Chapter 222: A Sense of Tension
The Streets of Konoha.
"Boss Naruto!"
As Naruto was leading the two strangers to his favorite spot, a voice rang out from behind him. He turned around.
"Oh, it's Konohamaru! You looking for me? I'm busy today; I'm taking these two on a tour of Konoha." He pointed at Boruto and Sasuke.
"A tour?" Konohamaru, who had been ready to demand an explanation, froze. He looked at the duo; they didn't exactly look like Naruto's "underlings," especially with that adult man standing there.
"Who are they?" Konohamaru asked.
Boruto looked at the three little kids in front of him, finding them somewhat familiar—especially the little leader. When he heard Naruto's words, his face filled with shock.
Wait, Konohamaru? Isn't that Sensei? He's so tiny! Boruto's eyes crinkled; he found this quite amusing.
"Hello, I'm Boruto. I'm here for a tour of Konoha. This is my teacher, Mr. Sukea."
Konohamaru crossed his arms. "I see, so you're tourists. I thought you were here to be Boss Naruto's lackeys. In that case, I'll help introduce the village too. There's nothing about this place I don't know."
"That would be great," Boruto replied.
"Let's go then! I'm taking them to my absolute favorite spot," Naruto declared.
Konohamaru nodded. "Oh, Boss Naruto's favorite spot? I want to know where that is too."
As Naruto led the way, the surroundings became increasingly familiar to Boruto.
"Sensei... isn't this...?" He looked at Sasuke.
"Mhm. It should be," Sasuke replied.
Boruto whispered, "We didn't pay last time, did we?" He had just realized a major problem.
"Mhm. We have no money."
"Then we should probably run."
After some coaxing from Boruto, Naruto finally gave up on the idea of taking them to Ichiraku Ramen. Naruto looked a bit dissatisfied—if they had already been there, they should have just said so!
He then spent the rest of the day showing them various landmarks across Konoha.
"Alright, that's enough for today! You promised you'd help me train!" Naruto, still full of energy, looked at the two and said.
Boruto had been waiting for this. "No problem." How strong is Dad right now?
The Konohamaru Corps perked up their ears. "Training? We want to go too!" At the mention of this, they immediately raised their hands.
Naruto laughed. "Sure, come along."
Konoha Training Ground.
Naruto brought them to his private training spot, surrounded by dense trees.
"This is my secret training ground! Now, time for practice. I'm actually pretty strong, so you'd better watch out!" Naruto stood in the center, brimming with confidence.
"I'm looking forward to it." Boruto walked out to face him.
Sasuke and the Konohamaru Corps watched from the sidelines.
"Mister, aren't you going to join in? Boss Naruto is someone who can beat the Hokage with one move, you know!" Konohamaru said to Sasuke. He was convinced that even though the kid opposite Naruto looked like him, he was no match for his "Boss."
Sasuke replied calmly, "There's no need."
He wasn't worried at all; the current Naruto was simply no match for Boruto. His attention was focused elsewhere—on Urashiki, who could appear at any moment. That was their true mission.
But even now, there was no sign of Urashiki, which made Sasuke start to doubt. With Urashiki's abilities, it was impossible for him to remain hidden in Konoha for this long. Something must have happened that he didn't know about. Or, as he suspected, the time they arrived wasn't the exact same moment Urashiki arrived. If that was the case, his greatest fear had come true.
Konohamaru wanted to argue—what did he mean by "no need"?
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing drew everyone's attention to the field. Naruto and Boruto's kunai were locked together as they began a taijutsu duel. Sparks flew where the blades met.
Clang! Clang!
Thud!
"How... how are you this strong?"
Naruto had just managed to parry Boruto's kunai when a kick landed squarely in his stomach, sending him flying back with a pained expression. Boruto instinctively pulled back his strength; he realized Naruto wasn't as strong as he had imagined. Just from a brief exchange, he could tell Naruto's combat experience was lacking.
Indeed, the "Battlefield Simulation" technology developed by Director Tonbo hadn't been invented yet in his father's era.
"Ow, ow, ow..." Naruto clutched his stomach, feeling like his gallbladder had been kicked out of place. But he gritted his teeth and stood up. He hadn't expected this look-alike to be this powerful—he felt even more formidable than Sasuke.
The Konohamaru Corps was stunned. "Boss Naruto, are you okay?"
"I'm fine! I can still fight!" Naruto's fighting spirit was ignited. Training with someone this strong would definitely help him grow. "Again!"
"No problem." Recognizing his father's current level, Boruto prepared to hold back even more.
"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Poof! Poof! Poof!
Dozens of Narutos appeared, surrounding Boruto. "I won't go easy on you now!" Naruto said confidently. He was a pro at ganging up on people.
"So cool!" The Konohamaru Corps' eyes sparkled at the sight of so many clones.
Boruto smiled and put away his kunai. Facing his father's signature jutsu, he began to weave hand seals.
Water Style: Wild Water Wave!
Boruto's chest puffed out as he exhaled a torrent of water that surged like an ocean whirlpool. With just one move, Naruto's clones were caught in a "washing machine" of rushing water.
Poof! Poof! Poof!
Hidden from view, Tonbo Tobitake completely suppressed his presence. Using the Hidden Mole Jutsu (from the Stone Village) to blend into the surroundings, he perched on a tree branch, watching the battle between Naruto and Boruto.
He looked at the figures on the field, his brow furrowed.
Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Boruto... what is going on? Even though I haven't watched all of Boruto, I've seen enough clips to know this shouldn't be happening now.
He had wondered why a chakra signature similar to Sasuke's had appeared in Konoha; it turned out Sasuke had traveled back in time. This meant that besides Kaguya, the other Otsutsuki were indeed active. And they must have been pursuing another Otsutsuki, right? Tonbo was almost certain of it.
Crap... you're telling me an Otsutsuki might attack right now?
Tonbo pushed his sensory perception to the limit. His mind swept through the trees, extending into the heart of Konoha, spreading out across every sector. The streets, the Hokage's office, the main gates...
He scanned the sky, the ground, and even beneath the earth.
Nothing... not here either... What abilities did the time-traveling Otsutsuki have? Dammit, I didn't pay enough attention to the "unflammable" sequel!
Because he couldn't detect any abnormal chakra, a surge of tension flooded Tonbo's heart. If he had known this would happen, he would have watched the show more closely. Now he felt himself "heating up" with anxiety. He was afraid of a surprise "ultimate move" like Pain's, or some hidden chakra-masking ability.
Since he couldn't sense the enemy, he turned his gaze back to Sasuke and Boruto.
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