Gaara's POV:
The wind felt… clean again.
It blew gently through the ruined valley, tugging at what little remained of his scorched robes. Ash still floated in the air, but the oppressive weight that had choked the battlefield moments ago was gone. Lifted.
His body ached. Muscles sore, chakra nearly empty. His left eye, hollow. Yet inside—peace.
He stood silently while Naruto and Jiraiya still celebrated nearby, letting their joy echo into the sky. Gaara was smiling too—but softly, inwardly. The kind of smile that came from surviving something no one was meant to survive.
His sand stirred beside him—tired, but loyal.
"It's over."
He looked down at his hand. Blood smeared the fingers from where he had ripped the Sharingan from his palm earlier. A necessary loss. A worthy loss.
For the first time in what felt like hours, he exhaled deeply and closed his remaining eye.
The silence was peaceful.
The battlefield was finally still.
Smoke drifted from craters across the ruined land, and the last echoes of combat faded into the wind. My cloak, scorched and torn, fluttered gently at my sides. I stood at the center of it all, with Naruto, Jiraiya, and Itachi nearby—silent, worn, but alive.
I took a breath. The Rinnegan pulsed in my right eye, heavy and cold like a weight of fate. My body still ached from the fight… but there was one last thing I needed to do.
I lifted my hand.
The ground beneath us groaned, splitting open with a violent rumble. The air turned bitter cold as a shadow rose from the earth—a familiar one, though no less ominous than the first time I saw it.
The Gedo Statue.
Its monstrous fingers clawed into the sky, its hollow maw opening with a terrible creak. Naruto flinched. I could feel Jiraiya tense beside me.
"You're really summoning that thing?" he asked, voice edged with caution.
I nodded. "Just to finish this."
From within its mouth, seven radiant orbs of chakra spiraled out, each vibrating with raw, ancient power. I watched, unmoving, as they took form—each one a creature I had only seen bound in chains or forced into battle.
Matatabi emerged first, her flames a calm blue glow. Then Isobu, his great shell shifting as he glanced at me. Son Gokū stood proudly, snorting smoke, while Kokuō appeared with a solemn nod. Saiken oozed forward with bubbling curiosity, and Chōmei hovered above, her wings radiant. Last came Gyūki—massive, intimidating, but… peaceful.
I looked them all in the eye.
"You're free now," I told them. "You don't belong to anyone."
None of them spoke, but I felt it—the weight of their gazes. There was no hatred in them. Just… understanding.
One by one, they turned and began to vanish into the wilderness. I let them go.
Naruto stepped up beside me, giving me a look and a quiet smile.
"We actually did it," he murmured.
I didn't smile, but I felt something stir in my chest. Relief? Pride? It was hard to say.
Jiraiya chuckled. "You kids are crazy, you know that?"
I lowered my hand and turned my thoughts inward. The battle was over. The threat was sealed. But one last thing lingered.
A soft chime echoed in my ears.
🔔 [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]🏁 Quest Chain Complete: Fourth Great Ninja War – "Sever the Cycle of Hatred"
Main Objective Complete: Defeat Madara – ✔
Reward: Mystic Eyes of Death Perception👁
"See the lines of death… Sever fate itself."▸ A transcendental power born of resolve and rebirth.
Bonus Objective 1: Seal Black Zetsu – ✔
Reward: Karma Seal
Bonus Objective 2: Prevent Kaguya's Resurrection – ✔
Reward: Otsutsuki Bloodline
Defeat Kaguya Ōtsutsuki – ❌ Failed🛑 Reward:None▸ Her emergence was halted—but she could return in the future depending on your decisions...
Clear Naruto: Shippuden Storyline – ✔ Success!🎉 A chapter closes... but the stars whisper of greater trials ahead.
📘 New Storyline Unlocked: Otsutsuki Invasion Arc
🌑 Main Quest: Moonlit Reckoning🔷 "Something stirs beyond the stars…"
🌕 First Quest: Confront Toneri Ōtsutsuki
Objective:
Travel to the Moon.
Stop Toneri Ōtsutsuki before the Moon crashes into the Earth.
🕛 Time Limit: 3 years
📍 Target Location: Hidden Chamber of the Moon Palace
Rewards: ???
