Although it seemed like many things had happened, in reality, only a few words had been exchanged before a conflict broke out between Young Sasuke and Boruto. The fight ended quickly, with Boruto being instantly defeated.
The commotion from the battle attracted attention, and soon, Hinata Hyuga—who had just finished reprimanding Naruto—turned her gaze in their direction.
As she spotted Shin standing nearby, her face lit up with joy and excitement. However, when her eyes landed on Boruto, who was lying on the ground, her expression suddenly froze.
Feeling uneasy, Hinata walked over steadily. "Brother Shin, long time no see!"
Shin smiled, patting Hinata's head. "It has been a while since I last visited Virtual Space. Watching you beat Naruto was quite a sight. It reminds me of old couples."
Hearing this, Hinata's expression stiffened. "How could something like that happen? There's no way I'd marry Naruto!"
Then, she glanced at Boruto with clear disdain. "Let alone have an idiot child like that."
Boruto, still lying on the ground, felt as though his heart had been stabbed. His eyes became hollow, and he muttered to himself, "Sniff... This is a parallel world... That isn't my real mother..."
Watching the complete breakdown of the canon pairing, Shin found it amusing. "Alright, Hinata. We all know they are from a parallel world. There's no need to take it so seriously."
"That's right!" Naruto hobbled over, rubbing the fresh bruise on his face. A small fox sat perched on his shoulder.
"Like something like that would ever happen—marrying Hinata..."
Before he could finish, Hinata's face darkened, and with a resounding bam, she struck Naruto's chest. He flew backward, flipping through the air before slamming into a rock wall and collapsing to the ground.
"Getting married to me?!" she huffed.
The small fox on Naruto's shoulder—Kurama—landed gracefully, avoiding being sent flying with Naruto. Shaking its head, it spoke in a deep, wise voice. "This poor fool... Can he learn to think before speaking? His father wasn't this bad."
Despite appearing as a small fox, Kurama was still a member of Akatsuki. Even with Virtual Space becoming reality, the Red Queen could still dictate certain rules, allowing Kurama to take on this form—or even a full human form if he wished.
However, Kurama simply preferred being a fox.
As one of the largest chakra reservoirs in the world, he had contributed an immense amount to Virtual Space. While he wasn't particularly skilled in ninjutsu research, his sheer chakra supply was enough for the Red Queen to grant him a ring and official membership in Akatsuki.
Seeing the aftermath of Hinata's palm strike, both Middle-Aged Sasuke and Boruto fell silent.
It was fortunate that this fight had taken place within Virtual Space. Even though the space had been turned into reality, its rules could still be adjusted. If this had happened in the real world, and Naruto hadn't activated his Baryon Mode, he might not have survived that hit.
"Alright, Hinata, don't be so upset," Shin said, shaking his head. "Look at Adult Sasuke and Boruto. Do you really think their world is the same as ours?"
Hinata cast a glance at the two newcomers. "Of course not. This Sasuke is strong, but this Boruto... doesn't even seem like a proper ninja. His strength is barely that of an elite civilian."
She crossed her arms. "And their thinking is too outdated. They claim to be from the future, yet their technology is worse than what we had years ago."
Middle-aged Sasuke forced a bitter smile, while Boruto's face flushed red with embarrassment.
Being mocked by people from a parallel world over twenty years in the past was humiliating. The worst part? He had no way to refute it.
Though he hadn't been in this world for long, Middle-Aged Sasuke could already tell that this version of the world—whether in terms of technology, ninjutsu, ideology, or governance—was vastly superior to his own.
His own world had stagnated, suppressed by the overwhelming power of himself, Naruto, and the constant threat of the Otsutsuki Clan.
What truly shocked Middle-Aged Sasuke, however, was the fact that this world was still in a period of rapid development. If things continued at this pace for another twenty years, what kind of world would this become?
Would they even fear the Otsutsuki Clan?
Thinking about Otsutsuki Urashiki—who had been instantly captured and sealed upon arrival—Middle-Aged Sasuke had already made a decision.
When he returned, he would learn everything about this world—its culture, technology, and systems—and use that knowledge to reform his own world.
Even without something as convenient as Virtual Space, there had to be ways to make meaningful changes.
Perhaps, in this world, the Otsutsuki wouldn't be a threat at all.
Shin wasn't entirely sure what Sasuke was thinking, but he had a rough idea. After chatting with Hinata for a while, he decided to take Sasuke and the other guests from the future on a tour of Virtual Space.
As for Young Sasuke, after learning about the Uchiha Clan's fate in the parallel world, he had grown much closer to Middle-Aged Sasuke. While it was technically his job to guide the future Sasuke around, he mostly followed along without putting in much effort.
Hinata, on the other hand, despite her irritation at the presence of a "son" she despised, was more than happy to walk alongside Shin.
Virtual Space, after being transformed from virtual into reality, was practically a world of its own. Thanks to the collective imagination of countless individuals, it had become a fantastical realm filled with wonders beyond the scope of the old world.
Of course, for Middle-Aged Sasuke, the scenery was far less important than the capabilities of Virtual Space.
Despite looking worn from travel, he was still a Half-Step Six Paths-level shinobi, meaning his chakra reserves were significantly higher than an ordinary Kage.
After recharging a significant amount of chakra, Sasuke finally had his first real experience of Virtual Space's full potential. The bitterness that had been plaguing his expression slowly melted away, replaced by astonishment.
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