Paradise Island – The Falls of Truth.
This was a mystical waterfall. Simply sitting before it allowed one to meet an unknown version of oneself, buried deep within their heart.
In his previous life, Naruto Uzumaki had fought against his inner darkness here.
It was said that tailed beasts were incarnations of malice and resentment. If one harbored even a sliver of darkness within, they would immediately lose themselves upon using the chakra of a tailed beast.
Thus, training at the Falls of Truth was a necessary step on the path to becoming a perfect jinchūriki.
However, as Naruto's perspective broadened, he learned more about the truth.
Tailed beasts were not, as the legends claimed, pure embodiments of evil. Becoming a perfect jinchūriki depended on whether one could reach a mutual understanding with their tailed beast.
If such harmony could be achieved, even a heart with darkness could wield the tailed beast's power—so long as the beast didn't mind.
That said, tailed beasts were inherently inclined toward goodness, so eliminating one's inner darkness was generally beneficial.
Another truth Naruto discovered was the essence of the Falls of Truth itself.
Like the Valley of Hell, this place was also a relic of the Six Paths Ninja Sect. The waterfall contained immense Yin Release energy.
If one's spiritual power was strong enough, they could see not only their inner darkness but also other entities.
In his previous life, Naruto's son, Boruto, had come to the Falls of Truth to harness the power of the Karma seal. It was here that he encountered Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki.
When such encounters occurred, the waterfall would create an illusory battlefield visible only to the individual. Anything that happened in this battlefield would have no impact on the outside world.
At this moment, Naruto sat cross-legged on the stone platform before the Falls of Truth, his heart calm and steady.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
From the cascading water emerged a younger version of Naruto from this timeline—a naive and innocent Naruto.
The young Naruto sneered, "So, the imposter who's taken over my body finally dares to face me, huh? Dattebayo!"
The returning Naruto responded calmly, "You are my past self, and I am your future self. We are both Naruto Uzumaki. There's no such thing as an imposter."
The young Naruto pointed accusingly, "Idiot! I'll never become you! I've seen everything you've done since taking over my body! You've done nothing but disgraceful, underhanded things under my name! Dattebayo!"
The returning Naruto didn't deny the accusations. Instead, he asked gently, "You've seen not only what I've done but also everything that will happen in the future, haven't you? Do you deny those futures as well?"
The young Naruto faltered, his expression dimming, but he quickly retorted, "Even if those futures are real, what you've done is still wrong! There must be a better way!"
"Such as?" the returning Naruto asked.
The young Naruto clenched his fists. "Such as everyone coming together to fight those enemies as one!"
The returning Naruto smiled faintly. "That's exactly what I tried to do in the past. And what was the result?"
The young Naruto tightened his fists even further. "You underestimated them back then! This time, don't underestimate them! We'll all grow stronger together!"
The returning Naruto chuckled, "My plan is for everyone to grow stronger together. It's just that the time isn't ripe yet. That's why I've temporarily taken the lead."
The young Naruto accused, "But your methods have hurt others! There must be a way to achieve this without hurting anyone!"
The returning Naruto shook his head. "Without hurting anyone? That's impossible."
The young Naruto insisted, "No! If we just believe in it, we can make it happen! If we give up, we'll achieve nothing!"
The returning Naruto raised his gaze. "Then let me ask you this: You believe in a future where people understand one another, don't you? Then why, when you became Hokage, did the shinobi world continue to suffer from endless disasters?"
The young Naruto was momentarily speechless.
The returning Naruto stepped forward, his tone firm. "Let me ask you again: You promised to give Sister Konan a peaceful Amegakure. And what became of it? Amegakure turned into one of the hideouts for the Kara organization, a place of despair for its people!"
The young Naruto had no answer.
The returning Naruto pressed on, his voice sharp. "Your naivety has a powerful charm that inspires others to trust you wholeheartedly. Perhaps even you truly believed in it. But the world doesn't work that way. There are too many things that, no matter how well-intentioned, simply cannot be resolved perfectly!"
"Shut up!!!" the young Naruto shouted.
The returning Naruto smirked. "What's wrong? Did I hit a nerve? Are you trying to escape reality? Or is it that you simply can't stand the idea of being replaced by someone like me? Does the future even matter to you at all?"
"Shut up! I'm not that narrow-minded!" the young Naruto yelled.
"Then who is this?" the returning Naruto asked, pointing to the side.
To their shock, a third Naruto had appeared in the illusion created by the waterfall.
This Naruto had black pupils and exuded a dark, oppressive aura.
The returning Naruto spoke calmly, "That's your inner darkness. It embodies many things—your subconscious resentment toward those in Konoha who once ostracized you, your unwillingness to accept that I've taken over your body. The Falls of Truth have manifested it clearly for all to see."
As the young Naruto stood frozen in disbelief, the dark Naruto grinned and spoke. "Yo, naive me~. Let's forget about the future for now. How about we team up and take down this impostor who's hijacked our body? Sound good?"
The young Naruto clutched his head, utterly bewildered. "No! I don't acknowledge your existence! That would mean I'm narrow-minded! This isn't real! It must be some kind of illusion!"
The returning Naruto shook his head. "Still unwilling to face reality? I suppose it's understandable. Unlike my past self, who faced his inner darkness alone, you now have to deal with me as well. It's a lot to handle."
The dark Naruto smirked at the young Naruto. "Narrow-minded? So what? Only by being true to your desires can you live freely. Honestly, everything he's done—" he gestured to the returning Naruto, "—is what I've always wanted to do. But his methods are still too soft. If it were up to me, I'd be far more thorough! For example, why not start by wiping out everyone who ever bullied us? We're strong enough now, aren't we?"
Hearing this, the returning Naruto sighed with a wry smile. "Ah, so I had a phase like this, huh? I guess I can understand Sasuke a little better now."
The young Naruto finally snapped. "You're not me! None of you are me! Disappear from my sight!!!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Responding to his fury, the golden cloak of the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode enveloped him.
The dark Naruto's grin widened. "A weakness!" he said, vanishing in a flash.
Sizzle!
One of the young Naruto's eyes turned black, a symbol of corruption. Simultaneously, the golden chakra cloak became shrouded in black mist.
The returning Naruto's gaze sharpened. "The intense emotional stimulation has caused him to resonate with his inner darkness. This is an unexpected development... But Kurama, you've already reached an agreement with him despite his unresolved inner darkness? That's not like you. You must be desperate to deal with me."
ROAR!!!
The black-misted golden chakra transformed into the form of the Nine-Tails. Its massive jaws opened, gathering energy for an ultra-massive Tailed Beast Bomb.
The returning Naruto's expression darkened. "So it's come to this, huh?"
In his previous life, battles at the Falls of Truth were perfectly balanced. Both sides shared identical techniques, strategies, and skills.
But this time was different. The opponent was his past self, who couldn't use the Rinnegan or Sharingan but could wield the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
Snap!
The returning Naruto, now the Naruto shaping the future of the world, felt his fighting spirit surge.
"Very well. Past, future, former life, current life—let's settle it all here and now!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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