Disclaimer Note: Most of this chapter was shamelessly transcribed from Naruto and Sasuke's Final Fight at the Valley of the End. Sasuke's confusing-as-hell "I'll Become the Darkness Monologue" and the subsequent fight sequence is basically a written version of episodes 476 and 477 (except for the small snippets when Naruto talks about Sakura's death because obviously she didn't die in the actual anime lol). Retelling Naruto and Sasuke's last battle is extremely necessary for Sasuke's character development for when he travels to the past.
The wind billowed, emitting a low and soft whistle as it whisked through the rift between the statues of Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama. Half of the Valley of the End was now submerged deep in water, as the waterfall in between the aforementioned statues pounded down into the pool with great force, generating huge wafts of mist and creating a deafening woosh in the background.
Naruto and Sasuke stood, each on an effigy opposite from each other, intensely facing off in the middle of a gloomy, grey twilight. A few stray leaves flew with the wind, and Sasuke lightly snatched one out of the air with his thumb and index finger. Letting it fall into his palm, he gazed at it and what it represented.
A leaf. Konoha.
"My explanation of what it means to be Hokage represents my response."
Naruto wordlessly waited, letting Sasuke continue.
"Itachi's way of life led me to this answer. To protect the Land of Fire and Konoha, he sacrificed both his clan and himself. At first, I needed to understand why. Just what was this Land and village that he would go so far to protect? All of the previous Hokage said that the village was a framework created to vanquish the slaughter of clans and children; a framework designed to instate peace... and Itachi tried to sustain that peace all by himself. And that's when I finally understood: suffering bitter experiences, living in darkness as a criminal and traitor against the Land and the village, He was a shinobi who undertook all hatred and protected the both the Land of Fire and Konoha from the shadows. To me, he was the true Hokage."
Sasuke crushed the leaf in his fist.
"It's not the one who is acknowledged by all, but the one who accepts all the hatred that is worthy of the title of Hokage. And I finally came to understand Itachi's feelings for this Land and village. But my brother failed in one aspect—letting his younger brother live, hiding the truth from him, and allowing the hatred to disseminate. However, I am unlike my brother; I have no father, mother, brother, not even a single member of my clan left alive."
He let the crushed pieces of the leaf go into the wind, and they fluttered away from his hand.
"I am all alone. I alone can bear the weight of all the hatred, and I alone will personally deal with all the hatred. I alone will handle all of the shinobis' problems. I alone will judge and punish. I'll concentrate all hatred upon myself, and bring together every single village under my control. Hatred within the darkness cannot be eliminated. Yes, the meaning of "Hokage" to me is someone who will sear away the darkness of all five hidden villages with just his own flame and then keep living by eating the ashes!"
Naruto gritted his teeth, "And you think everybody will just sit back and allow you to do that?"
"I already told you! I don't care what anybody thinks. And besides, I have the power to control everything now."
"You really have no clue about how Itachi lived! There are things that you can't do alone. Can't you see? This is the reason Sakura-chan died! She sacrificed her life giving us an opening! She was the only reason you were able to get out of Kaguya's dimension! She is who allowed us to defeat Kaguya!"
Sasuke remained impassive, "But not everything always goes so well... just like these two stone statues we're standing on." Just like me and Itachi.
"Revolution," Sasuke declared, "then the villages will no longer have to bear darkness, and I alone will become the darkness. I will dispose of the deep darkness of the past and from scratch build a path to a pure white future."
"And you're going to do this by killing the bijuu and the Gokage?!" Naruto angrily shouted, his anger rising with every word.
"Exactly. I'm cutting off the past."
Naruto reached his limit, "You, you're saying that you can pretend nothing ever happened with Itachi?! You and Itachi were connected to each other, and because a lot happened between you two, that's what made you who you are today!"
"Itachi is now in the past to me. I'm cutting all past mistakes and doubts here, starting anew. And first I will cut you down. And your blood will be the last shed in the memory of my late brother!"
