"Dad, we have to go back."
Boruto stood at the village gate, waiting for Naruto early in the morning.
"Thinking about the enemies we'll face in the future... we can't afford to stay here any longer. But if I stay too long, I'll never want to leave you behind... and that's why I have to go."
Naruto chuckled and gently patted his son's head.
"Kana," Sasuke spoke curtly, his usual stoic self.
He looked deeply at Naruto. Thousands of unspoken words welled up behind his eyes—but in the end, it was simply a quiet farewell.
Naruto gave a slight nod.
Boruto then pulled out the small time-traveling turtle.
After locking in the coordinates, the mechanism activated.
"Dad! I know you can reach our world again... I'll be waiting!"
Boruto's eyes reddened as he waved goodbye.
Sasuke remained silent, but his gaze never left Naruto—an expression of raw, wordless respect. It wasn't much different from how the present-day Sasuke once looked at Naruto.
Naruto glanced toward the window.
There stood Mikoto, Izumi, and the younger Sasuke, quietly watching.
The corners of Sasuke's lips lifted slightly in a rare, almost imperceptible smile.
Buzz—
With a hum of spatial energy, the duo vanished into the dimensional rift.
Inside the house, Kushina remained unaware that her grandson from another world had just left.
She was still busy trying to persuade the three Snake Priestesses.
To her surprise, even Tagorihime and Ichikishimahime seemed touched by her words.
Only Tagitsuhime maintained a measure of resistance.
"Kaguya, it's been a few thousand years."
The White Snake Sage took a sip of tea, glancing at the composed figure of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki seated nearby.
Kaguya merely looked at her with cool detachment.
"Yes, it has been quite a long time."
Had Kushina not invited them in, Kaguya wouldn't have spared them a glance—if they were lucky. If they were not, she might have eliminated them outright.
Yet the White Snake Sage wasn't easily intimidated.
Thousands of years ago, she and Kaguya had managed to coexist without interference.
Part of that came from her own formidable strength.
And part of it... from knowing that Kaguya had been biding her time, preparing for the inevitable conflict with the Ōtsutsuki clan.
When Naruto entered the room, the three Snake Priestesses immediately regarded him with different expressions.
Kushina's smile grew even more radiant.
The Uzumaki clan no longer had to fear extinction.
Then her eyes drifted subtly toward Kaguya's abdomen.
She frowned. "No... it's not that soon."
Her gaze shifted again—to the trio of women: Kurenai, Anko, and Yugao.
Her brows arched in thought.
'Kurenai's cheeks look a little fuller these days…'
'Anko and Yugao are finally starting to mature more…'
'Wait... even Tsunade-senpai looks like she's gained some weight.'
Kushina's mind kicked into overdrive.
Arms crossed, one eye narrowed, the other half-open.
'If Tsunade-senpai… Then what should I call the baby?'
'Wait—no!'
She suddenly turned toward Mikoto, who was laughing and chatting with Izumi, Karin, and Mina.
"No, no!"
"Mikoto's transformation is the most obvious!"
'Tch… Karin's still a bit too young… But Mina…'
Kushina shook her head—then nodded again.
"No... but if it's for the sake of the Uzumaki bloodline, Mina might actually be the better choice…"
Her thoughts spiraled in every direction, already plotting a future generations plan in her head.
"Uzumaki Naruto—we finally meet."
The White Snake Sage slowly stood.
She didn't dare speak to Naruto while seated.
Walking up to him, she extended her hand gracefully.
"This is the warmest welcome I've seen in Konoha so far."
Naruto blinked in surprise.
He hadn't expected the beautiful woman in front of him to be the White Snake Sage.
But on second thought, it made sense.
After all, those three snake priestesses could change their appearances with ease. There was no reason their master couldn't.
Still… even now, she came in such a form.
Naruto glanced instinctively toward Kushina.
His heart skipped a beat.
Mom's here again…
He sighed, then extended his hand and shook the White Snake Sage's.
"White Snake Sage."
She smiled sweetly.
"I came here for no other reason than to meet you in person."
"And if the opportunity arises… I would love to invite you to Ryūchi Cave."
Naruto tried to pull his hand back, but the Sage tightened her grip.
"Let's talk in a few days," he replied smoothly. "I'm also curious where the barrier around Ryūchi Cave leads."
Her pupils contracted slightly.
The smile at the corner of her lips turned more enchanting.
Just as she was about to speak, a slender hand gently rested on her shoulder.
The White Snake Sage turned—only to meet Kaguya's icy expression.
She smiled again, this time with a hint of resignation, and let go of Naruto's hand.
"Of course. Ryūchi Cave awaits your visit at any time."
She returned to her seat with graceful ease.
"I hope Naruto-sama won't mind if we stay for a few days?"
Kaguya walked over and gently hooked her arm around Naruto's.
Her gaze didn't leave the White Snake Sage.
"Not at all," Naruto replied with a grin.
"And if you want Ryūchi Cave to step into the light of the world, the answer lies in Konoha."
He pulled Kaguya to sit beside him.
The other girls made no objection.
Who could rival Kaguya Ōtsutsuki—the Rabbit Goddess herself?
There was no need to compete for dominance.
At least, not while Tenten and Ino weren't actively trying.
With Kushina and Tsunade in the house, Naruto didn't have to worry about keeping the peace.
Kushina, after all, treated everyone equally.
…
After lunch, Kushina pulled Kurenai, Anko, and Yugao aside for a private talk.
The conversation took place in Rin's room.
Coincidentally, Rin was chatting with the others.
She lay awkwardly on the bed, clearly embarrassed.
