Kushina cautiously stepped toward Naruto.
She looked at her son's calm, unshakable demeanor—
That aura of overwhelming strength…
But as a mother, instead of feeling proud,
She felt a deep ache in her heart.
'How much pain must he have endured… to have eyes like that?'
She lifted her translucent hand,
Wanting to stroke his cheek.
But she couldn't feel his warmth.
Souls had no touch.
So all she could do was slowly pull her hand back,
Her eyes full of tender sorrow.
Naruto pressed his lips together in silence, unsure of what to say.
Kushina's love for him radiated without disguise—
But he honestly didn't know how to face it.
Perceptive as always beneath her brash exterior,
Kushina noticed it right away.
She shifted from self-blame to a warm smile.
"You've gotten so tall… even more handsome than your dad. That's nice."
After a moment of silence,
Naruto finally spoke.
"Actually… I came here to ask if you two want to be revived into the real world.
If you're willing, I can do it right now."
Hearing that, the couple froze slightly.
They exchanged a glance but didn't answer immediately.
Minato smiled faintly, proud that his son had such power now.
He looked at Kushina—his answer was clear. He'd go with whatever she wanted.
Suddenly, Kushina's smile grew brighter.
"Naruto, I want to be revived.
That way I can go back and beat the crap out of everyone who bullied you!
How dare they treat my son like that!"
Seeing his mother finally drop her mask and show her real self,
Naruto smiled too.
"Alright. See you in the real world."
With that, his eyes lit up as he activated Rinne Rebirth.
Kushina and Minato's soul forms turned into orbs of light,
And slowly floated upward.
As Naruto turned to leave the Pure Land,
A deep voice called out from behind him.
"Uzumaki Naruto. We meet again."
There was no need to turn around—
That arrogant tone could only belong to Uchiha Madara.
In soul form, Madara still bore a pair of dimmed Rinnegan eyes.
Thanks to them, he could've freely chosen reincarnation before Naruto took over the Pure Land—
But he had never done so.
"What, want a rematch?" Naruto asked with mild interest.
Madara shook his head.
"I know… in my current state, I'm no match for you."
"I just wanted to say—one day,
I'll come find you for a proper fight.
So don't go dying on me out there."
Naruto smiled faintly and vanished from the Pure Land.
The moment he left, another soul appeared beside Madara.
Hashirama Senju.
"You know that kid, Madara?"
Madara's lips curled slightly.
"He's the one who sent me here."
Hearing that, Hashirama let out a helpless chuckle.
"To think we both lost to the same person.
And such a young one at that."
"He's the most gifted genius I've ever seen," Madara said, arms crossed.
"Stronger than either of us.
Hashirama… join forces with me.
Together, we might stand a chance against him."
But Hashirama only shook his head.
"Madara, is winning really that important?
Besides, we're already dead.
Let the world move forward on its own."
Madara gave a cold snort and said no more.
Back in the real world,
Naruto returned home.
The newly revived Minato and Kushina were standing in the living room.
And on the sofa was Kaguya.
As Naruto reappeared,
The atmosphere turned… awkward.
Kushina was the first to break the silence.
She tugged on Minato's arm and smiled sweetly as she asked:
"Naruto, who's this? Your girlfriend?"
Before Naruto could answer,
Kaguya quickly chimed in:
"I am Lord Naruto's most devoted servant.
Please don't refer to me as a 'girlfriend.'"
"'Lord Naruto'? 'Servant'?"
Both Kushina and Minato exchanged confused glances,
Offering stiff chuckles.
At lunch, Kushina prepared a full table of dishes.
Four people sat around the dining table.
Naruto hadn't had a meal like this—with family—in a long time.
Kushina kept piling food into his bowl nonstop.
In no time, it was stacked like a little mountain.
Naruto took a few bites.
It wasn't bad, but it wasn't exactly good either.
Seeing him stop after a few bites,
Kushina looked worried.
"Mom hasn't cooked in a long time… maybe it's not great.
Give me a few days—I'll study your dad's old recipe book.
I promise I'll cook something that blows your mind!"
Minato scratched his head sheepishly beside her.
"I guess I'll have to write a new one.
The old notebook's probably long gone."
But just then—
Naruto pulled out a worn, tattered notebook and placed it on the table.
Minato picked it up and blinked in surprise.
"Huh? This is the one I wrote ages ago… wow, this brings back memories."
Looking at the familiar handwriting and those overly dramatic dish names,
Minato smiled with nostalgic warmth.
To eat with loved ones again—
To relive old memories—
It felt good to be alive.
"Mmm. The Third gave it to me years ago," Naruto replied calmly.
"The Third, huh…"
At that name, Minato's smile faded slightly.
To say he felt no resentment toward Hiruzen… would be a lie.
He had sacrificed so much for the village—
Even burned away his life for the Will of Fire.
But his son had suffered so much because of it.
Kushina, never one for subtlety, slammed the table.
"Hmph! That old bastard!
If he weren't already dead,
I'd beat him to a pulp!"
The meal went smoothly.
Naruto felt… oddly content.
His relationship with his parents had become much more natural.
Later, back in his room, Naruto reached out to the system.
"System—draw a reward."
[Current Six Paths-tier draw count: 14.
System detected a large number of draws.
Would you like to upgrade your draws?
Three Six Paths-tier draws = one Beyond-Six Paths-tier draw.]
"Huh? I can upgrade them?"
After a moment's thought, Naruto chose to upgrade.
At his current level,
Six Paths-level powers wouldn't give him much of a boost anymore—
Just some minor enhancements or wider coverage.
[Upgrade complete.
Current draws:
Beyond-Six Paths-tier: 4
Six Paths-tier: 2]
"Let's do a single pull."
[Ding! Congratulations! You have drawn: God-Tier Ōtsutsuki Bloodline]
As the system's voice fell,
The familiar sensation of bodily transformation began.
Every cell,
Every blood vessel—
Underwent drastic change.
When it was over,
Naruto walked over to the mirror.
On the surface,
He didn't look much different.
Sensing his confusion,
The system actually offered an explanation for once.
"God-Tier Ōtsutsuki Bloodline:
Grants perfect control over divine and ocular techniques.
Vastly enhances energy compatibility, lifespan, and potential.
Surpasses the natural limit of even the purest Ōtsutsuki."