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After joining the forum, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke were very likely the two saviors the Great Toad Sage had spoken of in his prophecy—two people destined to fight side by side.
"I see… so that's it. Everything finally makes sense!"
Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi could barely suppress the wild joy surging inside him. His grin stretched so wide it nearly reached his ears.
For Konoha to produce not just one, but two geniuses destined to shoulder the fate of the world… that was unbelievable luck.
"No! Before the other ninja villages realize how special they are, they must be placed under the highest level of protection!"
Hiruzen immediately grasped the gravity of the situation.
According to the Great Toad Sage's prophecy, there was supposed to be only one Child of Prophecy. But now both Naruto and Sasuke had joined the forum.
Which raised a frightening possibility…
What if some massive upheaval happened in the future—something that pushed one of them down the wrong path, turning them into the enemy of the world?
Hiruzen didn't want to assume the worst, but his cautious nature forced him to consider it.
"Not only must they be protected… their bond must also be strengthened. Their relationship has to become unbreakable."
His expression grew solemn.
Naruto would be easy enough to handle.
But Sasuke… Sasuke was a problem.
Hiruzen knew the depth of Sasuke's hatred for Itachi Uchiha. Itachi had acted out of absolute loyalty to Konoha, but Sasuke didn't know the truth—and even if he did, it wouldn't be easy for him to accept.
From Sasuke's perspective, his older brother had gone insane and slaughtered their entire clan, leaving only him alive.
That was a blood debt as deep as the sea.
If he didn't avenge it, could he even call himself human?
Which meant that right now, the priority was making sure Sasuke felt a sense of belonging to Konoha—something irreplaceable. He needed care, warmth, and support.
Otherwise, emotions like hatred were the sharpest blades for others to exploit.
Hiruzen's thoughts were crystal clear.
He formed a bold hypothesis.
If Naruto and Sasuke ever ended up on opposite sides in the future, the one who fell into darkness would most likely be Sasuke.
And if Sasuke turned dark, it would probably be because someone manipulated or deceived him.
"I must show them both the greatest care possible. No matter what happens, I'll bind them firmly to Konoha's chariot."
Hiruzen made up his mind.
His reasoning might not be perfect, but even the slightest chance was enough to force him to act for Konoha's future.
"Someone! Send word to Jiraiya immediately. Tell him to get here as fast as possible!"
He summoned an ANBU operative at once. When matters involved the Child of Prophecy, there was no one more suitable than Jiraiya to handle it.
Otogakure (Hidden Sound Village)
Orochimaru stared at the invitation in his hand—an announcement calling for another Five Kage Summit.
The muscles on his face twitched violently.
"Are they serious? Again?!"
The last summit had barely ended, and now they were calling another one?
For a moment he nearly exploded in rage.
But thinking of his ultimate goal—the "Konoha Destruction Plan"—he forced himself to take several deep breaths and suppress the fury boiling in his chest.
Endure.
Right now, he was acting under the identity of the Fourth Kazekage.
No matter how unwilling he was, he had to attend this damn meeting.
Meanwhile… on the Multiverse Forum
The forum was as lively as ever.
Because Uchiha Madara, the legendary ambitious mastermind, had finally appeared.
Uchiha Madara:"Saitama. Your destructive power is astonishing. I look forward to a fateful battle with you."
Saitama:"Uh… well… I appreciate the enthusiasm, but maybe let's not. I'm worried I might accidentally turn you into dust."
Uchiha Madara:"That's fine. I'm already dead anyway."
Saitama:"???"
Hashirama Senju:"Madara! That's like hanging yourself because you think you've lived too long! Challenging that bald cape guy is just asking for a beating! Why not have an intense battle with me instead?!"
Madara's forehead veins bulged as he read Hashirama's comment.
He suddenly regretted ever having anything to do with that idiot.
But then he restrained himself.
He knew the future now.
He would be revived—and once revived, he would gain power far beyond anything he had before.
Right now, maybe he wasn't Saitama's opponent.
But once he completed the Divine Tree plan and obtained the true power of the Six Paths…
Then he would absolutely be qualified to challenge Saitama.
Madara's arrogance swelled as the thought took hold.
He was the strongest.
Those so-called Saints, Super Saiyans, or that bald cape hero… sooner or later they would all fall beneath his feet.
At that moment, another voice suddenly appeared on the forum.
It was Boros, and his words dripped with icy killing intent.
Boros:"Saitama, I forgot to mention something. While I continue surpassing my limits… my fleet has already set sail. We are heading for Earth at top speed."
"During the journey, I will train day and night aboard my ship, pushing beyond the limits of my body."
"Prepare yourself for your end."
"When I finally descend upon Earth… the one who loses will be you."
"You will fall by my hand alone, Saitama!"
Each word burned like a detonating nuclear blast.
The battle cry Boros posted on the multiverse forum shook everyone watching. The madness and obsession overflowing from his message stirred even the strongest observers.
"Is… is this what they mean by staying true to your original goal? The kind where you risk your life just to get revenge?"
People couldn't help imagining what it must be like to live under the same sky as monsters like Saitama and Boros.
But Xia Dou suddenly froze mid-thought.
"Wait… hold on! Boros, weren't you already blasted into nothing by Lord Saitama?! Did you somehow not die?!"
Her jaw practically hit the floor. The apocalyptic scene in the video was still vivid in her mind. That level of destruction should've left nothing behind.
Bai Yuekui from the Ling Cage world calmly offered an explanation.
"Perhaps the video we saw was only a fragment of their world's future."
The statement was like a bucket of cold water.
Xia Dou and many others from lower-power worlds such as The Outcast and Ling Cage suddenly understood.
