"Is that... Dad from the past?"
"So handsome...! With long hair, he looks just like Grandpa — so handsome~!"
The moment Boruto saw Naruto, he even started thinking about growing his own hair long.
Sasuke kept his gaze fixed on Naruto.
He noticed something immediately — Naruto didn't seem surprised at all by their identities.
And more importantly, Naruto had just used an ability only possible with the Rinnegan.
"...Naruto, this is..."
Sasuke's eyes widened.
The power he sensed from Naruto filled him with an instinctive fear — it was overwhelming.
"Something happened," Naruto said with a chuckle, "I'm not exactly the Naruto you know."
Sasuke stood frozen.
He looked back at his past self — the younger Sasuke standing nearby — and immediately noticed it.
The way this younger Sasuke looked at Naruto was... different.
And even more shocking, Sasuke caught sight of how Uchiha Mikoto was watching Naruto.
For a moment, his mind blanked out.
He slowly turned and glanced toward Uchiha Itachi.
The younger Sasuke clearly knew everything about Itachi — it was written all over his face.
Meanwhile, Mikoto hadn't so much as glanced at the kneeling Itachi since she had arrived at the Uchiha clan cemetery.
Only Uchiha Izumi had looked at Itachi — and even then, her gaze was filled with disgust.
Boruto, full of questions, couldn't help but ask:
"Dad, how did you know who me and Mr. Sasuke are?"
"You even know my identity... That's incredible..." Boruto's eyes lit up as he spoke excitedly. "Before we came here, my stupid old dad didn't know anything! He was totally clueless, like a fool!"
"You're so cool! Totally different from my dad — he's just a little Karami compared to you!"
(Karami = small fry)
Naruto smiled faintly, waving a hand:
"We'll talk later."
"Urashiki will show up in a few days."
"Don't worry about being exposed. Even if you are, it won't change the fate of this world."
Just as Naruto finished speaking, Tobirama crossed his arms and spoke calmly:
"Naruto's right. This world... hmph. Sasuke, take a good look at me."
Sasuke snapped back to his senses and looked at Tobirama.
The sight shocked him:
"This... Reanimation?"
Naruto chuckled, waving his hand again.
"Relax. I think Sasuke is more anxious to brag about the future to his past self than anything else."
Hearing this, Sasuke looked away awkwardly, a faint blush rising to his face.
...It was true.
He had been thinking about how to show off ever since they arrived.
Mikoto smiled and said warmly, "Let's head home. Kushina will definitely be happy to see Boruto."
Sasuke's pupils shrank sharply.
It's not Reanimation.
He hadn't realized it at first — his soul had been shaken ever since arriving — but now the truth was sinking in.
Boruto scratched his head.
"Grandma Kushina...?"
"Isn't she supposed to be... dead?"
"...Huh?"
"Wait, didn't Grandpa Nidaime also get revived during the Fourth Great Shinobi War?"
"So shouldn't Grandpa Nidaime have died a long time ago too?"
"Could it be the Impure World Reincarnation?"
"...But no — Grandpa Nidaime doesn't look like someone under Edo Tensei. His face looks way too lively, nothing like Shimura Danzo's during the war."
Even though Boruto wasn't Naruto and Tsunade's real child, Tobirama still liked him very much.
Who knew — maybe Naruto and Tsunade would really get together someday?
Once everyone had more or less calmed down, Naruto waved and smiled:
"Alright, let's go."
Taking the lead, he walked a few steps forward, then suddenly stopped.
"Actually... I'd better just teleport back with Flying Thunder God. Otherwise, if I walk down the street, I'll cause a riot."
"I'll bring them," Tobirama said calmly.
Naruto nodded, activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, and vanished.
Sasuke stared after him, a complicated look in his eyes.
Even though I'm not the Sasuke of this world... at least I got to meet a Naruto who would never give up on me.
"That's not fair to that friend," Mikoto said softly.
"Yeah, Sister Mikoto's right," Uchiha Izumi added with a bright smile. "No matter what happens, as long as Naruto is here, everything will work out."
Her confidence was so overwhelming that Boruto, who had been about to complain, instinctively swallowed his words.
Tobirama clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.
"Since Naruto asked you two to follow him," Tobirama said, "Sasuke, Boruto — have lunch at home first. I have some matters to attend to at the laboratory."
Without waiting for a reply, Tobirama used the Body Flicker Technique and disappeared.
Sasuke frowned slightly, while Boruto tilted his head in confusion:
"Laboratory?"
"There's a lab in this era too...? Wait, wait — Grandpa Nidaime just said 'laboratory,' and there's Orochimaru... This isn't the history I know at all!"
Uchiha Izumi chuckled and said:
"Speaking of which, Sasuke, don't you have to head to Konoha Plaza this afternoon?"
"There's still about an hour left. You should get ready. The First Hokage is no joke."
At those words, Sasuke immediately lit up, full of spirit:
"Hmph, no problem. Even if it's Uchiha Madara — I'll defeat him easily!"
