When Indra looked at the young Uzumaki standing in front of him, he knew he felt some twisted form of pity for him.
"I would be more careful with what you're saying. Our memories are merging, already. You do not want the rest of what comes with it." He warned. "The murders… The people we killed. The pain, accumulated over hundreds of years, will be back for you."
Uzumaki Naruto took a long, shuddering breath.
"It has been coming for a while already." He answered, eyes hard. "I will take it. And their memories as well."
He did not understand. And how could he…?
"Then you know exactly what that means for you. You will soon become nothing more than one of them."
"Raijin, Asuka, Shigeo, Tadashi, Ishikari, Asahi, Osamu, Hajime, Goro, Dai, Madara…" He began.
And Indra remembered all of it. He always had.
"…Only if I see myself as separate." Uzumaki Naruto finished.
Indra scoffed.
"And how could you not?" He asked. "Are you going to bear the weight of their actions…? Among all of them, I am not the worst. Far from it."
"That is true. Except for one part." Uzumaki said.
"Please. Enlighten me."
"That's the part where you see yourself as separate, of course. I know the truth. And that means that you know it, too."
"I told you to be careful with your words, didn't I?"
"…And why is that?" Uzumaki asked.
"None of their minds could take the strain of just my presence. And you mean to take on all of them…? What makes you think you're so different…?"
Naruto thought about it.
"Maybe I am not." He admitted, and meant this in two different ways.
"Now, you see…" Indra started to smile again.
"…Then again, I am you." Naruto finally said. His words echoed in both of their voices.
Indra felt a shiver run down his spine.
That… was unexpected.
And he had underestimated him.
…
For a moment, they peer into each other's heart.
Two uncompromising men, born from the same soul.
Two men who should be one.
And at this moment, Indra understood.
Uzumaki Naruto might well survive this encounter and he himself would be relegated to nothing but memories of an age long gone.
Uzumaki Naruto would take over and shape the world.
Uzumaki Naruto would live.
And Indra would not.
Indra felt true fear.
And that… would just not do.
There was only one way out.
Through.
…
In several worlds, Indra was defeated here and there, fading into Uzumaki Naruto's consciousness, living on as nothing more than memories.
In this one, he refused this future.
"…I did it." Indra said, his voice thick with emotion.
He grabbed a tight hold on Asura's chakra and suppressed it.
In spite of it, Uzumaki Naruto's chakra held, still. Defiant as ever.
Indra found in himself that he could respect such a man. In a just world, perhaps—
"Now…?" Uzumaki asked tightly. There was quiet resignation in his eyes, but it didn't stop him. "After… everything?"
Indra didn't relent either.
"I… I did it." Indra said thickly. "…I killed Yasu."
Naruto's chakra seemed to flicker for a second. He stared at his hand, which seemed less corporeal. He closed his eyes for a second.
"Is that it…?" Uzumaki asked.
Indra shook.
Uzumaki's eyes were fixed on his. "Now, after everything…?"
"…"
"You might as well fade away!" Uzumaki roared. He was strong. "I can shoulder the blame—"
Indra stared back, eyes bleeding red, into the spiral pattern that was his birthright.
"…I killed Asura." He said at last. "I bound his soul to the mortal world in my grief, as he lay dying."
His chakra felt more complete by the minute.
Still, Indra felt as though he had stumbled into a well of repressed feelings. Something that probably should have been left alone. Something that terrified him.
But with the words now spoken, and his guilt finally admitted, even though it was to himself… he was stronger here.
"I killed them." Indra said, once more, closing his eyes. "Juro. Teruko. Sora."
The memories didn't fade. They were just as vivid as these moments had been when they happened.
The smell of the air, thick with blood. His hands, coated in it. The pain he had felt, his heart, mind and soul shattering in thousands of pieces.
Yasu, lying broken, something he knew he could not put back together.
Father could have—
Asura, just as still in death as he had been restless in life.
That's not what—
Indra howled, pulling at his hair. He fell to his knees. It felt like ripping part of his heart out. And his soul felt as though it were on fire. Something was calling. Was it because of the blended way he had taken over...? Was it because of the pacts Uzumaki had made...? Something else, entirely?
No.
He had won.
This was over.
Uzumaki Naruto knew it. His hand tightened, as though he were trying to summon one of his swords.
Nothing happened.
Uzumaki shook his head. It was over.
