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Recollection of the Past
Entry 4;
Xuan and Ike:
As time went by, so did the dawn of the next wielder of the Master Sword slowly approach. It had been two thousand years since the 5th wielder Link had dealt the finishing blow to the resurrected Ganondorf, turning his body to stone. At this point, only his head remained and it didn't look like nothing more than an oddly shaped rock these days, still with the Legendary Blade stuck deep into it. Peace had thrived and prospered during those years of stability, and I had finally regained my strength to travel the land once more, albeit only temporarily. A great turmoil was brewing in the shadows however, but this time, it was not of some evil lord, demon or beast's creation, this time, it was due to the greed and corruption of men. Discontent and thus chaos, were on the rise, and only the wielder of an artifact, a symbol of Courage and Hope, could reunite the land as one. If I had ever doubted my journey, then this was it. I still to this date don't understand why the Master Sword needed a 6th and 7th wielder yet along so close to each other in succession, but like Destiny had proven to me many times before, it was indeed not without reason. I met the 6th wielder of the sword, Xuan, not long after what eventually became the Unification War of the Three Kingdoms had started, and unlike any other wielders I had met, his condition was not "battle-ready" at the time, so to speak. Xuan had been injured in a great battle against a fierce warrior known as Lu Bu, a man so powerful that most people fled on the sight of him. Having been spared only due to his courage and potential, Xuan had struggled as he had been forced to watch the mighty warrior ride off beyond his sight, injured to such a degree that luck had had to play a role in his survival. Knowing very well that he had failed to save his lifelong friend and brother in arm at the hands of Lu Bu and thereafter charged recklessly in an attempt to get revenge, there was no way he could ever forgive himself for not being strong enough to face him. Passing out on the spot, Xuan was eventually brought home to where his uncle and younger cousin lived, where he was treated for his wounds which took about half a year to recover. In that time, I decided to pay him a visit.
[...]
The sun rose upon the grey hills and the enriched forest surrounding the little village that now was his home, his rest-house until he could recover. If it hadn't been for his cousin's care and treatments, he would never have been able to stand up to his feet yet along lift a blade again. He looked upon her as he realized that he still had a long way to go before he was fully recovered. The tale of those who had charged out into battle prematurely and faced their demise had been told several times over. He wanted revenge, that was all he could think of. He would somehow get strong enough, and finally be the one to beat this mighty warrior known as Lu Bu. But why had he spared him in the first place? There was no way to know, and as this question pressed on for the thousandth time, he almost wished that he too had been given the mercy of a swift blow that rainy night. Looking over at his uncle who stood by the window, the man knew there was no time for him to rush anything yet, so he carefully sat down again as his cousin continued with her treatment plan. There was no way around it and he knew it. He had to be patient and heal his wounds. A wet piece of clothing was felt upon his forehead as she gently moisturized it once more and applied it to his head again for a further cool-down of what certainly felt like a fever. He laid back down as he took a deep breath. It had already been four months, hadn't it? How much longer before he could start training himself up again? How much longer before he could seek revenge? As he pondered upon those questions, he realized that his uncle had spotted something outside, someone approaching. Who could it be? "Lay back down, Xuan, don't stress your body more than you can handle." Was her firm warning, but the curiosity had already gotten the better of him. Pointing his finger at an object by the dinning table, he patiently awaited as she went and recovered it. It was a walking stick, to help him remain upright as he walked. Going over by the window, he too looked out and met eyes with the stranger. Immediately, it was as if somehow, that man was someone he knew. "Do you know that man?" His uncle asked. He didn't know how to respond, he almost felt drawn towards the stranger who now had halted his approach just outside the house. Venturing outside despite the warnings from both his cousin and his uncle, he finally came face to face with the mysterious stranger. "Who are you?" He firmly asked. "Follow me and find out." The reply sounded.
