Chapter 56

The crater that was once Konoha lay in silent ruin. Smoke and ash filled the air, choking the light from the sun. Pain stood tall, his Deva Path watching the destruction he had wrought with detached precision. Beneath him, Naruto lay pinned to the earth, immobilized by the chakra rods that pierced his body.

"You and I," Pain began, his voice calm yet unyielding, "are seeking the very same thing."

Naruto gritted his teeth. "Shut up," he spat, writhing against the rods. "We aren't the same."

Pain ignored him. "Both of us are motivated by our desire for peace and justice. But what is justice, Naruto Uzumaki? It is the vengeance you seek for your teacher, Jiraiya. And for me? Justice is the vengeance I seek for my people, for my nation."

Naruto's breath hitched as Pain's voice grew colder. "Your precious Leaf Village ravaged my home. In the wars of the past, your shinobi crushed the Rain Village without a second thought, destroying everything we had in their thirst for victory. The peace your village enjoyed came at the expense of my people's suffering. And now…" Pain gestured to the destruction around him, "I return that pain to you. Only through shared suffering can we ever hope to understand one another."

Naruto's throat tightened. "You… You're insane if you think that killing and destruction will bring peace!"

Pain regarded him with cold disdain. "You and I are the same, Naruto. But I am willing to do what you are not. By using the power of the Nine-Tails, I will create a weapon so devastating it will force the world into peace. A peace born from terror, but peace nonetheless."

"You'll never get the Nine-Tails!" Naruto growled, his voice shaking with rage.

Before Pain could respond, three figures stepped into the ruined battlefield. Ino, Sakura, and Hinata stood together, their faces etched with somber determination. Their bodies were battered, chakra reserves nearly depleted, yet even so they faced Pain with unwavering resolve.

The Deva Path's gaze swept over them. "You three cannot stop me," he stated flatly. His voice turned to Sakura. "You might have challenged me, had you any chakra left to use your space-time ninjutsu. But now? You are exhausted, weak. It is over."

Naruto's voice, raw with desperation, broke the tense silence. "Why did you come here?! You can't win against him! Run, please!"

"No," Hinata whispered, her Byakugan flaring with defiance. She stepped forward, her fists trembling but raised. "I won't run. Not this time."

Her words stopped Naruto cold. "Hinata… don't…" he pleaded.

She glanced back at him, her soft eyes glowing with a determination he had never seen before. "I used to be a coward," she said, her voice trembling. "I gave up before I ever had a chance to fight. But you changed that, Naruto. You were the first to believe in me… before anyone else, it was your smiling face that saved me."

Naruto's chest tightened as tears filled his eyes. "Hinata… don't do this."

But she didn't stop. "Because of you, I learned to never give up," she said, stepping toward Pain. "That's my ninja way."

Hinata surged forward, her hands glowing with the chakra of the Gentle Fist. Pain dodged her attacks with infuriating ease, his expression unreadable. "Why would someone as weak as you try to resist?" he asked, his voice laced with genuine confusion.

"Because I believe in Naruto," she whispered. "He taught me to never back down."

Pain's gaze hardened. "And this belief will be your end." With a single motion, he unleashed an Almighty Push, sending Hinata flying backward. She hit the ground with a sickening thud.

Naruto screamed her name, his voice cracking with anguish. "Hinata, stop! You have to stop!"

Hinata staggered to her feet, blood dripping from her lips. Her body swayed, but she stood firm, staring Pain down. "I won't stop," she murmured. "Not until my last breath."

Pain's patience wore thin. "Then I will grant your wish." With a single motion, he drove one of his chakra rods through her chest.

Time seemed to freeze. Hinata's body crumpled to the ground, motionless. Naruto's screams echoed through the ruins, raw and unrelenting.

Pain turned his attention back to Naruto, but something was wrong. Naruto's head drooped, his body trembling violently. The air around him thickened with an oppressive energy, suffocating in its intensity. Pain's Rinnegan focused on him as his voice turned calm. "You see, Naruto. This is the true nature of pain."

But Naruto was no longer listening. His vision blurred, consumed by a searing red. In the recesses of his mind, the Nine-Tails stirred, its fiery eyes glowing with malice.

"You let her die," the beast whispered, its voice like molten steel. "You need me now."

"No…" Naruto gasped, his voice trembling. But the anger, the pain, and the hatred consumed him. The seal cracked, releasing the red chakra in violent waves.

The ground beneath him trembled. His Sage Robe disintegrated, replaced by the bubbling crimson of the Nine-Tails' Chakra Cloak. His eyes burned, the blue replaced by a glowing, savage red.

Naruto let out a guttural roar that shook the heavens. Pain took a step back, his composure faltering for the first time.

The monster had awakened.

