Chapter 340: Foresight of the Future
Land of Water.
Although the dragon incarnation of Mitsuki had long since vanished, no humans still lived within the borders of the Land of Water.
Inside a cultivation tank, Mitsuki's naked body, eyes closed, was submerged in green liquid. Bubbles occasionally rose to the surface.
"It's just about ready."
Orochimaru looked at the data displayed on the screen in front of him and pressed the nearby red button.
Konoha Village.
Inside the Hokage's office, Boruto was alone.
He stared blankly at the desk in front of him, signing documents with his name out of habit.
All duties of the Hokage had been handed over to Shikamaru. Boruto merely needed to sign off as the Eighth Hokage on the documents that Shikamaru had approved.
"Congratulations on becoming Hokage, Boruto."
A Dark Shunhi suddenly appeared in front of Boruto, snapping him out of his daze.
"How did you get here?!"
Boruto leapt to his feet, ready to release the chakra within him at any moment.
"How did I get in? Teleportation, obviously."
"You were lying to me from the start, weren't you."
"How could I have lied to you? It's just… neither of us ever expected our connection would be exposed at the very last moment," Dark Shunhi said solemnly. "Boruto, you must reclaim the power of the Hokage as soon as possible and abolish the Shinobi Act…"
"..."
As Boruto hesitated in silence, Shunhi's figure vanished. At the same time, the door to the Hokage's office opened and Shikamaru walked in.
"Boruto, there's news from Naruto's side. The daimyō has decided not to pursue your responsibility in this matter, but for the time being, you must remain in the village."
...
Boruto wandered aimlessly through the village. Whether it was what Dark Shunhi had said or what Shikamaru had told him, both weighed heavily on his mind.
Unaware of the situation, villagers occasionally smiled at Boruto as he passed.
He walked farther and farther until he reached the outskirts of the village.
"Lord Hokage, any farther and you'll be outside the village."
An Anbu ninja suddenly appeared behind him.
"I know." Boruto had just turned around when he suddenly froze, his gaze locking onto the dense underbrush in the distance. Without warning, he dashed toward it.
"Lord Hokage!" The Anbu behind him immediately followed. "Please, don't make this difficult for us."
"This person is… Mitsuki…"
Seeing the figure lying in the grass, Boruto's eyes grew moist.
Konoha Hospital.
The Fifth Hokage Tsunade and her disciple Sakura stood together, looking at the patient who had been personally brought in by the Eighth Hokage.
"That's Mitsuki?!" Sakura looked at the unconscious youth on the hospital bed in shock. Then she turned to Tsunade. "Where did Boruto find him?"
"According to the Anbu, they found him just outside the village," Tsunade replied, frowning. "In any case, let's wake Mitsuki first."
Outside the operating room, Shikamaru stood beside Boruto.
"You went outside the village, Boruto? I'm pretty sure I told you the daimyō forbade you from leaving. If he finds out about this, the village will—"
"The daimyō? I don't understand. Why should we, with such overwhelming power, have to follow the orders of an ordinary man who has none?!"
Boruto clenched his fists and stood up, staring at Shikamaru.
"Even though Konoha reformed after the Fourth Great Ninja War, we still rely on the Land of Fire's economic support…"
Naturally, the daimyō wasn't a fool. He knew the only way to control Konoha was through its economy. There was no way he'd allow Konoha to gain economic independence so easily.
"Boruto, Shikamaru, Mitsuki is awake," said Sakura, stepping out of the operating room. "But you shouldn't visit for too long. He's still very weak and needs rest."
"Thank you, Sakura."
"Thanks, Aunt Sakura."
The hospital room was empty and bare—only a single bed and a chair. The window was open, and a gentle breeze occasionally stirred the curtain.
"Mitsuki!"
Pushing the door open, Boruto and Shikamaru entered one after the other.
"You are...?"
"Mitsuki, it's me. I'm Boruto."
Boruto introduced himself, but Mitsuki still looked confused.
"It seems Mitsuki has lost his memory…" Shikamaru muttered as he studied the boy in front of him. Then he asked, "Mitsuki, do you know why you were outside the village?"
"I don't know…" Mitsuki shook his head and said softly, "I just remember having a very long dream… and when I woke up, I was here."
"You said a dream? What kind of dream?"
Shikamaru leaned in, pressing gently.
"There were many… all kinds of dreams…"
"Like what?"
"For example, everyone had turned into flesh-eating monsters… Then there was Konoha's intelligence being stolen, which led to the deaths of many shinobi… And there was a man…"
"A man?"
Boruto pressed him immediately.
If the flesh-eating monsters were a future bio-crisis, and the stolen intel hinted at the future Shinobi Act, then—
"Yes." Mitsuki nodded, his body trembling, face pale, pupils dilated. He looked absolutely terrified. "He was covered in darkness, had one eye, moved at the speed of light, and his right hand could erase any form of energy. His body was indestructible and could fire all kinds of lasers… In short, he was terrifying—he didn't even seem human…"
"Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.!" Shikamaru's expression darkened immediately. What Mitsuki had described was far too similar to the Human God Project being carried out by S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Boruto, stay here. I need to return to handle affairs in the village."
"Okay."
Boruto nodded, watching Shikamaru leave in a hurry.
"Sorry, Boruto… was it?"
"Yeah."
"I'm feeling a bit tired… I'd like to rest."
Mitsuki offered an apologetic smile.
"It's fine, Mitsuki." Boruto helped him lie down. "Get some rest… and this time, I swear—I'll protect you."
Hokage Building.
Hokage's Office.
"Naruto, are you still in the capital of the Land of Fire?"
Through a video call, Shikamaru got in touch with Naruto.
"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "I'm discussing countermeasures against Shunhi with Sasuke. Since you're here, let's brainstorm together."
"We'll get to that in a bit, Naruto. There's something I have to tell you first."
"Did something happen in the village?"
Naruto's expression gradually turned serious.
"Yes, but it's not something that endangers the village. Actually, we found Mitsuki just outside the village. And… something he said really caught my attention."
"Mitsuki?!"
Naruto's expression changed from relief to surprise in an instant.
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