Chapter 130:
"We're too late."
Sarada glanced at Shuyu beside her, seeking his opinion.
"Let's report this to Lord Hokage first."
Sarada nodded. "That's all we can do for now."
Hokage's Office, Hidden Leaf Village
"I see. I understand the situation."
As Sarada exited the Hokage's office, she passed by Shikamaru, who was just entering alongside Shuyu.
"What's wrong, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked, noticing Naruto holding his forehead and sighing heavily.
"It's Boruto."
"Boruto? He's causing trouble again?"
"Something like that," Naruto replied. "He went with Sasuke to the Umbrella Organization's underground base."
"How did Boruto even know Sasuke was heading to the Umbrella Organization's base…?" Shikamaru paused mid-sentence as a realization struck. "It was the Jar Merchant!"
Back then, the only people discussing the operation in the Hokage's office were Naruto, Shikamaru, Sasuke, and the Jar Merchant. If it wasn't Naruto, Shikamaru, or Sasuke, then it had to be the Jar Merchant.
"Exactly. Boruto even paid him for the intel."
"A guy who'll spill any information as long as he's paid…" Shikamaru gave a wry smile. "Looks like we can't talk about anything important in front of the Jar Merchant from now on."
"But when it comes to intel on S.H.I.E.L.D., we still have to rely on Hydra." Naruto sighed and looked at Shikamaru. "Shikamaru, Boruto…"
"Don't worry, Naruto. Sasuke will protect Boruto. And if things get out of hand, he can use his Rinnegan to send Boruto back instantly." Shikamaru immediately picked up on what Naruto was thinking and reassured him.
Shikamaru's words did help calm Naruto a bit. More accurately, they reminded him of Sasuke's presence and reliability.
Naruto trusted Sasuke.
Umbrella Organization's Underground Base
"Mitsuki, I'm leaving Sasuke and Boruto to you. Don't let me down."
Orochimaru looked at Mitsuki as he spoke. Mitsuki had been subjected to no small number of experiments since coming to S.H.I.E.L.D.
"…Alright." Mitsuki gave a silent nod.
As Mitsuki walked off, Jiraiya hurriedly spoke up. "I'll go too. This is Sasuke we're talking about. Mitsuki alone might not be enough, and besides, it's a good chance to show my loyalty to S.H.I.E.L.D."
Orochimaru stared at Jiraiya for a moment, then turned his attention back to his research. "Do what you want."
"It's even more desolate than before."
Sasuke scanned his surroundings after stepping through the space-time portal.
"So this is the Umbrella Organization's underground base? Looks more like a city…"
As the portal closed, Boruto emerged right after.
"Boruto? Why did you follow me?"
"I was worried about you, Uncle Sasuke…"
Sasuke stared at Boruto's nonsense in silence, then said, "I'll send you back."
Though using his Rinnegan's space-time ability twice in a row consumed a lot of ocular power, Sasuke had no choice. Even if it meant pausing the investigation of the Umbrella Organization, he had to send Boruto back.
"Wait, Uncle Sasuke! Actually, I came to investigate something about S.H.I.E.L.D." Boruto spoke anxiously, seeing that Sasuke was ignoring him. "Since Mitsuki joined S.H.I.E.L.D., I have to understand what it really is… No matter what, I'm bringing Mitsuki back!"
In Sasuke's eyes, Boruto's figure began to overlap with that of a young Naruto.
"Boruto. I didn't expect to see you here." Mitsuki landed lightly on a utility pole, looking down at Sasuke and Boruto.
"Mitsuki!"
Sasuke didn't react as dramatically as Boruto. He already knew Mitsuki was a turncoat.
"And me too! I am a proud member of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Justice League—Red Wolf!"
"A new recruit from S.H.I.E.L.D.…?" Sasuke looked at the person calling themselves Red Wolf, then calmly drew his Kusanagi Sword and charged straight in.
"Whoa! Attacking right away? Perfect…" Red Wolf quickly formed hand seals. "Fire Style: Great Flame Bullet!"
Sasuke cleaved through the incoming fireball with his lightning-charged Kusanagi Sword and continued closing in on Red Wolf.
Ever since losing an arm in his battle with Naruto, Sasuke's fighting style had shifted toward close-quarters combat. He infused his blade with Lightning Release, using his Rinnegan to perform high-speed linked attacks.
"Earth Style: Quagmire!"
Red Wolf slapped both hands to the ground, creating a massive swamp in front of her—a troublesome trap for anyone who got caught in it.
Just before stepping into the swamp, Sasuke leapt into the air. "Lightning Style: Chidori Sharp Spear!"
While airborne, Sasuke pointed the Kusanagi Sword at Red Wolf. Lightning gathered on the blade and then shot forward in a long piercing extension.
"That was close!" Jiraiya rolled to the side just in time to dodge the attack, wiping the cold sweat from his brow. "Can't believe I'm seeing the Rinnegan again…"
When Sasuke jumped into the air, Jiraiya had caught a glimpse of his Rinnegan—a sight that genuinely startled him.
Jiraiya knew all too well how troublesome the Rinnegan was—after all, he'd died at the hands of Pain, a wielder of that very eye.
"Toad Oil Bullet!"
Truthfully, jumping into the air is a last resort. Without the ability to fly, one would inevitably fall back to the ground. An opponent could easily predict the landing spot and launch a preemptive strike—just as Jiraiya had done.
"That jutsu…" Sasuke, now on the ground, planted the Kusanagi Sword and extended his right hand just as the Toad Oil Bullet was about to hit him. "Shinra Tensei!"
The technique repelled the Toad Oil Bullet away from Sasuke with a powerful force centered around him, and he instantly teleported beside Boruto.
On the other side, Boruto and Mitsuki's battle was far more mundane.
Just like his father, Boruto ended up relying on Shadow Clones and Rasengan. Mitsuki didn't even bother using his Kagune—he overwhelmed Boruto with taijutsu alone.
With a light leap, Mitsuki landed a side kick squarely on Boruto's head, sending him flying. "Boruto, you really haven't improved at all."
"Mitsuki…" Boruto picked himself up and looked toward Sasuke. "Uncle Sasuke…"
Sasuke knew better than to overstay his welcome. Learning about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s new member was already a satisfying result—and he had a vague idea of who this Red Wolf really was.
Hoisting Boruto up, Sasuke opened a space-time portal behind him that led back to the Hidden Leaf Village.