Just then, an unexpected presence made itself known.

A voice suddenly echoed through the space.

"You know quite a lot, young man. Even I did not know this much... about the Otsutsuki clan."

At the sound of the voice, everyone immediately turned toward its source.

There, they saw an elderly man seated calmly in the air. A red circular mark—resembling an eye—rested on his forehead, and his two Rinnegan gazed upon them with quiet depth. He was clad in white robes, and beneath him floated several Truth-Seeking Orbs.

The moment they saw him, everyone understood who he was.

Inoiki slightly bowed and said,

"Sage of Six Paths, it is an honor to speak with you, Hagoromo Otsutsuki."

He then continued,

"As for how I know all this... you could say it is a kind of kekkei genkai—at least, that’s what I initially thought. But it shouldn’t really be classified as one. It would be more accurate to call it Shinjutsu—a divine technique, something most of the Otsutsuki possess."

He paused briefly before adding,

"And I just happen to be fortunate... or perhaps an anomaly in this world—to have been born with a Shinjutsu that surpasses even kekkei tota."

Hagoromo listened carefully, then gave a slow nod.

"You are indeed an anomaly," he said. "Because in the future I foresaw... you were not meant to exist."

Inoiki simply smiled, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. Of course, he couldn’t exactly reveal that he was a transmigrator.

"So yeah... it is what it is."

"But I can also see that it won’t be long before this anomaly can no longer remain in this world," Hagoromo continued. "That is why I have come—not only to acknowledge you, but also to grant the powers necessary to protect this world."

His gaze shifted.

"Naruto, Sasuke—step forward."

At his command, Naruto and Sasuke moved ahead without hesitation, stopping before Sage of Six Paths.

Hagoromo raised his hands and placed his palms against theirs.

In that instant, power surged.

Naruto received the Yang Release, a radiant seal forming on his hand, while Sasuke was granted the Yin seal. Along with it, his Rinnegan awakened—its presence deep and overwhelming.

Inoiki watched carefully. He understood the process... but something else lingered in his mind.

This anomaly... won’t stay in this world?

He frowned slightly.

Why do these people always speak in riddles, making everything sound more complicated than it needs to be?

Then, after a moment, he chuckled to himself.

Am I any different? I do the same thing—talking in circles.

Once the transfer was complete, Hagoromo withdrew his hands.

"I have not given you this power permanently," he said calmly. "What I have done is merely stimulate what already lies within you. As you grow, these abilities will mature and become your own."

He then looked toward Naruto.

"Naruto, you must seek out the Tailed Beasts. Speak with them... and earn their trust. If they choose to share their chakra with you, it will greatly aid you in the battles to come."

Just then, Minato stepped forward and, with a slight bow toward Hagoromo, said,

"Sage, could you combine the Kurama within me with Naruto? After all, the Nine-Tails is merely sealed inside me, who is dead. It would be better if it could aid Naruto in the future."

Before Hagoromo could respond, Naruto spoke up.

"You don’t need to worry, Father—and this old grandpa doesn’t need to make a move either," he said with a confident grin. "I can merge the other half of Kurama myself."

Minato gave a small nod. He loosened the seal, allowing Kurama to emerge. He had already spoken with Kurama beforehand, and the tailed beast had agreed—it, too, wished to become whole again.

With his newly awakened power, Naruto took control of the process without hesitation.

In moments, the two halves of Kurama were reunited—complete once more.

After that, Naruto and Sasuke prepared to leave. Naruto set out to meet the Tailed Beasts and obtain their chakra, while Sasuke departed with his own, unspoken motives.

As for the reanimated shinobi—and Madara Uchiha—Hagoromo spoke once more, his voice carrying a quiet finality.

"You should return... for you do not belong to the world of the living."

Madara cast one last look upon the world.

There was regret in his eyes—regret for the destruction he had caused, all for a dream that had ultimately been manipulated by another. Though resentment lingered within him, he understood that nothing could change what had already been done.

Without another word, he turned away.

One by one, the reanimated Hoage and Madara began to glow, their forms dissolving into soft white light. And soon enough, they vanished entirely—returning at last to the Pure Land.

Believing that everything had finally returned to normal, Inoiki didn’t hesitate.

He turned toward the Kages and said firmly,

"I’ll go deal with this Black Zetsu."

Tsunade frowned slightly.

"What are you planning to do with him?"

Inoiki replied calmly,

"Let mother and son remain together—sealed for eternity."

With that, he vanished.

Using space–time teleportation, Inoiki appeared high in the atmosphere above the Earth. Jumping through space repeatedly, he made his way toward the Moon. Upon reaching it, he descended to its core—the place where Kaguya Otsutsuki had been sealed—and bound Black Zetsu there alongside her.

His task complete, Inoiki prepared to return.

