As Naruto sat in the throne, his eyes distant and unfocused, his mind drifted through memories and emotions he had long buried. The weight of the past hung heavily over him, pulling him deeper into contemplation. His thoughts swirled in a chaotic storm—grief, rage, love, and regret, all fighting for dominance within his fractured soul. He could no longer hide from the truth, the rawness of his feelings cutting through the layers of resolve he had constructed over the years.
He had closed the door to his memories, locking away the past in an attempt to protect himself from the pain. But now, with each passing moment, the memories crept back into his consciousness. Hina—her name echoed in his mind, stirring something deep within him. He could still feel her presence in his heart, despite the walls he had built between them.
'I have closed down the door to my memories so Hina shouldn't be able to see them anymore, but I should probably test if she can endure my love,' he mused silently. The thought of Hina, her presence and strength, seemed to weigh on him more than anything else. The more he thought about her, the more he realized how much he missed her, how much he had depended on her.
'If she cannot endure my love, then she will have to be replaced. Right now, I seem to be dependent on a host, and I need someone to resonate with me,' he continued, his mind circling back to his need for connection. He was no longer sure of what he sought—whether it was revenge, redemption, or simply the feeling of being loved again. The emptiness inside him had grown so large that it threatened to consume him.
Then, as if summoned by his very thoughts, a soft, melodic voice filled the air—a voice filled with affection and warmth, unmistakably feminine.
"I have died every day, waiting for you," it sang softly, with a tenderness that tugged at Naruto's heartstrings.
"Darling, don't be afraid. I have loved you for a thousand years," the voice continued, more powerful now, as if it were seeping through the cracks of time itself.
"I will love you for a thousand more."
Naruto's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes filled with tears. Hinata. The name rang through his mind like a prayer, an answer to the emptiness that had plagued him. His vision blurred as his tears fell, his mind unable to comprehend the reality of the voice. Was it truly her? Had she somehow returned to him, or was this just a cruel illusion brought on by his grief and longing?
"Hinata, are you really there?" he cried out in a voice thick with emotion, his hands trembling as he reached out into the nothingness. "Were you the one who helped Hina?"
But there was no response. Only silence greeted him, and with it, a crushing sense of despair.
Naruto collapsed in his seat, defeated by the uncertainty and the unanswered questions. "I will be brave for you," he whispered to himself, as if the words could somehow give him strength. "I will not let anyone take what is in front of me."
He began to sing softly, a song that Hinata had once given him—a gift of love and warmth. The lyrics brought a flood of memories rushing back: their time together, the promises they had made, the life they had dreamed of sharing. Tears of both joy and sadness fell from his eyes, remembering that day—the day when everything had seemed possible, when the future had felt so bright. But the song also rekindled something darker within him, a flame of rage that burned hotter with every passing moment. The dark version of Naruto inside his mind howled in mindless fury, a mirror of his own unresolved pain.
The world around them shifted, changing through the years as battles were fought and lost. Naruto's hands, stained with the blood of countless enemies, had shaped the world into something unrecognizable. The Otsutsuki invasion, the wars, the alliances—everything had been part of his struggle, his fight to protect what he loved, even if it meant destroying everything in his path. The very world he had saved now lay in ruin, a reflection of his inner turmoil.
'Do I regret saving the world that day?' he thought bitterly, recalling his battle against the Otsutsuki and the sacrifice he had made alongside Sasuke. He had lost Kurama in that final clash, and his power had been forever stunted by Momoshiki's last attack.
'Hehe,' he chuckled darkly, his voice tinged with exhaustion, 'my last act as a savior gave them a chance to fight me on an even scale.'
Despite his weary tone, Naruto felt a twisted sense of satisfaction. He had achieved his goal. The world, as fractured and broken as it was, was his. Even if they killed him, it wouldn't matter. His servants, his children, would carry out his vision, leading the new age. The people had already decided, and the future would unfold according to his will.
'Genjutsu was not something I had thought of using before, but it's a highly versatile art,' he mused, his thoughts shifting to his plans for the future. The world, he realized, was merely a stepping stone to something greater. Soon, it would fall under his control, and nothing could stand in his way. His justice, once a burning desire, had now become his eternal truth. He would stop at nothing to see it fulfilled.
'My justice is eternal, and I will do anything for that dream so that I can go join her with pride,' he thought, his eyes closing as a smile spread across his face, bittersweet and full of resolve. He imagined Hinata's embrace, her love, the warmth of her presence—something he longed for more than anything else in the world.