Indeed, it wasn't a long march away from the house until they came upon the rock in the forest that was close to where they lived. He had been there before, with Lu Gong, before they set out on their journey, before they joined the Imperial Forces to oppose the uprising of the Yellow Turbans a few years ago. This was the rock Lu Gong had talked about, the dragon's head as the legends had described, and stuck deep inside at the top of it, the old blade rested; the one he was almost sure he had at least moved slightly before. The stranger who had yet to say another word then pointed at it as if saying that he had to try to draw it. In the distance from behind, both his uncle and his cousin came running after them. "What do you want me to do?" The man asked. "Take my hand, and maybe you'll find out, Xuan. You got the whole future ahead of you." He was baffled. This guy knew who he was, despite the fact that they had never met before? At least he couldn't recognize his face. Before continuing with his questions however, he went up to him as he shook his hand, and as a light suddenly blinded him, the mysterious man, the stranger, was suddenly gone. But that was not all there was to it; all his injuries had somehow healed. How could it be? Feeling life surge through him once more, he quickly threw the stick aside as he hurriedly climbed the old rock. Moments later, the Master Sword was in his hands. It had found its next wielder...
[...]
"The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide. Thus it has ever been."
The 6th wielder had been found, but despite the fact that the Master Sword alone had often time been the artifact to bring on peace, the stubbornness of man would not let chaos become harmony on the whim of a sacred blade. Several years later, Xuan's grandson, Ike, became the next and thereby 7th wielder of the Master Sword, inheriting it from his grandfather Xuan shortly after the death of his father, Xuan's son. Ike was the next in line entrusted with the hope of peace, and a promise of a better future laid ahead. I knew there wasn't much time now before my journey would end, but there was still some years to go. Ike was the only wielder of the sword that I did not meet in person. Having his grandfather so close to him, the crest of courage had already found its way into him as Xuan's successor. Peace eventually did happen some years after that, but it was, like often times before, short lived. A new generation and a new culture known as samurai eventually besieged every man in the land and took over humanity as the new driving force. Ultimately, another war happened... The Thousand Years' War. It was however as this new period of war was approaching its end, that I met up with the next and final wielder of the Master Sword. The one destined to become the Sage of Six Paths and bring on an entirely new era...
I will elaborate further on those events in my next entry.
Author's Note:
1: The 6th and 7th wielders of the Master Sword is set to get their own stories in the long shelved Three kingdoms, a project that I wrote the first chapter of and have been shelving since 2011. I doubt I'll go through with my original plan at this point, but I'll at least release some of it. This will be my final work at the Base.
2(as of 2015): The scene I wrote here is the only scene that I actually had to write, being that I had already written everything else for the Recollection of the Past last year. The reason for this stalling was the fact that I simply didn't know what to write or even how to begin writing it. I did however eventually decide to write down this scene as I had somewhat intended it to happen in the actual Three Kingdoms story, although I had never planned for the Wizard/Naruto to actually appear there. That's why I decided to do half of both and make the scene come together and happen here.
Recollection of the Past
Entry 5;
The Sage of Six Paths - The Final Wielder of the Master Sword:
I met the Sage of Six Paths on several occasions. Two times before I traveled to the past, and three times after that. It is however, the meetings in the past that matters for this story, and especially the first time we met here. That is probably the one thing you still haven't heard about...
[...]
As I had seen the future, I already knew of the Sage's troubled life. During his time with the Sacred Sect, he often times traveled away from the temple to hold his lectures, urging people to turn towards peace, not war. I strategically used this to my advantage, but I still had to be careful not to reveal my true identity. So I used one of my techniques to change my appearance. The Sage had traveled to a rather quiet town, a town where few people were actually living. He had tried to gather people's attention, but he had not had any luck so far that day. I carefully walked into him as I pretended to fall over. At that time, he was half my age, or at least half the age of my appearance, but he was already starting to turn into the man he was always meant to be. He reached his hand out to me to help me back up to my feet as he was apologizing for not seeing where he was going, and just as I grabbed a hold onto it, the one thing that had happened all the times before whenever I greeted a new wielder of the Master Sword, did indeed happen. The bright light emerged before it slowly vanished between us again. He was shocked to say the least, but I continued my act, pretending to not understand what he was talking about. Then, I was on my way again as he continued in his quest to gather people's attention for one of his lectures. The final wielder of the sword had been found...
[...]
After the Sage's tale came to an end, time rapidly approached the destined meeting with my past-self as only one final task remained before I could rest.
I will elaborate further on those events in my next and final entry.
Author's Note:
1: This entry bases its story upon The Legendary Sage of Six Paths, the last story I wrote before this project. Like with most of the other entries in this tale, it is kind of hard to follow what takes place here without having read that other story first.
