It was almost surreal to see the sight before him again. Those eyes lit up with joy as her name left his lips. Her hips giddily popped against his pectorals as she rose up and clapped joyously.

Naruto was mesmerized by the sight before him. Trivia was straddling his chest, and her knees slapped against his armpits lazily as she, for some reason, was on top of him.

…But that shouldn't be possible.

She moved on. She was in the Pure World. Or whatever Remnant's equivalent was. Or maybe everything was connected in the afterlife? He wasn't sure. His death wasn't permanent, and…

A cold, empty pit filled him as he came to a thought. Despite the serene scene of what seemed to be an autumn sky of leaves carrying in the gentle breeze around a joyous Trivia as she clapped upon hearing her name, Naruto knew what this meant.

That those piercing, burning beams of light had severed his connection with Fate, she burned his tie with her and stopped him.

And she sent him to the Pure World herself.

He failed.

So many more people would perish and end up here because of his stupid mistakes. If he could have…

"Relax, boy. You will return soon enough." A familiar voice spoke.

One that he recognized.

He had only heard it once before.

Snapping his head to the direction he heard, as for some reason he still hadn't fully regained mobility of his whole body or Trivia straddling him was keeping him pinned down miraculously, Naruto's eyes widened. His eyes had to be deceiving him, but if what he saw was true…

"Old man sage!"

"I have a name," Hagoromo meditated peacefully, taking in the serenity of the Pure World around before sighing as he gazed at the blonde that now had fox ears. "But considering the circumstances of our last conversation, I can forgive you for not remembering. Do try to remember it this time. I prefer to be called Hagoromo."

"And why are you nodding?" The Sage of Six Paths quizzically glanced at Trivia as she sagely nodded with her arms crossed over her bosom. "You are quite a strange child. I've never met someone like you before. May I ask who you are?"

Trivia grinned manically as she shrugged her shoulders, slid down onto Naruto's stomach, pointed at the blonde faunus, and deferred to him. This made Naruto roll his eyes. He knew he had just heard her speak. The moment he was here, in the Pure World, all places where she had the ability to apparently, she was planning to make him be her voice.

That tracked.

"This is Trivia. Ow!" Naruto answered Hagoromo's question about who she was before he felt Trivia squeeze her thighs around his ribcage and brought his attention to her angry Neapolitan eyes. "What?! That is your name! Roman confirmed that for me! Your actual name is Trivia Vanille..."

Seeing the sudden sly grin, she leaned over and draped herself against Naruto teasingly. Instantly, he knew the role she was playing. She wasn't the Trivia personality. Oh, no. Her lips planted a tender kiss on his right cheek as she slowly lifted herself back up, an evil grin plastered on her face.

"Neo…" Naruto growled as he looked up at the short-stacked woman straddling his stomach and felt the rage willing his body to move. "Neo, you have five seconds to get off me before I make you get off me."

"This is quite a strange relationship the two of you have." Hagoromo looked oddly at the interaction between the two and wasn't sure what to make of it. "What I will say is that from the moment you arrived here in the Pure World, I was aware due to our innate connection. After all, you are the reincarnation of my son. I will always know where you are."

"Yet, to my surprise, she was here well before I arrived." The Sage of Six blinked as Neo grabbed Naruto's cheeks with her hands and caressed them violently, knowing all too well what it did. "A bizarre relationship. I don't know how to classify this."

"How do I kill a soul? That is what I'm about to classify this relationship as!" Naruto roared as suddenly all the strength in his body returned, and he latched onto her wrists, and his cerulean eyes bore deeply into her playful ones. "Neo, I know damn well you know what that does! Stop your nonsense. You know I'm taken!"

Silently laughing from on top of Naruto, her eyes widened as she was tossed to the side as he yanked her from his stomach and onto the soft grass beside him. Then he quickly mounted her by the hip and began wringing her by the shoulders and neck, causing her head to rattle back and forth. "I hate you so much right now, you damn ice cream cone!"

"How the hell are you here?! Are all worlds connected to the Pure World?" Naruto mock-strangled a strangely ecstatic Neo, who looked like she was enjoying every moment of her head flail. "Answer me, you damn mute! I know you just spoke, so it's possible here!"

"Indeed they are," Hagoromo answered as he still couldn't quite comprehend the strange relationship he was watching unfold between the boy he entrusted to be the resting place of the nine and the peculiar, somehow mute young lady. "No matter which world you pass from, all come to rest here in the end."

"The Pure World is the final resting point and the connection between all worlds."

"Wait, run that by me again, old man sage?" Naruto stopped and slapped a pleasantly smiling Neo into the grass as she lay beneath Naruto, arms sprawled out and eyes spinning wildly. "The Pure World connects to every world there is? Does that mean even dimensions and time rifts?"

Sighing as the boy seemed incapable of learning his name, or it was meant to be an endearing nickname that he did not care for, Hagoromo slowly stretched his legs from his hovering meditative stance and placed his feet on the soft grass below. And standing before Naruto, he offered his hand to the young man to help him stand and adjust to this world's presence. "Indeed. It is."

"And yes, unfortunately, that has been the case." Hagoromo glanced down at his young sage with pity and remorse. "I have been unpleasantly witnesses to the deeds of Fate, and there has not been much assistance I can provide from my position here. She is one of the masters of this domain, and her governing laws have kept me from interfering with only a scarce few exceptions."

"You are, in a sense, my child, and I will not be denied my connection to you, and thus neither will the nine as long as you draw breath."

Upon hearing those words, his ears flattened. It confirmed how he arrived in Remnant and how Fate took him from Earth. However, upon discovering she held control over even the Sage of Six Paths, who helped him immensely in defeating his own mother, the Goddess Kaguya, it deflated him further. And now, there wasn't anything more he could do…

He was here…

"Thanks for what you could do, Hagoromo…" Naruto finally used the sage's name as he accepted his hand but hung his head as he was helped to his feet, looking wistfully away. "I appreciate everything you did for me, but…"

"In the end, I still failed. I couldn't save…"

"Child, you are only here for a short amount of time." Hagoromo interrupted Naruto, breaking his melancholic speech as he placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and snapped his attention to his. "Her bond with you is still intact. She is unwilling to admit she is wrong, and her path is faulty. So she smote you to teach you a lesson but forgot something significant."

"The moment she left the Pure World, she allowed us other Gods unchecked and allowed me free reign to interfere, even if it was only temporary. My power has never left you and will be with you always. And she paid the price for her overconfidence."

Naruto's eyes flickered as he looked into the sage's eyes and recalled precisely what had occurred. And immediately, he brought his right hand and saw the simplistic sun sigil on his palm. Then his eyes returned to sage, his body trembling. "Does this mean I managed to stop Fate with your help?"

"Unfortunately, no." Hagoromo shook his head before gazing upon the Pure World and gesturing to Naruto to do the same. "We only managed to strike a damaging blow that incapacitated her for some time. God and Goddess who create and design the laws we must follow are not like us."

"They weren't born through the fire and tested time and time again." Hagoromo gazed upon the serene, luscious view of the undisturbed forest, wildlife in harmony with itself, and a stream cutting through it all, leading to a sandy beach and a sparkling sea of vibrant blue and autumn colors reflecting the sky's lights above.

In the center of the forest was a massive tree that Naruto couldn't believe. It dwarfed any other he had seen, and it lifted high into the sky, its leaves settling into the sparse clouds above.

"Whoa…" Was the only thing that could leave Naruto's lips as he looked up at the view as a dizzy and shaken Neo slowly swirled behind him as she stumbled back to her feet.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Hagoromo looked up at the sight, and the gentle wind blew leaves that swirled around them. "Creator Gods seek balance, and I do not disagree with that approach in principle. Harmony in everything should exist. But sometimes, they push too far, creating rifts that are too drastic in one direction. It disturbs everything and threatens to offset all the wondrous creations they made in the process."

"And through the fires, it causes living beings to slowly adapt and eventually access the powers of Gods themselves to stand up and fight against their corruption when the balance is unfavorably offset. Beings like my mother and myself and by extension…"

"You."

"But I…" Naruto returned his attention to the Sage and was left befuddled by everything being explained. "My mother…"

"We are of flesh and blood, unlike them." Hagoromo continued to explain as he returned his gaze to the blonde faunus, mildly curious about the physical change he had been subjected to. "As I said, we are born through fire and tested. Unlike the Creators, when the time came to restore balance, Gods born of mortal flesh would almost always come out victorious or at the very least defeat the Creators despite the immense gap in power…"

"Because they can't take divine punishment when it's returned to them."

