CHAPTER 96 — The Departure
The battlefield was finally quiet.
The huge crater left by the ten-minute explosion stretched around them like a scar carved into the earth. Water pooled in the cracks. Chunks of shattered trees and burned soil formed islands in the ruined field.
Naruto stood near the edge of the clearing, staring at Gaius and Diana. Rain and sweat soaked into his clothes, making them cling to his skin. Konan stood a few steps behind him, still shaken by everything that had happened.
Naruto exhaled softly, then spoke.
"Are you guys… leaving here?"
His voice was calm, but the sadness in it was impossible to hide.
Gaius didn't hesitate. He nodded once, firm and steady.
"Yes. Our mission is completed."
Diana looked at Naruto with gentle eyes. After spending time with him in person, and talking to him through the multiversal chat, she understood what kind of child he was. Naruto was strong, but also deeply emotional.
Gaius stepped back, ready to leave, he was about to mentally press the leave button.
But before he could disappear, Diana raised her hand.
"Gaius," she said, stopping him. "Before leaving… aren't you curious about my rewards?"
Gaius froze mid-step. The lights around him flickered and faded. He turned his head slightly, looking at her.
"I am curious," he said simply. A statement, not a question.
Diana smiled. Not smugly, not arrogantly. Just warm and relaxed.
"My rewards are Aegis of the Mind, and Self-Regeneration of Armor."
Gaius' golden-tinted eyes narrowed slightly with interest.
"The first one strengthens my mind," Diana continued, tapping her temple lightly. "And the second makes my armor regenerate small damages on its own. If it ever gets scratched, dented, or cracked, it'll fix itself over time."
Gaius considered her words quietly.
The rewards given by the Multiversal Chat…
They always matched the person.
Always filled the gaps.
Just like my reward from Saeko's world… mental strengthening, he thought.
A reward so powerful it let him resist even the Emperor, stopping him from reading his mind—a feat that had been impossible before. His physical strength had always been unmatched, but his mental defenses had not. He had survived countless near-death encounters caused by sorcery, relying on luck and sheer will, yet his mind had always been a weak point, even if it was stronger than most.
Now, that weakness was gone.
And for Diana, whose physical strength was overwhelming but her mind might be her weak point… the system had given exactly what she needed.
Diana studied Gaius' face, expressionless on the surface but she could tell he was thinking deeply.
So she asked lightly:
"And what about yours?"
Gaius paused for a moment, debating internally. But there was no reason to hide it.
"I received two rewards as well," he said. "One is Warcry of the Emperor. The other grants my armor the ability to self-repair minor damages. Same as yours."
Diana nodded and smiled softly.
"I see."
Gaius then turned toward Naruto. He walked forward until he stood right in front of him—towering, armored, and silent.
"Naruto," he said, his voice steady, "I will now leave. And you…"
He shifted his gaze to Konan.
"I'll be watching you."
His aura flared.
It wasn't chakra. It wasn't magic.
It wasn't even simple killing intent.
It was something heavier. Something older.
A crushing weight of a warrior who had survived countless wars, carrying the presence of death with him. A presence that came from facing titans, daemons, unknown beings, and entire armies.
Konan's knees weakened instantly.
She froze where she stood, her breath catching in her throat. Sweat formed on her back as if something monstrous had laid its eyes on her. A creature made of fear and instinct. Something ancient and terrifying.
Kakashi felt it too.
His single visible eye widened, and a tremor ran down his arm.
This aura…
Even Orochimaru, the Sannin, the Third Hokage, the Fourth, the Fifth, none of them had an aura like this.
This was something else entirely.
Something alien and overwhelming.
Sakura and Sai were shaking as well, though not as intensely. Sai's expression cracked slightly, his usually calm face tightening.
But only Konan carried the full weight.
Because she was the target.
Gaius did not fear her, but he respected her potential danger.
Her paper technique was devastating. If she ever betrayed Naruto or caused trouble… she could destroy an entire area in minutes.
Diana sighed softly, then stepped forward and nudged Gaius with her elbow.
He paused… then let the aura drop.
Konan fell to her knees, gasping quietly, her face pale.
Diana spoke gently, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, Konan. He's just concerned about Naruto."
Konan nodded shakily. Diana helped her stand.
Gaius looked at Naruto one last time.
Then his body began to dissolve, light gathering around him until the shape of the towering warrior flickered.
He vanished into particles of gold and blue.
Even while disappearing, his eyes remained locked on Konan… one final warning.
Sakura exhaled shakily.
Naruto looked down, a small frown crossing his face, but not too deep. He understood. He always understood. That was who he was.
Kakashi stared, stunned, unable to understand what technique he had just witnessed.
But Diana only smiled softly.
With Gaius gone, she stepped toward Naruto, her expression warm.
"I'll go now as well, Naruto!"
And she dissolved into light, just like Gaius, disappearing above the crater and leaving the battlefield quiet once more.
Sai blinked, then finally spoke.
"Should we… go back to Konoha now?"
Kakashi nodded slowly, gathering himself.
"Yes. Sai, bring out your bird."
Sai sighed quietly, emotionless as always. His brush moved, and a white ink bird burst to life, expanding into a large enough size to carry them.
Kakashi climbed on first. Sakura followed, Sai jump on it. Then Naruto.
Naruto turned and extended his hand to Konan.
"Come up."
Konan looked at him, still shaky and confused, but she saw his bright, sincere smile, the same smile she had seen on Jiraiya-sensei before.
She stepped onto the bird.
And the group rose into the sky, flying back toward Konoha.
The battlefield was left empty.
Only the crater remained.
~~~
Space folded around him.
Then reality shifted
And he was standing in his private chambers aboard the Oath of Rectitude.
But before he could breathe a single breath, his vision warped again.
The Warp itself swallowed him.
Colors vanished. Shapes melted.
Silence filled the void.
And then
A golden sun appeared before him.
Massive. Radiant. Endless.
Made of pure psychic fire and countless voices.
The Emperor.
Gaius floated before the celestial presence, and despite there being no floor, he fell to his knees instantly.
The sun vibrated, and the countless voices merged into one powerful sound:
"Rise, my son."
Gaius rose.
A small portion of the sun separated, a miniature star, glowing like a brilliant shard of divine light. It floated in front of him and spoke with a human-like tone, yet still majestic:
"Gaius. How was the mission in the other universe?"
Gaius kept his posture straight.
"The mission was completed. And I brought something from that world."
He opened his system panel, visible only to him. The Rinnegan materialized in his palm, glowing faintly with a purple ripple pattern.
The moment the eyes appeared
They floated from his hand automatically, drawn toward the Emperor's presence.
The small sun examined them.
"These eyes use an alien power," it said. "A type of energy unfamiliar to this universe. It must be from that world you were in, Gaius."
Chakra.
Otsutsuki.
Alien.
The sun expanded
And then transformed.
The Emperor appeared in humanoid form, tall and radiant, wearing his golden armor. His gauntlet extended, and the Rinnegan floated into his hand.
He infused it with pure psychic power.
A wave of repulsion burst through the Warp, sharp enough to distort the fabric of space for a brief moment.
The Emperor looked at Gaius.
"Thank you, Gaius. This eye may help me further understand the power of life and death."
He could already resurrect, command, and restore, but a unique ability was still a unique ability. Even the smallest new knowledge had value in his hands.
Gaius placed his fist over his heart, bowing slightly.
"For the Emperor."
The Emperor nodded once.
"Our business is done. I will send you back now. Remember, Gaius… I am always watching over you."
Light swallowed him.
And then
He opened his eyes, standing once more inside the Oath of Rectitude.
The mission was over.
~~~
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