As the Sky Screen's narration continued, scenes of Naruto and Nagato's conversation kept appearing on the screen.
Inside the paper tree, the light was dim, and the two stood facing each other.
"Do you hate me? Your enemy is right before your eyes… Don't you wish to exact revenge?" Nagato opened with a provocative tone.
His voice was hoarse, but it struck Naruto's heart like a nail. After all, this was the man who had killed Jiraiya, destroyed Konoha, and left Hinata in a critical condition.
But Naruto knew that killing Nagato now in the name of revenge would only prove Nagato's point; nothing would really change. Even he would just be another person seeking vengeance in the name of justice. The cycle of hatred would never end.
While Naruto was still thinking, Nagato manipulated the mechanism beneath him and hurled a black rod at Naruto.
The black rod tore through the air with a sharp whistling sound, flying straight toward Naruto. But Naruto didn't dodge, nor did he use chakra to defend himself. He let the rod pierce directly into his abdomen.
"Rest assured, I've avoided hitting your vital spots. After all, you are an invaluable Jinchūriki." Nagato's voice remained calm, still provoking Naruto with words, trying to anger him and prove that no one in this world could truly understand another.
Naruto, standing opposite him, was stimulated by this. And for the first time, the Nine-Tails Chakra inside him fused perfectly with Sage Mode Chakra, and his pupils turned into a cross-like shape.
On some level, even the Nine-Tails probably thought Nagato was full of it, and actively helped Naruto fuse the chakra. The surging Nine-Tails Chakra instantly covered Nagato's entire body. In an instant, it was as if all his energy had been drained; his body stiffened, and his Rinnegan lost focus for a moment.
Seeing Nagato shaken once more, Naruto finally spoke: "I came here… intending to talk to you. But, I also wanted to confirm something."
Nagato raised his head in confusion, not understanding what Naruto meant. "Confirm… something?"
"I wanted to confirm my feelings. If I stood before my enemy… what would I do? I wasn't sure of myself."
"And?" Nagato was still puzzled. But then Naruto, trembling, pulled the black rod from his abdomen completely.
"I can't forgive you! Even now, I want to kill you so badly… I can't stop shaking!" Naruto's voice was filled with hatred, his movements so decisive that even Konan across from him was stunned.
She hadn't expected that from such close range, Naruto could resist Nagato's chakra.
On the screen, Naruto had already clenched his fist and was charging toward Nagato and Konan at lightning speed, his fist cutting through the air, aimed straight at Konan, who stood in front of Nagato.
But then, Jiraiya's words echoed in Naruto's mind. Just as he reached Konan, he abruptly stopped, his fist freezing mid-air. The wind stirred Konan's purple hair, and her pupils contracted slightly.
"Pervy Sage said he believed that the day would come when people can truly understand one another." At this moment, Naruto seemed to finally grasp the deeper meaning behind Jiraiya's words.
"Still, it doesn't change the fact that you can't forgive me. Words of forgiveness come easy, Love does not," Nagato said in return.
"Yeah… you're right about that." Naruto didn't deny it.
"Jiraiya-sensei's words reflect an idealism from an era long past. It is far removed from reality. Didn't you say you would kill me and bring peace to the Shinobi World?"
"Even if you seek vengeance for your own satisfaction, if that is your idea of justice, so be it." Nagato continued to press Naruto.
At the same time, Naruto released his Sage Mode. The orange pigmentation around his eyes faded, and the natural energy dissipated. He prepared to calm his heart and listen carefully to Nagato's story, wanting to know why he, as a former Child of Prophecy, had become what he was today.
The story was cliché, yet it struck at the heart. However, since the screen had already revealed the trio's history, the scene moved quickly through it.
After hearing their story, Naruto pulled out Jiraiya's book from his robes—"The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi".
[Revisiting this dialogue again, the underlying ideas are quite thought-provoking.]
[According to Jiraiya's logic: the Toad Sage's prophecy told him that his disciple would change the Shinobi World. So first he believed in Nagato, then he chose to believe in the Fourth Hokage and named Naruto. Later, through his time with Naruto, he chose to believe in Naruto. The internal logic was faith in the wisdom of future generations.]
[Naruto's logic is that he chose to believe in what his Sensei believed, and strived to search for it.]
[Meanwhile, Nagato's logic is that wherever there are humans, there is hatred. Humans need pain, and only through shared suffering can they truly understand one another.]