And so he began fading. Their eyes met. The tall Uzumaki seemed to loom over him, even as he went.
"So you could do it after all." He said, sounding resigned.
His hand rose. The fingers were already nothing more than wisps of chakra.
"…You are an abominable man."
Indra didn't bother answering him. There were screams, whispers in his head.
"…But perhaps I am too, then." He let out a flat chuckle.
Indra slowly stood up. "Rest, now." He said slowly. "The world is mine."
Uzumaki Naruto's face held fatalistic acceptance.
"I know it is. How terrible. If only I had been…"
"It is over. Naruto." He said.
The man nodded. "I think I knew I would not live, deep down. I…"
He was more ghost than man, now. And he had only a few words for Indra, because he knew the rest would go unheeded.
"Do not touch them." Naruto said at last, eyes flat. "That is all I can ask for. Not them. None of them."
Indra knew who he was talking about, of course.
There was a part of him, something resentful, that wanted to do it. Today, Indra did not listen to it.
"…I have sworn not to." He said. "They will live."
Uzumaki Naruto faded away, his purple eyes never leaving him.
…
Cold chakra rose from the Peaks of Demise.
And there was a baleful red light, too.
Indra rose again.
His mind felt as though it had been turned upon itself, and the Rinnegan wasn't his yet. But he was still strong enough to do what needed to be done.
His followers were long since gone, now.
All but one.
"Thank you for today."
Those words were not the last ones Naruto had addressed to Hanabi, to them in general.
Still, to her, they might as well have been. The last time they had seen him, he had been entirely lost to madness.
Ino and Karin had taken it the hardest, of course.
And Sakura could pretend she was mostly fine, sure. But Hanabi had seen her expression, when no one was looking.
And she herself wasn't faring much better. She had been starting to—
No matter.
Tears and memories would do them no good, today. Hanabi had no faith in them; she was a ninja. She believed in honed skills and strength and deception.
Wherever Naruto was — if he even… Wherever he was, no one had any clue as to his whereabouts.
And the promised day had come.
The Umi ninja, a front composed of only a few dozens of strong ninja, lay hidden under a jutsu Karin and Ino had devised together.
Three of the Five Nations' Armies had gathered, and there was no cohesion to be found even here.
Most fought for their own land, and this precarious balance would likely hold for as long as it took for old grudges to surface.
In any case, the sun rose slowly on the silent coast.
"I am Uzumaki Nagato. My demands have not been met yet and your… armies stand gathered below me. The destruction shall begin soon. First here… then the Villages."
And so it began.
Hours later, most of the shinobi were dead.
And then, there was fire, coming from the top of the fortress.
…
Red eyes met purple.
"…You are not Uzumaki Naruto." Nagato said, eyes set upon his form. "And yet… your chakra."
Indra smiled, and his eyes held a dangerous promise.
"I could have been."
Next to him, Shachi kept her sword in front of her. Her eyes were firmly set on Nagato.
Nagato's ringed eyes examined both of them, and he spoke with cold clarity.
"Your chakra are ancient. Both of yours." He said. "Perhaps I should deal with you two before I proceed with my plans."
"I believe Uzushio shall be able to hold for long enough, as well." Shachi said, tone even.
"It will be." Nagato said. "For a time."
"Well." Indra shifted. "I suppose it is time."
"Indeed." Nagato said.
Indra extended his hand. Arcs of blue lightning exploded. His left hand dragged searing flames.
Shachi glided on the white marble, low to the ground, aiming to flank Nagato.
And then there was a wall of unstoppable pressure.
The floor exploded under Nagato, and Shachi was forced to jump back with the wall of force to avoid getting crushed. Indra's attacks simply broke apart upon Nagato's jutsu.
"That…" He said. "Might be a problem."
Nagato stomped his foot down.
Earthen dragons rushed from the broken tiles, and then he channeled more chakra. Liquid magma covered them, and they gleamed deadly red.
Indra summoned his bow to his hand.
Fire and Lightning. A crackle of power in the air.
Indra released the arrows, and the skies became heavy, laden as they were with chakra. They crashed into the dragons, and the heat around them became searing.
Nagato's eyes tightened. Indra felt the thrill of battle.
Shachi appeared out of the flames, dancing around them with unflinching precision. Her blade went through the fire, dragging it behind itself. She swung, a heavy two handed strike aimed at Nagato's unprotected back.
