Naruto almost did not recognize the dad standing before him. Minato Namikaze had always been gentle and easygoing around him.
Especially when dealing with Naruto, Sasuke, Obito, and the others, he had never once shown them a stern expression.
Because of that, Naruto took another long look at the boy in the laptop recording who was wearing a brand new tracksuit.
Even Minato Namikaze could not explain why he was so angry. Was it simply because a boy had cheated during the Chūnin Exams? Was it because he had disregarded the bonds between comrades and lost the resolve a ninja ought to possess?
Yet the anger Minato had unconsciously released was so overwhelming that even dozens of elite Iwagakure jōnin during the Third Shinobi World War would not have dared attack him.
How could Konoha Genin like Shikadai Nara, Inojin Yamanaka, and Iwabee Yuino possibly withstand it?
They wanted to say something in Boruto's defense, but everything Minato said made perfect sense. They could not find a single excuse for him.
Even those who knew Minato well, such as Tobirama Senju, Kakashi Hatake, and Obito Uchiha, along with people like Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, glanced at him in confusion.
After taking two deep breaths, Minato murmured an apology. Even he did not understand where that sudden surge of anger had come from. He pressed the spacebar again, and the video on Denki Kaminarimon's laptop resumed.
From the name the boys opposite them had accidentally let slip earlier, they could tell that the blond boy around Naruto's age was named "Boruto."
Boruto.
Perhaps it was merely a coincidence, but the boy not only had blond hair and blue eyes, even his name sounded somewhat similar to Naruto.
He had fallen to the ground, utterly helpless as his enemy sent his attacks back at him with twice their original power!
The boy named Boruto squeezed his eyes shut.
Just as the attacks, Wind Release, Fire Release, Water Release, Lightning Release, and Earth Release techniques comparable to B-rank ninjutsu, were about to strike him, bright golden chakra appeared in front of him!
The chakra took the form of a magnificent fox head and crushed the attacks between its jaws, protecting him at the last possible moment!
That entrance alone made everyone hold their breath. The man's striking profile even caused the young Konoha Genin to scream in excitement!
"Boruto! What are you doing out here?! Leave this to us! Go evacuate with Konohamaru!"
The man speaking in the video was tall, with short blond hair lying close against his scalp. Six distinctive whisker marks were still visible on his handsome face!
He wore an orange shirt, black pants, and ninja boots.
Five large characters were embroidered across his short beige cloak.
[Seventh Hokage]
Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Obito, Kakashi, Rin, and everyone else froze!
This man was...
"Naruto?!!!"
The instant they shouted the name of the blond man shielding Boruto from every attack, the boy named Boruto cried out, "Dad!!"
That left them even more stunned!
"No... this... wha..."
Naruto was completely dumbfounded. He stared at the video on the laptop, unable to form a proper sentence!
Sasuke and Sakura handled it slightly better than Naruto, but not by much.
They all looked thoroughly shaken.
They had been able to accept Shikamaru Nara and the others having children, but seeing themselves or someone close to them with a child was much harder to process.
They were only thirteen or fourteen years old, yet they were now looking at a son almost their own age?!!
"Why are all of you so shocked?" Shikadai Nara asked after seeing their expressions. "Is it really that surprising that Boruto's dad is the Seventh Hokage-sama?"
The video showed the Seventh Hokage locked in battle with Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki.
Still watching the recording, Naruto replied, "I'm not shocked that Boruto's dad is the Seventh Hokage-sama. It's because I'm..."
"Forget it. You wouldn't understand even if I explained it. Anyway, this is definitely way more shocking than finding out your dad is that Shikamaru guy, dattebayo."
Shikadai was displeased by that. "Who calls the father of someone their own age by his first name? That's incredibly rude."
The manners his mother, Temari, had beaten into him were the only reason he restrained himself again and again instead of continuing the argument.
At that moment, Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki had clearly run out of patience. He had not expected the Seventh Hokage to be so difficult to deal with.
Humiliated and enraged, he prepared to attack the entire Chūnin Exam arena.
["Enough, Fox."]
The entire sky was engulfed in chaotic chakra. If that attack landed, the Chūnin Exam arena would not be the only place destroyed. Even the distant Konohagakure Ninja Village would likely be caught in it!
["I'll never let you harm the village! Shadow Clone Technique!"]
Naruto, enveloped in the golden chakra of his Sage Art Nine-Tails mode, created a shadow clone in front of every section of the spectator stands. Each clone pressed its hands together.
["It's been a long time since we went all out! You haven't gotten rusty, have you, Kurama?!"]
["Hmph! You're one to talk! I haven't had the chance to properly stretch my legs in ages! Let's go!!"]
["Yeah!!!"]
The roars of the Seventh Hokage and Kurama gathering their chakra came through the laptop's tiny speakers, which could not possibly convey the true intensity of the moment.
Even so, it was enough to set everyone's blood racing!
Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju wanted nothing more than to jump straight into the recording, stand beside the Seventh Hokage, and defend Konoha. They wanted to give that foolish Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki a proper beating and teach him how to behave like a person!