However, the repeated use of teleportation—and the effort required to seal Black Zetsu—had drained a significant amount of his chakra. Instead of forcing another jump, he chose to simply fly back toward Earth. Which definitely took him quite a while.

As he descended through the sky, he sensed a familiar clash.

Naruto... and Sasuke.

By the time he arrived, their battle had already reached its final stage.

Inoiki appeared beside Kakashi but made no move to intervene immediately. Instead, he asked,

"Why are they fighting now?"

Kakashi sighed, his gaze fixed on the battlefield.

"Sasuke is still obsessed with his idea of ruling the world—bringing everything under his control. He believes that’s the only way to achieve true peace. In his mind, people will eventually forget the threat of the Otsutsuki... and when that happens, wars will start all over again."

He paused briefly before continuing,

"To prevent that, he wants absolute authority. That means controlling all the Tailed Beasts... and even Naruto himself."

Kakashi’s voice grew heavier.

"And that’s why they’re fighting."

Inoiki simply shook his head.

No matter what he thought, fate had already led them here—to this inevitable clash.

So, he didn’t interfere.

He allowed them to fight.

The battle reached its peak as Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha prepared their final attacks—the same devastating techniques they had once used in the original timeline.

They collided.

At the very last moment, however, Inoiki acted.

With precise control over his psychokinesis, he intervened—shielding their arms from the destructive force. The clash still erupted with overwhelming intensity, but this time, their limbs remained intact.

When the light faded, both of them fell to the ground.

Sasuke lay defeated.

And just like that... it was over.

This could be called the true end of the story.

Then—

Right before Inoiki’s eyes, glowing text appeared.

"The story of Naruto has reached its conclusion. You will be transported to another world."

His pupils shrank.

A chill ran down his spine, and the hairs on his body stood on end. Instinctively, he looked around, scanning the surroundings as if expecting something—or someone—to appear.

Beside him, Kakashi noticed his reaction.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked, alert. "You look startled. Did an enemy appear?"

To Kakashi, it was obvious—only a powerful opponent could have shaken someone like Inoiki.

But Inoiki quickly composed himself.

"...No. It’s nothing."

Yet his attention remained fixed on the glowing text.

Who are you? he asked silently in his mind. Were you the one who brought me into this world... transmigrating me here?

Another line appeared.

"Yes."

For a moment, everything seemed to go silent.

Then Inoiki spoke—firmly, without hesitation.

"I’m not leaving this world."

His voice carried an uncharacteristic weight.

"I have a family here. There are people I care about... someone I—"

He paused for a fraction of a second, then continued,

"...someone I want to marry."

His fists clenched.

"I won’t leave."

But just then, a timer appeared before Inoiki.

30:00

It began counting down.

No reply. No warning. No threat.

Just a timer—cold and absolute, as if to tell him that his departure was inevitable.

Inoiki’s expression darkened.

So... I really don’t have a choice.

Each passing second pressed heavier on his mind. He raised a hand to his forehead, trying to think.

Then, suddenly—

"No... at the very least, I have to say goodbye."

His voice steadied.

"My family deserves that much... a proper farewell."

His gaze hardened with resolve.

"And I don’t know if I’ll ever be allowed to return to this world..."

A pause.

"...No. Not ’maybe.’ I will return."

A quiet determination burned within him.

"Whoever you are—the one who brought me here and is now forcing me to leave—I will come back to this world."

Having made his decision, Inoiki moved instantly.

With a flash of space–time teleportation, he appeared beside Inoichi at headquarters, grabbed him, and vanished again. In the next moment, he appeared beside Ino, taking her hand before teleporting once more—

Back to Konoha.

To his home.

Inoichi, still processing what had just happened, asked with concern,

"What’s going on, son? Why have you gathered us all here?"

Inoiki looked at them—his family.

"It’s been a good life... with all of you," he said softly. "I’m truly grateful—to have parents like you... a sister like you."

He paused, then continued,

"But it seems... I have to leave this world now."

Inoichi’s eyes widened.

"What do you mean? Did some greater threat appear?"

Inoiki gave a faint nod.

"You could say that. I don’t have much time left... so I came to say goodbye."

His mother stepped forward, worry etched across her face.

"What do you mean... Where are you going? And what about Kurotsuchi? Did you talk to her?"

At her words, Inoiki hesitated.

"I... can’t face her, Mother," he admitted quietly. "Just tell her that I left. Most likely, I won’t return... or even if I do, I don’t want to give her false hope."

He let out a small breath.

"Besides... we never made our relationship official. It was just... mutual affection."

For a few moments, they spoke—words heavy, yet never enough.

Time continued to slip away.

The timer was nearing zero.

Inoiki slowly stepped back, putting a small distance between himself and his family.

Behind him, a blue portal began to form—its glow steady and unavoidable.

He took one last look at them.

"Take care all of you. I love you all."

And then—

The portal expanded, swallowing him whole.

Inoiki vanished.

Gone from the world.