And then, a burst of corrosive steam, or perhaps it was mist.
Whatever it was, it erupted out of Nagato's back and reduced her right sleeve to nothing but ribbons of torn fabric and boiled flesh. She winced and leaped back.
She was already weaving hand seals. "Purifying Flames." Her other hand called fire to itself, and she dragged it over her wounds. When it came away, so did her injuries.
Indra didn't wait that long.
His hands completed the seal sequence.
"Firestorm Release: Blazing Drive."
Columns of blinding fires exploded around Nagato.
"Firestorm Release: Ruinous Fall."
In the distance, above even them, sparks of orange ignited. Bursts of electrical light, shining bright even as they fell down upon them.
"Preta Path." Nagato whispered.
The fires dispelled as a half-translucent wall of blue chakra shimmered in place in front of Nagato.
Indra grinned, dark and eager.
Shachi prowled closer, unworried about the deadly fires. Or rather, they mattered less than their objective. If she was going to burn herself on their pyres, she would at least put up a fight first.
Indra let the thrum of battle consume him, let it guide the rhythm of his heart.
He blurred forward, smashing his dual swords into Nagato's shoulder. Bony ridges made it impossible for the weapons to penetrate. Shachi threw herself to the side and parried the rising spires of half-formed ice that erupted from Nagato.
Nagato shoved both of them apart, with a burst of power. Indra fell to the floor and tumbled gracelessly, only skidding to a halt when he slammed his left-hand sword down.
He stood up, and fell into the Twin Heavens stance. An iron ball slammed into his guard, and only a hastily erected Susanoo breastplate prevented his actual ribs from suffering the same fate as it did.
Something crashed into Indra from behind.
It was a piece of marble, pulled back by Nagato. He had taken too long to recover, then. Indra dashed forward again, fingers weaving through seals faster, faster.
Nagato swiped his hand and the red glare of a thin beam of light left Shachi's hair a little bit shorter. She swung, crashing into Nagato's side. He was heavier than she was, and his retaliating punch took her into the cheekbone.
Nagato sent a blast of unrefined pressure at Indra's knee, breaking it entirely. He fell with a growl. Too fast to defend against.
Indra summoned a thin spectral arm. With a sharp sound, he forced his knee back into place, barely breaking his stride.
Ethereal violet chakra formed around him, and shaped itself into a fist. And then into a bow and an arrow.
The hand pulled, and an arc of lightning and fire shaped itself into an arrow, one that made the bow's shimmering string strain.
There was a sudden, sharp sound and the arrow flew true, like a god's judgment, a thing of flame of thunder.
"Shinra Tensei."
There was a mighty crash and the arrow didn't manage to go through, of course.
As he had expected.
Indra's left eye twisted. He called upon his Mangekyō's power, as Nagato's shield fell.
"Raiden." He smiled widely, and the clear hint of mad glee in it made Nagato's eyes sharpen.
Time seemed to rewind itself around the roaring flames and shards of lightning that had been the Susanoo's arrow.
Nagato frowned.
The arrow reshaped itself, going through time in reverse.
And then it flew again.
Nagato roared.
He caught it with arms encased in stone, before pulling it apart, thread after thread. Shachi slipped behind him. She came in from under, slipping through the tiles she had once helped produce. Flames exploded close to Nagato's feet, searing his legs before he absorbed them.
A third arm spread from Nagato's back, carrying a bony sword, to block her attack. Water erupted from its ring finger, a harsh jet that was aimed at her face. Shachi threw herself to the ground, twisting in the same motion to sweep at his legs in a savage motion.
Nagato snarled. He threw a hand up, and a black sphere grew above it.
"Banshō Ten'in!"
Gravity stopped for a moment.
Then it resumed, with the orb as its center.
Shachi stabbed her sword through the white tile with violence, with a growl. She held onto it, channeling chakra through her feet.
Indra flew up, and there was the same flash of ethereal purple.
The Susanoo sprung to life around him, wings beating angrily to keep him halfway between what had once been solid floor and the sphere in the sky, that was pulling more and more shards of material to itself.
A pale fireball grew out of the Susanoo's mouth.
Nagato roared again, and golden chakra exploded out of him. It grew and grew, until it felt as though the Beast itself was breaking free from its cage. But it was only a ghost of it, something in which black spikes were rooted deep.
The Fox twisted, roaring an inhuman cry.
There was a flash of baleful, red light.
