At the same time...
Kakashi and Might Guy had just finished helping Shikamaru deal with his opponents, Tayuya and Sakon. After handing the situation over to Sarutobi Asuma, who had arrived to meet them, they continued racing towards the Valley of the End.
"Kakashi, let's have a contest!" Guy suggested enthusiastically, flashing a thumbs-up and his signature sparkling white teeth.
"This really isn't the time for games, Guy!" Kakashi replied tiredly.
Guy ignored him and declared, "The contest is: whoever reaches the Valley of the End first wins!"
With that, not waiting for Kakashi's agreement, Guy shot off like a green blur towards their destination.
Kakashi managed a small, knowing smile despite his exhaustion. He understood Guy was trying to distract him, to keep his mind off the painful certainty of the confrontation between Naruto and Sasuke.
'Thanks, Guy,' Kakashi thought.
With renewed determination, Kakashi pushed himself, racing towards the Valley of the End with deadly seriousness. His only desperate hope now was to somehow get there in time to intervene, to stop the battle between his students before it was too late.
Half an hour later, under a sky that had begun to drizzle lightly, Kakashi and Guy finally arrived at the Valley of the End.
Once there, they were stunned into silence by the sheer scale of the devastation. The colossal statues of Madara and Hashirama were heavily damaged, the surrounding cliffs were scarred and crumbling, and the nearby forest was utterly ruined. Amidst the wreckage, Naruto lay motionless on the rain-soaked ground, unconscious.
Lying near his head was his Konoha forehead protector, slashed cleanly through the metal plate.
"Did... Did we arrive too late?" Kakashi murmured, his voice hollow and empty.
He walked numbly towards Naruto, moving almost like a zombie. He gently picked up the damaged forehead protector, looked at it for a heart-wrenching moment, then carefully tied it back onto Naruto's head before lifting his student carefully into his arms.
He spoke softly to the unconscious Naruto, his voice thick with guilt and self-blame:
"I'm so sorry, Naruto... I couldn't get here in time."
"Knowing you... you must have fought with everything you had... you must feel so devastated right now..."
Guy stood silently nearby, his usual exuberance gone. He understood Kakashi's anguish all too well; it reminded him sharply of how he felt when his own precious student, Rock Lee, was nearly killed by Gaara during the Chūnin Exams.
"Kakashi," Guy said gently but firmly, "Let's head back. Forget chasing Sasuke for now. Getting Naruto medical attention is the absolute priority."
"Right..." Kakashi agreed softly, turning away from the desolate valley.
...
Meanwhile, far from the valley...
Sasuke, soaked by the steady rain and dragging his utterly exhausted body, trudged onward alone. Step by painstaking step, he forced himself towards Orochimaru's hideout.
His eyes were downcast, his expression chillingly blank, lost in a daze of pain and resolve.
Fragments of memory surfaced:
His father telling him: "As expected of my son."
His mother telling him: "Mom will always love you."
His brother telling him: "You and I are unique brothers. I will always be there for you, as a wall for you to overcome."
But those fleeting memories were swiftly and brutally overshadowed by the horrific images of his parents' deaths, the bloody massacre of his entire clan...
Pure, cold hatred flared anew in his dark eyes. He spoke aloud to the rain-filled air, his voice laced with chilling resolve, "Uchiha Itachi... I will surpass you. And then, I will kill you!"
...
Back in Konoha Village, at the Hokage Square viewing area,
The crowd watched the screen in stunned silence, still processing the aftermath of the fight they had just witnessed.
Ōnoki, the Fourth Raikage, and the other assembled leaders were still reeling. They couldn't quite believe that two mere Genin—Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha—could unleash power far exceeding that of most elite Jōnin. They had displayed an endless barrage of incredible, high-level techniques, almost as if they were operating outside the normal rules of the shinobi world.
Ino, Sakura, and the other Konoha rookies were particularly horrified. They had seen Sasuke transform into that terrifying, monstrous form simply to abandon his home and friends, going so far as to critically injure Naruto, the person who had been his closest friend.
Although the screen hadn't shown the absolute final moments clearly, everyone understood the outcome: Naruto had failed.
