Konoha Village was exceptionally quiet at night. Moonlight spilled onto the streets, and the night wind carried a chill, but this coolness was far less than the coldness Uchiha Sasuke felt inside. Uzumaki Boruto and Sasuke stood side-by-side on a small bridge crossing a stream, the sound of the water beneath the bridge especially clear in the silence.
Frankly, this world held no malice toward him. Sasuke had even seen his long-deceased parents again and said the words he had kept buried in his heart for years, words he thought he would never have the chance to speak... When he thought about it carefully, the price of this gift seemed acceptable.
However, for Uchiha Sasuke, who was arrogant to the core, these reasons were far from enough to soothe the surging sense of shame inside him. The absurdity of seeing "another version of himself" develop that kind of relationship with Uzumaki Naruto still felt like a thorn in his throat.
"...Sasuke-san," Uzumaki Boruto cautiously began, breaking the silence, "Were your relationships that good when you were kids too?...I mean! Without that layer of relationship! Did you two..."
Realizing he had said the wrong thing, Uzumaki Boruto immediately stammered, unsure how to salvage the situation. Sasuke couldn't help but wonder internally, when did this kid's mouth get so irritating?
"What I mean is! Under different circumstances! The possibility that your relationship with Dad could be so... uh, 'normal'," Uzumaki Boruto dug himself deeper, "It's a good thing it won't affect our..."
He couldn't continue because Sasuke was staring at him with an expression that seemed calm yet was utterly chilling. Uzumaki Boruto swallowed hard and obediently shut his mouth.
"Yes," Sasuke's voice was particularly cold in the night wind, "So, in comparison, you—who only cause me trouble—are actually not bad."
This comment, which sounded neither sarcastic nor sincere, plunged the atmosphere back into silence. The two simply stood quietly at the dimly lit bridgehead.
"...Then, Sasuke-san," Uzumaki Boruto couldn't help but speak again, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere, "Do you think there's a world where Dad is actually a girl?"
"..." Sasuke slowly turned his head. "Do you want to discuss this topic?"
"Uh... I was just kidding." Uzumaki Boruto quickly waved his hands, realizing he was adding fuel to the fire again.
A gust of night wind blew past, causing the water beneath the bridge to shimmer. Uzumaki Boruto gazed at the fragmented moonlight reflections, his voice suddenly dropping.
"Sasuke-san... what about Mom in this world?"
A rare vulnerability surfaced in his tone, stemming from deep concern for his mother.
"Mom is gentle, but sometimes she's very stubborn... If Dad didn't choose her, what would she do?"
Sasuke was stunned by the question. He watched the anxiety on Uzumaki Boruto's face and realized that the various possibilities of this parallel world were equally troubling and upsetting for the young man.
"Uzumaki Boruto, remember, this is not our timeline. Your mother is still in our future, and she is still your mother. That will never change."
Sasuke carefully chose his words, which was rare for him. "Furthermore, although I don't know much about your mother, Uzumaki Naruto once told me about her." Sasuke's gaze drifted into the distance. "She used her own persistence to 'choose' your father and bring him to her side. That strength is something no other insignificant 'possibility' can shake."
"And, Uzumaki Boruto, if this world's Hyuga Hinata knew that Uzumaki Naruto was accompanied by... another girl," he paused subtly, "perhaps the thing you are worried about wouldn't happen in the first place."
Uzumaki Boruto was taken aback, clearly not expecting Sasuke to comfort him so patiently. After thinking carefully about the words, the gloom on his face gradually dissipated, replaced by a relieved smile. "Haha, you're right. We just need to protect our world and safeguard the possibilities we've already decided upon."
Although he said this aloud, Uzumaki Boruto secretly decided that he needed to find an opportunity to visit the Hyuga Clan residence in this world.
As the atmosphere relaxed, Uzumaki Boruto made another half-joking remark. "By the way, in the future of this world, will the me here have to call Sasuke-san 'Shishōdai Mama'?"
"Snap."
As the words fell, Sasuke's hand, resting on the bridge railing, suddenly crushed a deep indentation into the wood. Wood chips rustled down from between his fingers.
Sasuke's eyes became terrifying again. Uzumaki Boruto immediately realized he had said the wrong thing and hurriedly added, "That! What I mean is! I think Sasuke-san's Sharingan is really cool! So... I..."
Realizing that this might make the situation even worse, Uzumaki Boruto wisely shut his mouth.
"Uzumaki Boruto..." Sasuke's voice was so low it was almost a sigh. "Let's go. Time to Cultivate."
"Huh? Now?" Uzumaki Boruto looked at the high-hanging moon in surprise.
"Yes," Sasuke turned around, "We don't know when Urashiki will attack, so let's make the most of the time we have."
"Oh, okay..." Uzumaki Boruto agreed verbally, but a sense of foreboding surged in his heart. He had a feeling that tonight's Cultivation would not be easy.
——————
The next afternoon, four people were gathered at the training ground located on the outskirts of Konoha, each engaged in different forms of Cultivation.
Uchiha Satsuki was focused on practicing ninja tool throwing; every shuriken hit the bullseye in the distance with precision.
Not far away, Uzumaki Naruto was sitting cross-legged under the shade of a tree, carefully reading a thick scroll. Sasuke felt that scroll looked somewhat familiar.
Uzumaki Boruto was moving his body with some distress, occasionally wincing due to muscle soreness. Uchiha Sasuke's Cultivation guidance last night was harsher than he had imagined; although the other party clearly held back to ensure he wasn't truly injured, the high-intensity training still caused his body to protest.
This morning, Uzumaki Boruto had specifically sought out the Hyuga Main Family residence. Hiding in the distance, he saw this world's mother—Hyuga Hinata. She was Cultivating alongside a young man he had only seen in Family photos: his uncle, Hyuga Neji, a relative who had sacrificed himself before Uzumaki Boruto was born.
While observing, Uzumaki Boruto noticed that his mother in this world looked gentle and natural when interacting with Neji, showing no signs of sadness or regret. Could it be true, as Sasuke had said, that his mother in this world had chosen a different path from the very beginning?
Unfortunately, he hadn't been observing long before Neji's Byakugan sensed his presence. Uzumaki Boruto had to flee the scene quickly, his heart filled with mixed feelings about this discovery.
Uchiha Sasuke, meanwhile, stood at the edge of the training ground, seemingly casually leaning against a tree trunk, but in reality, maintaining constant vigilance.
Although nominally he was the subject of surveillance, he was actually carrying out a protection mission, quietly waiting for Urashiki's attack.
When exactly would Urashiki arrive? Li had previously said "in a few days," but this vague timeframe made it impossible to relax. Sasuke calculated the worst-case scenario in his mind—now!
Sasuke suddenly widened his eyes. At the same time, a frivolous and dangerous voice came from above.
"Finally, I'm here. The plan was disrupted, but never mind... I'll just harvest all the bothersome ones at once."
Everyone looked up, only to see a figure dressed in white, holding a red fishing rod, suspended in mid-air. He looked down at the people on the training ground with a mocking smile, dangerous light flickering in his pupil-less eyes.
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