"This boy…"
Ōtsutsuki Urashiki's lower Rinnegan quietly narrowed as he looked the unexpected guest up and down.
The playful curve that had originally lingered at the corner of his mouth faded, turning into scrutiny.
When had this boy arrived?
Just now, his Rinnegan and Byakugan had clearly taken in everything around them.
There had been no fourth person at all.
But this boy had appeared as if out of thin air.
And with just a single strike, he had slapped away that senjutsu technique of his.
More importantly, after clashing with that man, Uchiha Sasuke, so many times, Urashiki had never once seen such a shaken expression on his face.
All these doubts added together made him feel it was necessary to speak up and emphasize his presence.
Having his reunion interrupted, Kai did not even turn his head as he complained, "Shh, shh, shh. Don't you know it's rude to interrupt people catching up? You impolite bastard."
Ōtsutsuki Urashiki: "…"
Blue veins throbbed on his forehead, bulging one after another.
But he forcefully suppressed them and snorted coldly.
"Hmph! Calling me impolite? Absurd!"
After saying that, he simply crossed his arms and stood where he was without moving.
Under his breath, he muttered, "Impolite? Hmph. I'm the most polite one here."
Kai: "…"
As expected.
He really was a well-mannered good kid.
Even at a time like this, he actually stood there without saying another word.
"Second Brother…? Is it really you?"
At that moment, a trembling voice, fragile enough to nearly shatter, came from below once more.
The voice was shaking.
It was Sasuke.
He struggled to stretch out his only arm and prop himself up, both eyes staring fixedly at the boy before him.
Even the ripples of his Rinnegan were trembling violently.
He was certain!
This face before him!
This face with a bit of baby fat, slightly dark skin, and that perpetually careless yet occasionally sly little expression—
It was his second brother!
Uchiha Kai!
"So you finally recognized me." The smile in Kai's eyes deepened.
However, when his gaze swept over that empty sleeve, his brows lifted almost imperceptibly.
Then he passed over it.
Finally, his eyes settled on Sasuke's battered, miserable adult face, and the corners of his mouth slowly parted.
They curved backward into a grin.
That smile once again overlapped with countless memories deep in Sasuke's mind—of someone bending forward, pressing a hand to his forehead, and laughing wildly.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. So now you've started walking the Yang Guo route?"
"Not bad. It actually suits you a little."
Kai tilted his head, his small face smiling cheerfully.
That frivolous tone, that familiar infuriating rhythm—
It made Sasuke lose focus again.
He had almost forgotten this tone.
"Alright, stop spacing out. Tell me about the future me—how did I die?"
Only after hearing this did Sasuke suddenly realize something.
Kai had actually recognized him at a glance!
And he even knew they had come from the future!
With one sentence, enormous waves surged through Sasuke's heart.
"So amazing! You saw through our disguise in one glance!"
Boruto also leaned closer, his face full of wonder.
He suddenly discovered that the village of the past seemed much stronger than the one from his own era.
Jiraiya: "…"
He really wanted to ask—
You two appeared so openly outside the village. Does that really count as a disguise?
"Cough, cough…"
After thinking for a moment, Sasuke took a deep breath. Only then did he subconsciously grab the corner of Kai's clothes, recalling memories from long ago as he spoke in a low voice.
"Second Brother, you… died one year later, during Pain's assault."
"Pain's assault? Me?"
Hearing those words, Kai froze.
What was going on?
Just a tiny little Pain assault was enough to kill him?
Was this a joke?!
But very quickly, he sensed that something was wrong.
As Sasuke continued explaining, Kai finally realized that although he existed in that future timeline—
He was only an elite jōnin.
Even though he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan through his own strength, he still had not survived Pain's attack.
"So… the future me was a basket of vegetables?" Kai asked in confusion.
Sasuke's expression turned slightly awkward.
Although he did not want to admit it, that was indeed the case.
Of course, he still tried to salvage things.
"Of course not. Although Second Brother was always lazy, when it came to developing the Sharingan, you possessed a talent ordinary people could never reach."
"You even built quite a reputation among the Five Great Shinobi Villages."
"Even Kage-level existences from the five great villages had to give you face."
So that was it.
Kai nodded.
It turned out that the future timeline this Sasuke came from was not the future of their current time-space.
And the Kai from that timeline, though gifted, diligent, and not weak—
Was still merely a person.
Without the system's help, at most, he could be considered a strong shinobi.
At his core, he was still human.
And humans died.
Thinking of this, Sasuke suddenly realized that although his second brother in this era was already very strong, he was definitely not Ōtsutsuki Urashiki's opponent!
His expression tightened. He hurriedly forced himself up and blocked Kai from the front, shouting in a low voice, "Second Brother, hurry and leave! This guy isn't someone we can deal with!"
This silly little brother still had not realized how extraordinary Kai's strength was.
Kai smiled and patted his shoulder, comforting him.
"Relax. He's just a trash fish, a stinking rat. He still isn't your second brother's opponent."
"No! Second Brother, listen to me!"
Future Sasuke grew anxious. He reached out, wanting to grab Uchiha Kai.
"This man is from the Ōtsutsuki clan. Even our Sage of Six Paths was the son of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya!"
"For now, avoid his edge. Once my dōjutsu recovers, I'll be able to defeat him easily!"
Hearing this, Kai patted Sasuke's forehead again and smiled.
"Me avoid his edge?"
"That depends on whether his blade is sharp enough."
"Courting death!"
A blue light flashed in Urashiki's eyes. Anger from being ignored, along with a faint unease, rose in his heart.
Forget it.
Who cared who this boy was?
Kill him first.
With that thought, he directly swung the scarlet fishing rod toward Uchiha Kai!
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