Late at night inside the Hokage's Office, the lights were dim, and the room was quiet.
"Bull-Headed Heavenly King… Nue…" Naruto murmured, his expression grave.
"Yes," Shikamaru replied. "According to the information Sai gathered, this series of incidents was planned and carried out by the daughter of a surviving member of Root, who disguised her identity."
He handed Naruto a document with a photo printed on it.
"It's Boruto's classmate—Sumire Kakei. Her father, Tanuki Shigaraki, entrusted the unfinished Bull-Headed Heavenly King project to his daughter before he died."
Naruto frowned, his eyes filled with concern. "Sai's already gone to arrest her?"
Shikamaru nodded. "Unfortunately, Sumire Kakei has disappeared without a trace."
Naruto sank into thought, brows tightening as silence hung heavy in the air.
Just then, a calm, familiar voice broke it.
"Bull-Headed Heavenly King… Nue…"
Kakashi had appeared at some point, leaning casually against the doorway, his single visible eye half-lidded in thought.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Sixth Hokage!" Shikamaru added, startled. "Why are you here all of a sudden? I thought you were enjoying retirement."
Kakashi gave a faint sigh. "I wanted to live quietly, but there are still some unresolved matters between Danzo and me. So, I started investigating the traces of his old research."
He looked serious now. "Danzo's legacy—the Bull-Headed Heavenly King—was likely implanted into that girl, Sumire Kakei."
Naruto's expression darkened. "Danzo again…"
Shikamaru shook his head, irritated. "How many more disasters did that guy leave behind?"
"Too many," Kakashi said flatly. "Sumire Kakei has become the key to summoning Nue, a creature akin to a Tailed Beast."
He paused. "The plan was to send the user of the Bull-Headed Heavenly King into an enemy nation. Once they lost control, they would self-destruct—turning everything around them into nothing."
Kakashi's voice dripped with disgust. "That kind of thinking… it's exactly Danzo's style."
Shikamaru exhaled, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Sickeningly logical. And yeah, that's definitely Danzo."
Suddenly, a massive tremor shook the village. The three men rushed to the window, staring into the distance.
"Oh no," Naruto said, eyes narrowing. "It's Nue!"
Meanwhile, on the rooftops of Konoha's residential district, Sai leapt swiftly from eave to eave, his expression composed but heavy with thought.
"Danzo Shimura," he muttered under his breath. "The man who once claimed to protect Konoha through extreme methods…"
He glanced at the moonlit streets below as he moved. "I once believed every step he took came from loyalty to the village."
Sai's eyes hardened. "But now? To engulf the entire village in flames of revenge… that's nothing but madness."
"If this cycle of hatred and tragedy continues," he continued quietly, "those who once lived under Root's shadow will never escape the cold eyes and rejection of the world."
He clenched his fists. "So as long as someone is still trapped in that curse… as someone who broke free, I have a responsibility to help them find their freedom."
Another violent tremor rippled through the night.
Sai halted mid-jump, his sharp gaze turning toward the source. "That direction is… Senju Park!"
In Senju Park, the ground split apart as a massive creature emerged. Its face was that of a monkey, its body like a tanuki, the limbs of a tiger, and a long snake-like tail whipping behind it.
Nue.
The monstrous being roared, distorting the air with its energy.
On a high branch nearby, Boruto Uzumaki stood, watching with sharp curiosity glinting in his eyes.
"So the Class Rep broke free from my Reincarnation Spiritual Ball with Nue's help…" He smirked slightly. "That's… kinda interesting."
Below him, Sumire Kakei staggered to her feet, her chakra unstable but her expression resolute. The mark of the Bull-Headed Heavenly King glowed faintly on her back as Nue loomed protectively behind her.
Her top was gone, revealing her fair skin, and her purple hair cascaded down her back. The moonlight shone upon her, carrying a hint of coolness.
Sumire Kakei instinctively covered her private parts with both hands, a flicker of panic and shame in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination.
From the distant Hokage Rock, Mitsuki watched the appearance of the monstrous Nue.
He spoke quietly to the small white snake coiled around his wrist.
"Nue has appeared. Hmm… Understood — eliminate Sumire Kakei."
Down in Senju Park, Sumire Kakei looked up at the massive creature before her, worry in her voice.
"Nue hasn't absorbed enough chakra yet… Is it going to explode?"
In the next instant, Boruto Uzumaki appeared before her in a blur, his hands in his pockets, his Jōgan glowing with a strange light.
Sumire was not surprised by Boruto's sudden appearance.
However, when she saw those eyes—deep and calm as the stars—fall upon her, a faint unease flickered in her heart.
One hand covered her exposed chest, while the other held a kunai pointed at Boruto.
Although her body held no secrets under the gaze of Boruto's Jōgan, she still hoped to use this weak cover to hide her embarrassment.
At the same moment, Nue noticed Boruto's presence. With a thunderous roar, its enormous claw came crashing down toward him.
Boruto showed no fear.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Six golden chains burst out from behind him, plunging into the ground before shooting upward beneath Nue's feet.
They coiled tightly around its body and tail, binding the creature in an unbreakable grip.
Nue let out a deafening roar, its strength shaking the ground—but no matter how it struggled, the chains refused to yield.
Boruto spoke firmly, his tone calm and certain.
"The Adamantine Sealing Chains contain sealing power capable of suppressing chakra.
Even a Tailed Beast, once bound, can't move its chakra freely."
He turned his gaze back to Sumire.
"Class Rep, it's over."
Sumire's body trembled slightly as she looked at Nue thrashing against its restraints. Pain and hesitation flickered in her eyes.
"Nue… follow my command! Absorb all of my chakra—then self-destruct!"
But Nue did not move. It only let out a deep, sorrowful roar.
"Why, Nue? Hurry—absorb it!" she cried, her voice breaking as tears welled in her eyes.
Boruto shook his head.
"Class Rep, don't you understand? Nue already sees you as its mother.
As long as you're by its side, it will never choose to self-destruct—nor will it take your chakra."
He raised his hand slightly, and the golden chains shimmered, tightening further around the beast.
"Besides, under the Adamantine Sealing Chains, it can't even use its chakra right now—let alone explode."
Sumire froze, disbelief and emotion swirling in her expression.
She stared at Nue—bound, roaring, and yet still unwilling to harm her—and an unfamiliar warmth rose within her chest.
For the first time, the hatred and loneliness that had defined her began to fade, replaced by something far deeper.
"...Mother…"
The word slipped from her lips, fragile and filled with longing—something she hadn't felt since childhood.
Boruto took a step forward, his tone firm but calm.
"Nue's existence is dangerous. I can't let it have any chance to self-destruct."
Seeing him approach, Sumire quickly moved to stand in front of Nue, holding her kunai defensively.
"Stop, Boruto! I won't let you hurt it!"
Upon hearing this, Boruto shook his head and simply waved his hand. Sumire Kakei was instantly restrained by an invisible force, and the kunai in her hand fell.
At the same time, her covering hands naturally dropped, revealing her beautiful upper body.
Sumire Kakei's face flushed crimson under Boruto's gaze, her skin beginning to feel slightly hot. She was filled with shame and indignation, yet powerless to resist, she could only clench her teeth.
Watching Sumire Kakei's reaction, Boruto chuckled lightly, "My apologies, my apologies…"