"Mother... I still can't believe it... you're really alive."
Miroku gently stroked Shion's hair.
"Mother can't believe it either... Naruto is truly an incredible child."
"He's about to leave. Does the little miko want to go with him?"
"Mother~!"
Shion pouted.
"It's good that Mother is here to guard this place. People from Konoha will arrive soon."
"This ninja world has changed so much... It'll be much easier for you to return here in the future."
Miroku looked at herself and Shion in the mirror, a gentle smile on her face.
Outside the door, Naruto closed his eyes, the power of foresight stirring within him. Complex purple patterns spread across his irises.
"Are you here?"
"No... this isn't canon... it's a different world... something like Menma's Infinite Tsukuyomi world?"
"No, not quite. That Infinite Tsukuyomi involved the Outer Path's Demonic Statue. This feels more like a parallel world created the moment it connected to reality."
Naruto slowly opened his eyes.
"It's time to go back."
Meanwhile, on the streets of Konoha, Boruto was walking with his hands behind his head, pouting.
"Huh? Isn't this Konoha?"
"It's just that... we've never been to this remote part of it."
"Tch, that startled me."
Sasuke suddenly stopped, his pupils narrowing, disbelief flashing across his face.
Boruto noticed Sasuke's abnormal reaction and followed his gaze—
He froze too.
"Huh? Is that... Hokage Rock?"
"Hiss... it looks different, but it should be Hokage Rock..."
Boruto rubbed his eyes and stared again.
"Where's Dad's Hokage face? And where's Grandma Tsunade's?"
Sasuke's face turned grave. Without a word, he grabbed Boruto by the scruff of the neck.
Whoosh—
The two leapt onto a rooftop.
"No way... Is that even possible?!"
Boruto sat on the roof, confused.
"Why did we suddenly jump up here? What's wrong?"
Sasuke ignored him. He activated his Sharingan and stared closely at Hokage Rock.
Boruto looked around, confused.
"Why are the buildings... kind of different?"
Sasuke closed his eyes, deep in thought.
"Boruto... this place... is Konoha of the past."
Sasuke wasn't entirely sure himself.
Because right now, there were only four Hokage faces on the cliff—and none of them looked familiar.
There were still marks of damage and wear on the monument.
Sasuke recognized it.
"...Could it be?"
Why?
Boruto exclaimed, "Shinten Street isn't here either!"
"The layout of the streets is totally different! I thought it was just a part of town I didn't know... but did we really travel back in time?"
Sasuke muttered, uncertain: "It's the Konoha of the past... but not exactly the Konoha I remember."
His mind flashed to Urashiki.
"I have to harvest the fox's chakra."
Sigh—
Sasuke exhaled.
"It seems so."
"However, we can't rule out the possibility that this is an illusion created by Urashiki."
Just as he finished speaking, the plow-shaped tool Boruto carried began vibrating, accompanied by a series of mechanical beeps.
"Warning! Warning!"
Startled, Boruto quickly lifted it, and Sasuke frowned.
"Time shift detected! Target coordinates have deviated significantly!"
Boruto stared at it, stunned.
"Did it just... talk?!"
Sasuke crouched down to listen carefully.
"This location is inconsistent with the time coordinates set by Lord Urashiki Otsutsuki. Target coordinates do not match. Time-space anomaly detected!"
Sasuke thought for a moment, then asked in a low voice:
"You said there's a time shift... does that mean we really are in the past?"
Beep. Beep.
The device confirmed.
"This is Konoha in the past. Currently, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, governs Konoha."
Sasuke frowned.
"The Fifth Hokage...?"
"Wait, so time-space really got messed up?"
Boruto's face showed disbelief.
"Then where's Urashiki? If the coordinates got messed up, does that mean he's in a different time?"
Sasuke, full of doubts, focused on the most urgent problem: confirming Urashiki's location.
"Lord Urashiki set the coordinates to Uzumaki Naruto's childhood, but due to a mishap during spatial transfer, you arrived slightly later than the intended time."
"And Lord Urashiki, who separated from you, will appear in this era a few days later."
The plow explained in a mechanical voice.
"He left before us but will arrive later?" Boruto scratched his head.
"Figures. Urashiki's target is the young Naruto."
"He wants to take the Nine-Tails' chakra while Naruto is still young and weak."
Boruto's expression turned grim.
