A rusted hilt emerged from the ground. Though the blade buried in the soil was not visible, its design and craftsmanship clearly marked it as being from Konoha.
But that wasn't the most significant detail.
Around the hilt and through the cracked gaps in the soil, Naruto could make out a familiar set of clothing. From the exposed skull, there was still some rough, dull hair, but within that faded color remained a trace of bright red.
"Sarah."
Naruto's voice was barely a whisper as he staggered backward, his body trembling, his mouth dry. The name—Sarah—escaped his lips, but the weight of seeing her corpse, after all these years, struck him with an unbearable force.
His mind became flooded with memories of his time with her. The moment they first met, Sarah's search for the Dragon Vein, and finally, her heartfelt confession and the promise she made to him. It had all happened so recently in his timeline.
Back then, they had just defeated Mukade, sealing the Dragon Vein successfully. Naruto had left, parting with Sarah and the others, full of hope.
But now, here he stood—gazing at the remains of Sarah, dead for what seemed like countless years. The ruins of Rōran lay before him, the city long destroyed. The collision of these two realities—a vibrant, living Sarah from his memories and the decayed corpse before him—was like a cruel joke of fate.
Naruto's mind could hardly make sense of it. The scenes in his head—the promise, the victory, the destruction—kept flashing like an endless loop, blending reality and illusion. It was unbearable.
A look of intense pain crossed Naruto's face.
"NOOO!" he screamed, his voice breaking as he collapsed under the weight of his anguish. His body twitched violently before falling unconscious.
"Naruto!"
Yamato, who had been frozen in shock, quickly snapped back to his senses. He rushed forward, dropping to Naruto's side, desperately checking his condition.
After a moment, Yamato let out a breath of relief. Naruto's body was unharmed, but he had been mentally overwhelmed.
Yet that only deepened Yamato's concern. Mental trauma is far more complex than physical wounds.
As he glanced once more at Sarah's body, Yamato understood that this was undoubtedly connected to Aizen. The depth of the trauma Naruto had experienced was severe, and Yamato feared for his recovery.
Could Naruto survive this?
Yamato sighed, his gaze drifting back to Sarah's body. He didn't know much about her, but it was clear from her connection with Naruto that their relationship had been special. She had meant a lot to him, and her presence, even now, held a deep significance.
But leaving her remains here, exposed and forgotten, wasn't an option.
"When Naruto wakes up, and his mind is a bit more stable, we'll have to find a proper resting place for Sarah," Yamato thought to himself.
"Captain Yamato!"
A familiar voice broke his train of thought. Haruno Sakura and Sai appeared, their expressions filled with concern.
"Naruto!" Sai was the first to notice something was wrong, and he rushed over to check on Naruto's condition.
Sakura's face also changed, her instincts driving her to heal Naruto.
"No need," Yamato said quickly, stopping her. "Naruto's exhaustion is mental, not physical. It's better to let him rest for now."
Sakura hesitated, taking in Yamato's words.
"Alright," she responded, still uneasy. Her eyes swept the area, taking in the surroundings and the unsettling presence of Sarah's body.
"Captain Yamato, what happened? Why is Naruto like this? And who is that?" Sakura asked, her tone filled with suspicion and concern.
Sai, equally perplexed, silently awaited an explanation, his eyes focused on both Yamato and the tragic scene before them.
Yamato sighed deeply, gathering his thoughts before recounting Naruto's encounter through time and space. His tone was heavy as he began to explain.
"This, all of this is because of the eternal darkness. Aizen caused it," he said, his voice grave.
Hearing that infamous name, Haruno Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief. "You mean, Aizen did all of this?"
Sai, standing next to her, looked equally stunned.
"That's right," Yamato confirmed with a serious nod. "Aizen is responsible."
"But why? Why would Aizen go to such lengths to hurt Naruto, especially after he had already stolen the Dragon Vein and destroyed Rōran? What does he gain from this?" Sakura asked, her voice trembling with shock and confusion.
Yamato's expression darkened further. "That's the question, isn't it? But, Sakura, you should know, Aizen wasn't just any shinobi. He was also Lord Hokage's first disciple. Technically speaking he's your senior."
"Wait, what?" Sakura was taken aback. "I knew he had a connection to Konoha, but what does this have to do with Naruto?"
Yamato nodded thoughtfully. "There's a lot more to it. A while back, Konoha's intelligence department studied Aizen, not just his combat abilities but his personality. For a long time, they struggled to understand his motivations. It wasn't until three years ago, after Lord Hokage returned, that Konoha gathered its top psychologists and, based on Aizen's past actions, uncovered one crucial aspect of his personality."
Yamato's face contorted with a mixture of fear and unease.
"What did they find?" Sai asked, his curiosity piqued.
Yamato swallowed hard before answering. "Aizen has a sadistic personality. He enjoys manipulating people's emotions—pushing them to emotional extremes and then, without warning, driving them into the complete opposite."
He paused, eyes wide with a mix of astonishment and dread. "For example, one of Aizen's favorite tactics is to give someone hope, only to cruelly snatch it away, leaving them in utter despair."
Silence fell over the group as the gravity of Yamato's words sank in.
After a long pause, Sai finally broke the silence, his voice shaky. "So, when Aizen spoke about Sarah's feelings for Naruto, and even helped him preserve that memory he was doing it to fulfill his own twisted desires? To play with Naruto's emotions?"
"Exactly," Yamato confirmed, his voice bitter.
"Aizen's a lunatic," Sai muttered, his voice trembling with disgust.
Sakura, however, still had one lingering question. "But why Naruto? Why target him specifically?" she asked, her face etched with confusion.
Yamato hesitated, clearly unsure. "I don't know the exact reason. I suspect only Aizen himself knows."
As Yamato finished speaking, a somber silence settled over them.
Meanwhile, in another time, after Rōran's true fate had played out, Aizen swiftly caught up with Minato and the others. Under the subtle influence of Kyōka Suigetsu, Aizen quietly rejoined the team.
From there, the journey back to Konoha proceeded without incident.
Soon, Aizen and the group returned to Konoha