Adult Sasuke digested this massive amount of information, feeling that the anomalies of this Space-Time ran even deeper than he had imagined.
The Uchiha Clan's 'migration' or defection...
Young Sasuke who joined the Anbu, the drastically changed Hinata, the suddenly appearing mysterious youth Menma, the powerful and sinister Shura, and the Uchiha Hikari who emerged out of nowhere and single-handedly crushed Iwagakure...
Just then, as if remembering something, Jiraiya added in a relatively lighter tone: "Oh, right, there's also a legend circulating among those former Sunagakure's Ninja who fled from the Land of Wind. But there's no solid evidence, so just take it with a grain of salt."
Adult Sasuke looked up at him, signaling him to continue.
"They say that back then, besides border frictions and territorial conflicts, there was an even stranger reason for the intense clash between the Fourth Kazekage Rasa and Shura." Jiraiya rubbed his chin, recalling.
"They claim that deep in the desert bordering the Land of Wind and the Land of Stars, there was once an extremely terrifying Chakra Fluctuation. Some eyewitnesses even claimed to have seen... Tailed Beasts, and more than one."
"Among them was something resembling the Nine-Tails, but some fleeing Sunagakure's Ninja also vehemently asserted that they had glimpsed an enormous, colossal beast with ten tails deep in the desert."
Jiraiya's words were casual, as if he were merely recounting an absurd rumor.
However, to Adult Sasuke's ears, it was no less than a thunderclap exploding in his mind!
'The Nine-Tails?!' Adult Sasuke's heart shook violently.
'Wasn't Naruto the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki?'
Moreover, from his brief interaction with this Space-Time's Naruto, he had confirmed that Naruto also had the Nine-Tails sealed within him!
'How could there be another Nine-Tails in the desert?'
And when the words 'ten tails' appeared, it instantly pierced through all his thoughts, making his blood seem to freeze at that moment!
'The Ten-Tails?!'
'Otsutsuki!'
'Could the key to the anomalies in this Space-Time be...'
In the history he had experienced, the Ten-Tails' shell, the Gedo Statue, had been controlled by the Akatsuki during this period. It wasn't until later, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, that Obito summoned the Gedo Statue and absorbed the Chakra of the other Tailed Beasts. It was the core of the [Infinite Tsukuyomi] plan and the key to Obito and Madara becoming the Six Paths.
'But in this anomalous Space-Time... a trace of the Ten-Tails had allegedly appeared in the desert?'
'And it was related to Shura?
A terrifying hypothesis instantly coiled around Adult Sasuke's heart.
Jiraiya watched the one-armed man's complexion change drastically upon hearing 'Nine-Tails' and 'Ten-Tails', his pupils contract, even his breathing stagnate. His final doubts were laid to rest.
This 'wandering performer' not only knew about the Nine-Tails, reacting strongly to it, but also seemed to possess information about the Ten-Tails.
After all, even Jiraiya, who had traveled the Ninja World for many years, had only learned fragmented information about the 'Ten-Tails' from some legends a few years ago.
The room fell into a subtle and heavy silence.
After finishing his account of the 'Ten-Tails' rumor, Jiraiya spoke no more. He sat casually cross-legged on the tatami, his gaze fixed on Adult Sasuke's face, observing his subtlest expressions.
Adult Sasuke kept his eyes tightly shut, as if meditating, but his slightly trembling eyelashes and the cold sweat seeping again from his forehead betrayed the turmoil raging within him.
The amount of information Jiraiya had revealed was too great, the impact too strong. Like countless scattered puzzle pieces, they flew and collided wildly in his mind, trying to piece together a complete yet even more horrifying picture.
'Shura... Land of Stars... Uchiha Hikari... the suspected appearance of the Ten-Tails...' These keywords echoed repeatedly in his heart.
'It was almost certain that the root of the enormous deviation between this Space-Time and the history we knew pointed with extremely high probability to that mysterious and unpredictable Shura!'
'This man could see at a glance the Kama on Boruto, indicating he knew of the Otsutsuki Clan's existence. The appearance of the Ten-Tails also revolved around him.'
'So, who was he?'
Adult Sasuke's thoughts raced, eliminating one by one the powerful beings he knew who might be connected to the Sharingan and the Ten-Tails.
'Uchiha Madara?'
'He should be dead by this point in time. The timing, abilities, and manner of action didn't completely match.'
'If it were Madara, he would have no reason to hide his identity, nor would he likely adopt such an attitude towards the Uchiha Clan.'