As the Sage of Six explained, Naruto contemplated everything he heard, ignoring that Neo was now standing beside him and nodding in agreement with everything being said. He saw a single hit of the Truth-Seeking Balls and how Fate reacted, given that she was supposed to be one of the Gods presiding over…

"Where are all the other Gods and Goddesses?" Naruto frowned as he looked around, and as peaceful and serene as the Pure World seemed, he didn't sense anything here.

Although he didn't seem to be able to have any of his normal abilities now that he thought about it, he didn't feel his chakra within him or anything for that matter. It was rather odd, considering he saw how Hagoromo was meditating and floating earlier, so why couldn't he use his abilities…

Unless he was still suffering from the after-effects of the last attack she struck upon him. The one that made his insides feel like they were on fire. Not his organs or muscles.

His chakra.

"After so many perished after years of battling with mortal Gods and Goddesses, they have left the Pure World with only their rules intact." Hagoromo shook his head, not having a proper answer to the question himself about where they disappeared to. "Very few Gods and Goddesses remained, and even then, they reigned from a place where mortals in this realm, Godly or not, can not touch."

"Huh," Naruto absentmindedly pushed Neo away as she pretended to be engaged and active in the conversation by nodding in an all-knowing fashion and having her arms crossed over her chest. "Guess that is what she meant by wanting a plane where mortals and Gods can walk together again."

"And she and many of the Creator Gods could have it if they weren't so all controlling in their ways," Hagoromo sighed as he looked upon the visage of the Pure World and the harmony of everything here. "This was the origin world where it all started. Where there originally was no concept of life and death. Where they walked alongside their creations for a time until they became too obsessed with controlling everything."

"And such it became this is where everything came to lay to rest after it all fell apart when they couldn't agree on how to proceed. Many branching worlds came out of it. The afterlife, if you will. But due to their strife, their creations turned against them, so they left, and who knows where the remaining few exist." Hagoromo stated before creating a staff from one of the ten Truth-Seeking Balls that orbited behind him. "So much strife and suffering because they wanted control over every little thing they created…"

"When all their creations simply wanted peace."

As a silent pause followed with only the gentle breeze of the wind licking at them and all the critters making their various calls and playful noises being the only thing keeping it from being deafening, Hagoromo took a deep breath and looked at the scene. "Well, shall we?"

"Shall we what?" Naruto blinked at the old sage. "I don't get it."

Hagoromo chuckled before gesturing with the mystical cane to the Pure World as a whole. "I believe there are some things you need to see for yourself while you still exist in this world. Before Fate draws you back to the mortal realm for her ploy to make her own Pure World."

At this, Neo's eyes lit up, and in an instant, she gripped Naruto's left wrist and desperately began to tug and pull him in the opposite direction from where the Sage gestured. And then she pointed wildly through the trees, pointing back at Naruto, let go of his wrist, and then dashed toward them. "What? Neo! That is not where…"

"Follow." Hagoromo slowly stepped in the same direction the ice cream hair woman was sprinting towards, softly smiling and gesturing toward her with his cane. "I do believe I know where she is heading."

"And it is of far greater value and meaning than anything I intended."

"Seriously?" Naruto groaned as he turned and ran after the silently laughing Neo as she ran through the less forested tree path. "Neo, come on! Would it kill you to hold up for a second?! What the hell Fate did to me is affecting me here!"

"Don't you stick your tongue out at me, dammit!" Naruto roared, and a tick mark appeared on his head as Neo turned around and blew a raspberry at him, beckoning with her hand for him to keep up, taunting him all the way. "Oh, I'm starting not to miss you already!"

Neo only patronizingly laughed silently before Naruto while weaving in and out of the trees and bushes before her, annoying the blonde faunus further. He twitched as he sprinted to catch the irritating woman. They hit a clearing and tackled her through it, sliding down a slight slope as he mounted her again.

And she grinned toothily as she held his glare, shifting underneath and making herself seem defenseless under his mighty hold. And this further irritated Naruto. He growled as he looked down at her. "Neo, I'm about to break you if you do this up. Slow and painfully. And there is nothing you can do about it."

"Oh, that will be very valuable research material!" A jovial voice that shook Naruto to the very core and left his eyes shimmering and expansive.

It was a voice he knew very well.

Oh, he knew as he listened to it for several years straight as he trained his tail off to get better.

To become Hokage.

And to hear it again after how he tragically lost his mentor…

Tears dripped from his cerulean eyes onto Neo as his face contoured as he tried to hold back his cry. And she only smiled knowingly as she reached out, placing her petite hands and resting her thumb against his chin in a caressing manner before gently lifting his head.

She knew he needed to see them.

"Oh, no…" The voice immediately was no longer optimistic and held a much more serious tone, and in a few steps, a man wearing red haori, green shirt kimono and pants, and wooden sandals plopped down and took a seat before Naruto. "This was not a day I wanted to see any time soon here."

"Sensei…" Naruto shook as he looked upon the man that helped him reach the heights he achieved and helped him develop into the man he had become.

"Not with you looking so young, Naruto," Jiraiya spoke with tears streaming down his cheeks.

Coming off Neo, Naruto leaped into Jiraiya and openly wept into his sensei's arms. And she rolled and slowly got back to her feet as she watched the pair share their moment freely and shed tears. They embraced one another for a few moments as they openly expressed their sorrow. And she sat and watched with a small smile.

"I had hoped this day would never come like this," Jiraiya sadly commented as they finally disengaged as he wiped tears from his eyes. "At the very least, I wanted to see you as a full-grown man with tales of your lovely bride. Or, at the very least, a bunch of unsavory tales of all the women you plowed…"

"Fucking ow! Tiny one, why are you like this?!" Jiraiya cried as he hopped on his right foot as Neo came flying in and stomped on his left ankle with her heel before he gave her a nasty glare and turned back to Naruto. "You said her name was Neo? Assume you two met previously? Maybe under some really hot circumstances…"

"Dammit! The other one!" Jiraiya grimaced as Neo followed with a heel stomp to his other ankle as Naruto winced as he limped back and away from her. "Geez, miniature Tsunade you have there…"

"Neo is a queen unlike any other; I will say that. Not sure if she's playing as Neo here as Trivia or is actually Neo. Difficult to tell with her multiple personality disorder." Naruto wiped away some of his tears as he looked at Neo. "Heaven forbid her psychosis kicks in. Everyone is in for a world of trouble then."

At that very second, Neo cracked her neck at an odd angle as she smiled manically and laughed silently in a very creepy manner. Naruto rolled his eyes, knowing this was for show, as Jiraiya's face fell and his skin color washed away entirely. "Oh, that's worrisome."

"How do you keep attracting broken people to you in some fashion?"

"It's a talent, really." Naruto rubbed his temples before snapping his fingers at Neo to break her out of her taunt. "Come on, enough of that! Stop scaring my family. How'd you find him anyway? I never told you about my sensei."

Holding up a finger to explain, Neo held her hands and acted like she was reading a book. Jiraiya was the first to notice. "Okay, I know this game from here since she's been here. It looks like she's acting out. She's reading something."

Nodding her head, Neo held her right hand before her open, which she opened in a lewd fashion. Then her tongue swirled around in her mouth before wiggling and thrusting into the inside of her left cheek, all while stroking her right hand before her mouth. And finally, her left hand slowly dipped down...

"Fuck off, Neo!" Naruto roared as Neo quickly stopped mimicking a blowjob while Jiraiya looked intrigued by what he had just witnessed.

And the blonde's eyes and ears twitched violently as he instantly realized everything. "She read my first edition of Icha Icha Paradise. The one with your picture in it as you are the author. That's how she recognized who you are and found you so easily."

"No one in Remnant should have known who you are otherwise," Naruto growled in annoyance as he brushed his hand through his hair and flicked his ears.

"Wait, what now?" Jiraiya looked confused upon hearing that information and looked between the two before his eyes were drawn to another presence as he slowly walked upon the scene. And he immediately bowed. "Oh, Hagoromo-sama! This is a tremendous honor for you to grace us with your appearance… Naruto, bow, you idiot!"

"Why? There's no reason to bow." Naruto raised his eyebrow at his sensei and then turned his head to look over at the Sage of Six Paths. "You fell behind, Old Man Sage? Was this why you wanted me to follow, Neo?"

"I think there is something more she wants to show you, my child." Hagoromo slowly became reacquainted with Naruto's quirks, and while he wanted to sigh, a small part of him found his uniqueness charming. "And he is quite right. I, too, am still mortal, just like any other. My powers are limited to the extent of what I can do. The most I could do was activate the powers of my children's reincarnations and lend them my strength from time to time."