And as he sat in his throne, his heart heavy with the weight of his desires, Naruto knew that his journey was far from over. The world would bend to his will, and one day, he would join her again, with pride, as the man who had conquered both death and the future.
Hina landed gracefully in the courtyard of the house she shared with Naruto, her armor gleaming under the pale light of the setting sun. As she touched the ground, the gang, who had been anxiously waiting for her return, stood up in unison. Their faces showed a mixture of concern and determination, but Hina felt nothing. Her emotions, dulled by the heavy weight of the armor she wore, had become almost non-existent, leaving only the simmering rage that constantly burned inside her.
"Hina?" Smoker called out, his voice laced with a hint of surprise.
Hina nodded, her expression unreadable as always. "Why is everyone here?" she asked in an indifferent tone, her mind already processing the situation around her, even as she felt herself growing more distant from the people she once considered family.
Adam stepped forward, his usual carefree demeanor replaced by an unusual seriousness. "Sit down, Hina. We are here to discuss our future."
Hina raised an eyebrow, her confusion evident. "What does this have to do with me?" she asked, not understanding why she was being included in a conversation that seemed to be for the others. Her gaze shifted between Smoker, Adam, and the rest of the group, but no one spoke for a moment.
"I'm quitting," Adam declared, his voice steady and sure. "I'm becoming a pirate. And you are too, Hina. Don't try to deny it. We're all here to talk about that. What's your choice now?" His words hung in the air like a challenge, an unspoken demand for Hina to choose her path.
Hina's mind raced as she absorbed the gravity of Adam's words. The realization hit her hard, but the heaviness of the armor seemed to dull her reaction. She had been running on rage and revenge for so long that, in that moment, it was difficult to imagine any other life.
Hina nodded slowly, understanding the situation, but there was a slight change in her posture. Despite the coldness that had overtaken her, she felt a strange warmth in her chest at the thought that her friends were still standing by her side. Her voice softened, though it remained distant. "Hina will not condone your choice, so please choose wisely." She said it more out of politeness than any actual concern, her mind already consumed by other things. She had her own mission to focus on—Naruto's revival and the grudge that still hung over her.
Drake spoke up, his voice low and filled with a mix of frustration and acceptance. "I'll join you. The system in the marines is too corrupted for me to care. There's no future here. Seeing how Naruto was executed without reason shows just how much they value us."
His words resonated with Hina, but she did not respond. She only sat silently, her gaze unfocused as she listened.
Smoker, his brow furrowed in thought, added with a heavy sigh, "I wanted to change the system from within, but seeing how deep the corruption runs… the only path forward is to rebuild it. From the captains to the nobles, none of them actually care about fairness or justice." His words were filled with a quiet rage, a resignation that he had tried so hard to deny but could no longer avoid.
"Well, that's all of us," Adam said as he rose from his seat, his expression lighting up with determination. "We need to awaken Naruto from his sleep."
The words caused an immediate stir. Everyone's gaze shifted to Adam, their expressions a mix of confusion and shock.
"Naruto is still there, in his complete sense?" Smoker asked, his voice filled with disbelief. His eyes darted between Adam and Hina, searching for clarification.
Hina stood up, her gaze piercing as she spoke with an unwavering certainty. "Yes, Naruto is still there. I can feel it. He needs the essence of evil to regain his vitality."
Her words hung in the air like a heavy fog, and the group understood the gravity of the task at hand. The revival of Naruto was not something that could be taken lightly—it required sacrifice, darkness, and power beyond what they had already encountered.
"She is right," Adam added, his voice now filled with a renewed sense of purpose. "Let's handle this before we bounce. It's time to wake Naruto up."
Hina looked at them all, her voice softening for a moment as she spoke with gratitude. "Thank you all for helping. Hina is grateful." Despite the cold exterior she projected, there was a flicker of warmth within her heart at the thought of her friends still standing by her side.
Smoker, however, did not seem to share the same sense of urgency. He took a step back, his expression calm but thoughtful. "That's wonderful, but I'd like to excuse myself for a time. I need to talk to someone."
"Of course," Hina said, her voice tinged with understanding. "As you wish. Thank you again, Smoker."
With a final nod, Smoker left in a hurry, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. The rest of the group remained in the courtyard, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead in their mission to awaken Naruto and bring him back from the darkness.
As they stood together, Hina felt the weight of the coming battle. She was no longer the woman who had fought to protect those she loved. Now, she was a warrior consumed by the past, a being driven by vengeance and a need to fulfill her promise to Naruto. And yet, even as the darkness closed in around them, she couldn't help but wonder if, in the end, it would all be worth it. Would she find peace, or was she doomed to forever chase a memory that would never be returned?