Boruto the Akatsuki: In Search of Power 7

In the previous chapter, Boruto had invited Mitsuki to his house for dinner. His mother, Hinata, mentioned to Boruto that his father, Naruto, would be present for dinner. Boruto responded with slight concern, wishing that Naruto wouldn't have to leave in the middle of dinner.

Once Mitsuki arrived, Boruto took him to his room, where they talked about Naruto for a few minutes. Shortly after, Hinata called them for dinner. Everyone sat down in their places, waiting for Naruto to arrive.

Naruto arrived a few minutes later, greeting everyone before sitting down at the table. Just as he was about to try Hinata's cooking, he received an urgent message.

In an abandoned place in Konoha, a group of shinobi were being led by Sai. They were searching for information on who Ghost was. Sai, after exploring several rooms, found a picture of a family. The code name was Chiaki Matsubara. He had a family with him, and apparently, he had been one of Danzō Shimura's aides. Chiaki was expelled from Konoha after the atrocities committed by the Root organization were revealed. But apparently, he had left a "weapon" in Konoha as revenge.

—Accidents always happened near the academy and we didn't notice. I hope we can stop her, but taking it to that extreme, having her daughter become a weapon... —Sai thought for a moment before shouting—. Take this information to Shikamaru and inform the Hokage immediately.

The ninjas around him disappeared in an instant, and Sai put the photo away before disappearing himself.

In the Hokage's office, Kakashi and Shikamaru stood next to a shadow clone of Naruto, waiting for any news. At that moment, a ninja arrived with the information about Ghost's true identity. Naruto's clone disappeared in smoke, sending the information to the real Naruto.

Back in the present, Naruto was about to put a piece of food into his mouth when he suddenly stopped moving. He had received the information through his clone. With a serious expression, he let go of his chopsticks and placed the piece of food on his plate, apologizing:

—I'm sorry, Hinata, I have to go.

Naruto quickly got up from the table and left the house. Boruto glared at him with restrained fury and began eating hastily.

"Thanks for the meal," Boruto said, finishing quickly and getting up from the table. "See, Mother? I told you."

Hinata looked at him sadly and replied:

—Boruto, you have to understand that your father does this for us...

Boruto looked at her coldly and replied:

—Those excuses are for Himawari, not me. She could have at least stayed to eat the food you so lovingly prepared —Boruto said as he headed towards the door.

Himawari watched her brother sadly as he walked away. Hinata, not knowing what to say, lowered her head, trying to contain her emotions.

Mitsuki stood up and said to Hinata with a calming smile:

—I'll go get him.

Hinata nodded gratefully:

—I'll leave it to you, Mitsuki.

Boruto slowly walked down a flight of stairs that led him to a flat, wide area. When he reached the bottom, he stopped and placed his hands on the railings, taking in the view of the entire village. From there, the landscape was imposing, with the buildings of Konoha stretching out under the sky tinted with orange tones by the sunset.

Mitsuki, who had followed him silently, broke the calm:

—The Hokage is very busy, don't you think, Boruto?

Boruto turned his head slightly towards Mitsuki, but his gaze reflected indifference.

"The Hokage, huh? Always busy… I wonder why he's always like this. I just can't understand it," Boruto replied, his voice cold and distant. "He's always looking out for the other people around him, but he forgets the most important thing. At some point, that very person he saved will turn their back on him."

Boruto turned his gaze towards the village, his tone turning more bitter:

—In the end, all a person has left is his family. I hope that when the worst happens, he will be able to understand that he should have made another decision, remembering his mistake until the end. After all, being Hokage or being a hero is sacrificing the people you love to save the world. I don't want to become a hero.

Mitsuki looked at him in surprise at Boruto's frankness. His words reminded him of something from his own past, evoking a distant memory.

Flashback

A voice in the darkness spoke calmly:

—Will he be able to accomplish what you couldn't?

Another voice answered, full of hope:

"I hope so," the voice said as a figure emerged from a glass incubation tube. Water dripped from its body as someone gently stroked its hair.

End of Flashback

Mitsuki came back to the present, digesting Boruto's words.

—To fulfill what my father couldn't... I see, it's the same with you —Mitsuki thought before speaking—. But looking at your face, it seems that deep down you don't want him to suffer, right?

Boruto kept his gaze on the village, but his words betrayed his true feelings.

—It's true. I don't want him to suffer... After all, he is my father.

Mitsuki felt a renewed enthusiasm in the conversation, as if something had been unlocked within him.

—You know, Boruto... I've been debating whether I should tell you something very important. I wasn't sure if it would be good or bad for you to know, but I think it's best to tell you.

Mitsuki walked over to the railing, Boruto turning his body to give her his full attention. A cool breeze blew past, causing both of their hair to move in the wind.

"I know who Ghost is," Mitsuki said in a whisper that was almost swallowed up by the wind, but Boruto heard it clearly.

Boruto looked at him in disbelief, his eyes wide.

"What? What are you saying?" Boruto asked, trying to process what he had just heard.

In the Hokage's office, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Kakashi were gathered together. Naruto was adjusting his Hokage robes while Shikamaru was speaking seriously.

"Apparently, this is all the work of a survivor of the Root organization," Shikamaru said as he handed Naruto some papers. Naruto took them and looked at them carefully.

—A classmate of Boruto, Sumire Kakei… —Naruto commented, surprised.

"That's right," Shikamaru replied. "Your father, Tanuki." Shigaraki , was a member of Root. He escaped from Konoha and apparently to get revenge, he created Nue and sealed it inside his daughter. His goal was to have Sumire destroy Konoha from within. I've already sent ninjas to find her, but she must be in the hospital... Although I suspect she's already escaped.

Naruto nodded, sharing a worried look with Kakashi.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Boruto and Mitsuki were walking together. Boruto had an expression of disbelief upon hearing what Mitsuki had just revealed to him.

—That's impossible… Sumire, the class representative, is Ghost? —Boruto thought, trying to assimilate the information—. So it's like this… to think that the class representative… and the worst thing is that she's from Root… hahaha! This is unbelievable. I must send this information to my real self… but I'll have to keep acting a little longer.