2 (as of 2015): This entry was terribly short, but I didn't really know what else to do with it, something in which I already hinted at in one of my comments on the previous entries. This is indeed the talked about scene detailing Hagoromo and the Wizard/Naruto's true first meeting, something in which has been referred to at times in TLSoSP.
Recollection of the Past
Entry 6;
The Future:
Opening Theme:
After the tale of the Sage of Six Paths came to an end, things really started to get interesting moving forward. Not only was I now in a time where a past version of myself co-existed with me, but I knew I would have to keep my identity secret from there on and out. No matter how much I wanted to, I had to keep to the shadows to avoid being spotted. I could however not resist visiting my old village one last time, barely making it past the detection of the then Hokage of Konoha, my past-self. It had been over 7000 years since I had seen them, but it was just as I had remembered them to be. I was now standing by the window-frame of the house we used to live in... The house they now lived in. Inside they were, all of them, happily together. My family... Every bone in my body urged me to go inside but I knew I couldn't. Forcefully, I had to turn my back once more and abide my time. As my past-self arrived home, I could sense it. The happiness, the joy. If I could only relive it somehow, get another chance to be with them, like he now was. I couldn't risk it any longer. The only reason to why my past-self hadn't sensed me yet was because our chakra was the same. I left... If I was to encounter myself before the time was right, it would spell disaster. I spent my time waiting for the defining moment, until the time finally came. The time I had been waiting for, to bring everything to an end. I met with my past-self at the top of the Three Wolves Mountain, just like I and Revan had met Demise there to battle 7000 years ago, and just like Hagoromo had met me there 6000 years later seeking wisdom. Now it was our turn, and it was almost symbolic by now. The meeting went just as planned, and before I knew it, I now stood in the wizard shoes as the other wielders of the Master Sword appeared one by one except for Revan. I was so confused back then but now it all made sense. With their blessing, my past-self was now ready, and with it, I revealed my identity to him. Seeing my young face before him while he looked so old... The exact face I'd had when our roles were reversed. And just like I had been told back then, I told him that everything would make sense when he ventured to the past. Before then however, it was time... The ultimate Battle... The Last Battle... Everything had now approached its end. The circle was completed, the Curse of the Jubi broken, the Power of Hatred Vanquished. After this battle, I could finally rejoin my beloved ones in the afterlife. No more waiting around, this was it, my time had come...
[...]
"So everything is about to come to an end, huh... Well, now that I think twice about it, I suppose it was always meant to be this way... It has been a long journey, but finally, my time has come to leave this world for good like all those before me... I can't help but wonder how it really is to be dead, I mean, what else lies beyond life itself? This is it, my last battle, and once it is over, I will finally be able to see you guys in the afterlife again... Heheh, it is time for me to let this world create its own path, and with it, a new Era of Peace shall bask in its light... Finally, my story comes to a deserving end... The Legendary Sage of Konoha... It was one heck of a journey, was it not??..."
"Are you coming or what?? We've been waiting for you, God it has been forever since we last saw you, Naruto-Kun..."
"!! Does this mean... It's already over?? Hinata, it really is you..."
"Come, take my hand, the rest are waiting for us..."
"Yoooooooossssssh!!!!"
"*Giggle* You really are just like I remember you to be..."
"Dad!!!"
"You are finally here!"
"I can't believe it, both of you are here too! I've missed you so much my children!"
"Hey, don't forget about me!!"
"Minato?!"
"Hahaha, I knew you would come eventually grandpa!"
"So you finally decided to show huh Naruto... Heh, about damn time, it was starting to get boring without you! Maybe now can we have that final rematch of ours."
"Sasuke!!"
"It took awhile, but now that you are here, all of us can finally be reunited, hi-hi."
"Sakura-Chan too!!"
"Not just your family and your team-mates from Team 7 however-...
"Kakashi-Sensei!! And Iruka-Sensei too?!"
"Welcome home... Everyone else has been waiting for you too Naruto, look!!"
"?! That is... So this is what the afterlife looks like... Everyone! I'm home!!"