"Which reminds me. Has your strength returned, Naruto, or has Fate seared it from you entirely now?"

Jiraiya was lost for words about everything. Naruto's stubbornness before authority was well documented. He knew that one well, but to hear the Sage speak so plainly, having never really talked to him before as he always meditated and spent most of his time on his own. But from what he knew, everyone in the Pure World regarded him highly here too. He was something to be regarded in both their world and here, so that was something to be respected…

Then those final statements. His children's reincarnations and directing it toward Naruto.

He knew Naruto was the child of prophecy, but that was too much. To be a reincarnation of mortal Gods…

Talk about luck of the draw!

"No, everything is a little off." Naruto shook his head as he searched and tried to draw upon chakra or anything, and there was no response. "I still have nothing. Still feel tired, and if it wasn't for Neo urging me to move, I don't think I could."

"Troubling." Hagoromo frowned and looked displeased upon hearing that. "It seems you have irritated her. So she has you trapped her for the time being. That will not do as that will keep you in the Pure World despite technically still having a living soul."

"What?!" Jiraiya was once more shocked, but this time in a far more elated fashion as he looked upon his boy in hope before profoundly frowning. "Does that mean he's not dead? What is going on here?"

"Hard to explain that as I'm pretty sure I had to die to get here, but in a sense, I'm not dead because I'm cursed to live eternally until the Goddess of Fate's traces in my body are erased, and I have full control of my destiny once more. However, I don't know if that means my body is alive or not, honestly." Naruto tried to explain it as effectively as he could to his sensei as he wasn't sure himself.

"That's close," Hagoromo nodded as he knew those on Remnant would comprehend how the curse worked, and thus Naruto would have a primary function of it. "There is more to it, but I'll explain shortly. Your time is limited here, and we don't know how long it is, so use it wisely. I think it's time to show you the rest of what she came to show you."

"Isn't that right, child?"

Neo began fervently bouncing her head as she ran over to Naruto, grabbing his wrist once more as she pointed further into the distance. At this, Jiraiya knew what she was pointing at and recognized where she wanted to take him. "If his time is short…"

"Oh, right! She'll kill me if she hears you are here and doesn't see you! Doesn't matter if I'm dead already! She'll find a way!"

Neo nodded vigorously before a devious grin spread across her face. Almost immediately, she pushed Naruto in the opposite direction of where she pointed. Jiraiya immediately grabbed the short woman by her collar. He lifted her a foot off the ground, bringing her to his eye level, and squinted at the ice cream woman. "Are you trying to end me, little one? I thought we had an excellent thing going on! What is the deal? The moment the kid shows up, suddenly, you turn on me!"

Shrugging and holding out her arms in an uncaring fashion, Jiraiya narrowed his eyes as he set the Neapolitan-haired woman back down onto her feet and gnashed his teeth at her. Then he triumphantly pointed forward and stood in a gallant pose. "Fine! I'll take point! Onwards!"

And as Jiraiya marched forward, Neo shrugged and waved her arms. Naruto smiled brilliantly as they followed before sighing contently. "I missed this."

"Including all your havoc and chaos," Naruto added as he shoved Neo and rolled his eyes at the troublemaker beside him. "And everyone else has to."

"We all miss you. You brightened our days more than we noticed."

As Neo stumbled and gave a stern reproachful look after the shove, her face lightened upon hearing Naruto's words. She tucked her chin in her chest as a light smile graced her lips as she walked in stride with him.

Then suddenly, a devilish grin replaced her smile as she whistled as she silently took high steps and strolled alongside him. And this caught Naruto's attention as this only meant something devious was about to happen.

And he was right.

"Ahk! Neo!" Naruto roared as the short-stacked woman leapt upon him, wrapping her arms around his neck, swung herself behind his back, and straddled his hips for a ride from behind. "Did you somehow get worse here? What has Jiraiya taught you?!"

"Many glorious things, my boy!" Jiraiya announced as he strutted ahead and led the way. "For the longest time, we had no idea why she just came and found me out of the blue, stuck around us for no reason! She just showed up without explanation, and being the gentleman I am, I couldn't say no to the young lady. I had no choice but to take her under my guidance!"

As Jiraiya spoke, Naruto's attention was brought to Neo resting her chin on his right shoulder. She then extended her hand as he kept talking. She rolled her eyes as she flapped her hand in a similar motion to a mouth opening and closing. He couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, that's the sensei I know."

"Hey, don't you point that finger at me!" Naruto growled quietly as she pointed at him, then at Jiraiya, and back at him, and he quickly understood the context. "I am not nearly as bad!"

As she nodded furiously, a tick mark developed on his brow, and he turned his head away from the ice cream woman. "Fuck you, Neo!"

"NO!" Naruto roared as she fervently nodded at that, and Naruto tried to pry the tightening grasp onto him. "You know I'm taken! And you have Roman!"

Neo furiously shook her head. Naruto twitched.

"Yes, you do! Death doesn't..." Naruto stopped his rant as Neo grinned in victory as he narrowed his eyes, and stared at her. "Okay, you win that. But seeing as I'm still technically alive…"

"Don't you dare try to start, Neo!" Naruto stopped Neo as she pointed between him and her and knew exactly where she was heading as she placed her hand on her mouth in a zipper-like fashion. "Not happening!"

"Seems my lessons have only paid off for one of you!" Jiraiya snapped his fingers as he let the scene play out, as Neo did the same.

Naruto twitched before gripping Neo's free arm and tossing her directly at his sensei, who was caught off guard. The two found themselves tumbling to the ground and were left swirly-eyed as he growled at them. "You both are assholes! I am taken and have enough problems in the living world as is! But, Neo, you know better! Pervy Sage…"

"I expect nothing different from you, so you are on point." Naruto sighed defeatedly as he hung his head at that and closed his eyes, looking disappointed in what had transpired and what he was faced with when he returned.

Was his death going to change anything? If anything, it might strengthen Jacques' resolve…

His ears twitched. He saw dozens upon dozens of people that Jiraiya had led them towards. No, hundreds of people, if not thousands. It seemed it was a small encampment where some souls communed together in the Pure World.

To enjoy their time together in the afterlife.

And some of the faces he recognized, even if they did not know them. He didn't expect some of the others here. They were historical figures of Konoha, after all, and well before his time. But a few others…

"Asuma-sensei, Jiji…" Naruto muttered as he saw the old man, looking younger than he remembered him, along with his son and what he could only assume to be his wife. "The Pure World must restore everyone to their prime when they come here as everyone looks so young."

"Indeed it does, child. Good observation." Hagoromo nodded as he stopped beside Naruto and looked at the large crowd of people he had walked upon. "No matter the age you pass in the world you came from when you arrive here, you are cleansed and returned to your purest state."

"Which is another reason I find it troubling that your power hasn't returned yet. I was hoping to give you more time would allow it a chance to reset you, but it seems there is still no reaction." Hagoromo curiously stroked his goatee while frowning. "Take a moment and enjoy your time with your family and friends."

"I must meditate on this for a moment and think. If Fate is sealing you here, I may have an answer to send you back to your body."

"Wait, really?!" Naruto jumped, his eyes wide as he heard that, and his ears twitched in excitement. "Old man sage, as much as I want to meet with everyone, that is far more critical! I need to get back…"

"That voice," A voice echoed from nearby, and Naruto's heart skipped a beat as he recognized it immediately, and while he had a feeling of where Jiraiya was taking him and what Hagoromo now wanted him to see, he was certain. "Naruto?"

"I think you need this more." Hagoromo turned and walked away towards the large tree in the center of the forest. "I shall return once I have the answers I seek."

"Wait, Old man Sage, I…" Naruto stopped as his heart throbbed, and he wasn't sure he was ready for this meeting as he saw Jiraiya slowly sit up.

And Neo fully recovered and circled him to cut him off, pointing at him and directing him to turn around.

He had little choice in the matter.

Grimacing and swallowing the lump in his throat, he turned toward the voice. He saw a man with slightly longer blonde hair than him striding through wispy autumn scenery with a woman with burning red hair. It was who he expected it to be.

It was his father and mother looking at him in awe and shock.

And he couldn't help but act in the oddest way possible as Naruto sheepishly scratched the back of his head. He then grinned as his ears flicked back and forth in anxious anticipation. "Hey, dad, it's been a while. How have you been? You told mom everything?"