"This is a bad joke," Boruto said, trying to hide his real thoughts.

—Ghost's victims were attacked near the academy —Boruto continued—. They were likely possessed by Ghost, but Sumire is also a victim.

"That was to divert suspicion from her," Mitsuki added calmly.

—Damn! I don't think so... She enjoyed spending time with us, with all her classmates —Boruto exclaimed, with a frustrated tone.

"It doesn't matter if you don't believe it, but it's too late. She must know by now that she can't keep hiding," Mitsuki replied seriously. "After all, what she wanted wasn't to drive the victims mad, but to steal their chakra."

Suddenly, the ground shook and a loud bang echoed in the distance. Boruto and Mitsuki ran to the railing to see what was happening.

In the Hokage's office, Kakashi broke the silence.

—It was our fault for not realizing she was from Root.

"But we investigated everyone to avoid suspecting them," Shikamaru said. "Back then, because of the war, everyone had lost someone. We couldn't afford to investigate everyone thoroughly."

"That doesn't change the facts," Kakashi replied. "We can only wait for information from Sai."

Elsewhere, several Konoha shinobi were running at full speed, jumping from rooftop to rooftop as Sai led them. As he moved forward, Sai was silently pondering.

—Danzo Shimura… the man who wanted to protect Konoha at all costs. But even at his end, he always thought of the village… However, destroying it in revenge is completely wrong. I cannot allow the chain of hatred and tragedy to repeat itself. I do not want those with a past in Root to suffer… I want to save them, as they saved me.

Elsewhere in Konoha, Sumire ran through a park, wrapped in a grey cloak and a mask hiding her face. As she moved through the trees, memories of her father's words haunted her.

—He seeks revenge for us. Our suffering is Konoha's fault. Avenge Root —he remembered his father's voice.

Fragments of her past flooded her mind: her father placing a diamond-shaped seal on her back, with several figures and an eye in the center, like a red burn.

Back to the present, Sumire arrived at the center of the park and paused for a moment. A second later, a chain was thrown towards her position. Sumire quickly dodged, jumping to another spot. Looking over, she saw that the attack came from a Konoha shinobi.

"You're a child… but you don't look like one," said the shinobi, as another appeared behind Sumire.

—Don't be overconfident. We don't know what it might contain —the second shinobi warned.

Sumire prepared for combat, concentrating a purple energy in her hands. At that moment, Sai appeared behind her and struck her in the back of the head, knocking her unconscious. As Sumire slowly fell to the ground, her mask slipped off and was exposed.

"We don't want to hurt you. Just stay still," Sai said as he took out a scroll and began drawing an ink tiger.

But before he could finish, Sumire muttered a word.

—Nue…

From Sumire's back, the diamond-shaped seal began to glow, burning her robe. The eye in the center of the seal opened, and suddenly, a beast appeared. It was a creature with a lion's body, striped arms like a tiger, grey fur, a white mane, and an orange face. Its tail, which was white in color, had a mouth with sharp teeth like a snake's.

Sai, surprised, jumped away as the shinobi around him did the same, preparing to face the terrifying creature.

The beast roared and from below Sumire ran to another place while I saw her destroyed coughing to her place attacking the shinobi, but they dodged it with difficulty jumping over some nearby trees .

The beast roared ferociously as Sumire, taking advantage of the chaos, ran to another place, trying to escape. Nue, the beast, began to destroy everything around her, attacking the shinobi who tried to stop her. With difficulty, the ninjas dodged the attacks, jumping towards the nearby trees in an attempt to gain some ground.

From another place, Boruto watched the scene, surprised by what he saw. "What is that?" he asked Mitsuki in amazement.

Mitsuki calmly replied, "That's Nue, the summoning beast sealed within Sumire."

Boruto looked at it in disbelief and determination. "We can't let that thing destroy Konoha," he said as he prepared to run towards the creature.

Mitsuki stopped him, grabbing his shoulder. "What are you planning to do?" she asked worriedly.

Boruto firmly pushed Mitsuki's hand away. "What you heard," he replied before running off to where Nue was.

Mitsuki watched as Boruto walked away. Suddenly, a white snake began to crawl up his arm, reaching his shoulder.

Mitsuki spoke in a low voice, with a cold and calculating expression:

—I see the mission has changed. There is no need to involve Sumire anymore. I will eliminate her and bear Nue's seal.

Mitsuki started running after Boruto.

At the spot where the beast was wreaking havoc, Sai watched from a tree, trying to come up with the best plan. One of the shinobi apologized, "I'm sorry, boss, I didn't expect it to go out of control like this."

Another ninja interrupted, pointing out the impending threat: "Here it comes!" Nue raised one of his gigantic hands and destroyed a section of the forest with a deafening boom, releasing a shockwave that sent the shinobi flying through the air.

The beast swung its tail towards the ninjas who had no way to dodge it. Suddenly, from a great height, someone shouted, " Shiden !" A purple lightning bolt enveloped the figure's right hand, who pierced through Nue's tail, cutting it off in one fell swoop. The tail fell to the ground with a loud bang, shaking the ground. Bumm .

Sai, surprised, exclaimed: "Sixth..."

Kakashi, who had arrived to help, replied determinedly, "We can't let this reach the center of Konoha. We must keep it here."

Sai nodded and took out a scroll, quickly drawing an ink bird. " Chōjū Giga Ninpo : Animal Creature Ninja Art," he recited as the large bird came to life, flying off to distract Nue.

At the same time, Kakashi and other ninjas shouted: "Doton: Tajuun Doryūheki ! Several large earthen walls rose up around Nue, momentarily enclosing her. However, the beast destroyed the ink bird with a swipe of its remaining tail, sending trees flying everywhere.

Nue raised his tail and from the destroyed part, several smaller tails emerged and headed towards the shinobi. Sai and Kakashi were surprised, but managed to dodge them in time. The other ninjas were not so lucky and the tails bit them, beginning to steal their chakra.