Nagato released a beam of demonic energy as he whirled, something that vaporized the area around itself. And it would have vaporized Shachi herself, had she not thrown herself into the air. But that also meant that she was now being pulled to the miniature moon.
She roared as she fell upward.
Nagato released nine beams of red light, this time. All of them, aimed at Indra.
They slammed into the Susanoo, tearing parts of its armor away. And then there was a true wall of lava, something that flew up as well, toward the false moon.
With a flash of gold, Shachi reappeared upon the Susanoo's pauldron.
Nagato, or rather the Fox in which he was contained, launched itself at it with a snarl. It slammed into a brutal grapple, nine prehensile tails wrapping around the spectral giant's members and forcing it to a standstill.
Indra summoned an additional arm, larger, heavier than the others. It carried an equally imposing sword.
It fell with a screech.
The Fox's head snapped up and released a deafening blast of raw Wind. The sword shattered—
"Raiden."
And then it was here, once more.
"I tire of this." Nagato said evenly.
The Fox disappeared.
And then, Nagato entered the Susanoo.
He caught Indra's incoming strike with a clawed, metallic hand.
"I do not know who the two of you are with certainty." He declared. "But I do know that your time is long gone. Away with you!"
The following Shinra Tensei seemed to blow everything apart.
…
Indra emerged from the rubble, and blood was running freely down his face.
Shachi was nowhere to be found.
He stared at Nagato, who was making his way toward him.
"You are everything Uzumaki Naruto believed you to be." Indra said, rising to his feet. "I can see why he was ready to take such drastic measures."
Nagato didn't pause, even as something became curious in his expression.
"So you are responsible for his disappearance, then." Nagato lifted his hand once more.
Indra twisted into motion.
He lunged at Nagato, as if to strike him in the arm. Holding the Tiger seal, fire arrows fell from behind Nagato.
Nagato whirled through them, and his lightning-fast kick came just slightly too fast for Indra to block entirely. It slammed against the side of his head.
He spun with the blow, faster than Nagato had expected. He went more offensive.
"Raiden."
The arrows fell, once more.
Indra moved like a tiger on the prowl, blurring in between sweeps of the elemental fury Nagato brought down upon him.
Fire. Wind. Lightning.
This was a familiar dance to him. Indra struck, he swung back and forth.
Nagato was better, and both progressively raised the stakes.
Twin blades appeared in his hands, just as Lightning and Fire shrouded him. He moved with blinding speed. Nagato still managed to react in time. Twin spikes exploded from his palms and he blocked the incoming blades by channeling Wind and Water in opposite ways.
Water. Earth.
From down below. His Sharingan saw it coming.
"Raiden."
Indra's left-hand blade, which had just been blocked, disappeared. Nagato growled as he blocked Indra's two-fingered strike, the one aimed at his eyes.
Indra threw himself forward, discarding his previous weapon entirely.
The blade's position moved in time, and it struck Nagato's wrist. It didn't manage to go through, because Nagato reinforced his entire body at the last possible moment.
Nagato channeled a jet of superheated steam in his mouth, something that would be enough to melt Indra's face to nothing, at this distance.
And from the worry on that man's face, he knew it too.
"Crimson Edge."
Shachi fell upon him at this moment, emerging out of a golden rift.
Nagato's leg split in two limbs, and one bent backwards in unnatural ways to kick her face. It didn't stop her stabbing motion.
A golden arm did, instead.
"Raiden."
Her sword disappeared.
Nagato caught it and a retaliating blast of searing flame made pain shoot up Indra's arms like a lightning strike.
Shachi pulled another blade from thin air, and her mad dash was hastily stopped by a mudslide.
Then she was set on fire, and screeching.
"Raiden."
The flames winked out.
Nagato blinked.
Indra flung himself forward. Nagato growled and made a downward motion with his hand. Gravity twisted, and Indra's head slammed against the broken marble.
Shachi healed the worst of her injuries in this short moment and she exploded into motion. Twin corded blades flew from her hands, aimed at Nagato.
Another burst of power made them veer off course.
"Raiden."
And then they flew again.
Nagato's chakra rose in a flash, and he pointed two fingers at them. Water swirled into existence, deadly maelstroms that crushed the twin weapons.
Indra reached him, shimmery purple blade in hand. Shachi leaped away.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Indra gritted his teeth, and his Susanoo buckled under the almighty power—
It broke.
