It was the day after his battle with Isshiki. The area surrounding Naruto's apartment lay in ruins. Debris scattered the streets, and the scars of the battle etched themselves into the very heart of the village. Yet, despite the devastation, Naruto was surprised the entire center of Konoha hadn't been obliterated—it could have been far worse.
Still, the sight before him weighed heavily. He stood amidst the rubble, hands on his hips, surveying the damage with a mixture of relief and guilt. It was a miracle so much of the village still stood. He took a deep breath, inhaling the earthy scent of splintered wood and dust, and then got to work.
Naruto knelt and pressed his hands to the ground. Through his mastery of Sage Mode, he had learned to manipulate wood, a skill he'd honed with Yamato's guidance. Slowly, the shattered beams and broken structures began to reshape themselves, the raw materials forming sturdy replacements. With this technique, the burden on Yamato—already stretched thin with repairs—was lighter.
"This'll be back to normal in no time," Naruto muttered to himself, though the tired edge in his voice betrayed his true feelings.
As the hours passed, villagers began to emerge from their homes, cautiously stepping into the daylight. Some watched him work, their faces a mixture of gratitude and unease. Others whispered among themselves, their words reaching Naruto's sharp ears.
"He saved us again," one villager said.
"Yeah, but at what cost?" another murmured. "How many more times can we survive something like this?"
Naruto didn't let the whispers faze him. The truth was, he had asked himself the same question more than once since the battle. Each victory seemed to bring its own wave of destruction, and while the village always recovered, the toll it took on the people—their trust, their safety—was harder to rebuild.
As he continued his repairs, his thoughts turned to the future. The threats to the village were growing stronger, more otherworldly. Isshiki was defeated, but there was no telling what would come next. The Kage were strong, and so were their villages, but Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that the world needed something more—someone who could protect it from threats beyond their reach.
Maybe that someone had to be him.
He was the only one who could have defeated Isshiki, and now, the only one who could stand against the strange energy he had sensed back at the hospital. The weight of that responsibility pressed down on him, heavier than ever. If the world was going to face more threats like Isshiki, he needed to be stronger.
Or maybe… the people around him needed to be stronger.
The thought hit him like a bolt of lightning.
"That's it!" Naruto said aloud, his face lighting up. "Why didn't I think of that earlier?"
Because you're an idiot. Remember?
Naruto scowled, recognizing the smug voice in his head instantly. Shut up, Kurama.
The fox's deep chuckle echoed in his mind. Hey, just stating facts. Took you long enough to figure out something so obvious.
Naruto rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling a little. For all of Kurama's snark, he was right. The thought of lifting up others—helping his comrades, his village, and maybe even the world—felt right. It wasn't just about his own strength anymore. They'd all need to rise together if they were going to protect the future.
"Alright," he muttered to himself, his determination solidifying. "Time to stop doing this solo. If I'm going to protect this world, I've got to make sure everyone else is ready to protect it, too."
Kurama's voice rumbled again. Let's see how long it takes for you to screw this one up.
"Real supportive, Kurama." Naruto grinned as he turned back to the repairs, his mind already racing with plans.
He created shadow clones to gather his friends, then teleported to his personal training ground. Tsunade had assigned him his own training area after he repeatedly complained about others trying to use the same space (one of the perks of being the Hokage's favorite knucklehead).
When he arrived, his friends were already waiting for him. He had secretly marked everyone in Konoha with his Flying Thunder God Jutsu formula—a painstaking effort that took weeks of precision and patience (new borns were an awful process). Marking Tsunade had been the most grueling challenge; evading her sharp senses and enduring her wrath when she eventually found out was no small feat.
But now, that effort was paying off. Using the technique, he had teleported his friends here to train them and make them stronger.
"Alright, listen up!" Naruto said, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. "We've faced some tough enemies before, but things out there are only going to get harder. If we're gonna survive—and protect everyone we care about—we need to step it up."
Kiba smirked, crossing his arms. "So, what crazy idea do you have this time? And does it involve us nearly dying again?"
Naruto laughed. "No one's dying! Well, not unless you count the old, weak version of you! By the time we're done, you'll be stronger, faster, and ready to handle anything that comes your way."
Hinata's eyes widened slightly as she softly asked, "What kind of training are we doing, Naruto?"
"It falls under the ANBU definition of excessive torture," Naruto said, his tone grave.
Everyone at the training ground shivered. They had never seen Naruto this serious before, and when he was serious, it always meant trouble.
Shikamaru let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Troublesome... Are we sure we're not just being punished for something?"
Naruto shook his head. "No punishments, Shikamaru. This is about survival. If we don't push ourselves past our limits now, we'll never stand a chance against what's coming."
Kiba's confident smirk faltered as he glanced at Akamaru, who let out a low whine. "T-That bad, huh?"
Naruto nodded. "Worse."
The tension in the air thickened as the group exchanged uneasy glances. Even Choji stopped munching on his chips, which was saying something.
Naruto clapped his hands, his voice cutting through their doubts. "But hey, we've been through worse, right? Remember Pain? Madara? The Pale Man? Isshiki, the guy I fought Yesterday? We came out on top every time because we refused to quit."