Kakashi, at high speed, along with Sai, pulled out kunais and cut off the heads of the tails to prevent their companions from losing more chakra. They jumped back, moving away from the battlefield.

However, the severed heads began to regenerate rapidly, multiplying everywhere and continuing the destruction of the forest.

__ At the entrance to the forest, Boruto and Mitsuki watched as, within the earthen walls, several snake-like tails wriggled threateningly.

" What is this?" Boruto shouted.

"This is very dangerous," Mitsuki replied calmly. "We can't get any closer. If we do, he'll steal our chakra."

"What should we do to stop him?" Boruto asked, clearly worried.

"There is a way to stop him," Mitsuki replied.

"What is that form?" Boruto insisted.

—The only way is to kill the summoner. That way, Nue will disappear.

—If she dies… will you…? —Boruto hesitated for a moment, looking at Mitsuki suspiciously. —What will you do, Boruto? The lives of those you care about are in the village. Which do you choose, the life of the delegate or that of your family? —Mitsuki looked at him with calculating eyes.

—Hahaha! I will save everyone. None will die in my presence —Boruto declared with determination.

Mitsuki, surprised by Boruto's confidence, replied:

—I see, a new option, an option I couldn't choose. I'm not like you, Boruto. I want to be more, I want to feel more things.

As he spoke, white snakes emerged from Mitsuki's right sleeve. Boruto, distracted, didn't notice that a clone of Mitsuki appeared behind him and grabbed him from behind, immobilizing him.

—Hey! What are you doing? Let me go! —Boruto exclaimed, struggling to free himself.

"I have a mission," Mitsuki said seriously, "and that is to finish off the person responsible for all this."

"Mission? Whose?" Boruto asked, his mind searching for answers. "And you think this is the right thing to do?"

"It's best to leave you here. If you come, you'll regret it," Mitsuki said with a coldness that Boruto hadn't seen before.

—Wait, Mitsuki! —Boruto shouted desperately.

The Mitsuki clone holding him spoke:

—I'll knock you out until I'm done.

But before he could act, Boruto broke free with a swift movement and cut off the clone's head, which disappeared in a cloud of white smoke, just like the snakes.

"Looks like the performance is over," Boruto thought. "Time to send the information to the real me."

He performed several hand positions at high speed, closed his eyes

Elsewhere in Konoha, specifically in the abandoned factory: his other real self, sitting on his throne with his right hand holding his head in a fist and his arm resting on the armrest, suddenly opened his eyes and spoke:

"I see, so she was the Ghost. I knew it was one of the academy brats, but I didn't know which one. But well, that's settled now. And that Mitsuki… he's dangerous. The snake can't hold back anymore, always looking for something else… but how fun." Boruto laughed maliciously. "Well, it's time to give the orders now. First, find out if Sumire is useful. She has an interesting summoned beast, but something doesn't add up. I felt Nue's chakra as soon as she appeared in Konoha. Her chakra is similar to my father's, a Bijū chakra, but it doesn't compare in density and explosive power. I guess she's a human creation… it was to be expected. But I want to see Nue in person."

As his right eye shifted into his Doujutsu, he began to phase through walls and extend his vision, searching further. "Follow the path of chakra," Boruto thought as his vision took him to Nue.

—That's Nue. It looks like a chimera... no, it's a chimera —Boruto said, amused—. I can see the chakra of the person who summoned it. The path will lead me to her.

His sight followed the trail of chakra and saw a person running at full speed.

"It's her," Boruto whispered in amusement. "What surprises me most about this eye is that the more chakra I send into it, the further I can travel. If I have enough chakra, I could travel the world. Hahaha, how fun."

With a gesture, Boruto sent the information and the mission to his clone.

—First, check if Sumire Kakei will be a good tool. The most important thing in a tool is its usefulness and loyalty to the one who controls it. We have to test how loyal it is. Now, I will send my vision to my clone… I want to see how far it can go.

Back in the forest, Boruto was resisting the information from his real self and thought that this is the mission and the path that leads to the Hokages' mountain is where he is going, it is time to move, he began to jump at full speed between the trees,

Back in the forest, Boruto found himself resisting the information from his real self. He thought with determination, "That's the mission, and the path leading to the Hokage Mountain is through there. It's time to move." With a boost, he began to jump at full speed between the trees, advancing with precision.

Inside the stone wall:

"Damn it! This stone barrier won't hold for long," Kakashi exclaimed, as he stood on top of one of the walls, accompanied by Sai.

The wall could be seen crumbling, unable to contain Nue for much longer.

"We need to try something else. It's growing bigger and bigger," Kakashi said, looking down at the shinobi below. They nodded and shouted in unison, "ON ORDER!" As they did so, they disappeared in a Shunshin and reappeared somewhere else.

A purple barrier, initially square and then transformed into a round one, rose, enclosing Nue.

"This is perfect. We can't let it get away. If it reaches the center of the village, it will absorb all the chakra of the citizens," Sai said with determination.

Nue, in an uncontrollable rage, attacked Kakashi and Sai, who were atop one of the stone walls. The two shinobi agilely jumped to another spot to dodge the beast's attack. However, Nue's power was so destructive that it caused a shower of debris upon impacting the ground.

"We have no other choice. We have to fight," Sai said, as he pulled out a kunai with a ninja wire. The other ninjas followed suit and threw the kunai around Nue, sticking them into the ground while holding the wires tightly so that she wouldn't move.

After a few minutes, the Hokage arrived.

"Okay," Naruto said, appearing in a Shunshin. "How's the rescue going?"

"Shikamaru and the others are taking care of it. I'll take care of this at once," Kakashi replied.

Naruto prepared for combat and activated Kurama's chakra mode, but someone interrupted him, deactivating Kurama's chakra.

—Wait, Naruto. It's not good for you to do that. Nue is capable of absorbing chakra. If she were to take some of yours, she would grow bigger, since your chakra reserves are very large — Sai said with concern.