Indra screamed, feeling something within him break as well.
"Raiden." He growled, looking past Nagato.
Nagato whirled around in rage. He was trying to figure out what had disappeared, this time.
Nothing did.
It had been a fake-out.
And Indra's blade flew once more, aimed at his neck.
Nagato roared.
His chakra rose and rose.
He went for the simplest solution.
Indra cursed and Shachi cried out—
There was an explosion of chakra, of pressure, and both Indra and Shachi were crushed to nothing.
Nagato took a long breath—
And then they were here again.
And whole.
That was Izanagi, Nagato knew. Something he should have been able to counter—
Shachi thrust forward, and a beast made out of flames sprung into existence. Nagato stomped and pillars of water forced it to vaporize.
Indra came through the heavy waters, this time.
The Susanoo's ribcage, that had materialized around him, was peeled away in less time than it took to blink.
Indra's hands were shrouded in purple light, and there was an ominous glint in his eyes.
No.
His eye.
Because the other was entirely blank, now.
But the red one that spun like a hypnotic spiral was full of chakra.
"Inari!" He bellowed.
"Mangekyō?!" Nagato shouted, and his chakra rose in a deadly flash. "No Sharingan will work on these eyes!"
"Oh, I know." Indra said, a smile that was more of a snarl than an expression of joy on his face. He intoned the command, anyway. "Blow up."
Nagato scoffed. "I believe it's your turn."
His hand turned into a cannon and a ray of power slammed into Indra.
But the man had made his move.
Nagato had been right about the Sharingan.
But Indra had not been talking to Nagato.
…
The Five Bijū detonated themselves within the Gedō Mazō.
…
Nagato howled.
And before he could recover from the terrible disruption of his chakra…
Before he could even raise his ultimate defense…
Before he could even think a thought that was more than just raw pain…
Shachi fell upon him, blade raised.
"No!—" He shouted, trying to pull upon his chakra.
She said nothing.
She swung her fiery sword, without the slightest hesitation. The way she had done it several times over.
And Nagato's head came off.
…
As he came out of the rubble slowly, Indra let a triumphant smile pull at his lips.
The fact that he was grievously wounded did not matter. He slowly walked forward.
The eyes were his, at last. Indra grinned.
Shachi gave him an unreadable look.
'No.'
His Sharingan saw it happen in full clarity.
"No!"
True horror rose within him. He cursed.
"Don't!"
The direct order came, but too late. Izanagi had left his hold weaker, for just a short time.
Flame roared to life in her hand. She aimed for the tumbling head.
Indra roared, too. His Susanoo came alive, and the heavenly warrior's glowing fist reached forward—
Too late.
The flames left nothing in their wake.
As her last act of defiance, Shachi destroyed Nagato's eyes.
"In fact…" Indra concluded his tale. "There was nothing left of Nagato's body, once she was done."
Yoisen didn't answer.
"Of course… It was nothing but a setback. I took over the world anyway. A single one of my eyes was more than enough for it, and in time… I shall be able to attend to even this matter. The Rinnegan shall be mine, no matter the time it takes me.
"Now…" Indra continued. "I may seem somewhat… amused about the entire situation, by now." He said. "But believe me… I wasn't, back then. I… wasn't amused at all."
Still no answer.
Indra smiled. "Well, I did grant her death, although a long, arduous one, in the end. She had been a devoted servant, once, after all." He said. "You would know, of course. And I can only assume you had similar plans of revenge, once."
No answer.
"That is something I am wondering about, I will admit." He smiled. "And the reason why I made sure you wouldn't be able to go against me, this time."
Indra leaned back.
"You may speak, for the next hour." He said. His eye gleamed red, and so did hers.
Yoisen's voice was finally returned to her.
"…I do not see the point of this." She whispered.
"Oh…? Do you not? Truly?"
"Why…?"
"Hmm…?" He smiled. "What if I simply wanted my friend back…?"
Yoisen scowled, but it was all she could do.
"…Had you tightened my other self's constraints from the beginning, she would not have been able to betray you in any way." She said.
Indra smiled.
"You must believe me to be incapable of sentimentality." He said.
She didn't bother answering.
"Did I not tell you of how I spared Uzumaki Naruto's friends, as I promised him…?" He asked. "In spite of the problems they might present in the future...?"
Silence.
