Sasuke frowned again as he spoke. The chakra resonance between him and the older Sasuke wasn't fake, and the man truly did know many things that only he himself should know.
He had almost believed him, but now it was confusing again.
At that moment, the older Sasuke was also a bit stunned. He hadn't expected to be exposed like this. If he had known, he wouldn't have tried to resist earlier.
And he had to admit, this Sasuke's logic was correct.If he had known his counterpart's Mangekyō Sharingan ability was Tsukuyomi, he definitely would've been more cautious and never used genjutsu so carelessly.
So… what now? Older Sasuke felt like he was hitting a wall. If he couldn't earn this world's Sasuke's trust, then their entire mission might as well be considered a failure. And if the Nine-Tails were lost in this world, it would cause massive changes.
"…Do you believe in parallel worlds?" Older Sasuke finally asked.
Sasuke froze, then frowned. "What do you mean?"
Older Sasuke nodded. "I'm Sasuke Uchiha from a different timeline," he said.
His eyes grew distant, as he began recalling the past."I don't know what's different between us. In my world, I was seven years old when Itachi wiped out the entire clan. I graduated at twelve and was placed on Team 7, with Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno."
"During the Chūnin Exams, I was targeted by Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, and he marked me with a curse seal."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He immediately thought of the curse mark on his own neck, though now modified to store natural energy.
"After the Chūnin Exams, in pursuit of power to defeat Itachi, I defected from Konoha to follow Orochimaru."
"…Wait, defected?" Sasuke interrupted. "Didn't Natsuro stop you?"
Older Sasuke looked at him.That question confirmed it, this world's version of himself had gone through a similar past. The key difference must be that Sixth Hokage Natsuro was present here.
"That's what I wanted to explain. In my world, there is no Natsuro," he replied, looking Sasuke in the eyes.
"No… Natsuro?"
Sasuke froze and began to think.
No wonder. With Natsuro around, there was no way he would've been able to defect. Their power gap back then was too huge, Sharingan or not, he couldn't have escaped.
Sasuke frowned deeper.If Natsuro hadn't been there… would he have truly defected?
He had to admit, he was obsessed with revenge back then. If Orochimaru had tempted him at the right moment… it might have happened.
Older Sasuke continued. "Three years later, I learned everything I could from Orochimaru. When he tried to take my body, I turned on him and killed him. Then I found Itachi and killed him as well. That was when I awakened my Mangekyō Sharingan. I suspect my awakening and yours were different, and that's why I didn't recognize your ability."
"I see. So, what are your Mangekyō abilities?" Sasuke asked.
"Amaterasu and Kagutsuchi," Older Sasuke answered plainly.
Sasuke nodded. "Go on."
Older Sasuke shook his head. "That's all I can say."
"That's it? You must've experienced more than that," Sasuke pressed.
"I'm not sure how far along this world is in its timeline. Saying too much could have consequences," he replied.
"…Fair enough."Sasuke fell silent. He glanced at Older Sasuke's bandaged left eye and missing arm. He wanted to ask what had happened, but judging by the older man's expression, he wouldn't get an answer.
Older Sasuke simply stood there, waiting for him to process everything. He believed Sasuke would accept the truth.
After a long pause, Sasuke had mostly come to believe him, but this matter was far too serious to decide alone.
"…I'll take you to see Natsuro. He'll decide what to do."
Older Sasuke was startled, then gave Sasuke a complex look. It was clear this Natsuro held great importance in this Sasuke's heart. Otherwise, he wouldn't immediately turn to him.
In truth, Older Sasuke was quite curious about Natsuro himself, so he nodded in agreement. Now that they had already been exposed, what was the difference between one person knowing and the whole village?
Besides, he wasn't sure whether to be happy for this world's Sasuke. Unlike his own lonely past, even with teammates like Karin, he had always been alone.
But this Sasuke seemed more grounded, more like the version of himself after settling down with a family. He couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy.
He suddenly thought of something, this Sasuke had Mangekyō Sharingan too. If life had gone so smoothly for him… how had he awakened it?
Perhaps this world's Sasuke had his own trials and sacrifices…
But Older Sasuke didn't ask.
Boruto, standing beside them, had been quietly listening this entire time. He rarely heard his teacher talk about the past, and he finally felt like he was beginning to understand him.
Before long, Sasuke brought Older Sasuke and Boruto to the Hokage's Office.
"Sasuke, you're here. These are the ones asking around about the Nine-Tails, right?"
Natsuro looked up as soon as they entered.
At first, when he saw Older Sasuke, he didn't think much, just noted the resemblance to Sasuke, though this one looked older and more weathered.
But when his eyes landed on Boruto, he paused.
He looked uncannily like a young Naruto, especially those six faint whisker marks on his face.
Even though Natsuro hadn't watched Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, he'd seen promotional posters.The resemblance was clear enough.
Boruto Uzumaki!