'Uchiha Obito?'
'The one who inherited the name 'Uchiha Madara', deceived Nagato of the Akatsuki, and was the mastermind behind the Fourth Great Ninja War.'
'Obito did possess the Mangekyo Sharingan and had also controlled the Ten-Tails' shell, the Gedo Statue.'
'But at this time, Kakashi still had his Sharingan. Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan was his right eye, its pattern shuriken-shaped, completely different from the vortex pattern glimpsed under Shura's mask.'
'Moreover, Obito's style was more inclined to hide behind the Akatsuki, using Nagato. It was too different from Shura's approach of rising openly and establishing a country.'
'The timeline also seemed off.'
'More crucially, Obito's understanding of the Otsutsuki was not that deep... even Obito and Madara were pawns deceived by Black Zetsu.'
'Could it be Jigen?'
'No, based on his intelligence, Jigen and his organization Kara had always been hiding in the shadows, acting secretively. They couldn't possibly be so high-profile as to establish a country in the Ninja World and make enemies everywhere.'
'Moreover, Jigen's purpose was more inclined towards recovering the Chakra Fruit, quite different from Shura's currently displayed behavior patterns.'
'Was it another unknown member of the Otsutsuki main family?'
'This possibility existed.'
'No matter what, the Otsutsuki Clan's members weren't just Kaguya, Momoshiki, Kinshiki, and Urashiki.'
'Perhaps another Otsutsuki in this Space-Time had discovered ahead of time Kaguya's rebellion and found this place.'
'However...'
'When Shura mentioned 'Otsutsuki', his tone, calm yet carrying condescending scrutiny even contempt, was different from the pure arrogance of Urashiki and Momoshiki, who viewed humans as 'inferior beings'.'
'Shura seemed to be looking down on the Otsutsuki?'
'And if Shura were truly Otsutsuki, what was his purpose in establishing a country and integrating bloodlines?'
'Wouldn't it be more direct to just capture the Tailed Beast Jinchuriki and plunder their Chakra?'
Even racking his brains, Adult Sasuke could not fully match this Space-Time's Shura with any known powerful figure or force from his memory.
This man was like a time-traveler from another Space-Time who had come to this world, thoroughly disrupting the original historical trajectory.
'And that youth named Menma, and that girl named Uchiha Hikari...' He silently recited these two names again.
One mysteriously appeared, replacing himself, also changing the composition of Team 7.
One possessed the Uchiha surname and could defeat Onoki and over ten thousand Iwagakure's Ninja.
'With such talent, she probably had an Eternal Mangekyo, even strength rivaling Uchiha Madara.'
'What was her relationship with Shura?'
'Was the Uchiha Clan's 'defection' related to her appearance?'
Just as Adult Sasuke's thoughts were bogged down, struggling more and more confusedly, Jiraiya's voice broke the silence, pulling his thoughts back to reality.
"Speaking of which," Jiraiya changed to a more casual sitting position, asking as if offhandedly, "How long do you two plan to stay in Konoha?"
Adult Sasuke slowly opened his eyes, the fatigue still unfaded in his black pupils.
He met Jiraiya's gaze, silent for a few seconds as if weighing his words, then spoke in that hoarse but clear voice: "To be honest, Jiraiya-san... we are pursuing an extremely dangerous and elusive enemy. This enemy's target is very likely... Konoha's Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki."
He deliberately paused, observing Jiraiya's reaction.
Sure enough, upon hearing 'Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki', the playful expression on Jiraiya's face also became grave.
Adult Sasuke's tone grew even more serious as he continued: "We've been tracking him for some time, and we lost his exact trail as we neared Konoha. Given his target, we believe it's highly possible he has infiltrated Konoha. So we came here, with the purpose of finding him, stopping him, and completely eliminating him."
He looked at Jiraiya, his gaze frank: "Please believe, we have absolutely no malice towards Konoha. On the contrary, our goals are aligned: to protect the Jinchuriki and eliminate that potential threat."
Adult Sasuke slightly organized his words and added: "You should also be aware that there have always been secret organizations or individuals in the Ninja World coveting the power of the Tailed Beasts. And the enemy we are pursuing may be... different from those organizations, but even more dangerous. We cannot stand idly by."
These words were a mix of truth and falsehood.
Tracking Urashiki was true, the target being the Nine-Tails within Naruto was also true, but their origins and Urashiki's true identity were deliberately obscured.
