Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 456 The Road to Peace

“I hate myself, but I carry his life within me, so I must live to witness his dream come true.”

“You see, people simply cannot let go of hatred after losing something.” Sasuke smiled casually and said, “It’s nothing that I hate myself. Many more people will transfer their ‘hatred’ to other things. Just as you said, the chain of hatred never ends.”

Nagato never expected to hear such a confession, nor did he expect the boy before him to be so strikingly similar to him. Yahiko had run into his kunai, while Naruto had accidentally killed someone he cherished; fate had placed them on completely opposite sides. What was this? A cruel joke of fate?

If hatred truly cannot be severed, then does the peace the teacher spoke of truly exist? Will a world where everyone can understand each other truly come to pass?

Since Yahiko left, he had never felt so lost, with no hope for the future.

Do you also believe that 'peace' will never come?

However, the answer he received was a firm promise: "Yes, peace will surely come. This is his wish, and he will do everything in his power to achieve it, even if it takes his entire life."

"But you just said that hatred cannot be severed!"

“But it can be transferred.” Sasuke shrugged, unhesitatingly betraying his good seniors. “Perhaps it’s more appropriate to let these two prove it. Oh, I almost forgot…”

Sasuke reached out and grabbed the little slug on his shoulder, threatening, "You're not allowed to tell anyone what you see or hear from now on, or I'll send you on your way."

"..." Slug was stunned. How did she get involved in this? She was just a weak and innocent messenger, but she immediately understood why. When one of the two ANBU members took off his mask, revealing a face she would probably never forget, she knew that what was about to happen should not be known to the vast majority of Konoha.

At least not yet.

"Hmph, I knew this would be the result." Izuna curled his lip. His face resembled Sasuke's by seven parts, but he was much more lively and had a wide variety of expressions.

"Stop complaining. Naruto is still watching us. You don't want to disappoint him, do you?"

"Let me reintroduce myself, Tobirama Senju."

"...Uchiha Izuna. By the way, I was killed by this guy in history."

Izuna's name has long been buried in history, but Tobirama Senju is a household name as the Second Hokage. The appearance of these two dead men is the real climax of this debate.

"...Are you the dead? Reincarnated through the Impure World Reincarnation technique?" The knowledgeable Nagato immediately noticed that these two were unusual. After removing their disguises, the whites of their eyes turned pitch black, and their faces had many cracks, clearly making them seem unlike living people.

"We are the dead summoned back by Naruto, entrusted by him to tell you a piece of... history."

Nagato suddenly understood why the capture of Jinchuriki had repeatedly failed, and why they had searched the entire ninja world without finding the missing Jinchuriki. Naruto wasn't fighting alone; he had unimaginable power behind him. However... the Impure World Reincarnation was considered a blasphemous ninjutsu, supposedly requiring a living sacrifice to activate. He didn't seem like the kind of person who would be so ruthless... Ha, when it comes to "ruthlessness," he was second to none, so what reason did he have to argue?

"The Senju and Uchiha were sworn enemies for a thousand years, but in recent years, we have reconciled." Izuna emphasized, "We have truly and completely let go of the hatred of the past, because under Naruto's leadership, we have found the culprit that plunged the world into war."

This explanation was indeed very intriguing. Nagato and Konan momentarily forgot the warning against looking directly into the Sharingan and were instantly captivated by those special eyes, both falling under the genjutsu. But... after seeing the scene around them clearly, they forgot to resist, because they saw the real sun there.

"Sasuke, don't hate yourself." Naruto said seriously, "This is my choice. I decided to maximize my life without authorization. Whether that attack lands or not, I won't live for long."

"So hating is my own decision." Sasuke was unyielding. He was a simple and stubborn person. As long as someone he respected left a mark on him, he would go down that path to the end, and he would not stop even if he was hurt.

"Sasuke..."

"We've already talked about this, let's not talk about it anymore." Sasuke didn't want to discuss the thing he least wanted to talk about. He had never truly let it go, but... there was something else more important that required him to continue living a normal life.

"...Alright, let's talk about Nagato then." Naruto was always tolerant in front of Sasuke. He didn't want to force Sasuke to do things he didn't want to do, so he always had to talk things out with him before making any decisions. Of course, this didn't apply to emergencies; everyone has moments when they get carried away with their emotions, and he was no exception.

Sasuke said irritably, "What's so interesting about him? He calls himself a savior, but he achieves his goals by taking other people's lives. Don't tell me you're going to let him go."

Hmm... I guess I can't really refute that? Kids really are harder to fool now that they're older.

However, Naruto did not intend for Sasuke to forgive him, because he knew that once Nagato realized just how flawed his wish was, it would be Nagato himself who would be unable to forgive Nagato first.

The destruction caused by Akatsuki is a done deal. If Nagato saw that there was another path to peace in this world, a path that could lead the vast majority of people to happiness, he would definitely examine his past, try to make up for the destruction he caused, and be willing to become a stepping stone for the new world.

This is Nagato.

“He did make that choice, but it wasn’t his fault. It’s just that his past has taught him all he can.” Naruto patiently explained, “If you hadn’t met me, would you know that ninja villages don’t have the right to cultivate staple foods on a large scale? Would you know about the tricks of the daimyo instigating wars? This is a gap in understanding, which takes time and experience to bridge. It’s not something you can figure out all at once.”

"The Land of Rain is sandwiched between three great powers. Every major war has turned it into a battlefield, where it has been wantonly ravaged. Many innocent civilians have been killed in the wars, and it is extremely difficult for the children there to survive."

"He was just...too eager to change the status quo, too impatient. The 'path to peace' is not an easy one. Many people are trying to find a way, including him and me. He just wanted to go faster, but ended up going astray."

"...So, are you going to persuade me to let him go?" Sasuke listened attentively. He could understand Naruto, but selfishly, he didn't want to compare Nagato, who had taken a life, with Naruto, who had given his life.

Naruto simply shook his head and said nothing more.