The earth shook violently beneath the weight of Naruto's transformation. The glowing red chakra of the Nine-Tails surged out of his body, coiling into six jagged tails of pure malice. His once-human form was barely recognizable—an amalgamation of fiery chakra, claws, and fangs. A skeletal structure knit from the Demon Chakra. The form of the First Hokage's necklace glowed faintly as it attempted to suppress the transformation, but the raging power of the Nine-Tails overwhelmed it, shattering the necklace into pieces.

Pain stood at the edge of the crater that had once been Konoha, his Deva Path staring at the monstrous figure with calm determination. "This is the true power of the Nine-Tails," he murmured. "But it is still a tool of destruction—a tool that I will bring under control."

Naruto let out a guttural roar that echoed across the battlefield. Without warning, the six-tailed beast lunged forward, its immense claws ripping through the ground as it charged at Pain. The Deva Path raised a hand and activated All Mighty Push, sending a massive shockwave to repel the attack. The beast barely flinched, its claws slamming into the ground to stabilize itself before launching again.

Pain leapt backward, the strain on the true Nagato evident in his distant, emaciated body. He commanded the remaining Deva Path to retreat to higher ground. "I cannot fight him here. The destruction will only grow," Pain whispered, his voice cracking under the strain of controlling his Paths. With a single hand sign, he summoned the Celestial Devastion Sphere, arguably his most powerful technique.

The earth rumbled as chunks of rock and debris were ripped from the ground, pulled upward into the sky by a gravitational force that no shinobi could resist. Pain directed the technique toward Naruto, creating a massive black sphere that hovered ominously above them. The powerful attractive force of the Celestial Devastation Sphere expanded rapidly, trapping Naruto in its pull. His monstrous form clawed at the edges of the gravity well, but it was futile. Rocks, trees, and rubble surrounded him, forming a colossal miniature moon suspended high above the battlefield.

From atop the rubble, Pain gazed up at the sphere. "It is done," he said, his voice weary. "The Nine-Tails is contained."

But inside the Celestial Devastation Sphere, the story was far from over. Within the confines of his own mind, Naruto stood in a dark, oppressive void, surrounded by visions of destruction and despair. Pain's voice echoed through his subconscious.

"Look at the world, Naruto Uzumaki," Pain's voice taunted. "It is filled with hatred. No matter what you do, this cycle of suffering will never end. Only through my plan can there be peace."

Naruto clutched his head, his breathing labored. "No… you're wrong. I can… I will stop this!" But his voice wavered with doubt.

The Nine-Tails stirred in the darkness, its glowing red eyes piercing through the shadows. "He's right, you know," the beast whispered, its voice like thunder. "They will always hate you. They will always betray you. Let me destroy this world for you. Let me free you from their lies."

Naruto shook his head, his fists clenched. "No… I can't…"

"Yes, you can," the Nine-Tails hissed. "Release the seal, Naruto. Together, we will bring an end to everything."

Naruto's hand moved to the seal on the mental projection of the Nine-Tails Fox's prison, his mind clouded by rage and despair. He reached for it, his fingers trembling. The seal began to distort, its lines warping as the eighth tail of the Nine-Tails broke free. Outside the sphere, the Celestial Devastation Sphere cracked, its surface splintering under the sheer force of the Nine-Tails' power. Nine enormous tails erupted from the surface of the gravitational body. Just as Naruto's fingers brushed against the seal, a blinding light filled his mind. A warm, familiar voice spoke.

"That's enough, Naruto."

Naruto froze, his eyes widening as the light took shape. Standing before him was a man with spiky blond hair, wearing a flowing white coat emblazoned with the kanji for "Fourth Hokage."

"Dad…?" Naruto whispered, his voice trembling.

Minato Namikaze smiled gently. "Yes, Naruto. It's me."

Naruto's legs gave out, and he fell to his knees. "Why are you here? I—I almost…"

Minato knelt beside him, placing a reassuring hand on his son's shoulder. "It's okay. I left part of my chakra inside the seal, in case you ever needed me." He glanced at the crumbling seal. "Looks like I arrived just in time."

Naruto's eyes filled with tears. "I—I couldn't stop him. I couldn't protect anyone… not Hinata, not Kakashi, and the village…"

Minato's smile softened. "Naruto, being a shinobi isn't about never failing. It's about rising up every time you fall. You have the power to change this world—not through destruction, but through the strength of your heart." He paused, his expression turning serious. "I sealed the Nine-Tails inside you because I believed in you, Naruto. I knew you could use its power for good."

Naruto's fists clenched. "But how? How do I stop all this hatred?"

Minato's gaze was firm. "You don't have to know the answer right now. Just keep moving forward, one step at a time. Trust in your friends, and trust in yourself. That's all I ask."

Naruto stared at his father, his heart swelling with resolve. "Okay, Dad. I won't give up. I promise."

