Chapter 394: Untitled
"I'm fine."
Future Boruto, pulling away to increase the distance, responded to Mitsuki's concern, his eyes locked intently on the Venom-like creature before him.
Boruto was sure he hadn't seen it wrong—just now, his jutsu had clearly elicited a reaction from the symbiote. The reason it failed might've simply been that it wasn't powerful enough.
"Sage Style: Lightning Release – Lightning Cutter!"
An evolved version of Chidori, an S-rank jutsu said to be capable of slicing through even lightning itself.
A massive amount of chakra gathered in Future Boruto's right hand, forming a circular orb crackling with blue lightning. The crackling sound it emitted was noticeably softer than that of the Chidori.
Future Boruto charged straight at the sturdy body of the symbiote, slashing at it—but the result was even less effective than Chidori.
As his palm pierced into the symbiote's body, it was quickly engulfed by a thick, black, viscous substance.
"Damn!"
With his right hand trapped, Future Boruto couldn't dodge. He could only watch as the symbiote's arm transformed into a battle axe and came cleaving down at him.
"Super Saiyan Mode!"
A surge of powerful chakra exploded from Boruto's body, shaking off even the black slime encasing his right hand. Seizing the opening, he yanked his arm free, dodged the attack, and countered with a solid kick to the symbiote's head.
The forceful impact came with a sharp crack of air being torn, but it only made the symbiote tilt its head slightly.
Realizing that ordinary physical attacks were useless, Future Boruto immediately widened the gap again.
"Boruto."
"I'm fine. But Mitsuki, your Chidori clearly worked on this thing—why did my stronger Lightning Cutter have even less effect?"
Boruto frowned deeply, watching as the symbiote, having been kicked aside, twisted its head back into place.
"Chidori—an A-rank jutsu. Its hallmark is its concentrated, pinpoint piercing power. The electric current is so strong it creates a sound like a thousand birds chirping together!"
Boruto muttered to himself, repeating Chidori's description, and eventually pinpointed the key reason why it had worked against the symbiote.
"Sound?"
"Exactly." Future Boruto nodded at Mitsuki. "It's the sound—this thing's afraid of it. But normal sounds probably won't work."
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Dozens of Future Boruto's clones appeared on the field, all using Chidori simultaneously. In the narrow confines of the training arena, it was as if tens of thousands of birds were chirping in unison.
Mitsuki and Tetsubaki both clutched their ears in pain, grimacing and dropping to one knee.
The symbiote's reaction was even more intense. The black sludge coating its body seemed ready to fall off.
"No!"
The symbiote thrashed violently, smashing through the surrounding Boruto clones one by one.
"Sage Style: Lightning Release – Chidori!"
Just as it destroyed another clone, the real Future Boruto leapt high into the air, Chidori in hand, and dove straight toward the creature's chest.
Seemingly fearing the Chidori in Boruto's right hand, the black sludge on its chest parted, revealing the human body hidden beneath.
Boruto's hand pierced into the person inside, unleashing a massive surge of electricity.
The black slime melted away, dripping to the ground.
"Mizunotsuki!"
Seeing the revealed figure within the symbiote, Tetsubaki let out a shocked cry.
"You know him?"
Mitsuki turned to her and asked.
"Yes." Tetsubaki nodded. "He's a minister of our country. He's highly experienced in government affairs, so when I'm too busy, most of the Iron Country's administrative duties are handled by him."
Though she was confused as to why Mizunotsuki had attacked her, the dead could offer no explanations. His heart had been pierced by Future Boruto's Chidori.
"Boruto, look out!"
The puddle of symbiote sludge at Boruto's feet suddenly lunged at him.
Boruto quickly withdrew his right hand from Mizunotsuki's chest and activated Chidori again. The crackling electricity and birdsong made the symbiote hesitate and recoil, trembling visibly.
"This thing… it seems alive."
Seeing Boruto unharmed, Mitsuki sighed in relief, then stared at the twitching mass of black sludge on the ground.
"Yeah, I've never seen anything like it either. But I bet this thing has something to do with Orochimaru."
In Boruto's experience, any bizarre entity that showed up in the ninja world could almost certainly be linked to either Orochimaru or S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Also, Tetsubaki, there's something I need to tell you."
As expected, after Boruto explained the corruption within the Iron Country's administration, Tetsubaki's face went blank with shock.
"If the people of this country trust you, then you should honor that trust."
Boruto looked at her seriously as he spoke.
"…Understood."
Tetsubaki's tone was subdued.
"By the way, Lady Tetsubaki, do you have any leads on Orochimaru?"
"Orochimaru?"
Tetsubaki looked at Mitsuki in confusion.
While S.H.I.E.L.D.'s existence wasn't a secret to the top echelons of the Five Great Nations and Villages, smaller nations had only heard of the name. They didn't even know what its members looked like.
"This man." As he spoke, Boruto pulled out a sketch of Orochimaru, now resembling Gray Wolf. "He's a rogue ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village, now part of S.H.I.E.L.D. I suspect he's behind the symbiote and the demons appearing in the Iron Country."
"I think I've seen him before…" Tetsubaki leaned in to get a better look, brows furrowed. "Yes, I once saw this guy with Minister Mizunotsuki entering a teahouse together."
"Mizunotsuki…"
Boruto glanced at the lifeless body on the ground.
So in the end, the trail had led back to Mizunotsuki.
"What now, Boruto?"
Mitsuki looked to him for the next move.
"Let's send a message to the Hidden Leaf."
As he spoke, Boruto took out a small iron box. He picked up the still-dazed symbiote sludge with his right hand—immediately, it tried to envelop him again.
But his hand sparked with electricity once more, the familiar sound of chirping birds ringing out.
Trapped in his grasp, the symbiote writhed in panic, unable to engulf him.
At last, Boruto sealed the symbiote into the iron box.