"That's so dirty... Anyway, if we find Dad before Urashiki does and protect him, it'll be fine, right?"
Sasuke looked at the unfamiliar street layout and could only nod.
"For now, that's the best plan."
At this moment, the plow beeped again.
"You are from the future. Revealing yourselves to people of this era, especially those close to you, is forbidden."
Boruto asked, "What happens if we're found out?"
"It would cause tremendous changes to the future. To exaggerate... even the smallest action here could alter the course of history."
Ding, ding, ding—
The tool buzzed again—and then went silent, no more messages coming through.
Boruto waved it off with a laugh.
"I'm getting more excited!"
"I actually get to see Konoha before I was even born!"
Sasuke, however, seemed tense. He stopped halfway through several questions.
Finally, a warning appeared: Chakra fuel low.
"First, we need to hide our identities."
Originally, Sasuke had thought about simply changing clothes—but immediately realized it wouldn't be enough.
Looking at Boruto's face especially—it would be impossible for them to walk around unnoticed.
Sasuke quickly made hand seals and used a Transformation Jutsu to alter his appearance.
Change clothes?
Just Transformation Jutsu was enough.
Boruto saw Sasuke transform and quickly followed suit.
"Sasuke-san's so smart! I was about to go find some clothes to change into."
The two leapt down into the bustling street below.
Boruto felt both familiar and strangely alien looking at the scenery.
"Wow... was technology already this advanced back then?"
That single sentence made Sasuke suddenly tense up again.
"Could it be..."
Sasuke grabbed Boruto by the collar.
"Be quiet!"
Then, Sasuke quickened his pace, weaving through the streets.
TVs, PHS phones, flip phones—technology that once felt advanced now looked outdated.
Sasuke felt even heavier.
Finally, he stopped.
Boruto, following behind, widened his eyes.
"The Hokage's robe... it's the same as Dad's..."
"But who's that old man?"
"No way... that face—isn't that Grandpa Third, Sarutobi Hiruzen?!"
Boruto exclaimed in shock.
Sasuke was just as stunned, but his instincts kicked in. He immediately covered Boruto's mouth and flashed to the rooftop using the Body Flicker Technique.
However, after just one use, Sasuke's brows furrowed slightly.
Chakra... no, my chakra hasn't changed... but why does it feel like I'm burning through so much just using a simple flicker technique?
He shook his head, narrowing his eyes as he looked carefully at Sarutobi Hiruzen sweeping the streets below.
"Mmmmmm—!!"
Boruto wriggled and protested under Sasuke's hand.
Sasuke finally let him go but warned in a low, serious voice, "Boruto, don't draw attention."
Boruto realized the danger and quickly nodded, apologizing.
Sasuke didn't respond. His gaze stayed fixed on the old man below, murmuring to himself:
"How is this possible... At this point in time, Orochimaru should have already launched the Konoha Crush... this old man should be dead..."
Yet there Hiruzen was, smiling warmly as he swept.
"I think Konohamaru looked at me a little longer today and didn't just run away."
"Haha... if I keep working hard, one day, everyone will recognize me... Naruto was right."
Sasuke's eyes shifted past Hiruzen to a pair of men—one civilian, one ninja—chatting and laughing casually as they walked by.
There wasn't even a hint of separation between civilians and shinobi.
More strangely, they didn't look like Konoha natives at all.
'Go down and eavesdrop,' he thought instinctively.
But he quickly stopped himself.
'Can't I just read their lips?'
"Following people... that's something low-level shinobi do," he snorted inwardly.
Dispelling the thought, Sasuke focused, interpreting the lip movements from afar.
[What do you think? How will Naruto-sama deal with those ungrateful scum?]
[Hmph, those traitors don't deserve Naruto-sama's attention!]
[That's true, haha! Hey, isn't that the old Third Hokage?]
[Tch, I just tossed my trash in his bin... serves him right!]
Sasuke froze in place.
Boruto fidgeted impatiently, but seeing Sasuke's grim expression, he kept silent.
Suddenly, Boruto caught sight of someone strange—
Danzo, walking out of a bathroom, holding a mop... drenched in something suspiciously golden.
Boruto blinked.
"Huh? Mr. Sasuke, do you know who that guy is?"
He paused.
"...Isn't that Danzo?"
Boom. Boom.
Sasuke turned his head sharply.
Danzo, that sinister figure from Root—washing toilets?