I stared at the golden text glowing across my vision, letting it all sink in.
Mystic Eyes of Death Perception…
Karma Seal…
Otsutsuki Bloodline…
A smirk pulled at the corner of my lips. Not bad at all.
I reached up to my face, fingers brushing against my left eye. The blank Sharingan embedded there had served its purpose—and now, it was just a placeholder.
I took a sharp breath and yanked it out, a wet squelch echoing in my ears as pain lanced across my face. My eye socket throbbed, blood running down my cheek—but I didn't flinch.
Instead, I activated the Karma Seal.
It bloomed to life across my body—golden, intricate patterns rippling from my left hand up my arm, curling across my chest, neck, and face in elegant, symmetrical trails. The wound in my eye sealed instantly as my body began to regenerate, not just healing… but transforming.
I staggered slightly as power surged through me. I clenched my fists as I felt bones shift, nerves rewire, my chakra coils expanding to absurd heights.
My left eye opened.
And with it, came the Byakugan—pale, milky white, yet far more refined. I could see everything. Every chakra point. Every movement. Every threat. There was nothing beyond my vision now.
From my forehead, just above the crimson "愛" tattoo—my mark of love—a horn grew. Smooth, pale ivory, curving just slightly upward. I reached up and touched it, feeling the change.
Yet, somehow… I still felt like myself.
Still Gaara of the Sand. Just reborn into something… more.
Naruto's eyes widened at the dramatic change. "Woah…"
Jiraiya took a cautious step back. "Okay, that's new."
A sudden stillness fell over the battlefield.
The air shimmered—like a thin veil of water rippling across the world. The scent of wind, earth, and scorched chakra gave way to something ancient… divine.
Then—he appeared.
Floating inches above the cracked battlefield, draped in flowing robes adorned with six magatama and the Rinnegan etched into his palms and forehead, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki... the Sage of Six Paths.
His presence was overwhelming—not in brute force, but in tranquility so pure it pressed down like gravity.
Everyone froze.
Naruto's jaw dropped.
Jiraiya instinctively stepped back.
Itachi's Sharingan spun with quiet tension.
But I… did not flinch.
"I see…" the Sage said, his voice calm, deep, and echoing, as his gaze slowly drifted across the battlefield—Naruto, Jiraiya, Itachi—then finally landed on me.
His eyes narrowed.
"You… You carry my mother's blood in a way that I have never seen before."
The space between us crackled, and for the first time since Madara, I felt true pressure.
"Are you of her kin?" he asked quietly, solemnly.
I didn't avert my gaze. I didn't bow. I answered clearly.
"If you mean to ask whether I'm of the Ōtsutsuki… then yes. By blood, I suppose I am now."
A pause.
"Though," I added, my voice sharpening, "if you're asking whether I intend to devour this world… you need not worry. This planet is not mine to harvest."
The Sage's brow furrowed.
I felt it then—tension, like a bow being slowly drawn.
So I acted.
In a breath, I summoned the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. The world shifted—every living thing became a web of death lines, and the Sage himself glowed with faint impermanence. Even in this spiritual form… I can see the lines that I need to sever and kill him right now.
I was too focused on what I could see—lines of death, glowing faintly in the world around me. Cracks in the illusion of permanence.
Weaknesses waiting to be severed.
So this is the power of the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception…
Those Otsutsuki Aliens are fucked...
I exhaled slowly. My chakra was perfectly calm. My body, revitalized. My mind, sharper than ever.
If I needed to—I could sever it all. Even him.
I took one quiet step forward, tilting my head slightly as I focused.
"This world is mine to protect," I said softly. "But if you see me as a threat…."
The silence that followed felt eternal.
But then… the Sage exhaled. The pressure vanished, like fog in the sun.
A small, tired smile crossed his face as he took in my power.
He drifted closer—not as a god—but as a man.
"I came to offer gratitude… not conflict," he said at last. "You have not only stopped Madara… you have freed the world from its path of suffering. The Tailed Beasts…" He looked behind me as I turned.
The Gedo Statue still stood, the Tailed Beasts stirring in their chakra forms—each one watching in stunned reverence.
"…my children are free again."
The Sage lowered his head.
