"I have told my story, now let me hear your answer."
Naruto lowered his head and eyes.
After a moment of thought,
He opened his eyes and took out a book from his bag.
"the tale of the gutsy ninja."
Naruto understood Nagato.
But he had not changed his resolve not to forgive Nagato!
Nagato: "Then let's make a decision."
"The Perverted Sage believed in me and entrusted everything to me."
"So, I will also try to believe in what the Perverted Sage once deeply believed."
Jiraiya believed that Naruto, as the Child of Prophecy, would ultimately bring peace!
"This is my answer!!"
Nagato: "This is your answer? So you want us to believe you can bring peace to the world and just wait? Don't be ridiculous! At this point, can we still believe what Jiraiya said? True peace doesn't exist… In a world of curses, peace is impossible!"
Nagato would not be persuaded by such naive trust.
In the past, he had believed in Teacher Jiraiya.
The result was obvious.
Jiraiya's ideals could not bring peace.
Naruto: "If that's the case, then I will break this curse. If peace truly exists, I will grasp it tightly. I will not give up!"
His mind buzzed.
When Nagato heard Naruto's words, he stared blankly at Naruto.
Such familiar words… "You, that is…"
Konan: "Nagato, what's wrong?"
"Your words."
Naruto: "Yes, they are all lines from this book. It's the first book the Perverted Sage ever wrote. The Perverted Sage truly wanted to change the world with this book. At the end of the book, he wrote about the disciple who inspired him to write it."
"It's your name, Nagato."
Nagato was speechless, countless emotions welling up within him.
These were his own words.
During the time Teacher Jiraiya stayed in Hidden Rain Village as the teacher for Nagato and his two friends… 'Regarding the hatred in this world that Teacher mentioned before, I also thought about it myself.'
Teacher Jiraiya stopped eating his noodles and looked at Nagato in surprise.
'Oh! Did you think of a good solution?'
'Peace, a way to peace, I still don't know yet.'
Nagato continued.
'But, one day I will break this curse. If peace truly exists, I will grasp it tightly! More important than the method is the power of conviction!'
Teacher Jiraiya gave him high praise.
He even said, 'Thanks to Nagato, this good book exists.'
At that time, he had high hopes for himself… In the rain at their farewell.
'Now I can return to the Village with peace of mind.'
'From now on, it's up to you.'
'You've worked very hard these past three years.'
'Oh, don't cry, Yahiko, you'll be seen as a coward.'
'Konan, you will become a beautiful woman.'
'When you grow up, we'll meet again.'
'This country is still poor, and there will be many more painful things, but this time, it's up to your strength to change this country.'
Watching Teacher Jiraiya's departing back, Nagato was secretly sad.
Until he returned to his own room.
He saw a book left by Teacher Jiraiya on the table.
"the tale of the gutsy ninja."
From then on, the Akatsuki of the Dawn was formed… 'Perhaps, you might be a reincarnation of the Sage.'
'I feel that the Sage has entrusted his hope to your eyes.'
'I once received a revelation from a certain Sage.'
'My disciple will bring great change to the Ninja World.'
'I am the one who guides the person of that change.'
'I believe that person is you.'
'At the same time, I also believe in you.'
(I believe you can successfully change the Ninja World.)
Nagato looked at Naruto in front of him, as if he saw some kind of future.
He recalled the time he spent with his parents.
He recalled the time he clung to his ideals.
He recalled the time he spent with Teacher Jiraiya.
Nagato felt immense sorrow in his heart.
'One day I will break this curse.'
'If peace truly exists, I will grasp it tightly.'
'More important than the method is the power of conviction.'
Naruto: "And the name of the protagonist of this book, that is—"
Naruto clenched his fist and pointed to his chest.
"Naruto!!"
"So my name is a precious memento left to me by the Perverted Sage."
"I will not give up this memento either!!"
"I will become Hokage!!"
"And bring peace to Hidden Rain Village!"
At this moment, Naruto not only bore this name!
He also bore the ideals bestowed by this name!!
Uzumaki Naruto will become Hokage!
And bring peace to the Ninja World!!!
"Believe in me!"
Nagato: "Why, why can you assert that you will never change? In the future, no matter how much pain assails you, you will not change. Can you believe in yourself so deeply? Can you assert that?! Can you believe in yourself?!"
Naruto had also experienced pain in the past.
He also didn't know how much pain the future held.
But if he didn't believe in himself because of it, and the protagonist changed, it would become a different story.
"I cannot write books like my master, so the sequel is my own way of life."
"No matter how painful things are, I will keep going."
"This is Naruto!!!"
...
"Outer Path — Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique."
It stopped abruptly.
A black screen appeared.
Then, text slowly emerged to summarize.
Naruto's Third Battle
A battle of pain was chosen.
A battle of growth was chosen.
A sixteen-year-old boy.
Helplessness, despair, explosion, the most extreme pain.
With the help of his gentle Fourth Hokage father.
Accepting his father's last "protection."
Recognizing the path ahead.
Bearing the responsibility of the entire Ninja World on his shoulders.
Uzumaki Naruto, fist-bumping with his youth.
...The screen played until this point.
Everyone in the Ninja World knew that the third battle was over.
An exceptionally long battle!
Countless people in the Ninja World felt a sense of loss, and their spirits felt repeatedly rubbed raw during this battle.
So much crucial information about the "future."
But at this moment,
Countless people only wanted to recall Naruto's highlight moments.
Or the highlight moments of many Konoha elites.
The phrase "Uzumaki Naruto, an existence destined to become Hokage in the future" was not spoken in the third battle.
But countless Ninja recognized Light Screen Naruto as the future Seventh Hokage!
Youth?
Countless Ninja, when they were young, had a hero's dream similar to Naruto's.
As they gradually recognized reality, youth died.
Everyone became cold-blooded Ninja, grinding their lives on the edge of a blade.
Watching the battle displayed on the screen at this moment.
Watching Naruto uphold his Ninja Way countless times.
It was as if everyone returned to the moment of those vanished memories.
No wonder it was called "Passion Rekindled" at the beginning!
Youth rekindled, indeed!