Minato responded with a soft and knowing smile. Then he nodded. "Yeah, I did. We've been doing well, but I think some things are about to change…"

"Yeah, my bad…" Naruto took a deep breath as he took his gaze from his father and finally turned to the stunned blue look of his mother and tried to hold a strong smile. "Mom, I guess this is the first time we truly met since it was only your fragment left inside of me…"

"Ugh…" Naruto felt his entire being almost crushed as two arms wrapped tightly around him in a firm embrace, as tears warmly shed against him. "My spine…"

"A mother never forgets." Kushina squeezed Naruto, tears freely shed before she let go of her baby boy and examined him thoroughly. "Minato told me everything he could, and it still wasn't enough! You've grown so much! You're taller than your father and me! He said you were a hair shorter than him!"

"And what did the fox do to you?! Why do you have ears? Adorable, by the way, but why?" Kushina reached out to touch them when Naruto suddenly snapped, caught her wrist, his eyes wide, and shook his head. "Um, okay, don't do that…"

"Yes, don't do that, please. There is a good…" Naruto gently informed his mother as he didn't want her to trigger him when his eyes snapped to Neo as she snuck up behind him, and he roared at her. "Neo! Don't you even think about it? What is wrong with you? Has Jiraiya written another novel, and you are acting out?"

"Two, actually!" Jiraiya announced, and Naruto almost tripped and flopped to the ground, wanting to cry out in exasperation. "This last one, she was of substantial assistance, and I might just make her the model in the upcoming one…"

"Little one, no!" Jiraiya dived out of the way as Neo tried to stomp on his toes, and she gave him a flat stare. "I'm learning your tactics! And you can't…"

"My ass!" Jiraiya cried out as the Neo before him shattered into dozens of glass pieces and fragmented into the air before a heeled boot found its way, firmly planted into his buttocks.

And as he patted his bruised rear, he narrowed his eyes at the grinning multi-haired woman. "That's a dirty trick I didn't know you had. Didn't think you were an illusionist."

"Game on. Things are getting interesting now."

Neo smirked as she huffed, crossed her arms across her chest, held her head in the air, and walked back toward Naruto.

Naruto twitched at the entire scene before him. Why was this always the scene when Neo was around? Either she stole the show, or everyone didn't pay attention to her.

There was no in-between.

"Is she your, you know?" Kushina smiled brightly and had a hopeful look before darkening at the thought. "Well, at least if she was, you are reunited as she's been here for some time. She just showed up out of nowhere and…"

"What, no?!" Naruto jumped in front of that line of inquisition and shook his head while Neo's eyes widened before she held out both her hands wildly, waving them frantically while shaking her head. "No, we were partners and friends while we were alive."

"Oh," Kushina looked genuinely surprised as even Jiraiya raised his eyebrows, considering he had little time to watch the interaction between the two. "Given how excited she was as soon as you showed up and how you two have been interacting…"

Immediately, Neo shook her head to interrupt Kushina while holding her finger, and Minato sighed. "Yes? What is it?"

Pointing at Naruto quickly, Neo brought her hands together into the shape of a heart and held it out. While he narrowed his eyes at first, thinking she was trying to convey something, he was about to lament that wasn't the case when she continued in her charades. She motioned her hands to the top of her head and made two triangle shapes on the top of her head with her thumb on one side and the pointer and middle pressed together on the other.

"Okay, so Naruto's heart belongs to another person with ears on their head?" Minato guessed everyone else slowly registered what Neo was mimicking, and she nodded as that was as close as anyone could get without…

"And scratches things?" Kushina frowned as Neo swiped at the air in front of her, mimicking a silent hiss. "Wait, my baby boy fell in love with a cat person?"

"A fox and a cat! How adorable!"

"Blake," Naruto whispered as his cerulean eyes shimmered as his thoughts turned to his mate and lingered on her visage. "I need to find Hagoromo. I shouldn't be here. As lovely as it is to see everyone again…"

"I'm cursed with immortality. This is not a realm I should be standing in. Everything is so wrong right now." Naruto spoke with urgency written in his voice and was ready to turn around and head toward the massive tree in the forest when a large hand was placed on his shoulder.

And his eyes were drawn into Jiraiya's gaze, and the hermit gave him a knowing look. "And he said to take your time here and give him a moment to meditate. There's nothing that can be done at the moment, so take a breather. It sounds and looks like you might need one."

"I always told you pushing yourself too hard would always be your undoing, and I'm afraid it's coming true."

"Naruto," Minato spoke as he walked beside his son before gesturing to the grass below to take a seat. "Why don't you take a moment and explain to us everything that is happening? You need to let it out in the open so that you can clear your mind. Maybe we can help in some way. Maybe we can't. But at the very least, we can support you similarly by listening to you."

"Besides, Kushina would like to hear more from you anyways, even if it is only problems." Minato smiled as he closed his eyes and gave a similar head tilt that Naruto felt was familiar.

And for some reason, his ears twitched as he did, almost as if they were supposed to be involved somehow.

"I will destroy those problems…" Kushina muttered as her hair separated and rose like a separate entity. "No problem gets in the way of my boy. Nothing gets in the way of my boy and giving me grandchildren…"

"I may be having one of those soon…" Naruto winced as he scratched his head before sighing and rubbing the back of his head. "Having issues with my lover and her erratic nature right now, and she might be…"

"Mom, what the…" Naruto felt his shirt collar gripped as he lowered into Kushina's furious eyes.

"You are too young to have children, you hear me!" Kushina roared violently and shook Naruto back and forth! "You need to be twenty-one! Bare minimum! You're not ready for that level of commitment and drain on your life!"

"Live and have some fun first, dammit!"

"Make up your damn mind!" Naruto snapped out of his mother's grip and countered with a growl and a glare. "And I don't know if she is or not! Faunus' biology is somewhat different, and since Blake always bleeds at the end of her estrus period, especially after a good hard…"

"Neo, stop that!" Naruto's eyes lit up as he heatedly glared at the madly spin-dancing ice cream woman, finally hearing the goal she had tried to accomplish occurred. "Dammit, yes, it happened! You got your wish! Blake and I are together!"

"Get off me!" Naruto roared as Neo glomped onto his neck happily, rubbing her cheek against his. "You are a demon! You know what that does!"

Letting go of Naruto, holding up a finger and holding her hands for everyone to wait, Neo took off into the distance away from everyone else. "Neo! The hell are you going?!"

"There are many groups of souls here in the Pure World. Maybe she knows someone else she wants to bring to you?" Jiraiya shrugged her shoulders as he watched the short stack run off into the distance. "But, I think things will calm down without her here. She sometimes is a bit of an accelerant in situations and is always extremely mischievous and up to no good…"

"Kind of like you like when you cut loose like you used to, at least before Tsunade corrected you," Jiraiya added with a grin before rolling his eyes. "Woman couldn't leave well enough alone…"

"Tell me about it…" Naruto grumbled before a tick mark developed on his forehead as he heard Jiraiya continue. "Hey, wait a minute…"

"Mind if we intrude?" A familiar voice walked upon them, and Naruto's eyes were drawn over and froze as he was drawn to several individuals he knew and loved as he had seen them before. "Couldn't help but listen in and…"

"While we have the opportunity, I wouldn't mind listening and helping the boy out one last time before it's his time." Hiruzen genuinely smiled as he stood alongside his wife, and Asuma stood with him. "Not often Hagoromo-sama graces us with his presence, but seeing and hearing what I have so far while trying to give you space, of course, has left me quite curious…"

"On exactly what has happened, my dear boy, since we last met."

"A lot has changed as it doesn't feel like all that much time has passed," Minato frowned as he agreed, being the first to take a seat, and gestured for everyone to do the same in the grass field below. "Our concept of time here is skewed somewhat, but given your physical appearance, I can't say you've aged all that much. I would expect your physical prime to be later in your life…"

"It is for most," Jiraiya added as he took a seat as everyone followed Minato's lead and relax in the grassy field. "Hell, you are still growing, my boy. You are several inches taller than I last remembered and still getting stronger, I bet! And I didn't reach my prime until the ripe age of fifty, so everyone is different!"

"And you mentioned…" Kushina looked troubled as she gazed at her son, her lips quivering as she tried to find the words as it was difficult to see her baby in this position or here, for that matter. "That you were cursed? With immortality?"

"I'm curious about that, considering that the bastard that killed me had a similar issue." Asuma narrowed his eyes, remembering the individual that dealt him his fatal blow. "But it seems a fairly different situation as you are here, and he physically couldn't die."

"That bastard, Hidan, yeah." Naruto nodded as he remembered the incident and frowned as it was one of the first times his rage controlled his actions. "Shikamaru handled him and exploded, diced, and buried him beyond recognition so he could never return. But yeah, my immortality is different, it seems, and I can't say how it works. It seems to work that I can physically die, but…"

"My body recovers after…" Naruto frowned as he thought about his arrival in Remnant for the first time, and things clicked. "That makes sense now. Fate placed the curse on me all along, and the moment I died on Earth, she could enact her plan and take me to Remnant."

