"Who's calling me?"
The moon, floating in its original celestial sphere...
On a silent, icy plain stood a woman with porcelain skin and long, flowing blue-white hair. Her closed eyelids quivered.
A third eye, sealed shut, lay dormant on her forehead.
She had no eyebrows—only two symmetrical protrusions resembling horns—and a cold, elegant face. From her head sprouted two delicate feet-like appendages.
Her pale white eyes slowly opened.
Before her stretched a scene unchanged for millennia.
She sat up wordlessly, her expression devoid of emotion.
"Chakra... my chakra..."
"Hagoromo... Hamura...!"
Meanwhile...
"Elder Koharu... we truly can't hold out much longer."
"Elder Homura, please say something... If you come with us to apologize to Naruto-sama, everything might still be saved!"
"Yes! Master Jiraiya promised that we can return to the village. Once we're back, we might still have a chance to reclaim some dignity!"
"If this continues... we'll all be captured by rogue shinobi and bandits."
"..."
Below, countless former Konoha villagers and shinobi pleaded tearfully.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged a knowing glance.
"What Jiraiya says does make sense... But if we go back now, we'll probably be assigned to sweep the streets or clean public toilets."
They understood each other too well. One glance was all it took.
"Even if Jiraiya succeeds... there's nothing we can do. Konoha's new regime isn't just Uzumaki Naruto and Tsunade. They've got the people, the power. We've got nothing left. There's no chance of overthrowing them."
"So what now?"
Homura tapped his chin thoughtfully before giving Koharu a meaningful look.
"If we want to preserve what little status and livelihood we have left... we must keep sending people over in secret."
Koharu's pupils narrowed. "We've already sent almost a hundred people... If this keeps up, they'll discover everything!"
"Don't worry. Even if they've caught on, they still rely on us. As long as we keep quiet, they'll place their last hope in us."
"If they ever learn that we sent those people to be slaves for the daimyō and the feudal lords... we're finished."
Homura smirked darkly. "So what if they find out?"
"At worst, we'll pretend to apologize to Uzumaki Naruto and Tsunade. Then we'll drug them, capture them, and have the daimyō bring their forces to enslave them all."
Even if we lose all political power, he thought, we can still live comfortably.
Koharu hesitated briefly, but the hesitation vanished just as quickly.
Suddenly, a battered shinobi stumbled into the room.
"Elder Koharu! Elder Homura!"
"Bad news! The infiltration squad we planted in Konoha—over a dozen brothers—they've all been beaten and exposed!"
"Who dared to do this?!" Homura slammed the table, conveniently ignoring all mention of apologizing to Naruto and Tsunade.
"It... it was…"
"Spit it out!"
Homura's angry slap numbed the messenger's arm. Deprived of chakra, the elders were now little more than civilians.
"It was Nara Shikaku..."
"Nara Shikaku?!" Homura's face twisted in rage. "That bastard dares lay hands on our men?"
Koharu sighed. What era do you think this is?
The title "Hokage Advisor" was now worth less than rat droppings in the New Konoha. Nara Shikaku would never bow to them again.
Up in the sky…
"Deidara-senpai~"
"You're way too close!"
Deidara's face turned red, and in his panic, a chunk of explosive clay fell from his hands.
BOOM! BOOM!
"Where did it land?"
Kurotsuchi glanced down indifferently, then clung tighter to Deidara's arm.
"The old man won't last much longer. Once you become the Fourth Tsuchikage, I'll be the First Lady~"
Deidara's eye twitched. "I just agreed to return to the village. Art is—"
SMACK!
Stop sculpting clay. Start sculpting relationships—with Black Earth.
Old Konoha: "..."
Very good. Two more dead, three injured. All in a day's work.
Back in Konoha, Jiraiya's freshly washed robes were once again drenched in rotten eggs and vegetables.
Sarutobi Hiruzen cheered enthusiastically, "Everyone, don't worry! Leave the sanitation to me—your Third Hokage!"
No one responded.
Far away, Danzo silently scrubbed toilets, eyes narrowing with scheming intent.
"Perfect... Jiraiya will surely hold a grudge. He's tight with the Toads of Mount Myōboku. He's bound to stir up something big!"
"Hahaha... my chance to rise again has come!"
"Prepare yourself, Uzumaki Naruto!"
SMACK!
"You again?!"
"Can't even sit on the toilet in peace... and you dare speak Naruto-sama's name without honorifics?"
"Get him!"
Several angry villagers, who had specifically come to use the restrooms, rushed in and gave Danzo another solid beating.
These villagers were all civilians who once lived in a small settlement near Konoha.
Many of them had their children taken away by Root.
So, their hatred toward Danzo ran deep—down to the bone.
Not to mention the civilians from Amegakure.
They practically made it a weekly ritual to come to Konoha for one reason only: to deal with Danzo.
Meanwhile, in a different time and space—
"…Using this method, who knows how long it'll take to gather enough."
"I might've pushed things too hard before. Now there are too many barriers around the fox."
"…But that fist bump trick—heh, maybe it's worth a shot."
"As long as I can get all of the Nine-Tails' chakra… we'll be even."
Night falls over Konoha.
"Ugh! Mom, why'd you choose such a lame dad back then?"
"There had to be way hotter guys chasing after you, right?"
Hinata, washing dishes with a peaceful smile, replied softly.
