The Fourth Shinobi World War.

The war fought on the ideals of human freedom, friendships, and that an alliance between all villages could work. Indeed, an impressive campaign had been mounted, lasting nearly a week, this war was settled with just a few major battles.

However, Madara Uchiha, the man behind this war had made one fatal flaw. A flaw that cost him his position decades ago in the Uchiha Clan and perhaps even The Hokage robes if Hashirama bit the dust from eating too much junk food.

Apparently, a common trait throughout all Ashura Reincarnates.

Indra's most powerful reincarnate, like himself, was fooled by a mass of dark willpower called Zetsu. More specifically, Black Zetsu, the very extension of a will from its own creator. The creator went by names, some divine, others not so much.

She who was the creator.
She who was the ender of war.
The Mother of Six Paths.
The Rabbit Goddess.
The Great Demoness.
Princess.
Queen even.

Kaguya Otsutsuki, the most powerful threat that has ever existed, likely to be the most powerful on her own accord. She had planned her rebirth, the retaking of what was "stolen" from her by her sons, though in retrospect it wasn't known who was currently turning the gears.

Zetsu?
The Shinju Tree that she bonded with, literally?
Her crazed God Complex?
A combination of all three?

Perhaps.

But, she was powerful and lived up to the name Rabbit Goddess. She also very much lived up to her name as The Great Demoness, and her powers dwarfed even that of Madara's, which who was previously the most powerful person in the world.

Which concludes this little analytical summary, so how did Madara Uchiha, the literal Ghost of The Uchiha Clan bite the dust?

A stab through the heart, Kaguya spawning from his body as a weird sort of vessel, not much different than when Gaara was possessed by Shukaku. Oh, but the different thing was, and quite literally was that Shukaku was a talking giant Raccoon Demon.

Quite annoying in of itself, but still, got his ass handed to him by some upstart twelve-year-old brat.

This time, the now sixteen-year-old upstart was having to work for it, and he was working for it hard, along with his friends from Team Seven that had come to join him in the final fight. Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and their Jonin Kakashi Hatake.

Sasuke Uchiha, for all his power, didn't have the stamina that Naruto Uzumaki had, and soon found himself drained from the battle. Sakura couldn't hope to ever be useful in this fight, this was a fight between the powers of Gods, and Naruto himself was quickly establishing himself as their final hope.

He was watched by his sensei, the same that had seen him drink spoiled milk, and the man was proud of the teen. He had grown up, far beyond what he was, and if he was going to get into trouble he might as well just join.

Sasuke was trying to get healed enough, enough for one last attack, a last-ditch effort.

"Sakura," Sasuke was breathing hard as he spoke, "how long?"

"Give me a couple minutes," replies to Sasuke as he kept her palms over him, "I'm giving you most of my chakra as is."

"I don't think Naruto can hold out for a couple of more minutes, Sakura," Sasuke said as he watched his brother in arms get blasted away by The Great Demoness.

Naruto had his arms guarding him as he was blasted back, pushed through the air as his Truth-Seeking Orbs helped push him back into the fight, he was breathing hard as he spat a wad of blood out from his mouth. He then gave the woman a cocky smirk, licking his lips as where the attack landed, and the reason why his lip was busted so much.

"The way Old Man Sage talks about you, pfft," he blows raspberries as he insults her.

She looked right at him, "you dare insult me, Ashura?"

"Yeah, I'm not Ashura, and my name is Naruto Uzumaki. I hope you remember it when I beat you because it'll be the name you'll murmuring in hell for all that you've done." Naruto rasps as he took a deep breath, "I'm far from finished!"

Kaguya chuckled, "you're more like me then you realize, boy."

"I'm nothing like you," Naruto gathered chakra, "I am not a demon."

"For now," Kaguya charged at him, "but all that power makes one drunk! Especially since you stole it from me, you thief, and if you will not give then I shall take!"

Naruto growls as he impacted his forearm against hers, he pushed hard against her, trying to see if he could be pushing her. He found despite all the battling, the stamina exhaustion, she was now just equal to him if she was giving full effort in this struggle.