As Kushina gasped, hearing her son had suffered multiple deaths and was trembling in sorrow and seemingly seething rage, the Third Hokage immediately picked up the context Naruto put in the term Fate. He didn't use it like terminology…

He used it like a name that meant one thing.

"The Allmother?" Hiruzen furrowed his brow upon hearing the mention of the Goddess' name, and Naruto confirmed his suspicion with a nod, and he winced. "A curse from Fate. That is troubling indeed…"

"Shit, I knew you were a child of destiny, but to be marked by Fate herself…" Jiraiya groaned as he reached for and rubbed his right temple with his hand. "That's a lot to take in…"

"What is Remnant?" Minato asked simply as he took the rest in stride, knowing it was a lot to swallow, and as his wife struggled upon hearing her son's death, he dealt with it accordingly as, unfortunately…

He had to arrive here somehow. And upon hearing something that sounded like another place, something he knew existed due to all the souls and the connection the Pure World held with all the other planes of existence…

He wanted to confirm his thoughts.

"It's the world Fate transported me to upon my death," Naruto explained, deciding to leave out the details about Sasuke as, after seeing his mother's reaction, he didn't want to bury his friend if they ever met. "A world where she intends on making a new Pure World, it seems, if talking with Old Man Sage has convinced me of anything…"

"See that habit hasn't changed over the years…" Hiruzen twitched momentarily before he rolled his eyes and softly chuckled. "Ah, I miss that. You were the only person to have the fortitude to insult me to my face and one of the few to call me out when I deserved it. And you were but a child."

"And I'll do it all over again, Jiji! Still haven't paid you back enough!" Naruto shook his fist in mock anger as a few other chuckles joined in, most notably Jiraiya's and Asuma's, but even Hiruzen's wife seemed to be in on it, knowing her husband well enough and understanding the relationship between the two of them.

Must have told her about him here in the Pure World.

Minato and Kushina were out of the loop. However, his mother seemed amused, as she would do it, and Minato sighed for the same reason. But he focused on his grown son and returned to the conversation. "So upon dying, which I can only assume had to happen shortly after the events we left you with given everything, the Allmother transported you to another world?"

"I can only imagine how tough that has been. To adapt to a different world, learn new cultures, and contend with that world's problems after dealing with our world's challenges. Minato grimaced at the thought of the hardships his son had to endure dealing with. "Not to mention the language barriers and learning a new language…"

Naruto pursed his lips at that last part as it was lost on him. While it took some time to adjust to each culture, and there were still so many things he adjusted to in Remnant, he never struggled with the language gap. But now that he thought about it, it should have been. "Yeah, there have been many struggles and tribulations, but…"

"Language was never one, even though it should have been. There is no reason why our two worlds should have had the same written and spoken language. Now that I mentioned it, Blake stated she could only read Icha Icha as she understood the language thanks to her mother teaching her to read and write it to her when she was a child as it was her father's ancient language, and wanted to pass it down…"

"That is because you passed through the Pure World when you came here, child." Hagoromo's voice echoed as he walked back into the area, finishing meditating upon his answer and returned. "Passing through here, your mind harmonizes and becomes one with all, so there is no language barrier anymore. You unconsciously know and understand what everyone is saying. And in response, you verbalize everything in return in a similar manner."

"Old Man Sage!" Naruto jumped into a half crouch as nearly everyone in his presence bowed to the man on his return. "Do you have an answer on how I can return?"

"I do, but it might take some time before the answer reveals itself," Hagoromo responded as he looked up at the autumn sky above and smiled brightly. "The wheel of Fate has finally cracked, and the defenses she has so meticulously set up to make her dream world a reality have started to fall apart…"

"Soon, it will be time for you to return. Be patient."

"What does that mean?!" Naruto stared at the Sage with half-lidded eyes and tried to refrain from growling. "As wonderful as all this is, my friends need me! Blake needs me! Fuck, the position I left Weiss in was horrible! She's already heartbroken enough with this wedding we couldn't fake…"

"Wedding? Fake?" Kushina blinked, confused at everything, before suddenly grabbing Naruto by the seat of his pants, pulling him back to a seated position, and looking him straight in the eyes. "Naruto…"

"Does my baby boy have two suitors?! Am I going to have many grandchildren, and we're restarting the Uzumaki clan?" Kushina happily clasped her hands together as everyone sweat dropped except one other person…

"That's my boy! Getting two for one! Knew Tsunade couldn't tame you!" Jiraiya wept tears of pride as he held his hands up triumphantly to the sky and proclaimed his victory.

"Mom! Pervy Sage! Dammit!" Naruto roared in annoyance at the two before he took a deep breath and tried to calm the situation down. "It's not like that! Weiss, my friend, was blackmailed into losing everything she had by her rich and powerful father. I was caught up in this game, as it was all Fate's plan. To protect her and keep her safe, I agreed to a wedding despite being in a relationship with the love of my life in Blake."

"It's a complicated mess of bullshit and pain, made more painful by Weiss' feelings for me. She and Blake are friends and teammates. Weirdly, I think my mate might even have started to develop feelings for her in some weird way that I can't explain! My mate is a complicated person I love desperately, and I don't know how to handle on the best of days. Then there is Weiss, who I highly admire, but given everything that happened, I wasn't sure how to handle…" Naruto growled as he fleshed out his feelings about the situation.

Listening to his son rant about his relationship issues, Minato took a moment to look into his son's eyes. "That sounds like quite a mess. But, I'd ask you this…"

"Have you stopped to consider their feelings and not just your own?"

"Of course I have…" Naruto stopped, and a deep frown adorned his features as he thought about it. "Well, I have, but…"

"You're so focused on your wants that you put them before theirs." Minato smiled as he knew what his son was struggling through. "Or more likely, you are so accustomed to the idea that it's traditional for there only to be one love in your life when sometimes…"

"It's okay if there is another." Kushina brushed her hand on her son's shoulder as she softly smiled at her troubled son. "While I can't say exactly how you grew up, I understand that monogamous relationships were common in Konoha. I can see where you're coming from, but it's natural to have wandering eyes. Look at the perv there…"

"I resemble that remark!" Jiraiya bellowed before crossing his arms and huffing in annoyance.

"We also had the Clan Restoration Act revision," Hiruzen added while ignoring his student's outburst. "Any time a clan was on the verge of collapse or starting to thin, a member was allowed to take multiple wives, and later added in for husbands, to increase the clan's numbers once more. But only if that person was willing and able to find suitors comfortable in such a situation as it is awkward."

"But as long as you are willing to put in the effort and there is genuine love between the three of you, why deny it?" Kushina gave a warm, comforting smile as she looked at her son, who wasn't sure how to take what was being told. "Naruto, one thing I know about you, my son, just from looking at you, is that you are a caring person. The way you speak about Blake, I know you love her very much…"

"Given what I'm hearing about this situation and the brief bit of what you are saying about the other girl and your facial expressions, this Weiss should be given a chance. Especially if you are willing to throw yourself into a wedding to protect her." Minato added as he placed his hand on Naruto's unoccupied shoulder. "You wouldn't do that for just a friend and stick through with it when you have someone you love and cherish, Naruto. Think about that."

"You would only put yourself through that for someone you deeply loved." Kushina smiled as she tilted her head, closing her eyes. "And if I had to guess, your partner does, too, if she's willing to stick with you through what must be a turbulent experience. Can't imagine what it would be like if someone tried to force a marriage arrangement on one of my friends, and Minato had to stop it…"

"It would be unbridled destruction, and I'm not sure if the Nine Tails would even need to be involved…" Minato winced as he knew how violent she was as she earned the nickname the Red-Hot Habanero for a multitude of reasons…

And each of them made their enemies quiver in fear at the mention of her name, except the Cloud.

They had some brass ones…

As Naruto quietly absorbed everything said, his thoughts were drawn to Blake and Weiss.

His mate, who he had been with since Beacon Academy. Having her come over to his room after the first month nearly daily so she could have quiet time to read and enjoy herself. Little did he know she was also enjoying basking in his presence as she felt safe as he reminded her of…

Home.

He was safe to her. And he kept being that safe space for her and providing that listening ear. She was his from the start as she was there and listened. She didn't judge. She only supported, and when it came to it, she joined his side. She confessed everything to him, and he did not condemn or fear her for what she had done.

