(And welcome to the new year everyone. 2017 had its ups and downs, but it's all behind us. Let's embrace the new year and hope for the best.)
One night in Konoha, both Naruto and Sasuke were asleep in their homes peacefully. Suddenly the two started tossing and turning in their sleep, while markings started glowing on Naruto. The two opened their eyes and saw themselves in Naruto's mindscape.
"Naruto?" Sasuke asked in shock.
"Sasuke?" Naruto wondered.
"Where the hell are we?" Sasuke looked around the void.
"This is my mind." Naruto explained.
"This is... Well, it's got an awful lot of space for your mind." Sasuke quipped.
"Hey!"
"You are both here for a reason." Kurama appeared, taking Sasuke by surprise.
"Naruto, is he really?"
"Yeah. Sasuke, Kurama. Kurama, Sasuke." Naruto introduced them.
"Charmed to finally meet you face to face, Sasuke." Kurama answered.
"Likewise I guess." he replied, as a light started illuminating around them.
Descending from above was Raavaatu, "Forgetting about me already?" the spirit asked sounding hurt.
"Sorry about that," Naruto replied, "And this, Sasuke, is Raavaatu."
"That's the combined form of Raava and Vaatu?" Sasuke asked in disbelief.
"Precisely."
Naruto spoke to Kurama, "So why are we here?"
"Because we sense the presence of one who has not been around for millennia." came a voice as Wan and Korra approached.
"Korra! Wan!" Naruto smiled.
Sasuke looked at the two, "Avatar Korra? Avatar Wan?"
"One and the same." Korra confirmed.
"And you must be Sasuke Uchiha?" Wan guessed.
"Correct." he confirmed.
"All right back it up," Naruto interrupted them, "Who is this presence you're sensing?"
"Come on, Naruto. Even you and Sasuke must sense it as well." Korra said.
Naruto and Sasuke looked around as if finally sensing the presence of another with them. They saw levitating before them was an old man wearing white robes and carrying a staff, and his eyes were a familiar bloodline used by former Akatsuki member Nagato.
"Naruto Uzumaki. Sasuke Uchiha. I have been expecting you for quite some time now." the old man addressed.
The boys were in shock, as Naruto spoke, "You're really him. The Sage of Six Paths. Hagoromo Otsutsuki."
"Correct," he nodded before looking up at Kurama, "Kurama, you're looking very well."
"It's so good to see you again, old man." Kurama said happily while shedding a tear.
Hagoromo looked up at the spirit, "Well, it looks like you two finally learned to get along now. What do I call you?"
"Raavaatu, the spirit of twilight." the spirit answered.
"Of course," Hagoromo chuckled, before looking to Korra, "Avatar Korra. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Feeling's mutual, sir."
Hagoromo turned to Wan, "Hello, Wan."
"Hi, old man." Wan greeted like old friends.
"So why have you shown yourself to us?" Sasuke inquired.
"It is because it's time both you and Naruto take your rightful places as the inheritors of my will and my brothers."
"Say what?" Naruto asked in confusion.
"Old man, maybe you should start fro the beginning." Wan suggested.
"Very well," Hagoromo sighed, "As I'm sure you're all aware of my legend."
"Yeah, the founder of ninjutsu." Naruto answered.
Hagoromo spoke up, "No, boy. Ninjutsu was not what I originally created. It was actually Ninshu."
"What's Ninshu?" Sasuke asked.
"It was the teaching I started when I first discovered the mystery of chakra hundreds of years ago. The teachings of ninshū were meant to give people a better understanding of themselves, as well as others, and lead the world into an era of peace. But it was twisted and warped becoming a weapon known as ninjutsu. And since then mankind has fought one another using a method that was meant to bring peace to this world."
"How did it become warped in the first place?" Naruto asked.
"To understand I will have to take you back millennia ago. Long before me, before anything." The sage used his power to project a flashback for them.
"Long-long ago there was a woman named Kaguya," he began, as they saw a pale woman with eyes of the Hyuga clan, "She and her clan came from another world in search of the fruit of the God Tree."
"God tree?" Naruto asked.
"A gigantic tree that grows by absorbing blood soaked into the ground from countless battles over a millennia. Every thousand years the tree produced a chakra fruit that is never to be touched. Members of Kaguya's clan wanted this fruit to obtain the powerful chakra within it. Kaguya ate the fruit and consumed the tree's chakra, and since then began ruling over humanity ending all wars."
"Doesn't sound so bad." Sasuke admitted.
"It gets worse, I assure you," Hagoromo replied seriously, "Soon enough, Kaguya gave birth to two boys. One of them was named Hamura and the other was Hagoromo, myself."
"You?" Naruto asked in shock, "Then Kaguya..."
"Yes, Kaguya Otsutsuki, is my mother." Hagoromo declared.
"Whoa." Naruto gasped, while Wan and Korra remained neutral and listened in.
"Mother loved the both of us, treating us as if we were more precious to her than diamonds or gold."
"Sounded like the ideal mother." Sasuke noted.
"Yes, but all that came to an end," Hagoromo explained, "Eventually Kaguya started to lose her trust in humanity as her own power started corrupting her from a supposed goddess to a demon. In her descent to madness she started capturing innocent lives turning them into servants she would use to face more of her clan that wanted the fruit of the tree. Angered and consumed by greed wanting all the chakra for herself merged with the tree becoming a monster of destruction!"
