A.N. This is an extremely long and slow story. Naruto goes to the Marvel Universe at the half point.
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In a desolate expanse where no life dared remain, the land stretched endlessly, stripped of even the smallest fragments of rock or vegetation. The battlefield was a wasteland of ruin, shaped by the clash of two beings of unimaginable power. The destruction extended for thousands of miles, a testament to the ferocity of their struggle. Yet, for all the devastation, the world itself remained intact, held together by the sheer will of the combatants—neither wishing to shatter the fragile planet beneath their feet.
Now, the battle had reached its conclusion. There was a victor and a vanquished, as always. But amidst the surreal scene of ruin and raw emotion, it was nearly impossible to discern who had triumphed.
Naruto Uzumaki stood motionless, his trembling hand buried in the abdomen of his closest friend, Sasuke Uchiha. His cerulean eyes, once so full of life and unyielding resolve, were now dimmed, their light fading like a dying sun swallowed by encroaching darkness. The orange-and-black fabric of his battle-worn attire had been reduced to shreds, revealing a body battered and bloodied.
Across from him, Sasuke remained upright, despite the mortal wound. Blood trickled from his lips, yet his expression betrayed no pain—only a faint, enigmatic smile. His crimson Sharingan eyes had lost none of their intensity, gazing into Naruto's with an unreadable mix of emotion. They were brothers not by blood but by bond, and in their final moments, that connection seemed both their greatest strength and their cruelest curse.
The two warriors stood close, their bodies broken but their spirits unwilling to yield. The end was not one Naruto had ever envisioned. No—this was a nightmare he had refused to entertain, even in the darkest corners of his mind.
"Please… don't make me do this." Naruto's voice cracked, heavy with desperation. He felt Sasuke's life slipping away, his chakra thinning like sand through his fingers. "I can save you. We can still fix this. Together."
But Sasuke shook his head, his smile widening ever so slightly. "Hahaha… pathetic to the end," he said, his voice weak yet laced with something resembling affection. "If you can't even handle this… maybe you should've let me kill you. Might've been better for you than living in this cruel world. You're still too naïve, Naruto. Still too inexperienced."
Naruto's fists clenched. His chest ached, not from the wounds of their battle but from the ache of his heart breaking. "Why won't you listen to me?! We don't have to do this, Sasuke! We can change the world—together. We have the power to end all of this madness, to bring peace!" His voice was raw, almost pleading. "Why do you want to throw it all away? Why do you want to kill me?"
Sasuke's gaze didn't waver. His response was calm, almost cold. "You don't get it, do you? That's why you're still a child. People won't fall into line because of our power. Did they for Hashirama? For Madara? People are selfish, Naruto. They'll betray your ideals the moment it suits them. And you? You can't even bring yourself to kill the scum that would destroy this world."
Naruto's head shook violently. "No! That's not true! People can change—I've seen it. They aren't born evil. They're just… lost. I'll guide them, teach them. That's what Jiraiya-sensei believed. That's what Nagato believed. I won't abandon that hope."
Sasuke sighed, shaking his head as if disappointed but unsurprised. "That's why one of us has to die. And since you're too soft-hearted to do what's necessary, it has to be me. I'll leave the world to you, Naruto. I just hope you're ready for what comes next."
He paused, his voice softening as his gaze lingered on his friend. "You're like a little brother to me, you know that? I hope… this world won't crush you like it did me."
Before Naruto could respond, Sasuke closed the distance between them, pulling him into a brief, firm embrace. The gesture was as surprising as it was devastating. And then, with the last of his strength, Sasuke unleashed a surge of chakra from his battered body. It was a final, desperate attack—one meant to destroy Naruto and himself in a blaze of unparalleled power.
The explosion of energy tore through the battlefield, a hurricane of destruction that left only silence in its wake. Naruto's instincts had saved him in the final moment, shielding him from the brunt of the blast. But when the dust settled, Sasuke lay on the ground, motionless, his body drained of life.
The wind howled through the barren landscape as Naruto stumbled forward, his feet dragging as though the weight of the world pressed upon his shoulders. He knelt beside Sasuke, his trembling hands reaching out but stopping just short of touching him.
"Partner, he is..."
"Don't say it." Naruto interrupted Kurama, his voice heavy with an emotion that had long since robbed him of his strength. As he reached Sasuke's lifeless body, he collapsed to his knees, his hands shaking as they hovered over his friend.
