Shisui and Itachi left the empty area behind.
As I walked out, I realized that night had already fallen. Looking up at the sky, I saw the stars twinkling in the darkness above.
Shisui let out a sigh. "We should go back."
Itachi nodded. Then, rolling up his sleeve, he released a pulse of chakra to activate the Flying Thunder God Seal that Naruto had placed beneath his arm. Shisui saw this and placed his hand on Itachi's shoulder.
At this time, Naruto, who had promised Hashirama and Tobirama that they could visit the Hokage Rock after nightfall, was now with all four Hokage, standing atop the massive stone faces, overlooking the entirety of Konohagakure.
Naruto sensed a familiar chakra response—it was the Flying Thunder God seal reacting. He formed a hand seal.
With a hum, Shisui and Itachi appeared beside him in a flash of light.
Naruto smiled. "So? How do you feel?"
Itachi looked at Naruto, gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you, Naruto, for letting me witness the past with my own eyes. Oh, and about that loan—I'll find a way to pay you back."
Naruto waved him off. "Nah, to be honest, you still owe money to the Akatsuki."
He grinned. "I heard from Sister Konan that the Akatsuki has tons of assets—most of which are in her hands. My money came from her too, so I can pretty much spend as I like."
Flowers.
Itachi paused, then nodded in realization. So that was it. That meant Naruto really was rich.
After all, the wealthiest person in the Akatsuki was Kakuzu. After Kakuzu died, all the funds were transferred to Konan. Now that Konan had passed them on to Naruto, he had access to a massive reserve—an invaluable resource, especially for wartime.
Because war doesn't just consume manpower and materials—it bleeds money.
Shisui walked forward, standing beside the Hokage as they all looked over the glowing village beneath them.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, saw Shisui return and smiled. "You're back."
Shisui gave a quiet nod. Hearing this, Itachi walked forward to join him.
Tobirama Senju and Hashirama Senju were still deep in conversation, reminiscing about the past, while the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, quietly listened with interest.
Hiruzen stood up and looked at the two former ANBU operatives. Taking a deep breath, he said, "The past is the past. I believe that revisiting old places must've brought you both many insights."
Shisui and Itachi nodded. Indeed, what they had gained went far beyond simple memories. Spiritually and emotionally, it was transformative. For Itachi especially—his Mangekyō Sharingan had awakened once again.
With that in mind, Itachi turned to Naruto and confessed, "Naruto, my Mangekyō Sharingan… has reawakened."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Seriously?!"
He hadn't expected that. Naruto had originally planned for Shisui to use Kotoamatsukami on Itachi, letting him relive the pain and trigger a reawakening—but it turned out Itachi had done it on his own.
"When did it happen?"
Facing Naruto's question, Itachi didn't hide the truth. "When I returned home… I saw some scenes that triggered memories. So... it happened then."
Naruto nodded, then patted Itachi on the shoulder. "It's all behind you now. What matters most is what's ahead."
Itachi gave a solemn nod.
The Third Hokage waved him over. "Itachi, come sit with us a while."
Seeing Shisui already seated, Itachi walked over and sat down. Hashirama was in the middle of describing the intense battles between the Senju and Uchiha clans, followed by the founding of the village and everything that had happened in between. Tobirama, of course, constantly interrupted to "correct" the narrative.
Minato smiled. "I never realized there were so many untold stories about the founding of the village. None of this was recorded in the Hokage archives."
Hashirama laughed. "That's because very few people were present during those times. I died in a hurry, and Tobirama died on the battlefield. Naturally, no one could properly document these things."
The Third nodded solemnly. "Hashirama-sama, Tobirama-sama… you truly gave your all for the village. Unfortunately, during my tenure, things didn't go as well. We regressed, and Minato's early death was one of the consequences of that failure."
Tobirama patted Hiruzen's shoulder. "Monkey, don't be so hard on yourself. You were my chosen successor. I believed in you for a reason. You've always had a strong sense of the bigger picture. Frankly, if I had been in your position, I might not have handled things any better."
Minato added gently, "Sensei, don't blame yourself. I gave my life for the village's future. Given the Nine-Tails and the masked man's threat, I had no choice but to use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. If I had known the masked man was Obito... I wouldn't have made that choice."
Naruto, who had been silently listening, turned to gaze over the glowing lights of Konoha. They twinkled like the stars above. Entering Sage Mode, he extended his sensory field and immediately realized—Hinata wasn't in the village.
He had been planning to go see her. They hadn't met for a long time.
But not just her. All the familiar chakra signatures he usually sensed around Konoha were gone.
They had all left.
The Fifth Great Ninja War was drawing near.
Naruto turned to everyone and said, "Everyone, have you seen enough? If you have, it's time to head back."
At this, Hashirama stood up with a satisfied grin. "Yes, I've seen enough. Just being able to see today's Konoha again is enough for me."
Tobirama followed. "That brat, Obito, right? Hmph. A twisted Uchiha who killed his master and mistress. I'll deal with him personally!"
Shisui and Itachi exchanged glances. (They always stayed silent when facing Tobirama.)
The Third sighed deeply, while Minato scratched the back of his head. "Obito used to be a good kid... Rin's death changed him completely."
Tobirama scoffed. "All the Uchiha I've known are like this. Madara was the same—deeply devoted to his brother. And after I killed Izuna, Madara lost it completely. Became a lunatic. Now look at the mess he left behind. The entire ninja world is in chaos!"
Hashirama frowned. "Tobirama, mind your words. It wasn't easy for Madara either. You know exactly how painful it is to lose a beloved brother."
At that, Hashirama recalled his younger brother—Kawarama Senju.
He had only been eight years old... and was killed in battle. Hashirama had arrived too late—only able to cradle his brother's lifeless body and weep.
That kind of pain—it never truly fades.
That was why Hashirama could understand Madara so well. That shared grief was what had first brought them together in friendship.
Naruto glanced at everyone and smiled. "Alright, alright, let's do it like before. Touch each other's chakra—and we'll teleport back."
At Naruto's call, everyone gathered and synced their chakra with his. In an instant, the Flying Thunder God Technique activated—and the group vanished from the Hokage Rock, leaving behind the quiet night sky above Konoha.
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