He accepted her for what she was and what had happened to her. Help her seek help. Was there for her when she needed help. Stood by her side when she needed it most, allowed her to bloom, regain what was lost, and so…

She sought to promise the same. She took the same leap of faith, and now they were stuck in this pickle they found themselves in.

Weiss…

The Princess was interesting, given their first meeting, but things turned as she seemed remorseful, and her tune shifted the day after. Something changed before the initiation, and when he caught her from falling, he may have initiated a crush…

Something that the now-odd Christmas they shared when she was still adjusting to everyone. And now, knowing that was a shift by Fate further soured his mood. However, it did not undermine the fact that Weiss was genuine and honest during the affair.

Then as she started to put all of it aside and stand on her own, her father came into the picture and stressed the situation. As Weiss wanted to let Naruto and Blake be their own thing, she couldn't, and now she was torn about what to do. Of course, she still had feelings for Naruto, and Blake was honestly her closest friend on her team, but…

And he wasn't too sure of his feelings about her as he never thought about them. Of course, he liked her. He was her friend. He wanted to ensure she was safe, and something like this couldn't happen to her. He didn't like seeing her in pain. He hated seeing tears in her eyes and never wanted to see her in pain…

A slow dawning of his feelings for her struck him, and a grimace graced his lips. He wasn't sure how or when it happened, but maybe there was always something more between them than he thought…

And maybe Blake saw it too, which was why she was so frustrated with this entire situation.

"Wait, that's interesting." Minato furrowed her brow as he gazed at Naruto curiously. "I don't sense the Nine-Tails within you…"

"Yeah, Kurama got left behind on Earth when I died, as he wasn't with me." Naruto nervously laughed as he tried not to bring Sasuke into the conversation. "Let's just say things happened, and he was busy dealing with another issue at the time of my death, and I was transported to Remnant. What left of the power inside of him must have still been inside of me was used and turned me into a Faunus…"

"Incorrect." Hagoromo shook his head as Naruto snapped his neck, as he turned to the Sage of Six while everyone else looked upon the sage with bated breath. "Your story is true. Understandably, you wouldn't know this, but Kurama's power returned to him when you passed through the Pure World."

"You instead were transformed into a Faunus at a whim by Fate, changing you to an image more befitting her own. To mark you as her herald for all to see."

Despite being shocked at hearing such information, Naruto tilted his head as, after finally seeing Fate before him, it made some sense. Now seeing her, it made a lot of sense. His semblance wasn't Kurama's chakra being turned against him once more. It was simply a way for Fate to keep him controlled to her will. It functioned the way it did, so he would do what she wanted in certain situations.

It was meticulous.

"Great, more reasons to hate her. Sent me to another world to be treated as a social outcast and pariah for racial reasons, got it! Didn't have to already deal with that enough growing up." Naruto growled as Hiruzen winced as Kushina bore a hole in his direction.

And soon, the Third felt his world collapse in the afterlife as Kushina tilted her head toward him as a sickeningly sweet voice came from her. "Care to explain what he means by that?"

"Jiji did the best he could. Can't control people. People are assholes, and it took me most of my life to change their hypocritical tunes…" Naruto grumbled and saved Hiruzen from a death-altering experience as he drew attention back to him. "People can be generally good too, so it's a matter of perspective, and in the end, it's those who matter. In the process, I found those that mattered and made everyone matter too…"

"And I can't just sit here while an entire planet is on the verge of breaking apart because of some stupid Goddess, Old Man Sage!" Naruto roared as he stood up and glared at Hagoromo, his eyes shimmering and his fist clenching. "Not when those most valuable to me are in danger, and I am stuck here, unable to do anything!"

"If Fate is incapacitated, as you said earlier, what will it take for me to return to my body if she has me on lockdown?! What do I need to do?!" Naruto growled as he walked over to Hagoromo and stared at the man eye to eye, demanding an answer.

And to his credit, Hagoromo met his gaze before responding softly. "There is nothing we can do about it for the time being. The answer will come soon…"

"That's not good enough!" Naruto snapped as he was about to flip out on the Sage of Six Paths, wanting to return to his body and to Blake and Weiss as Minato, Kushina, and Jiraiya quickly stood up to stop the irate young man from making a mistake. "There is so much more that needs to be done. So much more work left to do…"

"I know," Hagoromo interrupted Naruto, waving his arm and motioning as footsteps approached. "But I think there is still something more worthwhile left here before you return to..."

"What do you…" Naruto started before his eyes shifted to where the old sage gestured, and he almost wanted to rub his temples. "Neo! Who the heck are you dragging with…"

"Wait, I know you." Naruto felt his blood chill at the sight of the person Neo dragged behind her and in front of Naruto with a deep grin on her face.

And cerulean eyes gaze deeply into silver.

"Um, hello…" A woman with medium-length black hair with red tinting at the end of every strain of hair that ever so slightly had white fades at the tips, swept behind her, and moderately tied behind her back looked awkwardly at the blonde faunus before her. "I'm not sure what is happening, but she suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She grasped me as if she knew me all along and dragged me out in this direction. I'm sorry if this is an inconvenience."

"No, no, no," he replied as he gazed upon the woman with a soft smile before offering his right hand toward her as she gingerly accepted it, still taken aback by the situation. "The name is Naruto Uzumaki."

"Summer, Summer Rose." She responded as she gently shook his hand before letting go.

"I know." Naruto smiled and closed his eyes, tilting his head and letting his ears flick. "I've known you for some time."

"You are Ruby's idol, and she's never stopped trying to live up to your image. Trying to follow in her mother's footsteps as you were the world to her."

The autumn wind blew stronger than his words. Summer's eyes shimmered as she stared into his cerulean eyes. And her arms locked around his shoulder as she loudly wept, hearing about her daughter.

"Please tell me she hasn't done anything stupid! That Tai has raised her right! And Yang! And that Raven came back and did the right thing!" Summer gently wept as Naruto comforted her.

And he sighed, knowing he couldn't lie. "I can't tell you those things. I don't have all the answers, but Raven took her sweet time and returned, but she's finally there. From what I know, Tai and Qrow had to do the heavy lifting. Yang did much of it too, but Ruby and Yang turned out fine. They're both Huntresses now."

After a moment of further sobbing, Summer disengaged from Naruto's shoulder. And even in her sorrowful state, a small, gentle laugh broke her lips. "Oh no, Qrow was involved…"

"Yep, disaster followed. I know his semblance." Naruto shook his head as he had first-hand experience with it and believed Qrow's superstition.

"Not that," Summer softly giggled and shook her head. "Said he was never planning to get involved with kids. Said he was horrible with them and would ruin them. Can't imagine that would change. And given the few times he was around kids before…"

"I'm not one to pass judgment, but he was horrible around them…"

"Man, he's gotten better then…" Naruto scratched the back of his head and shrugged his shoulders. "Either that or the time when Tai shut down changed him…"

"What?" Summer's eyes snapped at that before her face turned sullen, and she looked away. "Oh, I see. I almost assumed Tai would be okay, but…"

"I forgot what happened when Raven left him alone and the help he needed raising Yang. I didn't think about if something were to happen to me how he would handle it. I left him utterly alone…"

"But at least it is comforting to hear after some time that he has found the strength to continue, and Ruby and Yang are doing well." Summer stated as a smile broke her sullen expression. "So sorry that you ended up here like me. I can only imagine how heartbreaking it will be for them that someone else they loved ended up here…"

"Fuck! I didn't even register how they're taking this right now!" Naruto cursed as Ruby and Yang hardly registered his thought process as he had wholly focused on Blake and Weiss. "Oh great, now I'm going to have to console my mate, future wife, all my friends, and their family…"

"The moment I get back, it will be a living nightmare!"

"Not helping Neo!" Naruto roared as he flicked the tiny woman in the head as she nodded in agreement vigorously before she angrily slapped back at him in response and glared at him as she huffed and put her hands on her hip.

"Well," Kushina smiled as she looked up at her son and tried to make the utmost out of the situation. "Despite crossing through worlds, it still seems like you made quite a few friends, and they all seem to miss you. And that is the most significant thing, so I have to agree with my son in this matter…"

"If there is a way for him to return to the living world, what is it?"

"It's coming soon. Time is running short." Hagoromo motioned toward the sky with his staff as darkness loomed in the sky before turning his attention to Naruto. "It's time to say goodbyes, child. Your way to your new world is on its way."

