Ōnoki cleared his throat."Ahem… perhaps we should answer the question first?"
Hashirama blinked."Huh? We already answered it!"
Ding! Time's up!A votes: 232,710B votes: 4,216
Madara scowled."It's a multiple-choice question. If you're not going to pick, then what are you waiting for? Idiots!"
The Fourth Raikage grumbled."My standing in this group sinks lower each day. I used to think being Raikage meant something. Clearly not."
Tsunade muttered,"I have the right to remain silent, and I choose to use it. Next question already!"
Kisame chuckled."Heh… my son's the real powerhouse. While you village leaders hog the spotlight, he's still out there fighting."
Gaara exhaled quietly.
Ding! The correct answer is B!Distributing 680,000 gold… Done!Wrong answers will extend current buffs such as sealed hands, feminization, or kidney debuff by one day.
Madara scoffed."One more day? Big deal."
Hashirama stomped the ground."Sixty-eight thousand gold split among four thousand people? Ridiculous!"
Hashirama's sons, Maru and Kashi, groaned."We only got 161 coins each. This system is so stingy…"
Ōnoki sighed."It's better than nothing…"
Might Guy scratched his head."Since I'm not dead… who saved me? Lee?"
Lee stammered,"Uh… me?"
Ding! Question Two: Who saved Guy in the video?Correct reward: one Truth Orb one-time trial card (redeemable for 66.66 million gold).Wrong answer… unknown punishment!This is a timing-sensitive question. Name the rescuer or face dire consequences.
Ever since the 660 million-gold Truth Orb set appeared, every ninja village had been in an uproar. That card was the closest anyone in the Pure Land had ever come to actual resurrection. A once-in-a-lifetime chance. Even a single Mangekyō Sharingan was worth 100 million. With seven, you could awaken a Susano'o instantly. Who wouldn't want that?
Now the prize was 66 million. Even one Mangekyō was enough to boost your strength. Kakashi's Copy Wheel only had two.
Madara narrowed his eyes."Who had the power to save him?"
Hashirama shook his head."Even I'd have to waste several arms to block that orb."
Madara snapped,"Silence! Let me show off!"
Hashirama frowned."Honestly, in a battle like that, none of us had the room to intervene. But no one else was on the field either. What is that towering tree? How did this battlefield even form? Why is the moon red?"
Tsunade leaned forward."So our leads are cut off. All we can do now is guess."
The Raikage waved a hand."You lot keep guessing. We're staying out of Konoha business."
Tsunade huffed."I'm a village Shadow too. What, I don't even get a say? Fine. Enjoy your little quiz."
Ōnoki bowed stiffly."I too will refrain from interfering…"
Gaara bit his lip."I'm here, but I'm young. I'll keep quiet."
Shikaku muttered,"If the timer ends before we answer, we get another world-wide punishment. No thanks."
They all continued wandering the Pure Land, a realm mirroring the shinobi world. Spirits roamed between the two, yet some could not find where they truly belonged. Villages had vanished from history. Some had been rebuilt elsewhere. For those still carrying regrets, seeing this familiar yet altered world was a knife to the heart.
A leaf returns to its root.
(Back in eras before the internet, those close to death would often ask for just one thing—to see their hometown one last time. We're lucky to live in an age of peace.)
Hashirama cleared his throat again."Since the other villages won't participate, let's strategize. The reward is 66 million gold, so the penalty will be massive too. Don't guess recklessly. If you don't have the collateral, you're done."
His words struck home. No one had died yet because of the system. Perhaps it had only just arrived. But even Madara and the Akatsuki fell silent. Why had this strange system appeared? What was its true purpose?
Even Hashirama's cheerful expression faded. The system's power had already surpassed their understanding. He feared it as much as he admired it.
And now, the Pure Land was real. Once, no one truly knew what happened after death. Not even Edo Tensei had fully revealed the truth. Even the Death God bowed before this power. Perhaps the Sage of Six Paths still watched from the Group Chat, silent because even he didn't understand this system.
The resurrection function hadn't been proven. But the fact that souls could be swapped between the Pure Land and the living world for even one day that alone was a miracle.
Author's Note:
This chapter might feel like filler. I admit, I stalled a bit writing it. I had so much I wanted to say, but couldn't quite find the words.
Naruto's greatest themes friendship, love, family echo through every character.
Sakura finds Sasuke.Gaara awakens to Naruto's compassion.Itachi says goodbye with a smile.Guy passes his will to Lee.Hinata believes in Naruto to the very end.Even Obito, twisted by loss, clings to love.
Art? Explosion? Eternity?I'm no critic. But each Akatsuki name carried deep meaning. Kakuzu's greed, Deidara's obsession with fleeting beauty. The Sannin's own bonds, more fragile than anyone imagined. Maybe that's why they felt more like villains.
Some say I don't understand Naruto. And maybe they're right. No one fully can. But I love every character. Still, I won't claim perfect insight. To anyone frustrated by clumsy writing, I offer my heartfelt apology.
From Asuma to Jiraiya, from Neji to the Hokage themselves… every youth, every regret has left an ache in my chest.
Sorry for the long-winded words. Sorry if I wasted a page. I just had to get this out.
This is the last filler, I promise.Tonight, I'll keep writing. I'll chase the story I've always dreamed of.And most importantly, I'll keep believing in the path I chose.
Thank you for walking it with me.