Which she probably was, when she found her Dust Ash Bones didn't work against him, much to her shock when he broke it off and nearly stabbed her in the neck with it. Which was why she was having a bleeding cut, very close to her artery, and proved to her. Despite what a piece of her, Kurama, memories pointed to, he was willing to kill her to save everyone.

Both backed off against each other, she sends waves of flame, while Naruto blew water from his mouth as he used Isobu's jutsu that was channeled through him. A loud crash, a heavy boom, and steam filling the air around them was all the indicator that everyone got that this battle was far from over.

Naruto flashed behind her, his speed unmatched, even if she wouldn't admit it. She slung her arm at him, forming one of her bones to skewer him, but found that he was still able to dodge her and slammed her with a golden Rasengan.

She was sent flying across the sky when the sphere dissipated, she was breathing hard and growling. Slowly, Naruto and she dropped to the ground, both glaring at each other. She smirks, while Black Zetsu traveled up her arm.

"Mother," it says as it slowly flows off her arm, "are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Kaguya states as she stood up, "just getting a little annoyed by this insect."

"Quit with the childish insults," she snaps her head up at Naruto Uzumaki, "you're not winning."

"I do have one plan," Kaguya then turned to toward his friends as she launched a black sphere at them.

Naruto's eyes widened as he flashed to their aid, blocking the sphere, but now the purple lightning coming behind it. He roars out as she starts to shock the literal life out of him, he crunches up, biting down on his own teeth hard.

He wouldn't give her the pleasure of a screaming teen in a death throw, she continued to build the electricity up, smiling as she even raised him with it. However, she was then kicked away by Sasuke, he left Sakura too early to have been fully healed and recharged.

However, if anyone was going to beat Naruto, it was going to be him!

"Indra," she growls, "know your place boy."

Sasuke was breathing hard as he watched over his shoulder as Naruto struggled to get up, he then flashed over to him, and Sasuke saw the blonde's orange eyes looking right at Kaguya. He chuckled a little bit, a hint of frustration and anger, while a dash of fear in it.

Was he afraid that he wasn't going to be enough?

"Sa-Sasuke," Naruto struggled a little bit, "thought I was gone there…thank you."

"Anyone can try, but I am the one at the end of the day that will kill you, no one else." Sasuke states in reply as he got ready, "my Rinne-Sharingan isn't ready yet."

"Of course," breathed Naruto, "I'm so tired…"

"You better not pass out on me."
"And, what, let you hug all the glory?"
"Heh, maybe."
"Kiss my ass, Sasuke."

"We've got to do it," Sasuke tells Naruto as he they got ready, "now or never."

"She's still holding up a lot of her power, that last attack drained badly, I don't know if I got it in me to hold her off."
"You're not doing it alone."
"I can't keep fighting her, straight on, Sasuke."
"We will find a way, we always do, brother."

Naruto's eyes widened at the word, brother, and he smiled as a lone tear went down his face. His lip lightly quivered as he got ready with Sasuke, and both roar as they charged toward destiny. Both of their seals glowing hot as they neared Kaguya, she was already disappearing in a portal.

However, Sasuke detected where she was heading, and looked at Naruto as he was nodding. Naruto braced himself as Sasuke teleported him where Kaguya was to appear, she was stunned to so the least, and Naruto flipped forward and kicked her down to earth as he followed her.

"For our friends…"

Naruto was standing with everyone from Konoha Eleven, even the dead Neji, and was even standing with the other people he met at the villages.

"For us that have suffered…"

Sasuke and Naruto stood back to back, both looking down at the bottomless pit below.

"For those that bared a hardship for the betterment of others!"

Naruto stood with the other eight Jinchuuriki, all of them smiling as they looked at a village in a far distance.

"To avenge those that were forgotten!"

Sasuke stood in front of Itachi, Obito, and Izuna Uchiha.

Naruto and Sasuke ran fast at Kaguya, Naruto and he snatched her up on either side, both holding her in pace as both slammed their marked palms on her chest. She roars out as she gets blasted by a black sphere formed between the pair.

"This is it, Sasuke!"
"Everything you got, Naruto!"

"Woooaaaah!" Both scream as they launched her, "Six Paths Seal: Chibaku Tensei!"

