Early morning at the Hokage Building.
Sasuke's hawk landed at the window after a long flight. Naruto, recognizing it instantly, let it inside and untied the scroll on its leg. The moment he skimmed its contents, his expression hardened. Anything involving the Sharingan was never taken lightly.
Without hesitation, Naruto formed a few hand seals—several shadow clones appeared at once to watch over the village.
Outside the office, Sarada pressed herself against a pillar, secretly listening to every word.
...
At Konoha's gates, Shikamaru stood beside Naruto as they exchanged a short farewell.
"I'm leaving the village in your hands."
"Yeah… what a drag," Shikamaru sighed.
Hidden in a clump of bushes near the road, Sarada watched Naruto from afar, determined to follow him and find Sasuke with her own eyes.
A hand suddenly tapped her shoulder.
"Morning, Sarada," Boruto said casually.
"—Hah!?"
Sarada jumped, thinking Naruto had caught her.
Naruto, unaware of the two watching from behind, said, "I'll head out now. And thank Boruto for me later."
After a final nod to Shikamaru, Naruto sprinted off—his diving steps smooth, silent, and unbelievably fast.
"Well, let's move too. If we don't hurry, we'll lose track of Dad," Boruto said, lifting a bento with one hand.
Sarada should've been frantic—this journey meant meeting her father.
Boruto's purpose was different: this was an opportunity to nurture Sarada's talent… and to prepare for the evolution of her Sharingan.
Their destination: Qiqiao Pass.
...
They ran along the forest path. Sarada pushed herself to her limit, yet Boruto remained far ahead, barely looking winded.
He wasn't showing off—Boruto simply preferred to hide the existence of his Jōgan. Right now, that eye was locked onto the chakra signature of a particular individual… the one with the strange, cylindrical head and a malformed kaleidoscope.
...
Far ahead, the landscape shifted into geometric ridges and towering cuboid plates. On a raised stone outcrop, cloaked Shin Uchiha addressed the White Zetsu kneeling below.
"Next task," Shin commanded. "Bring the girl here."
"Yes," the smaller Shin replied.
In the blink of an eye—using a special distortion technique—Shin appeared directly in front of Boruto and Sarada.
His three-tomoe Sharingan stared at them like they were prey.
"Who are you?" Boruto asked, though he already knew.
"Uchiha Shin," the boy responded flatly.
Sarada froze. Another Uchiha? Besides her and her father…?
Boruto rolled his eyes. "Okay. You can get lost now."
"Father ordered me to take you," Shin said. His tone carried no emotion.
Boruto snorted—then casually flicked his wrist.
A Rasengan shot forward in a smooth arc.
Shin read the trajectory instantly and shifted aside, the attack whistling past his face.
"Huh. He's got some skill," Boruto muttered.
Shin unrolled a scroll, placing his palm on it. A chain weapon materialized—a scythe at one end, a weighted hook at the other.
"You… don't need this," Shin said, gaze fixed on Boruto.
With a harsh clatter, he swung the chain. The scythe cut through the air with deadly force.
"Boruto!!!"
Sarada yelled and threw several shuriken to intervene.
Shin deflected them using the chain with effortless precision.
But Boruto blurred forward using Body Flicker.
Shin's eyes widened—his Sharingan saw Boruto's approach, but his body couldn't react in time.
Boruto slammed a massive Rasengan straight into Shin's face.
The impact crushed him instantly.
Boruto flicked away the scraps of the letter caught in the blast. "Nothing special."
Sarada stared, stunned. She had braced herself for a terrifying enemy, but Boruto ended it in one hit.
But the fight wasn't over.
A violent roar cut across the sky.
The ground trembled.
The terrain ahead warped and twisted.
"What… what's happening!?" Sarada gasped.
"Dad ran into trouble," Boruto said, eyes narrowing.
They sprinted toward the source and soon saw Naruto locked in fierce close-range combat with another cloaked enemy. Their movements were so fast they left afterimages.
Sarada froze.
Boruto clenched his fists.
Who is that…? Another Uchiha…?!
The two combatants separated briefly, assessing each other.
Naruto realized immediately: his opponent's strength was at least Kage-level.
Both formed hand seals at the same time.
But the cloaked man struck first.
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees!"
Naruto whipped around. "Boruto—get away!!"
In an instant, countless trees burst from the earth, roots spiraling like living rivers. The forest expanded at terrifying speed, swallowing miles of terrain.
Seconds later, Naruto burst out from the sea of trees in his golden chakra cloak, desperately scanning the horizon.
Boruto waved from afar with Sarada. "We're fine, Dad. Focus on the enemy!"
The cloaked man smirked beneath the shadows of his hood.
He lifted his hand—and the entire green sea began to move.
The chakra he released rivaled a tailed beast.
Naruto's expression hardened. This wasn't some random adversary.
"I'm the Seventh Hokage," Naruto called out. "If you're attacking me in the open like this, it must be a misunderstanding."
"I don't know," the man replied. "I'm simply following orders. So stay quiet."
Trees erupted everywhere, multiplying—thick, ancient giants rising in seconds.
Naruto dashed forward, weaving through the branches to get close.
"Even the strongest ninja will fall before Wood Release of this level!" the man sneered.
Naruto's response was a massive Rasengan, launched using a chakra arm.
"Wood Release: Wood Human Wall!"
A thick wooden bulwark rose to block the Rasengan. Simultaneously, the man formed new seals.
"Wood Release: Linked Pillar Formation Cage!"
The Rasengan shattered the wooden wall, but the man had already melted into the maze of living wood.
Below Naruto, square cages erupted from the ground like ravenous beasts, snapping shut in waves. Even with Body Flicker, there was no escape—unless Naruto used space-time ninjutsu.
Within seconds, Naruto was trapped.
The wooden cage suppressed the Nine-Tails' chakra—his cloak dimmed visibly.
"Tch…" Naruto grit his teeth.
The cloaked figure approached with leisurely confidence.
But Naruto's eyes sharpened. The fading cloak flared violently.
At point-blank range, he formed a Rasenshuriken—its shrill howl ripping through the air.
A flash.
Naruto shattered the wooden prison and appeared in front of the cloaked man.
The enemy didn't panic—he formed seals.
"Spirit Technique: Third Uncle—Repair the Gate!"
Three massive gates rose in front of him—Rashōmon.
Naruto slammed the Rasenshuriken into them.
The shockwave tore through all three gates, and the spiraling wind blades shredded the cloaked figure behind them.
The man's body staggered—flesh torn, cells shredded.
But before Naruto could relax, the wounds began to heal… rapidly.
Within seconds, the man straightened again, smiling mockingly.
"I didn't expect even Triple Rashōmon could stop you. You truly live up to your title as the strongest."
Naruto frowned. "With that power… why obey someone else's orders?"
The cloaked man chuckled softly. "Then why must you, the Hokage, obey the Daimyō of the Land of Fire? Sometimes we simply have no choice."
He offered no more explanation.
The next moment, his body dissolved into a breeze—and vanished.
---
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