Naruto: Starting with the Two Kamui

Just a second before the collision, like a supernova explosion, the vortex formed by the collision of the Asura Jewel and the Indra Arrow vanished into thin air.

At the moment of collision, all sound in the world vanished. A white curtain of light engulfed everything, including Naruto and the Ten-Tails, as well as Sasuke and Susanoo...

--call out!

Above the Feather Emperor City, the illusory world vanished amidst the distortion.

Yu Ning said, "The energy conflict is too intense; the illusion of heaven and earth cannot be restored..."

Wow!

A fierce storm swept in from the direction of the sea, howling at the mountain peak, and everyone looked grim.

Even though they were thousands of miles away, they could personally feel the magnificence of that battle!

……

A clear and tranquil mind, adorned with starlight, occasionally graced by a shooting star.

In their spiritual realm, Naruto and Sasuke faced each other.

Neither of them mentioned the Hokage or the battlefield. Instead, they chatted like friends, their conversation flowing freely and openly. Every now and then, Naruto's hearty laughter and Sasuke's helpless smile could be heard...

Then, Naruto reached out his hand and said sincerely, "Sasuke, no matter what happens in the future, you will always be my best friend!"

Behind Naruto, his parents, the miniature tailed beasts, and the people of the ninja country appeared in his silhouette.

Standing behind Sasuke were Itachi and Izumi!

"..." Sasuke was moved. He reached out his hand and formed the 'Reconciliation Seal' with Naruto, symbolizing the end of the battle and their mutual recognition!

Tick-tock! Ripples spread across the lake below.

In reality, the two figures, with their grey bodies, remained suspended in the sky like sculptures.

rustling sounds...

As a gust of wind blew by, they both turned to ashes, scattering into the dark abyss below...

Chapter 745 The Progenitor Returns, Connecting the Past and the Future

"Hmm..." In the white, hazy Kamui space-time, Naruto and Sasuke woke up at the same time.

Yu hovered in mid-air, smiling as she looked at them.

“Uncle Shadow.” Naruto covered his swollen right eye: “I…”

Yu said, "Don't worry, I've already eliminated the risk of blindness in the Izanagi you activated with the Annihilation Technique."

Now that Naruto and Sasuke each possess the Rinnegan and the power of the Senju, Izanagi, which can transform adverse factors such as death into dreams, is naturally a card they both share.

The two poured all their strength into this battle... and at the moment of their final clash, they both unleashed the forbidden power of Izanagi.

Although Naruto's eye power is far inferior to Sasuke's, he possesses the power of the Senju, Uzumaki, and Ten-Tails.

Although Sasuke's eye power far surpasses Naruto's, he only possesses a portion of the Senju clan.

Therefore, the duration of Izanagi's lifespan was roughly equal for both of them.

However, the convection generated by the final 'Great Dharma Master's Seal' and 'Takemikazuchi's Hammer' was too terrifying, exceeding the duration of their Izanagi.

The two were trapped in Izanagi, endlessly dying, their consciousness in a state of chaos, unable even to escape using the Body Flicker Technique. Finally, when the duration ended, they both perished, their bodies turning to ashes...

After the two perished, Yu arrived at the battlefield and used the Ombudo Flow to rewind time, reviving them. After their revival, both were in Izanagi... After Yu used the Annihilation Icchanti to eliminate the risk of blindness, he transferred them to a different time-space.

At this moment, both of them were completely depleted of chakra.

"We will perish together. Your strengths are completely equal, and neither side can gain the upper hand..."

Upon hearing the verdict, both Naruto and Sasuke fell silent, offering no objections.

"Then... who will become Hokage?" Sasuke broke the silence first, raising his Rinnegan, whose eye power had been completely exhausted and whose tomoe had disappeared.

Naruto also raised his slightly pale face and clenched his fists slightly.

After a moment's thought, Yu announced, "The Sixth Hokage, Uchiha Sasuke."

"..." Upon hearing this result, Sasuke's eyes lit up, but he then lowered his head with a complicated expression. He felt a little lost, for Naruto, his dear friend.

"Congratulations, Sasuke." Naruto patted Sasuke on the shoulder, offering his heartfelt congratulations. Although there was regret in his eyes, there was more acceptance than regret.

As he said when they were face to face in the spiritual realm... whatever the outcome, he would accept it with a clear conscience.

Yu took in the expressions of the two men, paused for a moment, and then announced: "And... Naruto Uzumaki, the two of them will be captured together!"

"What!?" Naruto and Sasuke looked up in unison, their eyes filled with shock.

Naruto picked at his ear, incredulously saying, "Hey, Shadow Uncle... I didn't hear that right, did I??"

Yu smiled and said, "You heard me right, the two of you will share the position of Hokage!"

"This……"

Throughout history, the title 'Hokage' has held an irreplaceable place in the hearts of Konoha people, almost a kind of faith.

Even though Konoha became a vassal state of the Dark Village and its leader was given a new title, the 'Southern King', the title of Hokage was still retained, and even had higher priority than the Southern King.

The Hokage is the de facto ruler of Konoha, and there has never been a precedent of two people holding the position simultaneously.

Yu's decision not only set a precedent, but also... carried enormous risks!

Not emphasizing the Hokage's status in the hearts of the people of Konoha, and having two people giving orders in one unit, is a major taboo!

