"Hoo... hoo..."
When the mass of energy—which fused multiple powers and devoured Urashiki—the [Ashura Blade: God-Shattering Heavenly Lightning Black Flame Scorched Tail Spiraling Zero Style]—finally dissipated into the air, Naruto felt an unprecedented sense of exhaustion wash over him.
He released his battle stance, and the golden Chakra around him quickly retracted, revealing his slightly pale face. As he landed, he felt a wave of weakness; his body stumbled forward a few steps uncontrollably, and he nearly lost his footing.
"Clap."
A hand reached out just in time, steadying his arm. It was Uchiha Sasuke. He had also withdrawn his residual power, though his breathing was slightly ragged.
"Well done, Naruto. Now... it's all over."
"...We won." Supported by Sasuke, Naruto repeated the word blankly, his eyes still hazy. The reality of victory seemed to set in slower than the intensity of the fight itself. Did he really win? And was it... "easier" than he expected?
The "Ōtsutsuki"—whom he had viewed as the ultimate threat since childhood, representing cosmic power, and who had once filled him with deep fear—had just been completely defeated and eliminated by him?
Although there were surprises during the process, the final result... he truly achieved it.
"Yes, we won." Sasuke nodded slightly, his tone gentler. "You don't have to worry anymore. This threat no longer exists."
He supported Naruto, then stood steadily beside him. Closing his eyes, he seemed to be gathering his thoughts. A moment later, he reopened his eyes, looked at the faint outline of Konoha Village in the distance, and spoke softly.
"It seems... I was completely overthinking things."
"Hmm?" Naruto turned his head. "Overthinking what?"
Sasuke turned his head, meeting Naruto's clear blue eyes, which still held a hint of fatigue. The corner of his mouth curved into a faint smile, but his words were blunt:
"...Even having changed worlds, you are still an utter idiot."
"Huh? Idiot? Why would you say that all of a sudden?"
Sasuke clearly didn't want to dwell on the subject, turning his gaze toward the distant cliff. "Forget that for now. Let's go back together. Those two over there... must be anxious waiting, and probably worried sick."
"Wait a minute. Just because the name is a little long makes me an idiot? Don't you think that naming convention is cool?"
——————
"Master! And... Naruto! Are you alright?!"
The two were supporting each other, and they hadn't gotten far from the core ruins of the main battlefield when two figures, one gold and one black, rushed over from the direction of the cliff. It was Uzumaki Boruto and Uchiha Satsuki, who had been waiting anxiously.
"Yes, we're fine." Sasuke replied calmly, letting go of Naruto's arm and signaling for him to stand on his own. "Just a heavy Chakra drain; a little rest is all we need. Don't worry, the matter is completely over."
He paused, then delivered the crucial conclusion. "Urashiki... is confirmed dead."
"Really?!" Boruto's eyes lit up. "Then... does that mean... all the Ōtsutsuki who appeared and wished to—uh, wished harm upon this era, have been eliminated?!" He nearly called him "Dad" out of habit and quickly corrected himself, but his excitement was obvious.
"Yes." Sasuke nodded definitively. "Our mission... is complete."
He looked at Boruto. "Tomorrow, we will activate the 'Plow' and return to our own era."
"Huh? Going back tomorrow?!" Boruto was startled. He thought they would stay for at least a few more days, especially since this world still held so many novel, or rather, shocking things, and they had just experienced a massive battle.
"Yes, tomorrow." Sasuke repeated briefly, his tone allowing no room for doubt.
His gaze shifted to the side—
Uchiha Satsuki had moved quickly, even with a hint of subtle urgency. The instant Sasuke let go, she stepped forward and naturally took over supporting Naruto.
She carefully examined Naruto's face. Although her voice was still cool, it carried clear concern. "Is it really just Chakra exhaustion? There are no other hidden injuries, are there? Are you okay?"
Watching this scene, Sasuke felt a mixture of speechlessness, distaste, and a slight sense of "I knew it."
Why does the "me" of this world not know what modesty is at all?
Of course, Satsuki knew what modesty was. Not only did she know, she was the type who had modesty etched into her bones—always finding an excuse when showing concern, such as "I accidentally bought too much," or "I'm worried you're too weak and will hold us back." Her kindness was often wrapped in a layer of icy packaging.
That girlish awkwardness and pride tightly wrapped her true feelings.
However, to see that "textbook" modest, awkward, and tsundere Uchiha Satsuki, Uchiha Sasuke would probably have needed to Transmigrate five or six years earlier.
Once her affection level climbed to a certain "threshold," crossing that boundary meant that the "modest" shell used for self-protection and maintaining her image had long been discarded when facing Naruto.
"I'm really fine, Satsuki." Naruto felt the undeniable strength of her support on his arm and the girl's tense presence beside him, trying to stand a little straighter. "It's just heavy Chakra consumption. I'll be fine after a rest. For now, let's head back to Konoha."
He offered comfort verbally, but secretly sighed inwardly. Although the biggest threat, Urashiki, was resolved, the subsequent "trouble" would likely be considerable.