There was nothing more to say. The air felt thick with the weight of failure, regret seeping into every part of his being. He had promised to save Sasuke, to make everything right—but now he was left with the bitter sting of his inadequacy. He hadn't been strong enough. He hadn't been convincing enough.
The loss hurt more than Jiraiya's death had. Sasuke had been his closest friend, his brother in spirit, the one person he had always tried to save. But now, Sasuke was gone, and Naruto couldn't help but feel responsible for it, as if he had failed in every way possible.
"He isn't dead. He just went to a better place." Naruto whispered to himself, the words soft and barely audible. He looked at Sasuke's serene, smiling face—almost as if in death, his friend had found peace. It was a fleeting dream, one Naruto wished with all his heart could be true. Sasuke had always dreamed of a different world, and now it seemed he was finally walking towards it, toward the people waiting for him beyond.
For a moment, Naruto thought about undoing everything. His gaze lingered on the Rinnegan, the power to bring the dead back to life sitting dormant within him. He could revive everyone who had fallen during this battle, exchange his own life for theirs. He could give up his soul to undo the calamity that had consumed so many. But it was a temptation that he couldn't allow himself to give into.
The world still needed him. There were still threats lurking in the shadows, still too many unknown dangers that could rise up without a protector. And despite everything, Naruto knew he couldn't abandon the world that was still standing. If Sasuke had been there to protect it, maybe Naruto would've given his life, but not like this. Not without a purpose.
With a sigh, he gently lifted Sasuke's body and began walking towards where he could sense Sakura. There was still something he could do—something that would honor Sasuke's legacy. He needed her help to transplant Sasuke's eyes, to keep the eyes of the Uchiha clan alive and to fulfill a final wish: to prove that Sasuke was wrong, that the world could be saved without bloodshed.
Finding Sakura and Kakashi not far off, Naruto wordlessly approached them. There were no words to be exchanged—none were needed. The air was thick with grief, exhaustion, and the raw weight of their losses. The only sound that filled the silence was the soft, heartbreaking sound of Sakura's tears as they fell onto Sasuke's body while she carefully removed his eyes.
In the grim quiet of the operation, Naruto held his breath as Sakura transplanted Sasuke's eyes into him, transferring his own blue eyes to Sasuke. It was a cruel but necessary act. He wanted Sasuke to have his eyes back, even in death. And as the transplant was completed, the fusion was seamless. Sasuke's Sharingan eyes found their home in Naruto's body, merging with his own chakra without resistance.
The power that surged through him was incomprehensible—an unimaginable force that should've left him trembling in awe. Yet, Naruto felt nothing. The power of the Sage had fused with him, but all he could feel was emptiness. His body had become the vessel of the world's greatest power, but it was hollow. His soul was crushed under the weight of his choices, his failures, and the devastation that had unfolded.
He walked towards the Shinju tree, the center of the battle. His mind was numb, but his heart was broken. He reached out, releasing the sealed world, allowing the people trapped in the illusion to return to the grim reality they had left behind. The fourth Ninja War had ended. It had been a victory against the Juubi, but the cost had been unimaginable.
The war had taken millions of lives—lives that had never had a chance to fight back, to escape, or to survive. The Juubi's destructive power had obliterated entire landmasses, and the collapse of the Shinju tree had caused even more destruction. The consequences of the war were beyond anyone's comprehension.
But victory had come at a terrible price. The survivors were too tired to feel any joy in their triumph. The world had been saved, but it felt like everything had been lost. Exhausted, the alliance leaders called for a gathering, a somber ceremony where they honored the fallen, praising their courage and valor. They spoke of hope, though it was hard for any of them to truly believe in it.
The life of a shinobi was fleeting—short and unforgiving. Some didn't even make it to adulthood, dying on the battlefield before they had a chance to truly live. The thought of death was always there, a constant companion in the lives of these warriors. It was an honor to die in battle, but only if one had fought for a cause greater than themselves. And in that moment, the survivors knew they had done just that—they had fought against a legend and written their names in the history books.
But even as they returned to their homes, to see if their families had survived, the weight of what had been lost would remain. The world had been changed, but whether for better or worse, no one could say. And as the survivors walked home, they could only carry the memory of those who had fallen, their spirits now woven into the fabric of the world they had tried to protect.