That chakra spread like a vast, all embracing ocean, surrounding the entire Chūnin Exam arena!
Under the immense mass of heavy, chaotic chakra hanging in the sky, the golden Nine-Tails extended upward from the fox head!
The colossal demon fox rose upright like a human and spread its arms wide, holding back Momoshiki's attack to protect Konoha!
By instinct, the Nine-Tails wanted to use a Tailed Beast Ball to obliterate both Momoshiki and his attack.
Naruto stopped him in time.
"If he used a Tailed Beast Ball here, both the arena and nearby Konoha would probably be caught in the blast."
Minato Namikaze stared at the video on the laptop with a grave expression.
No matter which world this Naruto came from, even if he was around ten years older, that did not change the fact that Naruto Uzumaki was his son.
Minato could not favor one son over another as Rikudō Sennin had done. Nor could he stand by and watch his son die before his eyes.
["Haaaaaa—!!"]
The recording once again carried the shouts of the Seventh Hokage and the Nine-Tails, Kurama, as they poured out their strength.
The golden chakra surged with unstoppable momentum, completely enveloping Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki's attack!
"That's incredible..." Young Obito murmured.
Without realizing it, he began imagining himself becoming Hokage in the future. If he could protect the village as magnificently as the Seventh Hokage, then even dying for it would be worthwhile!
Madara and Izuna Uchiha, along with the brothers Indra and Ashura from a thousand years ago, were witnessing for the first time just how overwhelming a Hokage's presence could become when protecting the village.
Even they could not help being swept up in the excitement.
[Click.]
Just as everyone became completely absorbed in the scene, the video suddenly went dark.
Denki Kaminarimon turned the laptop around sheepishly and explained that the recording ended there.
"The recording equipment was damaged afterward, so nothing else could be filmed."
Sasuke had been more engrossed than anyone. He had even activated his Sharingan! The abrupt ending felt no different from, "I already took my pants off, and this is all you're showing me?"
He stepped forward. "What happened to Naruto?! What happened to your Seventh Hokage?"
Young Kakashi seized on something they had mentioned earlier. "Didn't you say the Seventh Hokage was once captured by members of the Ōtsutsuki Clan?"
Iwabee Yuino looked them up and down. "Where did all of you even come from? This caused an uproar throughout Konoha. How could you not know about it?"
"Forget that! Answer me first!!"
Iwabee Yuino was stubborn by nature, the sort who responded to courtesy but refused to yield to force.
He was somewhat intimidated when facing the adults. However, he was much less polite toward the people in front of him who appeared to be playing the roles of Young Sasuke, Naruto, and the Sixth Hokage as a child.
He shot back, "Is that how you ask someone for information?"
Sasuke and Naruto both choked on their words, unable to answer.
"What a pain. Ask me whatever you want. Don't make things difficult for a few kids."
A voice came from nearby. It sounded extremely familiar to Naruto and the others, yet also somewhat different. It was more mature than the voice they remembered and carried a slight rasp, like someone who smoked too much.
Naruto could still recognize it.
"Shikamaru?!!!!"
Shikadai Nara finally breathed a sigh of relief. "You're finally here, Dad."
"Yeah. Good work, Shikadai."
Tobirama Senju looked at the father and son. There was no chance Shikadai's small movements earlier had escaped their senses. They had simply allowed him to summon whoever he was trying to contact.
While everyone's attention had been fixed on Denki Kaminarimon's laptop, Shikadai Nara had quietly used his Clan's secret technique. He transformed the shadow beneath his feet into a thin line, guided it around a corner into a concealed location, and used it to seek help from the Konoha Police Force.
The Police Force ninja had cautiously peeked out, only to be stunned by the sight before them. Whether these people were genuine or not, they immediately hurried to bring Shikamaru Nara, who was on duty at the Hokage Tower.
Of course, even without Shikadai Nara secretly alerting them, the chakra of Indra, Ashura, Hamura Ōtsutsuki, and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had all appeared within Yamanaka Iya's sensory range.
"Shikamaru?! Are you really Shikamaru, dattebayo?!!!"
Naruto stared at the newcomer with wide eyes, looking him over from head to toe, then from toe to head.
No matter how he looked at him, something felt strange. His instincts kept telling him that there was something slightly off about this Shikamaru.
"Idiot. People grow up. Of course I look different from the way you remember me."
Faced with the situation before him, Shikamaru Nara irritably lit a cigarette.
"More importantly, Naruto, why have you appeared in your childhood form? And Sasuke, Sakura, the Sixth Hokage, and..."
Among intelligent people, some things did not need to be spoken aloud. A single glance was enough.
His gaze moved from Obito Uchiha to Madara Uchiha, then to Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and the three unfamiliar young men beside her.
Finally, it settled on Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Minato Namikaze.
"I never imagined I would have the honor of seeing three Hokage-samas again. But would you please explain why none of you are Edo Tensei Reincarnations, and instead appear to be genuinely alive?"
Shikamaru: Calm on the outside, panicking like hell on the inside.
Madara Uchiha, Obito Uchiha, and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
Was this about to become the Fifth Shinobi World War?!
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