Boruto and Future Sasuke both leaned in, intrigued.
Now wasn't the time for talking.
Boruto and Sasuke followed a few people through the bustling streets of New Konoha, finally arriving at the old residence of the Fourth Hokage and Kushina Uzumaki.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
"This... is the Fourth Hokage's house."
A sharp voice called out, "Who are you?!"
Startled, Boruto and Sasuke turned to see a much younger Konohamaru, flanked by Moegi and Udon, approaching the house.
Konohamaru's eyes widened.
"Sasuke-sama?" he asked, still suspicious.
Boruto was completely stunned.
"Konohamaru-sensei... huh?"
In his memories, Konohamaru was their dependable teacher — not this hotheaded brat glaring at them now.
"What?" Konohamaru scowled. "Who the heck are you?"
Boruto rolled his eyes — and without thinking, slapped him.
Bang—!
Konohamaru clutched his forehead, tears streaming down his face.
"Damn it!"
Boruto crossed his arms smugly, lifting his chin high.
"Not convinced? I'm standing right here. What can you do about it?"
Konohamaru burned with frustration, but seeing Boruto's face — so similar to Naruto's — he could only clench his fists and snort.
"Childish," Sasuke muttered.
That hit Boruto like a critical blow.
"What did you say?!" he yelled, face red.
———
Meanwhile, inside the house.
"I need to head out for a bit," Naruto said.
Kushina, looking displeased, asked, "You just got back! Why are you running off again? Shion's still at home!"
Naruto smiled faintly.
"There's been a lot happening lately. I want to check on Otsutsuki Isshiki's situation."
Kushina's expression tightened with worry.
"Otsutsuki... Naruto, is something going on?"
"Don't push yourself. Minato and I can help!" she insisted.
Naruto shook his head lightly.
"No one else can help with this. I might not be back until tonight."
Kushina sighed but nodded.
"Well, Sasuke and Boruto came back, at least."
She didn't seem too worried — after all, Mikoto had already gone to find Sasuke—
Wait. She paused.
"Boruto? Who's that — your friend?"
Naruto didn't explain.
"You'll understand when you meet them."
"And don't tell anyone else about this. I'll be back soon."
As Naruto turned to leave, Nohara Rin suddenly grabbed his hand.
"Naruto... Obito's been watching me from the shadows. I can feel it. He's getting impatient... What should I do?"
Naruto thought for a moment.
"We'll handle it together when I get back. Just stay inside today."
"At home, Obito wouldn't dare make a move. And with Uchiha Madara here in Konoha, he'll definitely think twice."
Rin nodded hesitantly.
"Then promise you'll come back soon."
Seeing Rin reluctantly let go of his hand, Naruto immediately used Flying Thunder God to teleport away, escaping before Kushina could rope him into making any more promises.
———
At the same time —
On the Moon.
A young man stood on a craggy surface under the stars, clothed all in white. His skin was pale as snow, and his long hair shimmered blue-white under the cold light.
He closed his sightless eyes, bowing his head toward the distant Earth.
"The Sage of Six Paths... Hagoromo's ideals were wrong."
He chuckled softly, a sound like falling ice.
"The time has come."
"These puppets of his must be swept away. The Pure White Eyes will be mine."
Though blind, through countless years of accumulated Byakugan power, Ōtsutsuki Toneri — Sheren — sensed it clearly: two Byakugan had ripened on Earth.
"Hyūga Hinata... Hyūga Hanabi..."
His lips curled into a cold smile.
"I understand."
With a gesture, his puppet appeared silently before him, awaiting orders.
"The world the Sage created... is a failure."
"When I awaken the Tenseigan, I will seize control of the moon... and destroy the world the Sage of Six Paths created."
Ōtsutsuki Toneri sneered, his voice cold and resolute.
"After that, I will forge a new world — with Hyūga Hinata at my side."
But what Toneri didn't realize...
At that very moment, Naruto had already arrived at the gateway connecting Earth to the Moon.
He gazed up at the swirling white snow falling from the sky, his expression sharp.
"Special climates always form where the boundaries between worlds overlap..." Naruto muttered.
"After dealing with Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, it'll be Urashiki's turn... and beyond him, maybe even the Young God of Ōtsutsuki will awaken."
He sighed lightly.
"But by then, Earth may no longer be the same Earth."
"Once Urashiki's absorbed, the chain reaction could summon Momoshiki prematurely... Forget it. First, I'll settle the Sage's unfinished business."
With a single step, Naruto entered the barrier.
Immediately, all traces of the ninja world's chakra disappeared.
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
This place...
It felt just like the dimensional seam that linked Yomi to the Shinobi World — an eerie, breathless void.
At that moment, a deep rumble echoed through the emptiness.
Descending from the Moon — an army of lifeless puppets, sent by Toneri.
Naruto stared at them without flinching.
"Hmph."
"Uzumaki Naruto... I'll crush them all in one blow," he muttered, his chakra beginning to surge.
The clash was about to begin.
...
TN:
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