Naruto balled his fist, "... I won't let you," he near-whispered. "I learned everything I know from the people of my past! Especially how to figure out what to do after making a mistake. That's why I won't let you kill me!"
The two charged headlong at each other, colliding forearms so aggressively, when they split apart a sonic boom-like shockwave emitted from the encounter.
Quickly, the pair fell into an intense taijutsu battle. Although both were exhausted from their final battle with Kaguya just mere moments before, Sasuke was able to intersperse fire jutsu along with using his Rinnegan powers and Naruto was able to create shadow clones and generate multiple Rasengan within their fight.
"Enton: Honoikazuchi!" Black flames erupted around Sasuke's body and pierced through the Naruto clones encircling him. The real Naruto caught his attack with his left hand coated in Kurama's chakra and quickly fell into Six Paths Sage Mode. He swung at Sasuke with both arms of chakra, and Sasuke evaded them easily.
Sasuke blasted a giant fireball from his mouth directly at Naruto stopped it in a chakra hand. Switching places with a rock behind Naruto, Sasuke used his left eye's Rinnegan and charged up a lightning chakra into his right hand. Naruto was taken by surprise as Sasuke swiped at him with the blade of lightning, sending him flying across the surface of the water.
Sasuke called up his Susanoo and from his place he fired Susanoo's arrows, which Naruto was able to halt with his Truth Seeking Balls. To match his level, Naruto entered Tail Beast Mode.
The fight escalated into a gargantuan battle of the familiars; Susanoo against Kurama. Bit by bit, they destroyed the surrounding area. Sasuke caught Naruto in a deadlock.
"What's wrong? Just playing defense?" He mocked.
Angry, Naruto grabbed ahold of Susanoo's leg and swung him overhead, smashing him into the water. He quickly charged a Bijuudama as Sasuke lied still. Naruto hesitated, wondering for a brief moment if Sasuke was defeated.
Sasuke took advantage of this hesitation and called down a strike of lightning in the form of a dragon from the heavens, which cruelly bit down on Kurama's head.
"If you keep stalling... you'll die," Sasuke stated, stoic.
Naruto struggled to his feet. "I'm not... trying... to kill you," he grunted. "You're trying to be alone again and... as if I'd let that happen! Especially since we both know what that's like, that's why I can't let you try to..."
Sasuke engulfed Susanoo's hand with a Chidori as Naruto called Kurama to build a Bijuudama.
"... go down that path intentionally!"
The two flew at each other once more, and the attacks smashed into each other and immediately the surrounding area was blinded by white light and a deafening noise generated from the collision of these attacks.
In a strange and calming limbo-like space, Naruto and Sasuke floated in front of each other, face-to-face.
"Stop yelling useless things," Sasuke commanded. "We're no longer the boys who fought here long ago. I know your feelings. And you know mine."
"You know my feelings, and you still wanna fight me?"
"All the more because it's you. I must cut you down and out of my life."
"There's no guarantee that the world you'll build after severing the past won't end up just the same as this one."
"And that's exactly why I'll watch over this world myself, so that it doesn't."
"Stop saying confusing things! The five villages are finally united, don't you see?"
"That's only because they found a common enemy. Akatsuki, Madara, and Kaguya... to defeat them, the five villages had no other choice than to set aside their differences and form an alliance to survive. But now, these enemies are gone. Eventually, conflicts between all of the villages will begin again."
"What, so now you're saying you're going to become the enemy? And? What'll happen after you're gone?"
"Finally... all the dots have connected into a straight line. It started with the Sharingan, and now I possess the Rinnegan. Reincarnation, immortality... I have many options. I will be able to control everything from the shadows instead of through battle."
"You're planning to return to that hell for the rest of your life... or rather, for the rest of eternity? While being hated by everyone?"
"... To me, that's what a Hokage should be."
And as soon as it came, the limbo they were floating in dispersed as the pair was consciously brought back to the real world. Susanoo and Kurama jumped apart from each other.
Sasuke became restless. This battle was going nowhere. He called all of the tailed beasts that were sealed into his Chibaku Tensei to him, absorbing the huge mass of chakra from each Bijuu into himself. Susanoo's limbs buffed and renewed with electric blue chakra.
