"Th-this, what in the world is going on?!"
The guards clad in leather armor stared in horror at the palace they were supposed to be protecting. Through the open gateway, they could clearly see countless clay and stone statues marching out from an opened underground entrance in neat, uniform steps, one by one, to bathe in the moonlight.
The terrifying legend associated with them came to mind. They could almost see the shinobi world engulfed in the endless flames of war.
"Yoshiyuki, find a way to get out of here! Spread the news that Moryo has revived!" the guard captain whispered urgently to the man beside him.
"What about you all?" Yoshiyuki's voice trembled.
"You're the fastest. We'll do our best to buy you time," the guard captain said, a look of grim determination on his face.
"But..."
"Go, now!" A sharp command cut off his indecision. Yoshiyuki gritted his teeth, turned, and ran, disappearing around the end of the mountain path in moments.
Shwoop!
A figure leaped out from the palace.
"Stop him!" the guard captain roared, violently hurling the spear in his hand. The others around him did the same.
Clang! Clatter! Clatter!
The soaring spears seemed to hit an invisible barrier and fell powerlessly to the ground.
Vwom!
In a daze, a golden eye was the last thing they remembered before losing consciousness.
Naruto Shadow Clone withdrew his gaze. His Mind's Eye of Kagura spread out, quickly locking onto the guard who had already run some distance. The reappearance of the Undead Army was not something that should be known yet.
"You actually didn't kill them?" Shion asked, stepping out from the gateway. Seeing the guards lying unconscious on the ground but otherwise unharmed, she let out a slight sigh of relief. As more and more of the Undead Army emerged, there was no longer any standing room for them within the spacious palace.
"Just erasing their relevant memories will suffice." Naruto glanced up at the sky. There was still enough time for the Animal Path to sign the contract and transfer the Undead Army.
Shwoop!
The shadow clone that had just left reappeared before the three of them, carrying the unconscious Yoshiyuki. "His memories have also been erased." The shadow clone placed the man on his shoulder onto the ground and then dispersed into a puff of white smoke.
Land of Dragon, the former Daimyo's Residence.
By the time Naruto had properly arranged for the Undead Army and Shion, two days had already passed.
"My lord, you've returned." Haku, who was engrossed in paperwork at his desk, looked up at the suddenly appearing figure, visibly relieved. To be honest, he felt he wasn't suited for this kind of work. Like Zabuza-san, fighting enemies on the front lines, drenched in blood and battle—that was what he should be doing.
Naruto casually picked up a few documents Haku had already reviewed and skimmed through them. "You've handled these well." Although there were still some minor flaws in the details, the general direction was correct. With more practice, experience would make up for these imperfections.
"I've taken care of matters in the Land of Demons," Naruto said, briefly explaining the situation there.
"Will I need to go and receive her then?" Haku asked. After all, her status was significant.
"I'll go myse—" Naruto suddenly paused, his train of thought shifting. "Something has come up. I might have to trouble you with that later."
"It's no trouble at all. It's what I should be doing anyway," Haku replied with a slight shake of his head.
Land of Fire, Konohagakure.
Namikaze Estate.
"Little Dad, you have to help me..."
Gazing at Boruto, who was clinging to him like a limpet, snot and tears streaming down his face, Naruto Shadow Clone #2 rubbed his temples wearily.
"Stop crying first. My original body is already on his way. Tell me the details of what happened."
Ten minutes ago, Boruto, who should have been living peacefully in his future timeline, had suddenly reappeared in Konoha. The commotion he had caused trying to find Naruto had been nothing short of chaotic. If Shadow Clone #2 hadn't remembered his chakra signature, who knows how much trouble would have ensued. Upon seeing him, the little rascal had launched himself like a koala, clinging onto him and immediately bursting into loud sobs. It had taken a good deal of coaxing to calm him down enough to explain the situation.
The gist of it was: in Boruto's timeline, an organization called "Kara" had appeared. This organization was said to be connected to the Otsutsuki clan. Konoha had launched an investigation, and as it deepened, a powerful organization, almost as old as the history of the shinobi world itself, had surfaced. During one investigation, Boruto and the others had rescued a youth named Kawaki. From Kawaki, they learned that Kara's leader—Jigen—was a vessel controlled by Otsutsuki Isshiki, who had descended upon this world along with Otsutsuki Kaguya. And Kawaki was Otsutsuki Isshiki's "vessel."
In Boruto's words, a "vessel" was a container for an Otsutsuki's reincarnation. When an Otsutsuki was on the verge of death, they could replicate themselves, digitize their data, and then implant it into another person. A black diamond-shaped mark would appear on the palm of the implanted person as a sign—this mark was "Karma." In reality, Karma was the Otsutsuki's own bodily data. Those implanted with Karma were also called "vessels."
To reclaim his vessel, Jigen had invaded Konoha...
In short, to make a long story short, the future Naruto, in an attempt to stop Jigen from taking Kawaki, was now missing, his fate unknown. Even the future Uchiha Sasuke was severely injured and in a coma. Boruto and his young teammates, whose path of growth had been relatively smooth until then, were like ants on a hot pan after encountering such an unprecedented crisis. For some reason, Boruto, who usually came across as a bit dense, had a sudden flash of inspiration and thought of him. Thus, using a space-time ninja tool called "Karasuki", he had traveled to this timeline to request his help.
Listening to Boruto's account, Naruto Shadow Clone #2 felt his eyelids twitching uncontrollably. Casually wiping the floor with the heroes of the shinobi world...
"And what makes you so sure that I, your 'Little Dad,' can handle that thing?"
"Huh?" Boruto was taken aback, then gave an embarrassed smile. During their previous encounter, "Little Dad" had given him the impression of being able to handle anything with absolute confidence. So, at the time, he hadn't considered it that much.
"Well then..." Seeing his conflicted expression, Shadow Clone #2 patted his head. "Since you're already here, Little Dad will go with you and take a look." He called me Little Dad, after all... He's practically half a son to me. Besides, he was also curious about Otsutsuki Isshiki's strength. Since the Kara organization appeared in Boruto's timeline, it would definitely appear in his current timeline as well. It was only a matter of when.
"So this is Karma?" Naruto took Boruto's right hand, examining the black diamond-shaped mark on his palm.
"Mhm, mhm," Boruto nodded. "This is the Karma that Otsutsuki Momoshiki planted on me. Kawaki's is on his left hand."
"You said just now that after activating Karma, you can use some Otsutsuki abilities? Try activating it." Naruto stepped back, giving him enough space.
Boruto rolled up his right sleeve. After activating the Karma seal, a peculiar black marking spread upwards from his palm.
"This feeling..." Shadow Clone #2 also raised his own arm. Entering Sage Mode, a similar black pattern appeared on his arm.
"Huh?!" Boruto was startled, the question blurting out, "Little Dad, were you implanted with Karma by Otsutsuki Urashiki?!"