Kaguya was sent flying upwards as she wails, her chakra getting sucked into the growing sphere of rock above her. Naruto and Sasuke on the ground both fell forward, with Naruto losing his cloak, and most of the Tailed Beast chakra used up as was.

Sakura ran over to both, putting her hands on them, "I need to heal you just in case!"

Kakashi joined her, "focus on Naruto, I have Sasuke covered."

"Right, sensei," Sakura moved over to Naruto and began to heal and transfer chakra to him.

Both clinched their fist as they saw the sphere growing, more and more, and slowly it grew big enough to cover a village. They thought they'd won, but to their horror, Kaguya's wail echoed out from the rock structure.

Slowly, chakra bursts from it, and then much to their horror the stones started falling. Both pushed Kakashi and Sakura back, making sure they were at a safe distance just in case she started to launch anything toward them.

But, both were agape in horror as the stone crumbled around an ever-growing black sphere, and Naruto realized that it was one giant Truth-Seeking Sphere simply by feeling it out. Sasuke slammed his head into the ground, breathing hard.

'You've gotta be kidding," Sasuke comments, "we've given it all and she still has that much power?!"

Naruto gripped his fists as he stood up, taking a deep breath, "Sasuke…"

"What," Sasuke looked up at Naruto, "gotta plan dobe?"

"Heh, one last time, what did you call me?"
"Dobe…"
"Bastard…"

Sasuke growls at Naruto, "what the hell, not now!"

"Sasuke, that thing is unstable, she's doing a last-ditch effort. If she can't have the chakra, no one can, that thing will wipe out not only this dimension…but…all others she's been to. That includes our world, Sasuke, Konoha…everyone…" Naruto explains as he was being fed information by the other Tailed Beasts.

He gripped his hands, "but they're telling me that this is one last shot, failure means everything is gone."

"One last shot for what," Sasuke looked at Naruto as his cloak came around him, "Naruto!"

"Sasuke, wanna know what my real dream was?"
"What…"

Naruto had tears coming down his eyes, "I wanted to have a family of my own, and I wanted our kids to be friends. Me, and you, we didn't have a good childhood. I wanted to spoil them, no earthly limit ya know, and I wanted this with a girl that would love me for who I was after all of this."

"I changed my dream, the first time I saved Konoha, and I just wanted what Shikamaru wanted. A rather normal, very plain, living with friends. Sasuke," Naruto turned to him with a warm but sad smile on his lips, "I love you…and our team so much."

"Naruto," Sasuke looked at Naruto as the blonde turned to Kaguya, "what are you planning to do?"

"Sasuke, do me one favor alright?"
"What?"
"Actually, make it two favors.'

Naruto chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head, "take care of Kakashi when he gets old, and if you and Sakura become a thing…be happy. Also, tell everyone I love them, and that I'll look on them from time to time."

Sakura watched as Naruto crouched down, "Naruto don't!"

Sasuke was reaching for Naruto, only the blonde shoots him one less toothy smirk as he jumped upwards. They watched as the glow his cloak grew brighter, and brighter until he was almost like a shooting star.

Kakashi's eyes widened, "no, Naruto!"

"You can't do this, Naruto, come back!" Sasuke screamed as he watched the blonde near Kaguya.

Naruto looked right into Kaguya's eyes, "hey Kaguya, foxes hunt rabbits!"

Kaguya's eyes widened as Naruto slammed into her, tackling her as he sped toward the black sphere, she shook violently as they went into the sphere. It was white on the inside, she managed to kick him off, but then he turned around and punched her.

The sphere grew unstable, Kakashi had tears in his eyes as he looked at everyone, his other eye forming into his Mangekyo Sharingan. He took a deep breath, then bit back his feels as he transported Sasuke and Sakura first, and then looked up at the sky.

"Farewell, Uzumaki Naruto, we all love you…and your sacrifice won't be forgotten!"

He then got the hell out of there as the sphere grew more and more unstable.

Naruto and Kaguya gripped fists as they slammed into each other's head, blood-spattered from the impact. Both he and she spun in the sphere, growling as they both felt the sphere become unstable. She thrashed and kneed him in the gut before tossing him toward the edge.

