"Where... is this place?"
"I... didn't I die in the duel with Kawaki?"
The Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, slowly opened his eyes, confusion clouding his face. He found himself in a vast, white expanse with no discernible boundaries. Everything around him was endless and silent.
He called out, "Is anyone there? Hello?! Is anyone here?!"
Nothing. No answer. Not even an echo.
Naruto sighed. Maybe... this was heaven.
He began to reflect on his life:
From the moment he was born, Naruto had faced tragedy—both of his parents died the day he came into the world.
His childhood was harsh and lonely. The villagers shunned him, and he often had nothing to eat. Still, he never gave up on his dream. At twelve, he met Iruka-sensei, received his forehead protector from him, and officially became a Genin of Konoha.
He later trained under Kakashi-sensei and graduated from the Ninja Academy. During a mission in the Land of Waves, he faced Zabuza, and by stabbing his own hand with a kunai, Naruto learned the painful yet resolute path of the ninja.
During the Chunin Exams, he defeated Neji and made his mark as the "Demon Fox Boy" with true potential. Then, in a fierce battle, he defeated a transformed Gaara, protected the village, and began to earn respect in Konoha.
Soon after, he trained under Master Jiraiya. For the first time, he had a true mentor, someone he could trust and look up to.
He later rescued Gaara—now Kazekage—from the Akatsuki organization, preserving peace between Konoha and the Sand Village, and winning recognition from many villagers.
At sixteen, Naruto stood against the entire Akatsuki organization, and with the power of Sage Mode, defeated them. He became the hero of Konoha and shed the label of "demon fox."
With guidance from Killer Bee and the Eight-Tails, Naruto learned to master the Nine-Tails' chakra. During the Fourth Great Ninja War, he became one with Kurama and achieved perfect Jinchūriki form. Together, they fought as true companions.
He later fought side-by-side with Sasuke, received the power of the Sage of Six Paths, and helped seal Kaguya, finally bringing long-overdue peace to the ninja world.
During Kakashi's time as the Sixth Hokage, Naruto had his arm repaired and became a Jonin. Along the way, he grew closer to Hinata, realized his feelings for her, and the two eventually fell in love. They married, had children, and lived in happiness.
At age thirty, Kakashi stepped down, and Naruto became the Seventh Hokage, achieving the dream he'd held since childhood.
By then, all his friends had started families and were enjoying peaceful lives. The ninja world was calm, and everything seemed perfect.
But fate is never so kind.
Kaguya had long feared something greater than herself—and eventually, her fears materialized. The Otsutsuki clan returned.
Kinshiki. Momoshiki. Urashiki. Isshiki...
Each more powerful than the last.
It was then Naruto realized: compared to these beings, Kaguya was merely a warning.
In his battle against Isshiki Otsutsuki, Naruto suffered a terrible loss—Kurama, the Nine-Tails who had been with him all his life, perished.
And worse still—Sasuke, his closest friend, had his Rinnegan destroyed by Boruto, who had been possessed at the time and driven to stab him with a kunai.
Though Boruto was not himself, the pain of losing the Rinnegan—and of Sasuke being hurt—shook Naruto deeply.
Knowing he alone could no longer protect the world, Naruto sought help.
He journeyed to Mount Myōboku, where the Great Toad Sage gave a new prophecy:
"Boruto will be the one to change the fate of the ninja world."
With renewed purpose, Naruto threw everything into training Boruto. He poured all his hope into his son.
Boruto lived up to expectations. With the awakening of the Jōgan (Pure Eye) and his latent Otsutsuki power, and under the tutelage of Sasuke, he inherited Sasuke's sword, cloak, and headband. Boruto surpassed even the previous Hokage in combat prowess.
But as always, fate had its own plans.
During training, Boruto encountered a boy named Kawaki. They both bore the same diamond-shaped mark, and after connecting through conversation, Boruto invited him to Konoha.
But Kawaki, influenced by the mysterious organization Kara, turned against Boruto. He embraced a dark ideology: to destroy the ninja world, revive the Moon Eye Plan, and plant the God Tree anew.
And so, the Fifth Great Ninja War began.
Naruto clenched his fists, lost in the memories. In that brutal war, he watched his loved ones—family, friends, comrades—fall one after another.
Stripped of Kurama's power, he was protected by others and ordered to stay in the rear.
But that only added to his pain.
Hinata.
Himawari.
Sasuke.
Gaara.
Iruka-sensei.
Kakashi-sensei.
Shikamaru...
One by one, they were lost to the war.
In the end, only he and Boruto remained.
And to protect his son, Naruto sacrificed his life, falling to Kawaki's jutsu.
Now, standing in this endless white void, Naruto looked to the sky and asked:
Why? Why did it have to be like this?
What happened to Boruto's final battle?
Did he manage to save the world?
Then came a voice—deep and calm, resonating through the stillness:
"Both he and Kawaki failed. They were defeated by the power of the Otsutsuki clan."
Naruto turned quickly toward the voice. A figure slowly emerged from the white expanse.
Naruto's eyes widened in shock.
"Grandpa Six Paths Sage?!"
The Sage of Six Paths gave him a gentle smile. "We meet again, Naruto, child of prophecy."
Naruto ran toward him and asked, almost frantically, "What do you mean Kawaki and Boruto failed? Wasn't Kawaki part of the Otsutsuki?"
The Sage sighed. "After your death, Boruto and Kawaki fought. But Kawaki realized the truth about the Moon Eye Plan and joined forces with Boruto to stand against the Otsutsuki. Sadly, even together, they couldn't win. In the end, both of them became vessels."
Naruto staggered back, trembling. His eyes filled with fear. "No... That can't be true... How could this happen?!"
Suddenly, he shouted, his voice shaking with emotion:
"Didn't the Great Toad Sage say Boruto would be the one to change the world?! Why did it end like this?! Why was the ninja world still destroyed?!"
Collapsing to his knees, he buried his face in his hands. Tears streamed down as he muttered:
"Why... Why did it turn out this way..."
The strong, once-unbreakable Seventh Hokage had lost all hope.
The Sage of Six Paths watched him silently for a moment. Then he spoke:
"The Great Toad Sage's prophecy wasn't wrong."
Naruto looked up, eyes still filled with tears, staring blankly at the man before him...