Chapter 5: The Price of Freedom

The battlefield was silent.

Naruto's hands clenched into fists at his sides. His blue eyes were still uncertain, but I could see the wheels turning in his head. He wasn't thinking about me—he was thinking about them. The ones still trapped.

He took a step forward. "If you're telling the truth… then prove it."

I tilted my head slightly, feigning confusion.

Naruto exhaled sharply. "The Tailed Beasts. Let them go. And end the Infinite Tsukuyomi."

Ah. So that was his price.

Reasonable. Expected. But it put me in a dangerous position.

The Tailed Beasts were fragments of Ten-Tails, my former power. Letting them go meant weakening my hold on this world. And the Infinite Tsukuyomi… that was my last true grip on humanity.

But refusing now would mean losing everything.

I met his gaze, keeping my face carefully neutral. "…Very well."

Black Zetsu stiffened beside me, but he did not argue. He trusted me. And he was right to.

I raised my hand. A pulse of chakra rippled through the air, and high above us, the moon's eerie glow flickered. The Infinite Tsukuyomi began to unravel. Across the world, those ensnared in its grasp would awaken.

And then, the Tailed Beasts.

I could feel them, still bound by my power. With a quiet sigh, I released them. Their immense chakras pulsed in the distance as they were freed from my hold, no longer prisoners in this war.

Naruto's shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank you."

I did not answer.

Sasuke was still watching me, waiting for my next move. I would not give him the chance to strike.

It was time to go.

"I have done what you asked," I said simply, turning away. My long sleeves billowed behind me as I stepped back. "Now, I will take my leave."

Naruto tensed. "Where are you going?" This work was created by shredder121

I glanced at him, my expression unreadable. "To create a world of my own."

He frowned, but before he could say anything else, I vanished.

And just like that, I was free.