The wind blew softly, carrying with it the whispers of a world forever changed. Naruto stood alone, his gaze locked on the statue of Sasuke. To the rest of the world, Sasuke Uchiha had died a hero, a warrior who fought for the greater good. But Naruto knew the truth. Sasuke had betrayed them in the end, had chosen a path that led to his own destruction. The burden of that truth weighed heavily on Naruto's shoulders, a secret he had to carry alone, with only Sakura and Kakashi sharing in the knowledge of what had truly transpired.
"Did it feel like this?" Naruto's voice was barely a whisper as he asked the question, his eyes still fixed on the stone figure of his friend.
Behind him, Kakashi appeared, his presence silent but heavy. He understood the pain in Naruto's voice—he had seen it before, in his own heart. Kakashi glanced at the statue as well, a bitter regret filling his chest. He didn't know if he could have changed anything, if there had been a way to bring Sasuke back to the light, but deep down, Kakashi knew there had been a path where they could have all been happy. But that path was now lost, swallowed up by the choices made, by the fate that had played its hand.
"No matter how much time passes, it seems my life has always been cursed," Kakashi murmured, his thoughts drifting back through the long, painful years. From his mother to his father, from his friends to his teacher, and now to his students—he had watched them all suffer in ways that could not be undone.
Naruto turned, meeting his old sensei's eyes with a weariness that felt much older than his years. "I don't know. Maybe, it is worse for you since you are a lot more sensitive than I am."
Kakashi gave a soft, understanding smile, but it was one laced with sorrow. "No, Naruto. I'm sorry that I allowed this to happen." He took a step closer and gently turned Naruto around, forcing him to face him. "You don't have to hold back, Naruto. It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have changed anything."
Naruto's chest tightened, and for a moment, it felt as if the very air around him was suffocating him. "I could have changed everything," he whispered hoarsely. "I could have trained seriously and captured him when we met. But instead, I focused on controlling Kurama's power. I could have put my life on the line and fought him at the Kage summit, but I hesitated after seeing him in pain. I had so many chances... but I never used them." His voice cracked, and the flood of emotions he'd been holding back finally burst free. "Kakashi-sensei, it hurts so much."
Kakashi's expression softened, his eyes filled with sympathy as he placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto, listen to me. It was not your fault. Sasuke was his own person, and this duty is not something children should bear the responsibility of. It was my mistake, and the mistakes of the adults around him. We failed you, you didn't fail us. You are still a child, Naruto. You shouldn't try to carry the world on your shoulders."
The words were harsh, but they were meant to be a comfort. Kakashi had seen how Naruto had always taken responsibility for everything, for every failure, for every pain. It was a heavy burden for someone so young, and Kakashi knew it was damaging his mental well-being.
Naruto listened, his thoughts a whirlwind of contradictions. He didn't want to blame the adults, though he knew they had failed him. If Jiraiya and Hiruzen had done things differently, maybe things wouldn't have ended this way. But the past was unchangeable, and dwelling on what could have been would only keep him from moving forward.
He had to accept that, as painful as it was. But even as he understood this intellectually, his heart still ached with frustration and sorrow. He wanted to shout, to scream about how unfair it all was, but he knew Sasuke wouldn't have wanted him to show such weakness. His friend, his brother, was watching through him, and Naruto couldn't bear to dishonor that memory by letting his grief consume him.
But still, he wasn't strong enough to suppress everything. His body trembled as he collapsed into Kakashi's arms, his tears flowing freely. The weight of everything—his failure, his unfulfilled promises, and the loss of Sasuke—felt like it had torn a piece of his soul away.
Kakashi stood there, holding him quietly, not needing to say anything. Sometimes, there were no words that could heal the wounds of the heart. They just had to be endured. They had to be accepted, even when the pain seemed unbearable.
Naruto didn't know how long they stood there, the only sound the soft sobs he could no longer hold back. It felt like time had stopped, and in that moment, there was nothing but the weight of his emotions and the silent presence of the one person who had been there for him through it all.
When the tears finally slowed, Naruto pulled back, wiping his eyes. "I wanted to act like it was all right," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "But I'm still not there yet."
Kakashi gave a small, understanding nod. "You don't have to be there yet. We're all still learning, Naruto."
They stood in silence, the grief hanging heavily in the air. The loss was too great for words to fix, and perhaps it was better that way. Some things could never be mended, but in their silence, Naruto found a small shred of solace. He wasn't alone. And maybe, someday, he would find the strength to move forward, to carry Sasuke's memory and his own pain with him as he walked into the future. But for now, all he could do was stand in the quiet company of those who had shared in this battle, feeling the weight of the world press down on his shoulders, but knowing he didn't have to carry it alone.