Tsunade ends her reflection on her adventure as she looks at Naruto with shimmering eyes.

"Is something wrong, granny?" Naruto asked.

"I was just thinking about my time in Middle-earth," she answered with a croak. "And of when I got back."

"That was some adventure you went on! I can't wait to read it when you finally finish it!"

"I hope I can finish it soon. I have little free time as it is."

Tsunade stares at the red and orange twilight that lights up the clouds over the western horizon, and ultimately up to the sky above. With the layers of clouds, the twilight is more surreal.

"Twilight is much more beautiful than it used to be," she noted.

"That's because of all the shit that got thrown up into the atmosphere by the Ten-Tailed," Naruto answered.

There is a moment of silence between them once again.

"Naruto, what do you remember from your history lessons about life before Konohagakure was established?"

"Ah, let's see . . . Oh yeah!" As he snaps his fingers upon remembering. "There was the Warring States Period. It was a time when there were more ninja villages than you could shake a stick at, and all they ever did was fight and kill each other. Most people, whether ninja or civilian, lived for an average of thirty years."

"How did it end?"

"It ended with Madara and your grandfather forming a truce and creating Konohagakure. This in turn inspired the other surviving ninjas to create their own truces and it ended the Warring States Period."

"Very good," Tsunade mused. "Now what did the end of the Warring States Period bring about?"

Naruto thinks silently for a moment.

"It led to the rise of Five Great Shinobi Countries, and a rule was established: only one ninja village per country. In order to maintain balance and peace, your grandfather conveyed the first Kage Summit and divided the Tailed Beasts he had dominion over amongst the other five major ninja villages."

"But it didn't work," Tsunade next added morosely. "If anything, it actually antagonized hostilities. "

"Which led to the First Shinobi World War," Naruto pointed out. "That war ended with an armistice treaty. The Five Great Shinobi Countries and their respective ninja villages were heavily damaged. But the peace lasted for only twenty years because during that time there was economic unfairness between the five countries. This led to factionalism, which gave rise to militancy and expansionism."

"And it caused the Second Shinobi World War," Tsunade added, "a war I fought in. So many ninja and civilians died needlessly because the medical-nin had yet to exist. I lost two people very dear to me in that war. After that war, I worked hard to have the medical-nin established and they became the norm. After a time, the five countries dwindled and lesser countries began picking fights with them. It caused the Third Shinobi World War, another war I also fought in, and that gave rise to the Akatsuki, which included Pain and Tobi in their ranks."

Tsunade next takes a deep breath and rasps a quavering sigh as she hangs her head hiding her eyes in her bangs as anger wells up in her.

"And now we have this." Her tone low and grim. "A world nearly mauled into oblivion; the Summon and Tailed Beasts all dead; everyone we've ever known is dead; humanity, along with most animal species, now endangered. And all because of the Fourth Shinobi World War!" Ending on a snarl. "A war caused by two madmen who wanted to impose their twisted ideals upon everyone!"

"I don't understand? Where are you going with this history lesson?"

"Don't you get it, Naruto?!" Her tone severe as she glares at him with shrunken pupils. "Each war was bigger and more destructive than the previous one, but all were started by the same thing: too many ninjas with too many grudges or ambitions, or both . . . ! If a Fifth one were to ever break out, it will end all life! We ninjas can't keep behaving this way!"

"Fine, but what're you gonna do about it?!" Naruto clamored with annoyance. "You can rant and rave all you want, but if you don't know what to do, then you're just a loud-mouthed idiot."

Tsunade sighs deeply as she lowers her head once again and closes her eyes while pinching the bridge of her nose in the effort to rein in her emotions.

"You're right . . . you're right," she answered softly as she waves dismissively for a moment, then raises her head to look up at him with a sad look. "It's no good for me to complain about it. It's just, I'm so angry at all this carnage that continues to be perpetrated . . . I need to know what needs to be done to prevent another such war from ever happening."

Tsunade then gasps as her pupils shrink upon getting an epiphany.

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

"You once told me that as far as you knew," her tone intent, "there might be less than a hundred ninja still alive out there!"

"Yeah, I did."

"We find them and convince them to join together in creating a ninja village. That ninja village will be the only ninja village in the world."

"Do you think it'll be possible, granny?"

"Let me put it to you another way . . . If you were to go back in time before the Warring States Period and tell everyone that there will be only one ninja village per country, you would've been either laughed at, or told it would be impossible. Then along came that period of hostility and it killed off so many ninja that it created a power vacuum that the daimyos were able to exploit. They were able to impose a measure of authority that enabled the one ninja village per country rule."

"And with virtually every ninja now dead, especially the more powerful ones," Naruto added, "this one ninja village for the entire world should become a reality."

"Yes, and I will make that a reality. For too long we ninjas did nothing but fight amongst ourselves because we were so many, so petty, and so scattered far and wide. We gave no regard to what we were doing to the world, and innocent civilians ended up getting killed for nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Furthermore . . . whether by intention or accident, we ended up breeding monsters like Madara, Orochimaru, Pain, Tobi, and the list goes on and on . . . If that doesn't stop, then the next monster we breed may cause that Fifth Shinobi World War which will end life as we know it. There must be only one ninja village for the entire world. The ninjas of that future won't be able to fight amongst themselves and cause more hardship . . . Will you help me, Naruto?"

He stares at her for a moment in silence.

"Yes," he finally answered firmly. "Yes, I will help you because you're right. The surviving ninjas out there are probably trying to rebuild their villages even as we speak."

"Then we will just have to convince them otherwise," Tsunade answered flatly.

"I'm heading back now," Naruto next said as he thumbs over his shoulder.

"I'll catch up with you." As she waves him off.

Naruto walks away and Tsunade stares at the glowing western horizon one more time, alone with her thoughts.

Only one ninja village for this world . . . It may work, given that so many ninja are now dead. It won't be easy though . . . I wonder if my time in Middle-earth did something to fire me up like this? That world was going through hell . . . At least their torment is over . . . But I won't ever be with them again . . . Frodo-san, Sam, Merry-san, Pippin-san, Gimli-san, Gandalf-sama, Aragorn-sama, Legolas-sama. I wish you all the best.

Tsunade smiles as a tear trickles down her cheek. She turns away to follow Naruto.