The battlefield at the Memorial Stele.
Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the Memorial Stele itself had already become part of the battlefield.
From afar, Mei Terumī felt her temple twitch violently as she watched the scene unfold. This monument—meant to commemorate the dead—was now being torn apart by living hands.
High above, Nue lashed out continuously at Deepa, its massive body moving with surprising agility as it chased him across the sky. Beneath Deepa's feet, carbon cubes condensed into a floating carpet, shifting shape at his will.
From every direction, black carbon blocks shot toward Nue like artillery.
At this scale, Nue's enormous body was no longer an advantage—it was a liability.
"Roar…!"
Nue howled in pain. The serpent head at the end of its tail shot forward, extending through the air like a silver dragon, trying to bite down on Deepa.
But it couldn't quite reach him.
Deepa hovered just beyond its grasp, strolling casually on the carbon platform, even flicking a few cubes at the snake head with deliberate provocation.
"How boring," he sighed. "Is that really all you've got?"
If Nue could speak, it would have cursed him.
Go ahead. Try using ninjutsu if you dare.
Its instincts screamed danger. It turned its head instinctively toward its summoner.
But Sumire Kakei's situation was even worse.
On the ground, Shizuma Hoshigaki continued pressing Kagura relentlessly. With Samehada's unnatural agility, Shizuma attacked from unpredictable angles, while Kagura was forced almost entirely on the defensive.
Clang—clang—clang.
Hiramekarei and Samehada collided again and again. Kagura gritted his teeth, then abruptly separated Hiramekarei into its twin blades.
The moment the two swords split—
Hiramekarei!
The weight and imbalance vanished.
With twin blades in hand, Kagura's movements finally stabilized. Attack and defense began to flow together. He regained rhythm—slowly, painfully—but his chakra reserves were nearly empty.
Shizuma, in contrast, still brimmed with energy.
Realizing he had no time left, Kagura forced more chakra into Hiramekarei. Blue fluorescence spread across the blades, illuminating his entire body.
"So you're finally serious," Shizuma laughed. "Then I'll fight you to the end!"
He swung Samehada wildly, gripping its tail-like handle and letting the living blade snap and bite like a chained beast.
With Hiramekarei glowing, Kagura launched a furious assault.
Steel and chakra clashed. Sparks scattered. With a sudden maneuver, Kagura trapped Samehada between the twin blades, locking it down completely.
The battlefield froze for a heartbeat.
Shizuma's expression changed.
Without hesitation, Kagura released one blade and slammed the other down to suppress Samehada completely. Shizuma had no choice but to abandon it and leap backward.
The instant Shizuma retreated, Kagura's blade split the ground where he had stood, shattering stone.
Without Samehada, Shizuma was exposed.
"Kagura!" Shizuma shouted, retreating while speaking rapidly. "Are you really going to kill everyone? Have you forgotten who accepted you when no one else would? Who protected you back then?"
Each strike from Hiramekarei shattered the earth, but Kagura's breathing grew heavier with every movement.
"Say something!" Shizuma demanded.
"Die," Kagura answered.
He swung with everything he had left.
A brilliant blade of chakra tore through the air, racing toward Shizuma.
"No—!!"
Shizuma felt death close in.
"Nue!" Sumire shouted suddenly.
Nue turned.
Its red eyes met Sumire's. For an instant, summoner and summon understood each other completely.
"Kagura—get away! As far as you can!" Sumire screamed.
The blade of energy tore through Shizuma's body.
His scream was raw, desperate.
Before his body could even collapse, Samehada, abandoned on the ground, wriggled toward him on its own. It latched onto Shizuma's arm, spikes bursting outward as chakra flooded back into him.
The severed sensation vanished.
Shizuma's body twisted and reshaped—half-human, half-fish.
"Hahahaha—I'm not dead!" he laughed hysterically. "I need chakra! More chakra!"
Kagura stood frozen, utterly drained.
Chōjūrō, forcing himself upright, felt an overwhelming sense of danger screaming at him to retreat.
"Get out of here!" Sumire cried hoarsely.
Above, Deepa noticed Nue turning its head.
"That's your master, right?" he mocked. "You're useless. I'll go kill her for you."
He descended.
Nue didn't move.
It looked back at Sumire one last time. Tears shimmered faintly in its eyes.
Then—
White light exploded outward.
Sound vanished.
Ground, mist, and remaining swordsmen were swallowed instantly.
Deepa sensed mortal danger and hardened his entire body, forcing carbon into diamond form as the light overtook him.
For an instant, he saw a shadow within the brilliance—red eyes filled with disdain and majesty.
The white light surged on, unstoppable.
Shizuma stood stunned, warmth spreading through him for the first time.
Kagura dragged Chōjūrō upright and reached for Sumire. The three stood close together.
"I'm sorry, Lord Mizukage," Kagura said quietly. "I failed you."
Chōjūrō smiled faintly.
As death approached, fear strangely faded.
They watched the most magnificent fireworks the new era had ever seen.
Sumire suddenly remembered something. She raised her arm, revealing the white spider lily seal. As the light engulfed her, she pressed her lips to it in farewell—
Then froze.
A gentle, warm chakra surged out, healing her wounds instantly.
The next moment, a familiar figure appeared.
Casual clothes. Calm expression.
"Boruto…?" Sumire whispered.
"Get away! Hurry!" she cried instinctively.
"It's fine," Boruto said softly.
Time seemed to pause.
"Mm," she nodded.
Lightning surged.
—— Yang Lightning Chakra Mode.
The sealed gate burst open. Sage Mode and Nine-Tails chakra flooded Boruto's body.
Kurama rose, massive and radiant, stopping the white light with his hands.
"Kurama—lift it!"
"Got it!"
Together, they forced the white sphere upward.
Across Kirigakure, people looked up in awe as a second sun rose.
"Sage Art: Super Stellar Rasenshuriken!"
Blue light met white.
The sky erupted.
Clouds vanished. Waves surged. Light flooded the ninja world.
On the moon, eyes narrowed.
In Kara's dimension, Jigen watched in silence.
When it ended, Boruto descended gently, landing beside Sumire.
"You're back," she said, smiling through tears.
Boruto glanced around once.
"Yeah," he replied.
"…And now, we should go."
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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