Before him, the entire Shinobi Alliance stood, all in the appearance of their younger-selves, all there to welcome him. The world around them was like nothing he had ever seen before. Not even the word utopia would properly describe it, not even the wildest, most inventive imagination in the Skyworld would come close to apprehend the scenery around him. Naruto, had found his peace...
[...]
At long last, I am home, my journey has come to an end. I have a lot of things to tell you all, but I have all the time in the world. My friends, my family, finally are we reunited. Before I can fully rest though, there's one last thing I have to do with the remaining powers I have left. There's one friend I need to visit with a brief stop. I'll be back before you know it, and then! Will I tell you the tale of how I lived my life as The Legendary Sage of Konoha!!
[...]
By a rather quiet lake, an older man in his early 50s sat, pondering about in his own thoughts as he was waiting patiently for his rod to nibble. He hadn't been there more than half an hour, but it still felt like he had waited for a long time already. Not even a single fish had lured itself onto the fat juicy worm resting onto the hook as the older man was still expecting his first bite. Nothing... Not even a nibble... It was quiet, almost too quiet for his liking, but he was still waiting patiently like he always did as only a few singing birds could be spotted nearby, sitting up in a tree. Much had indeed changed during the past 20 years of his life, but by now, he had got used to it. His family was at home in his still ever growing village hidden in the leaves, and his sons and grandsons alike had already started, or, begun to start families of their own. Well perhaps not his grandsons just yet, but, it would probably not be many years before they too moved out to seek a future of their own.
The older man was 52 years old now to be exact, and as he was resting up against a tree, carefully watching his rod before him, a small grin begun to form on his face as he was reminiscing about the past. His once dark and blue hair had already started turning grey, and it had also grown quite in length too. His eyes were brown, and a small scar could be seen right beside his right eye, a scar he still to this date did not know where came from. It didn't bother him much though, as long as his loving caring wife thought it looked cool on him, then that was all that mattered. It was then as he continued to watch the rod before him that he reached for his bag laying beside him, which had a strap connected to it that rested around his shoulder. Pulling out a book from it, he then read its headline; "Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi." It was an old and dusty book, something he hadn't laid eyes on in ages. He still found the story quite interesting though, but the author of the book had passed away over two centuries ago. Just as he opened the book to chapter one, the rod in front of him started to go wild as a large red fish had taken the bait. Laying the book to the side, the old man tried to reel the fish in, but he quickly discovered that it was tougher than he could have imagined. Struggling for five minutes, he hadn't got any closer to reeling it in, in fact, it felt like more and more of his line was slowly being emptied from his rod.
*Snap!*
The fish was just too strong, not even being close to being reeled in. The line snapped in half as the old man bumped his back into the tree he previously rested it on. Scratching his head, the man lamented his own ability as he got back up to his feet. It was then that he noticed. The birds from before were gone and a dim fog had begun sneaking itself onto the lake before him. A light wind started to blow and a shivering feeling ran down his spine. "I guess it is time to go." He thought to himself as he went to reach for the book he had tossed aside before when the fish got hooked, but to his surprise, it was suddenly gone. Looking both right and left, the man could not find it anywhere as he was ever pondering on where exactly it could have landed. It was then that he suddenly saw an object getting tossed towards him from the shadows behind a tree, and as he caught it mid-air, he realized that it was the book he was looking for. Not only that, but the book had also opened up on a special page, a page the old man knew very well. It displayed a brief battle between two shinobi, a battle where the main character finally makes his stance and vows to break the curse, the curse of hatred. Perplexed by this odd coincident, the old man went to look to see who it was that had tossed the book his way, but as soon as he passed by the tree, nobody was there to greet him. "Strange..." Looking down at the book once more, the man thought to himself wondering how this occurrence could have happened, and it was then as he did that the shivering cold from before sneaked upon his spine once more. Turning around rapidly, the man shouted out; "Who's there lingering in the dark?! Show yourself!" Readying his defenses, the old man seemed to be quite adapt to battling despite his age, however, there was definitely something changed about him, something which no longer rested inside of him, a source of power that he once had relied heavily on to fight his battles. This something called 'Chakra,' which would have made him more than strong enough to fend off any and all danger approaching him. Nowadays however, he was just a man, like everyone else, and he had never come to expect anyone sneaking up on him by his favorite fishing spot, the one spot he always knew as peaceful and quiet.
"You have grown old on me, Ikari..."
