Naruto loomed over the Shinobi Alliance, the remains of Team 7 at its head and his former best friend looking at him with hope and regret in equal measure.
"Naruto?" Sasuke said again, his voice hopeful. "You're alive!?"
His eyes swept across the gathered forces, passing by his former friends, by Tsunade and Jiraya, by the reanimated Kage, remaining only a fraction of a second too long on the regretful frown his father wore, before they landed on Sasuke.
"I have a great purpose" Naruto said. "I will not be kept from it, not even by death"
For the briefest of moments as Rinnegan met Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan they seemed to share a memory.
They stood across from each other, the Chidori in Sasuke's hand burned with the power of the second stage of the curse mark, its dark light matched by the crimson glow coming from Naruto's Rasengan.
A clash of ideals as much as one of fists, Sasuke wanted to go to Orochimaru, to get more power so he could kill Itachi, Naruto was hellbent on bringing him back, on taking him home.
His Sharingan met Naruto's Kyuubi-like eyes, a silent clash of wills taking place, and then they were off, in another time, in another place, Sasuke wouldn't have aimed for the kill, he would have had the slightest doubt, just enough for him to divert his attack, it would still cause critical damage but it wouldn't kill.
This was not that time, in this time he remembered what his traitorous brother had said, here he knew what he had to do to have the same eyes his brother had, he knew what he had to do to gain more power.
They clashed, their strength and will put to the test, but Sasuke could see how even now Naruto still held back, he wasn't aiming to kill Sasuke, their clash came to a conclusion and in a moment of clarity, as his vision suddenly became even sharper and he became uncomfortably intimate with the warm viscosity of Naruto's blood, every memory the two shared came back to him.
But it was too late, he watched, stunned, as the blood gushed out of the wound, as the Kyuubi chakra cloak dissipated, as the corpse of his best friend vanished under the water.
And then it passed and they were back to the now.
"Why are you doing this?" Sasuke demanded. "What happened to you!?"
"I found my fate" Naruto said. "The secret hidden deep within my soul"
Naruto motioned towards the Shinobi Alliance, his voice booming across the battlefield.
"I have been chosen by fate, chosen by the Goddess, to save this world!"
"Save!? This isn't salvation, this is war!" Sasuke shouted.
"Yes, war" Naruto said with a slight chuckle. "What other language do you understand?"
"You're killing thousands" Sasuke said. "You killed the jinchuriki and they were just like you!"
"They were nothing like me!" Naruto shouted. "None of you are! Thieves and murderers serving false idols and using duty as a justification for your crimes! You lie and cheat and still have the arrogance to claim to be good!"
"Naruto stop!" Sasuke pleaded. "I'm sorry but please you have to stop"
"Stop? Never! Not when glorious purpose is at my fingertips! I have been chosen by the Goddess to release her from her prison, to save this world and bring peace!"
"This isn't peace Naruto, you are only causing more pain"
"Not for you" Naruto said. "You insignificant shinobi know only war, only violence and death, if the world is to have peace, if this world is to be worthy of my Goddess, then you pests must first be burned away!"
"This is insane!" Sasuke said. "You want to kill everyone!"
"Not everyone" Naruto said. "Those who aren't gulty of countless crimes, those who repent for using the Goddess' stolen power for their own selfish needs, those who bow down and praise her as the one true ruler and protector of humanity, they will be spared, they will be granted a world of peace and happiness, a world you shinobi could never have, a world you don't deserve"
"So this is what you want? Genocide?"
"I will build a better world in the ashes of the past, one worthy the Goddess"
"What happened?" Sasuke asked. "What happened to the boy who wanted to be Hokage!? What happened to my friend?"
"You killed him" Naruto said, causing Sasuke to flinch. "He died when I plunged under those dark waters, but from his body and the will of the Goddess I was reborn, when I was lost she gave me purpose, when I was weak she gave me power, when I was alone she showed me her love, she showed me what could be and asked me to help, I am an insect before her vastness yet she asked me to help this world, she gave me everything and still gave me the option to say no, but I couldn't be that selfish, if I could help the world feel the happiness I felt when she embraced me, even if only for a moment, then I will do whatever it takes"
"Naruto please!" Sasuke pleaded. "This isn't the way!"
"You know nothing!" Naruto spat. "Her wisdom is infinite, she gave me this purpose and I will see it through!"
Sasuke sighed sadly, looking at his former best friend in regret before he steeled himself, he would bring Naruto to his senses even if it killed him, he owed the blonde that much.
Naruto's Rinnegan glowed with power, behind him Black Zetsu controled Obito's body to prepare to seal the Juubi, the massive creature itself creating gusts of wind with the movement of its ten tails.
"I am this world's savior" Naruto growled, his voice emanating with power. "And I will bring about a better tomorrow, by force if I must"