"Did I not let Umigakure stand as it was…? In spite of the missing Two-Tails… the missing Seven-Tails…? In spite of the fact that the only people who knew about their possible location would be the very same people I chose to spare…?
"What else could you call it but mercy…?" He asked.
"…Feelings spilling over, perhaps…?" She asked tightly. "You never cared for the Bijū, anyway."
He laughed.
"Ah." He said. "Perhaps that is the reason I did not want you to be a mindless slave."
"…Indeed. I am able to speak, after all." She spat. "It is a very different thing, is it not…?"
Indra smiled, a mocking, almost fond smile.
"Well." He said. "Will you follow, once more…?"
"…I believe I have no choice but to."
The order had been strict, this time.
How her other self had managed to do the mental gymnastics required to bypass the previous commands was something Yoisen wondered about privately.
But then again, she didn't know exactly what had happened in the weeks following Indra's return.
And what she had seen to convince her it was needed.
Because while she herself had made tentative plans about the matter, and had definitely not tried to hasten Indra's return, there had still been plenty of hesitation, when it came to actually attempting something like it.
"Indeed." Indra smiled.
Yoisen bowed her head in resignation.
…
It was night, now.
The bright moon bathed the entire place in an eerie light. Indra had made her stand entirely still for hours on end, not addressing her for the entire time.
He was currently reading through scrolls.
Then he looked up at her, saw the question in her eyes, and allowed her to speak.
"…What are your plans…?" She asked.
He smiled, as he stood up. "First things first. I want to uncover the secrets of this jutsu you have used to come here. In this world. And where you are from."
Yoisen closed her eyes. Indra's smile just got a little bit wider.
"Do tell." He said. "There is a reason I kept you around, after all."
Yoisen resisted the compulsion, as best as she could.
"You may struggle if you want." He said, now amused. "The end result is the same."
Inari made sure of it.
"I have come into possession of a space-time ninjutsu that allows me to travel through alternate realities." She said, in spite of herself. And keeping it at that was taking all of her will.
Indra chuckled. "I'm sure there's more to it than that."
Yoisen closed her eyes. If he asked—
"There will be time for it later." Indra said, amusedly. "There are matters I must settle in this world, first."
"…"
"Will you help me take over the next ones, then…?"
"…Yes, Indra-sama."
"Good."
Indra had never cared for meetings.
Had he forcefully bonded the six men and women in front of him, there would have been no need for this one, either.
But if it meant not having to deal with their presence in the back of his mind, he considered meeting them to be a necessary evil. And this one wouldn't be long, anyway.
Mitarashi Anko glared at him. But it was all she could do, in truth. Like a dog that was all bark, no bite. She barely tried to hide it, of course. Only the threat — real or imagined — of what she believed he would do if she did not bother to come at all forced her hand.
As well as a deep compulsion.
The Five Kage were deep under his thrall.
"Let me make something clear." He continued, still not bothering to sit at the round table. "Uchiha Sasuke is to remain untouched. And his children are to be delivered to me."
His words rang clear, just as the purpose of this request would not be.
Uchiha Itachi, Seventh Hokage, just nodded faithfully.
With Indra having returned entirely, Asura would show himself, he was confident. His children would make for a good reason. And he would once more show him the error of his ways. He would wait for him, endlessly, until he finally gave in.
Because that was the only way he could make sense of this ever-lurking madness, which felt as though it were just waiting. Something that had followed him ever since he had taken over. Irony found a way, it seemed.
And perhaps this time, with more of Asura's chakra, he would manage.
Indra laid out several rules to be set throughout the world. Most of them, with the intention of weeding the weak from the strong.
He had no need for them.
If they were unlucky enough not to be able to access chakra, it would be mercy, in truth.
…
The quiet hours of the night tended to be the worst for him.
There was nothing but himself and the thoughts.
And the memories.
The memories.
Most nights, Indra could be found outside, staring at the stars. Trying to ignore the call of the void.
He did not sleep much, he did not eat much, either. His choices had led them here. Some of the decisions he had made had been terrible, he knew.
But his power was absolute, now.
He could finally start healing this broken world. What did it matter if people who couldn't understand Ninshū might have to go…? He couldn't use Inari on the entire world.
At least, not without the Rinnegan.
But that came later.
It didn't matter to him one way or the other. Ninshū was only a start. An incomplete solution that Asura and their Father had tried to believe in. And a world of chakra-users would make things much easier. The rest…
Well. The rest didn't matter much to him.