A dark but calm voice could be heard, but there was no one around to claim that voice their own as Ikari looked around panic-struck, trying to target the one approaching him.
"Who are you and why are you sneaking up on me like this?! Show yourself!"
Trying once more to make contact with the mysterious being lurking in the dark watching him, Ikari knew he could be in trouble if he was to be jumped from the shadows. But who could it be? Who would disturb the peace?
"I am not your enemy, old friend, rather, I am..."
"That voice?! I know that voice!"
At the realization of this, Ikari stopped in his track as a transparent hand suddenly landed on his shoulder. Reacting in an instant, Ikari jumped forward as he rolled over, turning around as he finally saw the mysterious being with his own eyes. Before him stood a man, not young in age, but not too old either. In fact, he seemed to be around the same age as Ikari himself but perhaps not quite that old, as Ikari could only look at him, his eyes widening and his heart-rate rising. Did he know this man?
"But I don't know you?? Are-.. Are you a ghost?!"
"Hahaha, I can assure you I am no ghost, or at least, not an evil one per see. The book you are holding on to, it was once written by my old perverted Sensei a long, long time ago. I guess Fukasaku handed it over to you after my passing, no?"
Listening to his words, Ikari did not know what to say. His entire body had frozen on the spot as the transparent man slowly approached him, reaching his hand out to him as he did. Grabbing on to it, Ikari was helped up to his feet as the two finally came face to face.
"Wait... Na-ruto?? Is that really you??"
"It sure is..."
"But how, how can you be here now... And, you're also looking way younger than last time I saw you, I..."
"You have a lot of questions it seems. Do you remember much of the last conversation we had, together with Fukasaku and Shima at Mt. Myobokuzan before I left?"
"You traveled to the past never to return again, how is it possible that you are standing here before me now?? Why have you come?? Does this mean that you finally fulfilled your destiny? Did everything go as planned? How was the past? Did it hurt to... Die? I mean, I still remember that day to this date, the final day of the war. You told us all about it and I still couldn't fully grasp it, how you were able to meet and fight with a future version of yourself... A journey of 7000 years, and now, now you're finally free... So not only the curse of the Jubi, but also the curse of hatred, is it finally lifted? Is that why you've come, to tell me-..."
"It's been many years since I left this world, has it not? Both to the past and into the afterlife. Age has been kind to you it seems, and it also seems like Fukasaku was right in his prediction... You really are like the reincarnation of Jiraiya Sensei, aren't you? You even have that old necklace I gave you, and its fire is still burning bright within its core."
Looking at him, a smile formed on Naruto's face as Ikari's current looks reminded him a lot of his own Sensei of the past.
"The afterlife however is really a peculiar thing. Remember the words 'Death is only the beginning?' The very words that appeared on my Hokage cape after I left?"
"Yeah I suppose, but..."
"I never wrote those words on my Hokage-robe, but somehow, they were transferred through time as I came across that saying on my journey in the past. I saw you Ikari, somehow, I was able to see you and your family from beyond time that day. I was happy, happy to see that things finally turned out okay for you, and seeing you now, I really can say for certain that True Peace really did happen, didn't it? Chakra, it no longer exist in this world I presume??..."
"No... You are indeed correct... The term 'Shinobi' no longer exist either, and neither does the Kage-system... We're all but regular humans now, just like we were in the past before the Sage of Six Paths ever came to be, but I guess that is for the better..."
"I see... So the Kages were finally replaced huh... And you were the last Hokage of Konoha, were you not?"
"Yeah, but it's been a long time ago since anyone refereed to me by that title. Life has really changed drastically since the war all those years ago, but time, time has gone peacefully by and everything seems to be going just like the Peace you once dreamed for, Master."
"I'm glad... This means that I can finally rest assured and be rejoined with my friends and family of the past in Peace. I only have so much power left and I will soon disappear. It was good meeting you, Ikari, even if it only was for one last time..."