"I am the strongest in the world right now. This will by my first step into the shadows."
Naruto created multiple shadow clones.
"That jutsu again? Naruto, that jutsu symbolizes your ultimate weakness: loneliness!"
The fight proceeded, Naruto struggling to even make hits on Susanoo. Susanoo threw Kurama around, and Sasuke taunted him.
"You only posesss a fraction of all the Tailed Beast's chakra. You can neither win against me, nor this!" Susano charged a huge, galvanizing arrow, the electricity and blue energy screaming off of it. And fired.
"Is it not ready yet, Kurama?!" Naruto desperately shouted.
"I actually might have amassed too much," Kurama smirked. "It's everything that's available!"
Kurama flew upwards, a blast of pure invisible energy permeating around him.
I can feel it, Sasuke thought. How was he able to obtain so much Nature Energy so suddenly?
"Let's do this!" Kurama shouted.
"Yeah!"
"You finally decided to take this seriously and kill me?" Sasuke commented.
"We've taken a lot of responsibilities on our shoulders now. I wanna fight and win against you fair and square... but, not against the current you! You know that very well yourself, don't you, Sasuke?!"
Kurama threw two supercharged chakra balls, and Susanoo retaliated by releasing a powerful arrow...
This fight with you right here and right now will be our last. Indra's Arrow: currently my strongest move. So just die already. JUST BE GONE!
And the whole valley was utterly destroyed, crushed into the ground.
When Sasuke came to, he grunted and gasped in pain. He flipped over and struggled up. The water from the river in between Hashirama's and Madara's statues vanished, and both Naruto and Sasuke found themselves on the rocky debris of the terrain.
"Shit. You're still not dead..."
Naruto got back up on his feet as well.
"Amaterasu!" But Naruto fended it off with a red chakra-cloaked arm.
Damn. I'll need the Tailed Beasts' chakra after all.
But Sasuke's Rinnegan eye throbbed in searing pain when he tried using his jutsu. He had used too much chakra. He wouldn't be able to use his Rinnegan for a little bit.
Again, the fight turned into a sole taijutsu battle, as both Sasuke and Naruto had temporarily run out of chakra.
It was more of a street brawl, really.
Every part of Sasuke's body was bloodied, bruised and swollen, but he refused to give in to Naruto. This seemed to be the same for Naruto.
"I'm going to win, and that's not an option," Naruto ground out. "For Sakura-chan." He swung an uppercut punch and Sasuke fell backwards.
On his back, Sasuke gave a callous and sadistic laugh. "Sakura... her silly death was in vain... her whole existence was in vain."
Naruto fell over Sasuke, gripping his shirt and started repeatedly punching his face.
"WHAT DO YOU KNOW?! You don't know just how much Sakura grew, you weren't there to see her work her ass off every day just to become stronger! She did everything in her power to get as strong as possible so she could help bring you back too! So don't you dare mock her efforts and her decision to sacrifice herself for our sakes, you bastard!"
"Enough," Sasuke growled, and grasped of Naruto's stomach, absorbing what little Kurama's chakra was left away from him. Naruto shouted in surprise and his body slackened.
"This is one of my Rinnegan's powers. As someone who possesses the eyes of the Uchiha... my victory is inevitable."
And now, I can finally be alone!
"Farewell," Sasuke called up a Chidori, "my one and only... friend!"
But Sasuke was too slow, and Naruto managed to counter faster with a mere punch.
"... again, and again. Again, and again, and again, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN. JUST GIVE UP AND LET ME CUT YOU DOWN!" Sasuke screamed.
"That's impossible," Naruto looked up directly at him, "because you are my one and only friend."
Sasuke closed his eyes. Using his final available chakra that he stole from Naruto, he called up one last Chidori with the last of his strength. Naruto responded in a similar matter with a final Rasengan. Taking one pause, they looked at each other and realized. This would be the final attack.