And if Boruto was here, then the man next to him must be… the adult version of Sasuke?
But Natsuro also noticed the missing arm and frowned slightly. Did Naruto and Sasuke have another fight in the future?
That didn't make sense. With his influence, their relationship shouldn't have been that extreme. If they fought, it would only be for sparring, not serious injury.
As he observed them, Sasuke glanced at Shikaku beside him.
The cunning old strategist took the hint and slipped out of the office with a casual excuse.
Older Sasuke, meanwhile, looked at Natsuro and was surprised. He saw a handsome and unfamiliar young man sitting in the Hokage's chair.
He let out a small sigh of relief. He had been worried that "Natsuro" was actually Urashiki in disguise.
He had even imagined it, he walks into the Hokage's office, and Urashiki greets him with a smirk and a sinister chuckle.
That would have been the worst-case scenario.
Just then, a small creature lying beside Natsuro opened its eyes, stretched, and jumped onto the desk. It tilted its head and stared at Sasuke and Boruto.
"Aww, it's so cute…" Boruto's eyes sparkled as he looked at the creature.
Even Older Sasuke stared at it, unable to tell what kind of animal it was.
But the next moment, the creature vanished right before their eyes.
Older Sasuke was stunned, it wasn't an ordinary pet?
Boruto, meanwhile, felt his backpack grow heavier… then lighter again.
Just as he was wondering what happened, he suddenly froze in shock.
Because the little black creature had reappeared nearby, now playing with Karasuki, the turtle.
It looked like a child who'd just found the world's most fascinating toy.
Karasuki had woken up, but was curled up tightly in its shell, not daring to move.
"Wh-what?! How's that possible?!" Boruto cried out.
"A space-time type summoning beast?" Older Sasuke muttered, eyes narrowing.
Sasuke wasn't surprised, he already knew about Umbreon and wasn't bothered.
He quickly reported Older Sasuke and Boruto's identities, as well as everything they had said, to Natsuro.
"So… people from the future, and from an alternate future timeline at that…" Natsuro rubbed his temples, finding this hard to process. But it did explain why this Sasuke's arm was missing.
"It's confirmed?" Natsuro asked, looking at Sasuke.
"…It's likely true," Sasuke replied.
"Alright. Then let's assume it is." Natsuro turned to Older Sasuke. "So, how exactly did you travel through time? And not just back to your own past, but to another timeline altogether?"
Older Sasuke was surprised at how quickly he had accepted the premise. But then, he understood, this was the Sixth Hokage, after all. His adaptability was impressive.
What Older Sasuke didn't know was… Natsuro himself was a transmigrator. He already knew about Boruto's existence. For him, none of this was too hard to believe.
Older Sasuke began explaining everything in detail, holding nothing back.
So, the situation was this: Urashiki Ōtsutsuki wanted to obtain the Nine-Tails' chakra. However, Naruto in that era was far too powerful, making it nearly impossible for Urashiki to succeed. So, Urashiki devised a new plan, to travel back in time and take the Nine-Tails' chakra from young Naruto instead.
To do this, he used the Ōtsutsuki clan's sacred tool, Karasuki, to initiate space-time travel. However, during the time warp, they ended up fighting Urashiki, and perhaps due to that disruption, they arrived in a timeline that did not belong to their original world.
"Karasuki? You mean this turtle?" Natsuro looked over at the turtle on his desk and asked.
"Yes," Older Sasuke replied, a little surprised but still nodding.
"This turtle… can travel through time?" Natsuro looked at it with amazement.
At that moment, Umbreon blinked and looked at him, nodding.
"You're saying… it's true?" Natsuro asked.
Umbreon nodded again.
He stared at the spirit in puzzlementm he wasn't sure how it confirmed things, but deep down, he already believed most of what Older Sasuke had said.
"So, the reason you were asking around about Naruto was because you want to protect him, to stop Urashiki from stealing the Nine-Tails' chakra?" Natsuro asked.
"That's right," Older Sasuke confirmed.
But before he could process further, the younger Sasuke couldn't hold back anymore.
"This thing… can travel through time?" he asked, eyes fixed on the turtle that Umbreon was still toying with.
"Then… does that mean I can use it to change the history of the Uchiha Clan?" he asked.
"It might be possible," Older Sasuke said with a frown, "but you should know, changing the past will definitely affect the future. People and events you're familiar with might change or vanish entirely."
Sasuke fell silent.
Of course, that made sense. That must be why Oldedr Sasuke had refused to be caught in the first place, so he could quietly protect Naruto, resolve the situation with Urashiki, and leave without causing any changes to the timeline.
He glanced at Natsuro and then thought of everything he had now. He hesitated.
"I don't think that's necessarily the case," Natsuro said suddenly.
That statement made both Sasukes look at him, Older Sasuke with puzzlement and the younger Sasuke with eyes full of hope. If Natsuro was saying it, then… could the Uchiha truly be revived?
