Chapter 268: A Proper Duel — Orochimaru vs. Future Boruto (Final)
Orochimaru LP: 2450
"I activate the effect of Summoning Ninja Tortoise in my Graveyard. By banishing this card, your attack is nullified, and your Battle Phase ends immediately."
"This was the card I just sent to the Graveyard using Substitution Jutsu. Looks like your turn is about to end, right?"
Future Boruto said as he looked at Gray Wolf in front of him.
"No, my turn isn't over yet. I activate the last card in my hand: Self-Reincarnation!"
"Self-Reincarnation, activate effect—reduce your own Life Points to just 1, then Special Summon a ninja from your Graveyard or from banished cards. The summoned ninja gains ATK and DEF equal to the Life Points lost!"
"I choose to Special Summon Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan · Uchiha Madara from the banished zone."
"Although his ATK is only 2449, Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan · Uchiha Madara has a special effect: when he's on the field at the same time as Sage Mode · Hashirama Senju, banish them both to Special Summon Rinnegan · Uchiha Madara from the Extra Deck!"
Rinnegan · Uchiha Madara
ATK: 8000 | DEF: 8000
"8000 ATK?! Hey Boruto, that's gotta be the highest ATK of any ninja card!"
Tentō turned to the modern Boruto beside him.
"Yeah."
Modern Boruto nodded with a grave expression.
"Rinnegan · Uchiha Madara's effect activates: once per turn, destroy all other cards on the field!"
A powerful shockwave erupted from Madara on the field.
"Akatsuki · Orochimaru's effect activates! This card cannot be destroyed by effects other than battle!"
Akatsuki · Orochimaru transformed into a white snake, dodging the shockwave coming from Madara.
"I wasn't aiming for Akatsuki · Orochimaru—I was targeting the ninja tool equipped to him: the Kusanagi Sword!"
"End of turn."
Orochimaru LP: 1 | Cards in hand: 0
"My turn—draw."
"I activate Necessary Sacrifice from my hand. I send one Grass Village Ninja from my hand to the Graveyard to draw two cards."
"Grass Village Ninja's effect activates: when this card is sent to the Graveyard, I recover 500 Life Points."
Future Boruto LP: 3700
"I activate Panic Retreat—banish all Ninja cards on your field. For each one banished, draw one card. I banish Akatsuki · Orochimaru from the field to draw a card!"
"I activate Belated Encounter! Banish one card from your deck. Two turns later, the card is sent to the Graveyard, and you draw a card from your deck."
Future Boruto selected a card from his deck.
"You're really going to play Belated Encounter at a time like this? You don't actually think you'll survive two more turns, do you?"
Orochimaru looked at Future Boruto and spoke.
"Of course not. I'm not planning to drag this out for two more turns—because I'm ending this duel right now!"
"I activate Disgraceful Return from my hand!"
"Special Summon up to two banished Ninjas to your field. The summoned Ninjas have their ATK and DEF halved!"
"I choose to Special Summon Akatsuki · Orochimaru and the card banished with Belated Encounter—Sakon & Ukon!"
"Akatsuki · Orochimaru's effect activates! Add one non-Ninja card from the Graveyard to your hand. I choose Disgraceful Return."
"Sakon & Ukon's effect activates! Banish itself and another Ninja on the field to draw two cards!"
"Too bad—I still have a second Disgraceful Return in my hand!"
"Using Disgraceful Return again, I Special Summon Akatsuki · Orochimaru and Sakon & Ukon. Orochimaru's effect adds Disgraceful Return from the Graveyard back to my hand! Sakon & Ukon's effect activates again... and this combo will continue until I've drawn my entire deck!"
---
"At last… I finally drew it… I can't believe it was the last card!"
"I summon in Attack Position—Uzumaki Boruto!"
Uzumaki Boruto
Level 3 | ATK: 1600 | DEF: 1300
"Now, I activate the card Nine-Headed Serpent gave me: Future Summoning Ritual! I send Uzumaki Boruto on the field to the Graveyard to Special Summon from my Extra Deck—Future · Uzumaki Boruto!"
Future · Uzumaki Boruto
ATK: 3000 | DEF: 2500
"Future · Uzumaki Boruto's effect activates—send all Ninja cards in your hand to the Graveyard. For each one, he gains 500 ATK! I have 20 Ninja cards in my hand, so his final ATK is… 13000!"
"Go! Future · Uzumaki Boruto! This is the strongest attack technique, empowered by everyone's strength—Chakra Bomb!"
Gray Wolf LP: 0
Winner: Nine-Headed Serpent, Uzumaki Boruto!
Captain Red Dragonfly walked over to Future Boruto as he announced the outcome.
"Orochimaru…"
Red Wolf approached the fallen Gray Wolf.
"Let's go home."
"Are you sure it's okay? Losing the duel means we won't get the Peace Star…"
"It's fine. Our Director doesn't really care about the Peace Star."
Orochimaru replied calmly, as if he hadn't just lost the duel and missed out on the prize.
"This is your reward—Peace Star."
It was a disc-shaped object with a star set between green and yellow.
"Wait, if we use this, the village can be rebuilt in no time!"
Tentō suddenly exclaimed, looking at the Peace Star in Future Boruto's hand.
---
Nighttime in the Hidden Leaf Village.
"Who's there?!"
While walking back to his tent, Naruto suddenly turned toward the shadows, alert.
After all, this was the Leaf Village's weakest moment—many ninjas were unable to use jutsu due to the collars around their necks, and the threat of an enemy ambush loomed.
"Dad… it's me."
Future Boruto stepped out from the shadows.
"Oh… Boruto, it's just you. What is it? Something on your mind?"
"Yeah. Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you."
"You… want to ask me something?"
After all this time, it was the first time Naruto had ever been consulted by his son.
With the Hokage duties being so busy, and Boruto always treating Naruto like an idiot, he never came to him for advice.
At the site of the former Hokage Rock—
"Sigh... We'll have to find someone to recarve the Hokage faces…"
Naruto looked at the destroyed Hokage Rock with a sigh.
"...Dad, if someone you cared about suddenly disappeared, would you drop everything to find them?"