[So in the end, from Nagato's perspective, Naruto's seemingly 'cheesy' words were not necessarily just 'Talk no Jutsu'. After all, Nagato had just annihilated Konoha, presented the reality before Naruto's eyes, and even given Naruto a chance to settle things.]
[But Naruto didn't take it. Instead, he chose to step into the fray himself and carry that burden for peace. What Naruto said wasn't a highly workable solution; it was a declaration that he was willing to bear the weight and walk the path himself.]
[After all, Nagato himself had once tried to find a way to change things too. So choosing to believe in Naruto was simply choosing to believe in the person he used to be.]
"But I have faith that there will come a time when people can truly understand one another."
Jiraiya's voice echoed on the screen at just the right moment. Naruto lowered his head, looking at the book in his hand, and couldn't help but say:
"You may be right. I also think the same way. And I get where you're coming from now, but I still… can't forgive you."
"Then do you want to settle this?" Nagato responded.
"But…" Naruto's voice continued, "…Pervy Sage believed in me, and left me his quest. So I'm gonna believe in Pervy Sage's belief."
"That's my answer! So… I won't kill you guys."
---
[Timeline of Konoha Year 60]
When the high-ranking officials of other Shinobi Villages saw this scene, they were overjoyed.
Uzumaki Naruto… was truly a figure like Senju Hashirama after all? That was wonderful news!
This meant that even if they needed to let him grow stronger to fight the Ōtsutsuki, as long as Naruto wasn't the type to enforce peace with his fists, there would be far fewer conflicts in the Shinobi World—which was fortunate for everyone.
---
[Land of Lightning, Kumogakure]
A stood up abruptly from his chair, hands pressed on the table, staring at the blond-haired boy on the screen in utter disbelief.
"Uzumaki Naruto… his thinking is actually this naive?" His voice carried both surprise and a hint of relief. Surprise that this young man could truly let go of hatred, and relief that someone like that wouldn't actively start a war.
Dodai was also stunned: "Raikage-sama, this… this young man can actually let go of his hatred toward the one who destroyed his village?"
His voice was filled with disbelief. If it were him, if someone had killed that many villagers, including his own sensei and friends, he would never be able to force himself to set aside that hatred.
A took a deep breath and slowly sat back down. "That's why the screen calls him the Savior. That kind of mindset isn't something just anyone can have."
He tapped his fingers lightly on the desk. "That means even if he grows stronger, there will be far fewer conflicts in the Shinobi World. That's a silver lining."
"Still, his way of thinking is far too naive."
---
[Land of Earth, Iwagakure]
Ōnoki's expression was complex. "Uzumaki Naruto… Konoha actually produced someone like him."
His voice carried both a mix of emotion and wariness.
Kitsuchi asked: "Father, isn't this a good thing? With someone like him, the Shinobi World will be more peaceful."
Ōnoki shook his head. "Good, yes—but people like him are extremely difficult to deal with. He seems easygoing, but he has the power to destroy you. So once you cross the line, you might face devastating consequences. In the future, we won't even know how to handle him."
---
[Land of Wind, Sunagakure]
Rasa sat in his office, a storm of emotions churning within him.
Chiyo, on the other hand, just sighed: "There's a reason this young man becomes Hokage in the future."
---
[Land of Water, Kirigakure]
Mei rested her chin on her hand, a hint of softness flashing in her eyes. "Not killing your enemy, choosing to understand instead… that kind of magnanimity is truly rare."
She thought back to Kirigakure's Bloody Mist era, if there had been someone like Naruto among all those shinobis consumed by hatred, perhaps everything would have been different.
Ao nodded: "Mizukage-sama, having someone like him in Konoha is a good thing for the Shinobi World. And from what the screen said, Kirigakure seems to have fared quite well in the future."
At that thought, Mei nodded in agreement. At the very least, Kirigakure didn't seem to lose out in the future; it was far better off than it was now.
A small smile tugged at her lips as she mentally began planning how to build a good relationship with Konoha.
---
[Land of Rain, Amegakure]
Nagato, in Amegakure, was equally shocked.
He hadn't expected that his junior was someone of such broad-mindedness that he would be willing to uphold Jiraiya-sensei's ideals even under those circumstances.
But then recalling what the Sky Screen had said about Amegakure's future, doubt began to gnaw at him.
