the original? The one with both black and white forms? Are you certain you killed him?"
As head of Root, Sai gave a blank nod while walking down the hallway of this underground base alongside Naruto, who would soon become Hokage.
"Maki is my assistant. While you fought Tobi, she observed from afar and interfered when necessary. After the battle, she was ready to strike anyone who tried to retrieve your body."
"So that's when you defeated him?"
"Yes. We clashed, but he didn't stop your teammates from taking away your 'body,'" Sai calmly recounted the mission details. "He tried to flee multiple times because he wasn't built for direct combat. In the end, Black Zetsu abandoned White Zetsu and fled alone. If Maki hadn't swiftly ensnared him with genjutsu, he probably would've escaped."
During the fight, Maki intentionally concealed her chakra, leading Black Zetsu to believe Sai was casting genjutsu on him.
According to plan, everything went smoothly until Black Zetsu abandoned White Zetsu and fled alone.
Maki adapted instantly, trapping Black Zetsu with genjutsu to buy Sai time. Eventually, after fierce combat, Sai managed to kill Black Zetsu.
They reduced both monsters to ash. For Root and Konoha, keeping such dangerous beings would have brought only disaster. Sometimes Pandora's box was better left sealed shut.
Finally, they arrived at what used to be Danzo's office.
Maki had been waiting inside for quite some time. Leaning against the table, she smiled as the two walked in and said:
"Good morning, Naruto-senpai, Sai-senpai. How's the plan to attack Amegakure shaping up?"
Naruto closed the door and turned off the lights, plunging the room into darkness, the only light being the projector's beam illuminating Sai's face. Sai began presenting slides, briefing everyone on the current battlefield situation.
"First, here's an overview of the general situation." The first slide showed a map of the entire continent marked with the latest battlefield updates. "Kiri is actively preparing to assume responsibility for Konoha's frontline defense on the eastern front."
With Konoha withdrawing from the northeastern warfront, Kiri would now share responsibility for both defense and offense in that region alongside Kumogakure. This allowed the exhausted Konoha ninjas to rest and regroup, freeing up more forces to be deployed to the western front for the final decisive battle.
The arrangement made perfect sense—replacing worn-out fighters with fresh, well-rested forces. Kumogakure was equally pleased with how smoothly things were progressing.
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