Of course.
In their respective timelines, the epic battle between Saitama and Boros… hadn't happened yet.
"Damn… that video looked so real we thought the fight of the century had already happened!"
Because Boros had practically declared war, and Saitama remained silent like a statue, Xia Dou's love for drama flared up immediately.
She jumped into the thread to stir the pot.
Xia Dou:"Saitama! Lord Saitama!! Come accept the challenge! The overlord of the universe is calling you out by name! When you two fight, promise you'll record the whole thing so we can watch!"
Bai Yuekui rubbed her forehead helplessly.
"Xia Dou… please read the chat history. That suggestion has already been made at least eight hundred times."
One Punch Man World
Inside the Hero Association headquarters, an emergency meeting was underway. The atmosphere was so heavy it felt like storm clouds pressing down on the city.
Saitama sat lazily in his assigned seat.
His expression was blank, like a rock resting on the ocean floor, while his fingers rapidly scrolled through the forum on the projection platform.
Of course he had seen Boros's fiery declaration.
But inside, not even the slightest ripple formed.
Train like crazy and come back to defeat me?
A faint, tired chuckle surfaced deep in Saitama's mind.
The guy he had erased with a Serious Punch couldn't possibly rekindle even the smallest spark of fighting spirit in him.
But then his eyes fell on the video again.
On the ruined city.
On the charred wasteland left behind by their battle.
His gaze froze.
The destruction of the city… that was what truly touched his nerve.
Ignoring the Hero Association chairman who was still rambling about strategies and warnings, Saitama immediately typed a message and posted it.
Saitama:"I refuse. Even if you train to the heavens, don't come anywhere near Earth again. I have zero interest in fighting you. Go roam whatever galaxy you want."
"But if you get close to Earth…"
"I'll kill you."
More than the thrill of battle, Saitama hated the idea that innocent cities might be destroyed because of his power.
If he couldn't even protect the city he was supposed to defend as a hero, what kind of hero was he?
Nothing at all.
Because of that principle, he absolutely couldn't allow Boros to cause catastrophic destruction on Earth.
But he had clearly underestimated Boros's obsession.
The reply came quickly, twisted with manic excitement.
Boros didn't think Saitama was afraid of him. And he knew full well the kind of destruction invading Earth would cause.
But so what?
To a cosmic pirate who had destroyed hundreds of planets, what was a single city?
Besides, Boros's pride was absolute. The defeat shown in the video only proved he had been too weak at that moment.
After training, he wouldn't repeat that humiliation.
So Boros responded with an extremely dangerous threat.
Boros:"If you refuse to fight me, then like that madman called Cell… I'll destroy your primitive planet completely."
Saitama froze.
This Boros was completely insane.
Chasing him just to get beaten up was one thing.
But threatening to destroy Earth if he didn't get his fight?
Saitama's eyes instantly turned cold with killing intent.
Saitama:"Then come."
"But remember this. The battlefield will be the most empty wasteland possible."
"And let me tell you something… you will die."
"A miserable death."
He was done dealing with lunatics like this.
If Boros insisted on courting death, Saitama had no reason to hold back.
For creatures this unhinged, the only solution was complete eradication.
Inside the Hero Association meeting room, the air had practically frozen.
All the S-Class heroes looked calm on the surface, listening to the chairman speak—but in reality, nearly every pair of eyes was fixed on the forum updates.
Boros's threat was the entire reason for the meeting.
And when they saw the final exchange between Boros and Saitama…
Everyone except Genos, Bang, and Tatsumaki went pale instantly.
"Holy hell… this Boros is insane among the insane!!"
The usually composed Atomic Samurai slammed the table and shot to his feet, unable to contain his anger.
"Uh… what happened?" the Hero Association chairman asked nervously, startled by the outburst.
The fifth-ranked S-Class hero, Child Emperor, looked deathly pale.
"Boros is absolutely determined to come to Earth… and he's threatening to destroy us."
"What?! Then what do we do? Quick! Mr. Saitama!" the chairman panicked, turning desperately toward the bald man sitting nearby.
At that moment, every S-Class hero placed their hopes on Saitama.
Saitama noticed the complicated looks being directed at him.
He nodded, stood up, and spoke in a calm, steady voice.
"Alright, everyone. Don't worry."
"That idiot… leave him to me."
The moment those words were spoken, the suffocating tension in the room melted away like ice under sunlight.
An indescribable sense of safety filled the entire hall.
For a brief moment, everyone fell silent.
How long had it been since they felt this way?
Like no matter what happened… someone would hold up the sky.
Even someone as proud as Tatsumaki had to admit it.
Right now, Saitama gave her a sense of stability she had never experienced before.
She had completely forgotten that this same bald man had once been the "C-Class nobody" she mocked not long ago.
After watching the video, she understood better than anyone how unfathomably powerful he was.
If she had been the one facing Boros… the one dying without a trace would have been her.
She blinked her emerald eyes, curiosity filling her expression.
This ordinary-looking, slightly dull bald man…
How had he transformed into a being whose power stood above everything?
The brief commotion in Saitama's world didn't affect the other universes.
The multiverse forum remained as lively as ever.
Naruto World
Naruto and Sasuke were currently facing someone who called himself a sage.
Jiraiya.
After being introduced by the Third Hokage and Kakashi, this legendary member of the Sannin had announced his intention to take them both as his disciples.
The sudden development left the two boys stunned.
They had already learned about the Sannin through the forum's video about Madara.
But they had never imagined someone of that level would personally come looking for them.
Naruto was thrilled.
But inside Sasuke's heart… a storm was raging.
"....."