Begging—this was something Sasuke had never said before.
Since the night of the massacre, Sasuke had decided to get stronger on his own, to kill Itachi on his own. He wouldn’t beg anyone because he didn’t trust anyone.
It had always been that way...
But now, Sasuke trusted Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, Kurama, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and others. Because of these people, he chose to trust the village, the village that gave him a sense of belonging.
And now, he saw the village he trusted betray him.
It betrayed someone who loved the village—his brother, Uchiha Itachi.
The person he had seen as an enemy, the person he had wanted to kill, the one who gave him the courage to keep living and getting stronger, the one who killed his parents and destroyed his childhood with the most brutal means.
And now, this murderer had become a hero of Konohagakure. The people he respected—his parents, his uncles, his aunts—had turned into the ones trying to destroy his sense of belonging.
Sasuke stood there in confusion, not feeling any warmth even when Kushina held him. He stared at Naruto, just staring, hoping that the person in front of him could give him an answer.
Naruto opened his mouth in shock, watching the disappearing scene, feeling completely lost. He admired Itachi’s greatness, but he also knew Itachi’s actions were wrong.
He fell silent in response to Sasuke’s question.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t answer; it was that, in that moment, he didn’t know if he had the right to answer.
"NARUTO! Say something!" Sasuke’s voice was desperate. His mind had completely broken down, and the only reason he was still holding onto his sanity was for Naruto.
Naruto took a deep breath, his gaze firm. "Ask Uchiha Itachi."
Naruto continued, "You know how I am. If it were me, I would definitely say, ’There must be a better way. We can work together to find a way to coexist in peace,’ but I can’t say that..."
Everyone’s eyes were on Naruto. Kurama’s mouth curled up slightly.
Naruto lowered his head, his eyes full of complexity. "I can’t say that to you, Sasuke. Even though I know that if I comfort you, you’d choose to believe me, I can’t convince myself to lie to you. Because just like you trust me, I don’t want to betray that trust."
"So, go ask Uchiha Itachi. That might be the only way for you to understand the truth." Naruto looked up at Sasuke. "You trust me, and I don’t want to betray that trust, so I’ll help you find the answer. Whether you choose to stay with me or go with your parents, I’ll support you."
Naruto was no longer the humble Naruto from the original story. Sasuke’s defection made perfect sense to him now. He even wanted to go after Danzo and the masked man to kill them.
Naruto had never felt Sasuke’s emotions firsthand, and he couldn’t fully understand them, but he trusted Sasuke, just like Sasuke trusted him.
"When that time comes, even if we become enemies, I will never forget... you are my best friend, Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto said firmly and seriously. No one would doubt the truth of his words.
Sasuke’s wild appearance settled a bit. His eyes were filled with blood-red, but his overall state seemed to stabilize.
Facing Naruto’s gaze, Sasuke clenched his fists. "I’m really confused right now, Naruto, but I trust you, so..."
His eyes locked onto Naruto. "Help me, help me find the answer, help me understand the truth of this matter."
"I promise you." Naruto nodded without hesitation.
Their eyes met, sparks seemingly flying in the air.
Sasuke took a deep breath, and his Sharingan slowly closed. "I won’t take my anger out on Konohagakure. At least not until I understand the truth. I trust Konohagakure, but I trust you more. Once I find the answer, I’ll tell you what my choice is."
"By then, whether I choose to fight against Konohagakure or stand with you, I won’t forget that Uzumaki Naruto is Uchiha Sasuke’s best friend."
Naruto smiled and raised his right fist, looking intensely at Sasuke.
Sasuke didn’t hesitate either, reaching out and bumping his fist against Naruto’s. Chakra built a bridge, connecting their hearts. In that moment, their seriousness and determination were completely open in each other’s eyes.
Neither would regret it, and neither would betray the other.
Minato watched Naruto and Sasuke with a pleased smile, happy without a trace of concern about Sasuke possibly becoming an enemy of Konohagakure. He trusted Naruto.
Kushina, full of tenderness, opened her arms and pulled both of them into her embrace, holding Naruto on one side and Sasuke on the other. "No matter what happens in the future, Naruto, Sasuke, you both are children that Mikoto and I are proud of."
This feeling would never change.
Sasuke’s heart slowly calmed as he closed his eyes in Kushina’s embrace. His voice was soft but firm. "No matter the reason, the fact that Itachi killed our parents will never change. I will make him pay for it."
"I support you," Naruto said, rubbing against Kushina’s embrace, then proudly gave a thumbs-up.
Hagoromo, stroking his beard, watched the scene with a smile on his old face. "Sincere and steadfast. No matter how the future changes, I believe their ending won’t be like Ashura and Indra."
Kurama glanced at him. "People who’ve already seen the final outcome speak confidently."
Hagoromo chuckled and shook his head. "Even without the ending called *Naruto*, I still believe in these two kids."
They were never meant to be defined by any supposed plot.
"I believe too," Kurama nodded in agreement, but the next second, a cold smirk appeared on his face. "And I’m even more sure that if one of them just changed gender, *Naruto* wouldn’t have lasted 700 episodes."
*sigh* Hagoromo sighed deeply. "Kurama, you really should talk less from now on."
"I won’t," Kurama said stubbornly, raising his head. "I’ve been sealed for so many years with no one to talk to. Now that I finally can speak to someone, you’re telling me to talk less? You’re mocking me, aren’t you?"
Hagoromo stayed silent, staring at him, not answering.
But his eyes already told the answer.
Kurama’s face instantly twisted. "Old man Six Paths, you’ve changed. You used to spoil me. When you split the chakra, you always gave me an extra share. Now you’re treating me . Am I not your cute little fox anymore?"
Hagoromo’s expression slowly turned strange.
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