The timeline twenty years later.
The night in Konoha Village was as still as a pool of deep water.
In the temporary artifact storage room of the Research Institute, two figures were huddled in front of a "turtle shell" recently salvaged from the seabed, speaking in low voices.
"Sis, do you think Dad will be angry if he finds out we snuck in here?"
The black-haired boy rubbed the back of his neck uneasily.
Moonlight slanted in through the high window, falling on his furrowed brow.
The ancient artifact before him resembled a tortoise shell, its surface carved with faint spiral patterns that shimmered darkly under the dim light.
The white-eyed girl's fingers gently brushed over the grooves on the shell's surface.
"Huh? Honestly, Taichi, you're such a coward."
"It's just an old antique. Besides, it's not like we're here to cause any damage."
As she spoke, a faint glow of Chakra appeared in her palm as she tentatively examined the tortoise shell device.
In that instant, the tortoise shell, previously as silent as a stone, suddenly vibrated slightly. The patterns on its surface lit up one by one, and with a faint "click," it unfurled like a blooming flower, eventually transforming into a pink turtle.
"I am the Treasure, Karasuki. Please allow me to introduce the precautions for using me."
"Wow!"
Himawari's eyes lit up instantly, as if she had discovered a new continent.
"Taichi, it's alive! Look, does it need more Chakra to charge?"
Excitedly, she injected another burst of Chakra. The little pink turtle retracted its neck comfortably, and its shell emitted an even brighter golden halo.
"Now confirming the operation procedure. Any error in sequence will affect its use."
Subsequently, Karasuki seemed to get stuck, repeating that sentence over and over. It didn't recognize the information within this Chakra, yet the Chakra was indeed able to activate it.
Taichi, however, grew even more nervous. He looked around as if his father's Shadow Clone might emerge from the darkness at any moment.
"It's not that I'm a coward, I'm just saying 'what if'..."
He lowered his voice and brought up an old story.
"Did you forget the drawing competition at the Ninja Academy? The school awarded you first place, but when Dad saw the second-place entry, he invalidated your results on the spot and even fired the judges."
Because back then, Himawari's drawing was purely at a kindergarten level, while the second-place entry was incredibly high-quality, having literally drawn the entire Konoha Village.
He paused, his voice sounding even more hollow: "Uncle Shino was just the principal and didn't participate in the evaluation. He's been Dad's close friend for years, yet he was still dragged off to attend an ideological education class."
"But I think my drawing was very cute!"
Himawari curled her lip and poked the little pink turtle's head with her finger.
"The sketch style is so refreshing! Dad is just too strict and old-fashioned."
"Yours was kindergarten graffiti level; theirs was a professional-grade crushing blow."
Taichi sighed.
"Sis, we really should go back. I keep getting a chill down my spine..."
"Go back? Things are just starting to get interesting!"
Himawari was completely captivated by the novelty.
"If you want to go back, then you—"
Before she could finish, a gentle and familiar voice rang out from behind them:
"Taichi is right, Himawari. Your work really wasn't as good as theirs. Besides, it's time for you to go home."
The two of them froze, then slowly turned their heads.
At some point, two figures had appeared silently at the doorway.
The light from the hallway stretched their shadows long, reaching all the way to the siblings' feet.
The blond, spiky-haired young man, Uzumaki Yuto, leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, a somewhat helpless smile in his emerald-green eyes.
And standing beside him was none other than Uzumaki Naruto, draped in his Hokage cloak.
Time seemed to have been exceptionally kind to him; his face remained young and handsome. His deep blue eyes appeared remarkably profound in the dim light as he gazed at them silently, his emotions unreadable.
"Big brother? A-and Dad..."
Himawari's hand shook, and the "Karasuki" in her hand dropped onto the stand.
Taichi was so startled he practically jumped, nearly knocking over a nearby document shelf.
Yuto walked over to his siblings and looked at the little turtle: "An artifact salvaged from undersea ruins, touched without permission.
Himawari, your curiosity really stepped on a big landmine this time."
Himawari opened her mouth to argue, but she choked on her words when she met her father's gaze.
It wasn't anger, but a deep, penetrating gaze that made her feel instantly guilty.
Naruto approached and rubbed the heads of the two youngsters with his broad palms. The gesture was gentle, yet it made the siblings' hearts pound even harder.
"Because your mother and I, as well as your brother..."
He paused, his gaze falling upon the tortoise shell that was now emitting an unstable golden light.
"...are very worried about you."
"Karasuki, can you stop?"
After comforting the children, Naruto turned to the Treasure, which was glowing more intensely, and asked directly.
The patterns on Karasuki's surface flickered. An emotionless mechanical voice responded: "Coordinates selected. Unable to stop."
The moment the words fell, a brilliant golden light erupted like a tidal wave, swallowing the father and his three children in the room.
Their vision was filled with pure light. After a brief moment of weightlessness and dizziness, the surrounding scenery changed completely.
Beneath their feet was a golden disc emitting a soft glow, like a floating landmass.
And the "sky" was a deep, undersea blue, where countless massive, regular rectangular stone blocks floated and sank slowly, silent and eerie.
There was no wind, no familiar sounds—only a silence that felt almost like a vacuum.
"Wow, it's so beautiful! It's just like being under the sea."
Himawari's eyes widened.
"Sis, be careful."
Taichi grabbed his sister to prevent her from running around in this strange place.
"Dad, do you know what this is?"
Yuto quickly observed the surroundings, his gaze finally landing back on his father.
He was much calmer than his younger siblings, but his green eyes were also filled with inquiry.
"Yeah."
Naruto nodded.
"This is a Treasure of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, called 'Karasuki.' It can transport people through time and space.
However, logically speaking, you shouldn't have been able to activate it."
This was an Ōtsutsuki item. Not long ago, he had killed Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki again. He had thought Karasuki was useless now, but it seemed he had been careless.
Oh well, if I was careless, I was careless.
Going to the past for a bit of fun could be seen as a way to relax.
"Error! Error! An error has occurred!"
Just then, Karasuki's alarm rang out.
Simultaneously, the entire golden disc began to shake violently. The surrounding floating megaliths accelerated their collisions, and the spatial structure emitted an overburdened hum, as if it were about to shatter completely at any moment.
"Don't be afraid."
Naruto's eyes sharpened, his reaction as fast as lightning.
He clenched his right hand, and a black Tin Staff appeared out of thin air.
Vast, majestic golden Chakra surged from within him as he instantly entered Six Paths Sage Mode.
Truth-Seeking Orbs hovered behind him.
Three massive golden Chakra arms extended swiftly, firmly shielding the three children within, forming an absolutely secure Chakra barrier.