She had underestimated the force of Lightning Release: Kirin and overestimated her own endurance. Proud and stubborn as always, she had refused to take any restorative supplements—and now she was paying the price.
The three women around her, seasoned and mature, didn't mock her. They'd all been through similar experiences before.
That afternoon, Tsunade arrived—bringing Uzumaki Mito with her.
The moment they stepped in, Mito's eyelid twitched involuntarily.
Though Kushina had already explained things in advance—urging her and Hashirama to take action, lest Madara's spirit lure Hashirama away—Mito, the proud princess of the Land of Whirlpools, still couldn't fully accept the situation just yet.
But they hadn't come to discuss that today.
Tsunade cast a glance at Naruto, noticing that—for once—he wasn't busy.
She immediately pulled him into a room, a woman trailing behind her silently.
Snap—
The door slid shut, and Tsunade dropped her pretense.
"Good disciple~" she purred.
"Master, I missed you sooo much~"
"...We just saw each other last night," Naruto muttered, shaking his head.
Trying to escape her signature facial cleanse, he grumbled helplessly, "Aren't you worried about what they'll think?"
At that, Tsunade hugged him tighter.
Smack—
"Care?" she scoffed. "Hmph~"
"I'm the Fifth Hokage. The Princess of the Senju. Konoha's own nobility—no, its strongest daimyō! Why should I care what anyone thinks?"
Then, without waiting for a reply, she lowered her head toward him again.
"And besides, what's the point of hiding it anymore? Don't believe me? Just watch."
Creak—
She opened the door.
Several girls toppled forward, clearly caught eavesdropping.
"Mm?"
"Oh? Looks like your wings have hardened, huh?"
"Already mastered the Yin Seal?"
Tsunade placed her hands on her hips, exuding authority. Her twin summoning slugs—regal and imposing—glared at the others, baring their fangs and claws.
Bang—
The door slammed shut again.
Tsunade chuckled and dragged Naruto off for another 'cleansing.'
All the while, another woman had quietly remained in the room. She smiled faintly as she watched the two of them, saying nothing.
At last, Tsunade released her hold, giving Naruto a chance to breathe.
"Konan, you don't really think your hiding skills are that good, do you?" Tsunade teased.
Without a word, a white sheet of paper on the table lifted—fluttering gently out the window on its own.
Tsunade sighed, exasperated. "Seriously, these girls are way too curious about everything."
"...And whose fault is that~?" Naruto raised a brow.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes—but couldn't help smiling. "Fine, fine. Blame me."
Then she stood up, posture proud as always, her twin slugs looming large behind her.
"You know who this is, don't you?"
"Slug," Naruto replied calmly.
Tsunade blinked. "Yeah, she's—wait... You already knew?"
He nodded.
Even the two spiritual slugs gave each other a look, shaking their heads.
Tsunade huffed. "I can't hide anything from you."
She turned to her summon. "Slug, you might as well just explain it to him. No point in all the mystery."
Creak—
The door opened again.
The women outside tumbled in—again.
Tsunade's eyes twitched.
"Alright, alright! Everyone back to your seats!"
"Yeeees~!" came the chorus of giggling voices as they shuffled off.
Finally, the Sage Slug bowed.
"Naruto-sama."
He nodded. "You're here about the Shikkotsu Forest, aren't you?"
The slug wasn't surprised he already knew.
"Yes," she replied softly.
"I'm sure Naruto-sama is already aware—the Three Great Sacred Grounds aren't islands in the sea."
"They're islands floating beyond the Shinobi World."
The Slug Sage gave a respectful bow, then moved behind Naruto, extending her soft, boneless hands to gently massage his shoulders.
Naruto wasn't particularly surprised by the information—but the massage definitely caught him off guard.
"So then... what exactly is that landmass above the Shikkotsu Forest, supported by those massive trees?" he asked.
The slug shook her head slightly, her voice calm and gentle. "I don't know, either."
"All I can say is... many years ago, a rift appeared in the sky—like a hole being torn open in a circular barrier."
"I awoke from my slumber to find seawater flooding the Shikkotsu Forest."
"It took a great deal of effort just to seal that rift."
"Even so, much of the seawater remained... and it feels unnatural."
She leaned forward slightly, continuing her gentle massage.
"The water carries something else—a power I can't identify."
"I feared it would eventually spill into the Shinobi World, so I used the ancient trees of the forest—thousands and even tens of thousands of years old—to support the weight of the sea above."
"Think of it as a second layer of barrier reinforcement."
Naruto gave a soft nod and closed his eyes.
He had to admit—the technique wasn't exactly professional.
But the slug's body was cool, pliable, and strangely comforting.
"You came to me because there's a new problem with the barrier?"
"Hmm~" she nodded lightly.
"You've repaired it before, but this time... you sensed another presence beyond the barrier?"
The slug blinked slowly. "Just as Tsunade-sama said—nothing escapes Naruto-sama's notice."
Naruto smiled faintly, leaning back and brushing the chair aside, choosing instead to sit cross-legged on the floor.
"Don't worry," he said, eyes half-lidded. "This issue reminds me of the situation in the Land of Water."
"Mei Terumi will be arriving tonight. I'll compare the two and see if my theory holds."
As he spoke, a wave of sleepiness washed over him.
The slug fell silent and began to hum a soft, wordless melody.
Cool and serene, it echoed faintly like a lullaby from deep within the forest.
Before long, Naruto drifted into a light sleep.
It was soft, soothing—almost thirst-quenching in its tranquility.
Outside the house, the White Snake Sage's serene smile quietly faded.
...
TN:
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