"So what do we do?" Naruto asked, frowning.

"We have to wait for the chakra inside Nue to explode," Kakashi said seriously.

—But if we let it explode, it will blow up the entire village —Naruto protested.

"This summoning was designed for that. It absorbs people's chakra and places it in an enemy country, causing it to explode. That was the main function of this summoning," Kakashi explained.

"This makes me want to vomit," Sai added, disgusted.

—Naruto, go to those at the barrier and reinforce it with your chakra so that when it explodes, it can hold —Kakashi said.

"Is that all we can do? Is there nothing else?" Naruto asked, worried.

"Yes, that's it," Kakashi confirmed.

So they lifted the barrier. Meanwhile, Sumire, from the Mount of Hokages, was thinking, "Nue still needs some chakra to explode. What should I do? I've already come this far; I can't stop. I just need a little more chakra to complete the process."

At that moment, Mitsuki appeared, jumping behind Sumire. She quickly turned around and they clashed kunai, beginning a full-speed fight. Sumire moved the kunai she was holding and threw it towards Mitsuki's face.

Mitsuki turned his face to the side, narrowly dodging the kunai. In midair, Mitsuki threw a kick, which Sumire blocked with her forearms, countering the blow skillfully.

Mitsuki landed on the ground with a small smile on his face, while a scratch on his cheek indicated that the fight was far from over.

"Not bad at all, Deputy," Mitsuki said, as the cut on her cheek began to heal, emitting a slight steam.

"That's what I'm telling you, Mitsuki. How did you find me? After all, I'm good at hiding," Sumire replied, with a mix of surprise and curiosity.

"When you were in the hospital, I left something with you," Mitsuki replied, as a small white snake emerged from one of Sumire's clothes and headed towards Mitsuki, hiding in her sleeve.

"Did you come to kill me, Mitsuki?" Sumire asked, her tone defiant.

"Those are orders. I have no choice," Mitsuki replied coldly.

"Orders... I imagine they're not from the Seventh. Whose orders are they?" Sumire asked, trying to buy time.

—It doesn't matter who they are. The mission is clear: you must die.

At that instant, Mitsuki ran at full speed towards Sumire, spreading her hands like a snake. Sumire, surprised by the speed of the attack, barely managed to dodge, but Mitsuki had already swept her feet away, making her fall to the ground. Taking advantage of the moment, Mitsuki grabbed Sumire's arm and placed it behind her back, immobilizing her.

"Game over, Deputy," Mitsuki said, pulling a kunai from her sleeve. She raised it, ready to stab Sumire in the head, but at that moment, Boruto appeared and kicked Mitsuki away.

—Stop, Mitsuki! —Boruto shouted.

Sumire quickly stood up, jumping away as Boruto stared at her.

"I didn't think it was you, Deputy," Boruto said, surprised.

—Boruto... —Sumire muttered, before speaking louder— Yes, I'm the one who caused the accidents.

"Why?" Boruto asked, confused.

—It was my father's mission. It was the only way to continue what he started.

Boruto looked at Mitsuki and ordered:

—You, Mitsuki, stay there.

Turning his attention back to Sumire, Boruto spoke with determination:

—You don't have to follow your father's will. You have to decide if that's really what you want.

Elsewhere, in an abandoned factory, the real Boruto was observing the situation through his clone. "I want to see how strong your will is, but looking at your face, you're weak, unable to finish what you started. Just a few words are enough to convince you, how disappointing," Boruto thought. "If I was there in person, I would have killed her already. Good thing I'm only watching through my clone. It's easier this way and consumes less chakra. But since we've come this far, I'll have my clone bring her back to Konoha completely with noble hero techniques . It's better than blowing up the entire village or killing her with Mitsuki present that would give us away. I'll use both of them: I'll show Mitsuki what she wants to see and I'll show Sumire the new path ahead of her." Making a sign with his hands, Boruto conveyed the new mission to his clone.

Returning to Mount Hokage, Boruto stood still for a moment, before coming back to his senses.

"So, Sumire, what will you do?" Boruto asked, extending his hand.

Without a second thought, Mitsuki ran towards Sumire, who did the same. Just before they collided, Boruto intercepted both of their punches, holding his fists in an X shape.

"What do you think you're doing?" Boruto shouted. "I told you not to move, Mitsuki."

At that moment, Boruto felt his Doujutsu activate, and rays began to come out of his eye, spreading out of control.

The real Boruto, who was observing his clone's actions through shared vision, was shocked by what his Doujutsu had displayed and began to laugh in amusement.

"What else can this eye do?" he asked himself, touching his right eye with his hand.

Meanwhile, at the barrier where Naruto and his group were, Nue disappeared in a spinning vortex, leaving everyone in disbelief at what had happened.

Naruto, more surprised than anyone, said:

—This is Space-Time Ninjutsu...

After a moment, Naruto activated his Toad Sage Mode. His eyes changed from blue to yellow, with a horizontally striped pupil. In this mode, he was able to see chakra. Naruto looked around and said:

—There's no trace of his chakra... there's nothing.

"Well, we can't do anything about Space-Time Ninjutsu. We can only hope it doesn't appear again," Kakashi said with resignation.

But at the Mount of Hokages, Sumire jumped back at the sight of the lightning and said sadly:

—Nue, eat my chakra...

Boruto, with his Dōjutsu still activated, saw a portal-like afterimage. A few moments later, a purple portal appeared in that place, and from it emerged Nue's tail, which began to absorb Sumire.

"No!" Boruto screamed, jumping towards the portal to avoid it, passing through it while screaming. Mitsuki, shocked by what had happened, was paralyzed as he watched Boruto disappear into the portal.

A few moments later, Boruto fell from a great height, but before he hit the ground, vines tangled around him, slowing his fall. "Where am I?" he muttered as he let go of the vines and fell into a small pool of water. He looked around and saw the trunk of a giant, dull gray tree that was wrapped in huge, dull yellow ropes. He walked a little further until he reached solid ground.