The commotion from this battle far exceeded expectations; it was practically a "Six Paths Level fight" staged right on Konoha's doorstep. Explaining the Origin of the Ōtsutsuki might be relatively easy, but how could they explain Uchiha Sasuke's astonishing power, especially the purple armor covering the Nine-Tailed? That couldn't be dismissed with a simple excuse like "a traveling performer with some skill."
"Oh, right."
Just then, Satsuki, who was supporting Naruto, suddenly turned her head, her gaze fixed on Uchiha Sasuke beside them.
"Just now... the ability covering Naruto, was that the power contained within your Sharingan?"
The moment Susanoo appeared, Satsuki clearly sensed that the Chakra fluctuations flowing within the purple energy were extremely similar to the Origin of her own Ocular Power, even sharing the same root. However, the intensity and scale reached a level she couldn't currently imagine, like a firefly compared to the bright moon.
"Mm." Sasuke responded flatly, neither denying nor offering a detailed explanation. "That is... one of the powers that you, too, will eventually Awaken and Master in the future."
In the future... she would Awaken it too?
The strength of that power was undeniable; it could perfectly coordinate with Naruto and unleash world-shattering might. Despite the familiarity brought by sensing the same Ocular Power Origin, as she looked at Sasuke's composed profile and the unspoken chemistry between him and Naruto, a burning emotion surged uncontrollably from the depths of Satsuki's heart—it was jealousy.
It wasn't jealousy of his power, but jealousy that he could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Naruto in such a powerful, complete form, facing and defeating a formidable enemy that made even her heart palpitate. Meanwhile, she could only watch from the cliff, lacking even the qualification to intervene.
"That eye..." She forced herself to redirect her attention to the power itself. "Is it called... 'Mangekyo Sharingan'?"
"What does it take to Awaken that kind of eye?"
"..."
Sasuke's footsteps paused almost imperceptibly. He lowered his head slightly; this question touched upon the heaviest part of his heart, the part he least wanted to recall.
"...That," his voice was still flat, but contained a hint of subtle hesitation, "when the 'time' comes, you will naturally... understand, and Awaken it."
He couldn't, and didn't want to, explain in detail the suffering that accompanied that immense power, the heavy price intrinsically linked to loss and despair. He had personally tasted that price and knew its bitterness well.
Naruto, who also knew the story behind this power, found his expression turning strange upon hearing Sasuke's vague answer and seeing the desire and persistence in Satsuki's eyes. He quickly tried to change the subject, speaking in a light tone.
"It's okay, Satsuki! That kind of power, later on, when the time is right, it will definitely naturally Awa—"
Before the word "ken" could leave his mouth—
Suddenly!
Naruto's smooth sentence abruptly stopped!
The expression on his face froze, and his pupils began shaking violently and uncontrollably! Immediately afterward, his entire body felt as if he had been instantly plunged into a freezing ice cave in the far north.
"Ugh...!"
An extremely brief, suppressed grunt of immense pain was squeezed from his throat. His eyes remained wide open, staring straight ahead, but his gaze quickly lost focus, becoming hollow and vacant.
Control over his body was instantly stripped away, and he fell heavily and stiffly toward the ground!
"Naruto—!!!"
Satsuki, who was supporting him, felt the weight in her arm suddenly vanish and go limp. She practically screamed his name, her voice filled with unprecedented panic and helplessness! She fumbled to catch him, but Naruto had completely lost consciousness, his body sliding softly to the ground.
Satsuki knelt on the ground, frantically half-holding Naruto in her arms and shaking his shoulders hard. Her fingertips could feel the abnormal stiffness and coldness of his body.
"Naruto?! Naruto! What's wrong?! Answer me!!" She called out, but although Naruto's eyes were still open, he showed no reaction to any sound or touch.
"What happened?!"
This sudden change caused Sasuke and Boruto's expressions to shift drastically! Both immediately rushed forward and crouched beside Naruto. Sasuke instantly activated his Mangekyo, carefully scanning Naruto's entire body, trying to find signs of Chakra disruption, internal injuries, or having been hit by some hidden Jutsu.
Boruto was also frantic, rapidly recalling every detail of the battle—Urashiki was eliminated, so did he leave behind some curse or hidden move at the last moment?!
"Did the previous battle leave some hidden injury? Or is it a backlash from severe Chakra depletion?" Sasuke frowned deeply, analyzing in a low voice, but even with his Ocular Power, he couldn't immediately discern the source of the anomaly.
"No... that's not right..." Boruto muttered to himself, anxiously scanning Naruto's body. Suddenly, he remembered certain events that occurred in the Ōtsutsuki Clan after they were eliminated.
He abruptly grabbed Naruto's hand, which was dangling on the ground, and spread his palm open—
With just one look, Boruto's heart instantly turned ice cold.
In Naruto's open palm, a diamond-shaped black mark was slowly emerging and condensing from the inside out, finally branding itself onto his skin!
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