"No matter then or now… the one I've always liked is your father."
"Huh?!"
"Wait, Mom—you liked Dad since you were a kid?!"
At the same time, inside the Archaeology Institute—
"Found it~"
"Thankfully, humans helped me locate it."
"Only a true Otsutsuki can activate this mechanism."
Urashiki reached out his hand.
The device before him—shaped somewhat like a bowl—suddenly emitted a glowing green light.
"Awaken, Rii."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In an instant, the treasure known as Rii transformed into a turtle.
"Authorization confirmed. I am the Sacred Tool: Rii."
"Allow me to list the necessary precautions before use."
"Initiating operational protocol."
"Warning: improper activation order may result in malfunctions."
"Lord Otsutsuki Urashiki."
"Chakra recharge is required for activation."
"Once fully charged, please begin spatial relocation."
"Tch." Urashiki clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Turtles—always so damn slow and chatty."
Whooosh—
Rii's shell opened, and a glowing golden orb began to rise, swelling in size.
"Can't you go any faster?" Urashiki snapped.
Bang!
The door suddenly burst open.
"Urashiki! Found you!"
Boruto stood at the entrance, Sasuke at his side.
"What are you trying to do by stealing that?" Boruto charged in, fists clenched.
Urashiki turned with a lazy sneer.
"'Steal' is such a crude word, don't you think?"
"This belonged to the Otsutsuki from the start. I'm simply reclaiming lost property."
"Hmph. No time for chit-chat. I've got chakra to harvest from the Nine-Tails."
Whooosh—
The golden orb from Rii vanished—taking Urashiki with it.
But so did Boruto and Sasuke.
Within Rii's dimension, a heated battle erupted between the trio.
In the midst of their clash, the sacred turtle shuddered violently.
Snap—
Urashiki's chakra rod—like a hooked fishing line—pierced Boruto and sent him flying off the platform.
Sasuke's Rinnegan flared as he instantly activated Amenotejikara, switching places between Boruto and Urashiki.
"Tch."
"Still too early to escape the portal…"
Urashiki knew resistance was futile now. He scoffed but let himself fall.
Back in the real world—
Whoooosh—
In Konoha's forests, a strange, circular light tore through the sky.
The ring expanded, glowing brighter and wider.
"Ahhhhh—!"
Two figures shot out of the light.
The larger one landed gracefully—feet first.
The smaller figure, however, landed with his head on the ground.
Followed by a pained scream.
Sizzle—
With a thud, Sasuke landed firmly on the ground—Boruto, however, faceplanted straight into the dirt.
"Hisss… that hurt!"
Boruto rubbed the back of his head, wincing. He wasn't sure if the impact had knocked something loose.
Nearby, Sasuke knelt on one knee, one hand covering his left eye. He let out a low groan of pain.
"Sensei Sasuke!" Boruto shouted, worried.
Still gripping the turtle-like Rii in his hands, Boruto looked over. After a few labored breaths, Sasuke spoke in a low tone.
"My chakra is exhausted."
Boruto focused, scanning the surroundings with his sensory skills.
"No... I don't sense Urashiki anywhere around here."
Then, he blinked, startled by their surroundings.
"Wait... where even are we?"
Sasuke was quiet for a moment. Once he steadied himself and stood up, he narrowed his eyes and surveyed the area.
"We need to investigate."
His gaze swept over the trees—and his expression tightened.
"Something's wrong with the vegetation here..."
Little did they know, the forest was already whispering.
Deep in the foliage...
"Hey, youngest—have we seen these two before?"
"Nope... but they do look kinda familiar, don't they?"
"Yeah! That blonde one… looks like Naruto-sama. And the moody one with the side bangs… why does he look like Sasuke?"
"Should we act?"
"Hold it. Let's wait for White Zetsu to show up."
"...Got it."
Boruto stepped forward cautiously—only to trip over a knotted tree root.
"Ow—seriously?!"
He clutched Rii tightly as he fell, narrowly avoiding turning it into an airborne turtle.
Grumbling, he stood up and kicked the offending root.
Then he looked at Rii, which remained as still and silent as ever.
"Really? After all that, and you're still not reacting?" he muttered.
"You're the one who brought us here, right?"
Sasuke gave the plow-like turtle a glance.
"Without a doubt, it's the key."
He looked toward the thick forest ahead.
"Let's scout the area first. Figure out where we are."
The two moved forward in tandem.
Behind them, the very root Boruto had kicked twitched—subtly.
If Boruto had looked back even a second later, he might've seen a pair of eyes slowly opening.
At the edge of the forest, the trees suddenly gave way—and the landscape opened up.
Boruto and Sasuke froze.
"What is this place...?"
Towering buildings loomed over them, futuristic yet eerily familiar.
Boruto gawked.
"Wait… we're still in Konoha?"
Sasuke frowned.
"No. Something's off. Konoha doesn't have... those red banners."
"Huh?!" Boruto gasped, eyes widening. "That's... my dad?!"
He pointed ahead.
A massive mural of Naruto towered above them, painted across a building's side.
Sasuke followed his gaze, his usual composure cracking slightly.
"Is this some kind of prank?" Boruto mumbled. "Why would Dad draw himself on a wall? Since when is he a painter?"
Sasuke exhaled slowly.
"Let's go in. We need answers."
...
TN:
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