Boruto stared at the trunk, its imposing presence giving him a sense of unease. Suddenly, a deep roar echoed from beneath the trunk, where the roots intertwined. At that instant, Boruto got into a fighting stance. Nue emerged at full speed, throwing her tail at Boruto. He dodged the attack with an agile leap to the side, and without wasting any time, he ran straight at Nue, sliding his body underneath the beast as he threw a kunai with an explosive tag.

Boom ! The rumble echoed through the place, and Nue growled in pain, but did not stop in his attempt to attack. Boruto ran in a zigzag pattern, dodging the scratches and blows of Nue's tail. At that moment, his Doujutsu automatically activated, allowing him to see the flow of chakra within Nue's body. He noticed that the chakra channels were a deep orange color, and a point of the same color was glowing at the junction between the beast's body and tail.

"There's his weakness," Boruto thought, determining his next move. With agility, he used the protruding roots to dodge Nue's attacks, climbing up the grey trunk. As he ran to the top of the trunk, Nue leapt furiously to catch up with him. Boruto, in a quick maneuver, spun in the air, landing precisely on Nue's weak point. He pulled a kunai from his sleeve and stabbed it into the chakra point. Nue let out a deafening scream and fell to the ground, paralyzed, unable to move.

Boruto watched Nue, taking out another kunai with an explosive tag. He was preparing to place it on Nue's head and end the fight, when a desperate voice stopped him.

"Don't kill Nue!" Sumire shouted, launching her attack. " Suiton: Suireija ! " A sphere-shaped water wave shot out from the tip of her finger.

Boruto, at high speed, jumped from the top of Nue, dodging the attack and landing on the ground. He quickly performed a series of hand seals and exclaimed, "Katon: Endan no Jutsu! " A large fireball shot out of his mouth towards Sumire. Surprised, Sumire moved out of the way just in time, preventing the jutsu from reaching her.

Boruto climbed back onto the tree trunk and stood in front of Sumire, trying to calm her down. "Sumire, calm down, I don't want to hurt you," Boruto said seriously.

"Then why did you attack me?" Sumire replied in an angry tone.

"Because you attacked me first," Boruto retorted.

Sumire looked at him in frustration, but before she could say anything else, Boruto continued, "I just want to talk to you, just listen to me. You don't have to follow your father's will. You can decide your own path."

Sumire hesitated for a moment before answering, "Boruto, all my father asked of me was to get revenge. I have no other choice," she said sadly, raising her hand and firing a small ball of water at him. Boruto was thus pushed to the side and fell to the ground, dodging Sumire's attack.

In Boruto's mind, his true self smirked. The plan has worked perfectly , he thought. He had sensed Sumire and Mitsuki's chakra, and everything was unfolding as he expected.

"Mitsuki?" Boruto said, feigning surprise as he looked at his partner beside him.

__ Sumire also turned around, watching Mitsuki warily. The two stared at each other for a moment before combat broke out between them. Sumire began to shoot water balls from her fingers at high speed towards Mitsuki. Mitsuki nimbly began to run in circles, dodging the projectiles. Suddenly, she leaped into the air, forming a seal with her hands and shouting, " Fūton : Kamaitachi! " A wind slash shot towards Sumire.

Sumire jumped to dodge the attack, but Mitsuki approached at high speed, stretching out his arms like snakes and hitting her in the face, sending her flying. However, her body dispersed into water in the air. Behind Mitsuki, Sumire appeared again, firing several water bullets towards her body. But, instead of Mitsuki, only a bunch of snakes were left scattering on the ground. Mitsuki reappeared behind Sumire, who in surprise threw a kunai, but Mitsuki quickly countered it. The metallic sound of the clash resounded and both jumped back, taking distance.

"I just need your GozuTennō , which is on your back. If necessary, I will tear it off from there," Mitsuki said as he ran towards Sumire again.

Before he could reach her, Boruto appeared at high speed, standing between them. "NO!" he shouted, surprising both Sumire and Mitsuki. A kunai stabbed into Boruto's shoulder, causing him to roll across the ground from the impact.

Mitsuki looked at him in surprise, while Sumire watched him with concern. Boruto slowly steadied himself, standing up. "Was that enough? Aren't you listening? It's time to stop fighting." Boruto removed the kunai from his shoulder and dropped it to the ground, looking directly at Sumire. "I know you don't want this. I saw how you cared about your classmates, about each other… you were the class representative. Is this really what you want?"

Mitsuki, ignoring Boruto's words, attacked again, rushing towards Sumire with a kunai in hand. But Boruto intercepted the attack, blocking it with another kunai. The sound of clashing metal filled the air. "That's enough, Mitsuki! It's time to stop," Boruto shouted as he held off Mitsuki's attack.

"You know, Boruto, she tricked the entire class into unleashing Nue on Konoha," Mitsuki said coldly.

"It wasn't Sumire's fault. She's just a victim," Boruto replied, standing his ground.

"Why are you helping her?" Mitsuki asked, as they both stared at each other.

"Because she is my partner and I will not abandon her," Boruto replied firmly. In his mind, the real Boruto was thinking: That's the answer you wanted, right, Mitsuki?

Sumire, shocked by Boruto's words, cried out sadly, "Nue!" From the depths of the trunk, the beast rose and jumped out, placing itself behind Sumire.

"Eat my chakra, Nue. I'm tired," Sumire said in a muffled voice.

Boruto pushed Mitsuki back, turning to face Sumire. But Nue didn't do anything. Sumire stared at him in disbelief, asking again, "Nue, what's wrong? Eat my chakra."

"He won't eat your chakra anymore. You are his mother, after all," Boruto said calmly as Nue walked over to Sumire and gently nuzzled her.

"You see, Mitsuki? In this world, there are not only two paths. There are the exits that you are able to create with your own hands," Boruto said as Mitsuki watched the scene in disbelief.

"What's going on?" Mitsuki asked, still puzzled.

" He sees you as his mother. He won't hurt you," Boruto explained, addressing Sumire.

"But how...? " Sumire muttered.