Minato smiled one last time before placing his hand over the seal. "Good. Now, let's fix this." With a surge of chakra, the seal repaired itself, and the oppressive presence of the Nine-Tails receded.

As the light faded, Naruto opened his eyes to find himself back in the real world. The Celestial Devastation Sphere shattered, sending debris raining down around him. Falling to the ground amidst the rubble, his golden eyes glowed with renewed strength as he stared at Pain.

"I'm not done yet." Even while falling his form multiplied manifold, his signature Shadow Clone Jutsu activating in a plume of smoke that obscured his position. The clones organized a coordinated wave of attacks that Pain deflected with his All Mighty Push.

"I tire of your parlour tricks." Pain's Rinnegan bore into Naruto's soul.

"Well," Naruto grinned, Senjutsu chakra flowing into his body. "Hope you're ready for at least one more." The ground surrounding pain exploded as dozens of Naruto clones using Earth Release: Hiding Like A Mole Technique emerged with momentous leaps. They each held a Sage Art: Rasengan raised triumphantly toward Pain.

He dispelled the clones in a defiant wave of his All Mighty Push.

Five Seconds. In that moment Naruto appeared behind the overwhelmed form of the Deva Path. Nagato was used to navigating his avatar through Six Paths, six sets of eyes. One perspective was a limitation he had forgotten how to navigate. He pulled his fist back and unleashed a blow combining the awesome might of Tsunade's strength—itself derived from the First Hokage's technique—with the versatility of Senjutsu. The form of Deva Path shot through the air as if out of the end of a cannon. Its body, what was left of it, was a bloody pulp.

Naruto's golden-orange eyes widened as he noticed, using the Sensor Abilities of his Sage Mode a trail of chakra that extended outward from the lifeless form of Deva Path into the surrounding forest. Determined, Naruto pursued the disturbance.

Naruto's eyes burned with determination as he stood before the twisted, makeshift tree base formed in the remote outskirts of Konohagakure. The black receivers in his hands hummed with a strange resonance, guiding him to the man behind the devastation. Through the mist of the rain-soaked village, he finally saw him: Nagato, gaunt and frail, his body impaled with rods that seemed to anchor him to the machine around him, extending like the roots of the very tree that imprisoned him. Beside him stood Konan, silent and wary. Part of her face was missing.

"So, you're the one controlling Pain," Naruto said, his voice firm but not unkind. His golden sage eyes pierced through the haze, locking onto Nagato's own static Rinnegan.

Nagato regarded him with calm yet intense focus. "Naruto Uzumaki," he said, his voice strained but resolute. "You have come this far. Tell me… what is your answer to the cycle of hatred?"

Naruto's hands clenched at his sides. "Before I answer you, I want to know why. Why do you hate Konoha so much? What made you this way?"

Nagato's expression darkened. "You want to know my pain? Very well." He closed his eyes, the memories flooding his mind. "Let me tell you." Nagato's voice trembled slightly as he spoke. "It began during the Second Shinobi World War. My parents… ordinary civilians… were killed before my eyes by shinobi from Konoha. They mistook them for enemy spies. In that moment, I felt pain like no other, and my Rinnegan awakened. I killed the shinobi, but it did nothing to bring my parents back."

Naruto listened in silence, his heart heavy as Nagato continued. "I wandered alone, starving and broken, until I met Yahiko and Konan. We were just children, trying to survive in a war-torn world. Yahiko was our leader. He believed that we could bring peace to this world, even if it meant taking it by force."

Nagato's voice softened. "We had a dog, Chibi. He was our light in the darkness. But even he was taken from us—killed by an explosive tag, a casualty of a battle between Konoha's Sannin and Hanzō's forces."

Konan's expression grew pained as Nagato's voice grew more fervent. "It was Yahiko's dream to end all this suffering. He convinced Jiraiya-sensei to train us, to give us the strength to fight back. Jiraiya believed I was the Sage of Six Paths reborn. He entrusted me to find the answer to this endless cycle of hatred."

Nagato's voice turned bitter. "But Jiraiya was wrong. The world doesn't change through kindness or hope. It changes through power. When we formed our group to fight for peace, Hanzō saw us as a threat. He lured us into a trap, with Konan as bait."

Konan looked away, unable to meet Naruto's gaze. Nagato's voice cracked. "Hanzō told me to kill Yahiko to save her. But Yahiko… he took his own life, right in front of me, using the blade in my own hand… because he believed in me."

Naruto's fists trembled at his sides. "That's… that's awful."

Nagato continued, his voice hollow. "In my despair, I awakened the true power of the Rinnegan. I slaughtered Hanzō's forces and vowed to bring peace to this world—not through ideals, but through pain. Pain is the only way people can truly understand one another."

Naruto stared at him, his heart heavy with the weight of Nagato's story. "I get it. I get why you think the way you do. But I can't agree with you. Ero-sensei believed in me. He believed I could find a better way."

