20: Eternal Imprint: The Name Time Couldn't Erase

Konoha had seen its fair share of miracles.

But none quite like this.

Naruto stood at the base of Hokage Rock, arms crossed, gazing up at the stone faces carved into history.

His face was still missing.

Even after restoring his existence, something still wasn't right. The people remembered him now—they called his name again, looked him in the eye—but the legacy he had built remained lost.

His Hokage title had never been recorded.

It was as if history itself refused to acknowledge what he had once been.

"Looks weird without my face up there," Naruto muttered.

Beside him, Sasuke exhaled, unimpressed. "You're acting like this is a big deal."

Naruto shot him a look. "Of course it's a big deal! That was my life's work!"

"Tch." Sasuke crossed his arms. "You're still here, aren't you? People remember you. What more do you want?"

Naruto opened his mouth, then shut it.

What did he want?

The Hokage title had never been about the glory. It was about proving that he had earned his place. That he had become someone who could protect the people he loved.

And even without his name on that stone… he had already done that.

A slow smirk crept onto his face.

"I guess it doesn't really matter."

Sasuke arched a brow. "Oh?"

Naruto turned, hands in his pockets, a lazy grin on his face.

"It just means I get to do it all over again."

Sasuke sighed. "You're an idiot."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto laughed.

It took time.

Even with the villagers remembering him, there were still gaps in the official records. Documents that had been rewritten. Policies changed. Names signed on Hokage orders that were no longer his.

It was like fighting a battle against time itself.

But Naruto was nothing if not persistent.

Within weeks, he was back in the Hokage's office, standing before a council that wasn't quite sure how to process the situation.

"The position of Hokage is currently held by Shikamaru Nara," one elder pointed out.

Shikamaru, standing off to the side, raised a lazy hand. "Yeah, I'd rather not, so go ahead and give it back to him."

The elders exchanged uncertain looks.

"This has never happened before," another said. "A Hokage returning after being—"

"Erased?" Naruto finished.

Silence.

He shrugged. "Well, guess there's a first time for everything."

In the end, there wasn't much to argue.

Naruto was the only one qualified to take back his title. And the village—his village—wanted him back.

When the day finally came, Naruto stood before the villagers once more.

The ceremony was smaller this time, but the energy in the crowd was the same—loud, chaotic, and filled with love.

His name was spoken without hesitation.

His face was carved once more into Hokage Rock.

And as he stood atop the Hokage Tower, looking out over Konoha, he felt something settle deep in his chest.

He had won.

Not just against time. Not just against fate.

But against the fear of being forgotten.

He was here. He was real.

And nothing would ever erase him again.

"Oi, Sasuke." Naruto grinned, nudging his best friend beside him.

Sasuke barely glanced at him. "What?"

"Next time I get erased from time, make sure I leave behind a cooler legend, alright?"

Sasuke scoffed. "Next time, don't be an idiot and get erased in the first place."

Naruto laughed. "No promises!"

And as the sun set over Konoha, casting golden light over the faces of history—both old and new—Naruto Uzumaki stood tall.