At this moment, the black-haired young man and the blond-haired boy who walked into Konoha Village were time travelers from the future—the adult form of Uchiha Sasuke and Naruto Uzumaki's son, the protagonist, Uzumaki Boruto.
The two were tracking the whereabouts of Otsutsuki Urashiki when they accidentally activated an Otsutsuki ninja tool capable of traversing time and space, bringing them to this era.
Boruto was filled with excitement as he observed everything in Konoha before him. A part of him couldn't help but look forward to seeing Naruto in this timeline. The anticipation in his eyes didn't escape Sasuke's notice; just one glance was enough for Sasuke to understand what the boy was thinking. Unable to help himself, he warned:
"Boruto, we must locate Urashiki as soon as possible and leave immediately."
"Try not to interact with anyone familiar. Otherwise, it could cause unpredictable changes to the future."
As he spoke, Uchiha Sasuke subtly turned his gaze toward a dark corner by the roadside.
"Can't I at least take a look from a distance?" Boruto asked, tilting his head up to look at Sasuke. But Sasuke didn't answer him. Instead, he suddenly came to a halt.
"What's wrong, Master?" Boruto asked in confusion when he noticed Sasuke had stopped.
"We're being watched—by Konoha's ninja."
Sasuke spoke in a low voice, then grabbed Boruto's wrist and began leading him toward a small river running through Konoha. He knew the area was less populated, making it an ideal spot to shake off their pursuers. If Konoha's shinobi discovered his identity, it could have unknown consequences for the future.
Sasuke was well aware of how conspicuous his Rinnegan with nine tomoe was. If the higher-ups in the village caught wind of it, it would undoubtedly cause significant trouble.
"Hey, where are we going?" Boruto asked in surprise as Sasuke suddenly grabbed his wrist. He instinctively glanced around but saw no sign of anyone.
Sasuke ignored him and continued swiftly moving away from the busy streets. Just as they left the downtown area, two soft sounds echoed in the air, and two figures appeared before them.
"My little brother, why are you leaving in such a hurry? Are you planning something against Konoha and afraid of being caught?"
Sarutobi Asuma, with a cigarette between his lips, smirked as he looked at Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Boruto standing before him. Beside him, Kurenai Yuhi had a serious expression, her gaze locked onto them.
Although Sasuke Uchiha's disappearance hadn't been widely publicized, Konoha's shinobi were aware of some details. Additionally, village security had been heightened recently. Even though these two intruders had concealed themselves well, Asuma immediately recognized them as shinobi.
Given the increased vigilance in Konoha, Asuma was wary of unknown ninja entering the village, especially since these two had noticed his and Kurenai's surveillance. That alone was not something an ordinary ninja could accomplish.
"We're just travelers passing through Konoha."
"We have no intention of making enemies here."
Sasuke's pupils shrank slightly upon seeing Asuma and Kurenai. The sight of these two—who had long since passed away—stirred emotions within him. In the future, this couple would die in the Fourth Great Ninja War, leaving behind only a daughter under the care of Nara Shikamaru.
"Enemies of Konoha?"
"Brother, the way you said that makes it sound like you're part of a larger group!"
"There aren't many people capable of standing against Konoha!"
"If it's not too much trouble, would you mind coming with us? I'd like to have a chat."
Asuma subtly moved his hands toward his weapon pouch while speaking. Two strangers appearing in Konoha and claiming to be "travelers" was nonsense. He had already categorized them as potential threats. Furthermore, Sasuke's black cloak and secretive demeanor only made him more suspicious.
For those wandering the shinobi world, the most dangerous individuals were often old men, women, and children.
"There's no way to avoid this, huh?" Sasuke sighed. Suddenly, Chakra erupted from his body, and his exposed eye turned crimson as the Sharingan with three tomoe spun into existence. Without hesitation, he cast an illusion on Asuma, who was staring directly at him.
"Sharingan?!"
"Who the hell are you?!"
Asuma managed to shout upon seeing the Sharingan manifest in Sasuke's eye. However, it was too late—before he could shut his eyes, Sasuke had already dragged him into a genjutsu. Asuma's body started convulsing uncontrollably.
Beside him, Kurenai reacted instantly to Asuma's warning. She shut her eyes, grabbed Asuma, and swiftly retreated to create distance. At the same time, she infused her Chakra into Asuma's body, helping him break free from the genjutsu.
