Chapter 1 Proud

These were the thoughts of a blonde boy wearing an orange and black jumpsuit, that looks like it's seen better days, floating in the Dimensional Gap covered in golden flames.

"Naruto, I am sure they'd all be proud of you," Kurama tried to console his first friend.

Naruto was on the verge of tears, his lips quaking; all the exhaustion, hunger, and pain was getting to him.

Play sadness and sorrow ost

"You really think so, Kurama? Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, and Sasuke are all dead because of me; because I wasn't strong enough! Maybe if I really paid attention in the academy, maybe if I had spent more time training, maybe if I was more serious, maybe... Maybe if I took the Ash Killing Bone instead of Sasuke, he would have made a difference. If he had both Yin and Yang seal then maybe he could have saved Sakura and Kakashi-sensei. I failed them all, Kurama! I'm all alone, Kurama I'm alone."

All the massive fox could do was let his partner vent out all his frustrations.

It was a miracle they actually defeated Kaguya alone but that bitch had one last trick up her sleeve, and here they are in this strange void. Now, all Kurama could do was let him vent before they actually find a way out of this place. The only thing keeping him alive is Kurama Chakra Mode and that would soon run out.

"Naruto, I never knew you were one to spit on the sacrifices of your friends. They sacrificed their lives so you could live because they believed you could defeat Kaguya. They died with a smile on their face and you owe it to them to live your life to the fullest; because that's what they'd want you to do."

Naruto was in his mindscape on his hands and knees, listening to all of what Kurama said with realization dawning on his face. He had to live! He owed them that much, at least.

"Looks like I'm finally getting through to him." Kurama thought.

The sooner he got Naruto out of this place the better. His chakra was weak and it barely helped in protecting Naruto from danger.

This strange dimension was fighting against them as if they were not meant to be here, but that's the least of their problems, however.

Two massive signatures were lurking around In this space and one of them was advancing to their location fast. These signatures… They were incomprehensible, in the sense that the massive, nine-tailed fox had never sensed an energy like it before. It was not chakra nor was it Natural energy. It was something else entirely.

"Get up, Naruto. You're not alone." Nine Bijūs all gathered around him with their fist stretched out to make a fist bump with Naruto

"You have me and my siblings. You might be the last of the Elemental Nations but, through you, a new generation shall spring forth and this time they will be guided into the light and I promise you'll never feel loneliness, Naruto, and when you do feel it, you do what you always do... You find your precious people so get up, Uzumaki! I will not have my Jinchūriki brood like an Uchiha!"

Shukaku to Kurama all surrounded him, cheering him on, and then Naruto knew he wasn't alone, or at least not entirely. Naruto brought his fist up and bumped it with all the Bijū's fist and a ripple went through the water in his mindscape.

"Well," he sniffs, "we better get out of here."

Naruto wiped his nose with his tattered sleeves. The gears in his mind were shifting furiously, trying to find a solution. A way of the void they were in.

"And how will you get out, Uzumaki?" Shukaku asked.

After Naruto defeated him, he had a small amount of respect for him, and seeing him go one on one with Kaguya made him respect Naruto even more.

"Heh, trust me, Shukaku, I have a plan; but it's suicidal and I don't even know where I'll land." Naruto was already out of his mindscape with a Hiraishin kunai in hand.

"I really hope this works because I want to live!" he thought before he got serious.

The shinobi closed his eyes, burning an image of Konoha on his mind, through his entire body. He tried to envision himself in Konoha and when the picture became clear, he let loose a great cry, summoning all the chakra he had left, not sparing a single drop.

"Haaaaaaaa!"

Naruto went full Kurama Sage Mode, trying his best to hone in on a Hiraishin kunai but couldn't find any.

"Time for plan B."

Taking in a deep breath Naruto closed his eyes for a second and opened them to reveal that his former orange pupils with a black horizontal bar and a vertical slit changed to purple with a ripple-like pattern. He clapped his hands together and focused all of his chakra in his eyes.

The ripple pattern was being overlapped with another different pattern entirely as a crack in the endless void of nothingness appeared in front of the shinobi.

The Eye of Samsara had done a lot of feats he himself bore witness to which were nothing short of miracles but the blonde was inexperienced in its usage.

Having a basic understanding of all universal things chakra-related, Naruto knew something was happening the moment he sensed a sudden change in the flow of chakra in his eyes.

Naruto couldn't see—but something was happening to his eyes, he could feel it—and then, a crack appeared in the endless void of nothingness in front of the shinobi.

Seeing this, he pumped more chakra into his eyes to strengthen the Jutsu and his efforts were rewarded when the crack widened again.

"Just a little more."

Naruto tried to reassure himself but he knew he was on his last leg. His eyes bled due to the strain put on them. His eyelids felt heavy and his consciousness slipped away at an alarming rate. His body disintegrated bit by bit as the chakra cloak protecting him waned, thus, leaving him defenseless against the dimensional gap's corrosive nature.