(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
****************
Tsunade was the first to step forward, approaching Colt with a determined expression.
"What exactly are you planning, Colt?" she asked, her voice firm.
Only then did she notice Uchiha Madara lying on the ground.
"Uchiha Madara? He's not dead…"
Hashirama, who had been standing behind her, snapped to attention and rushed over to Madara, a mix of surprise and joy in his eyes.
"Madara, you're alive!"
Madara gave a weak grin.
"Hashirama, you're not dead yet, so how could I be?" His words were tough, but there was a hint of sadness in his tone.
"But this time, you win."
"The Infinite Tsukuyomi... it was all a lie."
Hashirama crouched beside him, a look of relief washing over his face.
He stayed silent for a bit. And then spoke up.
"You just took the wrong path, Madara."
"There are things we can't achieve in one lifetime, but we can pass on our will to the next generation," Hashirama continued.
"That's the true purpose of Konoha."
A smile crept onto his face.
"Despite the odds, we're back now, and we can finally work together for true peace."
Madara looked at Hashirama's familiar face and let out a laugh, though tinged with sarcasm.
"You're still such a child, Hashirama."
"True peace can't be achieved with kindness and forgiveness alone," Madara added.
"But you're right about one thing—my will did pass on to the next generation."
He recalled Colt's recognition before Kaguya had swallowed him up and couldn't help but wonder what this young ninja might do in the future.
As the two friends conversed, several of the other Kages approached Colt.
"Colt, this woman is too dangerous. Keeping her in the ninja world is like sitting on a time bomb," Gaara said.
Though he had a good relationship with Konoha, his concerns were clear.
Kaguya's presence was a sensitive issue—more than a matter of political position, it was about survival itself.
No one wanted to live in constant fear, wondering when their chakra might be drained, or worse, waking up only to find themselves trapped in the world of the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
The Fourth Raikage spoke next, his expression grim.
"The coalition of ninjas has already gone through too much. At first, we thought Obito was Madara, then Orochimaru returned... then the real Uchiha Madara is back, only to be upstaged by a goddess who's been alive for millennia. What's next, the Sage of Six Paths will still be alive?"
He sighed in frustration.
"But in the end, you, Colt, decided to make peace with the enemy. How can I explain that to the countless ninjas who died in this war?"
The other Kages shared the sentiment. The idea of leaving Kaguya's fate solely to Colt was difficult for them to accept.
"Colt," the Fourth Raikage spoke again.
"Shouldn't this be a decision for the commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces?"
Even though Raikage had clashed with Colt before, he now spoke more diplomatically, acknowledging the power difference between them.
Hearing this, the other Kages shifted their gaze to Tsunade.
She quickly shook her head. "Don't look at me. I said after the war that I would no longer be the Hokage. Colt is the sixth Hokage now"
"Being the sixth Hokage, and the strongest person in the world, means he should be the leader of the ninja alliance"
"As such, for this matter… He'll be the one to decide."
Colt looked at Tsunade, astonished at her quick deflection.
Tsunade just shrugged.
"Don't look at me like that. I already said all this before, so you're the Hokage now. I'll be retiring now" She seemed relieved to no longer carry the burden of leadership.
Senju Tobirama, watching from the sidelines, frowned disapprovingly at his granddaughter's lack of responsibility. Although he had no problem with Colt being Hokage, he didn't appreciate Tsunade's nonchalance.
Colt thought for a moment before nodding.
"Alright, then, I'll become the Sixth Hokage."
Turning to the rest of the group, he added.
"So, I'll handle this."
The Raikage and the others remained silent.
There was little they could do; Konoha had grown too powerful, with all the Hokages resurrected and some of the most formidable ninjas on their side.
What could they possibly do to resist?
Colt, seeing their conflicted expressions, smiled.
"I understand your concerns, but they're unnecessary."
"I can assure you, Kaguya won't be disturbing the ninja world. You can rest easy."
He then turned to Naruto.
"Naruto, Kaguya is technically your grandmother. Do you want to seal her too?"
Naruto was the reincarnation of Asura, who was Hagoromo's son, and the old sage was in turn the son of Kaguya, so he wasn't wrong about calling her Naruto's grandma and Sasuke for that too… technically.
Naruto scratched his head, thinking for a while before responding.
"If she can live peacefully, I don't see why she can't stay in the ninja world."
Gaara opened his mouth to speak but stopped, realizing that this had now become a family matter within the Ōtsutsuki line.
There was no reason for them to interfere.
At that moment, Sasuke appeared beside Naruto in a flash, his presence instantly drawing the Raikage's attention.
His anger flared.
He still hadn't avenged Killer Bee.
Sasuke, however, paid no mind to the Raikage, his focus solely on Colt.
He had his own matters to discuss.
Kaguya, meanwhile, drifted curiously toward Naruto and Sasuke, her pure white eyes studying them.
As the reincarnations of Indra and Asura's chakra, she felt an undeniable connection to the two.
Naruto, clearly uncomfortable under Kaguya's gaze, awkwardly considered how he should address her—after all, she was his grandmother in a sense.
Colt didn't interfere with Kaguya's actions as long as she wasn't doing anything harmful.
Just as he was about to speak, his eyes sharpened, and he disappeared in a blur.
In an instant, he reappeared next to Kaguya, scooping her up before delivering a powerful roundhouse kick.
Bang! Bang!
Two figures were sent flying.
It was Naruto and Sasuke.
These two who had seemed uneasy moments earlier, now had serious expressions, on their faces, their hands displaying the Sun and Moon seals.
Kaguya had been caught off guard, and was defenseless against their sudden attack.
Without the Ten Tails' power or a massive amount of chakra, she couldn't even activate her teleportation technique.
She could only watch helplessly as the attack neared her, but Colt's quick reaction saved her at the last moment.
The suddenness of the event left everyone in shock, and it wasn't until Naruto and Sasuke hit the ground that the others realized what had happened.
"Sage of the Six Paths, don't you think that was a bit underhanded for someone like you?" Colt's voice was cold as he stared at Naruto and Sasuke with clear displeasure.