However, Naruto stops himself just before exiting and roars with the voice of all nine Tailed Beasts, creating a sort of demonic echo in the sphere. He then speeds toward Kaguya and smashes into her face with his right fist.

"You worthless child, perish with the rest of your insect kind!"
"How about you go to hell with me, bitch!"

Naruto and Kaguya both launched fists at each other made of chakra that impacted, large booms formed in the sphere as both battled more and more. When they both ended in a stalemate the blonde growls as he flies backward and prepares a large Bijuu Dama in one hand.

Kaguya does the same, roaring as she did, the sphere growing more unstable to the point it started to even become malformed.

Both scream as they launched their attacks at one another, they combined into one large explosion, filling the sphere with light as they charged at one another. The sphere had started to explode as Naruto and Kaguya locked hands once more.

However, as the inside of the sphere collapse, Naruto took a deep breath and kicked Kaguya to the edge of it, where she flew out as it exploded. A bright light filled the entire dimension they were in, she was sent flying out of that light as well.

Naruto took a deep breath, looking around as he just floated toward whatever was at the bottom. He was weak, his body had been broken from the battle inside of the sphere and looked up as he started to see flashes of all his friends in front of him.

He smiled at the memories of the first few people playing with him, even in at the bad memories of people picking on him, because they all led to this one moment in time. Slowly, he smiles as he felt blood slowly pool in his mouth.

"I'm sorry, guys."

"For what, kitten, you've done what anyone would've done for their loved ones."
"Like Matatabi said, you protected your hive."
"It was an honor as the ape king, Naruto Uzumaki, to have helped you on this journey…a true man of your word."
"You were an awesome opponent as a child, yeah, this ending isn't so bad."
"Yo, Naruto, are you ready to let go?"

Naruto laughed, "leave it to you, Gyuki. I hope Bee is still alive, if he is, I hope he understands why I took his friend with me."

"Bee won't need me, he's grown on me, see?"
"Yeah, I see, your rhyme is clean."

He then heard a chuckle, "that did not rhyme at all, you two."

"Ah, and the furball cometh, nice of you to join us you lazy fox."
"Hehehe, I learned to be fashionably late from the best."
"Kurama…"

There was silence, and Naruto closed his eyes as tears flowed from them, he started to sob as he felt he was nearing something. Blood flowed out of his mouth, he felt like leaving him, but somehow, he still stole a smile.

"I never said, because I never got the chance, but thank you. You were the one thing that kept me alive throughout my dumbass years, though I think this counts hehehe, and I always gave you a hard time. I understand, the loneliness and pain, but I am proud to have called you my friend…brother." Naruto finished as he closed his eyes, "if there is a next life…can we…be together again?"

Naruto heard no reply, but then he heard crying, "I would love to torture you again…"

Naruto stopped breathing, slowly he started to fade through the light, slowly his heart came to a stop and everything else went white as he fell through it and into some sort of blackhole opening.

Sasuke and Sakura stood around as the Shinju Tree died, slowly dropping people from its branches. Sakura was sobbing as Sasuke clutched her, he was holding himself barely together as Kakashi bowed his head.

"Why, why did you do it you dumbass!" Sakura wailed as she hit the ground, "we've could've won together!"

"Sakura," Sakura looked at Sasuke, "it was t-the on-only way."

Sasuke was starting to break down, and slowly he sobbed, "I'm sorry…so sorry…"

Kakashi put his hands on the two, "he's in a better place now, no more pain…"

"He did it, remember that, for us all," Kakashi told them, and slowly everyone gathered around.

Minato, Naruto's father, looked at the ground as he saw that his son wasn't among those brought back. He bit his lip, tears threatened him, and then he nods in understanding. Snow started to fall, surprisingly, and everyone looked around.

"My son," Minato managed to say, "thank you."

"Fourth Hokage," Minato turned to Onoki and saw the elderly man, "your son…where is he?"

Minato quivered, despite being dead himself he didn't want his son to meet the fate, "all around us."

Onoki's eyes widened, then he saw the snow falling, "he loved snow…didn't he?"

"Yes," Minato said as he bit his lip, "and I never once got to play with him in it."