Describing Urashiki as a 'mysterious, dangerous enemy coveting Tailed Beasts' was highly persuasive at this point in time, especially for Jiraiya, who was deeply aware of the Akatsuki's existence.
Sure enough, upon hearing Adult Sasuke's words, especially 'organizations coveting Tailed Beasts' and 'possibly more dangerous', the playful expression on Jiraiya's face finally completely disappeared.
"Organizations coveting Tailed Beasts... heh." Jiraiya chuckled lowly, but there was no warmth in the laugh.
He knew it too well.
Amegakure's 'Akatsuki', and Pain...
Jiraiya seemed to fall into a brief recollection, the painful experience of delving deep into Amegakure to investigate, battling the Six Paths of Pain, and barely escaping with his life.
If not for the battle between Shura and another enemy that had broken out at the time, he might have already died at the hands of his former student.
Then, he refocused his gaze on Adult Sasuke. Those eyes, always carrying mockery or lust, were now also deadly serious.
Jiraiya didn't press Adult Sasuke on how he knew about those organizations lusting after Tailed Beast power, nor did he question why his reference to the 'Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki' sounded so natural.
"By the way, young man." He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning his body slightly forward as if trying to see through Adult Sasuke entirely, and slowly, deliberately, asked:
"You... are from the Uchiha Clan, aren't you."
It wasn't a question, but a statement, almost certain.
The air in the room seemed to freeze at that moment.
The twilight outside the window deepened, the last ray of sky light filtering through the paper window, casting ambiguous shadows between them.
Adult Sasuke's heart leaped, but his face maintained a calm, unruffled composure.
He neither immediately admitted nor denied it.
Admitting would mean more explanations and trouble... denying might completely lose Jiraiya's trust, and he might even be regarded as a person with hidden intentions.
Silence, sometimes, is also an answer.
Adult Sasuke looked up, his gaze calmly meeting this legendary Sannin's, and asked the doubt that had been circling in his mind, a key question he had to clarify:
"The Uchiha Clan... where... are they now?"
His tone had no emotional inflection, but Jiraiya keenly captured the suppressed concern and confusion beneath the calm.
Jiraiya was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "It seems you really don't know."
Jiraiya's voice lowered, carrying a sense of vicissitudes as he recounted the past: "About six years ago... Konoha experienced a tremendous upheaval. Its source was the Uchiha Clan."
Adult Sasuke's breath hitched almost imperceptibly, his body slightly tensing.
Even with prior mental preparation, even if this Space-Time's Uchiha might have taken a different path, hearing about the Uchiha's upheaval still made his heart tighten.
Six years ago...
That was the point in time in his memory when the Uchiha Clan was about to stage a coup, then was 'annihilated' by Itachi!
'Was the turning point in history here?'
Jiraiya noticed the other's subtle physical reaction but didn't call it out. He continued, "The cause was complex. The contradiction between the Uchiha Clan and the village had festered for a long time. Rumors of a coup were not unfounded. And the trigger... was Uchiha Itachi."
This name, like an ice-cold dagger, instantly pierced the deepest part of Adult Sasuke's heart.
Even after so many years, even though he had come to understand part of the truth, that complex mix of pain, hatred, sorrow, and a twisted sense of familial affection still surged up uncontrollably.
'In this Space-Time, what had Itachi done?'
"Uchiha Itachi, the boy hailed as the Uchiha Clan's genius, he..." Jiraiya paused, as if choosing his words, finally ending with a sigh.
"Chose the most extreme method. One night, he raised his blade against his own Uchiha clansmen."
Despite having anticipated it, hearing the word 'blade' still sent an icy chill instantly spreading through Adult Sasuke's body.
'Had this Space-Time's Itachi also made the same choice?'
"But the development of events... did not go as he wished." Jiraiya's tone shifted, growing even more somber. "Internally, at that time... some not-so-good things were also happening within Konoha. Certain high-ranking figures used this tragedy to try to further... purge and control the situation."
"I don't know the complete internal details, but it's certain that the situation was very dangerous at the time. For the surviving Uchiha, Konoha... was no longer a home, but an even more dangerous prison."
Unconsciously, Adult Sasuke's fist tightened at his side, his nails digging deep into his palm.
High-ranking figures... purge... control... prison...
When these words were combined, who they pointed to was self-evident!
Shimura Danzo!
And his Root hidden in the darkness!
'Even in a different Space-Time, that man's methods and ambition remained disgusting!'
