Chapter 74

"You aren't wrong," Tsunade admitted, crossing her arms, "but we should create a lesser version for others. Only a select few should receive this level of power. If we hand it out too freely, the world will descend into chaos."

Naruto nodded, understanding her concerns. "I agree. I also meant at a later date—once things are in order."

But Tsunade frowned, sensing something deeper in his words. "Wait… I don't think we're on the same page. Naruto, do you intend for everyone to undergo this procedure eventually?"

"Of course." His response was immediate, unwavering. "More warriors mean a higher chance of survival. Once we fully understand the process, giving people this power won't be an issue anymore."

Tsunade and the others stiffened, exchanging uneasy glances. This was far beyond what they had anticipated.

"It will be an issue," she countered firmly. "Right now, no one can challenge you. But that would immediately change if too many people reached this level. Even if you can fight a hundred, what about a thousand? Tens of thousands? You would be dragging us right back into an era of endless war!"

The alarm in her voice was reflected in the others. They had fought too hard for the fragile peace that now existed. If Naruto followed through with his plan, it could unravel within weeks.

But Naruto's gaze remained steady, unyielding. "That's impossible, and you should know it," he said with quiet certainty. "Raw power alone won't be enough. None of them would have my abilities. None of them would inherit the blood of immortals. No one will surpass me—not in this generation." His expression darkened slightly, his voice filled with conviction. "Only the next generation—the one we build with our own hands—will surpass us. They will pave the way to the final battle."

Silence filled the room.

Tsunade studied him, searching for something in his golden eyes. "Did you see something again?" she finally asked.

Naruto exhaled. "Yes," he admitted. "And it helped me come to this decision. If we want to move forward—if we want to survive—we all need this power."

He clenched his fists, the weight of his words pressing down on the room. "We can't grow and prosper if only a handful of us stand at the top. Right now, I am the only one among our people who can sit at their table. The Immortals—" His voice hardened at the mention of them. "—have already given me a seat. But what does that mean if I stand alone? I can do nothing for our people if I am the only one strong enough to represent them."

The implications were clear. The Immortals weren't just powerful—they were an entire race standing above humanity.

"Their weakest soldier is as strong as Kaguya."

That sentence alone sent a shiver down Tsunade's spine.

"You should understand this better than anyone," Naruto continued. "The weak are always sacrificed first when the powerful make their decisions. Right now, our entire species is weak. The only way to protect humanity's future is to elevate it."

Tsunade's breath hitched. The Immortals… she had ignored them, focusing on matters closer to home. But Naruto's words brought reality crashing down.

He was right.

If he stood alone, humanity's voice would mean nothing in the grand scheme of the universe. They would be treated as fodder, as pawns to be sacrificed at the whims of beings beyond their understanding.

It made sense now—why he had been so willing to go through with the procedure.

He wasn't doing this for himself. He was doing it to ensure humanity's place in the future.

Tsunade slowly exhaled, her golden eyes calculating.

She still didn't like it. But she understood it now.

She met Naruto's gaze, her mind already working through the next steps. "Fine," she finally said. "But we do this carefully. You're right that no one will surpass you… and I'll make damn sure it stays that way. We'll keep updating you beyond the rest—that's the only way to maintain the new order."

Naruto smirked slightly. He had expected resistance. But in the end, Tsunade had always been a realist.

Still, as she studied him, she couldn't help but see shades of another figure—one long since passed.

Hashirama…

She had always seen Naruto as a child. But now, looking at him, hearing the way he spoke of the next generation…

He wasn't that child anymore.

He was already thinking like an old war veteran—like a man preparing to lay the foundations for those who would come after him.

Tsunade smirked, arms crossed. "I understand. But remember, the only kids leading the future will be yours. So don't forget to start working on it."

Naruto blinked. Wait, what?

For all his grand plans about the future, that particular thought had never crossed his mind. He had been so focused on survival, power, and protecting his people that starting a family felt like a distant, almost alien concept.

The idea left him unsettled. Not because he disliked it—but because he hadn't considered it at all.

He had always been a bit of a pervert, thanks to the questionable magazines that had ended up in his possession, not to mention the influence of Hiruzen and Jiraiya. But despite all that, he had never seriously thought about fatherhood.

And now, for the first time, the question arose:

Who would he have a kid with?

But the real question—the one that gnawed at him—was would he even be a good father?

He coughed into his fist, clearing his throat. "I'll… think about it."

Instinctively, his gaze flickered to Sakura.

She had been his first crush, his first real romantic yearning. He had let go of those feelings after Jiraiya's death, realizing that her heart had been set on Sasuke for so long.

But now…

Now things were different.

He had seen her in moments of weakness, moments where her strength—so carefully cultivated over the years—cracked under the weight of everything she carried. And somehow, those old feelings, long buried, had begun to stir again.