As soon as Asuma was released from the illusion, he didn't attack Sasuke immediately. Instead, he retrieved a signal flare from his pouch and fired it into the sky.
But in the next instant, something shocking happened. The flare—meant to alert the village—vanished mid-air, and in its place stood Sasuke, his Sharingan gleaming.
"If I let you fire that, we'll have a real problem."
"Sorry, Sensei, but please take a break."
Sasuke suddenly appeared before Asuma, and the flare exploded harmlessly on the ground where Sasuke had been standing.
"Who the hell are you?!"
Asuma gasped as he looked at the young man in front of him. A gust of wind lifted Sasuke's bangs, revealing one Sharingan and a Rinnegan with nine tomoe.
For a brief moment, Asuma stood frozen. But before he could react, Sasuke cast another genjutsu, ensnaring him again.
Kurenai only heard Asuma's exclamation before she felt her body give way. Instinctively, she opened her eyes—and that was her mistake.
"You—"
Before she could say anything, Sasuke struck the back of her neck with a precise chop, knocking her unconscious.
"Forgive me," Sasuke murmured as he crouched down to move Asuma and Kurenai into the grass. But at that moment, a sharp whooshing sound cut through the air.
"Konoha's Leaf Hurricane!"
A powerful sweeping kick targeted Sasuke's face from behind. Sensing the attack, Sasuke lightly tapped the ground and flipped backward, swiftly returning to Boruto's side. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the new arrival.
"Hm?"
Uchiha Sasuke couldn't help but let out a soft sound of surprise. The attacker was a red-haired child, with two wooden swords—one long and one short—strapped to his waist. He wasn't wearing shinobi attire but rather a samurai uniform. A deep scar ran across his face, giving him a fierce appearance.
Sasuke inhaled sharply at the sight of the boy, while beside him, Boruto pointed at the newcomer in stunned excitement.
"You... You're—"
Boruto's face lit up with shock and joy. He knew this person. He was Naruto's younger brother, a boy who had supposedly died in the Fourth Great Ninja War. Boruto had once seen a picture of him at home, so he immediately recognized Namikaze Yoriichi.
"I have already notified the village's shinobi. Who are you?"
"Why did you attack Konoha's ninja?!"
Despite his young age, Namikaze Yoriichi spoke in an authoritative tone. Even after witnessing Sasuke defeat Asuma and Kurenai, there was no fear in his eyes. His right hand instinctively moved toward the hilt of his sword, fully prepared to strike.
"As expected of uncle—so imposing that he doesn't seem like a child at all."
Feeling Yoriichi's aura, Boruto thought to himself, his heart brimming with excitement. He wanted to speak to him but hesitated.
"Let's go, Boruto." Sasuke had no intention of engaging with Yoriichi. The moment he heard that Konoha's Jonin had been alerted, he knew they had to leave immediately.
"Are you running away?" Yoriichi saw Sasuke grab Boruto's wrist and realized they were about to flee. Without hesitation, he pulled out a wooden sword from his waist and took a deep breath.
"Eight Gates Technique—First Gate: Gate of Opening!"
"Release!"
"The Breath of the Sun, First Form!"
Namikaze Yoriichi's chakra surged violently, and his small figure suddenly vanished. In just a few swift steps, he closed the distance between himself, Sasuke, and Boruto. Drawing his wooden sword, he slashed toward Boruto with precision—he had targeted him from the start.
From Yoriichi's perspective, Sasuke had already defeated Jonin like Asuma and Kurenai, making him a poor choice to attack. Instead, Boruto, who looked unguarded, was the ideal target.
"Watch out, Boruto!"
Sasuke's Sharingan instantly tracked Yoriichi's movements. While fast, he was still too slow compared to Sasuke's current level.
Sasuke swiftly drew the long blade from his waist, stepped between Boruto and Yoriichi, and raised his sword to block the strike. Yoriichi's wooden blade clashed against Sasuke's weapon, shattering instantly. A fragment of the wooden sword flew forward, striking Boruto's waist, causing him to double over in pain.
"Huh?" Sasuke was briefly stunned—he hadn't expected such an accident.
The sharp sting left Boruto momentarily speechless. Even in front of his uncle, he couldn't help but feel a surge of irritation.