"Don't you remember your mother?" Boruto asked, his words triggering a rush of memories in Sumire.

A flashback came over her mind. She saw a lady in a dark room, with windows on the top where only a few small rays of sunlight came in. The lady was sitting on a bed, brushing the hair of a little girl who was sitting on a small chair. The woman spoke in a soft voice, "Our era will end with our lives, but you, Sumire, have a path ahead of you. Don't let others tell you what to do. Move forward without stopping." Sumire nodded at her mother's words and replied, "Yes, mother." Sumire's mother hugged her lovingly.

Returning to the present, the GozuTennō seal on Sumire's back began to break and she fell to the ground on her knees.

"What's going on?" Mitsuki asked, growing more and more confused.

"She was being controlled by Nue's chakra. Nue's chakra has the ability to make negative emotions take over, and Sumire was suffering," Boruto explained seriously.

The moment Boruto finished speaking, a thunderous tremor shook the place, causing the ground to vibrate violently. The walls began to crack, and fragments of the ceiling broke off, falling in pieces around them. The entire surroundings seemed to be crumbling, as if the world itself was disintegrating.

Boruto, with instinctive speed, ran towards Sumire, who was paralyzed with fear, and carried her towards the makeshift shelter beneath Nue. The beast's large body provided them with some protection from the falling debris. Boruto, while trying to calm his rapid breathing, spoke with urgency and conviction, reminding Sumire of the reasons why she must continue on, why she must live. His words echoed through the sounds of the collapse, trying to reach Sumire's heart despite the chaos around them.

"Sumire, listen... You have to live! You can't give up now, not after everything you've been through. I know you've suffered a lot, but your life doesn't have to be defined by pain or the expectations of others. You're stronger than you think! What's happening now, all this chaos... It's nothing more than a test, a chance to start over. I speak boruto

"Look at me, Sumire! You have people you care about, companions who need you. You can build a different future, one that is your own, without being tied down to what others expect of you. Don't let this place destroy you, don't let the past consume you! We're going to get out of here, together!"

Finally, Sumire nodded determinedly, accepting Boruto's words. With a joint effort, they both climbed onto Nue's back, who had already sensed the impending destruction and was preparing to move. The large creature began to run with agility, dodging the rubble and jumping over the obstacles that formed as the place collapsed.

With every step they took, the ground crumbled behind them, as if destruction followed close behind. Boruto and Sumire clung to Nue, as he skillfully dodged the dangers that arose in their path, running towards the exit in a desperate attempt to escape the chaos that loomed over them. The tension in the air was palpable, but Boruto did not stop talking to Sumire, reinforcing his resolve to get out of there alive. Doujutsu

After running desperately, Boruto activated his Doujutsu, and a portal appeared in his field of vision. He firmly pointed at a specific spot while shouting, "There, Sumire, over there!" Nue, with surprising agility, ran on the huge yellow ropes that held the trunk, deftly dodging the debris that fell around her. The ground trembled violently, and it seemed as if the world was crumbling around her.

As they approached the portal, the rope holding Nue began to fray, and the colossal tree trunk they were clinging to began to collapse. Nue ran with all his might, but in the last few meters the rope came loose, and he began to fall into the abyss. With a last effort, Nue jumped, remaining caught on the edge of the ravine. Boruto, Sumire and Mitsuki had no choice but to jump off his back, landing on solid ground just before Nue began to slide.

"Nue, don't give up! Jump!" Sumire screamed in desperation, watching her faithful companion slide into the void. But Nue, exhausted and without the necessary strength, could not resist any longer and fell. Sumire tried to run to the edge, but Boruto stopped her, holding her tightly before jumping with her and Mitsuki into the portal.

A few minutes earlier, in Konoha, Shikadai and Boruto's classmates were desperately searching for their friend. They had scoured the village, following clues until they reached the Mount of the Hokages. Just when they were beginning to lose hope, a portal opened out of nowhere, and from it emerged Boruto, Sumire and Mitsuki, their faces marked by tension and exhaustion, but safe.

Boruto shouted in relief upon seeing his friends, "Shikadai, Inojin, and Denki!"

"Where were they?" Shikadai asked, as he quickly approached.

"Nevermind... What are you doing here?" Boruto asked as he slowly stood up, brushing the dust off his clothes.

"We are looking for them. We saw a light in the sky heading towards this place. It was the last place we needed to investigate," Shikadai explained with a mix of relief and concern.

Boruto laughed out loud. "Hahaha, well, we're here now. Thanks, guys," he said gratefully.

Denki, seeing Sumire, commented, "And the delegate is here, that's good."

Just then, several shinobi arrived and surrounded them. Sumire was frightened when she saw the number of ninjas surrounding them.

Sai, with a serious expression, spoke: "What are you doing up at this hour? You should be sleeping. What are you doing here?" He watched them with a mixture of authority and concern.

Inojin nervously replied, "Well, we were looking for Boruto and the others..."

Sai sighed, relaxing his posture a little. He approached Sumire, who had her back turned, and said in a soft voice, "I can help you. We come from the same place. Come with us, we won't hurt you."

Boruto intervened, saying firmly, "It's not her fault."

Sai nodded slowly. "I know. We just want to help her," he replied as he started walking, signaling for Sumire to follow him.

Sumire stood up and, with hesitant steps, began to follow Sai. However, before she got too far away, Boruto activated his Dōjutsu for a second and noticed a strange energy. With an urgent tone, he exclaimed: "Delegate, he is alive! He is in your left hand."

A shocked Sumire stopped and turned to look at Boruto. She nervously began to remove the bandages covering her left hand. Upon uncovering it, she saw a small eye embedded in her palm, blinking weakly. A smile spread across her face as she felt a wave of happiness and relief.

"This is finally over... aaah , I'm tired, I'm going to sleep!" Boruto said with a sigh of relief. But his companions, seeing the light of dawn, stopped him: "But it's already dawning!"

Boruto was shocked and without wasting any time, he started running towards his house. He jumped between the rooftops, feeling the cool morning breeze as he hurried to get there before anyone noticed his absence.