Ino raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, but you were usually doing the heavy lifting in those fights."
Naruto grinned, his usual lightheartedness returning for a moment. "Exactly! And now it's time to make sure you can do the same."
He gestured toward a nearby setup of dummies, obstacle courses, and seal-covered targets. "The drills are designed to break you down and rebuild you into something unstoppable. First up: a test of endurance and chakra control. You're going to channel your chakra while running up those trees—backwards."
"Backwards?" Sakura echoed, crossing her arms.
"While dodging kunai," Naruto added with a smirk. "And don't worry, I'll throw 'em slow. At first."
The collective groan was immediate, but beneath it all was a spark of determination. Naruto's seriousness—and his belief in them—was contagious.
"Let's get started," Naruto said, stepping back. "By the end of this, you'll thank me... or hate me. Maybe both."
And with that, the training began, their groans and shouts filling the air as Naruto pushed them harder than they thought possible.
He had made sure his clones were equipped with enough kunai to last for days. It had been expensive, but being the hero of the world had its perks. The villagers practically handed Naruto a pile of money, only warning him, "Don't spend it all on ramen, Naruto!" Fortunately, Kurama had taken it upon himself to ensure Naruto didn't blow through it all at once.
By the end of the day, everyone—except Naruto—was covered in scars and bruises. Their clothes were torn and barely holding together, evidence of just how brutal the training had been.
"How do you guys feel? Ready for round two?" Naruto asked, his tone far too enthusiastic for their liking.
"Round two?! It's 10:00 P.M., Naruto," everyone groaned in unison, utterly exasperated.
Naruto blinked, looking genuinely confused. "Yeah, it's early! How do you think I got this strong? I train twenty-seven hours a day, nine days a week, four hundred days a year."
Shikamaru pinched the bridge of his nose, too tired to deal with this. "Naruto, that isn't even remotely possible."
Naruto grinned, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Anything's possible, Shikamaru! Now get back on those trees!"
Shikamaru sighed heavily. "Troublesome..." But despite his grumbling, he and the others dragged themselves back to their positions.
Naruto crossed his arms, watching as they resumed the drills, his voice booming with encouragement. "Come on, guys! Keep it up! You'll thank me later—trust me!"
Somewhere deep down, they all knew he was right. But for now, they were too exhausted to think about anything except surviving the night.
Toneri stood silently, observing Naruto from afar. The Jōgan made it easy to see great distances, allowing him to watch the intense training unfold.
"It seems he understands the benefit of having his friends grow strong enough to stand alongside him," Toneri murmured. "But how far are they willing to go to achieve it?"
A voice from behind broke his contemplation. "Who cares? They're all weak little humans anyway."
Toneri turned to face the speaker, his expression neutral but his guard up. Three other Ōtsutsuki stood before him.
The first was tall and broad-shouldered, his imposing figure wrapped in clothing that obscured three-fourths of his face. Perched casually on his right shoulder was a smaller Ōtsutsuki, thin and wiry, with a sharp, calculating gaze. The last one hovered to their side, effortlessly suspended in the air, a fishing rod in hand as though they were toying with reality itself.
Toneri sighed, already knowing their purpose. "What do you want?" he asked flatly, though his tone betrayed his annoyance.
The smaller Ōtsutsuki, sitting on the first one's shoulder, leaned forward, his expression a mix of curiosity and suspicion. "How did you unlock the legendary Jōgan?" he asked. "You're not even a full-blooded Ōtsutsuki, yet you've achieved what only one among us ever has. And you've done so without consuming a single chakra fruit."
Toneri narrowed his eyes, his calm demeanor unshaken. "Why does it matter to you?"
The hovering Ōtsutsuki chuckled, reeling in his imaginary line as if savoring the tension. "It matters because it defies the natural order. Power like that should not exist in someone... incomplete."
Toneri clenched his fists, his gaze sharp. "Perhaps the problem lies with your understanding of what's possible."
The tall one finally spoke, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. "Enough talk. Either reveal the secret of the Jōgan, or we'll take it by force."
Toneri's lips curved into a faint smirk as he shifted his stance, ready for whatever was to come. "You can try, but you'll never be able to see yourself."
The air around them grew heavy, the tension palpable as a clash between the Ōtsutsuki began to brew. Meanwhile, far below, Naruto and his friends remained oblivious to the looming threat above.
Toneri stood alone in a massive crater, the gray, barren surface of the moon stretching endlessly around him. The oppressive silence of the void enveloped him, broken only by the faint hum of his own chakra. Above him, the endless blackness of space loomed, dotted with distant stars.
"They were all talk," Toneri muttered, his voice steady but cold. "No one can challenge me."
He glanced at the scattered remnants of his recent encounter—fractured pieces of lunar rock, faint traces of energy still lingering in the air. His Jōgan glowed faintly, reflecting his quiet confidence.
"But that matters not," he added, turning his gaze toward Earth. The vibrant blue planet hung in the distance, a stark contrast to the desolation around him.
"The true challenge lies there," Toneri whispered, his expression unreadable. "And soon, they'll understand that."
He stepped forward, his figure slowly fading into the shadows of the crater, the moon's surface left eerily silent once more.