The ground was cracked.

  Trees snapped.

  Blood stained the grass.

  Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura stood frozen.

  Naruto’s breath shook.

  Naruto:

  “…I can’t. I can’t let my daughter die.”

  Yahiko stepped between him and Himawari.

  Yahiko:

  “Please… don’t.”

  Sakura moved forward.

  Sakura:

  “Move. Now.”

  Yahiko didn’t.

  Yahiko:

  “I can’t.”

  Sasuke’s Sharingan flared.

  Sasuke:

  “You really want to stand against us?”

  Yahiko met their eyes.

  Yahiko:

  “If I have to stand against gods…

  so children can grow up free…

  then I will.”

  Naruto clenched his fists.

  Naruto:

  “She’s a small girl.

  She’s my daughter.

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  I have to protect her.”

  Yahiko:

  “Children can’t grow

  if their parents never let go.”

  Sasuke thought:

  Naruto is going to snap… This is dangerous.

  Eida lay broken inside a pod.

  Wires in her skin.

  Light barely flickering.

  Amado turned to Yuta.

  Amado:

  “She must do the work she was born for.”

  Hinata shook her head.

  Hinata:

  “No. Using my son’s chakra like this is wrong.

  He won’t.”

  Yuta whispered:

  Yuta:

  “…Will she live?”

  Amado hesitated.

  Amado:

  “She may.

  She may not.

  This is like a human pregnancy.”

  He gestured to a small childlike android body beside the pod.

  Amado:

  “I will transfer her memories into this model.

  They will be linked.”

  Hinata grabbed her hair, trembling.

  Hinata:

  “This feels wrong…”

  Yuta took a deep breath.

  Yuta:

  “…Will she be okay?”

  Amado nodded once.

  Yuta closed his eyes.

  Yuta:

  “…I’ll do it.”

  Hinata broke down crying and ran out.

  Hinata:

  “I don’t accept this!”

  Yuta whispered:

  Yuta:

  “…I’m going to be a dad.”

  Amado placed a hand on his shoulder.

  Amado:

  “I’m proud of you, kid.

  Thinking like this… at your age.”

  Hanabi ran to Hinata, panicked.

  Hanabi:

  “BIG SIS—

  Naruto’s gone mad!

  He might kill Himawari’s teacher!”

  Hinata’s eyes widened.

  Hinata:

  “…No.”

  She ran.

  Toneri stared down at Earth.

  Toneri:

  “Yahiko… you had the mind of Sylus.

  Tell me — does his reincarnation, Yuta…

  make the right choice?”

  Majin smiled.

  Majin:

  “Team 7 defeated you with power.

  But that girl, Himawari…

  has something you never did.”

  Toneri:

  “What?”

  Majin:

  “Human… indomitable spirit.”

  Yahiko took his stance.

  Across from him stood

  Naruto.

  Sasuke.

  Sakura.

  Legends who fought gods…

  Yahiko thought:

  If I fall…

  it will be so children can keep playing.