Shikamaru's House
Shikamaru's mother walked into the room carrying a tray with freshly brewed tea. She placed it gently on the low table, smiled politely at Naruto, greeted him briefly, and then quietly left the room, closing the door behind her.
Inside the room, Naruto, Sasuke, and Shikamaru sat on the tatami mats around the small table.
Shikamaru rested his chin on his hand, his brows knitted tightly, clearly deep in thought. Sasuke, on the other hand, picked up a cup of tea and took a long drink. After all, after a fierce "battle" with Karin earlier, he really was thirsty.
Naruto looked at Shikamaru and asked calmly,
"So? Have you thought of anything useful?"
Shikamaru clicked his tongue, stood up abruptly, and said,
"Wait a moment."
He walked to a side desk in the room, pulled out some paper and a pen, then returned and placed them in front of Naruto.
"Naruto," Shikamaru said seriously, "write down everything you know about the Ōtsutsuki clan. Their known members, abilities, combat styles, and any information you remember. I need as much data as possible so I can analyze what kind of enemies we might be facing."
Naruto nodded and immediately picked up the pen.
So far, the Ōtsutsuki clan members who had appeared included:
Ōtsutsuki Kaguya
Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki
Ōtsutsuki Kinshiki
Ōtsutsuki Urashiki
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, who had not yet officially appeared
In addition, there were special cases:
Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths
Ōtsutsuki Hamura, Hagoromo's younger brother
Ōtsutsuki Toneri, Hamura's descendant
Naruto carefully wrote everything down.
As for abilities, the Ōtsutsuki did not rely on conventional ninjutsu in the way shinobi did. Naruto recorded their techniques based on actual battle scenes: chakra absorption, space-time movement, chakra weapons, dimensional travel, Karma-like parasitism, and their terrifying physical strength.
He also wrote about their lack of hand seals, their instinctive manipulation of chakra, and their reliance on Chakra Fruits to evolve.
The entire process took nearly ten minutes.
Throughout this time, Shikamaru and Sasuke watched silently, not rushing him at all.
Once Naruto finished, Shikamaru picked up the paper and read through it carefully from beginning to end. Naruto, meanwhile, calmly picked up his tea and drank it, waiting.
After several minutes, Shikamaru finally put the paper down.
He looked up at Naruto with a grave expression and asked,
"So Urashiki told you that the Ōtsutsuki God might send people from multiple surrounding star systems, right?"
Naruto nodded.
Shikamaru sighed heavily and scratched his head.
"That's troublesome. Really troublesome."
Sasuke set his cup down and said coldly,
"It's not just troublesome. The ones coming might be stronger than Momoshiki and Kinshiki. We also have no idea how many of them there will be, or whether they possess abilities we've never seen before."
Hearing this, Shikamaru leaned forward, resting his forehead on the table.
"In the past, no matter how strong our enemies were—even legendary ones—we at least knew they existed in our world. This time, our enemies are from the universe itself."
He let out a bitter laugh.
"To be honest, Naruto, this all feels unreal. Are we supposed to start fighting interstellar enemies now? Does this mean one day we'll be traveling through space too?"
Naruto laughed softly and reached out, patting Shikamaru on the shoulder.
"Don't be so pessimistic, my strategist."
Naruto took a deep breath and spoke with rare seriousness.
"To be honest, my original dream was simple. I wanted to become Hokage, protect this village, and help the entire ninja world achieve lasting peace."
He clenched his fist slightly.
"But now, I don't have a choice. If I don't face the Ōtsutsuki clan in the universe, this planet will eventually be harvested by them. It's only a matter of time."
Sasuke stared at Naruto's profile.
Naruto stood there calmly, but the weight he carried was terrifying.
For a moment, Sasuke felt a sharp pain in his chest and unconsciously clenched his fist.
He had always stood beside Naruto, fighting alongside him. Even when Naruto surpassed him, Sasuke had felt jealousy, frustration, and unwillingness.
But now?
Now Sasuke hated himself—not for losing to Naruto, but for no longer being able to stand beside him and share the burden.
At this moment, the strongest being on Earth was Naruto alone.
Shikamaru straightened up and said firmly,
"Naruto, I still don't think we can fully trust Urashiki. No matter what, he's still an Ōtsutsuki. If he betrays us at a critical moment, everything will collapse."
He continued resolutely,
"That's why we must prepare for the worst. The Five Kage must gather. Not just them—every top-tier shinobi in the entire ninja world must be mobilized."
Shikamaru's eyes were sharp.
"Even if it comes down to all of us dying in battle, we'll face it together."
Sasuke nodded in agreement.
"Yes. Naruto, even if I can't keep up with you in direct combat anymore, our coordination hasn't disappeared. At the critical moment, I can still support you."
He reached out and placed a hand firmly on Naruto's shoulder.
Sasuke no longer hid his emotions.
Facing Naruto, he didn't want to.
Naruto looked at the two of them, deeply moved, and smiled.
"With you two by my side—even if I lose, it's worth it."
Shikamaru snorted and punched Naruto lightly in the shoulder.
"What nonsense are you talking about? With me here, how could we lose?"
He then grew serious again.
"By the way, Naruto, the people sent by the Ōtsutsuki God haven't arrived yet. We can't wait passively. There's something you must do immediately."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"Find Isshiki."
Shikamaru nodded.
"Yes. Absorbing Isshiki's chakra will be crucial for victory."
Naruto fell silent for a few seconds, then nodded slowly.
"…I agree."
Shikamaru stood up decisively.
"Alright, then it's settled. Sasuke, come with me. We're going to find the Hokage and convene the Five Kage Summit immediately. We need to gather all high-end combat power."
Naruto also stood.
"I'll move on my side too."
With a faint hum of space-time distortion, Naruto vanished.
A High Mountain
Urashiki sat lazily on the thick branch of a massive tree, gazing into the distance. The sunset painted the sky in crimson and gold.
"Hm… when viewed like this, this planet is quite beautiful," Urashiki muttered.
"No wonder Uzumaki Naruto is so unwilling to let it go."
Suddenly, he frowned and tilted his head.
Chirp.
A space-time vortex opened beside him, and Naruto stepped out calmly.
"You're still in the mood to admire the scenery?" Naruto said with a faint smile.
Urashiki replied calmly,
"I'm just trying to understand how you earthlings think. You came to me so quickly—something wrong?"
Naruto nodded.
"Yes."
Urashiki narrowed his eyes.
"Let me guess. You want me to help you find Isshiki."
Naruto's lips curved upward as he walked closer.
"Urashiki, you really are starting to look like a reliable partner."
Urashiki snorted.
"Don't misunderstand. I'll help you locate him, but I won't show myself. You deal with Isshiki alone."
Naruto nodded without hesitation.
"No problem. Just help me find him."
Urashiki stood up, and a space-time vortex formed in front of him.
"Follow me."
He stepped into the vortex.
Naruto followed without a word.
The hunt for Ōtsutsuki Isshiki had officially begun.
Dear Readers
For 60 Advance Chapters Join My Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/NF25
-------
Please Support My Patreon