"At this most critical moment," Jiraiya's voice carried an indescribable emotion, like admiration or regret. "Uchiha Shisui... stepped forward."
'Shisui-nii?' Adult Sasuke almost blurted out, but he forcibly suppressed it, only his pupils contracting slightly uncontrollably.
Uchiha Shisui!
In his Space-Time, Shisui was an eternal regret.
That gentle, powerful brother who loved the village and his clan met a tragic end, his eye stolen, forced to commit suicide. However…
'In this Space-Time, 'Shisui-nii was still alive?'
'And on that 'Night of the Massacre', he had stepped forward?'
"Yes, Uchiha Shisui." Jiraiya nodded affirmatively, having seen the flicker of shock in Adult Sasuke's eyes, which further confirmed some of his guesses.
"Before that night, Shisui had been missing for over six months due to some matters."
"On the night Uchiha Itachi raised his blade against his clansmen, Shisui, with the support and cover of Shura and Uchiha Hikari, led the surviving clansmen and resolutely... defected from Konoha."
'Defected from Konoha!'
These words, like a heavy hammer, struck Adult Sasuke's heart.
The collective defection of the Uchiha Clan!
This had moved in a completely different direction from the history he knew!
And as for Shisui's disappearance, Adult Sasuke also guessed that it was mostly Danzo who had ambushed Shisui, but Shisui had been rescued by Shura.
"Where did they go?" Adult Sasuke heard his own voice, a little dry, but he also had a general guess in his heart.
Jiraiya's gaze turned towards Konoha's night outside the window, slowly giving the long-anticipated answer: "The Land of Stars."
'Sure enough!'
"Was it because of Shura?" Adult Sasuke's mind flashed rapidly through the information he had obtained earlier.
"Was Shura behind the Uchiha Clan's defection?"
Jiraiya was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded and shook his head. "Yes and no. Shura did provide support and shelter. But in the final analysis, it was Konoha's internal problems that pushed the Uchiha Clan to the brink, giving Shura an opening."
"Shisui... simply chose a path he believed would save the most people for his clan in that desperate situation."
"Even though that path meant leaving Konoha."
He paused, then added, "And it wasn't just the Uchiha Clan."
"That same night, the Hyuga Clan also experienced violent upheaval. The head of the Hyuga branch family, Hyuga Hizashi, led some branch family's members dissatisfied with the Main Family System, launched a rebellion, killed several main family's elders, and then also defected from Konoha, ultimately also sought refuge with the Land of Stars."
'The Hyuga branch family had also defected?'
Adult Sasuke was shocked again.
'What about Neji?'
'That genius burdened with the branch family's fate, had he also followed Hyuga Hizashi and defected to the Land of Stars?'
The impact of this barrage of information gradually outlined a clearer, yet even more heart-chilling profile of this anomalous Space-Time in Adult Sasuke's mind.
The oppression from Konoha's internal high-ranking figures, especially the dark methods of Danzo and Root', the successive defections of the two major noble clans, the Uchiha and Hyuga, the timely intervention and absorption by the mysterious powerful Shura, the rapid rise of the Land of Stars...
None of this was coincidental!
"Danzo... Root..." Adult Sasuke murmured these two names, his voice cold.
'Even in this Space-Time, even with history already deflected, that man and the darkness he represented still permeated Konoha's shadows.'
An almost uncontrollable, frigid killing intent quietly raised its head from the deepest part of his heart.
If possible, he would have liked nothing more than to immediately find that man, burn his disgusting ambition with Amaterasu, pierce his long-rotten heart with Chidori!
But then, he suddenly realized an even more severe problem.
This Space-Time, because of the biggest variable Shura, had already moved in a direction completely different from the history he knew.
The collective defection of the Uchiha and Hyuga, the rise of the Land of Stars, the suspected appearance of the Ten-Tails, the outrageously powerful yet unheard-of Hikari...
All of this had drastically altered this Space-Time!
If a few more years passed, the changes might be even greater.
His and Boruto's accidental intrusion was itself a huge 'disturbance'.
And to pursue Urashiki, they would inevitably have to operate in this Space-Time, possibly even getting involved in local conflicts.
Every action, every intervention, could trigger unforeseen chain reactions, leading this already deviated Space-Time towards an even more unknown and dangerous future.
Protecting this Space-Time's Naruto and pursuing Urashiki were missions they had to accomplish.
But in this process, how should they deal with this Space-Time's anomalous force, Shura and his Land of Stars?
Adult Sasuke felt an unprecedented heaviness and confusion.