Even the idealist Naruto felt it was inappropriate. He said with a serious face, "Uncle Shadow, I, Uzumaki Naruto, am not a child. I can take it and put it down. Sasuke deserves to be Hokage. You don't need to worry about my feelings. Take back your decision!"

Yu said seriously, "Naruto, I don't treat you like a child, nor am I doing this out of consideration for your feelings. The decision to have the two of you jointly serve as Hokage is a result of my careful consideration!"

Naruto was puzzled: "Deeply considered?? What do you mean by that?"

Yu said, "The Hokage is a management position. He has to handle busy daily affairs, which requires time. Sitting in the office for a long time will cause him to neglect many things."

Naruto assumed, "This can be solved with clones!"

Yu laughed and said, "Naruto, I know you have a huge amount of chakra and can use a large number of clones at once to handle different tasks in different places, but you are still young and can't feel anything yet. In ten or twenty years, it will be different..."

Do you all remember Naruto, who collapsed from exhaustion amidst a pile of cases in Boruto?

Naruto pushes himself too hard in everything. If he's made to shoulder heavy responsibilities alone, he'll definitely turn out like that.

"..." Naruto pinched his chin, thinking seriously.

Yu said, "If someone shares the burden with you, you can save a lot of time and energy."

Naruto nodded: "Yeah, that makes sense! Sasuke... I think this is a good idea!"

Sasuke asked, "If Naruto and I disagree after I become Hokage, whose opinion should we listen to? Should we fight like this again?"

Sasuke, as always, was logical and immediately saw the crux of the conflict.

Yu Xin nodded and then said calmly, "Sasuke, even becoming Hokage doesn't mean you can make decisions arbitrarily. You will inevitably have to consider the opinions of those around you. Not to mention Konoha, even the Shadows are no exception. That's why the 'Holy Council' was established... By the way, the Council has also approved the appointment of the two of you as Hokage. It is your performance that has won them over."

"After you two become Hokage, I plan to relaunch the Konoha Advisory Council. Of course, I won't appoint those old conservatives and stubborn old fogies from Konoha, but rather a vibrant new generation..."

Naruto, clutching the back of his head, said with bright eyes, "Shikamaru... he's definitely indispensable! He's the young lord of Nara, the future strongest mind of Konoha, no, the entire ninja world!"

"..." Sasuke listened attentively, weighing the pros and cons, and then asked, "What if we still can't reach a consensus?"

He needs a practical and feasible solution before he can act decisively; accepting something ambiguous will only exacerbate the conflict when real problems arise.

In mid-air, Yu clenched his fist, making a duel gesture: "Then let's settle this once and for all..."

"Victory or defeat!?"

"Yes, the previous battle ended in a draw. The duel from now on will no longer be a fight of fists and feet, but a duel of your abilities as Hokage!"

"Both of you are capable of being Hokage. Let's see who can become the better Hokage!"

"If you agree, you should cooperate sincerely; if you disagree, you should seek common ground while reserving differences. In terms of authority, you are all equal and can each operate according to your own propositions."

"During your eight years as city lords, you all have your own followers and supporters. There won't be a situation where one side is without anyone to rely on. Moreover, with your current strength, you are fully capable of accomplishing certain things independently..."

"And then there's the reason that truly gave me the confidence to undertake this experiment."

Yu smiled sincerely, her smile gentle yet persuasive.

"You all genuinely wanted to build an ideal Konoha, lead everyone to happiness, and in the battle where you held nothing back, you eliminated arrogance and prejudice, and recognized each other's strength and ninja way."

"Under this premise, I believe that you will not have major disagreements. You will grow together through mutual adjustment, and one day you will find a perfect balance. At that time, your ideals, strengths, and bonds will be maximized!"

Thus... Naruto and Sasuke had no further objections.

Yu said firmly, "Go back and get some rest, so you can be in top form for the Hokage inauguration ceremony!"

……

In the moonlit, secluded depths of the palace, lies a coffin.

The remains of a female Otsutsuki member lie quietly within.

Like the skin of a birch tree with its wrinkled bark covered in terrifying blood vessels, she must have endured immense suffering before her death.

His signature white eyes were now just dark, empty sockets.

A pale-skinned man with long blue-white hair, dressed in white, with a magatama pattern on his neck and slender willow-leaf eyebrows, sat on a chair inlaid with magnificent gemstones, his eyes wrapped in bandages.

"The message has reached... the one who died far from home, Otsutsuki Sasami. I, Otsutsuki Toneri, accept all the humiliation and hatred that remain in your white eyes... in order to repay you."

Swish!

Sheren tore off the white bandage... His closed eyes slowly opened, and a deep blue light overflowed, like eyes containing the sun, moon and stars, flowing with coldness and desolation!

"You have shown me the kindness of awakening these 'Ten-Rebirth Eyes'!"

Bear!

Emerald green chakra light enveloped Toneri's entire body... He ascended into the dark starry sky, stretched out his arms, and gazed longingly at the unmissable blue planet in his sight.

"The false world created by Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths, will be ended by my own hands, the inheritor of the will of my ancestor Hamura—'Otsutsuki Toneri'!"

As he spoke, Otsutsuki Toneri crossed his arms over his chest, and a sickly tenderness, pity, and... self-delusion appeared on his handsome face.

"And... my obedient and adorable Byakugan princess, Hinata Hyuga, I've kept you waiting. It's time to bring you back to this sacred land and personally dress you in a pure white kimono!"

Chapter 746 The Ancestor Returns, Selflessly Sacrificing Himself for Others