In a dark corner.
A ninja wearing a Chunin flak jacket was being choked, lifted high into the air.
"Ngh…" He struggled desperately, but to no avail.
"Hello there. I'd like to ask, what year is it currently in Konoha?" the man holding him suspended in mid-air asked politely. The man had pale skin and light blue hair tied in a high ponytail. Notably, a small, reddish fishing basket hung at his waist.
"Konoha… Year 61…" the Chunin managed to say with difficulty.
"Thank you," the man said with a smile, releasing his grip. The Chunin's somewhat portly body fell heavily to the ground. He gasped for air, his hands subtly reaching for his back waist. But before he could retrieve the exploding tags from his ninja tool pouch, he was knocked unconscious. In his last memory, a pair of Byakugan was deeply imprinted in his mind.
"Fortunately, the temporal coordinate deviation isn't too outrageous." Otsutsuki Urashiki turned to look at the five Hokage faces carved into the cliff, smiled faintly, and his figure slowly vanished from the spot.
Konoha Hospital.
Future Sasuke abruptly turned his head, looking in the direction Urashiki had disappeared.
"What's wrong?" Young Sasuke looked at him, puzzled.
"…It's nothing." Future Sasuke shook his head slightly and continued their previous conversation. "Itachi can use Uchiha Shisui's eye, so you can fuse with his eyes without worry."
"Why can't Itachi and I just exchange eyes?" Young Sasuke didn't understand. Why did one of them, two brothers, have to make a sacrifice? "Wouldn't that allow us to have two pairs of Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan?"
"A wonderful idea, but unfortunately, it's not possible!" Future Sasuke shook his head. "The Eternal Mangekyo documented in the clan's records were all born between brothers, or father and son." "Over the long course of time, the Uchiha clan has attempted to exchange Mangekyo Sharingan, but all attempts ended in failure." "The Mangekyo Sharingan is an incomplete eye. Its evolution, or rather, its ascension, is destined to require sacrificing the Dojutsu of another." "The sacrificer, at the very moment of gouging out their eyes, must inject all of their own Dojutsu into the recipient's Mangekyo in a way that damages their own foundation." "At the cost of their own blindness, they grant another person permanent light." "Take, for example, the Mangekyo you are about to transplant." Future Sasuke took out the eyes Itachi had just given him. "What's in this vial are Itachi's eyes, and even more so, his foundational Dojutsu." "It is precisely this foundational Dojutsu that can repair the deficiencies in your Mangekyo and allow it to maintain its light forever."
"Then Itachi's body?" Young Sasuke grew instantly nervous upon hearing this.
"You owe Naruto a debt of gratitude. If not for the protection of his Yang Release, Itachi might have died during the eye extraction process." Future Sasuke patted his shoulder. "Furthermore, with that residual Yang Release energy, Itachi will be able to adapt to Uchiha Shisui's eye even faster."
"Yang Release… is it really that powerful?" Young Sasuke was stunned. He suddenly realized the deficiency in his own knowledge. Regarding Yang Release, he only knew its name, not the weight it carried.
"The Sharingan, and even the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, are just manifestations of Yin Release. And Yang Release is an energy on par with Yin Release." Future Sasuke sighed faintly. How could it not be powerful? The reason he and the Naruto of his world possessed their current strength, enough to seal Otsutsuki Kaguya, was entirely due to the Power of Yin and Power of Yang bestowed upon them by the Sage of Six Paths. "Once you've established yourself in Konoha, read more books. Profound knowledge is, in itself, a manifestation of strength." "Orochimaru's collection of books also contains knowledge on this subject; you simply overlooked it."
"I understand." Young Sasuke nodded heavily. "When will the surgery begin?"
"In a couple of days, perhaps." Recalling the sensation from moments ago, an inexplicable unease lingered in Future Sasuke's heart. "Konoha's situation hasn't stabilized yet. You need the Mangekyo to deter certain individuals with ulterior motives." "There's one thing you must remember: Konoha is a village, an amalgamation of interests. Any change at any node will affect the interests of others." "If you want others to show you goodwill, you must let them see how much benefit you can bring them." "…To put it bluntly, the Hokage is the Hokage because they align with the interests of the vast majority."
Young Sasuke fell into deep thought. These words completely contradicted the education he had received at the Ninja Academy. In his teachers' words, the Hokage was benevolent and kind, viewing every villager as family, willing to sacrifice themselves to protect Konoha. That was why the Hokage could be the Hokage, an object of respect and admiration.
Future Sasuke didn't interrupt. He had already figured out the source of his inner apprehension—Otsutsuki Urashiki had very likely also arrived in this era. He felt the situation was dire! His Dojutsu—it was already depleted!
"Let's say my strength is sufficient. Could I then become the core of this Konoha interest conglomerate, align everyone's interests, and become the Sixth Hokage respected by all of Konoha?" Young Sasuke asked.
"…You might become the core of the conglomerate, but you won't necessarily win everyone's respect." Hearing this, Future Sasuke stared blankly at him. He couldn't shake the feeling that the Sasuke of this world was being warped by his influence. "Humans are strange creatures. Emotions like respect and admiration aren't necessarily byproducts of strength."
"Then, on that basis, if I am willing to contribute to Konoha, willing to protect everyone in Konoha, can I earn their respect?" Young Sasuke continued to ask.
"You could, yes…"
"Alright, it's decided then!" Young Sasuke nodded decisively.
Future Sasuke opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, then lowered his hand. The idea is somewhat unrealistic, but the direction is generally correct.Still, what's with this strange sense of dissonance?Isn't that kind of thinking more like Naruto's?
"Hm?" Naruto, sitting cross-legged, opened his eyes in confusion. Why did he feel like someone was thinking about him, and what was this inexplicable sense of unease…
"Hoo… hoo…" Inside a tent, Boruto lay sprawled out, apparently annoyed by mosquitoes, as he vigorously scratched his exposed belly. Naruto's brow twitched. He sighed helplessly, closed his eyes again, and the active natural energy in the surroundings once more flowed into his body.
"The situation in Konoha is pretty much settled. Should we send the little guy back?" Kurama's voice echoed in his mind. "Otsutsuki Urashiki could arrive at any moment. If he gets caught in the crossfire of your battle…"
"Konoha isn't much safer than here," Naruto opened his eyes again. "With the reshuffling of power, who knows how many people will die." "When the fighting starts, I'll just have a shadow clone take the little guy and run." "Future Sasuke's attention is already focused on Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi; he doesn't have much time to look after him." "With me watching him, the little guy at least won't die inexplicably." Assassination, after all, is a ninja's specialty…