"Indeed, I'm quite curious about it myself," Minato responded as he noticed the sky above darken and crack overhead. "I've noticed this has happened a few times recently, and the Gods and Goddesses have got pissed when it has happened. It sounded like a war every time it occurred. It was very familiar sounding though, I do admit…"

"Indeed it should, as you have fought this being before," Hagoromo responded, and Minato's eyes snapped to the Sage as he looked upon the sky once more as the sky continued to crack open. "Fate has intervened and blocked his path every time he has tried to come through and rerouted him. Destroyed his body and sent him back wounded and defeated. But now she is out of commission, and he can come through freely."

"And do what I requested when I left him after you and your bonded brother helped seal my mother away and protect the resting place of the Nine."

That was all it took to draw Naruto's attention to the cracking sky as he recognized what was coming through. And the lightest whisper left his lips as an earth-rendering roar echoed from the heavens of Pure World above.

"Kurama…"

And the sky distorted as white lines scattered through the darkness with a tinge of red bubbling within.

"I KEEP TELLING YOU…"

"One-half of the solution to returning to your body has arrived." Hagoromo looked upon the sky with a smile on the corner of his lips as if he was watching the arrival of his son.

"I'M COMING THROUGH!"

The darkened sky cracked open over the Pure World in a shattering boom as a red beam of light pierced through. And a red aura bubbled and oozed through as an auburn-furred, clawed hand reached out of the distorted sky.

And another roar ruptured the sky as a fox with nine swinging tails leapt out of the distorted heavens and into the world below.

"Kurama!" Naruto yelled out as he took off into the distance as he headed toward where he watched the massive nine-tailed fox fall through the sky, his eyes widened in surprise as he couldn't believe his eyes. "What are you doing here?! This is…"

"GETTING TO YOUR SORRY ASS, BRAT!" Kurama roared as he held out his paws as he saw the meadowy fields below and crashed into them with devastating force, as the massive shockwave of dust, grass, and dirt billowed and covered many souls nearby, watching in shock and awe at the scene before them.

"Still the belligerent one I see…" Hagoromo wryly commented from a distance behind, and Naruto's ears twitched as he managed to hear what the Sage said.

And as Naruto hacked up a lung from the dust and dirt he inhaled from the dirt clods he swallowed from Kurama's landing, a giant clawed fist bonked him softly on the head. And an angry growl was heard from above as two crimson eyes stared nastily down at him. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH TO GET TO YOU?! ALL THE EFFORT I HAD TO PUT IN TO GET TO YOU BECAUSE I COULD FEEL YOU WERE ALIVE!"

"AND NOW YOU TAKE MY LOOK! I'M NOT SURE IF I'M UPSET OR HAPPY ABOUT THIS! THE HELL YOU HAVE BEEN, BOY! WHERE'D THAT BITCH TAKE YOU?! AND…" Kurama continued yelling at Naruto in his booming voice as he was irritated before poking his nose into the boy as he glared at him.

Then a sudden sniff changed his attitude, and he grinned massively. "Oh, wait! I know that smell! You got busy!"

"Tell me all about her! Better yet, I'm just going to hop back in and watch the event…"

"What, no?!" Naruto roared as he bonked Kurama on the nose and irritatedly glared at the giant fox in front of him with narrowed eyes. "Why the hell is everyone in my life a prude or a pervert? What is this?"

"Heh, still got the same guts even without chakra in you." Kurama rubbed his nose before turning to his father figure as he walked up and sat on his haunches. "So what's the deal? I've struggled to pierce through every time since. Now suddenly, the dumb bitch isn't here, and the kid is, but I am unable to sense him. What did she do?"

"She made a mistake, and I capitalized on it. Naruto was able to harm her but killed his body in the process and left him in this state. So now we're at a crossroads considering she has given him an immortal soul." Hagoromo explained as he strode next to Naruto and looked upon Kurama, examining him as he did. "Good, you have arrived with fragments of the powers of others embedded within you. That will be necessary for the final step."

"Final step?" Naruto turned to Sage as Kurama growled loudly upon hearing this.

"Father, don't you think about it…" Kurama growled as he looked at his father as his massive crimson eyes squinted at the Sage. "The brat is of importance. Sure, I get that. It's why you made him the vessel for where we rest, but…"

"Yes, that's partially why I did that," Hagoromo responded before looking up at the fox and giving a small, sad smile. "Sometimes, things must come to an end. And the old must give way to the new at some point. Naruto is Asura's reincarnation, and it's time I stepped in…"

"Father…" Kurama's eyes widened in realization, and he looked upon the Sage and then down at an equally stunned Naruto, trying to figure out the situation as the others came upon them.

"I've done enough." Hagoromo took a deep breath and gazed into Naruto's eyes. "I see my heir before me, and I have chosen."

"Naruto Uzumaki, I chose you to hold my power from this day forward. One who has endured and continued to stand and fight for the people. To take action for what they believe in and what is right. To fight for balance."

As the gasps of those around heard what he said and knew what it meant, Naruto looked visibly shaken as Hagoromo's gaze continued to pierce into his soul. "And it is time to inherit your full powers and end this farce Fate has entangled you in."

"All the pieces are here to return you to your body. With my power, I can restore and return you to yourself one last time with your full power intact and mine along with it."

As a sweeping wind covered the area, a deathly silence came over; no one was sure what to say, as everyone was shocked by everything. The legendary Sage that guided people in this place practically offered his power to Naruto and proclaimed him his new vessel…

It was something no one could process. They were confused and amazed.

Naruto was baffled and speechless as he tried to find words. They left him as nothing he came up with was good enough. Nothing fit the situation. There were no words that seemed fitting.

"Hagoromo, I…" Naruto tried to say something but found nothing as he looked away and cursed his ineptitude.

Only to feel Hagoromo's hand placed upon his shoulder and the Sage's caring gaze look upon him. "Will do everything I know you are capable of and more. You will uphold the balance of the world and, eventually, the Pure World as I have done for so many years. I entrust you because I believe in what I have seen from you. You will not let me down. This I know."

"I have watched you all these years, and you never have."

Naruto's head snapped back as he looked upon Hagoromo, as determination filled his body once more after hearing those words. To hear that…

It was the one thing missing. The one thing he needed to hear. To know he had been doing the right thing all this time.

"All right, let's do this." Naruto nodded as he took a deep breath, looked around, saw everyone gathered, and smiled brightly. "I guess I should say my goodbyes…"

As Hagoromo nodded in agreement and stepped to the side, Naruto's gaze first fell upon his mother. And a tight embrace was formed as she wrapped her arms around him, her red hair whipping around them as tears soaked into his shoulders. "You make sure you take care of yourself! And take care of your bride and mate, dammit! It sounds like they both love you, so find a way to make it work, okay?!"

"I will," Naruto whispered as he rubbed his mother's back before breaking their embrace.

Kushina grinned in response as she wiped tears from her eyes. "Good. Make sure to give me many grandkids in a few years, but none before you are ready, you hear!"

"Listen to your mother," Minato said as he walked up and gave sage advice before softly sighing and warmly embracing his son. "And know no matter what, we always love you and know you are doing the right thing."

"Isn't that the damn truth?" Jiraiya came up alongside his father-son apprentices and beamed at them before ruffling Naruto's hair. "I've always been proud of you, kid. Now get back out there and keep up the good work. Even if you are in another world and can't keep your word about being the Hokage, find a different goal! Be something greater! I know it's in you."

"I've always known." Jiraiya finished with tears in his eyes before opening his arms and enveloping the fox boy in his arms, grasping him tightly for a moment before breaking it shortly after. "Now get out there and prove me right."

"Also, some research material would be appreciated when you get back. Some stories about your brides, if you know what I…"

"LITTLE ONE, WHY?!" Jiraiya screamed as glass shattered all around as Neo appeared out of nowhere, and he found a heeled boot directly planted square between his legs courtesy of her as he dropped to his knees. "Worse than Tsuande…"

"That is an extraordinary ability she has. Her world's powers are interesting." Hiruzen muttered at the sight before turning to face Naruto one last time and smiling at the young boy he saw raised in his village, who was now a grown man before him.

And he was proud of the sight before him. "Naruto, Jiraiya is correct. Hokage was simply a title bestowed and, frankly..."

"At this point, I see someone well deserving of that title if they were still in the village. So don't let it hold you back. I know you are far more capable, and if anything, I have learned that being a Hokage was more restrictive than anything. I think you might have lucked out of the headaches of menial labor for years to come!" Hiruzen dryly laughed as he threw in a little humor before the inner dread of all those years lost to serving the people and working instead of spending more time with his family…

"Oddly, I'm getting that without even taking the role myself," Naruto chuckled with Hiruzen before reaching out and embracing the Third. "Thank you for everything, jiji. It was good seeing you again."