"To all of you—I thank you."
I nodded once. My eyes still glowed, but I allowed the lines to fade. He was not my enemy. Not today.
"…You're welcome," I murmured, and the karma seal on my hand dimmed slightly in agreement.
The atmosphere around us shimmered with a kind of divine calm as the Sage of Six Paths walked among the Tailed Beasts—his "children." They stirred in awe, not fear, their chakra pulsing like waves across the cracked battlefield. It was a reunion long overdue.
I stepped forward, eyes lingering on the form beside me—Shukaku.
He looked… calm. Not agitated. Not snarling or impatient. Just standing there in silence, watching his siblings, a rare softness in his expression.
"…This is your chance," I told him quietly. "I said I'd let you go once this was over. That I'd be strong enough to protect this world without you."
He turned toward me, his massive one-eyed gaze narrowing.
"Tch. About time, brat. Thought you'd keep me leashed forever."
I smiled faintly. "You're free, Shukaku."
I raised my right hand, the karma seal pulsing gold along my skin. With a flash of chakra and my Rinnegan swirling with quiet gravity, I undid the final tether. Shukaku's body glowed and began to dissolve into pure chakra, drifting toward the others.
"Don't die, Gaara," he muttered as his form faded, "or I'll be the one to come back and kill you."
"…Fair enough."
I let out a breath as the final trace of his presence vanished from within me.
A strange emptiness remained… but it was quickly filled with something else.
Purpose.
I turned my gaze upward. The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception remained active. The world still shimmered in white lines of impermanence. Even the Sage, in his spiritual form, had death lines. The Tailed Beasts. The air. The stars.
Everything could die.
Even… gods.
A thought surfaced in my mind—one I hadn't truly dared to explore until now.
There was something beyond Kaguya. Something vast. Distant. A being whispered in Boruto… the Otsutsuki God.
If such a thing existed…
I could kill it.
Not now. Not yet. But this power… it didn't care about regeneration. It ignored immortality. Even time, space, or dimensions couldn't protect a target from the line that could be cut.
Give me time… a few years maybe… and even the divine will have something to fear.
My right hand twitched slightly. I could feel the pressure of it—the toll. These eyes… weren't meant for constant use. The strain was subtle at first, but it was building.
So, I closed them.
The death lines disappeared. The world returned to color.
As the Sage of Six Paths extended his hand, golden light enveloped Naruto.
I watched in silence as the energy surged through him, lifting dust and wind from the ground around us. Naruto's eyes glowed—cross-shaped pupils burning like stars—as the Six Paths Sage Mode awakened inside him. His injuries faded. His chakra surged like the sun being reborn.
For a moment, I smiled, seeing him at his fullest.
"…You really are the child of prophecy Naruto," Jiraiya muttered behind me, awestruck.
But something tugged at the back of my thoughts. I turned to the Sage.
"Sage… what about Sasuke?"
He paused, his ancient eyes reflecting sorrow.
"I was unable to intervene when he died," he said quietly. "I did not expect his path to end so soon. And now… he is not strong enough to withstand my full blessing. His soul is quiet, resting."
I narrowed my eyes.
Right… this wasn't the same as the original timeline. In this timeline due to my changes, Sasuke was cut down by Kabuto and Obito during his battle with Itachi.
Shit! Will he even be able to awaken the Rinnegan anytime soon after I resurrect him? I think I will have to recruit Toneri after I deal with his plan of dropping the moon on Earth.
"Even so…" I clenched my fist. "I have a plan. When the time comes… I'll use Rinne Tensei, or Ill have Obito do it first.. Not just for Sasuke. For others too—those taken too early. If I can stabilize my body enough, I'll bring them all back."
There was a long silence.
Naruto exhaled, the new light of Six Paths power still radiating from his skin. "You can really do that?"
I nodded. "Eventually. My body's evolving. I've awakened something that transcends the normal rules. Time is all I need and Vitality is something that I no longer lack."
Itachi turned his head slightly, shadows hiding his expression. "…Thank you."
Jiraiya clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Then lets Deliver the Good news to the others."
He turned to the others, scanning the horizon.
"We should regroup with the remaining Allied Forces. There's still work to be done. We need to secure the wounded, bury the dead… and plan for whatever comes next."
