Chapter 291:
"Your comrade is already dead. You'd better surrender while you still can!"
Yamato, Might Guy, and Naruto—now having successfully acquired the Nine Tails' chakra—formed a pincer movement against Future Boruto and Hanabi.
"Back when Pain attacked the Leaf Village, didn't you help me? Why can't we be comrades?"
Naruto looked at Future Boruto as he spoke.
"...Don't get the wrong idea. I was only trying to protect Hanabi back then."
"Regardless of your reasons, you did help the village. So, I won't kill you here. Captain Yamato, Guy-sensei, please don't intervene."
"Planning to test your newly gained power, huh..."
Yamato and Might Guy exchanged a look before stepping back in unison—though they still remained on alert.
"Hanabi, you should back away too."
"But..."
"Don't worry. You're part of the Hyūga clan. They won't lay a hand on you."
A cloak of Nine Tails chakra wrapped around Naruto's body.
"This looks just like mine..."
Hanabi murmured as she stared at Naruto.
"I feel like I've seen Naruto like this somewhere before..."
Might Guy furrowed his brow as he examined Naruto.
"But didn't Naruto just gain this power?"
Yamato looked toward Guy, clearly confused.
In the center of the battlefield, Future Boruto and Naruto—now in Nine Tails Chakra Mode—were still locked in combat.
"Your speed's increased quite a bit..."
Future Boruto blocked Naruto's punch and quickly retreated to widen the distance.
"Hey, when are you going to use your real power? You know, the one that makes your hair stand up."
"..."
"Boruto!"
Upon hearing Hanabi's voice, Future Boruto immediately turned to look at her.
"So the Nine Tails' chakra was right under my nose this whole time. I can't believe I've been searching for so long."
Obito, now wearing a white mask that revealed one Sharingan and the Rinnegan he stole from Konan, appeared, holding Hanabi hostage.
In the blink of an eye, Future Boruto activated his Super Sage Fox Mode and appeared directly in front of masked Obito.
"Zetsu, extract the Nine Tails' chakra—now."
As he shoved Hanabi toward Zetsu, Obito caught Future Boruto's punch.
"This is..."
Naruto looked at Future Boruto with a bewildered expression.
"There are actually two Nine Tails in this world? Then the Nine Tails' chakra in Hanabi—it came from you, didn't it?"
"You sure talk a lot!" Future Boruto, after being pushed back, clapped his hands together. "Kurama, let's do this!"
The Nine Tails within Future Boruto mirrored him, also pressing its hands together. "Yes, Lord Boruto!"
A massive golden Nine Tails suddenly materialized.
"This is the mark of a perfect Jinchuriki..."
The Eight Tails inside Killer Bee remarked.
"Zetsu, is the Nine Tails' chakra extracted yet?"
"Almost there. Just hold on a bit longer!"
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"
Vines burst from the ground, twisting into the form of a wooden dragon under the influence of chakra, coiling around the massive golden Nine Tails.
"...It's done!"
Zetsu casually tossed aside the unconscious Hanabi.
"Good!" Masked Obito's body began to be sucked into the Kamui space. "Now that all the Tailed Beasts' chakra is gathered... everyone, get ready for the final act!"
Future Boruto picked up the barely-breathing Hanabi and turned to Naruto.
"Hanabi's Nine Tails chakra came from the one inside you. So hurry—transfer some of your Nine Tails chakra to her."
"Got it!" As Naruto transmitted chakra into the unconscious Hanabi, he looked up at Future Boruto. "So... you have a Nine Tails inside you too?"
"Yeah." Future Boruto nodded. "I'm leaving Hanabi in your hands."
"Wait!"
Though Naruto had many questions, Future Boruto's figure had already vanished.
...
The Fourth Great Ninja War was now in full swing.
Eighty thousand allied shinobi clashed with a hundred thousand White Zetsu forces.
"Their forehead protectors all bear the symbol of 'shinobi,' yet their attire still reflects the five great nations... So this is the newly formed Allied Shinobi Forces?"
Uchiha Madara, resurrected through Reanimation, stood with arms crossed on high ground, looking down on the alliance with disdain. "Who's using the Reanimation Jutsu?"
"It's me. Kabuto."
Madara glanced at the Second Tsuchikage, who stood beside him. "Speaking to me through a reanimated body... how utterly distasteful."
"In truth, all nine Tailed Beasts' chakra has been gathered. But it seems a bit more time is needed."
Kabuto, controlling the Second Tsuchikage, responded.
"So, you need me to buy time?"
"Yes. This version of you was especially crafted for this moment. You should be far stronger than you were in your prime."
"My prime? You little worm—how would you know how strong I was in my prime?"
"That's why I want to witness the legendary power of the Uchiha clan for myself."
"...Hmph. I haven't had a good warm-up in a while anyway."
Madara leapt down from his perch, facing off against not only ten thousand allied shinobi, but the current Five Kage—still wearing a scornful expression.
"...That's Uchiha Madara! Everyone, stay sharp!"
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, shouted a warning.
"If he's Uchiha Madara, then who's the masked guy?"
Gaara questioned.
"No idea. Either way, we have to go all out now!"
Tsunade clenched her fist.
"The Five Kage united? This should be interesting." Madara stared at the five of them. "So... you all want to dance with me?"
...
"Boruto? I didn't expect you to find me."
"It wasn't hard. With Sage Mode, I could sense your location easily."
Future Boruto faced the cloaked Kabuto.
"That's true... but it looks like I have two more visitors as well."
As Kabuto finished speaking, Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke—both reanimated—appeared one after the other.
"Boruto?" Itachi looked warily at Future Boruto. "What are you doing here?"
"I believe we share the same goal—to end the Reanimation Jutsu."
"This technique won't be undone by killing me. But I can stop its activation, meaning... you can't kill me! If I die, this jutsu will continue indefinitely!"
"Then we'll just use genjutsu to force you to reveal how to undo it."
As Future Boruto spoke, he turned to Itachi.
"Perfect. Genjutsu is my specialty."
Itachi nodded.
"And Sasuke? How about we team up and take these two down? After all, we trained under the same master..."
"I've no desire to call that guy my 'master.' And from the looks of it, you don't know anything, Kabuto. I only followed you here to talk to Itachi."