Finally, he reached his home and crept in through his bedroom window. He quickly changed, taking off his clothes and putting on his pajamas in an attempt to look like he had been sleeping the whole time. Just as he settled into bed, trying to look sleepy, he heard the door open.

It was Hinata, who walked in with a gentle smile. She approached Boruto and, in her sweet voice, called out to him, "It's time for breakfast."

Boruto, feeling trapped, slowly opened his eyes, trying to imitate the laziness of someone who just woke up. " Hmm , I'm coming..." he muttered, pretending to be sleepy.

Hinata, satisfied with the answer, left the room unsuspectingly. Boruto let out a sigh of relief, muttering to himself, "That was close..."

A few days later, Boruto can be seen walking towards the academy with his classmates.

"I wonder when the class representative will be back," Shikadai commented, looking up at the sky.

"I wonder that too," Mitsuki added, in his usual calm tone.

"I hope he comes back soon," Boruto said, hiding his concern behind a smile.

Elsewhere, Sumire was in a white room, dressed in a robe of the same color. The door opened and Shino entered the room.

"Sumire, have you recovered yet?" Shino asked in a gentle tone. "Your detention is about to end."

Sumire lowered her head, holding in her hands a small object that looked like a butterfly, a memento from her mother. "I did a lot of bad things..." she said softly.

"Don't worry about it, Sumire. You've already paid for your mistakes," Shino replied, understanding in her voice. "I can have you live outside the village for a while so you can think about what you really want to do."

Sumire looked up, showing a small smile. "Sensei, I want to see my classmates again. I want to be with them."

"Fine, if that's what you wish, you'll return to the academy tomorrow," Shino said happily.

Sumire nodded, feeling a mix of relief and happiness.

That same afternoon, at the Uzumaki house, Boruto walked through the front door. "I'm here!" he announced.

"Welcome!" Hinata replied from the kitchen.

When Boruto reached the entrance to the kitchen and living room, he could see Naruto and Himawari in the background, reading a book together. Boruto started walking towards them and commented, "I didn't think you'd be home so early today."

Naruto smiled. "Well, there are days when it's better to be at home."

Boruto looked at him with a disinterested expression and then looked down at his sister. "Hello, Himawari," he said, but Himawari, who was sitting on her father's lap, didn't respond and looked away. Boruto thought to himself, "Looks like she won't talk to me until she's the original me."

Naruto noticed the interaction and asked curiously, "What did you do to your sister?"

Boruto looked at him and replied, "It's something between brothers."

Naruto didn't say anything else, but Boruto spoke again. "You know, I want to talk to you about Sumire, my class representative."

Naruto watched him for a few seconds and replied, "She's recovering."

Boruto nodded. " Mmm , I see. I hope he returns to the academy. After all, he was the Ghost, but he's not like that anymore," Boruto said, while keeping his hands in his pockets.

Naruto looked at him in surprise and Hinata, who was serving some dishes, stopped to observe the scene.

"Boruto, don't worry. We won't do anything bad to her. Sumire is our partner," Naruto said, trying to reassure him.

"I know," Boruto replied, without much enthusiasm. "I trust you."

Hinata then chimed in, "It's time to eat," as she and Himawari placed the plates on the table.

Naruto and Boruto sat down in their seats, and when everyone was ready, they said in unison, "Thank you for the food."

The next day at the academy, Shino entered the classroom and behind him, Sumire appeared at the door. "I'm back," she said in a timid voice.

All the students approached her, asking how she was doing and showing concern for her well-being. Sumire looked around, taking in the familiar faces of her classmates. From his seat, Boruto looked at her with a warm smile.

Sumire watched him for a moment, and suddenly, tears began to roll down her cheeks.

After the academy, Boruto was walking with his companions until he separated from them at an intersection, heading to an alley where his real self was waiting for him.

"Your chakra is running low. It needs to be replaced, come closer," the real Boruto said.

The clone did as he was told and closed his eyes. Boruto placed his hand on the clone's back and after a few minutes, he said, "It's full now. You can go," as he shoved his hands into his pants pockets and leaned back against the wall.

The clone spoke, worried, "Why aren't you going home? It's been days since you last went."

Boruto calmly replied, "Well, I'm close to mastering the new Doujutsu skills. It won't be long now. When I'm done, I'll go home."

"New abilities?" the clone asked curiously.

"That's right, they're quite interesting," Boruto replied. "But the eye hasn't been reactivated anymore," the clone added.

"That means Toneri can't control it anymore," Boruto commented, as if it were a simple fact.

"But Toneri's chakra is no longer in the eye. So how was he able to control it?" the clone asked, confused.

"Well, it was some ability of Toneri's, albeit a bit interesting," Boruto replied, not showing much interest.

"Why do you talk like it's not important?" the clone insisted.

"Because I already know that he will never have control of this eye again," Boruto said firmly.

"What? I don't understand," the clone replied.

"Apparently Toneri made a mistake in thinking that I wouldn't awaken the Eye before he told me. In that dream, when he said that I would save the world, he was wrong."

"What did you do wrong?" the clone asked.

"Toneri was able to see destiny, he saw my destiny. And with what he told me in the dream, I realized that he doesn't know anything about me. If he was watching me, he would know what's happening right now, us talking. That's why I didn't show myself, I wanted him to think I was a savior," Boruto explained.

"But how did you know he was watching you?" the clone asked, still in disbelief.

"The first time the eye activated, it did so without me wanting it to, or well, it activated on a clone. At that time, I asked my clone for the information for the seals at the abandoned factory. After making the seals and making sure no one noticed me, I activated my eye on a whim and felt a gaze in Konoha, but it wasn't coming from anywhere. I thought it was a simple illusion, but when Toneri appeared in my dreams, I realized that it was him who was watching me. So I let my clone do everything," Boruto explained.

"So why did you show yourself at the Jiuga Estate?" the clone asked.