I looked down at my hand, feeling the dormant warmth of the karma seal curled along my skin, like gold ink beneath my veins.
There was still more to come.
But for now…
I turned to the others.
"Let's go."
[Time Skip – Allied Shinobi Reunion | Gaara POV]
The battlefield had long since quieted. Fires were doused, craters filled, and makeshift tents lined the remains of the scorched terrain. Despite the scars left by war, the mood was light—almost impossibly so.
Cheers echoed through the air.
Allied shinobi—Leaf, Sand, Stone, Mist, and Cloud—stood shoulder to shoulder. Some had arms slung over each other's shoulders, others wept, and many simply laughed, exhausted but alive.
Naruto was swarmed instantly, lifted onto shoulders and passed around like a living legend. Itachi stayed quietly by the edge, offering brief nods to those who noticed him. Even Jiraiya looked ready to shed tears, sake in hand, muttering something about how proud he was.
But I had other things on my mind.
I scanned the tents until I found her—Tsunade, still in her tattered cloak, arms crossed as she observed a report from a medic-nin. Her presence still radiated command.
I stepped up behind her.
"Tsunade."
She turned. Her eyes softened slightly. "Gaara… I heard you were awake. You alright?"
"I'm fine," I said simply. "I need to know where Obito Uchiha is being held."
Tsunade's brows knit together. "He's in isolated custody. Underground, reinforced by sealing tags. We weren't sure what to do with him yet—Why?"
I stared at her a long moment, then said:
"I have a plan for him."
The medic beside her excused himself awkwardly.
Tsunade folded her arms. "You're not planning on sparing him, are you?"
"No," I replied. "Not unless he gives me reason to. But Obito's existence still has… use. Redemption is possible, if you know how to extract it."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes, but something in my tone made her pause.
"…Hmph. Fine," she said at last. "You'll be escorted. But Gaara—whatever it is you're planning… be careful. He's still dangerous."
I gave a brief nod.
I wasn't doing this out of sentiment.
[Underground Detention Chamber – Hidden Reinforcement Bunker]
The cold stone corridor echoed with the sharp footsteps of shinobi guards, sealing talismans glowing faintly along the walls. I didn't say a word as we approached the reinforced door—the one behind which Obito Uchiha waited, shackled in silence.
His fight was gone. I had taken his eye, shattered his Delusions from within, and beaten him into surrender. There wasn't anything more for him to say to me.
I gestured to Kabuto. "Bring them in."
With a pulse of chakra and the appropriate hand signs, the technique triggered. Four figures emerged in a soft glow of white ash and chakra—Kakashi Hatake, Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, and Rin Nohara.
The very people that Obito had failed, betrayed… or lost.
They stood silently for a moment, gazing at the sealed cell ahead. None of them spoke—until Kakashi finally broke the silence.
"…Let me go first."
The rest nodded.
I turned away.
"I'll remain outside," I said flatly. "Whatever is said in there… is not for me."
Minato gave me a nod of gratitude. Kushina squeezed his hand. Rin… looked nervous. But they entered.
The door shut behind them as they began to engage in a very deep conversation.
I stood there, arms crossed, leaning on the cool stone wall as I stared ahead—thinking. Not about Obito, really. He didn't matter anymore to me. I had what I needed. He had lost the Kamui. I had gained far more.
Indifference. That was the best way to describe how I felt.
He had taken Sasuke's life. Tried to destroy the world. Declared war upon the 5 great Nations. A few haunting apologies wouldn't redeem him—not in my eyes.
And the way he's hurt so many people, how he manipulated and twisted everything… I know most people probably want him dead. And truthfully, if that's what they choose for him, I'll accept it without any second thoughts.
Though I had made one final decision.
If he was going to die—and I had no doubt most would demand it—then I'd ensure he did something useful first.
"Before he goes, he'll cast Rinne Tensei."
I still have another Rinnegan Eye in my Inventory that is waiting to be used. I will Implant it in him.
I think I know Obito well enough to believe he would do this. If it's his final act before death, it might be the least he can do to make amends. He owes it to them and he would be happy with resurrecting Rin.
I should likely start making a list of people who need to be resurrected.
(End of Chapter)