A pang of anguish struck his heart. Why… why did it have to be Amegakure?!
---
[Konoha, Year One. Outside the Village on the Cliffside]
Hashirama kept nodding repeatedly, clearly approving of Naruto's approach.
Future Naruto possessed immense power, yet he didn't seek peace through violence, that resonated deeply with Hashirama. No wonder the screen said he and Naruto were alike.
Madara, however, wore a look of disdain. He already had someone like that by his side, and this kind of fleeting peace meant nothing.
Once Naruto died, war would resume. Hatred would continue. Everything would return to square one. Hashirama was like that, and future Naruto would be the same—they were too naive, foolishly believing that goodwill alone could bring peace.
If the Sky Screen offered no further useful intelligence, then the plan to unify the Shinobi World was absolutely necessary!
---
On the screen, the scene returned to the inside of the paper tree.
"So that's your answer? And do you expect us to simply wait… until you make this world a peaceful place?" Nagato's voice became increasingly high-pitched.
"Don't play with me! There's no such thing as true peace!"
"As long as we live in this cursed world, such a thing can never exist!"
"Then… I'll break that curse. If there is such a thing as peace, I'll seize it! I will never give up!" Naruto's answer was equally resolute.
On the screen, Nagato was visibly shaken, because Naruto's words… were all lines from Jiraiya's novel, and they were also words that Nagato himself had once spoken.
As they say, though there may be a thousand tactics, sincerity alone moves the heart.
So after a long silence, Nagato finally made his choice.
"I think I shall believe in you… Uzumaki Naruto."
He pressed his palms together, forming the final hand seal: "Rinne Tensei!"
As his Jutsu activated, the King of Hell appeared in the center of Konoha, spewing countless green lights from its mouth, and all the Konoha shinobi who had died in the Pain invasion were revived.
---
[Akatsuki Hideout]
The members of the Akatsuki were utterly bewildered.
It felt as if they were still fighting to the death, while their leader had surrendered without warning.
In all their previous battles—except for that bastard Itachi—everyone had died carrying out the organization's missions. Never did they imagine their leader would die like this.
And on top of that, he went and revived all the enemies!
Deidara's voice was filled with disbelief and indignation: "We're out there busting our asses, and you go and resurrects all the enemies? What the hell was our death even for?!"
Hidan was equally baffled: "Even Lord Jashin wouldn't understand this move. If you want to kill yourself, fine, but bringing the enemies back to life too?!"
His brain couldn't wrap around it. As an immortal, he had been buried underground for all eternity, never to die, while Nagato died and brought the enemies back.
What a gap! He might as well have been on the enemy's side!
Kakuzu said nothing, but his mind was racing. If Nagato had the ability to repeatedly revive people, could he exploit that loophole to claim bounties multiple times?
After all, if someone died for real and then came back, the bounty couldn't be refunded, right?
He thought about it and figured: it was a good idea. After all, the money would already be spent, so how could it be returned?
Kakuzu made up his mind; he'd try to convince Nagato later. It would be a great way to accumulate funds for the organization, so… Nagato should agree, right?
The only catch was that he couldn't do it in person. He'd have to use a disguise to collect the bounties multiple times.
Meanwhile, Sasori, Obito, Zetsu and the others all remained silent, their attitudes unclear.
---
[Land of Waves, Somewhere in the forest]
Jiraiya sat cross-legged at the forest's edge, watching the scene of Nagato choosing to believe in Naruto and using Rinne Tensei to revive Konoha's shinobi. And a sense of relief washed over him.
That child, in the end, he returned to the path he had originally started on. In truth, he wasn't believing in him (Jiraiya), the boy was believing in himself; in the boy who once believed in peace.
---
[In a certain Timeline. Somewhere in the Shinobi World, an underground base]
The withered, elderly Madara sat in his stone chair, deeply puzzled.
In this version of events, Nagato died after using the Rinne Tensei… making him wait in vain.
He had assumed Nagato would be the one to revive him in the future. Now it seemed the plan had gone awry. So then… who actually revived him?
Obito?
It seemed his double insurance had actually worked.
And this kid Nagato… what a waste.
'I gave you the Rinnegan, and you use it to revive the enemy?'
But soon, Madara's agitation subsided.
It didn't matter. He still had a backup plan.
'Obito, you won't disappoint me too, will you?'
*****
Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/ReduxMagister