Weeks had passed since the curse was defeated. The life in the village looked to return to some sort of weird normalcy, but Naruto and his team still carried marks on them because of the battle they fought. They were no longer just ninjas; they were survivors who always carry marks for ever.
Standing quietly on Hokage Rock, he silently boasts over the village. He can feel how heavy his title weighs, how much responsibility it entails: protect everything he cared for. No more fear to disappoint him but learned that power isn't all it takes to be strong. It's the people standing behind him.
Behind, it had already set, leaving a warm glow to the village. Everywhere he looked he could see their faces-that of Hinata, Sasuke, Sakura-those people important in his life, the foundation that held him up. The curse tried to tear them apart to exploit each of their weaknesses, but in the end, they'd grown stronger because of it.
Naruto laughed and walked off, turning his back to the Hokage Rock. There, in the back of his mind, there would always be those shadows, but with his friends always by his side, he'd never again fear the dark.
And the end of each battle only showed the beginning of each new war, but for Naruto Uzumaki, victory meant knowing that he was enough to take in what was waiting for him, no matter how dark it was.