Somewhere Among the Stars…
Shockwaves ravaged the heavens. Stars trembled, continents shattered, and the seas rose as if the very universe mourned the battle taking place.
In the middle of a field of floating ruins, a single man stood against four divine figures.
—"NARUTO UZUMAKI, YOU WERE TOO ARROGANT TO THINK YOU COULD DEFEAT US!"
The voice thundered across worlds, tearing through space itself.
The one who spoke was the Vermilion Saint, one of the Four Eternal Saints, supreme rulers of the Immortal World.
Beside him stood the Azure Saint, the Formless Sword Saint, and the Saint of the Miraculous Pill — each capable of erasing galaxies with a mere gesture.
And before them, at the heart of a blazing crater, stood a man clad in a torn orange robe, his long golden hair fluttering among embers of spiritual energy. Three whisker-like marks on his cheeks were the only remnants of the beast that once dwelled within him.
He was Naruto Uzumaki, the man who defied the heavens.
Coughing blood, he allowed himself a bitter smile.
—"To be honest… I regret it now."
His mind drifted through shattered memories.
Almost four hundred years… "Four centuries of relentless cultivation, endless wars. And now, just as I reach the Divine Realm… these bastards try to take it away."
He had forgotten almost everything about his original world. His life as a ninja was a distant shadow, a fading dream. His new reality had become cultivation, meditation, blood, and glory.
He remembered the day he woke up in that mist-shrouded forest, where dragons soared through the skies and men flew upon swords. He had joined the Pure Jade Sect, and his unmatched talent made him the personal disciple of the Sect Master himself.
Two hundred years later, he reached the higher realms, battling demons, sages, and divine beasts.
And today, just before ascending to godhood — they struck him down.
Naruto slowly rose from the crater, his eyes burning like eternal fire.
—"They attack me to stop my ascension… but I won't surrender."
His hands formed seals no immortal could recognize.
—"Jutsu: Shadow Clone Technique!"
In an instant, hundreds of versions of himself appeared, forming a solid army.
The Azure Saint frowned.
—"What kind of martial art is this? They're not illusions… they're real bodies!"
The Vermilion Saint roared,
—"Enough games! End him!"
And the four saints unleashed their power:
—Vermilion Phoenix Flame Palm!
—Ascending Dragon Tornado!
—Breath of a Thousand Yin Poisons!
—World-Destined Sword Shadow!
The sky split apart. Worlds collapsed.
Naruto roared,
—"CHARGE WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!"
His clones stormed forward with fury.
The explosion that followed was so violent that even the gods of the universe held their breath.
When the dust cleared, a colossal figure emerged — a Nine-Tailed Fox, shrouded in golden and black flames.
Inside, Naruto slowly opened his eyes.
—"Kurama… what are you doing? The last time you materialized, you nearly died…" he said weakly.
A deep voice echoed in his mind.
—"Relax, Naruto. It's better to do something… than to do nothing."
Kurama, the fox who had been his companion since childhood, still lived within his soul. He remembered when he met him again, during his early days of cultivation. Their first encounters were far from friendly — Kurama often wanted to kill him. But over the centuries, their bond had grown into an unbreakable friendship.
For centuries, Kurama had been there, meditating beside him in the mental world, helping him cultivate and find inner peace.
But now, he was weak. Very weak. After their battle against the Great Blood Demon Ku Wang, which lasted three days and three nights, Kurama had been forced to materialize to win. They had won — but at a great cost.
—"I have an idea," Kurama growled faintly. "I can lend you my power… but it'll push me past my limit. I'll sleep for a long time… maybe forever."
Naruto gritted his teeth, wanting to stop him, but the flow of energy already surrounded him.
The sky turned crimson.
A pillar of spiritual energy shot upward, piercing through the clouds of the immortal domain.
The Four Saints watched in horror as Naruto emerged once more, transformed.
His eyes gleamed crimson like a fox's, his pupils dark and sharp. His robe turned into radiant obsidian, and tails of spiritual fire swirled behind him.
—"Thank you, Kurama…" he whispered.
—"Thousand Steps as One."
He vanished in a flash.
The Vermilion Saint barely saw the fist that struck him.
—"Heaven-Shattering Fist!"
The impact hurled him into the void, stars breaking apart in his wake.
Naruto appeared above his body; two more punches thundered like storms.
The other Saints rushed toward him.
Naruto smiled, clasping his hands.
—"Cherry Blossom Expansion."
Thousands of spiritual petals whirled around him, forming a storm.
The air trembled—then…
BOOM!
The explosion sent everyone flying for miles.
Naruto seized the moment to escape, his body shattered but his soul burning fiercely.
For a moment, he thought he'd made it.
Until an overwhelming pressure crushed him.
His bones cracked, his organs compressed.
Naruto looked up.
Floating high above was a man bathed in golden light, his white eyes glowing, his hair shining like the sun.
He was the Domain Master, the absolute sovereign of the Immortal World.
—"Naruto Uzumaki… to attack the Four Saints is an unforgivable crime. I sentence you to death," he said with cold solemnity. "I am merciful. I shall grant you a painless death. Speak your last words."
Naruto could barely move. Kurama's power was gone.
He smiled faintly.
—"My last words, huh? How generous… I'll say only two things."
His gaze turned skyward.
—"First… remember my name. I am Naruto Uzumaki of the Hidden Leaf Village!"
—"And second… I will never die at the hands of my enemies."
His body began to glow, cracking from within.
—"Impossible! He's destroying his spiritual core!" shouted the Azure Saint.
Then, Naruto's body exploded.
BOOOOOOM!
A golden light swept through the heavens, erasing everything in its path.
When the energy faded, nothing remained.
The Domain Master descended slowly, staring at the void where Naruto had stood.
—"He self-destructed rather than be killed… Cowardly, yet… admirable."
He paused.
Then, a faint smile crossed his face.
—"Naruto Uzumaki… I will remember you."
And so, eternal silence fell upon the heavens.