Kurama, feeling down and isolated, hid in Naruto's inner world. His true form had become a massive tailed beast, sitting depressed in the farthest corner.
In the darkness, Kurama stared at the light on the other side of the inner space. He wanted to reach out and touch it but couldn't bring himself to.
He could no longer walk in that light. He had lost his identity, lost everything about himself... all that remained was a second-stage form that looked exactly like Kaguya.
Oh right, his second stage now looked like Kaguya.
No gender, but it looked like Kaguya.
The age didn't match Kaguya; it seemed like Naruto's age, around sixteen or seventeen, but it looked like Kaguya.
Its power was stronger than a normal first-stage true form. The human body could even play games, but it looked like Kaguya.
In the darkness, Kurama's eyes widened. Over a long time, Kurama had changed into something from another world, but right now, this was the first time Kurama's face showed an expression close to the original Kurama.
That chakra full of negative emotions, that face full of killing intent... it looked just like... a wild beast!
Naruto's eye twitched. "Why are you narrating your own thoughts?"
"None of your business!" Kurama roared. "Right now, I just want to kill Kaguya!"
"Kaguya's already sealed away. You can't kill her." Naruto shrugged. "Besides, I think your new look is pretty good. It looks just like Kaguya, except without the horns and the Rinnegan... oh, the eyes aren't Byakugan either, but it's still good-looking."
"Shut up!" Kurama roared again.
Seeing Naruto's teasing face, Kurama's energy dropped. He shrank back into the corner. "I worked hard to shape my face, and now it's gone. Then it turned into Kaguya's look, and those onlookers outside saw it all. No one even warned me. It was only that old... old lady Mito who kindly told me out of pity. Otherwise, you'd all keep me in the dark."
Kurama wiped at nonexistent tears, his voice full of resentment. "I raised you all from nothing, fed you and changed you, trained you up to this level where you can even fight Otsutsuki. But you all... boo-hoo-hoo~"
Naruto felt a bit sick.
And what was that about "raised you from nothing, fed you and changed you"? That sounded so weird. M.I.
Kurama sniffled. "I'm not going out. Before that crowd outside all dies off, I'll never step out, not even if you beat me to death."
Naruto: "..."
Fine by me if you want to hide, but can you pick somewhere else? This is my inner world...
Thinking about having to deal with Kurama's endless "boo-hoo-hoo" in Limitless mode from now on, Naruto kind of regretted agreeing to Sasuke.
Damn Sasuke. This guy knew Kurama would hide and still picked my inner world. He set me up to watch the show, and he doesn't even have to pay for it. No way, when I get out, I'll make him pay for my mental distress.
"What are you thinking? I sense malice!" Kurama turned to look at Naruto, his voice full of resentment. "Don't tell me... even you look down on me? You're my Jinchuriki!"
Naruto: "..."
Nope, can't take this anymore.
Naruto left the inner world without another word. Whatever happens with Kurama, let him cry it out.
Naruto woke up in the real world with a dark expression and immediately spotted Sasuke's pleased face.
Someday I'll give you a flashy funeral.
Naruto thought with no small amount of malice.
Kushina hugged Naruto and asked curiously, "What's up with Kurama?"
"He's losing it." Naruto shrugged. "Kurama says the Otsutsuki second stage is irreversible. Even tricking yourself with transformation jutsu won't help. He's stuck like this forever."
"But it's fine. It's not the first time something like this has happened. He'll get used to it after a while." Naruto sighed. "It's just that during this time, he might annoy me so much that I'll want to beat Sasuke to death."
Sasuke: ???
Sasuke snorted lightly. "As if you didn't agree to it back then."
Naruto couldn't argue with that.
Minato stood in front of the gloomy Kurama and looked up at his huge body. "Kurama, what are you going to do next?"
"Find a jutsu that can turn me human, then hide in some deep forest and sleep. When technology advances and there's electronic games again, I'll come out." Kurama said calmly. "Oh, and remember to tell my other half to change his name. I don't want that embarrassment."
Minato: "..."
Even your other half is embarrassed by you. So why did you turn yourself into Kaguya's look?
Sigh, Minato let out a helpless breath.
Hashirama watched the scene and couldn't help but smile a little. "Madara, after we get back, let's go drinking."
"No." Madara refused with a blank face.
"Don't say that, Madara. We haven't hung out in ages." Hashirama gave a goofy smile. "After this battle, the Five Great Nations should see some peace. Now it depends on whether Naruto and the others can keep that peace going long-term."
"In theory, all us old folks should go back to the afterlife. But you revived me too." Hashirama sighed with some regret, then suddenly got excited. "But that's okay. This way, we can see the future Naruto talks about, right?"
Almost everyone there was summoned by Edo Tensei. Only Hashirama and Madara were truly revived.
Hashirama actually didn't want to be revived much. He felt they had no place in this world anymore. The world belonged to the new generation, the future to the young ones. Us old relics should just return to the dust.
Mainly, Madara no longer had a reason to chase the Infinite Tsukuyomi. He had handed the future to Sasuke.
Madara glanced at Naruto and Sasuke, then at the huge tailed beast sitting around chatting, and finally let his eyes rest on Hashirama. "After drinking, come travel with me. We'll clear out a bit of the ninja world's darkness. They won't mind."
The ninja world always had darkness, like... underground exchange spots.
Honestly, Madara had been annoyed by that underground exchange for a long time. Tearing it down would even help Konoha recover some funds.
"No longer worrying about those behind us, just pushing forward to explore new paths." Hashirama smiled. "Sure, I want to see what kind of road the old you walked."
"Hmph." Madara snorted coldly but said nothing else.
Tobirama had been listening quietly from the side. Only at the end did he seem to chuckle softly.
But the next moment, his face turned serious. "Then, I'll use this time to give little Orochimaru some proper lessons... and the monkey's seal can be lifted too. Then drag him out..."
"And give him a good beating." Tobirama's face darkened completely, like a demon.
The sealed Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly shivered all over, feeling for no reason that he was in for a rough patch in the future.
Oh right, there's one more guy to deal with....
The tomoe Rinnegan in Sasuke's eyes slowly activated as he gazed toward Konoha.
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