The clouds parted, revealing a clear blue sky. Two towering statues stood at attention in the Valley of the End the site of the Shinobi God's and the Shinobi Asura's final battle. The valley formed by that titanic clash was forever known as the Valley of the End. It marked the last bond between Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha… but was it truly a bond?
"Sasuke!" a small boy with blue eyes and blond hair called out to the figure ahead. White birds scattered across the vast valley as Naruto's voice echoed again and again. Yet Sasuke Uchiha did not slow his pace. He continued walking forward as if lost in his own world.
"Are you running away from me?" Naruto shouted.
At those words, Sasuke stopped and slowly turned. Black markings crept across his face. His right eye seemed empty, and the whites of his left eye had turned ink-black as he gazed at Naruto with cold detachment.
Naruto's eyes widened, struck by this altered Sasuke just as he remembered before…
"Hey, you big idiot."
"Is it your turn now?"
"I told Sakura not to worry about me anymore."
"What? What kind of face is that?"
Sasuke's expression shifted into a mocking smirk as cruel words pierced Naruto's heart. He recalled being tied to a pillar by Kakashi and seeing Sasuke hand him a lunchbox.
"I don't even need to eat. No problem at all… Here, take it…"
He remembered on that bridge how Sasuke had interposed himself between him and a thousand kunai.
"What's with that face, you big idiot?"
"Why should I care? Who told you to meddle?"
"My body just… moved on its own…"
Naruto clenched his fists, memories of Sasuke flashing through his mind.
"I lost everything once. I never want to see another comrade die at my feet!"
His fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly.
"Why, Sasuke?" Naruto cried out, bewildered, stomping atop Hashirama Senju's statue.
"Why did you become like this?"
In the empty Valley of the End, Naruto's voice rang out.
"Why I become like this is none of your business," Sasuke replied.
"I have my own path. The days of fooling around with you Leaf people are over!"
"Go back…"
With that, Sasuke turned and began to depart. To Naruto, that was not an acceptable outcome.
Naruto leapt from Hashirama's head and charged at Sasuke. "What have you made our comrades into?"
He tackled Sasuke, pinning him to the ground, then hesitated with fist raised. Sasuke merely stared at him impassively. Naruto swallowed his hesitation and struck Sasuke's cheek.
Blood spurted from Sasuke's mouth, splattering onto Naruto's face. Enraged, Naruto hoisted him up but at that moment a strange voice echoed inside his mind:
"Do you want to know everything?"
I want to know everything: why, why did Sasuke leave me? I want to know!
Meanwhile, in the corner of that immortal battlefield, our Second Pillar… pardon, our revered Hashirama Senju thought instead:
"Do you want to know everything?"
"The secrets your brother has hidden!"
"The other figure you have seen!"
"The true reason the Uchiha clan was wiped out!"
Sasuke had but one thought at that instant:
I want!
Ding! Permission granted by the World's Child! Deploying into this world!
(Hello everyone, I'm Remember to Smile. This is a story without a single protagonist or rather, the real protagonist is the System itself. My goal is to revisit every famous moment, every joke, every regret, and make it right. Thank you for your support!)
As the strange chime faded, the entire ninja world went into panic. A voice resonated in everyone's mind. The Five Kage rose, gazing into the distance, their bodies instantly on full alert.
This was no ordinary event. A presence capable of appearing silently and planting words in one's mind was not to be taken lightly!
Ding! Parody bah! The God-Level Multiverse System has arrived! Welcome your future!
Ding! Creating group chat…
Ding! Creating live broadcast channel…
Ding! Locating world-replicable items…
Ding! Searching for intelligent beings…
Ding! Forcing all sentient beings into the group…
Ding! Group chat tiering complete (ordinary powerless humans may watch but not speak. Speak up and you're out!)
Ding! Replicable item search complete. Opening marketplace…
Ding! System detects the Pure Land in the Naruto world…
Ding! Forced materialization of the Pure Land world…
A cascade of alerts sounded. The ninja world was bewildered, but Naruto and Sasuke, locked in their fierce duel, heard nothing. As soon as the broadcast channel went live, the two appeared on the giant screen.