Damn it.

He felt like a terrible person. He had started developing feelings for Hinata. Then there was Ino, who had surprised him with how much they connected. And now… now his heart was pulling him back toward Sakura.

Am I really this greedy?

It would have been impossible if Sasuke had truly reciprocated her feelings. But he hadn't. Sakura had given her heart to someone who never returned it, and now she was adrift, lost in emotions that had nowhere to go.

And Naruto could see it—clearly, painfully.

She's drowning.

She put on a strong front, but inside, her core was being consumed. A darkness had taken root in her heart, an all-encompassing sadness that gnawed at her spirit. He could see it in the way she looked at nothing when she thought no one was watching.

A deep, crushing loneliness.

It was a terrifying thing, that kind of emptiness. It could warp a person. Twist them into something unrecognizable.

If it festered long enough, if the pain and despair sank too deep…

Sakura might one day try to kill him.

Not out of hatred. Not even out of anger. But because sometimes, when the darkness was all-consuming, people lashed out at those they once loved the most.

Naruto clenched his fists.

He wouldn't let that happen.

He had lost too many friends already.

He would not lose Sakura to her own demons.

Here's a detailed third-person version of your scene:

As Naruto stepped out of the underground lab, the cool night air greeted him, a stark contrast to the sterile, controlled environment he had just left. The weight of the recent procedure still lingered in his mind, but for now, he pushed it aside. There was something more important waiting for him—someone who had become a light in his life amid the chaos.

With a swift yet controlled pace, he made his way home, his senses stretching out long before he arrived. Even from a distance, he could hear the soft sound of laughter, the distinct, cheerful giggle of a young girl. A small smile tugged at his lips.

Inside, Ai was sitting on the living room floor, her delicate hands moving chess pieces across a board, her eyes shining with concentration and amusement. Across from her, Moegi was playing along, using small bursts of genjutsu to make the game more exciting. Every time Ai successfully countered an illusion, she would grin triumphantly, and Naruto's clone, seated nearby, would cheer for her like an enthusiastic older brother.

Naruto's real body leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, silently watching the scene unfold.

She looked… happy.

Genuinely happy.

It had taken time, but the scars of her past were finally fading. The burden of trauma that once dimmed her innocent gaze had been lifted, and now, she was just a child again, enjoying a simple game with friends.

Her cute smile heals my soul.

Naruto exhaled slowly, feeling the tension in his body ease for the first time in days. The weight of responsibility, the constant battles, the strain of his mission—it all faded in this moment of peace. It reminded him why he kept fighting, why he refused to lose himself in the darkness that threatened to consume him.

Without these small joys, without the people he loved, he would have gone insane.

He knew there was another path—one that would make everything easier. He could abandon his emotions, become a being of pure logic and power, a force of nature without attachment or weakness.

But that wasn't who he was.

And he wasn't ready to become something so cold.

Not yet. Not ever.

Inside his mindscape, Kurama watched Naruto silently, his large crimson eyes reflecting emotions he rarely expressed. There was happiness—pride, even—but also something deeper.

Guilt.

Naruto had finally found a family. People who truly loved him, a place where he belonged. But Kurama couldn't ignore the past. He had been the reason Naruto had grown up alone, the reason he had been feared, hated, and left to suffer for so many years.

This happiness… I was the one who took it from him in the beginning.

Naruto chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Come on, Kurama. You don't have to think like that." His voice, though unspoken, carried warmth and understanding. "We're brothers now. I already forgave you a long time ago. There's no point in regretting what can't be changed. If you hold onto that guilt, it'll only poison the bond we've built."

Kurama's ears twitched, listening carefully.

"Forgiveness is always better than vengeance," Naruto continued, his tone calm yet firm. "We are all shaped by our circumstances. Anyone can become a demon if pushed far enough. And I—" he exhaled, "I could have been the worst of them all. A tyrant beyond saving. A monster."

Naruto's gaze softened as he thought back to his childhood. "If Iruka and Grandpa Hiruzen weren't there, I might have fallen into a darkness no one could have pulled me out of. This beautiful world could have turned into a living nightmare. That's why… I'll always cherish even the smallest kindness. Even a single conversation can change the shape of our future."

Kurama listened in silence, his massive form still within the mindscape.

His little partner… was no longer the reckless boy he had once been. He was changing, growing, becoming something greater. Slowly but surely, he was turning into the guide, the salvation, that the world needed.

The bijuu huffed, breaking the moment. "Tch. Stop being so dramatic and get to work. I don't like being weaker than you."

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, yeah, I know."

Taking one last glance at the warm scene inside his home, he vanished—disappearing in an instant.

Far beyond Earth's solar system, in a distant part of the galaxy, he reappeared. A place where he could train without disturbing his world.