Naruto looked at Gaara, and the heaviness in his eyes slowly gave way to a warm, bright light the glow of recalling the kindness he had received in the past.
"Yes," Naruto began softly, "because I met people who cared about me later on."
"At first, it was only the Third Hokage who would check on me regularly, give me money for daily life, and provide the things I needed. When he had the time, he would even stay with me a little longer."
"But what I'm most grateful for is meeting the most important mentor of my life, Might Guy!"
In Naruto's mind, he saw the image of the energetic, ever-smiling Guy, giving him a thumbs-up with his perfect, bright smile.
"Guy-sensei never cared what others thought of me. He only believed in me, in my potential as a young shinobi! He trained me in taijutsu, and more importantly, his burning passion and youthful energy inspired me. He taught me never to give up, no matter what. He gave me my first proper goal and my first real confidence in myself!"
Naruto paused, and the glow in his eyes became even warmer.
"Later on, there were also Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke, Uncle Fugaku, Aunt Mikoto, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Choji."
"They never treated me differently because I was the 'Demon Fox.' Instead, they were sincere with me, letting me feel that the world isn't only cold and dark. There's warmth and light too you just have to find it."
He turned to Gaara, his gaze serious and empathetic.
"I might also have thought that the whole world was my enemy," he continued.
"That you had to close yourself off completely, become like you once were, hurting others to prove your existence or to protect yourself."
"Because no one taught us how to be loved, how to love in return, that kind of deep, bone-chilling loneliness… it's like falling into an icy well. That feeling…I truly understand it."
Kakashi lifted his head, his gaze drifting toward the sky. Memories of his father, his teachers, Rin, and Obito surfaced in his mind. He missed them deeply. A lump formed in his throat, a strange urge to cry, yet tears would not come.
His tears had long since dried.
The kind of suffering Naruto spoke of, Kakashi knew it intimately. Perhaps even more profoundly. He had watched loved ones, teachers, and friends die before his eyes, powerless to stop them. At that time, all he could see was darkness, a world devoid of light.
Yet, a boy in green, full of relentless energy and determination, had pulled him out of that darkness. That boy's persistence and sheer courage had clung to the single light Kakashi had left.
"You… you didn't just save me," Gaara thought, pupils widening. Naruto's voice was calm, but every word struck Gaara's heart. "You saved Naruto too."
The feelings Naruto described mirrored Gaara's own past, his deepest, most honest reflections on his loneliness.
He had thought his life, filled with assassination attempts by his father, fear from villagers, and betrayal by those closest to him, was the pinnacle of darkness.
Yet, in front of him now stood a boy with golden hair, warm as the sun, who had shattered the Akatsuki's plans and pulled Gaara from the edge of death. And that boy had endured a past that shared the same shadows as his own.
The sun's warmth fell on Gaara's face. His lips trembled as if he wanted to speak, but in the end, he only nodded slightly.
It was not agreement, but understanding.
His icy, hardened heart had been touched by a resonance so profound, it reached the depths of his soul for the first time.
"But now, I see your change, Gaara!" Naruto said, his eyes bright with joy.
"You've found the people important to you, just like I did. And those people care for you, value you!"
Gaara blinked. He had never truly known who cared about him.
If anyone had valued him, perhaps it was this golden-haired boy before him, the sun in his life.
"And it's not just me," Naruto added gently, reading Gaara's thoughts. "Your sister, your brother they care for you deeply too."
"You didn't know, right? Kankuro chased after the Akatsuki to save you, though unfortunately, he was stopped by Sasori and couldn't get you back."
"And your sister rushed back from Konoha overnight, without resting, wanting to help us rescue you too."
"Doesn't that show their sincerity? Gaara, you've already found people like that!" Naruto patted Gaara's hair.
"Temari… and Kankuro?" Gaara murmured, a gentle warmth appearing in his green eyes.
So now… he had people he cared about, and people who cared about him.
"Actually, this is thanks to you, Naruto," Gaara said, looking at him intently.
"Hmm? How so?" Naruto asked, puzzled.
"Because I met you. Seeing how you are, I wanted to be like you, so I've been working hard to change myself," Gaara explained.
"Maybe because of that, I still yearn for light. That's why I can find warmth and brightness in this world."
Hearing Gaara, Kakashi glanced at Naruto.
Naruto, perhaps you don't even realize it, but you have the power to change others.
You saved Sasuke from falling into darkness, pulled him toward the light.
Even Hinata, the Third Hokage, and Lady Tsunade they made changes because they believed in you, entrusted their future to you.
Even I was changed, in my own way.
Hinata had stepped out of Sage Mode and was walking back slowly.
Naruto lifted Gaara. "Alright, now we just wait for Sasuke. Then we'll all head back to Sunagakure together."
"Uchiha… Sasuke? He's coming too?" Gaara asked.
"Yes. He's talking with Itachi. We'll wait for a bit," Naruto nodded.
Meanwhile, Sasuke and Itachi had reached a secluded valley.
"Wind Release: Wind Barrier!" Sasuke raised one hand, forming a barrier that blocked sound from escaping the area.
Itachi looked at him calmly. "It's a pity, Sasuke. Last time you couldn't kill me, but this time, luck may not be on your side. I already know everything about your intelligence gathering."
"Stop playing games, Uchiha Itachi!" Sasuke gritted his teeth.
A flicker of emotion crossed Itachi's normally calm eyes.
"You're a spy inside the Akatsuki, aren't you?" Sasuke suddenly shouted, revealing a staggering accusation.
Itachi's eyes widened in shock.
"Sasuke, you…" Itachi's mind was suddenly filled with confusion and turmoil.
"I've already learned the truth from the Third Hokage!"
"The Uchiha Clan's plans for a coup, and why you annihilated them!" Sasuke interrupted, his voice filled with anger.
"You bastard!"