Yasu had been one of them, certainly, but she had been different.
If anything, her being who she had been, while having no talent at all when it came to chakra… simply made him more convinced that she had been an exception.
He felt her absence, as he looked at the stars, alone.
…
In the morning, he called for Shachi.
He gave her the order, and she began to lecture about her dimension-crossing jutsu. Something she had developed in the millenia he had been gone. A fascinating technique. She told him, in explicit detail, about the myriad of worlds that lay out there.
She had not intended to come here at all, which he could easily believe.
"You have given me a lot to think about." He said.
Yoisen didn't answer. She kept her eyes closed.
Silence suited Indra just fine.
But there was something strange in her eyes. She stared at him.
"You haven't changed at all." She said. "And the same goes for your ambitions, I suppose."
He smiled slightly.
"My answer is the same as ever."
A world for the Strong.
She had been weak, long ago, and perhaps it had been part of the reason she had followed. Or so he thought.
"…Do you remember?" She asked.
Indra didn't smile, this time. "I do not have any particular desire to indulge in memories. Still, speak."
"Do you remember when Nao and I came to meet you and your brother…? And your father, as well."
Indra said nothing for a long while.
Perhaps she thought that mentioning Asura and the Sage had been too much.
"…I do remember." He said at last. There was something slight on his lips. Something that could almost be called a smile. "What of it…?"
"They were difficult days, they were exhausting days." She said. "Still, it was a happier time, was it not…?"
Silence again.
"…" Indra gave a slow nod. "…I suppose it was."
"I remember lying there in the grass, with Nao and your brother. And looking at the bright, open skies."
"…I do recall."
"Tell me something, then. Indra-sama." She said. "Were you happy, then?"
"…"
No answer came.
To her, it might as well have been assent. He knew it all too well.
"I see." She said. "I was, too. We all were."
Indra still said nothing.
"…It was good, wasn't it?" She asked softly. "Still, I… look forward to the future more. I believe that such times are not only rooted in the past."
"Where are you going with this…?" He asked tightly.
She stared at him.
"Can you say the same?" She asked pointedly. "Or can you simply not stop, now…?"
He glared at her.
"I believe you know the answer. There will always be conflict." He said. "And there will always be more battles to be fought. Still, I will not stop until this rotten world sees the closest possible thing to peace. I will make it true."
"I see." She said. "And after…? Will this be enough?"
"There are other worlds." He said simply. "I will not stop until I am certain there are no threats to my reign."
"I understand."
Indra glared at her. She had spoken too much and she knew it.
He tightened his hold on Inari's ability. Yoisen became entirely still. Indra sighed.
"I have no patience for your sharp words, today." He said. "Leave me."
Indra turned around. He had not been expecting an answer.
It came anyway.
A sword strike went right through his plexus.
He barely had time to let out a choked sound.
Then the blade was pulled out of him. It struck again, close to his bellybutton.
Just like he had taught her long ago, believing Inari's power would always be enough to keep her in line. A paralyzing strike in two steps, when chakra was applied the right way.
And it had been done properly. Something held him in place.
Yoisen stood behind him. A flame burned slowly, and embers crackled around them.
"How—" Indra gritted out.
"The time for speeches is long gone. Indra." She said, eyes glowing.
He tried to reach for his chakra. He couldn't.
Yoisen kept a tight grip on it.
He tried to call upon his Sharingan.
Izanagi. Inari. Anything.
Yoisent prevented him from doing so. Her eyes gleamed gold and purple. Something that came from… within…?
She allowed him to see.
"…Rinnegan…?" He croaked out. "You?!"
She looked as though she wanted to close her eyes, but she didn't.
"I… never intended to let you live." Yoisen said quietly. She had taken the decision the moment she had entered this world, and he knew it. "This is it. I will dispose of your anchors. I know where to find them and how to do so."
"How…?" He growled. There was a pit of ice in his gut.
Something softened in her eyes. "…Someone I hold dear told me."
Indra tasted the cold, metallic taste of blood in his mouth. He couldn't breathe anymore.
But…
He had done it, hadn't he…? He had brought the world to his knees. He would have brought true peace, this time.
Just a little more time. 'Father, would you—'
He remembered a young woman with a bright smile. Yasu…
Asura—
Yoisen's hand shook.
In spite of everything…?