"It was pleasant seeing you again, Naruto, despite the circumstances." Hiruzen softly sighed as he momentarily returned the embrace as Naruto moved from him to Asuma.

"Good to see you again, kid. Now keep making a name for yourself and make your family proud." Asuma gave a half handshake and hug with Naruto, embracing him. "Take care, and whatever you do,"

"Cherish your loved ones. Make every moment count."

"Got it, sensei." Naruto nodded as he broke the embrace, and he was faced with a dilemma as he saw the foot tapping and arms crossed of one Neopolitan standing in front of him. "Now, what to do with you…"

"Get over here!" Naruto caught Neo and embraced her tightly, making the petite woman yelp and squirm in his grasp. "Giving you the Blake treatment when she didn't want to be hugged!"

He chuckled as Neo silently screamed and wailed before Naruto let her go, now leaving her annoyed as she wasn't into emotional farewells. He then reached out and patted her on the head and flicked her forehead. "You did good, Neo…"

"Thank you for everything. I only wish we had more time together. Maybe things could have turned out differently up top."

Hearing those words, Neo's eyes shimmered brightly. And she spun in a circle before hopping up happily and embracing Naruto. He was genuinely surprised by her response before returning the embrace with a soft laugh. "You are a strange one, Neo. I can never get you…"

"Why are you shaking your head now? Why can't I understand you?" Naruto groaned as he looked down at the multi-colored-haired woman who meekly shook her head in their embrace.

"...Trivia…" Was the silent whisper that only he could hear as she buried her head into his chest, making sure her mouth was not seen by anyone else, and his ears twitched in response.

"Oh," Naruto smiled as he brushed his hand through her hair as they slowly separated and smiled at her. "Sometime sooner or later, I'll be back. And next time, it will be with everyone, so it can be like old times again, okay?"

"Trivia."

Smiling and nodding, Trivia placed her hands on Naruto's chest and pushed him away before anyone could infer anything. She could keep playing her role.

After all…

What was life without a bit of chaos?

"Yeah, yeah! I got you!" Naruto laughed as he stumbled away from Trivia, who was waving her fist in mock anger and silently yelling at him. "You have an image to uphold!"

Smirking and nodding as she crossed her arms, Trivia turned her head and huffed in agreement. However, her heterochromatic eyes misted as she gazed at the blonde faunus as he slowly turned away. A sullen, overwhelming sensation overtook her as a lone tear shed and streamed down her cheek. A brilliant smile graced her lips as she looked around at the people she had met because of him.

This was where she belonged now. She found herself a home. And sometime soon…

Her friends would come home too.

Standing before one last person as she wistfully looked at him, Naruto smiled at his friend's mother as she was still trying to understand everything she was witnessing. "Anything you want me to tell them when I get back?"

As Summer gazed quietly, unsure how to process the emotions welling within her, she bit back a sob. She never thought an opportunity like this would arise and didn't know what to say. "I don't know. There isn't much I can say. I left them alone…"

"Hey," Naruto reached out, gently grasped Summer's hands, and lifted them, smiling comfortingly. "None of that matters. When I tell them I saw you, I think all they will care about…"

"Is that you are okay here in the Pure World," Naruto whispered before gently rubbing her hands. "But I think they could use some encouragement from you. Especially Ruby and Raven right now. They seemed to be having the roughest time of them."

As her silver eyes trembled and tears streamed again, Summer wept gently. Naruto embraced her knowingly as she stuttered and stammered. "Just tell them…"

"Tell them I love them all. Tell Tai I cherished our time together and regret letting it end the way it did. Tell him to stay strong for me, and moving on is okay! Qrow needs to let it go and be himself! To Yang that she was always a strong and beautiful little girl! I can only imagine the woman she has blossomed into! Brothers, I miss her and her rebellious spirit! And Ruby always was my hero, and she needs to be herself, no one else! And to Raven…"

"To stop running and letting fear control her. She's with her family again." Summer sniffled in Naruto's grasp. "To let them in and share the burden with her. Stop pretending she's so damn strong, and for once, lean on them. They're strong enough to help her if she permits them."

As her crying slowed down and her shivers stifled, Naruto slowly released her and gave her a warm grin. "Got it. I'll ensure the message is passed along and they don't get it crossed. Especially Raven. Getting through that thickhead can be challenging at times…"

"I know that better than most." Summer stifled weak laughter as she cleared tears from her face and softly sighed. "Thank you. I don't know what to say…"

"Nothing to be said." Naruto grinned in response, taking a deep breath as overwhelming emotions also took a toll on him. "I would have done the same for any of my friends in this position. So with that said…"

"I guess it's time." Naruto turned to the Hagoromo and the massive Nine-Tailed Fox, who watched the scene play out. "Time for me to hit the road…"

"A moment." A familiar voice called out, and Naruto froze as he stepped toward the Sage and Kurama. "I need to know one thing…"

A cold, frosty breeze chilled down his spine as he closed his eyes, and the following words hit him. "You have not allowed her to wilt, have you?"

"For if you have…"

"Blake is doing well," Naruto whispered as the wind whipped around him, the leaves battered around him, and he knew who he was speaking to. "Things haven't panned out as expected, and there have been some rough spots, but we're working on them. She's strong, unwilling to bend, regaining her old luster every day and finding something new to add to it daily."

"Is that what you wanted to hear, Adam?"

There was a silent pause as the wind blew. A man with red hair stood at a tree nearby, having watched the scene nearby. He then huffed and nodded, turned away, and slowly walked from the unusual sight. "Good. Get out of here."

"Finish the mission. Remnant needs a new hope."

"How's your sister doing?" Naruto asked as he watched the bull slowly retreat and walk away.

His response was a simple huff as he kept on his path and was on his way, hands tucked into his pockets. But his ears twitched, and he heard him clearly through the whispering winds. "Happy."

"Good to hear." Naruto softly beamed at where the bull disappeared and returned to join his sister. "I'm glad to see you are doing well here too, my friend. You deserve the chance to change and a chance for redemption."

"All right, what do I need to do for this?" Naruto's breath hitched, he turned from the scene and walked up to Hagoromo as he was becoming overwhelmed with emotions and having difficulty containing everything.

"Nothing but endure it as you have done many times before," Hagoromo explained as he held out his hand and offered it to Naruto. "You will take on my powers, so it will be jarring at first. And Kurama will rejoin you simultaneously to ease the process."

"And at that exact moment, you will be freed of Fate's control, and your soul will be hurtled back into your body. And it's going to hurt like hell." Kurama added as he placed a single clawed finger as Naruto accepted the hand and placed it on top of Naruto's hand. "Remember when your skin was peeled off using six of my tails?"

"Worse than that." Kurama smiled toothily to lighten the mood. "Imagine if your muscles were ignited in that process."

"From within."

"That's what I want to hear right now," Naruto grumbled as his ears flattened and he glared at the fox. "You have a way of words about you…"

"Are you ready?" Hagoromo spoke and drew Naruto's attention to his one last time.

And taking a deep breath, looking at everyone gathered one last time, Naruto smiled. Then his thoughts returned to everyone on Remnant and everything he had to do. To protect those of Vale. But not only that…

His promises to his friends. To his team. To his friends. Ren. Nora. Jaune. Pyrrha. Coco. Velvet. Yatsu. Fox. To RWBY. Ruby and Yang. Their hard luck Uncle Qrow. Their struggling but strong father, Tai. The long lost mother Raven.

Then there was Weiss. Everything was a disaster recently, and he needed to be there to guide her through it. To help her sister now. To support that family, it seemed.

And then there was Blake.

His mate and love.

And how much he wanted to see her again!

Naruto's eyes filled with steely determination as he gazed into Hagoromo's eyes and nodded. "You better believe I am!"

"Let's do this!"

There was no verbal response. Hagoromo nodded, and soon Naruto felt it. A strange, mysterious power slowly filled his being. A familiar presence began to enter him once again. His body began to glow an eerie golden light.

And then the sensation hit.

He felt his chakra again, and it felt like liquid lava inside him! It burned and seared like nothing he had ever experienced before! And his body, which was glowing gold, was dissipating and floating in the air above.

And he felt every flake coming off him.

In a scream of golden light, Naruto, Kurama, and Hagoromo faded into the sky and dispersed, leaving the Pure World and those watching the breathtaking display, hoping Naruto could do what he always had.

And endure it.


This chapter was a nightmare to edit.

Hope it turned out okay.

One more chapter before the end of the Volume.

Tick, Tock...

For those wonder, certain characters were cut as this chapter would have been longer.

Neji, Haku, and others were planned but the chapter.

But I kept it simpler and to the point as possible.