The Reincarnation Eye—Naruto’s Gamble

Naruto stood in the endless white void, his heart pounding as the Sage of Six Paths' words echoed in his mind: "The Eye of Reincarnation!" The revelation hit him like a kunai to the chest, sharp and unyielding. He stared at the ancient figure before him, the man who had shaped the ninja world, now a spectral guide in this strange afterlife. The air hummed with tension, thick with the weight of destiny.

"What… what do you mean, the Eye of Reincarnation?" Naruto's voice trembled, a mix of awe and disbelief. His spiky blonde hair clung to his sweat-dampened forehead, and his blue eyes, once so full of fire, shimmered with fragile hope.

The Sage of Six Paths, his long robe fluttering faintly despite the stillness, raised a hand. In his palm materialized a glowing orb—an eye, radiant and otherworldly, pulsing with a power Naruto could feel in his bones. "This," the Sage began, his voice deep and resonant, "is the Reincarnation Eye. A forbidden technique of the Ōtsutsuki clan, preserved by my brother Hamura. It can send a soul through time and space, back to its original body—to rewrite the past."

Naruto's breath hitched. He took a step forward, fists clenched. "You're saying… I can go back? Fix everything?" Images flashed through his mind—Hinata's gentle smile, Sasuke's fierce loyalty, Boruto's determined grin—all lost to the Ōtsutsuki's wrath. The pain of their deaths clawed at his chest.

The Sage nodded solemnly. "Yes, but it comes at a cost. The caster must wield immense chakra, sacrifice their life, and the eye can only be used once before it fades forever." His gaze softened, a flicker of sorrow crossing his weathered face. "Your son, Boruto, paid that price to bring you here."

Naruto's knees buckled. He sank to the ground, hands gripping his hair as tears welled up. "Boruto… my boy…" His voice cracked, raw with grief. He could still see his son's face—those bright eyes, so like his own, burning with resolve as he faced Kawaki. "He gave everything… for me?"

"Yes," the Sage replied, stepping closer. "Boruto inherited Hamura's Pure Eye, a legacy tied to the Reincarnation Eye. When he awakened it fully, my brother's chakra awoke within him, guiding him. He knew the Ōtsutsuki would overpower him, so he carved the technique into his eye, waited until he became their vessel, and used their stolen chakra to activate it. With the plow—the Ōtsutsuki artifact—he sent your soul to me."

Naruto looked up, tears streaming down his cheeks. "But why me? Why not send himself back?" His voice rose, desperate. "He had the power—why didn't he save himself?"

The Sage's expression grew heavy. "Traveling through time risks damaging the soul—fracturing memories, eroding will. Boruto feared that if he sent you directly, you'd forget your purpose. So he entrusted me, the final safeguard, to prepare you." He paused, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "I've lost one gamble already, Naruto. I won't risk another."

Realization dawned on Naruto like a sunrise after a long, dark night. Boruto hadn't just saved him—he'd handed him the key to change it all. The Great Toad Sage's prophecy rang true: Boruto had altered the ninja world, not by victory, but by this selfless act. Naruto wiped his eyes, standing tall once more. "So what now?"

The Sage held up the Reincarnation Eye, its light casting eerie shadows across the void. "Hamura left two eyes. One passed to Boruto; the other I've kept as a failsafe. With it, I can send you back. But you must choose your path."

Naruto's brow furrowed. "Choose?"

"Two options," the Sage said, his tone grave. "First, I rebirth you here, in this time—during the Fourth Ninja War, when you and Sasuke battled Madara and Obito. Your body awaits outside, preserved by fate. Second, I send you further into the past. Where exactly, I cannot predict. The technique's precision is uncertain."

Naruto's mind raced. "And my memories?"

"With my yin-yang power, I'll shield your soul," the Sage assured him. "Every moment—every pain and triumph—will stay intact. Boruto's eye brought you here whole; mine will send you back the same."

Naruto paced, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. "What's it like out there now? In the Fourth War?"

The Sage's eyes darkened. "You and Sasuke lead the coalition against Uchiha Madara. Obito wavers, torn by doubt. But Neji…" He hesitated, then met Naruto's gaze. "Neji has fallen."

The words stabbed Naruto's heart. He staggered, clutching his chest as memories flooded back—Neji's quiet strength, his sacrifice, that final declaration: "Because you called me a genius." The echo of those words had haunted him for years, a wound that never healed. "Neji…" he whispered, voice breaking.

He looked at the Sage, resolve hardening in his tear-streaked face. "If I go further back, can I save him?"

"Perhaps," the Sage replied. "But the when is uncertain. You might land days before, or years. There's no guarantee."

Naruto's fists tightened. "I don't care. I've lost too much—Hinata, Sasuke, Boruto… I won't let Neji die again. I choose the second path. Send me further back."

The Sage studied him, silent for a long moment. "You're certain?"

"Dead certain," Naruto said, his voice steady despite the storm within. "I'll rewrite it all—stop the ōtsutsuki before they start."

The Sage nodded, a flicker of pride in his ancient eyes. He raised his left hand, the Reincarnation Eye gleaming brighter. With a swift motion, he pressed it into his own socket, merging it with his soul's form. Naruto blinked, startled. "Wait—you don't need to—"

"I'm a spirit," the Sage interrupted, chuckling softly. "No flesh to hinder me. It's simpler this way." His hands began to weave seals, intricate and swift, chakra swirling around him like a tempest. "Prepare yourself, Naruto."

Naruto braced himself, heart hammering. The Sage's voice boomed, "Reincarnation Jutsu!" A blinding white light erupted from the eye, enveloping Naruto in a warm, pulsing embrace. He felt it—power surging through him, tugging at his very essence. The void trembled, cracks of light splitting the whiteness as time itself bent.

The Sage's form flickered, growing faint. Naruto's eyes widened. "Wait—what's happening to you?"

A faint smile crossed the Sage's lips. "This is my sacrifice. My spirit fuels the jutsu now. It's my last act—to entrust the future to you."

"No!" Naruto lunged forward, but the light held him fast. "You can't—"

"Goodbye, Naruto," the Sage whispered, his voice fading. "Save them… save the ninja world…" His form dissolved into sparks, vanishing as the light intensified.

Tears streamed down Naruto's face, but he nodded fiercely. "I will. I promise!" The white light consumed him, a roar of energy tearing through the void. He felt himself hurtling backward, time unraveling around him—years, decades, centuries flashing by in an instant. The plow artifact, hovering nearby, shuddered and crumbled to ash, its purpose fulfilled.

Then, silence. Darkness. Naruto's consciousness faded into the abyss, carrying his vow into the unknown past.

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