Year 128 of the Konoha Calendar, on an unnamed island a hundred miles from the Land of Water.

Deep within a cave, flickering candlelight cast dim, wavering shadows.

On a stone bed lay an old man with graying white hair and a face etched with wrinkles. His life was nearing its end.

If not for the emerald green eyes and the three whisker-like marks on his cheeks, no one would have believed that he was once Naruto Uzumaki, the Seventh Hokage!

His life had been a journey of rising from oppression to glory, only to end in desolation.

At the age of 12, he graduated from the Ninja Academy as a Genin of Konoha.

At 16, he defeated Pain and became the hero of Konoha. That same year, he fought in the Fourth Great Ninja War, where he and Sasuke Uchiha joined forces to seal Kaguya, bringing peace to the ninja world.

However, the calamities of the ninja world did not end with Kaguya's sealing.

After that, Kinshiki, Momoshiki, Urashiki, Isshiki... one after another, they ignited new conflicts!

In the battle against Isshiki Ōtsutsuki, Naruto lost Kurama, and Sasuke lost his Rinnegan.

With no other choice, they entrusted the future of the ninja world to the next generation, led by Boruto.

Boruto did not disappoint. Through countless trials, he grew and surpassed his father at his peak, mastering the power of the Jōgan and Momoshiki's Ōtsutsuki abilities. He resolved numerous crises and ushered in a new era of prosperity for the ninja world.

But that prosperity was reduced to ashes with the arrival of Shinjiki Ōtsutsuki.

Shinjiki possessed overwhelming power, far surpassing even Kaguya's!

In the decisive battle, the entire ninja world united to resist him, but the outcome was devastating.

Friends, his wife, children, comrades... all perished in battle.

Their dying cries echoed in Naruto's mind during countless sleepless nights, tormenting his soul.

"Naruto, our strength... it's useless..."

"Naruto-kun, please live on. Forgive me for not being able to stay by your side..."

"Father, I've... done my best!"

"Seventh Hokage-sama, please retreat quickly! You are our last hope!!!"

In the end, an exhausted Naruto was sent away by the Hidden Cloud using a secret technique. When he awoke, the enemy had left, leaving behind a scorched and barren land.

Naruto knelt and wept until his tears ran dry. He began a life of exile.

He wanted to do something, but in his twilight years, he was powerless.

And so he lived on, aimlessly, until now, when his life was about to end.

Beside the candle stood an ancient-looking turtle artifact. It was a time-traveling tool of the Ōtsutsuki clan called "Rei," brought by Urashiki and later passed into Naruto's hands.

But Rei was broken. It could no longer traverse time or even speak.

In his lonely old age, Rei had become Naruto's only confidant.

"Hey, you know what, Turtle? My greatest mistake in life was underestimating the power of that clan..."

Through his battles with the Ōtsutsuki, Naruto had uncovered a harsh truth.

Far beyond the ninja world, in the distant reaches of space, there was a planet called Takamagahara—the birthplace of the Ōtsutsuki clan.

On Takamagahara, beings far stronger than Kaguya were as common as stars in the sky.

"Back then, we worked together to seal Kaguya and later defeated Momoshiki. I naively thought that was the extent of their power... I was so foolish to believe that unity alone could overcome those extraterrestrial beings."

"From the very beginning, we humans were at a disadvantage. The truth is, the Sage of Six Paths' path was not entirely correct. Everything Kaguya feared has come true. In the end, we were too short-sighted... *cough* *cough* *cough*!"

Naruto coughed heavily, his vision growing blurrier.

The candlelight flickered, on the verge of extinguishing. Time was running out.

At that moment, Rei, dormant for years, suddenly spoke: "If you could do it all over again, would you seek revenge against them?"

Naruto thought it was a hallucination brought on by his impending death and paid it no mind.

His gaze was calm, his voice weary. "Revenge only breeds a chain of hatred. I wouldn't walk that path. But if I could truly start over, I would do whatever it takes to gain the power to rival those beings. Only then could I truly protect the people most important to me..."

Rei fell silent for a moment. "Whatever it takes? That doesn't sound like something you would say."

Naruto's eyes slowly closed, a faint, sorrowful smile on his lips. "The naive, idealistic Naruto Uzumaki died the day my home and family were destroyed..."

Rei was quiet for a long time before saying, "Perhaps... I can grant your wish."

Naruto murmured, "You can send me back in time?"

Rei replied, "I can transfer your soul, but it's a one-way trip. You'll never be able to return. Even so, are you willing?"

Naruto smiled. "Why would I want to return to a world where no one is left..."

Rei said, "Then extend your hand."

With the last of his strength, Naruto reached out with a trembling hand... *whoosh!* The final remnants of his chakra were absorbed by Rei.

*Buzz!*

The artifact activated!

Naruto's soul left his body, flowing back through the river of time.

*Whoosh!*

The candlelight extinguished...

The Naruto of this timeline closed his eyes forever.

*Crack! Crack!*

Cracks spread across Rei's surface, signaling its imminent destruction.

"I have witnessed countless Naruto Uzumakis across time. If anyone can stop the atrocities of that clan, it is you. Rise again, in a timeline neither too early nor too late..."

Naruto felt his consciousness sinking within a tunnel… When he opened his eyes again, he was in a gray, sealed space.

In his hands was a book—*Tales of a Gutsy Ninja* by Jiraiya.

In front of him, within a mechanical walker, sat a frail Nagato, with Konan standing by his side.

What was going on? Was this a dream?

Naruto pinched his leg hard. The pain jolted him awake.

This was no dream.

Nagato spoke in a sorrowful tone: "Change the protagonist, and it becomes a different story..."

"I am your senior, a fellow disciple of the same master. I once said we should be able to understand each other."

"Although that was originally just a joke."

"You truly are an extraordinary person."

"You remind me of my former self…"

"Nagato..." Konan's tone shifted as she sensed something unusual.

"I couldn't trust Jiraiya."

"No, I couldn't even trust myself..."

"But... I have a feeling that the paths we walk will lead to different futures."

"I will try to believe in you, Naruto Uzumaki."

With those words, Nagato withdrew his hands from the viscous bindings and formed a shocking hand seal.

—*Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique!*

Konan gasped, "Nagato... you!"

Nagato declared resolutely, "Konan, that's enough. I've made a new choice! A choice I once abandoned!"

Naruto suddenly snapped back to reality. "This is...!?"

Konan, thinking Naruto was questioning the jutsu, explained, "Those who possess the Rinnegan can not only control the Six Paths of Pain but are also said to transcend the cycle of life and death. Nagato's ocular power allows him to wield the technique of life and death—the Seventh Path of Pain."

"I know..." Naruto clenched his fists. He realized that the voice he heard before his death was not an illusion but Rei's words.

I'm back. I've truly returned. My soul has traveled back to the moment after defeating Pain, during my negotiation with Nagato.

His heart raced with excitement, his trembling hands unable to find a place to rest. The cover of the book in his hands was soaked with sweat.

The Naruto standing here was still Naruto, but his soul was the Naruto from the future.

Konan, of course, had no way of knowing this. She watched Nagato with concern: using this jutsu with his current chakra would soon... no...