At the same time, the Pure Land suddenly materialized. All those souls trapped there felt sun and breeze upon them. What kind of Pure Land was this? Sunshine and lush scenery?
Even the Six Paths Sage, hiding in that dark, sunless Pure Land, could not comprehend what was happening. His very soul scarcely managed to take shape, yet now every spirit in the Pure Land stood fully formed.
I give up. You win.
Ding! Live broadcast begins: Naruto and Sasuke's first encounter!
"Tsunade?" One observer exclaimed.
"Let's watch and see," Nara Shikaku said softly.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes at the screen as Sasuke's form flickered.
Within the Akatsuki, Itachi watched in grim silence. Orochimaru's attempt on his life had failed. Now it seemed Sasuke was acting on Orochimaru's suggestion. Itachi's face darkened. He would find a time to deal with this.
Broadcast footage:
"You call them comrades?"
"Being with them… does that make me stronger?"
"I'm going to Orochimaru!"
Sasuke said nothing in response. He watched Naruto and spoke his mind.
"That Orochimaru killed the Third Hokage and tried to destroy Konoha!"
Naruto roared angrily at Sasuke.
"Do you think he'll give you power for free?"
"He only wants your body as a vessel!"
"You might never come back… you might be killed!"
"How can I stand by and let that happen?"
Within the Akatsuki, Itachi's face was stony. Orochimaru's plan had come to fruition. A time would come to settle accounts.
Broadcast footage faded into a shot of scorching sun and soaring hawks. Naruto and Sasuke's clash paused as they held their positions, unrelenting.
"It doesn't matter anymore," Sasuke said quietly.
"As long as I achieve my goal."
He grabbed Naruto by the collar, drawing them close.
"I won't let you leave, even if I must use brute force."
Naruto's words met only cold laughter.
"What are you laughing at?" he demanded.
"You laughed then too," Sasuke replied softly.
Naruto's eyes widened as he remembered that rooftop day.
"That was not laughter. I was so happy!"
"I thought I could finally defeat you here…"
"Back then, you trembled with excitement, ready for a true showdown."
"Was that what you wanted?" Sasuke's words struck deep.
"At first, yes. But you changed…"
"That wasn't the fight I wanted."
"Even now, I"
Naruto struggled for words. As they say, he was no smooth talker. Immune to Sasuke's mind games.
"I don't care what you think."
In an incredible move, Sasuke lifted Naruto with one hand and delivered a spinning punch just before letting him fall.
Naruto spat blood and skimmed across the lake five times in a dazzling display.
On Madara Uchiha's statue, Sasuke raised his right hand, eyes alight.
"What is this power?"
"A surge of energy flowing through me."
At that moment, his markings faded as his heart pounded. He grimaced, then vanished in a flash only to reappear, beaming.
"So this is the power he spoke of, merging into my body."
Sasuke, perched atop Madara's head, savored it.
"If I unleash the Cursed Seal now, how strong will I become?"
Meanwhile, Naruto clawed himself out of the lake, catching his breath at the water's edge. No hesitation remained. He sprinted toward Sasuke, each step rippling the surface.
"Wake up, Sasuke!"
He leapt again, but Sasuke kicked him away, then reacted in an instant to snatch Naruto's pouch. Standing atop Madara's finger, he watched Naruto fall into the water.
"I woke up a long time ago," Sasuke said, voice rich with conviction, "to a future of peace with you and our comrades."
Naruto emerged, gasping for air, unable to believe those words.
"That's why I left the village. To chase strength. I have no future in my dreams."
"My dreams lie only in the past."
Ding! Question release initiated!
Ding! Answer the question: What exactly did Sasuke mean when he said his dream was only in the past?
Ding! Correct answer rewards you with a one-time Tsukuyomi Illusion Card. Answer wrong and face unknown punishment!
Ding! This is a time-sensitive question. Any chat referring to Sasuke counts as an answer. Be cautious!