Sasuke's mind blanked out.
He muttered dumbly, "Shimura Danzo... cleaning toilets?"
"And the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen... sweeping the streets?"
Boruto, of course, had no idea what this implied.
Sasuke, still dazed, then saw several civilians in Hidden Rain Village clothing walk out of the restroom and, without a second thought, start beating up Danzo.
Danzo, clutching the golden mop with one hand, shielded his head with the other like a whipped dog.
At that moment, Sasuke felt something explode inside him.
This feeling—was pure bliss.
He couldn't help but activate his Sharingan on the spot.
Use chakra? Do I even need to think about chakra cost right now?!
Whoever is inside me, get out! Don't stop me from feeling this!!
A wild energy surged through Sasuke's body.
It was the same feeling Kaka (Kakashi) gets after persevering a full week and waking up to find he's still alive.
But just as Sasuke was getting carried away—
He froze.
Boruto, sensing the incredible chakra Sasuke was leaking, felt his heart tremble.
This kind of power...
"Mother...?"
Sasuke unconsciously called out.
Then he saw her.
Uchiha Mikoto.
In that instant, Sasuke understood what Lin had said—there was definitely something wrong with time and space!
Without hesitation, he leapt down.
Boruto hurried after him.
But after landing, Sasuke stopped.
He looked ahead—and what he saw made his breath hitch.
It was himself.
Covered in dust, a younger Sasuke—Erzuzhi—stood there, looking awkward.
The younger Sasuke's eyes... had no hatred.
"Mom, I'm not a kid anymore... please don't fuss," little Sasuke muttered, fidgeting as Mikoto gently brushed dust from his clothes.
Sasuke looked away, feeling his face heat up uncontrollably.
Boruto's mouth fell open.
He looked at the little Sasuke, then back at the real Sasuke.
"You... he... that's you, Mr. Sasuke, when you were a kid?!"
Just then, the younger Sasuke shook off Mikoto's hand and trotted to a nearby flower shop.
Inside, Yamanaka Ino's mother, Rino, smiled warmly at the boy.
"Sasuke, this is your first time here."
Little Sasuke stood awkwardly, his eyes darting over the bouquets.
Rino glanced at Mikoto waiting outside and teased:
"Thinking about buying flowers for your mom?"
"Naruto buys carnations every time he passes by. Oh~ what a kid. How can you buy flowers from the store you're giving them from~"
Hearing this, young Sasuke's eyes lit up, and he quickly started searching for carnations.
In the blink of an eye, Yamanaka Ino had already prepared a bouquet for him.
"Take it. It's free," she said warmly, reaching out to pat young Sasuke's head.
Blushing, young Sasuke mumbled a thank you and dashed out, clutching the carnations tightly to his chest as he ran toward Mikoto.
Not far away, the older Sasuke watched everything unfold.
Mikoto beamed with joy as she received the flowers.
"Mom, I have to go to the square later. Hmph, that Uchiha Madara is way too arrogant. I want to see him embarrass himself!" young Sasuke said proudly.
Mikoto chuckled softly and shook her head. "You want to compete with Hashirama-sama?"
Young Sasuke grinned mischievously. "Hehe, yeah! That idiot doesn't even know what kind of dance it is."
Mikoto smiled and lightly tapped young Sasuke's forehead. "Even so, Madara-sama is still our ancestor. You should show a little respect."
Young Sasuke didn't dodge her hand — he just stood there, smiling like a fool.
On their way down the street, a few kids recognized young Sasuke and waved at him.
Immediately, he switched back to a cool, serious expression... though he couldn't quite hide the proud grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
As Mikoto and young Sasuke passed by, Mikoto's eyes brushed lightly over the future Sasuke, who was frozen in place with Boruto beside him.
Sasuke almost couldn't stop himself from crying out.
But young Sasuke tugged Mikoto's hand and said, "Mom, there's a new shop ahead. Let's go check it out!"
Mikoto smiled teasingly and asked, "Have you paid back the debt you owe?"
Young Sasuke laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head, but quickly patted his chest with confidence.
"Don't worry! I got some pocket money today... I'll definitely pay it back!"
Their figures slowly disappeared into the distance.
Boruto stood there, overwhelmed.
Tick-tock—
Sasuke stared at the retreating figures.
Two streams of tears silently ran down his face.
...
TN:
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