But he had been very important to her, once. And she recalled a young man with mesmerizing eyes and a big dream. She hoped that wherever he went, he would find peace.
She bade Indra a final goodbye, as the flames began consuming him.
And in spite of the horror, she finally felt as though she had closed something that she didn't even know needed closing in the first place.
Yoisen reached down and closed his eyelids.
There was something rolling down her cheek.
A tear…? He didn't deserve any. And still…
"Farewell."
Umigakure.
Yamanaka Ino stared.
She felt the sudden hole that opened inside her. She looked down and saw her arms were shaking.
She closed her eyes and cried.
"It's over."
Nothing.
There was nothing left.
Nothing... coming from the bond, either.
And that meant Naruto — or rather, the stranger wearing his body — was gone.
Anko would confirm it soon enough. The man was gone…
And all their efforts were in vain.
There would be no saving Naruto.
Karin knew it, as well. She shook silently, and didn't dare say anything. Hanabi sniffled, arms wrapped around the two of them.
Sakura…
Sakura could well have been made out of stone.
…
The next day.
"I'll bring him back." Sakura stated.
No one answered her, besides a few worried glances.
"There was a jutsu for that. Naruto mentioned it, once." She said. "One developed by the Second Hokage. It was supposedly flawed. I will recreate it.
"Then I will bring the Second back. Or Orochimaru, something. Until I figure out how to make it work."
Ino shook her head sadly.
"No."
Sakura crossed her arms, and there was something hot and angry under her cold façade.
"…No?" She hissed. "I do not believe you can decide for me, Ino. Too many are gone."
Ino knew, more than anyone, how little Sakura would care about the many. There was a grand total of four people whose death had affected her in any way.
Ino shook her head again.
"At this point… He might well have become consumed by Indra entirely. Even if we brought him back—"
"Stop moping." Karin said.
There was silence.
"…I beg your pardon?"
"I said stop moping." Karin stated again, a bit more tightly.
Her temper was getting the best of her. And the same thing was happening to Ino.
"Moping? I'm just being realistic! If I thought there was any fucking way—"
Karin snorted.
"Do you think he would have let any of us just… die?" She asked. "Or rather, if any of us had died… Do you think he would just have taken it lying down?"
"…Do you believe I don't know this?!" Ino asked. "Do you think I wouldn't have died if—"
"Act like it then!" Karin roared. "We're still here, and he isn't! And if what Sakura says is true, that means there is a chance!"
"That's just going to bring that man back, not him!" Ino shouted, too. "You simply don't understand shit about how—"
"Stop it." Hanabi said flatly. "Stop this. Please."
Both women paused. Hanabi never bothered with pleading.
Sakura stood up.
"Where are you going?" Ino asked.
"Calmed down yet?" She asked. "Good. Let's get started, then."
"…What?" Ino muttered.
"Corpse robbing." Sakura shrugged. "Might be a bit ghoulish, but well…"
"Are you for real…?"
"She is right. There has to be some way. We just have to find out how to play necromancer — the good sort." Hanabi said, as though she were talking about the weather.
Ino looked down. "…You realize what you're saying…?"
"Sure." Sakura laughed. "So?"
"What if it's simply not possible, and it's just a fucking legend—"
"Then we wasted a few years." Karin decided. "…What if it is possible?"
Ino chuckled, sounding as though she was choking back tears.
"…Yeah." She said, wiping her eyes.
Sakura smiled slightly.
"…Right. Let's see how to go about it, then." Ino finished.
Hanabi shrugged. "Might as well learn how to resurrect a few more people as well."
Ino shook her head in muted disbelief.
"Well, first things first, then." Sakura nodded. "You find a way to bring Naruto out of… Indra."
"…It's not going to happen if they merged." Ino said quietly.
"Oh please, they obviously didn't." Sakura chuckled. "That guy was like… pure Indra. And if it was a hostile takeover… then there's a chance. I guess."
"Let's start there?" Karin asked, extending her hand to Ino.
She closed her eyes and took it. Perhaps it was because they really didn't understand how difficult this sort of thing would be. In any case, it made her want to believe, too.
"Yeah."
Sakura nodded, once.
"Then… Let's get back to work."
…
They would not notice it right away, but someone had left a scroll there. Hidden away in its depths, the limitless power of a Rinnegan, one with no unique power, burned bright.
And they had no one to thank for it.
Yoisen missed several more landings.
How long she spent in between worlds… She had no idea, really.