Nagato's eyes narrowed. "And what is this 'better way'? Do you think kindness will stop war? Do you think forgiveness will end the cycle of hatred?"

Naruto pulled out a small, weathered book from his pouch. "This is the answer," he said, holding it up. "Jiraiya-sensei wrote this. It's about a ninja named Naruto, just like me. A ninja who vowed to break the cycle of hatred, no matter what it took." Nagato stared at the book in silence as Naruto began reading aloud.

"'The hero of this story endured endless pain and loss, but he never gave up. He believed in a world where people could understand each other. And he fought for that world, no matter how hard it was.'"

Naruto closed the book and looked Nagato in the eye. "I'm going to become Hokage, and I'll prove that Jiraiya-sensei was right. I'll bring peace to this world—without fear, without hatred. That's my ninja way."

Nagato stared at Naruto for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he closed his eyes. "You… remind me of Yahiko. You have the same fire, the same hope. Perhaps… Jiraiya-sensei was right after all."

Konan's eyes widened. "Nagato… what are you saying?"

Nagato placed his hands together in a seal. "I will believe in you, Naruto Uzumaki. I will entrust you with my dream."

With a sudden surge of chakra, Nagato activated his Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique. A green glow enveloped the battlefield, and the souls of those killed during Pain's assault began to return to their bodies. Kakashi, Hinata, Shizune, and countless others gasped as life returned to them.

Naruto stared in awe. "Nagato…"

Nagato's body grew frailer, his life force rapidly fading. "This is my atonement," he whispered. "The rest… is up to you."

As Nagato's body fell, lifeless, Konan caught him, tears streaming down her face. Naruto watched in silence, his heart heavy but resolute.

The battle was over. But the journey for peace had just begun.

In the quiet serenity of the forest, Naruto stood before a newly erected shrine, its wooden frame intertwined with vines and branches. Using his Wood Release, he had carefully shaped the memorial in honor of his late sensei, Jiraiya. The carvings on the shrine depicted the Toad Sage in all his eccentric glory, his wide smile immortalized in the gentle curve of the wood. Naruto placed Jiraiya's battered book, The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi, at the base of the shrine.

"Thanks for believing in me, Pervy-sensei," Naruto whispered, his voice hoarse from exhaustion and emotion. He placed his hands together in a silent prayer. "I'll make you proud. I promise."

The journey back to Konoha was a blur. His legs trembled with every step, the aftereffects of battle and his use of Sage Mode taking their toll. The ruins of Konoha loomed in the distance, smoke curling faintly into the sky. He stumbled forward, determined to reach his home despite the weight dragging him down.

"Naruto!" A familiar voice broke through the haze of his exhaustion. He turned, just in time to see Kakashi Hatake materialize beside him, his visible eye creased with worry. Kakashi caught Naruto as he fell forward, lifting the boy onto his back.

"You've outdone yourself, kid," Kakashi said softly, carrying Naruto toward the village's border. Naruto grunted in response, too tired to protest. He felt a strange sense of comfort in his sensei's steady presence.

As they approached the ruins of Konoha, Naruto's vision swam with the sight of the villagers gathering at the edge of the destruction. Their faces, once wary and suspicious of him, now shone with admiration and gratitude. The crowd erupted into cheers as Kakashi carried him closer.

"You did it, Naruto!" one villager shouted.

"Thank you!" cried another.

Iruka stood among the crowd, his eyes glistening with pride as he remembered the boy who once sat in his classroom, a mischievous prankster with a heart of gold. Yamato stood nearby, nodding silently as he observed the young man who had surpassed all expectations.

Kakashi set Naruto gently on his feet, and before he could fully regain his balance, a pair of familiar arms wrapped around him. It was Ino, her face radiant with joy and relief. "You're not just my hero anymore, Naruto," she whispered, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. Naruto's face turned a bright shade of red, but he smiled through his exhaustion.

Hinata, standing beside Sakura in the distance, watched with a faint smile. She clasped her hands together, her thoughts a mix of relief and admiration for Naruto. Sakura, still wearing her tattered Anbu uniform, placed a comforting hand on Hinata's shoulder.

As the villagers crowded around him, each expressing their gratitude and awe, Naruto's heart swelled with emotion. This was what he had always dreamed of—not the recognition of his power, but the acknowledgment of his heart and dedication.

He glanced around at his friends: Kakashi, Ino, Sakura, Hinata, Shikamaru, Choji, and so many others who had stood by him through it all. He thought of those who couldn't be there, like Jiraiya and Nagato, and silently vowed to carry their legacy forward.

As the sun began to set over the shattered village, its golden rays casting a warm glow on the crowd, Naruto stood tall despite his weariness. For the first time in his life, he truly felt at home. His dream of acknowledgment had finally come true.

And yet, he knew the journey was far from over.