"Ow! That hurts!!" Boruto yelled, pulling back his shirt to check. A large bruise had already begun forming on his waist. Though Yoriichi's attack hadn't broken the skin or fractured any bones, the pain was far from mild.
"Nice!" Yoriichi grinned, stepping back and gripping the broken half of his wooden sword.
"Even that was within his calculations?!"
"He accounted for my counterattack!"
Sasuke cast a glance at Namikaze Yoriichi, who had retreated a safe distance, feeling a hint of surprise. If Yoriichi had been wielding an actual blade instead of a wooden sword, Boruto would have suffered a severe injury—possibly fatal.
Not long after Yoriichi withdrew, several sharp whistling sounds filled the air. In an instant, four masked Konoha Anbu landed on the battlefield. They swiftly positioned themselves around Sasuke, forming a loose encirclement.
"This just keeps getting worse." Sasuke shook his head and sighed.
"Sorry… but I can't afford to be caught."
Surrounded by four Anbu, Sasuke knew that if he wanted to escape, he had to fight his way out. The longer he delayed, the more reinforcements Konoha would send, making escape even harder.
"Susanoo!"
As he spoke, a massive surge of chakra erupted from Sasuke's body. In an instant, a dark blue humanoid skeletal structure materialized behind him, completely enveloping both himself and Boruto.
"Boom!!!"
A powerful explosion erupted in Konoha once again. Though not as destructive as the one from the previous night, it was more than enough to alert the entire village.
By the time a large number of Anbu and Konoha shinobi arrived at the scene, all they found were four unconscious Anbu, Asuma, Kurenai, and a red-haired child. The intruders had already vanished.
"Anbu and Jonin?! Even Hokage-sama's son?!"
"Hurry! Inform Hokage-sama that an enemy has infiltrated Konoha!"
One of the arriving Anbu, upon seeing the fallen figures, immediately gave orders. He instructed his men to notify Minato and personally led a squad to secure the scene while ensuring that the injured were swiftly taken to Konoha Hospital.
Meanwhile, far beyond the village, Uzumaki Raiden sensed Sasuke's chakra flare as he activated Susanoo.
Raiden's expression hardened. He immediately jumped onto the courtyard wall, focusing his senses on the disturbance within Konoha.
"Nine Tails, I've found you!"
Just as Raiden was honing in on the surge of chakra, a voice suddenly rang in his ears.
The hair on the back of his neck stood on end.
Before he could react, a powerful kick struck him square in the back, launching him like a streak of light across the courtyard.
"Boom!!!"
Raiden's body slammed into the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
Moments later, a strong gust of wind cleared the dust, revealing Raiden, now shrouded in black lightning armor, standing up. He brushed the dirt from his shoulder, his golden eyes flashing as he spoke in a deep voice:
"Who's there?!"
Above him, a pale-skinned figure floated in mid-air, a fish basket slung at his waist. He stood with one hand on his hip, a pair of Rinnegan eyes scanning Raiden with curiosity.
"What a terrifying glare—don't look at me like that. I might get scared."
"I'm just here to borrow something from you."
Otsutsuki Urashiki grinned, showing no sign of concern toward the overwhelming aura radiating from Raiden.
"Borrow something?"
Raiden narrowed his eyes before realization dawned upon him.
"I remember you now! You're Otsutsuki Urashiki, right?"
Raiden's memories of Boruto's timeline were vague, but he had heard of Urashiki Otsutsuki in passing from online discussions. Some had jokingly referred to him as Otsutsuki Zoro, an inside joke from the shinobi forums.
"You know about the Otsutsuki?" Urashiki's expression darkened slightly. "And what's this 'Zoro' nonsense? Is there another Otsutsuki clan I don't know about?"
For the first time, a flicker of caution appeared in Urashiki's eyes.
This Nine-Tails Jinchūriki not only knew about the Otsutsuki but also seemed oddly familiar with him. That was more than enough to put him on alert.
"It doesn't matter if you answer or not—I already know you're an Otsutsuki."
"So, I was the first one to be attacked, huh?"
Raiden tightened his grip on the Sakegari no Tachi strapped to his waist. This was the first time he was encountering a true Otsutsuki—a being on a Six Paths level of power.
From the way Urashiki had silently appeared behind him, Raiden knew he was facing an extremely dangerous enemy.
He would have to go all out.
(End of this chapter)