Naruto nearly dropped the reel. Shikamaru leaned against the doorframe, pipe unlit, shadows pooling under his tired eyes.
"720 episodes," he whispered, holding the final reel of Naruto: Shippuden in his hands. The label read: "The Last: Closing the Loop."
Naruto watched the final credits roll. His own younger voice echoed: "I never go back on my word. That's my nindo—my ninja way."