Chapter 302:
"Rasengan!"
In the blink of an eye, Future Boruto appeared in front of Naruto and struck him in the stomach with a Rasengan, sending him flying.
"Sakura, watch out!"
Even as he was knocked away, Naruto didn't forget to warn Sakura.
Clenching her fists, Sakura warily stared at Future Boruto, who had just launched Naruto into the air.
"Hah!"
She raised her fist and punched toward Future Boruto.
"Amenotejikara!"
Future Boruto swapped places with Naruto.
"...Sakura, that revenge was way too fast—and you didn't even pull your punch!"
Naruto clutched his abdomen as he spoke.
"Quit whining, Naruto. It's not like that would kill you anyway." As Naruto staggered to his feet after taking the full force of her punch, the two of them stood side by side, facing off against Future Boruto.
"Well, you've got a point… but that really did hurt!"
Even now, Naruto's face still twitched from the pain.
"I'll give you proper treatment once we're back, so stop complaining and focus. We need to get information about Hanabi out of him."
Sakura said firmly.
Naruto took a deep breath, forcing himself to ignore the lingering pain in his abdomen, then nodded. "Right!"
He clasped his hands together and entered Tailed Beast Mode.
A giant, golden fox emerged in the forest, surrounding both Naruto and Sakura.
Future Boruto mirrored his movements, clasping his hands together and also entering Tailed Beast Mode.
Two enormous golden foxes charged at each other, colliding with a shockwave that uprooted the trees around them.
"Hinata, let's move back a bit," Kiba said, glancing at Hinata who stood to the side.
Hinata looked at the battling Naruto with concern, then nodded helplessly.
"Naruto, are you alright?"
After the two Nine-Tails clashed and then separated, Sakura looked toward Naruto and asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Sakura."
She then turned toward the other Tailed Beast-formed Nine-Tails in front of them. "Why can he also enter Nine-Tails Mode?"
"Well… I don't know either..." Naruto scratched his head with a puzzled look. "Maybe I should ask Kurama."
As he finished speaking, Naruto's consciousness entered Kurama's realm. "Kurama, do you have some long-lost sibling out there or something?"
"As if, you idiot! I'm one of a kind in this world!"
"But then how can he...?"
"How the hell would I know?!"
Kurama kicked Naruto's consciousness back to reality.
"So? What did Kurama say?"
Sakura looked at Naruto.
"He doesn't know either…"
"This needs to end quickly…" Future Boruto muttered as he looked at Tailed Beast Mode Naruto, "I only have a bit of Rinnegan power left. Armor Up—Susanoo!"
His Nine-Tails was suddenly clad in a layer of Susanoo armor.
"That looks so cool!"
Naruto exclaimed in awe.
"Hey! Naruto, he's charging at us!"
Reminded by Sakura, Naruto snapped out of it and quickly had the Nine-Tails leap into the air. The force of the jump caused the ground to tremble.
"Tailed Beast Bomb!"
Naruto's Nine-Tails opened its mouth mid-air and launched a Tailed Beast Bomb at Future Boruto's Nine-Tails.
Future Boruto's Nine-Tails drew a giant blade and cleaved the bomb in two. Immediately after, it lunged at Naruto's airborne Nine-Tails.
"Crap!"
Future Boruto's Nine-Tails slashed Naruto's fox clean in half with the blade. With the Tailed Beast Mode forcefully canceled, Naruto and Sakura began to plummet freely from mid-air.
"That height…"
As they fell, Sakura began preparing to use a summoning jutsu—but just then, a giant purple figure caught them.
Susanoo gently landed on the ground, setting Naruto and Sakura down before vanishing.
"Sasuke?!"
Both Naruto and Sakura exclaimed in surprise and joy.
"What are you doing here, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, looking at him.
"I hadn't gone far. I sensed your chakra erupting here, so I rushed over." Sasuke glanced toward Future Boruto and asked, "So, what's going on?"
"Hanabi's gone missing from the village. We suspect this guy's responsible." Naruto pointed at Future Boruto. "You came at just the right time, Sasuke. He also has the Rinnegan, so Sakura and I really need your help. Also, Sasuke—he just pulled off a fusion of Susanoo and the Nine-Tails. We should try that combo too..."
After briefly locking eyes with Sasuke, Future Boruto turned without a word and began to leave.
"Hey, Sasuke, don't let him get away!"
Naruto stepped forward, but Sasuke stopped him with an outstretched hand.
"What is it, Sasuke? Did you notice something?"
Sakura looked at Sasuke, puzzled.
"Don't worry. He won't do anything to Hanabi."
Sasuke replied.
"Why, Sasuke…?"
…
Following the direction indicated by the red string tied around his arm, Future Boruto kept moving forward. Eventually, he found Hanabi sitting by a forest lake, bored and skipping stones.
"Hanabi!"
"Boruto?!"
Delighted, Hanabi jumped to her feet—only to immediately turn and run away.
"No matter where you go, I'll find you, Hanabi."
Future Boruto raised his right hand as he spoke. A red string tied around his wrist connected him to Hanabi.
"When did this happen?!"
Hanabi looked at the red string tied around her own wrist in shock and quickly tried to undo it.
"It's no use. You can't untie it."
Future Boruto walked toward her as he spoke.
"No… stay away from me!"
Hanabi backed away repeatedly, then stumbled and fell to the ground.
"Are you okay, Hanabi?"
Future Boruto took a step forward, but Hanabi suddenly shouted, "Don't come any closer!"
"What's going on with you, Hanabi?"
Future Boruto looked at her in confusion—she had been acting strangely since the beginning.
"I… I just don't want to forget you…" Hanabi said through tears as she looked at him. "Why… why can't you just stay here… Boruto?!"
"…Actually, I've already used up all of my eye power, so I can't erase your memories for now."
"Really?!"
Hanabi's face lit up with hope.
"But… I ran into Sasuke on the way here. With his Rinnegan, it should be possible to erase your memories…"
As Future Boruto said this and turned his head, he saw Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Kiba, and Hinata all arriving at the lake.