"...You guys were definitely doing that on purpose, right?"
Boruto gritted his teeth while using a bedsheet to wipe the chili sauce off his face.
"What do you think? Confession brings leniency, resistance brings severity. Kid, you'd better confess yourself. We're only going easy on you because of your relationship with Naruto. Otherwise, you'd be in a dark room at Konoha Interrogation Department right now."
Jiraiya retracted his smile and spoke sternly to Boruto.
"That's right. Even if you're Naruto's son, if you don't give an explanation for killing Asuma-sensei, I'll avenge hi, right now."
Shikamaru also expressed his stance, taking out the lighter he picked up from Asuma's body and lighting it, burning a single strand of Boruto's hair as a threat.
"Boruto, speak up. But don't mention irrelevant things. We should avoid revealing too much unnecessary information."
Sasuke patted Boruto's shoulder.
He didn't understand why Boruto did this either, but he already had some suspicions.
"...Where exactly did I slip up?" Boruto made a pained expression and collapsed onto the bed.
"Still hung up on that? Fine, let me ask you a question—have you ever cheated before?"
Jiraiya sat by the bedside and asked Boruto.
"Cheat? Of course not... uh hehe, yes."
Boruto was about to flatly deny it when he remembered how he was publicly exposed for cheating during the Chunin Exams.
The entire village, people from other villages, including Sasuke beside him, had all witnessed it, making him somewhat embarrassed.
"You got caught, right?"
"Yeah, but not at first. It was at the end..."
"Everyone noticed from the beginning."
Sasuke interrupted Boruto.
Seeing Boruto looking at him in surprise, Sasuke turned his head away. "At least the other four Kage all noticed. They just didn't say anything to save face for your father."
"Your expressions are too obvious. If someone like Ibiki, an interrogation expert, saw you, they'd know you were hiding something at first glance without even doing anything," Jiraiya added.
"Alright, we've answered your question. Now it's your turn to solve our problems."
Jiraiya crossed his arms and stared at Boruto.
"Fine, I'll confess."
Boruto breathed a sigh of relief.
Although the process was quite different, the outcome seemed to be no different. He could finally stop struggling with this alone.
"Sasuke-san, Uncle Jiraiya, Uncle Shikamaru, actually..."
Boruto explained how his memories were gradually fading and how Momoshiki had told him he must correct history; otherwise, his sister and friends would disappear.
After confessing, Boruto felt much more relaxed.
"I don't know what to do. Although Momoshiki was the one who killed them, if I hadn't chosen to escape, Momoshiki wouldn't have been able to take over my body while I was conscious. So I am indeed responsible."
After speaking, Boruto knelt on the bed, awaiting judgment.
Jiraiya didn't speak immediately but first looked at Sasuke.
"I've had some similar feelings about this too, though not as strongly affected as Boruto," Sasuke confirmed.
Just as Momoshiki had said, on one hand, Sasuke already existed in this era and would only change due to alterations in the future, but he wouldn't disappear entirely.
On the other hand, Sasuke had his Chakra drained by Urashiki and had consumed a great deal of Dojutsu power, so his strength was now significantly weakened.
"What I want to ask is, are those things Boruto said about the future true? Don't worry, if we really need to correct history, you can always use your Genjutsu to erase these memories for us in the end."
Jiraiya sought confirmation from Sasuke.
"That's right. The Third Hokage did die during the Konoha Crush plan. He used the Reaper death seal to seal Orochimaru's hands."
When Sasuke reached this point, he hesitated. "As for Sarutobi Asuma... I wasn't in the village at that time. I heard he was killed by Akatsuki's Hidan not long after, leaving behind a daughter..."
"Wait!"
Shikamaru, who had been feeling sorrowful, suddenly noticed something wrong when he heard the last part.
"You said Asuma-sensei left behind a daughter? But Asuma and Kurenai-sensei haven't even confirmed their relationship yet!"
Saying this, Shikamaru suddenly stood up and looked at Boruto kneeling on the bed.
During this mission, Ino hadn't come, so the three men in the team had happened to discuss some "men's topics."
While soaking in the hot springs, Asuma had mentioned this aspect to him and even wanted the quick-witted Shikamaru to give him some advice on how to confess.
Shikamaru had laughed and refused, saying this had nothing to do with intelligence.
So Shikamaru was certain about this point.
"What?! I killed him too early? Ah no, Momoshiki killed him too early?!"
Boruto was stunned, holding his head in his hands. "It's over, it's over. Does that mean the Future is gone?"
"Don't panic. It's just an individual impact; it shouldn't make the entire future disappear," Jiraiya comforted him.
"No, I mean Future-nee! Sarutobi Mirai is gone!"
Boruto held his head, somewhat broken.
The name "Mirai" literally means "Future."
Wasn't he supposed to be saving his future relatives and friends? How did he end up strangling Mirai-nee in the cradle...?
"Uh, so that's the 'Mirai' you meant."
Jiraiya looked embarrassed.
He hadn't expected the "future" Boruto mentioned was actually a person's name.
After Boruto's lamentations, Jiraiya looked at the silent Sasuke, thought for a moment, and spoke.
"Uchiha Sasuke, if you have something to say, say it. Let's solve it together. I believe the future you is no longer alone."
"Mm."
Sasuke nodded slightly and let out a soft sigh, his gaze melancholic as he looked out the window.
"According to Boruto's account and the intelligence I've gathered these past few days, this era has been drastically altered by that Makoto."
"If we want to correct it, the best approach is to eliminate most of those who were originally destined to die in the future, then use Genjutsu to modify memories. Only then can we ensure the future remains as unchanged as possible."
"Including me, right?" Jiraiya's expression turned solemn.
"Yes. Based on the current situation, the person who was supposed to kill you no longer will," Sasuke nodded.
His concern for Jiraiya's life stemmed primarily from his bond with Naruto.
Since Naruto and Jiraiya shared a deep connection, Sasuke naturally cared to some extent.
But there was one person in this era, aside from Naruto, whom he valued above all others.
No, it certainly wasn't Sakura.
It was—Nii-san.
According to the intelligence, it seemed Itachi would no longer die by his hand either.
Would Itachi then succumb to illness? Given Itachi's abilities and intellect, even delaying his death slightly could drastically alter the course of the war.
Moreover, Itachi might even break the Genjutsu Sasuke had cast.
He also possessed Shisui's Kotoamatsukami.
In Sasuke's heart, his Nii-san was undoubtedly formidable and deserved the utmost caution.
But precisely because of that, would he have to kill Nii-san with his own hands once again?
Sasuke's heart was tormented by conflict.
"Sasuke-san, Momoshiki says that once Urashiki arrives, we can cooperate with him first to eliminate those disrupting this timeline and then correct it."
"He'll reprimand and educate Urashiki not to alter the past, making them return to their original timeline and let events unfold as they should..."
Boruto pressed a hand to his forehead, relaying Momoshiki's words from his mind.
Hearing this, Sasuke, who had been somewhat uncertain, froze for a moment before his eyes hardened with resolve.
Was the original future truly such a glorious one worth protecting?
Why should he kill Nii-san for the sake of such a future?
Based on his analysis of the intelligence he'd gathered, it seemed that under Makoto's influence, the future of this timeline held far more promise.