Naruto: Sasuke's return

[Chapter Size: 1200 Words.]

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"And with my current technology, I can complete the missing genetic fragment based on the Six Paths and recreate the power of the Ōtsutsuki. In other words, as long as Sasuke-kun attains the Six Paths, I can transform him into a true Ōtsutsuki..."

Hearing Orochimaru's words, Sasuke lowered his head with a heavy heart and let out a long sigh.

"Hope has appeared at such a strange time... only to leave behind more regrets. The people I wanted to protect have long been sleeping beneath the earth."

But Orochimaru's next words made Sasuke's weary eyes suddenly shine.

"Sasuke-kun… if I could make this possible, would you be willing to do it all over again?"

Sasuke stared at Orochimaru with the eyes that no longer belonged to him. Though he already had a suspicion, he still asked, as if seeking confirmation:

"Do it all over again? What do you mean?"

Orochimaru smiled.

"I mean going back to the past."

"You… can actually do something like that?" asked Sasuke.

"Come with me."

Back in his laboratory, Orochimaru retrieved a wooden box, sealed away for many years, and carefully removed the sealing mark. Inside, there was a strangely shaped turtle!

Even after all these years, Sasuke recognized it at a glance.

"Karasuki!?"

Years ago, Ōtsutsuki Urashiki carried this treasure with him. As long as it was provided with enough chakra, it allowed free travel through time!

Urashiki, knowing he could not defeat Naruto and Sasuke, had used it to return to the past, attempting to extract the Nine-Tails from young Naruto. Sasuke and Boruto, realizing his scheme, pursued him through time and, alongside Naruto and Jiraiya of the past, managed to defeat Urashiki.

After Urashiki's defeat, Sasuke and Boruto used Karasuki's power to return to their era. However, possessing a consciousness of its own, Karasuki chose to wander through time and space alone,band was never heard from again.

Unexpectedly this relic had fallen into Orochimaru's hands.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Where did you get this?"

Orochimaru chuckled.

"It's a long story. When I learned about the existence of the Ōtsutsuki, I had a feeling the Ninja World would eventually face this catastrophe. Unfortunately, Naruto-kun was quite strict with me at the time. So after acquiring this treasure, I had no choice but to hide it..."

Sasuke frowned.

"You plan to use Karasuki's power to send us back? But Karasuki's time travel only transfers us as we are now, meaning there would be two of me at the same time. I'm old—if I return to the past, all I can do is entrust the future to my younger self. But wouldn't that be useless?"

Orochimaru gave a knowing smile.

"Oh? And why wouldn't it work?"

Sasuke turned away, hiding his aged face from Orochimaru's gaze. A long sigh escaped him.

"I can't reclaim what was taken from me. What could I possibly accomplish in my current state?"

Orochimaru chuckled.

"That may be true~, but I must say, it's quite amusing to see Sasuke embarrassed after all these years."

Sasuke turned back, his expression serious.

"Then... you already have a solution, don't you?"

Orochimaru nodded solemnly.

"Yes. There is another way to use Karasuki, one that allows only the soul to return to the past. In essence, you would be reborn into your younger self's body at this very moment. However..."

Sasuke's gaze sharpened.

"How?"

Orochimaru continued, his voice measured.

"There are two limitations. First, the user cannot choose when they will reincarnate. Second, only one person can be transported. Once activated, Karasuki will be destroyed..."

Sasuke's expression grew heavy.

He understood the weight of those words.

His soul would be reborn in an unknown moment, but that was secondary.

The real consequence, he would be saying goodbye to Orochimaru forever.

The man who was once his mortal enemy, his mentor, and for the past ten years, his only companion.

A bond like that could not be put into words.

Orochimaru raised his hand, revealing a sphere of white light.

"Sasuke-kun, this is a chakra construct containing all of my knowledge, memories, and emotions. Consider it my gift to my past self. It will reside within your soul. When you return to the past and meet my younger self, challenge him. Defeat him, and give him this light. He will understand everything, inherit all my research, and become your ally."

Sasuke didn't immediately reach for it.

Orochimaru smiled.

"Don't be like that, Sasuke-kun. You have someone to protect again, don't you?"

Sasuke hesitated.

"And what about you? After I leave, you'll truly be alone."

Orochimaru's expression was tranquil.

"I have the truth beside me. I will not be lonely."

Sasuke still didn't take the light. He was no longer the selfish boy he once was.

"This journey is dangerous. Setsuna is so powerful that even if I reincarnate as an Ōtsutsuki, I have no confidence that I can change the future..."

Orochimaru smirked.

"Then if you do manage to succeed, remember to come back and tell me about it. Give me something to look forward to in my lonely existence. How about that?"

Finally, Sasuke closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.

"Then it's decided."

He reached out, grasping the sphere of light. It dissolved in his hand, merging with his soul.

A gust of wind swept through the room as Orochimaru's long, flowing hair fluttered. Chakra surged into Karasuki.

A blinding golden light flared within Karasuki's eyes. A divine radiance descended from the heavens, engulfing Sasuke's soul, pulling it from his aged body, and sending it into an unknown past.

As his consciousness faded, Sasuke whispered his final words.

"Orochimaru... you've carried this burden for so many years. Please, wait for my good news."

Orochimaru smiled softly, watching as Sasuke's soul vanished into the vortex of time and space.

A gust of wind swept through the empty room.

Then "crack!"

The golden light disappeared. Karasuki's power was depleted. Its shell cracked.

Then "crack!"

Lines of fractures spread across Orochimaru's body.

"Sasuke-kun… I never told you the full cost of this technique."

"The price for activating it is the destruction of both the caster and the sanctuary. That means... I am destined never to hear your good news."

"So please, accept my final wish, and move forward."

A faint laugh escaped him.

"Heh… in the end… you became the person I once despised the most. But… that's not so bad, is it?"

Orochimaru's body crumbled into ash.

The White Snake, at last, returned to dust.

The tale of Orochimaru, not a hero, but greater than a hero, ended along with the world he once knew.

But from the end of the world, a soul, traveling through time and space, returned to its younger body.

As his eyes opened he saw something shocking.

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