Interrogation Room.
Shizune, who was in charge of guarding Amado, received a message from Yamanaka Ino. The feeling of restlessness that had plagued her finally dissipated.
"The Seventh Hokage and the others have returned."
Hearing this news, Amado, who had maintained an air of nonchalant ease, showed a flicker of panic on his face. "Hey! Is Kawaki alright?"
"Everyone is injured, but no one's life is in danger," Shizune said. "In any case, let's head to the hospital first. We can get the detailed situation there."
"Is that so... everyone returned safely... That's truly good news..." Amado leaned back against the sofa, once again resuming his earlier leisurely demeanor.
A trace of surprise flashed in Shizune's eyes. From Kawaki's earlier conversation with him, their relationship was clearly not harmonious, one might even say it was fraught with conflict. Why is this guy so concerned about Kawaki...?
An unknown alternate dimension.
"ROAR!"
Within a massive cage forged from an unknown material, a behemoth let out terrifying roars. It had ten tails, and its nearly round head bore a single, crimson, enormous tomoe Rinnegan.
On top of the cage, a young man lay. Hearing the roars from below, he propped himself up wearily and yawned. The youth had purple eyes and messy reddish-brown hair. He wore straps across his head that angled towards his face, and more straps were wrapped around his arms beneath his sleeves. A Roman numeral 'VI' was tattooed beneath his right eye. He wore a purple triangular earring on his right ear and a purple spike-like earring on his left. This was Code.
"Honestly, can't you just let me have a decent afternoon nap?"
Looking closely, one would notice a white [Karma] mark on the palm of his left hand.
"Kawaki, you truly deserve to die..." he muttered, gazing up at the sky, which shimmered with an unusual light. "Being chosen as the [Vessel] for an orthodox Otsutsuki, what more could you possibly be dissatisfied with? To actually choose to run away..."
"If only I had a true Karma..." He clenched the incomplete [Karma] on his palm.
Zzzzt~
A puff of white smoke suddenly emanated from the Karma on his palm, and immediately after, a residual image of Otsutsuki Isshiki appeared.
"Code, my most loyal servant..." Otsutsuki Isshiki began.
"This is..." Code was also startled. "Lord Isshiki, why have you appeared here?"
"Due to all [Vessels] disappearing, my soul, with nowhere to go, has come here..." Isshiki looked at the youth below him, his voice tinged with regret. If Code had been Kawaki, how could he have fallen to his current state? "Perhaps this is what they call 'fate'," he said with a self-deprecating laugh.
"Code."
"I am here."
"I never expected my soul would come to you, who did not become a [Vessel]."
Soul... Code's expression changed slightly. "Could it be... the [Reincarnation] failed?"
"I was tricked by Amado and was forced to use Jigen for reincarnation... Thanks to him, I have been reduced to this state," Otsutsuki Isshiki calmly recounted the cause of events. "At the same time, Kawaki's [Karma] also disappeared."
"However, it seems your [Karma], you who were unsuitable to be a [Vessel], did not disappear because of this." Otsutsuki Isshiki pointed to the White Karma on Code's left hand. "A [White Karma] not meant for a vessel. It will reside in your body as the purest form of power. Along with my legacy and the [White Karma], inherit the [Will of the Otsutsuki]..."
"The [Otsutsuki Will], which has devoured the life of countless planets over the past millennia and continuously evolved, cannot be extinguished here."
Code nodded heavily. "Yes! I will inherit your will!"
"Sacrifice either Uzumaki Boruto or Kawaki to the Ten-Tails, and let the [God Tree] grow," Otsutsuki Isshiki continued. "And obtain the crystallization of the life this planet has been drained of by the God Tree—the Chakra Fruit. It contains [Everything], including me... and the [Records] of all living, and even deceased, life on this planet. Once you eat it, you will transform into a completely new Otsutsuki. Then, journey into the endless universe, seek out those planets teeming with life, plant God Trees, collect [Information], and continuously evolve... Ultimately, become that one and only 'God'!"
"Before that, please tell me the names of those insolent fools who brought about your demise," Code requested. "I will kill them with my own hands."
"Kawaki, Amado, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, and..." Otsutsuki Isshiki hesitated noticeably, "...a newborn Otsutsuki."
Without a host to sustain it, his soul slowly dissipated.
Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Broadcast Studio.
Since Naruto didn't want to be in the limelight, and neither the Seventh Hokage nor Uchiha Sasuke cared for such things, Boruto had become the "hero" who saved Konoha, now accepting media interviews.
"...That jutsu which defeated the infamous Otsutsuki, what was it called again?" the interviewer asked.
"Er... um..." Boruto mumbled vaguely, wailing inwardly. When the hell is this damn interview going to end?!
"Due to your quick wits, you successfully minimized Konoha's losses. You've already become the savior of the entire village," the interviewer continued, seemingly oblivious to his impatience.
"Don't say that," Boruto waved his hands frantically. "In fact, throughout the entire battle, I basically didn't do anything..."
"Big brother is so cool!" Himawari exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly as she watched Boruto on television.
"So-so," Naruto commented.
"He has my style from back in the day," the Seventh Hokage said, crossing his arms and nodding slightly.
Uchiha Sasuke, Nara Shikamaru: "..."
"Pushing a child out like that, the three of you are truly shameless," Nara Shikamaru grumbled.
"What child? That's the Hero of Konoha. Show some respect," Naruto corrected him.
"..." Nara Shikamaru facepalmed.
"The matter of [Karma], and the possibility of Boruto going berserk, have all been suppressed. By making him the Hero of Konoha, we have an excuse to restrict his movements without arousing others' suspicion," the Seventh Hokage said with a sigh.
"I can understand all that... But is twenty-four-seven surveillance really necessary?" Naruto glanced sideways at the others.
"It's also a measure born out of necessity," the Seventh Hokage said, rubbing his temples. As a leader, he had to consider the village; what father would willingly restrict his own child's movements? "At least, until we find a way to eliminate Karma, this is all we can do."
"But Boruto isn't the type to stay quietly in one place," Nara Shikamaru remarked.
"Let me train him for a while," Naruto offered. "Coincidentally, I have nothing else to do."
"...I'll be relying on you then." The Seventh Hokage pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly. Momoshiki was an unknown variable; no one knew when he might emerge. This meant that Boruto needed a strong individual by his side at all times to guard against Momoshiki. They hadn't forgotten Momoshiki's claim that both Boruto's and Kawaki's Karma had "thawed" by eighty percent.
"Would you mind taking a few more little ones?" the Seventh Hokage asked, scratching his head sheepishly.
"Training? Can you take me too, Little Dad?" Himawari suddenly hugged him from behind.
"Alright, but training is very tough, you know. Can my little cutie endure it?" Naruto laughed heartily and agreed immediately.
"Lord Seventh Hokage, just don't give me too many."
"Thank you."