The group saw the monster arise with ten tails, which surprised Naruto, "Ten tails?" he looked up at Kurama who felt guilty.
"The ten tailed beast rampaged throughout the land until Hamura and I went to stop it. We succeeded in defeating our mother by using a sealing attack to conceal the body of the beast in a celestial body known to this day as the moon."
"Wow. Something so beautiful has held something so evil all this time?" Korra asked Wan.
"Who knew?" he shrugged.
"When mother was banished, I assimilated the beast's power into my body becoming its vessel. Or a Jinchuriki as they say," Hagoromo continued, "Hamura felt mother would return one day, so he ascended to the moon with our clan members to keep vigil over the body. I myself set out into the land to spread my peaceful teachings of ninshu. I had gained many followers in the form of people who lost their way and resorted to committing crime. I even happened across Wan during my travels and he himself embraced my belief that there could be peace."
"Yeah. Hagoromo was also there for me and Raava when we sealed Vaatu," Wan added, "He helped me in better connecting with Raava and the world around me so that I could use her power for good since then. But still I wasn't able to make the world a peaceful place." he looked down, until Hagoromo put a hand on his shoulder.
"You did all you could, and that is saying more than enough. And besides you've left the responsibility to many worthy and capable successors." he motioned to Korra and Naruto who felt sheepish.
"Thank you." Korra replied.
Hagoromo continued, "I had thought my teaching of ninshu would bring about a peaceful age, until many started turning my teaching into a weapon known as ninjutsu. I still held onto faith, but knew it would not be established through one life. So it was then I decided to entrust my dream and legacy to my own two sons Indra and Asura. Indra was a gifted prodigy but isolated. It was he who ended up inheriting my eyes known as the Rinnegan. Asura was his opposite having no natural talent, but filled with hope wanting to befriend all and pushed himself past his limits. I would eventually leave to him my own chakra."
"Kinda reminds me of us in a sense." Naruto nudge Sasuke.
"I guess." he replied.
"Inspired by Asura I separated the ten tailed beast into nine individuals giving them all names. Though extracting them from myself left me incredibly weakened with only the powerful life force from it which kept me alive but still incapacitated. I told Kurama and his siblings that they were all still linked to one another despite being separate entities. And one day they would eventually become one again, yet not as they originally were, and that one shall appear at that time to show them what true power is." he glanced at Naruto who smiled.
"So what about Indra and Asura?" Sasuke wondered.
"Sensing more love and care in Asura than in Indra who was driven by power and ambition, I named my youngest son my successor upon my death. Unfortunately, that ignited a spark between my sons, and that began a clash of philosophy and beliefs that would go on through the centuries from two people to another."
"Two people or another?" Naruto asked.
"Correct. After their time passed their very wills and rivalries were unexpectedly inherited by two more powerful shinobi who thought just as they did. Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha."
"The founders of our village." Sasuke noted.
Hagoromo nodded, "And now their will inherits the two of you."
"Us?" Naruto asked.
"Yes, but unlike Indra and Asura, and Hashirama and Madara the both of you though different have the same aspiration to make this world a better place in the way I had always intended to be taught. You Naruto embody the chakra and will of my youngest son, Asura. And you Sasuke have inherited the chakra and will of my oldest boy, Indra."
"How about that, Sasuke? Looks I'm not the only one important in the grand scheme of things." Naruto said.
"I always felt I was meant for a greater purpose." Sasuke admitted.
"There is danger on the horizon, and it will require the power of not just the Avatar and the chakra of the tailed beasts, but the power and will of both my sons and my own. With that it is time I unlocked the final power the both of you need. Hold out your hands."
Naruto and Sasuke were curious, as they each held out a hand. The sage put each of his hands to theirs and suddenly the boys felt something awaken inside them. Naruto had suddenly went into mode change and looked himself over. He appeared to be in full chakra mode like before only it looked like he was wearing a dark body suit and a flaming jacket. His eyes were a combination of sage mode and tailed beast chakra mode. And surrounding him were many black spheres and in his hands were two black rods.
"Oh, sweet, check me out!" Naruto cheered.
"Yeah, swell. But take a look at this." Sasuke revealed his left eye became a combination of Rinnegan with the Sharingan tomoes only with six instead of three.
"Sasuke, love the eye." Naruto whistled.
"You both look great." Korra smiled.
"Use my power to protect this world and see to it there is a bright and shining future for all the people in the future. Naruto. Sasuke. Good luck to all of you." the Sage disappeared.
"Don't worry, old man. We'll see to it that the evil that plagues the land is stopped for good," Naruto promised, "Together, right?" he held out his hand to Sasuke.
Sasuke smirked, and locked hands with Naruto, "Together." upon clasping hands it created an illuminating light, and both boys woke up back in bed. They each got up and looked out their bedroom windows. They each smiled knowing whatever they'd face they would do it together.
(And there's the chapter. They learned the backstory of Hagoromo and his family while also gaining a piece of his power to aid them in the inevitable fight that lies ahead. And no I don't mean Kaguya, because I don't wanna get into all that canon stuff. Don't miss next time where they have an encounter with Zetsu and discover the truth about him as well. See you then.)