The opening panel shows Naruto falling to ground after having Kurama extracted from him.
Gaara- Naruto!!
Madara- Finally.. The Nine-tails is mine again
Gaara uses his sand to catch Naruto before he hits the ground and lands him safely.
Gaara- ( tears in his eyes) Medical unit!
Madara- I don't think so. Fire style: Fireball jutsu!
Gaara uses his sand to shield Tsunade and Sakura as they run towards Naruto.
Gaara- (thinking) I have to do what the Nine-tails asked, and quickly.
Gaara uses his sand to conceal the tentacle the Eight-tails cut off and fuses his sand with it to extract it's chakra.
Gaara then runs his sand under Naruto's head, forming almost a pillow type figure.
Gaara- It's done..
Tsunade and Sakura kneel down where Naruto and Gaara are, with the rest of the alliance left in shock.
Tsunade and Sakura both quickly start to perform their medical Ninjutsu on Naruto.
Naruto- Ku.... ra.....
Tsunade- (tears in her eyes) Don't speak!
Sakura- (thinking) Naruto....
A tear falls from Sakura's face and lands on Naruto's cheek.
Naruto- (thinking) How can I go on.. I can't fight anymore...
???- Are you giving up?
Naruto is shown in a plane white dimension with nothing surrounding him.
???- Are you going back on your word?
Naruto- (barely conscious) Where am I?
???- You are in no position to quit.
Naruto- Who are you?
Naruto turns to reveal a black outline silhouette standing behind him.
Naruto- You're..
Naruto looks forward at the figure in awe.
Naruto- ....The Sage of the .... Six Paths
Sage- I've been waiting for you.
Naruto- Waiting.. but why? How are you here?
Sage- I intertwined my remaining chakra with the tailed beasts, and gave them very important instructions. It seems they have all passed what I left them, onto you.
Naruto- Instructions?
Sage- Yes, to learn what true strength is.
Naruto- What do you mean?
Sage- The fact that they all gave you my chakra, shows me that they've learned.
Sage- Tell me Naruto, are you giving up?
Naruto lowers his head.
Naruto- I can't fight anymore...
Sage- And why is that?
Naruto- Because I'm not a jinchuuriki anymore.. Without Kurama.. I'm nothing..
Sage- No, without Kurama, you are you.
Naruto- ?!
Sage- You are more than what people think, as a Jinchuuriki myself, I can sympathize. People start to see you differently, treat you differently, and act out around you.
Naruto- You were hailed as a god, how could people possibly treat you differently?!
Sage- Because I wasn't hailed as a god until after I became a jinchuuriki.
Sage- After I became a jinchuuriki, people saw me as a god, not a human. They treated me differently than my peers, and acted out in an attempt to gain my trust.
Naruto- ...
Sage- They made you feel as if you were a demon, while they made me feel as if I was a god, however, none of them made us feel human.
Naruto- I never.. thought of it that way...
Sage- With great suppression, there is also great appreciation, both of which were taken to extremes in our cases.
Naruto- So how did you cope with it?
Sage- No matter what lay ahead, I never gave up, and no matter what could happen, I never went back on my word. Because that was MY ninja way.
Naruto is shown with a shocked expression on his face.
Naruto-!!!
Sage- You cannot give up.
Naruto- But without Kurama, I'm not a jinchuuriki.. I'm just... Naruto.
Sage- And Naruto is all you need to be.
Naruto- ??!
Sage- You are not defined by Kurama, nor his power. You are more than the Nine-Tails jinchuuriki. You are someone who never gives up, and never goes back on their word, because that's YOUR ninja way, and that's who you are.
Naruto raises his head, with now a determined look on his face.
The Sage steps forward and puts his hand on Naruto's shoulder.
Figures start to appear behind the Sage.
Jiraiya, Nagato, Konan, Itachi, Sasuke, Obito, Kakashi, all the Jinchuuriki and Tailed Beasts and the entire Shinobi alliance is shown behind the Sage, with Kushina and Minato directly in the front.
Sage- You.. are NARUTO UZUMAKI!
Naruto snaps to attention as his consciousness returns to the battlefield.