Naruto Gojo(Discontinued)

26.2

Chapter 26.2: The Silence of Infinity

Physical reality screamed. The descending lightning hit the event horizon of the Domain. But the Domain did not "hit" the lightning; it simply replaced the space the lightning occupied. The roaring thunders were swallowed by a sudden, terrifying silence.

Inside the black sphere, the Valley of the End ceased to exist. Sasuke, still anchored within the purple core of his Susanoo, saw... everything. The white-purple Takemikazuchi and the black Hinokagutsuchi fire didn't extinguish, they froze.

The information hit them. Every sensation of every raindrop that had ever fallen in the valley, the birth and death of every star in the cosmos, it all poured into their minds in a single instant. Sasuke's brain began to overheat, his synapses firing at a rate that threatened to turn his grey matter into ash. He froze completely, eyes wide, mouth locked in an open, silent scream.

The strain was catastrophic. Naruto's celestial blue eyes were bloodshot. Blood poured from his nose and ears, staining the remains of his pants.

"Get... out," Naruto rasped.

He didn't launch an attack. He simply contracted the Domain. The black sphere imploded. The sudden collapse of spatial mass created a vacuum of unimaginable power. The frozen pillars of lightning were sucked inward and neutralized. The Susanoo shattered into a million glowing purple fragments before fading away.

The Aftermath

When reality snapped back, the Valley of the End was entirely unrecognizable. There were no statues. There were no waterfalls. The gorge had been widened into a massive, perfectly smooth, dry glass-like rock.

Sasuke lay in the center of the glassy crater, his body a charred ruin. He was alive, but only by the grace of Orochimaru .

A deep, cauterized hole remained in Naruto's side where the black lightning had initially pierced him.

He coughed, a thick glob of blood hitting the glassy floor. He tried to take a step toward Sasuke, but his legs buckled. He collapsed to one knee.

"Pathetic."

Naruto's vision blurred. Standing on the scorched glass was a man who shouldn't be there. He looked youthful, twenty-eight at most. He wore a simple, dark high-collared shirt and black pants. His hair was a shock of pristine, stark white. His eyes, the original Six Eyes, were wide and filled with a mocking, electric energy.

Satoru Gojo in his prime.

The manifestation stood over the unconscious Sasuke, hands in his pockets, looking down at the Uchiha with an expression of mild distaste.

"I leave you my eyes, my name, and the keys to reality," Gojo said, turning his gaze toward Naruto. "And this is the best you can do?"

"Dad...?" Naruto choked out.

Gojo tsk-tsked, walking closer. He stopped three feet from Naruto, looking down at the bleeding, broken heir.

"That was disappointing, Naruto-kun," Gojo said, his voice carrying that familiar smirk. "Truly disappointing."

Naruto's brow furrowed in confusion. "What... are you talking about? I beat him."

Gojo leaned down, his face inches from Naruto's. "You stopped it? No, you survived it. There's a difference."

Gojo reached out and flicked Naruto's forehead.

"Why did you hold back?" Gojo asked, his eyes narrowing. "You had a dozen openings to erase him with Purple before he even drew that bow. You let him pin you. You let him make you bleed. You almost died because you were trying to play 'ninja' instead of being The Strongest."

"I promised... I wouldn't kill him," Naruto managed.

Gojo let out a sharp, mocking laugh.

"A promise? To a woman who wasn't even there? You're the Honored One, Naruto. Gods don't make promises to mortals; they set the terms."

Gojo straightened up, looking out over the smoothed, empty crater.

"Look at this mess. You erased a geographical landmark just to prove a point to a kid who hates you. If you're going to use my name, do it properly. Next time... don't give them the chance to think they're your equal."

As Gojo vanished, the silence returned to the wasteland. Naruto slumped forward, his forehead hitting the warm glass. The last thing he saw before darkness claimed him was the pale, ghostly form of Hagoromo appearing at the edge of his vision.