"The more precious someone is to us," Nagato murmured, his voice ragged, breath shallow, "the harder it is to accept… that they might die."He inhaled sharply. Hah… hah…
"Sometimes… you try to convince yourself there's no way it could happen. That kind of naïveté… it's hard to avoid—especially for a generation like yours… untouched by the taste of real war."
Hah… hah…
"You'll try to find meaning in conflict. But what you'll find… is pain. Meaningless death. And that... that gives birth to a cycle of hatred that never ends…"Nagato's gaze trembled. "Naruto… these are things you will come to understand… in the days ahead."
He let out a faint, strained laugh."The parallels between you… and that book… it feels as if someone orchestrated all of this…"His body slumped as his last breath escaped."…Seems… this is the end for me. But Naruto… of all people, I believe you can…"
His voice faded into silence.
Naruto stared at him for a long moment, then turned to Konan.
"A war...?" he asked quietly. "Does that mean the Akatsuki is planning for war?"
Konan nodded, her voice calm but laced with grief."Most likely. The Akatsuki seek the Tailed Beasts. They won't stop—not until they get them all."
Naruto's expression tightened. "Why? Why go after the Tailed Beasts? What's the real motive behind it all? What drives you—or the others?"
Konan paused, then softly replied, "Nagato believed in you… so I will, too."She looked up, eyes heavy with memories."The resurrection of the Ten Tails… That is the true purpose of the Akatsuki."
But before Naruto could respond, a strange light flickered in the air—and then, a screen appeared before them both, glowing with cryptic symbols.
{A shadow pulls the strings of another, unaware that its own hands are guided by yet deeper threads — and so the dance of puppets continues, each believing they are the master.}
Naruto's eyes widened. "W-What is that?"
Konan stepped in front of him protectively. "Stay back!"She stared at the screen, unease rippling through her like ice.
{What is peace?}{What is war?}{What is eternal peace…? Does it truly exist?}{And what of the never-ending war?}
{Answer, Uzumaki Naruto.}
"Who are you?!" Naruto demanded, fists clenched.
{A chronicle not of fate, but of the fractures between control and chaos.
Within my pages lie the truths no prophecy dares speak — the cycles of war and peace, the strings of puppeteers, and the illusions of heroes.
I am the mirror of humanity's soul, where even the manipulators are bound by invisible threads, and even peace hides its fangs.
I am neither doctrine nor dogma.I am a question cloaked in riddles, a paradox that dares the reader to unravel… or be unraveled.
I do not record what should be — only what might always be.A world where the end is never final…and certainty… is the most fragile illusion of all.
I am… The Book of the Unpredictable.}
Naruto looked toward Konan, confused, searching her face for answers. But even she stood speechless—utterly lost.
"What do you want from Naruto?" Konan finally asked, her tone sharp with tension. "Why him?"
{Answers… and knowledge.A question that has never been answered,or an answer that has never been sought.}
{Uzumaki Naruto.In mere moments, you changed the heart of a man who had embraced death and destruction.One who killed in cold blood… gave his life to restore those he took.You are a boy who has seen enough pain to become the greatest villain…Yet you chose the path of the hero.}
Suddenly, the screen began to shift, showing moving images. Naruto gasped.
"What… what are you showing me?! That's impossible!"
{This is the future—before I appeared.
You will win the war… but at a cost. You will lose much.}
The vision changed.It showed a boy who looked like Naruto, yet... was not. His eyes shone with power and loneliness.
{Uzumaki Boruto. Your son.The strongest human since the beginning of time.}
"Son? I-I'm not even married… Are you saying you can see the future?"
Scene after scene unfolded—clashes, destruction, the sealing of the Seventh Hokage, and a brutal battle between Boruto and a mysterious man named Jura. Naruto trembled.
{In time, you will be known as the strongest.But do you know how much it will take for two men to defeat you at your peak?One punch.And what's more terrifying…is that stronger beings exist still—and they are coming for the Shinobi World.}
Naruto's face went pale. Even Konan stood frozen, her breath caught in her throat.
"Are we… are we doomed?" Naruto whispered.
{Naruto… give me the answer, and I will grant you the power to stand against them.}
"I… I don't have the answer," he admitted, overwhelmed.
{You don't have it yet.But will you seek it?
I, the Book of the Unpredictable, shall guide your path.}
A brilliant light burst from the screen—rushing toward Naruto.It struck his forehead like a seal, and a tattoo shaped like an open book appeared glowing.
And in the next heartbeat—Naruto vanished from the spot.Gone without a trace.
Konan stared at the space where he once stood, frozen in shock.
"…Naruto…"