After hearing Kakashi's suggestion, Tsunade fell into deep thought.
"I understand what you mean…"
A moment later, she lifted her head slightly and asked, "Will they understand that this is an opportunity I'm creating for them?"
"The Third Hokage's assessment of Uchiha Itachi was: he is a man who thinks like a Kage," Kakashi said.
"Go and inform Shimura Danzo."
"Yes!"
"You're back."
A figure suddenly appeared in front of him. Boruto instinctively jumped back. When he saw the person's face clearly, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"No training today. Come with me to a place," Naruto said, placing a hand on Boruto's shoulder. "It might be a bit disorienting the first time."
Boruto's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. Before he could say anything, both their figures vanished from the spot.
On a direct line connecting the Land of Water and the Land of Fire, two figures flickered in and out of existence, traversing the distance at an inhuman speed.
Two hours later, on a remote island.
"Bleargh!"
The moment they landed, Boruto dropped to his knees, the fish soup he had drunk the previous night gushing from his mouth.
Glancing at the colorful, viscous substance on the ground, Naruto looked up at the sky speechlessly. Wasn't this reaction a bit much?
"Your physical constitution is truly terrible," he said, dissatisfied.
"Not even a derailed Thunder Rail is this terrifying," Boruto said weakly.
Naruto: "…" Listening to you, it sounds like you've had quite the rich experiences.
A few minutes later, seeing that Boruto had mostly recovered, Naruto spoke, "Let's go. The destination is just over that mountain."
"Why didn't you just place the Flying Thunder God marker directly there in the first place?" Boruto, following behind him, couldn't help but complain. "Making us take such a long detour."
"The area ahead is his territory. Placing a Flying Thunder God marker directly in someone's home is very impolite."
Reaching the mountaintop and gazing at the boundless, azure lake rippling before them, Boruto felt a sense of serene refreshment, as if his entire body and mind had been cleansed.
"Where's the house? He hasn't moved away, has he?" He looked around doubtfully, certain he hadn't seen any signs of human habitation.
"He's here," Naruto said.
Boruto looked at him, puzzled. What person? Where?
RUMBLE!
Just then, a monstrous torrent of water surged up from the lake. After the water had completely cascaded down, a colossal beast, comparable in size to a mountain, appeared before his eyes.
"Th-th-this!!" Boruto stared at the behemoth, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground.
"Long time no see, Naruto," Isobu spoke.
"It has been a while," Naruto said, then introduced Boruto. "This is Isobu. Of course, you might not be familiar with that name. He's also known to the world as the 'Three-Tails'."
"And this is Boruto, a pretty good kid."
Isobu lowered his massive body slightly, bringing their eye levels to the same plane. "Is he your younger brother?" He could clearly sense the chakra connection between the two, much like the one between himself and Kurama.
"…I guess so," Naruto nodded after a moment's thought.
"Since he's Naruto's younger brother, then we're friends," Isobu nodded slightly, looking at the young boy beside them whose face still held a trace of astonishment.
Boruto was taken aback, not expecting this colossal creature to have such an amiable side. He quickly said, "Hello, Isobu! My name is Boruto!"
"…You're quite good," Isobu said after looking at him for a moment.
"Has Yugito returned already?" Naruto asked. Apart from Isobu, he didn't sense any other chakra sources.
"Mhm," Isobu nodded, a little dejectedly. He had thought he might gain another friend.
"It's alright. If your paths differ, you ultimately won't walk together," Naruto comforted him.
It was rather amusing, really. Back then, he had ambitiously wanted to establish an organization for Jinchuriki to help each other. He had thought that with his own strength, he could easily gather all the Tailed Beasts and their Jinchuriki. But in the end, he discovered it was just wishful thinking on his part.
Everyone had their own lives. Unless forced into a desperate situation by reality, who would willingly bear the identity of a rogue ninja, leave their homes, and adapt to a strange place, new people, and new things?
Fortunately, however, all his efforts over this long period hadn't been entirely in vain. Isobu before him, and Gaara from Sunagakure… to find a true confidant in life is rare. To have gained two could be considered a great fortune.
"By the way, Isobu, have you ever heard of the Otsutsuki clan?" Naruto asked.
According to Kurama, the nine Tailed Beasts had only lived together when they were first born. Later, with the passing of the Sage of Six Paths, they each went their separate ways, starting new lives, and their experiences diverged. Just because Kurama didn't know something didn't mean the other Tailed Beasts were also unaware.
"No," Isobu shook his head.
Naruto then told Isobu everything he had recently learned about the Otsutsuki clan. The nine Tailed Beasts were split from the Ten-Tails; in a sense, they were all parts of the Chakra Fruit. Urashiki's target was the Chakra Fruit, so he definitely wouldn't overlook Isobu's existence.
"…Basically, if you encounter any strange enemies, call me immediately."
"I understand," Isobu nodded helplessly. To think that he, the dignified Three-Tails, a demonic beast renowned throughout the ninja world, had been encountering nothing but freaks lately. A while ago it was Akatsuki, and now, even more ridiculously, it was the Otsutsuki clan who had "cultivated" them in the first place.
Although Boruto couldn't understand the conversation between the man and the beast, he was profoundly shaken. This world's Dad wasn't much older than him, yet he was already so powerful that he could even protect a Tailed Beast.
Speaking of which, he thought secretly, is this world's Dad stronger, or is my original world's Dad stronger?
Root Headquarters.
Above a bottomless pit, countless wooden walkways crisscrossed like the roots of a great tree.
Kakashi walked along one of these walkways. Although the surrounding space was somewhat dim, he felt no fear. Confidence in his strength was part of the reason; another part was that he had served in Root for a period. Later, due to certain matters, he had a falling out with Shimura Danzo and left the organization.
Gazing at the figure ahead, he slowly came to a halt.
"Hatake Kakashi. What brings you back to your old stomping grounds?"
At the end of the walkway, Shimura Danzo, most of his body wrapped in white bandages, stood there. He looked at Kakashi with slightly raised eyelids, his aura creating an inexplicable sense of dread.
"A letter from the Fifth Hokage." Kakashi took a scroll from his waist.
A Root ninja stepped forward, took the scroll from his hand, and delivered it to their leader behind him.
After Danzo finished reading it, Kakashi spoke, "The Fifth Hokage requests that you go on a diplomatic mission to Sunagakure to discuss matters related to the Five Kage Summit."
Putting the scroll away, Shimura Danzo's expression showed no hint of fluctuation. "I understand."
Seeing his mission completed, Kakashi's figure vanished from the spot.
"The Flying Thunder God Technique. You truly have given up the Sharingan," Shimura Danzo murmured, watching this scene.
"Lord Danzo, please entrust the mission to Sunagakure to me," the Root ninja from before appeared beside him, kneeling on one knee, and said in a low voice.
"No, I will go personally." Shimura Danzo shook his head. He wanted to see just what kind of scheme Lady Tsunade could cook up.