"Hahaha! Sasuke! I won!"
Naruto laughed triumphantly, his grin wide and bright. Sasuke, speechless and stiff, could only turn his head away, refusing to look at him.
After the PK ended, the small rooms they had been in merged together, and their images were projected onto a large light screen.
In other words, the entire shinobi world could now see Naruto and Sasuke.
That alone meant one thing—the event wasn't over yet.
The audience didn't know what was coming, but Naruto and Sasuke, as the ones who had just experienced it, understood perfectly well what would happen next.
It was something that could shake the entire ninja world to its core!
"Uh..."
Naruto scratched his head awkwardly, as if talking to thin air. Beside him, Sasuke couldn't help showing a flash of envy.
Damn it. How could he miss such a chance...
"Come to think of it, I don't really have anyone I need to bring back to life. I don't even know anyone like that."
Naruto's words dropped like a thunderbolt from the sky, striking everyone square in the forehead.
W–what?!
That brat... what did he just say? Did they hear that right?
"Bring back to life"? Did he mean something else with a similar sound?
"Hehehe~ now this will get them riled up!"
Kuroda chuckled. Without a move like this, it would be hard for people to truly accept the truth.
But if a well-known person who had already died were to actually be summoned back from the Pure Land before everyone's eyes, disbelief would be impossible.
As long as you played the Ninja Mobile Game, you would have a chance to revive your deceased family, friends, or teachers...
That's what everyone would come to believe!
To spread the Ninja Mobile Game across the entire shinobi world as fast as possible—that was Kuroda's goal.
For that, stirring up some drama early on was only natural. Besides, he hadn't lied about the key point of what was being shown on the light screen.
The threat of the Ōtsutsuki clan hung above their heads like the Sword of Damocles.
Since he had finally come here—since such an opportunity had presented itself—he would, of course, make sure everyone could happily enjoy the game.
"So then... what will your choice be?"
Just like everyone else in the shinobi world, Kuroda fixed his gaze on Naruto, whose face was twisted with hesitation on the light screen.
If it had been Sasuke who got this chance, he wouldn't have hesitated long—at most, he would have struggled to choose between his father and mother.
Painful as it might be, at least it would have been clear.
But Naruto was completely lost.
He had joined the match only because he didn't want to lose to Sasuke, but after winning, he hadn't thought about who to revive at all. A victory both joyful and pitiful.
Naruto...
Naruto...
Naruto...
People all across Konohagakure watched him intently, whispering his name in their hearts.
Hokage... Hokage... Hokage...
They didn't know whether this strange event could truly bring back the dead, but if it could, the best candidate for revival was obvious—one of the Hokage!
Only those whose names were carved into history could turn this miraculous chance into lasting benefit for the village.
Even the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was thinking the same.
Jiraiya, Kakashi—they likely thought no differently. It was only human nature.
"The Fourth Hokage."
Naruto's words made everyone's eyelids twitch.
For the people of Konoha, it was a moment of pure joy. But for the other villages, their faces soured instantly—as if they had all just lost someone dear.
"The Yellow Flash, huh."
The Fourth Raikage murmured softly, his tone tinged with complex emotions. That man's speed had rivaled his own, after all.
On the other side, Ōnoki's wrinkled old face twisted up, silently cursing Naruto for picking that name.
Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, also couldn't ignore it. That man's reputation was far too great throughout the ninja world.
Simply put—no one outside Konoha wanted to relive the terror of being dominated by the Yellow Flash.
...
At that moment, within the light screen's space—
"The Fourth Hokage is pretty amazing, but... I don't really know anyone else. So I guess he's the only one. But..." Naruto glanced sideways at Sasuke, hesitated, and asked, "Sasuke, is there someone you'd want to bring back?"
Is there?
Is there?
Is there?
The simple question echoed in Sasuke's mind like a boomerang, circling again and again, endlessly reverberating.
His eyes widened. His lips trembled.
Is there? Of course there was—too many, in fact. Each name was burned clearly into his memory, unforgettable and unforgotten.
But what did Naruto mean by asking that?
"Naruto, I... don't need that."
Only the gods knew how much strength it took for Sasuke to say those words. His tightly bitten lip was already bleeding.
Seeing Sasuke's expression, Naruto understood immediately.
"Hey! Can you hear me? Uh... whatever-you-are up there?" Naruto shouted toward the sky.
"If you can hear me, then I want to use the winner's reward you promised. If there's only one person I can bring back, then..."
"Sasuke! Uchiha Sasuke's mother!"
"NARUTO!!!" Sasuke roared.
For every viewer, it was a complete twist no one had seen coming.
The people of Konoha, who had just been celebrating, froze in disbelief. It was as if they'd fallen from heaven to hell in an instant. Some even broke down cursing aloud.
Meanwhile, the other villages burst out laughing. To them, reviving some Uchiha woman was nothing compared to reviving the Yellow Flash, Namikaze Minato.
But soon, their laughter died away.
Sasuke went still as well.
A figure—both strange and familiar—slowly began to take shape before him.
Like mist stirred by rippling water, she appeared silently, gently, without a sound.
A graceful woman with long, straight black hair.
"...Sasuke?"
The very first thing she saw upon regaining consciousness was Sasuke—her son, now so much more grown up.
Sasuke opened his mouth, but swallowed the word "Mother" before it could escape. His expression grew complicated as he turned to Naruto.
"Why... Since you don't even need to know the name to bring someone back, theoretically, you could have chosen one of your parents. You must want to meet them, right? Or perhaps one of the Hokage who placed their hopes in you."
Sasuke couldn't understand it. He couldn't even imagine it.
If he had won, he would never have given up the chance. In fact, he would have thought one person was too few.
Naruto had no parents, didn't even know who they were—Sasuke knew that well.
But could he really say that he'd "gotten used to being alone"? What nonsense.
"Well, I only won because of your mistake, right? I never expected to fool a substitution jutsu like that anyway. It's not like there won't be another chance."
"And besides..."
Naruto grinned. "If a dad or mom suddenly appeared out of nowhere, it'd feel kinda awkward, you know? I'll just find a chance to bring them both back together someday. I've got things I want to ask them!"
"...Naruto." Sasuke said quietly.
"Don't give me that face! You look terrible. Is this really the top student Sasuke I know?"
"Next time, I'll beat you fair and square. But for now..." Naruto pushed Sasuke forward with a smile.
"Someone's waiting for you over there."
Sasuke took a deep breath, said nothing more, and turned toward the woman.
Uchiha Mikoto—his mother.
"Mom!!!"