"You should have heard of the Nine-Tails Attack back then, right?" Shin said to young Sasuke with a smile. "I remember there should be a record in the history textbooks."
Unlike in the past, today's ninja world thrives on open information exchange. Many formerly classified documents had long been incorporated into historical records.
"Of course, I know about the Nine-Tails Attack," young Sasuke replied with a frown. After all, in that war, his father had lost a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan. Of course, he didn't say this aloud.
"During that battle, the Nine-Tails that broke out of the seal had a Mangekyo Sharingan symbol in its eyes," Shin continued. "That's why Konoha suspected the Uchiha clan at the time."
"And given the Uchiha's prideful nature, deep-seated conflicts between both sides only worsened."
"Had the Virtual Space not emerged, irreconcilable tensions would have eventually led to all-out conflict. The Uchiha's downfall was inevitable."
"What!?" Young Sasuke's face twisted in disbelief. "My father lost his eyes because of the Nine-Tails Attack! Were Konoha's higher-ups all idiots? How could they think that way?"
The middle-aged Uchiha Sasuke, who had been silent, coughed before speaking. "At the time of the Nine-Tails Attack, because of the discovery of the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes, Konoha's Anbu and Root forces closely monitored our clan to prevent any interference in the battle."
"That might be the difference between our two worlds."
Shin nodded. "Perhaps. However, the original leaders of the ninja villages—and the shinobi profession itself—were never built on diplomacy or mutual understanding. Otherwise, the world wouldn't have suffered through so many ninja wars."
"So, Sasuke, when you say they were all idiots… While not entirely accurate, you're not far from the truth."
"Because both sides distrusted each other, Uchiha's relationship with Konoha was never truly harmonious. It's only natural that some within the clan harbored dangerous thoughts."
Young Sasuke swallowed hard, his gaze shifting toward his older counterpart. He noticed the older Sasuke's averted eyes and hesitated before asking, "No way…
Are you telling me the Uchiha clan in your world was wiped out by Konoha?! Then why are you still in Konoha?!"
In today's new era, ninja villages held far less authority over individuals. Thanks to the integration brought by the Virtual Space, modern shinobi no longer felt absolute loyalty to their villages. Instead, they viewed them as workplaces—perhaps more personal than an ordinary job, but without the rigid obligations of the past.
Blood ties, however, remained unchanged. No matter how the world evolved, one could never sever the bonds of family.
Thus, for young Sasuke, the Uchiha clan naturally held greater importance than Konoha. If the village had truly destroyed his clan, he would never have forgiven them. The idea that his older self had chosen to stay in Konoha only deepened his disdain.
"That's… complicated," middle-aged Sasuke replied, clearly struggling for words. It wasn't as if he had no resentment toward Konoha.
To be blunt, his only true connection to Konoha was Naruto Uzumaki. Perhaps some remained with Sakura Haruno and his daughter, but as for the rest of Konoha's people—including former comrades—he merely extended them the minimum courtesy.
Another reason he had never sought revenge was that it had been Itachi's choice. Just as his ties to Konoha were bound to Naruto, his feelings toward the Uchiha were bound to his parents and brother.
After all, he had been only seven years old when the Uchiha clan was massacred. How deep could his bond have been with the rest of the clan?
For him, the annihilation of the Uchiha was tragic, but it was the death of his parents that left an unfillable void in his heart.
It was only because Itachi had chosen that path, and because of their complex relationship, that Sasuke had convinced himself to tolerate Konoha. He needed a reason to justify staying.
Of course, he wouldn't tell the younger Sasuke this. After all, learning that his own brother had slaughtered their entire clan was too cruel.
But young Sasuke didn't know this. He only saw an older version of himself who refused to avenge his family. His expression darkened as he spat, "So you won't even acknowledge the hatred of your family and parents? Have you been brainwashed by Konoha's so-called Will of Fire?!"
Middle-aged Sasuke remained silent, but Boruto couldn't hold back. "What the hell are you saying?! Do you even care about Konoha?!"
"Ha! Typical old-world ninja nonsense," young Sasuke scoffed. "All you can see is your precious village. You're nothing more than a frog at the bottom of a well."
"Are you looking for a fight?!"
"What, you scared? You're just an antique from some so-called future world!"
"Damn it, I'll show you who's an antique!"
The argument quickly escalated as Boruto charged forward—only to be effortlessly taken down in a single move by young Sasuke.
Despite his age, young Sasuke had undergone auxiliary training in the Virtual Space. His current strength was already comparable to Kakashi from during his Academy days.
While Boruto's character in his timeline had supposedly clashed with the Otsutsuki, in reality, his strength barely surpassed that of a chunin. His defeat was unsurprising.
Watching Boruto sprawled out on the ground, Shin could only sigh, resisting the urge to cover his face.
Even without knowing the full details of Boruto's timeline, it was obvious that his so-called ability to fight the Otsutsuki was… questionable.
After all, Naruto Uzumaki had worked tirelessly to reach a level where he could stand against Kaguya Otsutsuki. Even with the Six Paths' blessing, he had been a formidable kage-level fighter before receiving that power boost.
But Boruto?
Shin could only shake his head in disbelief.
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