After thinking for a moment, Natsuro continued, "If your only goal is to revive the Uchiha Clan, then time travel might actually make that possible, without changing anything."
The younger Sasuke looked excited. Older Sasuke, though quiet, perked up his ears, he was clearly interested in whatever Natsuro was about to propose.
Natsuro explained:
"As everyone knows, the Uchiha Clan was massacred in one night by Itachi and the man with the mask. So, rescuing some Uchiha infants from among the dead that day and bringing them to the present would be entirely feasible."
"But to avoid changing history, the time travelers must not be seen by any survivors. And they'll need to prepare a few fake 'bodies' of infants to replace the rescued ones, so it still appears the clan was completely wiped out."
"In this way, after that night, the world will still believe the Uchiha were eradicated. But in the present… a large group of Uchiha infants suddenly appearing can be explained. With them, the clan's revival can begin."
The reason he emphasized rescuing only infants was obvious, only infants couldn't awaken the Sharingan. Even small children could have awakened the eye before dying and that would bring unknown risks. Infants, without developed chakra, wouldn't be able to awaken the Sharingan at all. This was the safest method.
The younger Sasuke's eyes lit up. He might not have the strength yet to go undetected during a mission like that, but he would someday.
Older Sasuke stared deeply at Natsuro, then asked, "Sixth Hokage… you're not worried this could have major consequences on the future?"
Natsuro took a sip of tea and replied calmly, "I'm not. I don't believe in fate. As far as I'm concerned, as long as my actions benefit the people around me, then they're worth doing. Fearing fate and holding back would only make me laugh."
"And even if you do believe in fate, who's to say your arrival in our world, or Sasuke's revival of the Uchiha Clan, isn't part of fate itself?"
Older Sasuke suddenly felt his breath catch.
That… actually made a lot of sense.
"In fact," Natsuro added, "even if Sasuke went back and completely changed that night, I wouldn't mind."
"Why?" Older Sasuke looked shocked. That would undoubtedly alter the course of history!
"As long as things develop in a positive direction, it doesn't matter," Natsuro shrugged."And I don't believe that the survival of the Uchiha Clan would stop me from becoming the Sixth Hokage."
His tone carried unwavering confidence, nothing Sasuke changed could affect his position.
Older Sasuke stared at him, beginning to understand why this world's Sasuke respected him so much.
"So, Sasuke… whether you do this or not, is entirely up to you," Natsuro said.
"…I understand." The younger Sasuke nodded, a storm raging in his heart.
For the first time… he saw hope for the Uchiha Clan's future.
He looked at Natsuro and slowly smiled.
He didn't care what Natsuro said after that, because he felt like… he didn't need to change anything.
He was happy now. If he tried to change the past, his current self would cease to exist.
Wouldn't that create a new timeline anyway? And if so… would the Sasuke in that world still be him?
He looked at Older Sasuke.
No, he had already avenged his clan and now… he had hope for revival. Everything was turning out just fine.
Older Sasuke was feeling just as shaken because he realized, he could use Natsuro's method too.
As Natsuro said, he didn't want people close to him to disappear. That's why he refused to change the past.
But the future… was unwritten.
Everything he did now was his choice.
"You're Boruto, right? Naruto's son?" Natsuro looked at the boy.
"Yes!" Boruto replied, eyes sparkling. He was full of admiration for him, just from hearing about Karasuki's abilities, the man had already come up with so many ideas.
And judging by Mr. Sasuke's reaction, he'd clearly been inspired too. Natsuro was incredible.
"Good. Even though you're not from this world, you can still call me 'uncle.' I'm pretty close with your dad," Natsuro said with a grin.
"Okay, Uncle!" Boruto beamed.
"Great. I'll go get your dad from this world right now."
With that, his figure vanished.
Older Sasuke wasn't even surprised. Only Boruto looked a little stunned.
But given that Natsuro's pet could use space-time techniques, it only made sense that the Sixth Hokage himself could use them too.
Soon after, a blond-haired boy in an orange jumpsuit appeared in the Hokage's office, looking completely baffled.
"Um, Natsuro? Why'd you suddenly teleport me here? And… who are they?"
Natsuro thought for a moment, then looked at Sasuke.
Sasuke, having calmed down a bit, began explaining the identities of Older Sasuke and Boruto to Naruto.
As the explanation continued, Naruto looked dazed… and turned to Natsuro.
Natsuro nodded.
Naruto looked at Older Sasuke, then at Boruto, who was practically glowing with excitement.
He swallowed hard… and turned back to Sasuke and Natsuro.
"Are you two… trying to prank me or something?"
Naruto couldn't accept it. Future people? From another timeline?
And what the heck was "another timeline" anyway?
Most importantly, he wasn't even married yet! How could he possibly have a son this big already?!
He was convinced they were messing with him.
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Currently on Chapter 360 - A Calamity Approaches