"Now you can," Onoki spoke and patted the man's back, "you should go and meet him."

Minato nodded, watching as The Sage of Six Paths came over to them. He then bowed at Minato, surprising everyone, he extended his hand out which Minato took and a bright light appeared around Minato.

"Minato Namikaze," says Hagaromo as he looked at Minato, "your son will be with you."

The blonde man nodded, and slowly he faded away, and then the man turned to Sasuke. Slowly, walking toward him, Hagaromo looked down at the most recent incarnation of Indra. His first, beloved, son.

"See," Sasuke looked up at Hagaromo, "for even if all of the worlds pressed on him. Thy heart is blinded with pride, with love, and with the soul of my friends. Even though, in darkness, I shall walk a path lit by my own will of fire. For those, I love most, and to those to come, I'll break myself down."

"Till I collapse, till the ashes are dust from my bones, and then I will come again and again." The soul of Indra inside of Sasuke manifested openly, standing in front of Hagaromo, "your brother never stopped loving you, Indra."

The soul of Indra looked away, taking a deep breath as he went back into Sasuke, who just quivered slightly. Hagaromo took a deep breath, helping the young man up, and then looked right as Sasuke as he saw the young man conflicted.

"There will be no one to oppose," Hagaromo told him, "but please make a better future."

Sasuke nodded, and looked on the ground, watching the snow fall all around them.

"I will," Sasuke's Sharingan deactivated, "on him, I swear it."

The sound of splashing water filled the forest as a body landed in it, slowly, the body floated down a river. It was a blonde with his eyes closed, and slowly he flowed down the river, the air was much colder than what was when he left.

Snow fell around, dotting the entire landscape, but the cold somehow managed to restart his heart. Opening his eyes, weakly, he looked up at the skies. Dried blood on his mouth, the feeling of a broken leg, along with broken hands, and some of the other bones cracked filled him with some foul agony he could never hope to describe.

"Ku-Kurama?"
"Naruto…we're alive?"
"Y-yeah, ba-barely."
"I'm sensing the area, I only sense animal life."
"I know, that's all I sense too, and these weird dark spots moving around."
"Negative energy, I feel it as well."
"D-demons, GHOSTS?!"

Naruto struggled in the water, "I-I'm not getting taken by ghosts, Dattebayo!"

He swam with one arm until he hit the muddy surface, dragging himself up the bank, he breathed hard. Laying against a smooth stone, looking around, and then taking note of the trees and snow. Slowly, taking a deep breath, gathered nature chakra around him.

However, something was off, this land seemed weak in its supply. Then again, more than likely, it was probably just him since he just defied every bit of odds imaginable to come out alive from his battle with a literal Goddess.

Taking a moment, looking around, "this doesn't seem like Konoha…not even Iwa…Kumo? No, too cold, Snow Country? No…too much forest…ah…"

"The air, it smells so like Konoha, but…I can't…feel anyone…"
"Maybe we've been gone a few months, perhaps we went through a black hole."
"A…what now?"
"An object with infinite density, so powerful it can tear reality, much like Izanagi on some good stuff."
"Or, Kamui?"
"That works as well, but now the good question is where are we?"
"I'm wondering that as well."

Naruto took a deep breath, then looked up, then his eyes widened tremendously. His mouth hanged slightly open, there in the sky was a much larger moon than he ever saw back home, and plus it was shattered!

His skin crawled, he started to breathe hard, "oh no…"

"Naruto, that can't be our moon, it was never this close…"
"I know unless something bad happened while we were gone, did Kaguya survive?"
"It's possible, you did, but she was thrown out much sooner…"
"So, if she did, none of this would be here…"
"I didn't say that, but, this certainly does not paint a good picture."

Naruto took a deep breath, "well, just gonna rest here a minute…Kurama…you know what to do right?"

"I haven't forgotten since you were a child, rest, I'll wake you up if we need to be ready for anything."
"Thanks, buddy…"
"Naruto, when we were falling into the black hole, you said something…"
"That if there was another life, that I wanted to be with you again, why?"

Naruto took a moment, "why can't I sense the other Tailed Beasts?"

"I don't know, and they're not inside of us, Naruto…we're alone."