"Likewise Naruto. Your Legacy has carefully been preserved. I only wish you could have stayed a bit longer to see how everything turned out, how the whole world continued to prosper after your passing... The Rai clan settled in the Land of Fire and a new great Village was built, living side by side with Konoha. Raikiru became their Kage, and I was eventually elected the 2nd Sekaiteki-Kage of the Shinobi World Alliance, succeeding you. My second son Bruce was so strong at an early age that he beat up his sensei and took both bells for himself! You should have seen Inba's face! I-... I had a Kage-museum built to honor all the past Kages in the world, and I made sure to have a memorial service held for everyone who gave their lives in the war for peace. I even had a grand memorial day made in your honor, and all of Konoha came to pay their final respect to The Legendary Sage of Konoha. It was really a beautiful day, and I wish you only could have seen it, I..."
"Oh, but I already know all about that, Ikari... Through you. If I didn't get the chance to say it last time... I'm proud of you."
"Naruto..."
"You followed the path, the hard road ahead of you, and you endured like a true Hokage, resting all the burden of the others on your shoulders, showing the way for the rest to follow, leading by a great example. When your time finally comes, we will meet again in the afterlife, and when we do, you will know the meaning of those words. After all, death is not only just the beginning, it is also the..."
"Y-es??"
"Let's not spoil the surprise, shall we?"
Turning his back on Ikari, Naruto then walked a couple meters over to the very tree he came out from behind before as he rested his hand on the trunk, looking up at the blue sky above him.
"It really is a nice day, isn't it..."
"So this is it, huh?"
"Yes... Take care Ikari, until the afterlife. If you get the chance, tell Ma and Pa that I said hey, will you??"
"I sure will Naruto..."
Forming a big grin on his face, Naruto reached his thumb out as Ikari could only watch as Naruto slowly began to vanish before him. Ikari finally knew that Naruto had succeeded in completing his long journey and that his soul had finally been put to rest now. Looking up at the sky as he closed his eyes, a peaceful mood filled his heart as the light breeze of the forest was felt upon his face. It was time for Ikari to head back to the village, to see his wife Ibuki and the rest of the family once more. Closing the book in his hand, he then put it down in his bag as he went to pick up his fishing rod. He hadn't caught no fish that day but he had been left with something far more precious... Fond Memories of the Past. Returning home to Konoha, Ikari was greeted as he entered his home.
"So how was your trip?"
"Decent enough I suppose..."
Having a cleaver smile on his face, Ibuki immediately knew he was hiding something.
"Did you catch anything??"
"Yes, yes I did..."
"Okay, what did you catch?"
"Only peace at heart my dear..."
"Huh, what is that supposed to mean??"
"I'll show you."
Walking over to her, Ikari took her into his arms as he continued to smile brightly while retaining his eye-contact with her. He then kissed her briefly before he continued. Something strange had fallen over Ikari, and even Ibuki herself couldn't explain it. But whatever it was, it certainly seemed like it was something good.
"The world is at peace, and thus, my loving wife, it will ever be. From this day forward, I promise you that pain shall never fall upon the people again and that we all can look to the future with great promise..."
Indeed. The world knew peace for decades, centuries, millenniums, even eternity to come, long past Uzumaki Ikari's death. Uzumaki Naruto could finally join up with his friends and family of the past in the afterlife, knowing well in mind that he had succeeded, and thus, having fulfilled his destiny. The definitive end of the Master Timeline comes to an end as True Eternal Peace really did happen, but are there more stories of the past to be told?
Ending Theme:
Author's Note(as of 2015):
1: So there you have it... The complete timeline summed up in 3 chapters and 6 short entries. Bet you didn't think I could pull that off eh?
For this note I could have talked, and talked, and talked forever about the timeline and everything else, but let's keep it short.2: The part where Naruto finally arrives to the afterlife having fulfilled his destiny, was actually a scene I wrote as an introduction to TLSoK Series Finale Part 6. Not many picked up on that back then I suppose, and perhaps even fewer than that remembered it before re-reading it now. I did however flesh it out a bit to refresh things.
3: The final scene of Naruto going back to visit Ikari was actually something I wrote the entirety of right after I finished my Series Finale last year, and it was also as some of you remember something that I previewed partly at the end of The Forgotten Tale. It was also something I got inspired to do after Obito came back to temporarily give Kakashi both his Mangekyo Sharingans. I felt I couldn't have picked a better way to finally end the timeline, hope you agree!
The Legendary Sage of Six Paths and the Tower of Death arc is next on the list, so be sure to stay tuned for Chapter 8 coming very soon!!
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