"The Reincarnation Eye!"Naruto exclaimed in shock.
The Sage of the Six Paths nodded gravely. "That's right. The Reincarnation Eye—also known as the Samsara Eye—has the ability, through forbidden Otsutsuki techniques and a divine artifact known as the Plow, to send a soul back through time and space, resurrecting it into its original body."
He paused, then continued with somber clarity."However, the technique comes with strict requirements and a steep price:First, the caster must possess an immense amount of chakra.Second, the spell demands the life of the person who performs it.Third, the Samsara Eye can only be used once—after it's activated, it loses its power permanently."
Naruto stood still, absorbing the information. The technique resembled the Rinnegan's Six Paths of Reincarnation jutsu. But this... this was even more powerful. This technique could transcend time itself and return someone to life in their original body.
But something didn't add up.If the technique could only be used once, why didn't Boruto use it on himself? Why didn't he send himself to the Sage instead? He had only one Pure Eye—surely he would have wanted to survive.
Sensing Naruto's growing confusion, the Sage continued."The Pure Eye that Boruto awakened wasn't entirely his own power. It was the legacy of my brother, Hamura. Once Boruto fully developed the Pure Eye, it activated Hamura's latent chakra—just like how the chakra I left behind once appeared to you and Sasuke. In the same way, Hamura's essence manifested within Boruto."
"And it was Hamura," the Sage added, "who revealed everything to your son. Boruto then chose to deliberately lose the battle and become a vessel. In doing so, he acquired an enormous amount of chakra, triggering the technique embedded in his eye. He had also already obtained the divine Plow, and with all the conditions met, he was able to send you to me."
Naruto's breath caught in his throat.
"But why didn't he send me directly into the past?" he asked. "Why go through all this? Wouldn't that have been simpler?"
"Because," the Sage explained gently, "traveling through time with a soul is incredibly risky. Your spirit could be damaged, your memories lost, or worse—you might lose your true self. That's why I was placed here—this meeting is the final safeguard. I'm here to explain everything and help you understand your mission."
The Sage's eyes turned downcast. "I've gambled once before and lost. I can't afford to gamble again."
Naruto exhaled deeply. Finally, it all made sense.Boruto—his son—was the key to his resurrection. That's why the Great Toad Sage called him the child of prophecy. The one who would change the world.And because the risks of memory loss and identity fracture were so high, the Sage of Six Paths had built this moment—this conversation—as a spiritual checkpoint to ground him.
"But now the Samsara Eye is gone," Naruto said. "Boruto used the one he inherited to bring me here. Even if you revive me, how can you guarantee I'll remember all of this?"
The Sage smiled knowingly. "Guess how many eyes my brother Hamura had?"
Suddenly, an eye materialized on the Sage's left hand. Naruto looked closely and gasped."This is… the Pure Eye! No, wait—this is the Samsara Eye!"
The Sage nodded. "Hamura awakened both of his eyes. One was inherited by Boruto, and the other remained with me—our backup plan."
Naruto stared at the Sage in awe.So this had all been arranged. A divine strategy with failsafes upon failsafes. Plan A and Plan B. Truly the thinking of an immortal.
"What do you want me to do now?" Naruto asked, fully prepared to return.
The Sage replied calmly, "That's up to you. Once I activate the Samsara Eye Technique, you'll be sent back into the past. But the exact point in time is unpredictable. In fact, this current meeting with me is the result of a very rare alignment of time and space."
"You have two choices:First, I can resurrect you in your original body in the present—this current timeline.Second, you can attempt to go even further back in time. I cannot guarantee when or where you'll end up, but it will be sometime before this current point."
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
"Whichever you choose, I will use the power of Yin and Yang to anchor your soul and preserve your memories. You won't forget anything."
Naruto nodded, but then asked, "Boruto didn't use Yin and Yang Release, did he? Yet my soul made it here intact."
The Sage of Six Paths replied, "That's because both the eye Boruto used and the one I possess are reincarnated Samsara Eyes from Hamura. The eyes are linked. That's how your soul could pass safely through time and space."
Naruto was quiet for a moment, then asked, "What time is it now, in the outside world?"
The Sage looked into the distance. "It is during the Fourth Great Ninja War. You and Sasuke are still on the battlefield, leading the Allied Shinobi Forces against Madara and Obito."
A memory stirred in Naruto's heart. He gasped. "Neji—what about Neji? Has he already...?"
The Sage's expression darkened. "Yes. He's already passed."
Naruto clenched his fists. Even now, the pain was fresh. He remembered Neji's final words—"Because you called me a genius."How many nights had he laid awake, haunted by those words?
But now, he had a chance.
He couldn't control the exact moment he would travel to. But maybe, just maybe, he could return to a time before Neji's death. If he could just get there in time...
He looked up at the Sage of Six Paths, his eyes blazing with resolve."I choose the second option. I want to go back—further than now."
The Sage gave him a long, quiet look. "Are you certain?"
Naruto nodded without hesitation.
The Sage slowly raised his left hand. Without removing the Rinnegan from his eye, he implanted the Pure Eye directly into his palm.
Naruto blinked in surprise. "Aren't you going to remove the Rinnegan first?"
The Sage smiled faintly. "Both I and the Samsara Eye exist in a spiritual form. There's no need to remove anything—only to activate what is needed."
He began performing an intricate sequence of hand seals. When the final seal was formed, he shouted:"Reincarnation Technique!"
A brilliant white light erupted from the Pure Eye in the Sage's hand and bathed Naruto in radiant energy.
Naruto felt the warmth wrap around him, growing stronger and stronger. He looked toward the Sage again—his form was beginning to fade, growing more transparent with every passing moment. The Pure Eye in his hand was dimming as well.
Naruto's heart skipped. The technique required a life sacrifice. But the Sage... he had no life left to give.
Then it struck him. Naruto turned to him with a questioning gaze.
The Sage smiled gently. "Goodbye, Naruto. This time, it's truly goodbye. The future of the ninja world is in your hands."
And with those final words, the spirit of the Sage of Six Paths dissolved into the ether.
Naruto stood with tears in his eyes as the white light around him reached its peak, consuming him entirely.
His body was swept into the stream of time, vanishing from that realm.
And as he disappeared, the divine Plow—used to trigger the forbidden technique—shattered into countless fragments, crumbling to ash and dust.