"I wanted to see if he would appear, but he didn't. I didn't feel his gaze. Do you know why? Because the chakra he had inserted into my eye had completely disappeared. He was either unable to locate me, or that part I did at the Jūga house was n't in the destination. But I think it was because he wasn't in the destination, that's the explanation I find most convincing. He was unable to intervene," Boruto said in a thoughtful tone.

"So, he's seeing the destination the whole time?" the clone asked.

"Of course not, or so I think. But it was probably when he had the eyes of his entire clan that he was able to see destiny. Right now, he only has the images of what he saw and can observe a part of the world at the moment. I don't really understand it, but apparently, he wanted me to learn about this eye. So, he used his Doujutsu control ability to activate it at key moments so I could familiarize myself with it. That's why I didn't show myself in public unless necessary," Boruto explained.

"So the fate he saw no longer exists?" the clone asked.

"Yes, there is. After all, what will happen, will happen," Boruto replied.

"I don't understand," the clone replied.

"I'll put it this way: fate says that a specific person will die. That's fate. But what Toneri should have seen was the future and not fate, since the future shows how the person dies, if he was killed by someone, but fate doesn't do that, it only shows that he will die, without specifying how. In short, the future can be changed, but fate cannot. That means that the person could have avoided his death at that time and lived to be old. The problem with Toneri is that he probably saw me in the future saving this world, but that's not my fate. He was confused," Boruto explained patiently.

"So what's up with that eye you have?" the clone asked.

"I probably already had it before Toneri intervened, it's just that he intervened so that I could awaken it earlier and in a different way than how I awakened it in the past. Apparently, the future is going to be very chaotic," Boruto concluded.

"How is it that Toneri intervened? And how did he put his chakra in your eye?" the clone asked, trying to understand.

"My mother told me that thanks to Toneri, my father was able to know how he felt about my mother. So, it's Toneri's fault that I was born, or he knew something and brought forward the moment. Like I told you, he saw the future. Also in Mom's story, she says that Toneri passed some kind of chakra inside her. Surely, that was the moment," Boruto explained.

The clone nodded, understanding.

"Go, it's time. You'll be late for dinner," Boruto ordered.

"One more thing. Our sister doesn't want to talk to us, what should I do?" the clone asked.

"Leave her alone, I'll talk to her later," Boruto said.

"Oh, one more thing. About the new abilities, what are they?" the clone asked, curious.

"One is elemental control, of lightning. I am able to use lightning without making signs, and the other is space-time control," Boruto replied.

The clone was shocked, unable to say a word.

"Well, I already told you, go," Boruto insisted.

The clone quickly left, skipping towards the Uzumaki house. The real Boruto, who was leaning against the wall, began to walk slowly with his hands in his pockets.

After walking for a while, he arrived at the abandoned factory. Before he arrived, he noticed a large space, with the factory in the center. When he reached the factory gate, Boruto thought, "What is this feeling? I've had it ever since I was talking to the clone. Someone is watching, but I activated my senses to the fullest and I don't feel anything. Is it Toneri? No, it's different, I had a different feeling. I'll activate my eye to the fullest."

At that moment, he opened the door, hiding his face, and quickly turned around with his Doujutsu activated. He saw something that surprised him, and with a Rasengan in hand, he attacked, destroying much of the ground, creating a large smokescreen. Boruto quickly threw a kunai into the air and shouted, "Hiraishin: Area Seals." Several three-pronged kunai scattered all around the factory entrance, and Boruto disappeared in a flash, only to reappear a second later in the same place. All around him, all the places where the three-pronged kunai were had cuts, as if the place had become a war zone.

Boruto looked around with his Doujutsu activated to the maximum and focused on one point. It disappeared in a flash and appeared in front of where he was looking. In his mind, he thought, "That shadow is the one watching me. I was able to see it thanks to the Doujutsu, but I can't touch it. What's going on?"

"Who are you?" Boruto asked out loud, but the shadow didn't move, nothing happened.

Boruto became enraged and thought again, "Who is this person? But I know one thing: this shadow is not in this plane, it's as if it were not from this world. If so, then I will activate all the concealment seals to their fullest extent. I want to see how long it can last."

Boruto, at high speed, made several signs with his hands and shouted, "Fūinjutsu: Genjutsu no Sekai " (Sealing Art: Escape from Reality). The entire factory began to glow, and several seals appeared everywhere, glowing like a bomb. Boruto thought, "I've never taken this jutsu to its fullest splendor. I want to see how much this person can last." After making several more signs, the factory was filled with an intense glow, with the seals glowing even brighter.

The shadow seemed to resist, refusing to disappear. Boruto, feeling exhausted, continued to send more chakra, although it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to stay standing. Finally, the shadow disappeared, and Boruto, with the last of his remaining strength, made a hand position to deactivate the jutsu. The seals stopped glowing, but Boruto fell to his knees, exhausted.

"Damn, who was that person? If I meet her again in the future, I have to find a way to eliminate her," Boruto muttered, catching his breath.

At this moment, on the moon, Toneri looked up at the starry sky and said, "The Jōgan won't activate for a while... or so I think. After all, what I saw was the future, and the future can be changed. But Kaguya's dimensions are closed, the door she opened has been sealed. We're just buying time; sooner or later, the gods will come to this land."

Somewhere in space, a devastated planet could be seen, with a huge tree trunk in the center. On the edge of this trunk, a being sat, dressed in white clothes, with pale skin and horns on its head. A veil over the horns cast a shadow that hid its face while it ate a red fruit.

The seated being spoke: "The harvest is near... that is good."

Behind the being, a spinning vortex appeared, and from it emerged another being wearing the same clothing, but larger in size.

The being sitting there asked, "How did it go?"

The newcomer replied, "Kaguya's worlds seem destroyed to an extreme degree; 16 were pierced."

The seated being commented, "Oh... the harvest has already waited too long."

The being standing still added, "It is normal to inform the clan when the spatial percentage exceeds 10%."

The seated being mused, "That means he either betrayed us... or he's dead."

Prepare the trip kinshiki we will move faster spoke the being that was sitting