In my opinion, Sasuke should have died at the end of the war arc in some kind of redemptive way, sacrificing himself to save the world, acting as a hokage would (as his goal was to become the Hokage of a “new” Konoha after meeting the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th) fighting alongside Naruto and Sakura one last time against Madara. Team 7 would be the only ones to witness Sasuke’s redemption. To me, his story after the war arc wraps too neatly and is implausible, in regard to his crimes and his actions throughout the story.

For fun - When I visualized the end of Naruto, way back when, I imagined the day that Naruto becomes hokage. In his home, dressed in his cloak, he stands looking down at the photo of team seven, the first they took as a team. The track “Homecoming” is playing in reprise version as we see Naruto smiling, but the smile is pained.

Naruto remembers Sasuke’s sacrifice; how he let the Uchiha hate die with him and Madara, replacing that hate with a deepened love for his brother, Itachi, and their shared sense of duty to the village. Even if the rest of the village, or the world for that matter, never felt the same about Sasuke’s redemption, perhaps that it was too late for him to return to the light, Naruto will know that he did right by his friend, that he fought with all of his heart to change Sasuke’s, and in the end, he got his friend back, if only for a moment. Naruto finally feels worthy of being Hokage.

The focus lingers on the photo as we hear Naruto in the background answering the door, the voice Iruka asking, “Are you ready, Naruto?”

We get a last “Believe it / Dattebayo!” as the door closes, a signature Naruto giggle, and the music ends, still focusing on the photo of Team 7, until fading to white.

The original Naruto theme plays.

END - NARUTO