He couldn't stop Sasuke. He couldn't bring back the friend who was so determined to walk away into darkness.
However, amidst the shock and sadness, everyone also knew that Naruto had done everything humanly possible. He had honored his promise to Sakura and, more importantly, he had stayed true to his own heart and his unwavering bond with Sasuke, even at great personal cost.
..
Ōnoki turned to Hiruzen. "Sarutobi, I must admit, I'm rather envious! Your village consistently produces such astounding, powerful talents."
Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent, his expression somber.
Terumi Mei added, "He's right. From the Legendary Sannin and Konoha's White Fang in the past, to prodigies like Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi more recently... Konoha has certainly fostered some truly legendary figures!"
Fourth Raikage scoffed loudly, "Perhaps. But these so-called 'geniuses' of yours often meet tragic ends or betray you! The Sannin either defected or abandoned the village. Konoha's White Fang supposedly killed himself over the fallout from a failed mission. Your own Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, died sealing the Nine-Tails. And as for Shisui and Itachi... that old hawk Danzō made their lives utter misery, didn't he?"
Terumi Mei conceded, "You... do have a point."
The Raikage pressed on, "Hmph! If those shinobi had been nurtured in my village, Kumo, I guarantee they would have lived far longer and served the village with strength and loyalty!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, along with the Konoha elders Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, were left speechless, unable to refute the painful truth in the Raikage's harsh words.
Konoha did indeed produce geniuses, but its history was tragically littered with those who died young, walked away, or turned traitor. As a result, the current Leaf Village, despite its reputation, arguably lacked truly top-tier shinobi actively serving in its ranks – a somewhat embarrassing reality.
The surrounding Konoha shinobi and villagers listened intently to the high-level discussion but dared not interrupt, fearing they might draw unwanted, negative attention from the powerful leaders.
"Man, listening to these legends talk..." Darui muttered to his partner, shaking his head slightly.
"Best for us to just keep watching the show," C replied coolly.
Just then, the large screen, which had gone dark after showing Kakashi carrying Naruto away, flickered back to life, displaying a completely new scene.
A buzz went through the crowd.
"Whoa, what's happening now? The screen's showing something else already!"
"Are they going to show us more history? What is it this time?"
...
[On screen--]
[The image depicted a dramatic scene under a full moon, set in what was unmistakably the Valley of the End, long before the statues were fully completed. A figure wielding a large, distinctive gunbai (war fan) in his right hand and a kama (sickle) attached to a chain in his left, clashed briefly but intensely in mid-air with another powerful figure, known for carrying a large summoning scroll on his back.]
[After the explosive aerial exchange, the two separated, landing with immense presence.]
[One warrior landed masterfully atop the massive, snarling head of the Nine-Tailed Fox, which was clearly under his control via the Sharingan. The other warrior stood firmly upon the high cliff wall opposite him, radiating power.]
"Wait a minute!" Ōnoki stammered, leaning forward abruptly, his eyes wide. "Those two... Is that... could that be SENJU HASHIRAMA and UCHIHA MADARA?!"
After scrutinizing the dynamic image, Hiruzen Sarutobi confirmed, his voice filled with awe and seriousness, "Yes... That is indeed them. Senju Hashirama, the First Hokage... and Uchiha Madara. This must be from their final, legendary battle."
"Are we... are we about to witness the battle between Madara and Hashirama?!" the Fourth Raikage asked, his usual gruffness replaced by intense curiosity and anticipation.
"It looks like it!" Terumi Mei exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "I never thought we'd get a chance to witness their actual battle with our own eyes! This is absolutely incredible! Let's watch closely!"
/////////////////////////////
[T/N] : Original Author has already decided to show the legendary battle between Madara and Hashirama right after the Naruto vs. Sasuke fight at the Valley of the End.
Because,
This will also serve to give everyone watching across the Ninja World a true, undeniable understanding of the immense, god-like power wielded by the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara in their prime.
Hopefully, this display of his true strength will help redeem Hashirama's legendary reputation, especially after his somewhat underwhelming portrayal while under the control of the Edo Tensei during Orochimaru's invasion!