Naruto could feel the spirits of all his loved ones pouring their very souls into his Rasengan. Starting from Jiraiya, his father, Sakura, then the rest of Konohagakure... Naruto wasn't alone.
As Naruto and Sasuke flew closer and closer together, Sasuke's whole life of fighting Naruto flashed before his eyes. He saw themselves charging at each other as kids sparring in class at the Academy. He saw themselves as genin on the hospital rooftop, facing off.
The two jutsu connected.
Sasuke's right eye stirred awake, mainly because his body physically had no strength to do so. His left eye remained shut tight, swollen and beaten. The Sharingan was inactivated, and his black eye slowly and sluggishly, like molasses, rolled over his surroundings.
Huh. He was in the middle of a dense forest, lying on top of soft earth and the fresh morning dew of lush, green grass. The air was slightly chilly, signifying a cool spring morning.
Pain was the very next thing that registered in his mind. Wincing, he glanced at the source of his pain and his eye widened. His left arm had been completely blown off at the elbow. At this rate, he would bleed to death.
Dizzy from the blood loss, he decided he didn't care anymore and closed his eye, thinking he would fall back into another slumber, except this one for eternity.
Naruto... it's your win. I admit defeat.
He succumbed to the sleep overtaking his body. If he had stayed awake a little longer, he would have felt a presence enter the area.
"Nii-san, I think I found a corpse." A teenage boy hopped from the trees to Sasuke's unconscious body in the little clearing. His navy cloak bearing the uchiwa fan fluttered backward and revealed a typical high-collered blue shirt and standard gray slacks wrapped in white bandages at the ankles as he knelt down and listened for any signs of breath. The boy pulled back and observed the body. He possessed the general characteristics of the Uchiha clan: handsome facial structure, spiky dark hair, dark eyes, and pale skin. In fact—
"Oh okay, this is kind of freaky. He looks like me..."
"Izuna, who is this?" An older young adult resembling the other stranger in physique and outfit also stepped out from the trees. His hair, however, reaching his upper back and more volumous in nature. "Is he even alive?"
"I think he's a clan member. He's barely breathing." Izuna carefully hauled Sasuke's body over his shoulders. Blood spilled out like a cascade of a crimson waterfall from the torn opening where Sasuke's arm detached from his elbow.
"Damn the Senju... they probably did this to him. Hold still, let me tie that." The older male took a roll of bandage from a pouch around his waist and mercilessly cut off the circulation of the arm just above Sasuke's left elbow in a makeshift tourniquet and wrapped the torn flesh.
"Let's go."
And the pair sped out of the clearing, taking Sasuke with them.
He awoke to a clear morning sky, with no clouds in sight. Naruto was lying next to him, beaten up thoroughly and also missing his dominant arm. The splattered blood in place of their missing arms connected symbolically, as if the Unison Sign was forever declaring their reconciled differences as an eternal blood pact.
A head of pink hair was the next thing he saw, as Sakura jumped down next to him and Naruto and immediately began working to stop the bleeding from their arms with a healing green glow emanating from her hands.
Why did this girl go so far for him, to even heal him after he'd dismissed her countless times and even tried to kill her once before?
"Sakura... don't heal me, focus on Naru—"
"Shut up. I need to concentrate."
And just like that, the guilt flooded in waves, raging through his heart.
"Sakura... I'm sorry."
Her bangs hid her eyes, but he saw her lips tremble.
"Sorry? For what." It was more of a statement than a question.
His eyes softened, "For everything."
Sasuke saw Sakura doing her best not to cry, as she happened to do all the time whenever she was in front of him.
"Damnit... idiot—!" She let the tears fall. And it was then that Sasuke realized just how much both Naruto and Sakura had done for him throughout his entire life; how much he was indebted to them for their unwavering love for him as a friend. He would repay them. He swore on it.
Author's Note: Sasuke has finally reformed! The last bit was Sasuke dreaming about what would have happened if Sakura didn't die and if he didn't go back in time (basically what happened in the manga/anime). Get ready for some complex Sasuke character development in the future!